Breaking Down Walls in the Walled City

Disclaimer: no actual walls were broken in the process of writing this title. Metaphorical walls!! Emotional walls!! This is just to say that I feel like I'm really connecting with myself and others while on this trip :)

Seamus Heaney HomePlace

• Heaney was a collector of words

  • "word-hoard"

• In reference to his Aunt Sarah: "It was in her house that I first got a feel for books"

  • This quote made me smile so much. I felt connected to Heaney through this quote because it immediately took me back to reading books with my Grandma Joan. Every time we'd visit her or see her at the cabins I got to read a new book (or six) with Grandma and it is through her and my mom that I think I really developed my love of books!

• One piece of the exhibition that stuck out to me: "How do you store your thoughts and memories?"

  • This really did make me think for a very long time about the different ways that I store my own thoughts and memories. For tangible things, I have a tendency to keep them in my room, which often causes things to pile up quickly (ask any person in my family). With memories, I usually like to write them down somewhere, in a notebook or even just my notes app. I often share through storytelling, and I feel that it is in this way I connect with people the easiest.

• Mid-Term Break and Scaffolding both made me cry (on separate occasions) so thanks Seamus Heaney for those ones!

• Overall I feel like I really got a feel for the heart and soul of Ireland through Heaney's works, and also just the places we've been and people we've met.

Saturday, March 2nd (cont.)

• Mass at St. Malachy's

  • Beautiful ceiling paintings and tilework

• Dinner at Tony Macaroni

  • Ate a DELICIOUS margherita pizza and drank a San Pellegrino Limonata

• Returned to the hotel and showered/went to bed

Sunday, March 3rd

• Breakfast at the hotel

  • Soda bread, poached eggs, fruit, and tea

• Drove to Carrickfergus Castle and had an amazing time with the tour and exploring on our own

  • Started in 1178, completed in 1242

  • Birthplace of the US Rangers and Andrew Jackson's father

  • Certain parts of movies are frequently filmed here!

• Continued driving and stopped in Bellaghy for a visit to the Seamus Heaney HomePlace

  • See above for notes

• Grocery store lunch: the Irish equivalent of a lunchable

• Made it to Derry!!

  • Rainbow spotted as we were crossing the bridge :)

• Meet and greet with Sue Divin, a local author who writes YA fiction about the aftermath/lingering effects of The Troubles

  • Gifted Marian signed copies of her two novels! "Guard Your Heart" and "Truth Be Told"

  • Learned more about The Troubles and how it continues to affect people today

• Walking tour of Derry along the walls with Sue, saw and learned about landmarks that influenced/appeared in her writing

• Dinner back at the hotel: Caesar salad, baked goat cheese salad, cheesecake

  • Caesar: 7/10

  • Goat cheese salad: 5/10

  • Cheesecake: 8/10

• All in all a very lovely day!

Gin rummy points:

• Maggie: 47 (avenging myself has been postponed)

• Maddie: 20

• Chizzy: 0