Life In Leeside

It never won any beauty contests, but it's home - for a semester

Here's the building from the street. It's not done justice by the typical overcast Irish sky. It's waaay more pink than this.

As is most likely clear, I have discovered how to put photos on the blog. I hate to admit that the little picture-shaped symbol was hovering right in the middle of the screen all along. (Hiding - well - in plain sight!)

The apartment building is a convenient ten minute walk to campus, and about a five minute walk to the city center. It is entirely student housing, and while as far as I know only early-start American students are here now, Irish students and visiting students of other nationalities will be moving in for the regular semester next month.



Here's the neighborhood! The "other side" of the river is a little more residential immediately, and after that involves some extremely steep roads that go up the "bowl." Barely visible is the Franciscan Well, which is one of the most accessible pubs, so to speak, and already a favorite of the girls I know in Leeside.

I have been more than a little spoiled by the Colonial Gardens luxury to which I am accustomed. The interior of the building is a little mazelike, and untrustworthy elevators mean I use the stairs every time. Of course, I should be glad for all the inadvertent exercise. I'll be ready to walk a few consecutive marathons by the time I get back to the States!

The colors of buildings here are so surprising. Pastels are popular, and on complexes, individual properties in one building are often painted different colors. This is sort of an example of what I mean, even though it's hard to see from this zoom. The traffic was heavy when I took these pictures, but it's always best to find a legal crosswalk and wait for the pedestrian green light before trying to cross the street. I have always assumed that American driving is the most treacherous for those navigating the streets on foot, but like just about every other assumption I had about Europe, I'm reevaluating that one now.

It doesn't want to put more pictures in this post. Hold for a second one.