Dublin

Well, after a round of sad goodbyes to our lovely host family in Galway, Sarah and I hopped on our CityLink bus and began the 3.5hr journey to Dublin, where our second host lives. Although packing up and leaving Galway was difficult, we were both ready to go as the past week or so had consisted mostly of "chill" days at the Clancy house. Without spending ridiculous amounts of money on bus tickets, there was really not much left for us to see in the West. We have a massive list of things to see and do here in Dublin, so hopefully we will be entertained for a little bit longer here in the East of Ireland. A few highlights from our list include:

The Guinness Storehouse (www.guinness-storehouse.com)
The Titanic Museum
The Kilmainham Goal
Japanese Gardens
The National Gallery
St. Patrick's Cathedral
The Dublin Museum
And many others...

Brenda, our host, lives in a small village outside Dublin City called Lucan. There is a small shopping center and Lous (light rail) station within walking distance which will make transit to and from the city very convenient. We hope to get LeapCards (a preloaded card fo the light rail) to make travel even easier. Transportation by bus is also available and will be cheaper than it was in Galway.

Brenda shares her little house with three cats, Henry, Susie, and Cindy (who is 18 years old and still kicking). Susie and Cindy aren't really into human contact, but Henry is extremely friendly and will sit on your lap while you eat gummies. I know this from experience. Also, Brenda isn't aware of this, but I renamed the cats Norton, Peewinkle, and Jem...they just sound better.

When she's not inside with the kitties, Brenda can be found teaching first grade at a local primary school or working outside in her expansive garden which includes apple and pear trees, every vegetable imaginable and a covered greenhouse as she likes to garden year round. Because she has so much fresh produce, Brenda makes all of her food from scratch. Dinner last night consisted of fresh mozzarella, homemade pesto, homemade sun dried tomatoes (that one's for you, Mom), and homemade pickled beet slices on, you guessed it, homemade cheese and chive bread. This was followed by hot spinach soup, and deliciously hearty shepherds pie. Amen.

Pictures to come...check back soon!