Ireland

---

---

Ireland
Dave B 4-3-07
Wow first day on the European leg of this trip and it was eventful. The forecast was for the rain to come later in the day, but instead it arrived a little after 11:00, the same time as my flight. The flight to Chicago I was to take was cancelled. I guess they received a lot of rain and lightning in Chicago. The next flight they put us on had to land in Springfield, IL and they were very late in getting to Lambert. They kept delaying the flight. 11:00 to 12:00 to 1:00 to 1:30. You get the picture. Finally around 2:30 we got going. The plane really put the pedal to the medal trying to get back on schedule as a lot of people had connecting flights. Upon arriving in JFK I went to the Delta counter to check in. They said American Airlines had not changed my flight to Dublin and there flight was full. They would not book me in the only available seat they had because it was a first class seat. This made me mad. I argued at length with them. This morning when I got out of bed I had a seat on this Delta Plane but when the flght to Chicago was cancelled they said American Airlines rebooked me on a different flight to JFK but did not rebook the Delta flight to Dublin. Essentially Delta blamed American for the problems. They told me to go talk to American. I told Delta to put me on that first class seat. They said I had to pay them more money to get the first class seat. The seat was going empty to Dublin instead of me being in it. I wasn't gaining any headway with Delta so I went back to the American Airlines counter. I told American Airlines the debacle and they essentially told me if they wanted to, they did not even have to give me a new ticket because I booked through Cheap Tickets. I understand mistakes happen, but the way both airlines handled this issue I didn't agree with at all. Delta could have given me that empty seat and American Airlines didn't have to threaten to not put me on another flight. American Airlines rerouted me through London and then to Dublin. I would be arriving in Dublin at 12:30 the next day when I was supposed to arrive at 7:30. Anyway I went and got a beer and a hot dog. I talked to my first foreigner at the bar. He was on the same flight as I. He was flying into Dublin as well and is from Northern Ireland. I enjoyed talking to him and his name is William Mcgoverly (or something like that). It was way Irish and I liked that. Anyway it had been an eventful first day.

4-4-06
My first day in Europe. What can I say. I am currently sitting down drinking my first Guinness in Dublin, Ireland. Life is good. The flight to Heathrow was long and because of delays in JFK was late. I missed the next flight and they booked me on a 13:15 or 1:15 flight. In Europe they use the 24 hour clock which actually makes more since than messing with the am. and pm. thing. This flight was pretty much on time. The customs at the airport were extensive. They ask me all kinds of questions and I gave them my whole itinerary. I gave them my credit card and the phone number for Kirsten the lady I was staying with in Dublin. After about a 20 minute interrogation the lady said she was going back to show this information to her supervisor. She quickly came back and said I was good to go. She said her boss looked at all the information and quickely said I was fine. She said when she travels to the US they are fingerprinted and interrogated even worse. The lady working there was nice just following the rules. I talked to two Australian women while on the plane. They are on a 5 week holiday. Their names are Marge and Jean. I Called Kristen and set up a meeting location at the Bewley's Hotel. She gave me instructions on how to get there, but it was going to be too late as she had a DR.s appointment so she suggested I just wait there for her which I am doing. I took the Air bus to the hotel.

4-5-07
Day two in Europe. I was so tired I did not get up until around 12:00. I can't remember the last time I had done that. Kirsten had left for work around 6. I watched the Rick Steve's
DVD again until 2 when Kirsten arrived home. I had a bagel when I first got up, but was hungry for lunch so we went to a grocery store. We got some lunch meat, but it was not very good. The food had no flavor. Kirsten decided not to go to Dingle with me for financial reasons. She is a big U2 fan. Probably to a higher level than I am of Bruce SPringsteen. She showed me Bruce introducing U2 into the Hall of Fame. Bono introduced the Boss into the hall of fame when he was inducted. We watched U2's and other bands perform on her live aid dvd. I enjoyed Queens performance a lot.

We went to Temple Bar, which is a description of an area. I thought it would be one place, but no it was a partying region of Dublin. I still can't believe I am in Dublin. It was crazy. We first went to Bono and the Edge's bar and had a Guiness. After that we went to a Microbrewery called the Porterhouse Brewery. They do not make Guinness which I was told said it is stated right on the door. I forgot to look for it. I had a Porterhouse. I enjoyed it a lot. They also had one guy playing guitar and singing that was very good. The place was packed. It was a fun environment. After that we walked through the craziest part of Temple Bar area and it was like a Mardi Gras. Eveyone was drunk and wild. Walked to the train station and took it back to Kirsten's . It was about 12:30 and decided to type for awhile and Kirsten went to bed. It was a fun wild first night out in Dublin. Dublin is a town over 1.5 million people. Tomorrow we are going to see the touristy stuff and I am going to Cork on Saturday. I wasn't planning on going there, but it is the second largest City in Ireland. They also make Murphy's and Beamish there and have the infamous Blarney Stone. I just don't think I should pass that up.

4-6-06
Today went with Kirsten back to the Temple Bar area. I used the couchsurfing sight in hopes of finding a host in the Cork area. I sent out 6 emails, but no luck as of tonight. I resent all the emails with phone numbers in hopes that would help, since I now have a new unlocked phone. The phone cost me 59 euros and another 15 euros to have it unlocked. I hope this helps with the couch surfing.

Kirsten met two women from Minnesota Meredith and Trisha who were also checking out a U2 exhibit. I have heard Bono mentioned more times today than I had in my entire life. It was kind of funny that in the store Kirsten called the U2 store there is actually a lot of the Boss man as well. I would have enjoyed getting a few of the albums and videos of Bruce, but do not want to lug them around for 4 months.

We went as a group down to Bono's house which is an area by the Sea. The ocean was very pretty, but very cold. There were lots of people there. I guess a lot of people get off for Good Friday. Although Kirsten says she only works 36 hours a week which is 6 days of 6 hours of work. We walked a lot. I really enjoyed talking to everyone. Meredith has MS and all the stress of traveling had gotten her down a little. They were both very nice women. We enjoyed skipping rocks at the seaside and Trisha and I walked barefoot in the water. They are both teachers and was visiting a former student in Galway. Their husbands were both at home, while they took this trip.

I rode back with Meredith and Trisha while Kirsten went back to her house as she was tired. I was tired too but didn't feel like I had really seen the City yet. In going back I went to St. Stephens Park, to Temple Bar, to Trinity College and to the Bus and Train Stations. I have decided to take the bus tomorrow to Cork since it is only 18 euros while the train is 64 euros. The train is about 2 hours faster but the extra cost is not worth the time savings to me. Have I said time is on my side. I spent about 5 euros worth of Internet access today. It will be interesting to see how much I spend on that.

