Àlex
PRESENTATION
Hello! My name is Àlex and I am 16 years old.
I was born in 2003 in Barcelona and actually I currently live in Cerdanyola del Vallés. I study at Escola Thau Sant Cugat.
I like to listen to music of all kinds and different artists like Ariana Grande, Alaska, C. Tangana, Rosalia, Alec Benjamin, etc... I’m the cat lover number 1 and I'm in love of the coffee and IKEA.
I’m very excited to discover all the mysteries and secrets of Ireland!
Me and my cat Evaristo. You can follow him on Instagram at @evaristothecat!
FAMILY LIFE
My host family is formed by Mery, the mother of the house, she works as a psychologist about 50 years old; the little daughter is called Angels about 19 years old and the other daughter, Mikalia about 22 years old.
DAY 1 - 11.06.2019
Today we have taken a plane at approximately 11:30 at the Josep Terradelles airport in Barcelona (I hate that name very much, I prefer El Prat) to arrive at 13:00 a.m. to Dublin Airport. Later we meet with the families. My house is composed by one woman, her two daughters, Pau Cantan, Oriol Salom and me. Oh! I forgot mention also the three cutest dogs😁.
DAY 2 - 12.06.2019
In the second day we have made an excursion to the Cliffs of Moher. In this excursion we learn a lot of things. But first and foremost, I have to comment on the most important part of the day, the how I died in a bus. I was innocent, but after to pass in total for more than 4 hours sitting on a trip, I declared myself a hater of red buses.
The Cliffs of Moher were formed during the Glaciator period aproximately 300 million years ago and they consist of mud, silts and shales. They stretch for a distance of 8 km and at their highest part are 214 m in height. The layers of rock that make up the cliffs are known as bedding planes and it is the way in which they are laid down and eroded that forms the sheer faces that we see - the 2 ways in which they are eroded here are called steep seaward and gentle seaward. The landscape that produced the rock layers at the cliffs was a large river delta system. The materials what are make up limestone are calcium carbonate, coral, shelly, algal and fecal debris. In the cliffs can be found different bird species such as puffins, razorbills, guillemots, fulmars, kittiwakes, etc... The hag of hags head fall in love with Cucullan and the parish where the cliffs of Moher are situated is on Liscannor.Before the World War II the local people was common practice bird catches and egg gathering at the cliff face. Dinny Mc Mahon was a guide and ornithologist.
After made a lot of photos and pass a very nice day we came back to did the cursed two hours of bus trip to Moate.
DAY 3 - 13.06.2019
In the third day we visited the Ireland’s capital: DUBLIN! The trip was not too long since I dedicated to doing things about a new Scenic Arts project (it will be possible to see coming soon).
In this day we saw the Jeanie Johnston and the Great Famine.There is a sculptures in front of the Custom House who represent the emigrants that escaped the Great Famine who are walking towards Jeanie Johnston and the feelings after seeing the sculptures are of discomfort and conscience of the tragedy that these people was lived.. The memorial panel mention Canada because the Jeanie Johnston It was done in Canada and its function was to bring the emigrants from Ireland to Canada. The Great Famine did not affect everyone the same way. Really didn't exist food shortage but of potatoes, and the low classes could not afford to buy another food since the potatoes were the most cheap. The term coffin ship is used to refer to the ships that carried Irish immigrants escaping the Great Famine. Most Irish crossed the Atlantic Ocean in search of better opportunities for survival. Although most came to the growing industrial cities, some succeeded as farmers and quickly organized associations, leagues and brotherhoods that had a common goal: freedom for Ireland.
After discover almost all secrets of Jeanie Jhonston we had some free time in the city and lately we did the Instagram Challenge where we did a small interview!
DAY 4 - 14.06.2019
The fourth day in my opinion was the most boring day of all since we did not do much.
In the morning we visited the Clonmacnoise. A legend of this place is that the people that has a wart if they get their in a special hole after 15 days it’ll be hear. In the roman mythology are represented some Celtic Gods: Ares is similar to the Celtic god concidius, Venus, Diana is the equivalent of Anu, Vulcan is Bel, Appollo… The saints what are at the top of the Whispering Arch are St. Patrick, St. Francisc and St. Domingo. The monastery was founded on 544 by St. Ciarán and the Cathedral was built between 9th and 1th centuries. Often replacing damaged buildings or ones made of wood. Many of the high kings of Tora and comacht were buried there. But long after St. Ciarán founded Clonmacnoise, people continued to be buried in the grounds.
After that, we went to a school to advance some of the project. Finally we did a little bit of gaelic sports.
DAY 5 - 15.06.2019
In this day we did a visit at GPO of Dublin and after a tour at the capital.
Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison in Kilmainham, Dublin, Ireland. It is now a museum run by the Office of Public Works. Many Irish revolutionaries, including the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, were imprisoned and executed in the prison by the British. Germany supported Ireland during the Rebellion. The key buildings was the GPO, Liberty hall, Boland's Mill, City Hall, St. Stephen's Green, Four Courts, Mount Street Bridge, Moore Stre, Kilmanham Gaol, Arbour Hill Cemetery and Glasnevin Cemetery. And the all declaration of independence it is explained in the Driving Question.
It was a fun day in which joined a sloth to my family. His name is Decoroso (Decoroso-Ambrosio el Oso Perezoso el Primero de su Nombre de la Casa Marsupial).
DAY 6 - 16.06.2019
In this day we didn't make a lot of things, only one similar activity than the Instagram Challenge, but in this occasion in Galway. All the answers are there on Instagram. Finally we had a couple of hours of free time.
DAY 7 - 17.06.2019
On the last day, first hand we told goodbye to host families. We went to Dublin for visit the Guinness Store House.
In the museum we can find the process of the creation of the beer. In my personal sphere, I think that it is not worth the visit to the museum, since we are minors, beer and acohol touches us very far, and a visit to Trinity College would have been better. In spite of that, the museum is spectacular as it shows all the features of the company, contributing a great visual experience. The ticket costs 20€ and the best part is the advertisement zone. The Guinness Storehouse has the importance it has today since the creation of the brand comes along with the origin of the country. Before to go to Dublin’s Airport, we visited the most biggest park in Europe: Phoenix Park.
Finally we returned to Barcelona after a trip full of emotions and cows.
IRELAND FOR ME
Before live all the trip can I exctract conclusions. First I want to mention the reasons why I would repeat this trip. The first thing is all the cultural enrichment that you can bring this, such as Trinity College, the Cliffs of Moher, the Guinness Storehouse... But I have to say honestly would not repeat this trip again. This is because I did not feel very at home with the clime, whereupon the sun was so many present hours and the most important factor, the coffees were many insipids. Finally, I have to say that I really enjoyed myself, I have been surrounded by good company at all times, and I think that this is the most important part of a trip. And I was also with a very good host family in which there were little dogs! (I made friends with some street cats).
