Dublin

Sunday, July 31, 2005
Dublin

Can I say this without sounding rude? Probably not. I'm gonna say it anyway.
Skip Dublin. If you come to Ireland, skip Dublin.

Oh sure, there are some nice things about Dublin, especially if you're into pubs and Guinness. The Book of Kells was definitely worth seeing. But if you're not going for a specific purpose like pub crawling or specific-museum visiting, then skip it.

That said....

we went in to Dublin again today. Dani and I shopped along Grafton Street, which was packed with pedestrians and street performers. People will do ANYthing for a few coins in the hat. There are some decidedly whacked people out there! We also spent some time on (at?) Temple Bar, but we were mostly unimpressed with that. We had a good time. I love hanging out with Dani - we always have fun together.

Darren took the boys on a city bus. I know. You're thinking, "Woo woo. A city bus. What a vacation. What adventurers." Let me explain. Last weekend, Dani and I brought the boys souvenirs from London - a toy taxi and a double decker bus. Ever since, Aidan's been consumed with the desire to ride on the top deck of one of those buses. So Darren made it happen today, and Aidan was a happy camper. After all, it's his vacation, too. Ian was pretty much just along for the ride, but he did say, "It was BERY BERY COOL!"

Back in Athboy, we met up with Grandma for dinner at the local steakhouse. I miss iced tea. I miss waitresses who actually wait on you. I miss big honkin' salads. I MISS SALAD DRESSING. I miss cheese and chives and sour cream and bacon on my baked potatoes. (Here, all you get is butter.) No wonder we Americans are overweight, eh? First of all, we eat badly. (I miss eating badly. Can you tell?) Second of all, we drive everywhere. (Well, maybe with the exceptions of New Yorkers.) Here in Ireland, the people walk or bike. EVERYWHERE. No wonder everyone's so fit. I've enjoyed all the walking. I walked more in the last two weeks than I have in the last 6 months back in Texas. I do believe, if the sun rose at 5 a.m. and didn't set until 10 p.m., and if the heat wouldn't cook me alive after 10 minutes of being outside, I might just take up walking. Except.... Fort Worth drivers wouldn't know what to think about a pedestrian. They'd either mistake me for a homeless person or someone on crack. And I'd probably be dead on the road in the space of 5 minutes.

I miss the cat. I miss my friends. I miss my high speed internet. I miss the sun. I miss my neighborhood. Tomorrow is day 14 of being gone, and I'm ready to come home. Two weeks is the perfect amount of time to be "on holiday". Any less, and I'd have felt rushed and not ready to leave. Any more, and I'd be homesick. Yep, 2 weeks worked out just fine.

Tomorrow, we'll pick the Owen-Griffiths up at the airport at noon and give them their car. Then we'll head on to a beach north of Dublin (pray for sun and warmth), and to a model railway thing. Tomorrow night, we'll stay in a hotel near the airport, and Tuesday morning, we'll fly home.

This will be my last blog from Ireland. I can't wait to see everyone and catch up on things at home! Love you all, and...

"May the road rise to meet you,
may the wind be always at your back,
may the sun shine warm upon your face,
the rain fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the hollow of His hand."
("An Irish Blessing")