Howth Cliff Walk and Shielmartin Hill

On Saturday we did the Howth Cliff walk.  We had done the walk before, but this time we did an extended version and it was worth the extra walking.  We took the DART north for 25 minutes and got off at the Sutton stop.  From there we walked along Station Road on to Strand Road and towards the start of the cliff path.  Instead of continuing straight on the cliff path we took the path up to the summit of Shielmartin Hill, back down through the golf course, then continued on the cliff walk path to Howth.  This version of the walk is about 9 or 10 miles.

We ate a lot of blackberries along the way.  Lindsay and I are fast walkers and often were ahead of the guys who were enjoying the berries.  At the top of Shielmartin Hill the views were especially pretty because of the purple heather, yellow gorse, and the greens that were so vivid against the blue of the ocean and sky.

Once we reached the town of Howth we went to the Abbey Tavern, one of the oldest pubs in Ireland, then walked around the harbour.  Howth is a fishing village, and as you walk around the harbour you see several fresh fish markets, a lot of seafood restaurants, and of course many fishing boats.  We were there in the evening so there wasn't much action with the boats, but we did see some filling up with ice probably to get ready to head out for an evening catch?  It would be fun to go early in the morning to see the wholesale fish markets in action.

Old Jameson Distillery Tour

I took a few hours off on Friday and went to the Jameson Distillery with Lindsay and Scott.  The actual distillery is now in County Cork where it moved in 1971.  The tour is located where the old distillery used to be in Dublin.

The tour is a very good one, you learn a lot about the distillation process, and they let you sample some of the whiskey at the end.  The tour is understandably "Irish-centric" and takes some gentle jabs at Scotch and American whiskeys.  At the end of the tour eight lucky volunteers (Lindsay was one) get to sample Jameson against a Scotch (Johnnie Walker Black) and what they told us is the world's best selling whiskey, Jack Daniels.  All eight of the volunteers voted for Jameson as their favorite.  If you do the tour, make sure to raise your hand quickly when they ask for volunteers!

Lindsay and Scott visit Dublin

My sister Lindsay and her husband Scott visited us in Dublin during the last week of their two-month long trip through Europe.  (Their adventures are documented on their blog; they were in Dublin day 54 and onward).  We had originally planned to do a weekend away somewhere in the west of Ireland while they were here, but it turned out there was so much to do in Dublin and in neighboring towns that we stayed in Dublin the entire time.  Richard and I were both working but were able to take a little time off while they were here.

The first couple of days we did the typical get-to-know Ireland things: visit the best pubs, listen to Irish music, eat Irish food, and see some of the sights.  We went to John Kehoe's for I think some of the best Irish pub atmosphere; O'Donaghue's and The Temple Bar (in the Temple Bar area- confusing) for Irish music; the Hairy Lemon for a sampling of Irish food.  At Hairy Lemon we had Bangers and Mash (sausage and mashed potato), Beef and Guinness Pie, Irish Stew (lamb, potatoes), and Bacon and Cabbage (not American bacon, but a slab of pork).  Irish food probably isn't known for it's visual appeal, but they were all very tasty and unique.

John Kehoe's

Irish music at O'Donaghue's

Bangers and Mash (Scott)

Beef and Guinness Pie (Richard)

Irish Stew and Soda Bread (Linds)

Bacon and Cabbage (Kelsey)

Over the weekend we did some walks in Howth, Greystones-Bray, some swimming in Sandycove and went the Dun Laoghaire Sunday market.  Linds and Scott also squeezed in a lot of the Dublin sights during the rest of the week, including The National Gallery, W.B. Yeats exhibit at The National Library, Dublin Castle, Warren Beatty Libary, the Book of Kells, Jameson Distillery, Christchurch Cathedral, St. Stephens Green, the Spire, and a lot of walking around town.

River Liffey

Christchurch Cathedral

The park at Dublin Castle

Werner and Corina's Dutch Wedding

Corina and Werner

We got back on Sunday from a four day trip to the Netherlands for the wedding of our Dutch friends Werner and Corina, who we know from our time living in Wales.  They now live in Australia but had the wedding in Holland.  We were so glad we are living close by in Ireland so we were able to attend.  The flight from Dublin to Amsterdam is only about one hour.

We first arrived and were picked up by Lex and stayed with him and his wife, Sharon, at their house in Leiden.  Leiden is a really nice university town with a lot of students, good restaurants and very nice old architecture and surroundings.  And of course, lots of canals.  For a true Dutch experience, we travelled through town like the locals do-- on bikes.  There are so many bikes in Holland it is amazing.  I got to ride on what Lex called a "Hallelujah" or "Grandma" bike.  The handle bars are high so you're sitting pretty much vertically and it's really comfortable.  There aren't any gears and the brakes work by back-pedaling.  This type of bike really would only work in flat landscapes, and I think I want to try to find one in Dublin.

