Pacheco, Woyzeck and a Whole Lot Of Driftwood

Good evening, lovely people. How's everything going for you all? My last post wrapped up my Roadtrip Saga. Such fun times on Erasmus, let me tell you. And wrapping up that awesome trip was really fun and now, after writing those posts, it's fun to read them and look back and for everyone involved on the trip to reminisce about the awesome roadtrip.

So since that roadtrip, bits and pieces have happened. Finished up my Spanish experience and in a whirlwind of travelling bliss, was up and travelling again to South Africa less than 72 hours later. More on that later in some follow up blogs. So by the end of this summer I'll be uploading and trying not to brag about the awesome experiences in Spain and South Africa.

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Beginning this entry, I currently find myself sitting in the center of Galway City surrounded by art, merchandise and a lot of cool people.

At the beginning of this month, I found myself in a situation where I didn't have a job, was searching for a job and trying to find something to occupy my time rather than sitting around doing nothing. One of the many things I pondered and researched was the Galway International Arts Festival. Something that I have visited in the past, been meaning to get involved in for years and from a touristic point of view, was drawn to. 

The week before the festival began, whilst I looked around for a job, I made the decision to just go for it and apply for a volunteer position with the festival. Thinking I wouldn't be accepted for whatever I wanted to apply for, I ended up applying for a lot of different things within the festival including, visual arts, theater and box office positions. The first position I was drawn to and had the strongest inclination to work in was as a merchandising officer. Luckily, I was contacted not long after my application process by the wonderful volunteer co-ordination manager, Carly, who told me I had been accepted for the merchandise position, I had to show up at the festival HQ and be introduced to my job.

The introduction process took place on the 12th of July and was a quick briefing, That night I signed myself up for the following nights show and got to work with, and still get to work with my Hub/Black Box team. Shout out to Lea, Joe, Aoife, Juley, Vincent, Kady, Yvonne, Camila, Jess, Celine... I legit could list everyone who I want to shout out, maybe at the end! And that's briefly how I got involved as a volunteer for the Galway Arts Festival. 

Unlike my other posts, I'm not gonna drag on with a tale of whats been going on, Instead, I'm going to detail what I saw, what I thought of it and for the weekend coming up, what I'd recommend going to see.

Ana María Pacheco/Ailbhe Ní Bhriain/John Beard

One of the luckiest things I think I got to be able to do as part of the GIAF team for 2017 was to be able to work my merchandise job from inside the main Festival Gallery on Market Street.
In this Gallery, which I highly recommend going to see over this coming weekend, contains two interesting and contrasting artists. Being involved and working for merchandise means that in the mornings and evenings I am surrounded by some pretty complex and impressive pieces of art that I could only dream of creating.

Ana María Pacheco:
My first visit into the Gallery, I can honestly say that the work of this artist left me feeling slightly down and the initial impression I got from the artwork was a

feeling of both amazement but also a slight negative feeling towards the art. It's not that the work was bad, it's just my initial introduction to the art was accompanied by slight misunderstanding of the art, the background of the artist and how much work, detail and effort went into creating such, and I can honestly say, masterpieces.
Given the nature of the jobs I was doing within the Festival Hub/Gallery, I spent most mornings walking in and around the work of Ana María Pacheco. Pieces like The Longest Journey, a piece so large and eye catching; Dark Night of the Soul, a masterpiece of myth and history and a plethora of prints which would definitely leave you feeling impressed, inspired, depressed... But would leave you with a striking emotion.
Ana María Pacheco's exhibition ran for the entirety of the Galway International

Arts Festival. The best part about working so close to the work of this artist, is the interesting reactions, ideals and comments the general public had about the pieces. The different themes they thought of and their willingness to let their mind wander whilst looking at the art, which in turn, painted many different concepts in my mind.
The second day the exhibit was open, the Gallery was treated to a special visit by the artist. Ana Maria Pacheco visited the Gallery with Colin Wiggins, the former curator of the National Gallery of London. Their main reason for visiting the Gallery was to partake in a "Conversation with the Artist". For 45 minutes, Ana sat and discussed the methodology behind her work. The techniques. Ideas. Formats and ideologies

she considered when constructing and creating her work. Being within earshot, it was fascinating to look and hear a woman of 73 years of age telling the gallery she still makes huge sculptures and the precision in her work. 
After her talk, she fielded some audience questions before I got the pleasure to greet her and sign some of her programmes. A very humble woman and very open about greeting the public. It was interesting to hear and speak to a woman of such stature within the art world.

Galway International Arts Festival was the latest in a wide selection of exhibitions of Ana María Pacheco. Her work has been on display in places like Oslo, New York, Boston, Kyiv and London. After doing some research, it's not clear when and where her work will be exhibited in the future. Personally, I would be interested in seeing more of her work. So I recommend keeping up to date with Pratt Contemporary Art's website: http://www.prattcontemporaryart.co.uk/ana-maria-pacheco-2/

Ailbhe Ní Bhriain
"Ailbhe Ní Bhriain is a Cork-based artist who works with film and photography" this quote is extracted from the website of the Galway International Arts Festival. The work of Ailbhe Ní Bhriain's work has been and is something that I would consider to be "complex pieces of art". It's something that goes beyond my thinking, I think. The "Inscriptions" exhibit was and has been the one piece from the Arts Festival that has still left me puzzled. 

In an age where images can or cannot be true, in terms of digital remastering, retouching, photoshopping, editing... all forms of photo and technological works to recreate and shape an image to how we want, the work of Ailbhe Ní Bhriain is a complex and artistic way to digitally remaster and reconfigure an image in a way that stretches the mind beyond comprehension and makes you look past the obvious. Either that, or I haven't gotten the grasp of the art...
The inspiration behind the art pieces on display the the GIAF arts gallery was the early text of Samuel Quiccheberg, the German writer who had the earliest cognition of "museology" or the categorization of pieces, in a way to create what we now know as a museum. His piece "Inscriptions of the Immense Theatre" was the power behind the exhibition. The work on display was difficult to make sense of, and unfortunately, I couldn't attend the talk given by Ailbhe Ní Bhriain

which may have shed a light on the artwork. 
The fact that the work had and still leaves me puzzled is kind of what intrigues me more about the art work and kind of inspires me to go and see more of her work, to see how it compares or could it be contrasting pieces of art.