Some observations include: Everywhere I walked I felt safe. I have yet to see any bad neighborhoods in Dublin although Kirsten has says their are rough areas. The people here all seem to be in great shape. The portions are a lot less over here than they are in the states. In my opinion that's the biggest thing that needs changed in America. Everyone has been really nice to me. It was nice to do some things on my own today. That will help me when I start traveling by myself. Kirsten has pretty much done most things for me to this point. Well another great day. I loved Dublin. It is a great City with lots of character. I would love to come back sometime. There were lots of people here from all over the world. It's a great place to visit.

4-6-07
Got up around 7 and headed for the bus station. City's look a lot different in the mornings. It's a totally different experience and one that you can not overlook. I got on the Luas flawleslly and made it to Stephens Green where I got off and began walking to the bus station. Upon getting there I got a ticket. I thought their were trains at 8, 10, etc. Upon getting the ticket it said 10:50 on it. I asked the security guard if I was reading the ticket right and he said yea the train leaves then. I had some time to kill and went to look for internet access and some breakfast. I found both and went back to Bussar Station and didn't see the train. I went to the information desk and they said the time is not printed on the ticket. That is the price. They had the price printed in one location but the other location there were no units so I thought that was the time. I had to wait for the next bus. Anyway I had some time to kill so I decided to rest for awhile. I talked to a local Dublin lady who was going to visit her family in the country prior to going to Australia for a year. It amazes me how they travel at such a young age. I wish I had traveled over seas when I was younger. I told her yeah seeing her family before that kind of a trip is defininetly a good idea. The bus to Galway started loading around 11:45 and I was one of the first 10 people. I wanted to pick a good window seat. I hurriedly threw my bag under the bus and got onto the bus. I picked a seat on top of the double decker bus near the back stairs. I was hoping to sit by myself or with at least someone small. It turned out that I sat with a big Russian guy. He lived in the Lithuania area, but travels with his job. It turned out he was a blast to talk to and very nice. At the midway point we stopped for a 2 hour break. We hit some traffic so the 4.5 hour trip took 6 hours. My first bus ride wasn't too bad even though my tail bone has been sore since the plane ride I guess I sat on it wrong. I walked to the City Center. It's cool how all City's have Centres at least in Ireland. I suspect all European City's are going to be that way. I found an internet cafe for one last check on couchsurfing and as expected no luck. I asked the attendent there if he knew of a Hostel and he said there all along Washington St. I walked down there and didn't find any. I walked a long time. In Ireland if they say something is only a 10 minute walk it will take you about 30 minutes to walk there. I learned that is a figure of speach. I was growing weary of looking and finally I got a definitive location for a Hostel along Washington Street I just had to walk even further. A little ways past the university.

They only had one room left and I snatched it up. It was a big weekend so they had increased their prices to 18 Euros. This was more than expected, but what could do and I was not in a mood to keep looking. The place had gobs of character. I talked to an irishman there for awhile and you could tell he was probing me with questions. I am quite certain the irish are not fans of America these days. I know they hate Bush. I was wanting to chill out, but he kept talking for awhile. Finally he decided to sleep for awhile and I just shut my eyes for about a 1/2 hour. I then took a shower and got ready to head out. A New Zealand man in his 50's I guess, was also staying in the room with us. He said he was heading out for a few cold ones and said he was in Cork to visit relatives who live close.

I finally left and as I was walking to the City Center I came across the New Zealand man from the Hostel by himself. I told him if he wanted we could have a few beers together. He agreed. We stopped at several bars, but there were dress codes and all he had were sandals because his feet were blistered because of recent hiking. He finally decided to head back to a bar we had passed on the way there nearer the Hostel. I decided to go to a bar which I think was named Clancey (?). I know it started with a C. I tried the Beamish and the Murphy's, which are both made in Cork. I liked the Murphy's much better as it had more flavor. I talked to a local Irishman for a long time. I enjoyed talking to him and it was obvious he did not like Americans. After we talked for awhile he warmed up a little and let his guard down. He said that I was not like most Americans. He said most Americans are arrogant thinking there way is the only way. I bought him a round and he reciporcated the round. I talked to the chef for awhile who is from Albania. I danced for awhile. There was a ladies Rugby team from Spain in town and they were dancing up a storm. The Irish are very bad dancers. Most of the men would not dance and when I saw them dance it was best they did not dance. They are much better drinkers than dancers.

I stayed there until a little after 1 and decide I better head back. When walking back the bars were just letting out and all kinds of drunk young people were in the streets. It was the same thing just a different country. The drinking age is 18 in Ireland. Of the several thousand people I saw several women crying I suspect because of relationship issues who knowes. Several men were getting a little rough. It was a little chaotic and it definitely was not all happy. I made it back to the Hostel around 2:00. It appeared most everyone was already in bed. In our room they definitely were all in. Really no snorers in the room which was good. I quickely went to sleep. I awoke around 7 and got up a little after 8. I decided not to shower just to get going. I thought I had saw where there was a mass at 9:00.

I got to the church a little before 9 and indeed there was a 9:00 O'çlock mass. A lady I walked in with said arriving early is good so you can pray before mass. She mentioned I should say the rosary. This was Easter Sunday mass. The church was huge and there wasn't all that many people. I suspect later masses were better attended.

After mass I headed for the bus station and got on a bus to Blarney. I was going to kiss the Blarney Stone. I talked to a couple Canadian kids who are studying in the Netherlands. It was neat talking to essentially Americans. They were cool. The castle exceeded my expectiations. I am glad I went.

Got back to the bus station around 1:00, but there were no buses that late in the day that went all the way to Dingle so I decided to spend the night in Killarney. I learned later that this is a big tourist destination. I arrived in Killarney around 4. I found a Hostel and got suggestions to walk the forest path along the oceans edge. It was a great walk. Again it was a lot farther than expected. These irish love to walk. I ran into one irish lady and commented how nice the weather is. I talked to her a little more. She asked if all Americans are this forthright in a positive way. I could tell she already had an opinion of Americans and I told her I probably talk more than most Americans at least to strangers. I think she enjoyed our short conversation and vice versa. Another irish lady came walking by and she was walking fast. I complemented her on her fast pace. In a direct manner she said I do it a lot. We talked a little bit and then she said, "So Americans are travelling these days?" It was obvious meant to be a negative comment about American not being very worldly. I told her there's a lot of beautiful things in the US for Americans to see. She mentioned something derogatory about our president. I told her not to blame me for him as I told her as I never voted for him. It has been very clear everywhere on this trip that George Bush is not liked in very many locations. Anyway I don't think this irish lass hated me when I left, but I know she sure has it in for Americans. The one Irish guy in the Hostel last night said Ireland liked Clinton but not Bush. The foreign folks follow politics much more than Americans that is for sure. I can pretty much guarantee that 50% of foreign people know more about American Politics than do Americans. They keep asking me if Hillary is going to be president and ask me about the black guy.