Richard and Lex in Leiden

The Hallelujah bike

On Friday morning we drove to Friesland for the wedding.  Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands that is very beautiful with a lot open space and farmland, and they have their own language, Frisian.  The wedding activities started at the home of Corina's parents, and we were all transported to the wedding ceremony in a 1950s bus.  They were married in an old church, we had some cake and champagne, then were transported back in the bus to the starting point for an Aussie-style barbeque.  The weather was great and the yard was beautiful and perfect for a party.  The party then continued at another location that was a bar/cafe with an outdoor terrace.  It was great to be at Werner and Corina's wedding and also to see the differences between a Dutch wedding and a typical American wedding.   Luckily most of the wedding ceremony was spoken in Dutch and then repeated in English.

The 1950s wedding bus

Marius and Lex on the wedding bus

Richard crossing the canal- he was successful.

I got part of the way across but turned around.

The Bangor Crew - Marius, Werner, Richard, Martijn and Lex

Aussie BBQ

This adorable blonde kid in the front was the bartender.
He quickly became close friends with Martijn and Richard.

On Friday night our friend Marius drove us to his parent's house in Wageningen where we stayed the night.  It was great to meet his family and also to see their beautiful house.  It was built I believe in 1895 where a castle used to stand.  His parents recently bought the house and restored it to it's period architecture.  As we noticed with other Dutch houses, it is tall and narrow (theirs was three stories) with very steep stairs.  The next morning they took us on a walking tour through Wageningen and showed us many historical buildings, Dutch architecture, the Rhine River, and several gardens and an arboretum.

A view in Wageningen with the Rhine in the background.

On Saturday we took the train with Marius to Amsterdam to meet up with our Dutch friends Joost and Karen who we met in Nashville.  It was great to see them again and reminisce about Tennessee.  We stayed at their apartment and they introduced us to some good Dutch and Belgian beers (Jupiler, Grolsch, Duvel), food (especially Bitterballen snacks) and general fun times.

Joost and Karen in their apartment

Enjoying Grolsch with Karen, Joost, Vincent and Marius

Enniskerry

This last weekend we ventured out a bit and went hiking around Enniskerry, technically in the Wicklow Mountains I think (Djouce Mountain shown, we'll go up there one day...). We also visited the Powerscourt Estate, a fine place for garden lovers (and golf lovers, for that matter).

On Sunday the weather was beautifully Mediterranean (like December in the Provence, I would guess), so we went to Sandycove for a swim again, and hung out around the harbour. Nice. Need to get one of those boats.

No More Smoky Apartment

Today was an exciting day because we now have a new oven and stove, or as it's called in Ireland a "cooker and hob".  The old one worked but was so caked with who-knows-what on the inside that it smoked up the apartment each time we tried to use it.  This one works much better and also looks nicer.  Our landlord was very nice and replaced it just one week after we asked.

The oven is pretty small as you can see-- definitely smaller that what we're used to in the US.  But then again, everything in our kitchen is smaller-- the fridge is the size of what we would normally have in a college dorm room, the sink is tiny, there's no dishwasher, and the washer/dryer is combined into one appliance (I didn't believe it at first, but it actually works.)  The up side of all this is that once you get used to it (we already have) it uses a lot less energy and takes up much less space.  Our apartment is fairly small already so having the smaller appliances is a must.  I definitely am not complaining as this apartment is a huge huge step in the right direction compared to the place where I lived in Dublin six years ago, as any of you who visited me back then could easily attest.  And compared to the coin-operated electricity, lack of hot water in the kitchen and electric shower we had in Wales, this place is like a technological haven!

Anyways, now that we have a new oven I can begin my quest to learn how to make traditional Irish brown soda bread.  It has such a unique tangy flavor and I love how moist and crumbly it can be.

Jesse and Michelle's Wedding - Boston

Charles River Basin

I just got back from a long weekend in Boston to attend Jesse and Michelle's wedding.  Boston is a great place for a wedding-- there's so much to do, it's easy to get around with public transportation, and it's just an all-around fun time.  It was a great trip for me because it was also an excuse to see a lot of old high school friends and my parents who were also invited to the wedding.  Unfortunately Richard wasn't able to come along but he was sad to miss it.

The rehearsal dinner on Friday night took place on a "tall ship" as they're called in Boston, which looked to me like a pirate ship.  Jesse and Michelle invited the guests to dress with a nautical theme, which added to the fun.

Jesse and Michelle

The wedding ceremony and reception on Saturday were outside of the Science Museum right on the water.  On Sunday we went to a Red Sox game and had a good dose of unhealthy food and Boston accents.

On the Freedom Trail with Mom and Dad

Pre-boarding the Pirate Ship

West Linn at the Red Sox

Joe, Jeff, Holly, Kelsey, Brian, Mack, Joey and Melinda