Apart from the Galway International Arts Festival, Ailbhe's work has been on exhibition in places like Paris, Rennes, London and most recently, Carrick-On-Shannon at the Docks. I would recommend going to see Ailbhe's work, if you're into complex, digitally remastered pieces of art. For more: http://ailbhenibhriain.com/works

John Beard
On my last day of the festival, being surrounded by the works of Ana María Pacheco and Ailbhe Ní Bhriain, to see more art was on my list, as when would I get a chance to see it. So knowing that there was a strong art exhibition down in The Shed, on the Docks. On my break I walked down to The Shed to see what kind of exhibition John Beard had on display.
The Raft of Medusa, painted by Théodore Géricault in the early 1800's was an oil painting that depicted the shipwreck of the French vessel, Medusé. A ship bound for Senegal where the British colonists were to return the ownership of Senegal to the French. This was a huge diplomatic and essential power move on behalf of the French Monarchy, who had just overcome the Napolean defeat.

The Medusé vessel had the newly appointed French Governor and his family on board the ship. The ship hit a sandbank and began to crumble. With 400 people on board, there was enough room on the lifeboats for 250. In an attempt at survival, the remaining people built a raft and drifted on the water with nothing but 1 pack of biscuits, 2 cases of water and numerous casks of wine. Because save the wine and not the food, right? The people on board the raft turned to cannibalism and after 13 days at sea, were rescued.
Théodore Géricault, after the events of the Raft of Medusa, it was a controversial painting in the French Romantic era. Mostly due to the political scandal involved due to the fact that the Captain of the Medusa was incompetent and reflected back on King Louis XVIII. The Raft of Medusa painting went on to inspire many of the great French artists like Delacroix. The Raft of Medusa, as I believe, is on display at the Louvre.
John Beard's recreation of the Raft of Medusa, named "After the Raft of Medusa" was something to behold. Thinking that the Guernica was an art piece to see, the size of John Beard's work... wow, it was impressive. On one side of the hanger was the "After the Raft of Medusa" piece but on the opposite wall was a mirrored image on a black slate-like wall. The look of both pieces as you stood in the middle was super intriguing. His work has invoked my desire to see the original Géricault picture. Unfortunately, I didn't work at the Gallery where this piece was on display nor did I get to meet John Beard but my impression of the art work... Just wow. The history behind it, it makes for a more fascinating piece knowing that it was a scandalous piece... I mean, DRAMA!

John Beards work has been on display in many galleries worldwide in places like Sydney, London, Lisbon and of course, Galway. And his work can be seen on exhibition in places like the Tate Gallery and with some collections all over the world. For more: http://johnbeardart.com/

Woyzeck in Winter

A musical/drama piece brought to the Arts Festival this year by Landmark Productions and GIAF, Woyzeck in Winter made it's worldwide premiere in Galway at this years festival. A combination of two separate but not wholly different pieces, Conall Morrison and a creative team re imagined and combined the two old pieces of Woyzeck and Die Winterreise both made between 1825 and 1840. These two pieces, one musical and one a dramatic piece, gelled to become what we now know as "Woyzeck in Winter"
I had the pleasure of going to see Woyzeck in Winter before the opening of the festival, during the previews of the show. It was a piece I'm glad I got to see. It was melodramatic. Cold. Energetic. Vocally strong. The only fault was in the actual storyline. A bit of tweaking to make the story stronger would have

worked really well and have one, and not three or four themes running through the story. However, the talent of the show really made up for it. Featuring strong vocalists like Camille O'Sullivan, the show featured other acting greats like Peter Coonan (Fran from Love/Hate) and Rosaleen Linehan. The show's talent shone through and made for a really good performance.
The piece had different themes. Mental health. Human experimentation. Love. Loss. Betrayal. Mistrust. All the key things needed for a melodramatic masterpiece, right?
Jamie Vartan designed the set. The set was outstanding. Broken pianos everywhere. Snow fallings. Beautiful set arrangements. It was very well laid out.

Words can only relay so much of a visual piece. And watching it in theater that didn't allow videos etc. I can only recommend going to see it, which you should do! For more: https://woyzeckinwinter.com/performances/

The Second Violinist

A show I had to go and see twice. An uneven set. Subtitles. A huge screen displaying games, texts and emojis. Running around. Drama. Bloodshed. 

A modern opera that left me wanting to go and see it again. Aaron Monaghan stars as Matthew/Martin. A Carlo Gesualdo lover and a violinist struggling with his demons. A lot goes on in this piece. A lot of things happen on stage and you have to keep your eyes peeled to all corners of the stage to be in full awareness

and submersion of the piece. The composition of the music score compliments the action so well and leaves you on the edge of your seat and also left me bemused at the actions of the conductor!

An Enda Walsh directed piece. Enda Walsh, for those who don't know, is a Tony Award winning director and play write who is a friend of the Galway International Arts Festival, previously bringing pieces like Arlington, Ballyturk and Misterman to the Festival, bringing the acting talents of Aaron Monaghan, Stephen Rea and Cillian Murphy to the festival. His continued success and sheer genius as a play write was evident in The Second Violinist. The piece is Enda's second opera piece. Penned alongside composer Donnacha Dennehy. On both occasions I saw the show, it concluded with a standing ovation, truly deserved. 

Aaron Monaghan combined with the vocals of the likes of Máire Flavin and Benedict Nelson, the piece sent chills through the audience as well as open eyes as the brief bit of nudity provided by Aaron Monaghan. The drama. The tragedy and the pain could be felt from the lead actor and the score made it feel more real. 

I can say that The Second Violinist is a piece I would go and see again for a third time and I can only wish it good things. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

This piece I highly recommend getting tickets to. If you can, go to: https://thesecondviolinist.ie/performances/  And get yourself tickets for the performance in Dublin, it'll be worth it! 

Passenger

On the first Saturday of the festival, some of the volunteers, including me were eligible to get tickets to go and see Passenger perform at the Absolut Big Top. I took the offer of the free ticket and went along to the concert.

