Holiday visit to the US

Mid-December we finally had our first trip back to the US in 9 months. I thought things might seem different when we were back, but not really... just felt like home. The ONLY thing that the rest of you Americans should know is that in the USA, we have the BIGGEST PARKING SPACES in the universe. I couldn't believe how big the parking spaces are. Anyway.....

First stop was to see the McFaddens in Florida. We had lovely 80 deg F weather (aaah) which was perfect for morning runs and walks on the beach. Starbucks close at hand, it was perfect. Reuben's dad got a new kayak, so we took it out on a spin. Verla and Asa took the new kayak, and Reuben and I piled into their 30 year old duct-tape bound kayak. We miraculously did not sink and got to see some really cool wildlife. Lots of pelicans hanging around, and a couple of dolphins played near our boats.

The McFaddens in Indialantic, FL

Then off to Raleigh for a quick two days. We got to see lots of great friends in town (we miss you guys!) and check in on the house. Our Raleigh meals went something like this..... huge burger, onion rings, pizza, US beer, bagel, Piper's in the Park, pizza, California wine, more US beer. You know, those things they just don't do quite right in Ireland.

Finally, we buzzed up to Indiana for the final leg of our tour. We had a wonderful weekend with the Polster family in Evanston and got to see lots of extended family as well. One afternoon we even got to take a day trip to French Lick, IN to visit the West Baden hotel and spa, along with the French Lick Winery and Casino. Really quite an amazing hotel and spa if you are looking for something to do in the area. Saturday we had our "Christmas" and then a fish fry that night. I brought the boys tweed caps from Dublin, so now they either love me or hate me, I cannot tell. Either way, they were gracious enough to pose in some pictures with them for me.

The Polsters in Evanston, IN

All in all, a great, if not quick, trip back home. We miss everyone and cannot wait to see you again. Click here for more photos from our trip.

Visit from Chad Jodon

Chad, a friend from Raleigh, has been on a short term work assignment in London, and took the weekend to fly over and check out Dublin. We had a good time comparing notes on the UK vs. Ireland, and Saturday we toured around Dublin. Lots of fun sights downtown during the holidays including a couple of singing troupes and some 70s posers (I guess that's what they were... see them in the web album of Chad's visit). Sunday we hit Howth for a quick coffee and crepe from the farmer's market before dropping Chad at the airport.

With Chad at Howth Harbor

Dingle

We finally found the 'real' Ireland. Joined some friends for a holiday weekend on the Dingle Peninsula and have not been so delighted since I arrived on the Emerald Isle. The Dingle Peninsula is the Westernmost part of Ireland, and is the Westernmost point in Europe. It's just due North of the famous Ring of Kerry, and in my opinion, a far more authentic destination. We arrived late on a Friday night, and had been given instructions to go to a pub just opposite Foxy John's (another pub). So, the town of Dingle is not huge, but we could not find a Foxy John's pub. The only thing we could find was Foxy John's hardware store. At the end of the day, it turns out that most of the pubs in Dingle are hardware/miscellaneous stores by day and pubs by night. There's only space in most of them for 30 or so people, and the store counters turn into Guinness taps in the eveningtime. And in Dingle, there are always old men, tweed caps and singing - in such a thick brogue that it might be Gaelic. Fantastic. The next day, we hiked up to the top of Mt. Brandon in the rain, hail and wind (good test for the rain gear). And on our last day, we toured the peninsula by way of the Slea Head Drive (their own 'Ring'). Bonus... Dingle actually has real beaches. And Murphy's Ice Cream (so good that I need to give it its own post).......... More Dingle Photos here

Foggy hiking on Dingle's Mt. Brandon

Belgium and Amsterdam

Reuben and I recently took a long weekend to visit Amsterdam, somewhere we've been wanting to go for quite a while. It just so happened that flying to Brussles and driving to Amsterdam was cheaper than finding a direct flight to Amsterdam for the times that we wanted to go. So, we had a really nice side trip to Belgium while we were at it. We flew into Brussles on Friday morning, and spent the afternoon drinking Belgium ales and eating mussles and pommes frites. Topped it off with some gorgeous chocolates before heading to Amsterdam in the rain.

