Days 214-216, 12-14 Jan '15, Dublin Farewell (12th Jan) & Rest. Joan's flight departed the evening of the 12th and we couldn't have her come all the way to Ireland and just show her castles and countryside... So we fed the zoo, loaded up the luggage first thing and headed off for a Dublin day trip. Despite driving rain, freezing winds and mud in our neighbourhood, the roads dried out and we had blue sky and sunshine all day - fabulous stuff. We navigated into central Dublin and found a park easily then strolled St Stephen's Green, headed down the Grafton shopping strip and settled into the venerable coffee shop "Bewleys". Around for donkeys' years, we'd always thought it would be a bit of a expensive luxury - but in fact hugely reasonable, comfy and great service. Lucky we got in when we did - they're about to shut for six months of remodelling. Continuing on we showed Joan the River Liffey, Millenium Spire (the "Stiffy by the Liffey"), promenaded along the grand boulevard O'Connell Street, tootled along Henry Street then Capel and back over the Liffey. Explored the Dublin Castle environs then puttered down to Temple Bar for fish & chips at Leo Burdock's - we love this place (it's getting renovated next week too... Dublin is changing around us). Turns out after staying here 9 days in December we're pretty good tour guides! Off to Trinity College for a stroll then a coffee and back to the car park for the world's most difficult drive to the airport ever... Had a route mapped on the iPad... then started following the airport/plane signs out of Dublin. Aaargh... Pretty sure some deviant just took a heap of signs and nailed them to random lamp posts on a circuitous, suburban crawl designed to take forever in peak hour. Made it with half an hour to spare and with a quick and fond farewell after an excellent visit we waved goodbye to Joan and headed home. The boys and girls were ecstatic to see us and we've spent the last couple of days spoiling them with walks and attention. All good on the home-front.