Now, Passenger, to my own personal knowledge, had that song: "Let Her Go". So I was expecting for him to sing that song and for the place to die. But knowing that he was famous for said song, he played out his set. A very well performed set, I must say. Once you got into the tent where he was performing, you got swept up in his music and next thing you know, you're screaming the song back to him.

Before he took the stage, Hudson Taylor were on stage and they ROCKED the tent. They were pretty awesome and got the crowd all going. When Passenger came on, the crowd was ready. Absolut vodka sponsored the festival, so that's pretty awesome. The drinks flowed and so did the music. But I was kinda right. As soon as Let Her Go was over, the crowd was walking out the gate. His set was good though! I was impressed!

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All in all I can say that this years Arts Festival was pretty good! Long days, crazy times and laughs but it was a well spent experience making friends, learning new things and feeling more cultured afterwards! The wrap party was well worth the two weeks of long days, let me tell you! So thank you GIAF for the fun times! Until next year...

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December: Almost New Year!

Hey Guys! It's December 27th! Christmas Day has been and gone and so has Boxing Day. Hope you all had a great holiday, ate lots and drank yourselves silly. New Year is fast approaching and I, for one, am totally excited to check my Facebook and Instagram on the 1st of January to the #NewYearNewMe posts. I might even contribute!
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I began writing this blog post on the 21st, which was last Wednesday. The process began on my flight from Madrid to Dublin, on my way home for the holidays. The day started quite late, to be honest. Waking up late after having a few friends over for some farewell drinks! That turned into a late... or maybe

an early one. But after a late start, packing had to be finished and everything finalized before leaving. The flight was at 17:35 so we left at 15:30 for the metro. Living in the area that we are, it took us the guts of 50 minutes to reach the Terminal 1 station, traveling up line 9 towards Columbia and then switch to line 8 towards the airport. Getting through the airport was simple enough. Once you get off the metro and go through the barriers, you go up the escalator and literally keep walking straight and you'll arrive at the security gate. The lines weren't that tedious either. Simply made it up to the detectors quickly, passed through. However, I was stopped. Random frisk search and all that.
The other side of the security gate, it was then 16:45. After a quick look in the duty-free in the airport, we moved along towards the gate. As usual with Ryanair, the terminal wasn't so close but not incredibly far. Good way to burn

off anything you ate in the morning! We made it to the gate at 17:15, with boarding expected to start soon. In the end, after getting our bags transferred to the holding, we boarded at around 17:45/17:50. Take off time was then, in turn, 6pm. No complaints however, the flight itself was relatively smooth!
We landed in Dublin at around 8pm, Irish time. The disembark was quite quick also. They had us out of the plane not 15 minutes after landing. It was great then to come to Irish Immigration as you could see everyone coming home for Christmas and passing through the border to get onto Irish soil. It was one thing I was excited for, to be back on Irish soil, even if it was for a few days. Baggage claim was quick enough too. Then it was up and out through arrivals. As the doors opened into the public, a choir of singers were caroling outside the door, making the welcome home feel very warm. With no time to ponder the singers or anything else, I walked out to the bus station which was out of the terminal building. From the bus stop, I took the GoBus from Dublin Airport to Galway Coach Station, which took 2.5 Hours exactly. Departing the airport at 9 and arriving at 11:30. At just €20, it was well worth it, with free wifi and charging stations on-board.
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So enough of my day of travelling and more about what I experienced over the past few weeks in Madrid, right?
Since my last post talking about how another month has been in Madrid, its been quite a crazy time with exams starting from the 1st of December. With my few days of freedom, I headed back to Ireland for a few days as I want to ring in the New Year in Madrid and have a little while to myself to do some independent exploration and get some work done.
Over the last month, I mean, as an Erasmus student, it wasn't purely study time

of course. I had to keep enjoying myself and my experience in every aspect possible. The last month or so saw a lot of exciting and amazing experiences. One of the things to happen at the end of November was the release of another movie in my favorite film world: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" as part of the Wizarding World of J.K Rowling. It was, and I dare say, a magical experience. Obviously, going to a movie in Spain, you're hoping the movie will be in English. Thankfully, I found and came upon a theater "Cine Princesa" near the Plaza España and Gran Vía (Line 3 on the Metro). This cinema, you pay €9:20 for the ticket but expecting that it is the original version of the movie in a Spanish theater with Spanish subtitles, it's quite an okay price. The movie itself was fantastic. I grew up watching the Harry Potter series of movies, so with more exploration into J.K Rowling's world of magic, it's safe to say that I am delighted!
More exploration was done throughout Madrid. One of the most therapeutic things to do in Madrid is, considering I have my transport card which works on bus, metro and cercanias train, is to pick a random metro station and to travel and walk around that area. Coming across cool stores or fun things to do. In the past few weeks I've visited and found some nice places which were: Nuñez de Balboa, Puerta de Arganda, Bilbao, Avenida de la Paz, Callao, Goya and

Velazquez. Madrid is a fantastic city to get lost in. No matter which way you go, you're never too far from a metro station. One of the biggest tourism niche markets in Madrid is shopping tourism. The city has a magnificently vast variety of stores from International, national and local brands and retailers. Exploring these or any area randomly, you discover these gems. One of my favorite places to meet with friends is a place called "Casa Parrondo". An Asturian Sidreria. Sidre is a type of apple wine. At first, admittedly, I was apprehensive about the taste of apple wine but the taste, atmosphere, the consistently good company, the friendly waiting staff and FREE TAPAS! As I have stated in many blog posts, food for me is an emotional experience. We went so frequently that the staff put a picture of me and my friends up on their wall, You know, next to the famous people. #Famous

In the last weekend, on of the cool things I went to see was the Christmas Market at Matadores in Legazpi, a former slaughterhouse and now a cinema

center. This was an International market and what was so cool was that it had stalls from all different countries and nations. I'm talking Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Vietnam, Philipines, South Africa, Columbia and so many more! If there was ever a reason to want to travel the world, this market would kickstart it. I filled my belly with Gluhwein, Belgian lager, Danish cookies, Soutg Africa Amarula, Greek pastries and Italian panettone and so much more. There was a stage which displayed dances and artistic pieces of local tradition from different countries.
These were some of the great things I discovered in Madrid over the past month. Writing this, I'm close to finishing my packing to head back to Madrid for another semester! So much more to come. For now, time to enjoy the New Year festivities!
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Another Month in Madrid Gone

