dadkeating

Day 17 This part will be expanded and the pictures captioned and text added when I can gather all the information about the sites. We saw so many things yesterday, that it all runs together. I will pull it together and edit the blog when done, but wanted to get this posted so anyone checking on it doesn't wonder what happened. I don't want to get it wrong, and do a disservice to the brave souls from the Allied Forces that fought to make Europe Free. We saw Colleville Bluff, the American Cemetery, Omaha and Utah Beaches, the Memorial at Vienville, Point-du-Hoc, Sainte-Mere-Eglises, Iron Mike Statue, Pont-de-La Fiere, the Dick Winters Monument, Sainte-Marie-du-mort and the Bayeux Tapestry.... read more

Day 15 The day started with a walk to the post office, to mail off some more clothes that we were not going to be needing, since the weather does not look like it is getting cold during the day any longer. We also put purchases in the box so we wouldn’t have to lug it around the next 3 days. After that, we walked over to the Churchill War Room. This is the location during used by Churchill and his staff, leading the fight against Germany and the Nazis. It was put below ground for protection from the bombs that were falling on London and destroying everything. No. 10 Downing St. was bombed as well. After they started using the basement, they reinforced the floor above with steel flooring channels, and 3 feet of cement ... read more

Day 13 Today we knew was going to be full of things that we wanted to see and do, so we got started early. Breakfast on Sunday morning, is a bit later than other mornings. Most of the places we saw, opened at 8AM every day except Sunday, which they opened at 9AM. We adjusted, and found one that opened at 8AM, popped in, and had breakfast. We are trying to experience the local food and customs as much as possible. The full English Breakfast consisted of the sausage, beans, eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms. Off the ride the tube, and go to see the Tower of London. We decided to use the Oyster Card, which has nothing to do with oysters, but that is what it is called. It is one of the cards that let ... read more

Day 11 Our last full day in Ireland, was spent traveling to see the Rock of Cashel, which was a little over an hour away. The Rock is where St. Patrick baptized the King Aengus of Munster around 450. Around 1101, the King gave the Rock to the Church, and in 1134 they built the Cormac Chapel, and between 1230 and 1290 the Cathedral was built. You can see from the diagram in the pictures, that both Churches do NOT face East. The Chapel, since it was first, faces East. The Cathedral, because it was second, and the king wanted it bigger, they had to elongate some parts, and orient it the way it is so it would fit on the Rock. We walked around at first, but it was drizzling rain, so we stayed under ... read more

Day 09 Today was exciting, in that we were on the trail of some family members dating from late 1800’s to 1900’s. Gail, Mike’s wife, has gathered much information from public census records, immigration records, deportation notices, marriage records, some death records, family notes on several DNA sites where users have entered family information. After breakfast, we headed for Cork, where the many of the family lived. We thought we would check some churches which might have records that are not online. We found the church were several of the family were baptized, but today is Wednesday, and the office is open Tuesday and Thursday. I don’t think they would have many records, since most records were burned during uprisings, or conquering attempts. St. Fin Barre’s church is where my Great Grandmother and father went to ... read more