In Amsterdam, we took the first morning to do a bike tour where we rode out of town along the canals to visit a cheese factory and wooden shoe factory. Reuben is a HUGE Dutch cheese fan, so we bought several kilos of cheese to bring back with us. On our way back to town, we passed the Amsterdam Hilton where John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent their honeymoon on their infamous "bed-in for peace." In town that evening, we met up with a local Dutch friend, Roger Klaassen, and two other ex-pat friends from Scotland, Ron and Laura Patterson. Roger is the consummate tour guide and had arranged a private canal cruise and dinner for us at a fantastic little French spot. Great to see Amsterdam from a local's perspective. For the rest of the weekend, Reuben and I rented bikes and cruised around the city, making sure to see the Anne Frank house, Oude Kerk, the Heineken Brewery and of course the Red Light District, etc., etc. Driving back through Belgium, we had a late lunch in Antwerp and lazed a bit around town. I can't say enough about this part of the world - deserves another trip. More photos of Belgium and Amsterdam

In front of the Anne Frank Huis

Breaking the Blogging Ice... and Election Night Chic Rock

With voting out of the way last week via fax back to NC (who knows if they actually got it or counted it...), we were off to an Ida Maria concert downtown on Tues. night. It was fairly rockin' show and we showed our age by hiding back under a balcony stage right away from the main speakers in an attempt at hearing longevity. The venue was The Academy just a few blocks from Temple Bar and O'Connell street in Dublin. Here's a piece of the show:

Stella by Ida Maria




Seriously... It sound a lot better than that live. Great show.

Crossing the Ha'penny after the show...

Hill of Tara

Another cold foggy Saturday morning in Dublin... what better way to see the Hill of Tara, home of Ireland's ancient high kings! Actually, we went more for the tiny cafe at the foot of the hill which has killer brown bread and lovely eggs. Really - the Hill of Tara conjures up wonderful images of ancient Celtic tribes meeting, warring, worshiping, etc. But once you've been in Ireland awhile, you can nearly imagine a Celtic king on any hill or knoll (it's gets easier to pass up the cold mist for a good cup of tea)! A few photos of The Hill

Victory on the hill!

Catching up.. Irish National Stud Farm

The last month has been a busy one, and I'm just now catching up...... After returning from Oktoberfest, we had to recharge the batteries with a weekend or two in town. One of our first destinations was the Irish National Stud in Co. Kildare. Ireland has a racing horse obsession, and the National Stud is a state run breeding operation that houses some fairly high dollar horses. Luckily, we showed up right on time for the tour, which was really worthwhile (makes the visit)! We got to see the 'teaser's' quarters, the breeding arena, and some of the racehorses. The grounds of the National Stud also include a Japanese Garden and Tea House/Cafe which were both really peaceful and gorgeous, and made for a nice afternoon. Afterward, we made a stop in to Kildare Outlet Village and nearly bought out the Nike store (yes, we're perfectly American). Some photos here

Irish Horses

Dachau

While in Munich for Oktoberfest, Reuben and I took a morning to visit Dachau, the concentration camp memorial. Definitely educational and thought-provoking. Some additional photos from the camp here.

The front gate to the camp with famous "Work makes you free" detail

Oktoberfest 2008

This may not be the last time I go to Oktoberfest... It could become something like a regular pilgrimage to the 'motherland'. What a great time! Reuben and I met up with friends from NY and London in Stuttgart, then headed down to Munich for the last weekend of this year's Oktoberfest. We didn't have tickets to a tent on Saturday, so we sat out in the pouring rain at one of the beer gardens. Funny enough, the rain just kicked the party into overdrive - - all sorts of people from around the world protesting the rain by shouting and drinking even more beer. On Sunday, we did manage to get a seat at one of the tents, and it was brilliant. Chad, Catherine, Collin..great to see you guys - let's do it again (I bought a dirndl to wear for next time)! Photos from Oktoberfest!

Working out the arm at the Fisher-Vroni Tent

Fear and Loathing in.... Stuttgart?

This is what Oktoberfest looks like when you work in a operations management job. If you can't tell, I am bitter about spending my first two days in Germany sitting in a hotel room with a cell phone glued to my ear. Kyle, if you are still up for starting that brewery, let's do it..... Then I can at least have my beer for free while I close out the quarter.

Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be manufacturing managers

Mallorca

Reuben and I celebrated our 5th anniversary on September 13th in Mallorca, Spain. We had a lovely hotel with sea views, gorgeous food and wonderful scenery. Our major event for the weekend was opening a bottle of wine we bought on our honeymoon at San Juan Vineyards in the American Northwest. We enjoyed our wine over looking the sunset at Cap Formentor on the northernmost tip of the island. When it was nearly dark, and we were the last ones at the viewing point, we witnessed a spout tornado over the ocean. It was amazing, one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. More photos of our long weekend are here.

Just before sunset..... Can you believe it's been 5 years?

Reuben's Family comes to Town

Verla, Retta Mae and Louise came to visit us this month, which was a treat. We had a nice weekend in the Wicklow Mountains visiting both Glendalough and Powerscourt Gardens. Reuben and I had not yet been to Powerscourt, and it was stunning. Click here for more photos.

Reuben with the ladies

Slow News Month

Yes, August has been a slow month. My team's project wrapped up and we went live with European software distribution in Dublin this month. Basically, I've been lurking around the plant, making sure things are on track. Looking forward to Sept and Oct where we'll hit the road again! In the meantime, we've been spending more time exploring Dublin. What we've learned: The National Gallery is great, and the mountain biking is MESSY.

Trail, or small river?

Raining Cats and Dogs

That's right. We finally had that spell of rain we'd been expecting from Ireland. Typically, it's showery here, but the rain is relatively light. This weekend, we got about 3 inches in 24 hours, and it was a disaster - - flooding everywhere. Reuben and I had gone in to town for the afternoon to visit Kilmainham Gaol. On the way back to the train, we got caught in a downpour wearing our summer clothes. My 2 euro umbrella shattered, and I got soaked. We'd planned to stay downtown all night, but this was a complete bust. By the time we got back to the apartment, there was water filling the elevator shaft. I guess this is what happens when you live on a small rock in the Atlantic.

Photo taken at the train station an hour BEFORE we knew the rain was coming.....bad omen

Mountains of Mourne

So Dublin City may not have great hiking, but just 2 hours north are the spectacular Mourne Mountains. This weekend was a 3 day holiday in Ireland, so Reuben and I took a day to go hiking in the North. We did an 11.5 mile loop in the Mournes, covering the highest peak in Northern Ireland, Slieve Donard. The trails were rough, steep, and grueling, but the scenery was amazing. The mountains flow all the way down to the sea, opening up some stunning views. One of the best features of this hike was the Mourne Wall, an approx. 8 ft. tall stone wall basically encircling the entire valley. There were sections of the hike where it was actually easier to hike on top of the wall rather than negotiating the bog underfoot. This was a fabulous hike, my favorite in Ireland so far. More photos of the Mournes

Reuben taking a break on the Mourne Wall

Star Sighting in Dublin

It's taken me months to remember to post this, but I had my first star sighting in Dublin back in February. The first day Reuben and I visited Howth, we took the very crowded return train (DART) to Dublin. When we got on the train, there were only 2 available seats left... Since we'd been walking around all day, we reluctantly agreed to take them (If you have ever been on the DART, you know that there is not enough room for 4 adults to sit facing one another - - no leg room). We sit down opposite these two people, and I instantly realized I was sharing my DART space with Claire Danes. wow! She has a decent enough looking guy with her, so this was another clue that it was probably her. The whole way back to town, I am dying...trying not to stare. We got off at Clontarf and I look at Reuben like 'hey! was that??' He had no idea who she was. So I had to confirm online (of course). Sure enough! She and her boyfriend, Hugh Dancy, had been filming a movie on the Isle of Man and took a weekend break to Dublin. There were already paparazzi photos posted of them wearing exactly the same clothes as on the train. So that's that. I am still waiting for a glimpse of Bono or Colin Farrell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Pierce Brosnan....calling all Irish stars!! p.s. for those of you that also had never heard of Hugh Dancy, he is the much-more-than-decent looking guy in the recent Burberry ad campaigns.....