Hey guys! So here we are in November! Know what that means?! Halloween is over the hill and now it's time to get ready for Christmas! It's weird that another month is gone already! Time is going so quick here! But we've gotta look forward and be excited for what November can hold (Some studying

required for me but oh well!)
October has been a weird and wonderful month here in Madrid. I think I've been sick for most of the month, toothaches, flu but that didn't stop me partying studying, and most importantly, discovering the city of Madrid and all its glory, obviously! So now we're more familiar with Madrid, which means that the chances of us getting lost when we go out in the city is less likely and less frequent. So let's start with some of the things that Madrid had to offer in October;
I guess you can't really talk about October and not mention the all-Ireland Senior football final between the hopeful Mayo and Dublin. Considering it was

a national sporting event for the Irish nation and the hopes were high for Mayo to win, a trip to the Irish pub was necessary to watch the game! We went to the James Joyce Bar (C/ de Alcala near Banco de España station http://www.jamesjoycemadrid.com/index.asp), which I've mentioned in previous blog posts. It's one of my favorite haunts in Madrid for a nice drink and some good food. Now when I say that the place was full, I mean it was wedged from wall to wall. Even the poor waiting staff had a difficult time getting through the crowd. It was fun to see the place wall to wall Blue and Green with supporters with the odd person from another Irish county in between (Shoutout to the guys from Donegal and Tipperary!). All out to see who would win, with it being a national sporting event and all. Guinness in hand, the match started. Let me tell you. I've never felt such an intense atmosphere in such an enclosed space. Being from Galway, I just sipped my beer and enjoyed the match both on screen and the amusing intensity out of the supporters!
After the match, a trip to a tapas bar seemed like the best option in order to some of comfort the blow felt by the Mayo fans by Mayo's unfortunate loss. One place came to mind for such an occasion. El Tigre is probably my favourite

tapas bar in Madrid and it's a place I would highly recommend to anyone if they're visiting Madrid with friends or a small group. As soon as you walk in to El Tigre, a member of the waiting staff greets you, takes your order and brings you to a table. Along with your drinks, multiple plates of tapas are given as well. I'm talking marinated chicken, patatas bravas, croquetas and ham dishes! And the price at the end? €5 per person! For all the tapas and the drinks, it's well worth it. (https://www.facebook.com/pages/El-Tigre-de-Hortaleza/260790540642267)

One of my favorite things to do in Madrid with friends, is to go to some nightclubs and have a good time. Being an Erasmus student, we are part of an ESN Group which holds events every week. So, sometimes we end up going to these events, For example, we went to a Animal themed party (I got my face

painted like a "dog") and at the start of October, we went to a neon party, which was an amazing night out. A lot of friends were at Nomad Nightclub (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nomad-Madrid/1543729569251356?fref=ts), the home of Erasmus parties so it was a great night. Messy, with the

neon paint, but great fun. Nomad nightclub has great music and great drink offers for students, especially those on Erasmus. As well as Nomad, another nightclub that always has a good night is Moondance Nightclub! This place is a must-go place for people looking to party here in Madrid. The line to get in isn't too long but once you're inside, the place has three bars, a great dancefloor, good drinks and amazing music. I've had one too many good nights in both Nomad and Moondance and I would recommend anyone who is gonna go party in Madrid to check them out. (https://www.facebook.com/Moondance-Madrid-511225095607096/?fref=ts)

In the middle of October was a pretty fun time. Assignments from University started pouring in slowly, I got a package sent from Ireland from my family (a late birthday present) full of sweets, treats and Irish teabags... The essentials really. But also the arrival of my roommates parents, which was nice. So it was time to put my tourism knowledge of Madrid to good use and show them around some great parts of Madrid, some of which I mentioned in previous Madrid blogs. We left our zone and headed towards Sol, the main center of Madrid. All roads seem to lead to Sol. We made our way through the mass crowd in Madrid. Coming from the small town of Tuam, it's always amazing to see the hundreds of people around Sol on a given afternoon. We walked down towards Opera, taking in the sights of street performers and music happening on the street. We came the the Teatro Real, where there was a farmers-style market. We browsed briefly before heading into the grounds of the Palacio Real. The Palacio Real is actually a superbly beautiful building. During the day, you get natural light showing how beautiful it is but even at night, the place is just amazing! We walked around the grounds for a little while, gazing at the Palace. One of the cool places adjoining the Palace is the Almudena Cathedral. For anyone who has a proclivity for art, history, architecture or religion. This place will blow your mind entirely. I'm always

gobsmacked when I'm in the place. It has so much culture and art. We walked around taking in the religious sculptures and artifacts. It was pretty interesting! From Almudena Cathedral, we walked to Plaza de España, one of my favorite plazas in Madrid. It is one which links with Gran Vía, the way to the Temple de Debod, a gift from the Egyptians, and hosts the statue of Don Quixote. I love this place too both in the day and in the night. The sculptures and water features create a picturesque vibe to the plaza, along with the trees surrounding the area. From the Plaza de España, we went towards Callao to get food in my favorite Italian restaurant in Madrid. Di Bocca is an amazing eatery for lunch or dinner. (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Di-Bocca/183032268377684?fref=ts) With dishes that will surely fill you, their food is really good. I got the Spaghetti Carbonara and the rest got lasagna and pizza. The silence from the table was a good sign of a good meal, I reckon! The food hit the spot and it was enough to fuel our energy for another hour. From there we continued down through Gran Vía and down through the Paseo de Prado and back up towards the Sevilla metro to head back home! It was quite a foot-aching adventure! That evening was a quite one and also one where Meghan Trainor was tracing around Madrid, weird, right?

