Costumes: Halloween and Hen Party

I had two reasons recently to wear a costume recently; the first for Halloween, and the second for a hillbilly-themed hen party (the name for bachelorette parties in Ireland and the UK).

The hen party happened in two parts, the first at Causey Farm in the Irish countryside where we learned to bake Irish soda bread, milk a cow, go bog jumping, play the Irish drum and do Irish dancing.  Later we cleaned up at the manor house where we stayed the night, had some spa time, ate a great meal and finished the night with the most amazing cheese board I've ever seen and s'mores made in the fireplace. The staff and Irish people were stumped by the s'mores but caught on eventually.

Mechanic and German beer maid

Showing Lauren my beer mug 

At the Bleeding Horse

Cows in the road on the way to Causey Farm

The hen group in the "hay taxi" on our way to the bog jumping

Bread lesson

Pouring the buttermilk

My loaf!

The hen (Carrie) milking a cow

Obstacle course over the bog

The weather was beautiful

Irish drum lesson

Carrie, the hen, with Annette and Lauren

S'mores

Oktoberfest

I made my first trip to Oktoberfest in Munich two weekends ago to meet with my friend Shilpa from Chicago, who I met during study abroad in Australia, and to see relatives-in-law Sofie, Anna and Andreas.  We did some sight seeing in the city and visited the Oktoberfest several times.  One night we went to the Paulaner beer tent, and another to the Hofbrau tent.  Many of the Oktoberfest-goers wear the traditional Bavarian Lederhosen (leather pants or shorts for men) and Dirndl (women's dresses).

Me and Shilpa at the Hofbrau tent

Andreas and Sofie in the park 

Sofie at the entrance to Oktoberfest

Inside Oktoberfest

Sofie and me in the traditional Bavarian dresses called "Dirndl"

Easting the traditional Oktoberfest grilled chicken at Anna and
Andreas' apartment with Sofie and Robert

Inside the Paulaner tent

Beers at the Hofbrau Zelt

Pretzels in every shape!

Shilpa eating the traditional grilled chicken "Wiesnhendl"

In the Hofbrau tent

Donegal

[Richard]

A few weekends ago, I cycled around the Inishowen peninsula in Donegal, as far north as one can go in Ireland. It was a tiring, but fantastic trip. The berries, cliffs, and beaches made up for the steep roads, wind, and weather. A great part of the country.

Ready to go

Rugged shore

Delicious

Derry smoke

... is good for you

Parking lot

Oncoming traffic 

Candy sky

Two is a crowd

Trip to Oregon

I took a trip home to Oregon for 10 days to see family and friends.  I worked a bit while I was home, but the rest of the time was like summer camp-- BBQs, boating, swimming, tubing down the river and clamming at the beach.

Right before setting off on our tubing-trip down the Tualatin River with some high school
friends and others-- Mack, Melinda, Stefan, Joey, Jesse, Holly, me and Grace

After tubing, BBQ at the Foreman's-- Kyle, Joey, Stefan, Mack,
Linds, Holly, Jesse, me (all West Linn HIgh School grads)

Same group above, plus the parents

Pacific City with Mom

Pacific City with the fam

On the way out to go clamming-- we collected cockles, gapers and butter clams

Izzy likes clamming

Mom got a big one

Going down to the river

Dad on the dock

Caprese with homegrown tomatoes and pesto made by Dad

Marius' visit

[Richard]

The other weekend, Marius paid us a short visit. It was his first time back to Dublin since 2005, but in all honesty, not much has changed since then:

The weather is...

... still fabulous.

The food still delicious (already eaten).

And the craic 90.