The paparazzi shot; it was easy to ID them with that orange sweater

The more posh Hugh (whoa)

Stockholm

I'm starting to think I'm Scandinavian. My build, hair color, complexion, and family tree wouldn't suggest it, but just like Copenhagen, Stockholm feels right. Reuben and I spent a long weekend here last week, and had a great time. Most impressive site was probably the Vasa Museum, an entire building dedicated to a restored 1600's war ship. The world's oldest continuously operating theatre at Drottningholm Palace was also a highlight. Oh, and how could I forget the changing of the guard? Sunshine, water, and excellent food made for a good escape from dear, dirty Dublin. More pictures of Stockholm

Wow, did we need that blue sky

Dublin Hiking - Cruagh Wood

Still have yet to find any great trails in the Dublin area. Most are soggy forest roads.... beautiful pine smell, but a horrible mess to hike. The closest comparison I've seen in the States is West Virginia hiking. Next up - Mountains of Mourne......

Glimpses of Dublin through the fog

Sea Safari

Having had a few visitors now, we've started to experiment with recommended tourist spots and excursions. This way we can test out our suggestions and not send anyone on a crappy tour. The Dublin Sea Safari was on the agenda for a sunny Sunday afternoon several weeks ago. I thought this was going to be a sort of 'cruise' out to Ireland's Eye to see the birds. Turns out, it was more of a 'high speed adventure' in a big inflatable raft. They send 2 boats out at a time, and they chase each other and ride each other's wakes. The 2nd boat on our trip was full of 12 yr old boys who wanted us to act like pirates. Needless to say, not a leisurely nature cruise kind of thing. In any case, it was a gorgeous day, and we saw some great wildlife. Jellyfish, lots of birds (including puffins!) and seals. I'd recommend it if you're not shy about riding some waves! The rest of the pictures are here.

Did I mention you shouldn't be out to impress anyone on this tour?

Rock of Cashel, Ring of Kerry

Our next destination on the Ireland tour was Co. Kerry and the famous 'Ring.' For this trip, it was just me, Mom and Dad - - Reuben had headed off to France for the L'Etape du Tour bike ride. On the way to Killarney, we stopped at the Rock of Cashel which was truly impressive. The rest of the afternoon we fought our way through rain and fog to Killarney, the home of all things Irish. Next day we started our tour around the Ring of Kerry. Luckily, just as we pulled out of the parking lot, a group of several hundred road riders blocked our way out.... charity ride! I say luckily, because that gave us the opportunity to GO THE OTHER WAY. And I must say, I'd recommend touring the Ring clockwise, as we were forced to do, vs. the more popular counter-clockwise way. Other recommendations: Stay in Kenmare (vs. Killarney), visit the Skelligs and Victoria Island, and DO NOT visit the Bog Village (bad tourist trap)!! Even though the weather was not the best, I still enjoyed cruising around with Mom and Dad - we had plenty of time to catch up! Rock of Cashel Pics; Touring the Ring of Kerry Pics

Lovely ladies and the Lakes of Killarney

Dublinia

Being an American in Ireland, it's possible to convert to tourist mode whenever you want. It's a great thing. In any case, with Mom and Dad in town, we became full blown tourists for a day in Dublin. We covered a lot of Irish ground in one day! First, we stopped in to Dublin Castle for our bit of history. This, of course, allowed us to check off the 'cultural' requirement and head straight across town to the Jameson distillery. (Mom and Dad had gone to Guinness earlier in the week for their inaugural pint.) Once we'd tested the latest batch, we made our way toward Temple Bar and enjoyed a pint, some Irish music, and a boxty dinner. A stroll down Grafton Street, a visit with Molly Malone and a stop at Stephens Green ended with tickets to Riverdance at the Gaiety (I told you we covered a lot of ground). All in all, a fabulous, touristy day. The next day we had to rest and recover, only managing to venture out for Reuben's birthday dinner and a stop at Trinity College. Photos of our epic Dublin day