The rest of October was a bit up and down. Some of which was surrounded by sickness and studying and the rest was having a nice time around Madrid with friends, eating one-too-many Burger Kings and sometimes getting caught in the rain! But one of the nice places I discovered towards the end of October was the Cuatro Caminos area of Madrid. I traveled from my area to Alonso Cano and

from there I walked towards the Rios Rosas area to try and find a costume shop so I could get some stuff for Halloween. The Barullo Company is a great costume shop just beside the Rios Rosas Metro station (Which was closed for repairs which was why I went to Alonso Cano). I bought my goodies for Halloween, including fake glasses and fake blood.(https://www.facebook.com/barullocompany/?fref=ts) And after shopping I decided to walk in the opposite direction, because no matter where you walk in Madrid, you'll stumble upon a metro station! I walked up the boulevard towards Cuatro Caminos and it was a very nice neighbourhood. Not too busy in the evening that I was there but it was nice! You come to the main roundabout beside the metro stops, Cuatro Caminos is the start of Line 2 and is on Line 1 and 6. On the roundabout is a 24 Hour Carrefour, in the area there is a Mercado de Maravillas and it is definitely a place I wanna discover more, as I am sure there is more there.
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That's some of the things I've been up to in Madrid in the last month. Stay tuned for more and I'll be sure to keep you guys posted on things here in Madrid with tips and recommendations!
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Be sure to like, comment, share and enjoy guys! Any blog hints or anything is welcomed! 

Brace Yourselves: Halloween is Coming!

Hey guys! As is the normal custom, it's been a while since my last post! Life is busy with college and you know, living here in Spain! So, sorry for the long waiting periods between posts!
So it's the coming to the end of the fall season with Halloween coming around the corner which means... Christmas is coming! What is it? 9 or 10 weeks before Christmas? This year is going scarily fast!
As a change up from talking about myself. A difficult task to not talk about myself... But I think you might enjoy if I share some cool events and stuff that are happening around the place for Halloween this year. Some cool stuff here in Madrid, parties and events in Ireland for those of you looking to party elsewhere! And lets hope you all find a good party for All Hallow's Eve!
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Madrid:
Here in Madrid, clubs can be quite mysterious about events up until the week of or even a few days before the event is happening, So, when planning a night out in Madrid, it's cool to check all the nightclubs, their offers and cool things going on. As it stands, there are a few events listed in Madrid so far, and I will keep the events updated when new information comes about.

• Joy Eslava: "Halloween 2016 @ Joy Eslava" This party is said to be the biggest costume party in Madrid and has been hosting an annual event since 2003 with "some of the most impressive and elaborate costumes in the city". A No-Costume, No-Drink Deal promotion is on, so if you're thinking of going to Joy on the 31st, be sure to dress as scary and cool as possible! (Joy Eslava- C/Arenal, 11. Near Sol Metro station)
• Moondance: This costume event is set to be a real scare and an awesome night. Moondance is one of my favourite clubs in Madrid. Some of the best music and cool atmosphere. On All Saints Day, this will be the darkest night in Moondance and is said to be a real "Night of Terror". Offers are 1 drink and entry for €6 and 2 drinks and entry for €10 between midnight and 1am, 1 drink + entry = €8 and 2 drinks + entry = €12 until 2pm. This place has some good offers and I'm sure their costume party will be awesome. (Moondance- C/ Aduana 21. Between Sol and Sevilla Metro Stations) https://www.facebook.com/Moondance-Madrid-511225095607096/
• Shoko Madrid: Shoko Nightclub is one of the coolest nightclubs I've been to in the La Latina area of Madrid. A very funky and vibrant area. The nightclub boasts a local crowd and the music is a real mix of latin music and top 40 bangers. This Halloween at Shoko, they've posted on their Facebook "This #Halloween promises to be unique! Get ready because this month we'll offer some of the most special nights of the year." So I'm expecting that there will be a great party there, for those of you who like a cool environment in a nightclub, I think Shoko is the place for you! (Shoko Madrid- C/ Toledo 86. La Latina Metro)  https://www.facebook.com/salashokomadrid/?fref=ts

Ireland:

Of course I gotta mention some of the parties happening in Ireland. I have a biased opinion that some of the greatest parties you'll experience will happen in Ireland. Debatable opinion, I know, but I mean, we always gotta party to live up to our stereotype! So here are a few of the haunting events happening on Halloween in Ireland, that if I was there, I'd wanna check out:

• Sligo: 
• So Halloween is starting early this year in Sligo as Sixth nightclub are hosting "Halloween Horror Story Monday" starting on the 24th! This night is gonna be a fun one, I think! €1000 prize for the best costume plus a €2 entry I mean, if that doesn't sound good to you. A grand for the best costume! You'll be laughing with that kind of cash! I'm kind of annoyed that I'm not there for it, to be honest. Sixth always has great music and a real student atmosphere. Check out the event page for "Halloween Horror               Story": https://www.facebook.com/events/556353551224103/  
• Also in Sligo during this Halloween period is the Garavogue Bar is throwing a shindig for Halloween on the 30th with a €250 best costume prize. I love the Garavogue. You'll almost always have a really good night here. Drinks a bit pricey but the music is always banging! On a night out in Sligo, the Garavogue is definitely one of the regular haunts of mine.
• HMVSoundgarden is a nice place for a night out. The place is massive and the music is always good too. For Halloween this year, HMVsoundgarden are doing a "Chamber of Horrors". This looks like it'll be a cool night and the party will be creepy AF! But also extremely lit. "what will undoubtedly be a very impressive performance from Extreme Rythm! We will also have performances from Fire Breathers, Stilt Walkers, Crazy Doctors, Blood Thirsty Nurses, Monsters, Tribal Dancers! This is NOT a night to be missed!" The event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/836625513139361/

• Pulse Letterkenny: Letterkenny is gonna be lit on the 30th of October this Halloween with a cool Halloween party. Not much info has been released yet but David Graig's band is to play at this Halloween gig with other cool performers and a great and haunting atmosphere. Here is their page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/pulseletterkenny/?fref=ts
• McGettigans- Galway: Most of the nightclubs in Galway City haven't stated Halloween parties yet, but I'll update this page as soon as they are revealed. In McGettigans, Galway, which is just on Eyre Square, they are hosting a "Spooktacular Session" and you know, you gotta say yes to the sesh. Happening between the 28th and the 31st, I'd say this is one hell of a session to go on. They'll feature many spot prizes and also, I see the words "Late Bar", so a session has to be had! Stay tuned for more info on the nightclubs of Galway :)

*Leave a comment on where you guys will be going in Ireland for your Halloween Night Out!