Around the corner I saw a castle that I wasn't even expecting. It sat on a little peninsula that projected out into the water. Very fairey tail like. I snapped a few photos and kept moving. There were several boats for touring groups in the water. Saw several mallards flying around and a few swans. The ducks were in full plumage and were beautiful. I was surprised to see the swans. I saw some deer as well that a local said were native to this area only. I forget the name, but I think it had red in the name. I saw them at a distance so really couldn't see the size well. I walked through town to get some tooth past as I hadn't brushed my teeth in a day. I stopped at a couple internet cafe's after purchasing the toothpaste. They seemed a little pricey to me so I decided to go back to the Hostel and use theirs.

I received a text message from a lady I was trying to couchsurf with and she said not to couchsurf in Dingle. I replied why and she said there is a guy there that is anti-american. I typically do not surf with guys for that very reason as I worry about them being more violent. From the perspective of violence women are the better race.

When getting back to the hostel I took a shower. The shower areas are unisex. I was surprised by that. The showers all had doors so once you were in there no one else could see in. It was a situation like you might have at home. It really was fine. I waited however several minutes before going in as there were about 4 women in there trying to get ready. I asked them how long and they kept saying it wouldn't be long. I laughed at that response. Just like home. While waiting I spoke with some French guys who all happened to be engineers. We had a great talk.

After showering I decided to go downstairs and type for awhile. As I typed the French guys and a French Lady stopped by periodically as they cooked. They enjoyed seeing my cell phone / computer. They were dressed well and I got the impression that the cooking is a social activity for them. It was very cool to see. They had 3 courses during the meal. The first course was a very good tomatoe soup, bread and lettuce. The soup was very good as they offered me a bowl. They then fixed the spaghetti and had a Guiness beer. They again offered me spaghetti for which I declined, but once I knew they would have leftovers I accepted. It too was very good. We talked a lot about our countries afterwards and it was neat to see that they do not hate Americans, but admit that their country does things that are not very ethical to protect their natural resource interest such as gas. Mainly in Africa. They said what they do however is not covered as thoroughly. I believe this goes back to other countries being a little jealous of what America has. I believe a lot of Americans take for granted what they have, which lends itself to not being very worldly and do not realize there are also cool things going on in other countries. America is great now for what our grandfathers did during and after WWII. We are just reaping their benefits. I suspect we will lose our superpower status in less than 300 years because mainly of greed. We sell out all the time. We complain about all the Mexicans immigrating, but then American businesses hire them so that they make more money. The goods we purchase are then cheaper to buy which all Americans like. Do Americans want to pay more for goods, if so then quit hiring them. But money drives businesses to hire cheap labor.

After we had talked for probably about 30 minutes I resumed typing and one guy played the guitar, while a few in the group sang. He was a great guitar player. I asked them if I could take a pic to help me remember this chat as I would be traveling for 4 months and would forget a lot. They said sure and then insisted we set the timer so I could get in the pic as well. They all hovered around me to make me feel included and as one of the group. Earlier in the evening I told them I was going to wash all the dishes as I really appreciated them allowing me to eat with them. The lady insisted no and that I was their guest. It was pretty cool. They were extremely hospitable. Kind of reminded me of Lonn a little. After the guitar session we went in and did the dishes. Everyone had their job. The guy playing the guitar kept playing even as they did the dishes and some were singing.Every part of the supper was an event. They were dressed nice as well. They then fixed some tea and had some cookies. Again they asked if I wanted some, but I told them no. They had done enough for me. I would estimate their ages in their early 20's. Went to bed around 12.

4-9-07
Went to a bike rental shop and rented a bike since I couldn't find a cheap ride out to Slea Head Road. Also the information office said the road had collapsed and you couldn't go around the tip of the peninsula. I thought because of the collapsed road there would be less travelers out there. I was wrong. The road is extremely narrow and I had to be constantly vigilant for cars. It was quite dangerous. There is no shoulder. The old rock fence had been overgrown with briars and as I tried to get off the road when cars passed I would get my arm caught in the briars. I was getting a little perturbed at the whole situation. I did finally make it out there and it is very pretty it reminded me a little of the big Sur area in California, but not as pretty. I drove to the area where the road collapsed and they had built a dirt berm and put a fence across it. I was told the road would be out for about 2 months. There was a guy there who I assume owned the land next to the road that was speaking in Gaelic. That was cool. His land there was very steep and had several pens of sheep. I assume they rotate the sheep between the pens. The beach area there was cool and a few people were surfing. They were not as good at surfing as those I saw in Long Beach Californina. I assume the surfing season is short here in Ireland.

Upon getting back to the Grapevine Hostel I met a lady from Saint Louis who was teaching in France. She was on Holiday to Dingle. We talked for awhile and then agreed to meet up a little later to go out. I went to John Benny's for supper and had corned beef and cabbage. The food was awesome. I talked to a couple locals one of which didn't have much to say while the other messed with me a little by saying he lived in Cork while a little later saying he lived there 10 years ago. He is now a doctor in Dingle at least that is how the story goes. I left there and decided to head back to the hostel. There were some new people there now. A couple from Chicago who was traveling kind of like me and were staying in the room with me. They were great to talk to and were following Rick Steve's recommendations. They had so much gear however that I thought they may be 3 people travelling they obviously were not following Rick's guidelines on how much stuff to bring. They are definitely going to regret that and I am sure will start throwing things away. I believe they said they were traveling 2 months. They like me were unemployed as well. In addition to them their was a guy their from Bellingham, seattle where I couchsurfed one night, a lady from Vancouver, Canada and a lady from Michigan who is living in Prague where she goes to school. The latter group were all going out with the lady from Saint Louis so I joined them. We went to John Bennys and had a drink. It was a very touristy crowd but the music was good. Stayed for one drink and then headed to Dick Mason. This was a very small place and felt authentic as you were going to get. After singing the ballad two guys placyed some bagpipes and a flute. Vey cool. I then met some men from New York. There last name is O'Brien. They obviously had some Irish heirtage. They had been there before. It was interesting hearing them talk about some irish stuuff. After a beer or two there we went to another place with music. It was getting late and we were only there for about an hour as they closed at 12. Again the music was very good. They play a lot of music in Dingle. I would guess there was probably 10 pubs playing music that night in Dingle.

