Super Bowl Sunday Abroad

It’s been a busy weekend! On Friday, I let my friend Caroline talk me into a long overdue hair coloring. I’ve never dyed my hair out of a box before, and as I approached the register I wondered if €6 could really buy me long-lasting salon quality color like the side panel promised, but I decided to go for it. About an hour, a ruined towel and a glass of wine later, Caroline’s masterpiece, aka my newly dyed locks, was complete.

On Saturday, I trekked out to Western Ireland, in the pouring rain, to be “outdoorsy” (something I normally have absolutely no desire to be). My first stop was at the Cliffs of Moher, which were just as beautiful as every Irish postcard makes them out to be. 

Next stop was The Burren, which is described as a lunar landscape, and now I know why. The field was extremely hard to navigate, the slippery rocks making every step a possible ankle sprain for this newly enthusiastic dancer. Making it all the way to the water was worth it, to see the giant waves that come in and break violently on the cliffs. This is widely considered one of the premier surfing locations in Europe.

Lisdoonvarna was supposed to be a lunch stop, but that plot was foiled when every pub in town was closed except for one, and I didn’t feel like waiting for my food. This town is annually the location of Europe’s largest singles festival, so pretty much everything from pubs to parks was themed accordingly.

Then, I went to the Ailwee Caves, which were pretty disappointing compared to caves I’ve visited in the States. Another disappointment came when I visited Bunratty Castle, only to find out that it has been turned into an evening Viking dining entertainment business (think a Medieval Times). At that point, it was getting dark, and it was time to call it a day.

Now it’s Super Bowl Sunday and I’ll be damned if I’m not watching the game just because I’m in Ireland. After searching online and multiple phone calls, my American friends and I found a pub that will be showing the game. Unfortunately, with the time difference, kickoff is at 11:30 PM. I just hope that this pub has the decency to have nachos on their menu, if only for tonight.