*Stay tuned for more information on Halloween events in the lead up to Halloween!*

*Leave a comment if you want me to add some cool parties in your area!

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Ireland: Cliffs of Moher

Hey guys! How's it going? Almost Mid-August! A couple more weeks and I'll be off to my new home in Madrid! Nerves and excitement starting to kick in but I really can't wait! Getting a bit hectic though, organizing everything, finances, school and stuff! But I'm sure the Spanish lifestyle is something I can adjust to. Siestas, fiestas and all the tapas in between! 
And the Olympics is on! Some exciting stuff. Broken legs. Pools turning green. All in all, the competition is fairly heating up! It's really when the Olympics are on that you become a real professional in the sports you watch "Oh, that dive wasn't great. They'll need a 3.5 somersault" and the like. Here's to Ireland

winning some sort of medal.
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On to the topic of this post. 
In the weekend gone by, with nothing to do on Sunday. My family and myself decided to go out for the afternoon. To do something except becoming part of the furniture. It came down between climbing the reek of Crough Patrick and going out to see the Cliffs of Moher. Now, for someone who has done a project on the Cliffs of Moher in college, up until last Saturday I have never actually visited the Cliffs. So it was decided then that we would head off to the Cliffs in County Clare.
It seemed like a really nice day out. It wasn't too cold out so it seemed like the perfect day to head out cliffside.
Off we went at around noon. My sister, father, grandmother and myself. We we're actually looking forward to spending time away from home. We drove on the N17 from Tuam and headed for Oranmore, through Oranmore,

Clarinbridge, Kilcolgan, Kinvarra, through Ballyvaughan and into Lisdoonvarna, Doolin and Liscannor. The key areas along the Wild Atlantic Way towards the Cliff region. Something cute that was along the way as that every so often, a cool structure made out of tyres was built and designed as flower features along the sides of the road. Teapots, minions and other designs made the road very quirky! The Cliffs themselves are situated on Southwestern section of the Burren, one of the largest Karst landscapes in the world. When driving, its amazing that once you come into Ballyvaughan, that the landscapes changes from the typical Irish rural landscape to this amazing scene of the limestone pavements of the Burren. 
We continued on and it was fun that at a certain part between Ballyvaughan and Doolin, that the climb becomes hectic as it gets bendy. Somewhat of a rally course! Although making me feel a bit queasy, the scenery was still something to admire. The Irish coast is something that you can't experience or imitate anywhere! The closer we got to Doolin and Liscannor, the more grey the sky was getting. We past through Doolin. Doolin is a nice town near the Cliffs. You can get the Park and Ride service from Doolin to the Cliff parking compound, which is a very handy service. It means you wouldn't have too far to travel and you'd be a bit away from the mass crowd

of tourists. It also is, in my opinion, a great place to spend a couple of days. Trips out to the Aran Islands, the Burren and Cliffs are in the surrounding locations, 3 of the top tourist destinations in Ireland.
We made it to the Cliffs. The car park was full with more cars lining up to get in. Amazingly, tickets were cheap! Entrance was €4 for students, so I was impressed to go and check out the Cliffs. We managed to find a parking space. Before stepping out of the car, the sky was still a mild grey colour. So we were expecting it to be windy. We stepped out. And we were hit by a gust of wind. And besides complaining about it, it made for actually unique conditions to go and see the coast.
We walked up through the compound, my poor grandmother finding it hard to not be blown away. We went to the visitor center first. I was actually super impressed by the design of the visitor center and gift shops. They were laced IN

the actual hillside. I've only seen the pictures but we were walking inside a hill. The visitor center was really amazing. When researching the cliffs, I heard of the indoor exhibitions and experiences that I was really excited to check out. Inside, there was the option to stop for a coffee in the Puffin Nest, which was a cute little coffee kiosk or head straight into the exhibitions. Green being a nice glow cast around by the main centerpiece. There were different interactive activities, like looking at the progression of the movement of continents, kids activities, interactive postcards and a display of factoids about the cliffs. We continued on to an area labelled " Ledge Experience".
We went into a dark room that was beginning to fill with people. We took a seat and waiting for something to happen. As more people came in, we watched as the big monitor began playing. We watched as it showed us a birds eye view (Literally) of the Cliffs and the different parts that are worth seeing, including the Puffins, taking a look around the Cliff face at the caves and caverns and everything in between. It was really cool. Looking around, the walls were lined with facts and pictures of the fauna diaspora in the area, which was really cool too. I didn't know Basking sharks were in Ireland at all
We left and spent more time in the main area of the visitor center before heading out towards the Cliffs. As we exited the center, we were met with a powerful wind, Like, I've never felt anything like it in my life. It was so strong. We made our way over to the wall to look at the Cliffs. Let me tell you. It was honestly one of the best things I've seen. Not only was it amazing scenery, but c'mon, a scene from Harry Potter was filmed here, so to say it was magical... I'll just leave that joke there. The wind meant that the waves were choppy against the cliffs. Like, it was pretty amazing to see, and to see the amount of people out on such a windy day to see the amazing landscape.
We looked out at the main edge of the Cliffs from O'Brien's Tower, getting a good scope of the sheer size of these cliffs. What took over 300 million years to form and with earliest records of man being on site over 2,000 years old, the site was also super historical and geographical. They stretch 8 kilometers along the Atlantic coast. 210 Meters tall and offer views of coastal counties, Limerick, Galway and sometimes even parts of Kerry. What was great to see was the amount of foot flow around the cliffs and heritage site but also that the waste

management was top notch. There were rangers monitoring the area, so it was nice to see so many people taking in the fantastic sites. We walked from O'Brien's side up along the cliffs. But could only make it so far, sadly, as it was getting way too windy and I don't trust my balance. Also, someone said "dinner" and I started getting hungry.
We made it back to the car before the mist started getting heavy. We then made the decision that we'll make the way home but once time came that the Kilkenny/Waterford hurling match would start, we would stop for dinner. A safe bet as I was starting to get hungry.
We kept driving until we made it to Ballyvaughan, a nice fishing village. Its position on the coast road, south of Galway Bay and in the Northwest corner of the Burren has built up it's tourism economy significantly. We looked around for a place to eat, passing the Hyland's Burren Hotel. Unfortunately, they were serving lite snacks, all of which were with locally sourced ingredients. We walked down the street to the Wild Atlantic Lodge where they were showing the match. We sat down and were immediately served, which was really great because I'm quite hungry at this stage. "Traditional Fish and Chips" screamed at me. So I had to get it. The wait wasn't even that long! I had time to catch a couple of Pokemon and Instagram what I was doing before the waitress came back out with the food.