4-10-07
I got up around 8 the next morning and walked around looking for some breakfast. I have not had many american breakfasts and felt like one this morning. I ran into a travel agent and got some advice on getting airfare and he told me where a restaurant was that would serve the breafast I desired. On the way there and elderly woman met what appeared to be a tourist at an intersection. I think she over reacted and got too close to a rock wall to avoid the tourist car. The wall hit her side mirror and then hit the side of the car. I told her to stop and I would see if I could get a couple people to lift up the back end of the car and slide it over to avoid added damage. She backed up on her own and was visibly frustrated, but made it without additional damage. The driver of the other car got out and was approaching the lady but she drove away not knowing the other guy had gotten out. I think the lady was at fault, but she should have stayed around as maybe the guy was rich and was going to pay for the damages as he was partially at fault, but not primarily in my opinion.

I walked up to Darby's café and saw this was the place listed at the Hostel where I stayed. I told the people there they should go to the Hostel and give directions as the information at the hostel does not indicate how to get there. I had an Irish breakfast which included ham, sausage, baked beans, eggs and toast. The meal only included one egg, but when I asked the lady about getting two eggs she said yea no problem. You hear them say that a lot. No Problem. The meal was ok. Food is not the irish's strong point. Again the sausage hear is horrible. I can't wait to have German sausage. I went to the bus station and got on the bus about 1/2 past 9 which means 9:30 in Irish. That has taken a little getting used to. I sat by a young irish girl about 15. She was a blast to talk to. She had been staying with cousins in Dingle. She asked if I had been swimming I said no. She said she and her cousins had climbed down some rocks and went swimming with their clothes on that they were wearing as they had no suits. She said it was very dangerous climbing down the rocks. She of course wants to travel like all Europeans. Europe is so suited and so easy for taveling. I have felt very comfortable on the buses. She said her dad is an actor and she lives in Cork. She said she is good in math and science and I tried to convince her into going into engineering. She says acting is more of a passion for her. She ask me a few questions about America. The bus was filled up so I gave my seat to another person. I stood by a lady and man and after a little ways traveling she offered me to sit on the elbow rest. I jokingly told her my butt is too big. We talked for awhile. It turns out she is from the Champagne area of France and he is from Bologna in Spain. We talked about traveling and they both offered me places to stay in their respective countries although the french lady said their is not much to see where she lives. She said the main thing to do is drink champaign, which doesn't sound so bad. The Italain guy lives near my travel path and he sugguested I go to an island and I marked it on my map. They loved my map which I had gotten at the Rick Steve's conference free. I wish I had a couple extra to give to them. He is studying law and she is an event planner. At Tralee we took pictures to commemorate our bus ride and they left for lunch and I watched their bags for them for the hour I was there and assigned watching duties to someone else there at the station when my bus arrived.

Europe is amazing. As I sit here in the lounge of this hostel their are kids around me playing Indian who appear to be about 15 drinking wine and an apple cider drink. There's 2 kids at 2 different tables who appear to be about 16 drinking Guinness There's a family behind me who fixed their supper at the Hostel drinking Corona. Another group of kids playing with something that looks like playdough. There's a family with kids who appear to be about 9. Everyone seems to be having a good time doing there thing. These European Hostels are a lot better than America's. Hostels are just a form of lodging for Europeans whereas most Americans do not even know what they are/or have negative connotations about them. This trip has been such an eye opening experience. There's 200 people staying in this Hostel. Everyone with a backpack. When you meet someone with a backpack you think nothing of it. When you see someone in St. Louis you think of a hippy or something negative. It's just a way to travel in Europe.

On the next bus I sat by a lady that seemed to be dressed somewhat posh or gypsy like. I had a hard time pegging her. She sounded French to me. A little further into the trip I learned that she grew up in Belfast, but currently is a practicing ob/gyn as a doctor in Liverpool. I am done trying to guess a persons background. Gypsy? The guy and girl in front of me were from Virginia and Nebraska respectively. The guy was a phlebotimist and the lady in medical school. They were both traveling alone. I really think traveling alone is the way to go. You are so much more approachable and talk to other people more often. This trip is just unbelievable. People who do not do this it just seems is missing out on so much. You just learn to tolerate and appreciate everyone's differences as there are so many differences. When making it to Limerick we said our goodbys and went our separate ways. My couchsurfing host was visiting her parents as she was moving to London and had to say goodby to her parents. People just up and move and travel and it's just their way of life. It's similar to the way we grew up hunting . To each his own. Live and let live. From there I went to the City Centre as the couchsurfing host would not be picking me up until around 8 and I had about 4 hours to kill. All the towns I have visited in Ireland have City Centers and a tourist information place. Limerick is not a real big tourist town. I went to the City Center just like I do at all City's and went to their tourist center to ask them what to do. They mentioned a few things. After looking at their map I decided to walk to the castle and then down to the park. While walking to the castle I saw it off in the distance and decided to just take a picture of it across the water and not actually walk to it. It was around 6:00 and the place was closed anyway and it has been my experience standing outside the wall of a castle does not enlighten you much anyway. After that I decided to walk to the park. I crossed O'Connell Street, the main street in Limerick, which reminded me of Dublin as that is the main street there as well. As I walked in the direction of the Park I for the first time on this trip wondered if maybe I was heading into a bad neighborhood. Then I saw older laidies walking along the street and I felt safer. A lot of the time as I travel I don't get too caught up in making it to places directly. Being a little off course is an adventure in itself. I did cross paths with a little girl with a puppy in tow and ask her for directions to the park. She is probably 9 and was so sweet. Her puppy was a black lab mix. She answered the question regarding directions by saying follow me I will show you. That response made me laugh and I began following the already walking child. I asked her where she was from as she had an accent and she responded Lithuania. This was the second person I have met from Lithuania. Some folks in Ireland have said there are a lot of polish and russian immigrants in the country. I do not think that is necessarily a welcome thing by most irish. I asked her how old the puppy is and she said 2 I rhetorically asked her 2 years or 2 weeks? She said no 2 months. She asked me where I was from? I told her America. She says she likes America in particular the movies. She said she wants to go America. I told her that most people in America are not in movies and that if she goes there she will most likely not be in a movie. I was trying to give her some career counseling and she quickely shot back that she knew that. She knew she would not be in the movies but wants to just go there. I felt a little silly. We finally got to the street where she said I needed to walk down to get to the park. She gave me specific instructions on how to get to the entrance gate once I get there. I asked her if I could take a picture of her and her dog and she said sure and picked up the dog and I snapped a photo. I really did not expect her to pick the dog up, but it was cute to see. I left and she continued on. I enjoyed talking to her. Such a sweet little girl and her puppy.

