The parade was so good! But I'm getting ahead of myself... Went out to Black Rock on Saturday morning as planned for the market. Caught the train down, it was a pretty quick trip but I got to see the sea and some more parts of greater Dublin. It was another really cold day, and the train carriage was warm and smelled somehow of pies and soup - very cosy. Black Rock seemed quite a quiet seaside town. I was a bit early for the market when I arrived and so had a w...

I am now blessed with the gift of eternal eloquence! Those of you who know me to be shy and retiring and rarely uttering a squeak, wait until I come home! I've kissed the Blarney Stone and I shall be a veritable raconteuse for the rest of my life. Or so they say. I went on my tour to Co Cork yesterday - got up at 6am (having gotten to bed at 3.30 - the pubs here are too good!) and walked the Heuston Station where I met my guide, Bob, and the four Americans who w...

I am now blessed with the gift of eternal eloquence! Those of you who know me to be shy and retiring and rarely uttering a squeak, wait until I come home! I've kissed the Blarney Stone and I shall be a veritable raconteuse for the rest of my life. Or so they say. I went on my tour to Co Cork yesterday - got up at 6am (having gotten to bed at 3.30 - the pubs here are too good!) and walked the Heuston Station where I met my guide and the four Americans who were ta...

Well, I am still loving Dublin. Today I took the hop-on hop-off bus once all the way around the city and listened to all the local history as well as the sense of humour of the guide. It was great fun and I think I actually learned a bit as well. The second time around I got off at the Guiness Storehouse, which is where the homage to Guiness and its processing is now located. It was great! Call it the luck of the Irish, but I managed to get in for free, and the...

How cool is Dublin? I say that in both senses of the word - it is such a great place to be, but it is also so COLD. Thank you very much to Sal for suggesting I borrow her coat, as I don't think it has gotten over 7 degrees since I got here. Had a lovely time with Sally, Guy, Karl, Evert and Jan at their home in Surrey. Had my first experience of under 12's rugby and got thoroughly cold and wet in the process, but it was all good fun (that said, it was good to se...