Fresh battered fish, fresh cut chips and garden peas. Literally, I inhaled it. I savored and devoured it. And you know me, food is an emotional experience. I followed up the main course with a selection of Ice-cream. Like. I don't know how best to describe the food with anything other than... Yum.
We made it home after the match and literally just spent the evening in a food coma/ Of course periodically splurging with a cup of tea and a couple of digestive biscuits, you know yourself! 

After doing a project on the Cliffs of Moher, I thought I wouldn't be too impressed with the Cliffs. But I have to say. I was actually amazed by what I saw and I can understand why the Cliffs get the attention they are getting. The place should be witnessed by anyone visiting Ireland. Try the food, feel the Clare air on your face and see the amazing structure of Cliffs that took 300 million years to get where they are today. Also, the cave scene from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was there! An amazing day, really!

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Ireland: Events in August

Hey guys! Can you believe it's August already? Just feels like yesterday that summer just started. Craziness. July went so quickly and it just feels like summer just slipped away! It's Autumn now. But there is still another few weeks left until school and universities are back in action, so I'd say make the most of the next few weeks before your days are spent studying and in a rut trying to get everything done.
As similar to last month, I'm here to list out a few events coming up that I think are worth taking a look at! Enjoying summer doesn't necessarily mean to fly out to a beach and spend big money. Going to events and having fun can making the most of summer!
Anyway, enough gibber jabber. Here is some cool events happening across Ireland, and a few international events that would be worth checking out!

Munster:

• 3-8 August: Feakle Traditional Music Festival, Feakle, Co. Clare. A festival that's about 30 years old. for a few days each August the village becomes a place where traditional music, dancing and friends meet in the village of Feakle. Music is a big part of culture in the village, so this festival is important as it celebrates the tradition of music in Feakle. http://www.feaklefestival.ie/
• 10-12 August: Puck Fair 2016, Killorglin, Co. Kerry. Puck Fair is said to be one of the oldest festivals in Ireland. with documented history dating a good 400 years! Crazy, right? This event is one that I find real cool and quirky. A goat will be crowned king during this festival. Yeah, a goat. This festival has a lot of fun stuff to look forward to including: Day/Night concerts, firework displays, horse fair and and parade. Killorglin is a coastal town. Fresh seafood from the River Laune and artisan, locally sourced food is popular in the area. http://puckfair.ie/
• 14-22 August: Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann. Ennis, Co. Clare is one of the biggest celebrated Traditional Irish music festivals that garners crowds locally, nationally and internationally. For many, it's the culmination of months of preparation, practice and perfecting their pieces. It's a celebration of sorts for trad music, dancing, workshops and singing. It brings so much to an area, including events to be enjoyed during the festival. http://www.fleadhcheoil.ie/
• 17-21 August: Masters of Tradition, Bantry, Co. Cork. An event celebrating trad music, like the West Cork Music Festival. http://www.westcorkmusic.ie/mastersoftradition/
• 25-28 August: Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival, Waterville, Co. Kerry. is a four day event that is packed with circus performances, street entertainers, film competition screenings, impromptu comedy performances and so much more. The final day sees a performance from Bagatelle. The event is a homage to Charlie Chaplin. http://chaplinfilmfestival.com/

Connaught:

• 6-10 August: Tubbercurry Old Fair Day Festival, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo. One of the oldest crafts festivals in Ireland, focusing on heritage, crafts and culture with family friendly events. "Relive Yesteryear" with rustic displays of buttermaking, weaving, pottery making and so much more. Stalls and displays open during the event. Tubber is close to Sligo town. It would be worth while to visit and see the surrounding areas! http://www.oldfairday.ie/
• 7-14 August: Ballinamore Family Festival, Co. Leitrim. A family fun event in Co. Leitrim. Free open air concerts and appearances from Irish Country music stars including Mike Denver, Robert Mizzell and Cliona Hagan. https://www.facebook.com/events/300921976912519/
• 12-21 August: Belmullet Gala Festival, Bellmullet, Co. Mayo. This festival is another family friendly event including Heritage Day and other fun events. Fishing competitions, treasure hunts, pig racing, busking, water sports and so much more. http://belmulletfestival.ie/
• 15-21 August: Galway Pride Festival. One of the staple events in Galway's event calendar. With a thriving LGBT community. Events are ran throughout Galway City with some special guests, amazing sponsors and what are said to be some kick-ass parties. The Grand Marshall for the Pride Parade is social media personality James Patrice, who features on TV3's Xpose, RTE Two and a fixture on RTE One's social media. Also named to appear is Irish comedienne Kathrine Lynch, known for her RTE hit show- Katherine Lynch's Wonder Women and other hit shows. I'm sure it's going to be a massive success! With Event Manager, Bruce Henry at the helm, I'm sure it'll be fantastic. A quote Bruce (Chairperson)- "This year will be the largest Pride Festival in 27 years and is jammed with great workshops for everyone and great parties. For all the details, go to www.galwaypridefestival.com" https://www.facebook.com/galwaypridefest
• 20-28 August: Galway Heritage Week. Galway's vast heritage is set to be celebrated across the country with so many events across the city and county from Ballinasloe to Inishbofin. Everything from genealogy to history will be celebrated during the week. 