I was a little disappointed with the park. I expected another park like St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, but it was not that great. There were some very young kids throwing around F Bombs, which was not cool to see. Really though the F-Bomb is thrown around a lot in Ireland. Other words that I hear a lot is straight-away and loads. From there I walked to an internet café and checked out some stuff. I found a cheap flight from Shannon to London, but it was at 6:30 in the morning which meant that night I would be sleeping in the airport. I decided against it for now. Some flights you can get for 1 Euro. I heard on those flights the main purpose is to sell you stuff. I did notice they sell things from carts that they walk up and down the aisles. From there I decided to find something to eat. After considerable time spent walking I decided to go to a place on O'Connell street. For whatever reason I decided to choose a hamburger and fries. The waitress had a Russian accent and I asked her if she was from Lithuania. She seemed aghast that I was able to guess that right. I told her I have just met a couple other people from there and that was why I guessed it. I have been horrible guessing nationalities. I am getting better though. She asked where I was from and I gave my standard reply. I am from America in the City of St. Louis where they make Budweiser. This does a couple things. Usually it ellicits a smile because of the beer reference and it tells them where I from. A few know of St. Louis and for those that don't, I say south of Chicago which is a City most of them do know of. The food was ok, but I enjoyed the meal anyway and the conversation. I also met a couple from Ohio there. They said after Ireland they were going to France. They told me the French people were the nicest they have met. That seemed a little odd but to date that was the truth for me as well.

I then decided to go back to the bus station and wait for Sharon. Sharon showed up around 8:00 and we headed to her sisters. Sharon was my first european couchsurfing host. We got back to her place and her roomates. Their place is not the most tidy place, but I was grateful nonetheless. This was Sharon's last week in Limerick before moving to London and they were having a big party. We drank some mixed drinks for awhile and then headed to a dance place a little later. We left there around 12 and headed back to her place for an after hours party. I finally decided to go to bed around 3 while the party continued. They were singing lots of irish ballads and did so until around 5:30 in the morning. Needless to say not the most restful night of the trip.

4-11-07
Some of the party goers were from Innis so I decided to ride with them to Innis where they said you can catch a bus from there to the Cliffs of Moher the next place I wanted to see. It was a little nerve racking riding with them as their was 5 of us in an economy sized car and two of them were smoking. At times the peson would reach over the drivers lap to honk the horn. I must say they were party animals. I don't think anyone would dispute that claim. I enjoyed listening to them sing they seemed to know the words to every song and seemed very care free and to be having a blast.

In arriving in Innis they dropped me off at the bus station and went on their way. At the station they said the only bus going to the Cliffs was at 6:25. The attendant said another option is to go to a nearby City by bus at 3 and then hitch hike to the cliffs. After running several options through my head I decided to just get on the next bus to Galway and come back to the Cliffs of Mohr on my way back to Dublin if I indeed go back there, as it would be nice to find a cheap flight to London from the Galway area as the bus ride was going to be long.

The bus soon arrived and low and behold Betsy the lady I met in Dingle who is from Michigan currently studying in Prague got off the bus. She was wanting to go the Cliffs today as well and I told her the scenarios as I was getting on the bus. I was really surprised to see her but was happy to do so. The bus ride was short and I got off looking for the City Center. It was right close to the station so that was easy to find. I was hungry and decided to just walk around looking for food. I found a couple hostels, but wasn't too satisfied with either one. I decided to go to an american style fast food place and have a burger. Some greasy food sounded great after a night of no sleep and alcoholic beverages. It was good but expensive. After lunch I stopped at an internet café to check prices. 3 Euros for an hour of use. This is expensive and I decided to see what the Hostel had. I think Galway is going to be an expensive City. I walked around awhile longer and asked a lady on the street if she knew where a Hostel was. She was from Australian and gave me directions to a couple. She said she stayed in one herself for a long time, but ran out of money and is currently crashing with a friend until she earns enough money. It is wild how people live so close to their belt. European Hostels are very cool. I walked to the Hostel and they were booked. This hostel had free internet, but as you might imagine the computers were being used at the time I arrived, which I suspect is always a problem in such a setup. I walked to the next one and was very impressed by it. Everything was clean and had great facilities. I decided to stay there. As I was walking around I was shocked to see Betsy again. She like me, decided not to wait around for a bus to the Cliffs, but decided to come directly to Galway. We talked for awhile and decicded to take a tour the next day to the Cliffs. The cost was only 22 euros so I decided to go for it. We decided to walk around for awhile around 5 and take some photos. We walked down to the harbor and got a couple photos that I really liked. From there we walked for awhile looking for a good place for supper. We came across a Mexican place, which for whatever reason really appealed to me. I got some nachos, tortilla chips and salsa as well as tea to drink. Betsy wasn't very hungry, but I convinced her to eat some of the salsa and chips. She had tea to drink. It was nice just chilling out that night for a relaxing evening after the tin whistle night the night before. I typed for awhile and then went to bed around 11:45. This was just what the doctor ordered a nice relaxing evening. In the hostel my roomates were a scout group from Dublin and a very courteous group. I couldn't ask for a better situation. I was stone tired and slept accordingly, with no one in the room snoring. What I thought was going to be an extremely boring night turned out to be the perfect afternoon and evening considering the night before.

4-12-07
Besty and I had decided to go on a walking tour of the Burrens and the Cliffs of Moher and we were to meet around 9:30 in the lobby. Around 8 I got some breakfast which the hostel served of OJ, toast, cereal, coffee and tea. It was pretty good for a hostel. I then went to the banks, but learned that they were not open until 10:00 as I was wanting to exchange some money and Rick Steve's indicated banks were the best place to do that. There was an exchange bureau that post their rates and the exchange rate was not good. Essentially for $14,000 I will only be getting 10,000 euros and things are priced about the same here as in the US. This is something I am going to have to forget about as if I think about this, it might make the trip less enjoyable. I have the money saved even for this higher exchange rate so I just need to enjoy it. This is indeed a trip of a life time as Jay put it.

