So we moved into the new apartment yesterday and today were getting all settled in. The apartment is smaller than I expected but in good condition. It came with it's own bedding and pots and pans. There isn't a ton of bedroom storage but there is some decent kitchen storage with the exception of the small freezer. We do have a balcony which is prime and the view is decent. But the location is by far the best thing that we have going for us. Located around the corner from the prime shopping district, the apartment is in a great place.
Today we got up and hung around trying to figure out the wireless in the apartment, when we finally realized that the passcode was the same as the one for the hostel, we were kinda sketched out but then again the same property company owns our hostel and apartment, so no big worries there.
After that, we went to Tesco for some grocery shopping, dragging our suitcases across the entire city in order to save money on bags and save our hands from the excruciating pain of carrying all those bags back across the city. So looking and feeling like a jackass, I hauled my big black suitcase in conjunction with the other girls and went roaming up O'Connell Street to find the cheapest and most broadly based supermarket. We tried a German and Asian one and neither were quite what we wanted. So we meandered our way back towards another market that we had seen a little bit earlier in the trip.
Upon entering that store, Tesco, we saw a sign for giant 1 euro loaves of bread and were immediately pulled into the store. It wasn't a very large store, smaller than even the small Hannaford back in ME (RIP) but it was big enough to contain pretty much everything that we wanted. The fruit and veggie section left something to be desired but the bread, cheese, and wine were all very comparable to what I've come to expect when shopping in the States. All 8 girls grabbed a hand basket and made our way through the store, calling out and comparing things together to ensure that each apartment had the best selection of items that it could have.
So when we had finally gathered everything that we needed for the moment, we made our way to the cashier and flopped our suitcases onto the ground, stopping only to pick out a few of the re-usable bags for the next trip, and began loading items onto the conveyor belt. The cashiers were smiling to themselves while the silly American girls were struggling to fit everything in a way that it could be carried back. I was able to pay and pack everything away pretty quickly and efficiently which was nice and then I helped Kara with her stuff as well. We loaded up everything as completely as possible, even packing in stuff for the other girls if necessary. When we were all paid, we left and began our slow journey back across the city to the apartment. The bumps and breaks in the road held up back some but not enough to make us regret having the benefits of the suitcases with us. It was a nice idea (thanks to the kids from last semester) and we were glad to have that here.
We arrived back at the apartment amid the smoke and people from the cafe downstairs and hauled the suitcases and bags all the way up 2 or even 3 floors to the apartments. Each floor containing 2 flights of stairs. We managed it though and then put all the groceries in their proper place, well as proper as we could find at least. The cereals were too big to fit into any shelves, so they ended up on top of the fridge, no big deal and then the meats were thrown into the freezer and the breads were given a place on top of the microwave.
After we settled down for a bit, Mom called on Skype, and we chatted for a bit and set up another meeting for later tonight which will be cool. Then everyone discovered how famished we were and decided to go off in search of food. At this point everyone was discussing this great burger place down the road, any burger for 5euro, an awesome deal. But when we got there, it was discovered that the deal is only for lunch, boo!
So after all that talk, most other people decided to go and get a 2euro sub from Londis but I was craving meat and a taste of home. Oh that's right, I went and got me some European McDonald's! I discovered that their burgers are not much different and the fries are definitely up to par. However, the McChicken, hold onto your hats, cost an astounding 5euro! that translates to approximately $7.50! Which is ridiculous for a little chicken sandwich. So tossing that aside, I ordered a Double Cheeseburger and a small fry, both very decently made. Along with my food, I also received 2 coupons for a 3.80euro Big Mac and Medium Fry, an excellent deal, even when translated to dollars.
And now that I have enjoyed my sumptuous meal, it is time for a little R&R tonight. So along with updating some FB pics, I might just have to kick back and watch a movie and prepare my brain to deal with the coming onslaught that will be this infamous first week of classes. Love it.
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