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Toss up
Originally uploaded by woodspadraic.

Saturday was the last official day of the convention, with a parade through Millstreet, the annual EJC games and the Gala Show in the evening. The parade is always one of my favorite parts. Everybody dresses up and brings along some juggling gear. It’s always funny to see the locals being surprised by 2000 funny people juggling stuff.

After that the games began in the park of Millstreet, little tournaments with clubs, balls, diabolos, devilsticks, unicycles and even poi twirling this year. Anyone can join, it’s always a little bit silly and the winner gets some juggling gear or something else. And off course the big toss up (picture), another annual tradition. The sun was shining like a madman, and not a spot of shade to be found, so after a while I went back to the site.

In the evening there were two gala shows with all the top acts of the week performing. It was really cool, saw some great, funny and interesting acts. I had spent some of my last budget on a two litres cider bottle, which is the best value for money alcoholwise. I was starting to feel really elated, the convention had been so good this year and now it was coming to an end. Somewhere halfway I had met three fantastic people from the Netherlands and a few really nice Belgians who also studied in Ghent. Together we juggled and played games and made the silliest of jokes until the sun rose. It was great. Somewhere after seven in the morning I went to my tent, only to be boiled out of it by the sun three hours later.

Gradually I started packing, getting all the stuff out of my tent and into my backpack. The pace was incredibly slow, but incredibly enjoyable as well. A genuine application of choosing the most enjoyable path over the most efficient. I put on some water and made the last bit of tea I had left. Since tea is meant to be drank by two I brought a cup to an English girl who was also packing her stuff. She really like it and invited me to eat with her and her friends. I had a sandwich with freshly baked bacon, after which she prepared some vegetables and potatoes with fresh cream. T had joined us in the meanwhile and we added to the mix whatever food we had left, some bread, some vegetables. This day was still so young and already was getting so good that it totally compensated for the lack of sleep. Well, sort of. I went to check on the Dutch guy and girls who were also busily packing. For many hours I lay with them in the shade while the camping got empty. We were heading the same way, taking the bus to Cork, and since they knew the hours of the bus and since travelling together is better than travelling alone I stayed with them. We had dinner in the village, pizza for the girls, fish and chips for the guy, and a great big juicy half-pounder with cheese for me.

They had already booked a hostel room in Cork, and didn’t mind I would stay with them, so I just put my sleeping bag on the ground there. We all took a shower, made a little walk through Cork enjoying some ice cream and went back to the hostel to have some drinks in the bar. To compensate for the free sleeping place I bought them a few drinks. There were some people playing Irish songs with the rest of the bar singing it along. At eleven the lights went on, they stopped serving and most people left. After a while, when the curtains were down they locked the door and started serving again for the persons who were staying there. People always find a way to drink I guess.

I got up early the next day to take the bus the Dublin, a four hour drive. I got at the airport a few hours early, so I took my time, shaved myself, had a cup of coffee and some sandwiches. By five in the afternoon I was back on Belgian soil, end of the Irish adventure. It must have been one of the most enjoyable EJC’s I’ve had the pleasure to enjoy. Next year Greece, I am so looking forward to that.