I got back to the Hostel and it was 9:30 our designated meeting time, but I wasn't seeing Betsy. She did show up, but had to go back to her room. I waited around but it was getting late so I decided to go to the bus to make sure she was not there. I told the bus driver to wait as I needed to run back to find her. This time I did meet up with her with only about 5 minutes to spare.

As we drove around the bus driver explained different things about Ireland and the location we were driving through. He mentioned global warming a couple times as if it is a fact. Actually I have heard global warming mentioned a couple times on this trip and it is always mentioned as a fact not as something that might be happen. I wrote a report about it in 1993 as it was being discussed back then. I too think it is happening and I think it is arrogant to think man might not be causing it. Why not reduce emissions of greenhouse gases just in case we are causing the problem. The reason is in America people are too worried about having to pay more at the pump or more wherever else the cost will go up and it would go up in a lot of different areas.

Some of the group got dropped off at this farm where a guy gave us a walking tour on the farm. We walked I bet a couple miles of which a lot of it was up an hill. I get a kick out of the Asians taking all there pictures. It is really amusing to me. The guide said the F-Bomb a couple times which caught me off guard. It just seems to be a word to be used in the language and really does not carry any added connotations with it. I remember Bobby Knight's book, A Season on the Brink, where he talks about how useful that word is. How it can be used as a noun, a adjective, a verb etc. It's becoming more and more common in America as well. I don't know if it's bad thing are not, but maybe us Amercans maybe need to lighten up a little. I don't know.

At one point during the tour we took a break and laid down in the grass. That spot on the mountain would be a great place to throw down the sleeping bag and spend the night. We got back to the place where the bus was to pick us up and we waited a few minutes and it soon arrived. This for some reason was a different bus. From there we went to the original bus and switched back to the other bus. We drove around looking at the countryside and eventually made it to the Cliffs of Moher. The bus company was protesting a charge they were incurring to park their buses in the parking lot so the bus driver told us where and when we needed to be back to this same location to be picked up by the bus. This way the company got around paying this charge. We were only paying 22 euro's for this tour so I guess this is why you have to do this kind of thing. The tour was very professionally done. Betsy and I walked to the castle first and took in the view. The highest cliff is around 700 ft. high and there were about 4 of them that projected out into the water. Lots of brids were calling these cliffs home. The driver had warned us that a polish lady recently fell to her death here. I am a little afraid of heights anyway so I had no intentions of getting very close.

After walking around the castle area we went to the more southern end of the cliffs. There is a sign there that says you can not go past this point yet there is an extremely worn path past the sign and lots of people were walking beyond it. Betsy and I continued past the sign and got some amazing photos. We had spent a little too much time there and had to hustle to get back to the bus at the designated time. Sure enough within a minute of the designated time the bus arrived and we got on. The hour at the Cliffs seemed to fly by, but yet we seen pretty much everything that we wanted to. In Dullen a small town near the Cliffs we stopped and had lunch. I think the name of the restaurant is Fitzpatricks if I recall correctly. They had a buffet style meal. I had not had any salmon yet so I decided to have salmon. It was awesome probably the best I have ever had. Even better than the kind I make. It was like lobster. It was extremely light tasting. I asked later in the day what kind of salmon they have and the man said it is Atlantic Salmon. Maybe that's the difference not sure what kind I am use to. Anyway it was very good. The meal also included cabbage and potatos and I think some sort of squash. I enjoyed the meal thoroughly.

After the meal I was pretty much worthless for the rest of the day. I started nodding off on the rest of the bus ride. We stopped to see a castle in one location which helped wake me up. We got back to the hostel around 5:30 and I did some typing for awhile around 7:00 I decided to walk around the rivers to try and understand the hydraulics of the streams in the City. I learned that the diverted canals were that way to supply water for the mills to power grinders. I walked a little farther this night than the night prior and saw how it worked. The night before I had not walked far enough to see the diversion structure. In Ireland I have noticed they use a lot of water. I bet they flush 3 to 4 times more water than we do. I guess they have a lot of it. The City of Galway had a Cryptosporidium outbreak recently and was under a boil order. They had a machine there so I just got water out of it whenever I needed water. I stopped and got a bowl of chowder. I really liked the chowder as it had big chunks of fish in it, but thought it could have used a little more spicey ingredients in it. I added a little pepper to it after already consuming 80% of the soup. The brown bread that came with it was awesome. I have had bread in a couple different locations in Ireland and was just blown away by the bread. I didn't have anything to drink in an effort to save a few euros. From there I went back to the Hostel as it was about 9:00. I messed around on the internet using my phone and then called it a night. I was tired. In our hostel room there were a couple from California that I talked to for awhile. He was a photographer and I am not sure what she did. I looked at some of his photos. He was amazed at something a star had done the night before as he had a 30 second exposure on one picture and the star moved during that time period. He said when he gets back he is going to contact an astrologist about the event. I was tired and called it a night. There were 8 people in this dorm room. It was a little tough to sleep.

4-13-07
I took my time getting up and decided to get some american money exchanged. I went to two banks and an exchange bureau and as expected none of the places were very good but the bank was the best so I went with the bank. From there I went to the bus station and decided to go with the non Wal-Mart like bus system. It was a new bus service called City Link and actually there buses looked newer than the big company called bus errin (sp). The ride was slow and we were in a traffic jam for a portion of the trip. As a result we got in about an hour later. I talked to an English woman on the trip who was visiting family in Ireland. She was one of the first Europeans that I have met who has not traveled a lot. Whenever I bring up being from America it seems people want to talk about the current politics. She says England is getting rid of Tony Blair because of his support of Bush. She wants the English troops out now.

At the bus station in Dublin I checked the buses going to London and they were all full until Sunday morning. This was going to be a grueling bus ride especially when it is full. The ferry ride however would have helped to break up the trip but still it was going to be tough. Since I was wanting to spend a weekend night in London I thought I would look into the flight situation. I found a flight for 82 euros and decided to go with it. I had a good time the last time in Dublin so I decided to just spend the night in a Hostel in downtown Dublin and go to the airport around 10 the next day. This would allow me to get a good nights sleep, spend a nother night in Dublin and to spend a weekend night in London.

I was having a hard time finding a hostel and the first one I came across was full, but they contacted a couple others that had vacancies. The demand for Hostels is so great in Europe. To date couchsurfing has been a disappointment in Europe. Hopefully more contacts will be made with people from other countries as I travel. I almost feel a little guilty as if I am talking to someone just in hopes of getting a place to stay with them.