Leinster: 

• 5-14 August: Kilkenny Arts Festival. This festival, since it's inception, has garnered talent from the finest musicians, artists, writers and performers in Ireland's medieval city. Classical music is at the heart and foundation of the festival. Alfred Brendel and Joshua Bell being a few names to mention as performers. Open air productions of Shakespeare and Poetry have become a popular part of the programme. For all you literature and classical lovers, it's certainly an event for you! http://www.kilkennyarts.ie/
• 6-7 August: Dublin Comic Con, Dublin Convention Centre. The most outrageous and unique convention to grace Dublin. Cosplay and costumes will lace the center as well as guests and fun stalls. Some names announced include: Brian Krause (Charmed), Scott Wilson (The Walking Dead), Paul McGann (8th Doctor- Doctor Who) and others. http://dublincomiccon.com/
• 12-14 August: Blue, Roots and Brass Festival. A celebration of the three genres of music that has been coming to center stage recently, not just in Ireland but all over the world. The event takes place in the Camden Quarter, Dublin which includes 4 stages and 2 venues. Support from local businesses and Failte Ireland is placing this event on the map as one of Dublin's coolest free events. http://www.whelanslive.com/index.php/blues-roots-brass-festival-3/
• 20 August: OurLand Festival. A brand new family friendly festival with singer, Mundy and Phil Smyth, star of RTE's Insiders who will join a line-up of great acts for the festival set against the backdrop of Lough Boora Discovery Park. The festival has 4 themed stages. Energy, Air, Earth and Fire. http://www.loughboora.com/events/ourland/

Ulster:

• 5-7 August: SunflowerFest, Hillsborough, Co. Down. A music festival with 100+ performances of music, comedy and dance. Along with food stalls, this festival is set to be a good one.
• 11-14 August: Carrickmacross Arts Festival, Monaghan. This festival returns this year with a line-up of Art, Music, Drama, Comedy, Food stalls and many more. This event was set up to showcase the talent and uniqueness of Monaghan and the surrounding counties. Just 45 minutes from Dublin and an hour from Belfast. This event is a perfect stop-by and see event. http://www.carrickmacrossartsfestival.com/
• 12-13 August: Taste of Cavan 2016. An event to showcase the cuisine and diversity of local produce in County Cavan and gives visitors the chance to purchase from Cavan fair. Food demonstrations happening throughout the event and some of Ireland's famed chefs making appearances. https://www.facebook.com/TasteofCavan/
• 14 August: Richhill Music in the Park, Richhill Park, Armagh. In it's fifth year, and attracting audiences to Richhill Recreation Center. 
• 26-28 August: A Taste of Donegal. Set in Donegal Town, this three day event is a celebration of great food and drink with stands, demonstrations, tastings, entertainments and more. http://www.atasteofdonegal.com/

International Events to check out:

• 10-17 August: Szigit Festival, Budapest. Hungary. This event is on the NGO Island and looks like it's an amazing festival with so many cool amazing performers. For example. Rihanna, Jess Glynne, Sia, Muse, Afrojack and more are set to perform. Check out the link for more: http://szigetfestival.com/
• 12-14 August: London Craft Beer Festival. For the fourth year, the London Craft Beer Festival is back at Oval Space, London. The international line-up of breweries include Buxton, Brew Dog and Magic Rock breweries. http://www.londoncraftbeerfestival.co.uk/
• 13 August: Appelsap Fresh Festival, Flevopark, Amsterdam. This festival represents everything fresh. Cool drinks, fresh food and fresh music. A line-up of some locally grown talented DJ's. Be sure to check out the line-up and check ticket availability. http://appelsap.net/festival/
• 31 August: Tomatina Festival, Valencia, Spain. The last Wednesday in August in Valencia. The weeklong festival features music, parades, dancing and fireworks. The festival features a tomato fight, the night before the participants take part in a paella cooking contest. http://www.latomatina.org/tomatina-festival/

These are just a few events to check out over the next month! I'm tempted to get to all of them! Be sure to enjoy the rest of the summer break guys and have fun!

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Heading Back To Spain

So in March I went on a trip with my class to Madrid which can be read about in my earlier posts. It was honestly such a good trip. I was in awe of the beauty of Madrid and how unique it was. I tried a lot of new things and had some pretty amazing experiences (Falling in love with calamares, seeing a park with two

lakes, dancing salsa and other amazing things).
Coming back from 4 days in Madrid was quite sad but I mean, I had rubbed the foot of the El Oso y el Madroño so I knew that eventually I would return to Madrid. It was some place that was amazing in itself but perfect to use as a base to travel to other places. It has a metro, amazing world class attractions and WARM WEATHER!! which is difficult to come by in Ireland. So travelling to the airport, going on the metro, boarding the flight and leaving was no a real happy moment.
Back to reality, it was back to the day in- day out slug of going to college, working and coming home. Don't get me wrong, I love college and love studying tourism but routine can be lethal! 
About two weeks after we arrived back from Madrid, the lecturer who brought us to Madrid, came to me and a few other of my classmates and offered us an amazing opportunity. Do our second year of college in Spain. Of course I jumped at the chance to go! The three of us were given the options: Seville, Malaga, Murcia, Alicante, Valencia and Madrid. Some of which I had never been before. It was difficult to decide between the cities and universities.
The following day however, we were told that Madrid had sparked interest in accepting us for the Erasmus program. The University de Rey Juan Carlos is a

incredible college in which a couple of my Spanish friends. Looking back at pictures from Madrid the first time I went, I became increasingly excited to go to these places again and have Spanish food every day!
The applications have been submitted and fingers crossed they come back with 100% assurances of us going (Otherwise this post was pointless) but moving to Spain for a year should be a really amazing experience. While I am in Madrid, I plan to go on trips and travel more so that I can get more tourism experience and also have loads of content to write and amazing pictures!
Places in Spain I want to travel to while in Spain:

• Galicia: The region in the North West of the country above Portugal. A friend lives there and it seems like a really cool coastal place to live.
• Grenada: Down the South of Spain. A historically enriched part of Spain and it's down south so it'll be warm.
• Cadiz
• Seville
• Murcia
• Bilbao
• Santander
• Barcelona
• Valladolid
• Salamanca

Besides travelling domestically, I hope to travel abroad on trips also to a few countries. For example;

• Portugal- It's super close to Spain, so why not!
• Switzerland
• Italy
• The Netherlands
• Gibraltar
• Andorra
• France

Spain should be an amazing experience for me and I encourage anyone in university to do an Erasmus year. Be spontaneous and travel!

"If Adventure is dangerous, try routine, it's lethal!"

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