This hostel was only about a 1/4 mile walk from the Temple Bar area and had a bus stop servicing the airport just outside the door. This would work. In the dorm I met a nice guy from Berlin who is in the film industry. He grew up in the Ithaca New York area and really new his baseball. He brought up the Cardinals winning the World Series last year. I told him the playoff series were good, but the World Series games were handed to them. Detroit was horrible. We exchanged some contact information as requested by him and he said to contact him when I get to Berlin and said maybe I could stay with him. I said ok.

I typed awhile and then went out around 9:30. As usual the Temple Bar area was buzzing. I went to a couple bars and had a few drinks. I met a brother and sister from Switzerland. The brother was treating his sister to this trip for I think her birthday. He said their was something special about it, but I couldn't make out what it was as his english was a little broken and it was loud in the bar. This was the first people from Switzerland that I have met. As I type this a Kiwi walked by me with no shoes on. You see that a lot of the Aussies and Kiwis. I guess they must do that at home as well. There is a group of Aussies in this hostel, 4 corners hostel, that are really loud. I would say they have been my least favorite group of people that I have met. They just get loud and obnoxious to frquently for my liking. The French are the nicest that I have met so far. I also like the Germans a lot I guess because they are a lot like me. The Russians seem ok as well. I like the fact that they have worked hard for what they have which I believe is a good character builder.

I went to another bar and talked to some women from Wales. They were mad I was not traveling to their country. They said people just lump their Country in with England and that upset them. They were in Dublin just as a road trip. They asked me how old I was and I told them 38. They said I was supposed to travel before your 30. I told them that was not the hand I was dealt. I guess you do not see a lot of people middle aged travel although Jackie from Amsterdam is roughly the same age as me. You do see a lot of people older than me traveling.

There were lots of Hen parties going on which is the equivalent of a bachelorette party. Mainly English women come to Dublin for them.

I went back to the dorm around 1:00. I was in a room with mainly long termers which tend to be more quite and less partiers. I may try to request this sleeping arrangement more often in the future. Everything was quiet and it looked like I would have a good nights sleep.

4-14-07
I got up around 8, got some breakfast at the hostel and headed for the bus stop. The person working at the Hostel said the stop just outside the hostel door goes to the airport. Once there I asked another person waiting for his bus and he said he doesn't think this stop does take you to the airport. He seemed pretty certain and suggested I ask the next bus driver. The driver said no and that I needed to go across the bridge and pointed in that direction. Once there I asked another lady who owned a business near this stop if this was right. She said no that I needed to walk down the street to the post office. I started walking in that direction as she was very certain. At the next stop there were two other people standing there that had suit cases and the sign did make reference to the airport. The folks their said indead they were going to the airport. At last I was comfortable with this stop being the right one.

At the airport I went to the check in area. At this airport they check each flight in at a time. I didn't see my flight on the board so I asked an airport representative if this was the right area. She looked up the flight on her list and said this is the right location, but they do not start checking people in until 2 hours before the flight so I was too early. That was a nice feeling. I went and had some lunch as it was around 11:30. I sat down and talked to a lady who was going to school in Belfast. She was from Texas.

After eating the quick meal I decided to go back to the check in area as it was within the 2 hours. There were people already checking in before me. The check in went smoothly and my backpack was acceptable for carry on, hence no extra cost for checking a bag. Everything went smoothly and we boarded the plane. I am not sure if it's because of the cheapness of the flight or just this particular flight, but we walked out on the tarmac to board the plane. The ryanair plane had it's wing tips bent up for some reason and people boarded the plane from the front and back of the plane. I have not seen this before. It was a new plane and there were no assigned seats. I sat by a young lady who I learned was in medical school. I also learned that she is from an area north of Galway. She made the sign of the cross upon takeoff and landing. I asked if she was afraid of flying she said no she flies her herself. She said she flies a helicopter, which her father owns. She said he is a pilot himself. It's amazing what you learn about the people sitting right next to you. The lady on the bus was a doctor. The lady and guy sitting in front of me on the bus was a medical student traveling by herself and the guy was a phlebotimist doing the same. The guy and gal who offered me to sit on their armrest on the bus when I was standing was an Italian law student and a French event planner respectively. It's fun learning about your neighbors. They usually enjoy my story as well.

The flight was smooth and short lasting only about an hour. At the airport customs held me up for about 45 minutes. I didn't get it, but it was something about what they put on my passport at Heathrow on my way to Dublin that required additional research. I told them I have only one traffic violation on my record and that was because I fell asleep at the wheel. Anyway eventually they got things sorted out and I was on my way. I went and bought a bus ticket that took me to the Hyde Park Bus stop. I knew this was close to the Hostel that Aimee Bailey recommended. As we drove through London I was pretty amazed at the size of the City. Urban Sprawl ran amuck. At Hyde Park I asked a Hotel attendent if he could help me find a hostel near Queensway. He said it is on the other side of the Park and he gave me a map. I started walking and the walk seemed to go on forever. It was a Saturday, and beautiful weather so Hyde Park was packed. None of the paths in the Park were straight they all ran at diagonals. I just walked on amazed at the sight. I couldn't believe the size of the Park and it looked like all 9 million people in London were in it. There were a group of kids playing Cricket and several roller bladers. People were in the boats paddling. Saw a few dogs but not many. As I made it to a park entrance location I realized I was off course. It is hard following these diagonal walkways. I think the entrance I was at is the Kensington Palace area. It is very beautiful with lots of statues. I stopped and took some pics. I then walked on and the pack was starting to get a little heavy. I suspect I had walked at least 3 miles in the park alone. This park makes Central Park in New York look small. Unbelievable.

I finally made it to Queensway and started looking for Hostels. I found a couple and they were a little more pricey than expected. After walking another 1/2 mile trying to find a cheap Hostel I finally decided to get one for 17 pounds which was a 6 bed mixed dorm, which is all they had left. The mixed dorms have generally been more quiet resulting in better nights sleep. From here on out these are the dorms I am going to try and get. Once getting to the dorm I decided to take a nap. I slept well for about an hour and then decided to walk aroud a bit. It was around 7 by now and decided to go for supper an spend some time on the internet in hopes of making a couchsurfing contact. I found a chinese place that also had internet access so I decided to do everything there. The internet access was only 1 pound for hour. This is a steal compared to what I was paying in Ireland. I was happy to see that, given everything else here is so expensive and the exchange rate is bad. The food was good and the internet was good as well since a person had agreed to allow me to couchsurf in London as evident by the email. I also looked at flights to Amsterdam and found a couple decent prices, but odd times. I decided to put the flight decision off until the next day which was Sunday.

I went back to the hostel around 10 and was ready to call it a night. My roommates were a guy from Italy and a couple from Slovenia. We talked a long time. The Italian kid really liked to talk as well as the Slovenia. Everyone always talks in English. It seems to be the Universal language. Finally we decided to call it a night about 1 and I was tired. I slept great that night.

---

Photos

Cliffs of Moher
These Cliffs are 700 ft. above the ocean. "Mind your step" as they say in Europe!

Up Up and Away!
USA see ya again in 4 months!

Guinness No.1 in the Bank!
In Dublin now for 3 hours and have my first Guiness in the bank and working on the second. I decided to work on my journal for awhile.

Galway. Ireland
A picture taken while in Galway.

Temple Bar !
Temple Bar is a region of Dublin where the partying takes place. I spent several nights with Kirsten pictured here, while in Dublin. She is the biggest U2 fan I have ever met. Thanks Kirsten!

Water Front Property
Some scenery near Bono's country home. His main home is in Dublin.

Trinity College
This is the entrance to Trinity College in Dublin. The book of Kells are stored here. I really know nothing about them, but they are here, and seem to be extremely significant.

The Book of Kells
For you that know about these works.

OÇonnell Street
This is a view down O'Connell St, the main drag in Dublin. The Spire is in the background. This street was always busy.

Irish Bank
Man this bank looks old. I wonder if they have moldy money as well!

No Booze on Good Friday
No Alcohol is served on Good Friday. That shows a lot of restraint for the Irish. Actually I think they all went out and got plowed the night before so they would not feel like drinking on Good Friday. Saturday however they were back at it!

St. Stephen's Green
This is a beautiful park in Dublin.

Hard Rock - Dublin
No big city trip is complete without a picture of the local Hard Rock.

Guinness is Big
It's an understatement to say Guinness is big here. It's made in Dublin. Actually the younger crowd drinks a lot of Budweiser which was a little sad for me to learn.

Fun on the Bus
This little guy was on the bus with me during the 4 hour trip from Dublin to Cork. At times I think he thought the trip was a little too long. He let me play with his transformers since I had forgotten mine, which made the trip go a lot quicker.

Murphy's and Beamish
In Cork Murphy's and Beamish is king. The finished Murphy's is in the background. Murphy's is my favorite.

Cork Hostel
Man this place was a sight for sore eyes. I had walked all over Cork looking for a Hostel when finally I came across this place. I had taken the last bed as well. Must be luck of the Irish or something?

Easter Mass
Easter Sunday Mass in Cork.

Easter Beer
Easter Beer Festival. Only in Ireland!

Downtown Cork
I like the reflection.

Blarney Castle
My first castle.

Kissing the Blarney Stone
Kissing of this stone is supposed to make it such that you are never at a lost for words. Not sure I need this but I did it.

The Blarney Stone Pic 2
The Blarney Stone is at the top of the Blarney Castle. I suspected it to be at ground level. Actually was a little scary to me.

The Blarney Stone Pic 3
The Blarney Stone is up there. I would estimate it to be about 100 ft. above the ground.

Blarney Castle Nature Walk
These tree roots seemed to be growing on this rock.

Killarney National Park
This is the Ross Castle in Killarney National Park.

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing ?
Look out ducks that is a wolf !

Quackers
I can never pass up a shot of some fowl.

Hostel Fun
These are some French kids who cooked a 3 course meal in the Hostel. They offered me some of their food and we talked for a long time about lots of issues. They were the nicest and most hospitable people I have met on this trip. They made me feel like I was part of their group.

The Dingle - Hard Rock Cafe ?
This is a house made of rock just outside Dingle on the way to Slea Head.

Sheep Everywhere
Sheep are all over the Dingle Peninsula.

Dingle Peninsula
I actually saw some surfers in the water in this area which surprised me.

Road Collapse
This area of the road had collapsed the day prior and consequently was shut down. Thankfully it didn't hinder my sight seeing.

Irish Breakfast
It's not horrible. I was surprised to see the beans and mushrooms on the platter.

The Burrens
The Burren's is an interesting Geological area. The limestone rocks can be seen towards the tops of the hills while in the valley their are fewer rocks.

Cliffs of Moher -Pic 2
It is kind of funny how blatantly people disregarded this sign. This is Betsy blatantly disregarding it. I soon did as well.

Tour Bus Stop
On our way back to Galway we stopped for some photos. These are not the cliffs of Moher but still some pretty impressive cliffs nonetheless.

View Outside Hostel
Not too shabby.

Galway Chowder
Everyone has their style of chowder. See the big fish chunks in this style of chowder.

Eating Mexican in Ireland
Betsy is from Michigan studying in Prague. She was on break traveling in Ireland. We by random crossed paths in 3 different locations in Ireland.

Hostel Living
It amazes me the people you meet in these Hostels. The group in the back include very young kids. The Hostels are just cheap accomodations in Europe. Simply an alternative to motels and bed and breakfasts. They also allow you to cook your own food allowing for additional cost savings.

Next Stop London
It's amazing how cheap you can get these flights. Some of them you can get for around 20 euros. You can not take the bus for that kind of money.

Comments

[mom]

Awesome
Enjoyed the addition -have been checking each day.Makes a person want to travel!!! Take lots of pics. I had to print this-22 pages as Dad was trying to read over my shoulder.there is so much world out there-we are only a speck in the scheme of things!!! enjoyed the chuch pic. and Thank you for keeping your promise:)

[Nancy R]

Wow, I knew I had some catching up to do but was shocked to see the email update from Ireland! Sounds like things are going well! Happy Belated Birthday - Rob just celebrated this week as well.

[Lynn]

Hello
I've been looking everyday for your info. The photo's are great. What I would give to be in your shoes. Haven't started reading " London" yet, I'm reading slowly, don't want to miss a thing. Be careful, oh just enjoy!!

[Lucky Charms]

Good Day Mate
Thanks for following. I hope to have some consistency in updates, but it is rather difficult to do on the road where I do not having readily available computer access. The easiest thing to do if you don't want to check everyday is to subscribe to the blog and an email is sent to you when updates are available. If your worried about getting spam use a email address like from yahoo. Yahoo's email account blocks spam well. Not sure if they send spam from this site. Good day Mate (like the Aussies say). Dave