That Molly Malone never fails to draw some attention

The Polsters Land in Malahide

In early July we had a great visit with Mom and Dad here in Ireland. The first few days we spent closing the quarter (me) and recovering from jetlag (them). It was a good opportunity to explore some of our local areas, Malahide and Howth. We had a gorgeous sunny afternoon on their first day in town, so we took an afternoon ride out to Howth where we watched the seals and browsed the farmers' market. Another evening early in the week, we took an after dinner run out to the Malahide estuary to see the birds. More photos of Howth and Malahide

Those estuary swans can be nasty

Giant's Causeway and the Antrim Coast

In June, my brother Chris came to visit with his girlfriend, and we took a weekend break to the North of Ireland. The Giant's Causeway and the Bushmills Distillery were the main attractions. Basically, the Giant's Causeway massive pile of volcanic stone, all regularly shaped, so they look like they were constructed by man. Legend has it that the giant Finn McCool had the causeway built as a land bridge to Scotland where his lady love lived. Whatever the real story, it was a unique and beautiful site. The northern coastline itself is beautiful - in an odd way it reminded me of Hawaii (without the warm temps). Dramatic cliffs covered in green. More photos of the north coast

Look out for Finn McCool! Not only was he a romantic, he also appreciated a good pint

Roman Holiday

I'll have to revisit these Italian posts and add a little more detail.... In any case, I'll get the pictures posted. 3 days in Rome

Possum Junction at the you-know-what

Tuscany

Well friends, I've fallen behind in my posts since my Italian vacation. Tuscany is a short, sweet story... Beautiful landscapes, stunning like a painting. If you find yourself in this part of the world, I would highly recommend stops in Siena and Lucca (Puccini's birthplace). I can also highly recommend our guesthouse in Florence, I Parigi - gorgeous! We enjoyed a dinner of wild boar in the alabaster-mining town of Volterra, only to find ourselves seated by some ex-IBMers from the Kingston plant (of course)! We struck up a conversation over Ted Kennedy's brain tumor, and found we had much more in common...... It's hard to escape when you work for a company with 350,000 employees. Click here for pictures of Tuscany

David (an impressive 17 ft tall)

Cinque Terre

Second stop on our Italian tour was the Cinque Terre. I have been wanting to do this 9km hike for a while. We stayed in a town just north of the Cinque Terre called Moneglia - - highly recommended. It was small and quiet, still on the beach and on the train line. A good place for authentic Ligurian cuisine, uncrowded streets, and afternoon naps. Our second day in the area, we hiked the "5 lands" from South to North, starting in Riomaggiore and finishing in Monterosso al Mare. Fortunately for us, this was our only day of the entire week where it was mostly sunny. Between Vernazza and Monterosso, our luck finally ran out and we got caught in a downpour....fortunately, we were on the very last leg of the hike. Corniglia was my favorite - we stopped for a light lunch of roasted vegetables, italian cheese and honey. Perfect! Click here for more photos of the Cinque Terre

On the Cinque Terre trail; the village of Manarola in the background

Everything Leans in Pisa

Reuben and I debated the title of this post..... his choice was, "Pisa is a run-down house with an un-kept lawn." In any case, between the two, I think you get the point. If you ever have the chance to visit Pisa, I would strongly encourage you to dedicate no more than 4 hours of your time to this city. Your 4 hours should be dedicated to seeing the Leaning Tower, and maybe grabbing a quick pizza lunch. Still.... seeing the tower is pretty damn cool. It takes you back to Weekly Readers and 5th grade history class - - it's got to be one of the first landmarks you learn about as an American.

Disenchanted with Pisa, we ended up taking a side trip to the nearby town of Lucca, where Puccini hails from. Completely charming - - stay there instead if you go! See more pictures of Pisa and Lucca here (including the obligatory one where you pose like you're holding up the tower)

It's no joke, everything leans

Theme Song

If Reuben and I were to have a theme song for our time in Ireland, it would surely be the Ryanair jingle (If you have flown Ryanair, you already know why). If you're not familiar with Ryanair, the best way to describe it is a flying city bus where they sell gin, lottery tickets, and duty free items. Most of the stewards are young, attractive Eastern Europeans, and all the passengers are ready to party. They play the jingle during boarding. At this point I'm like Pavlov's dog.... When I hear the jingle, I'm ready for a cold beverage. Click here to listen

"Let's fly, let's fly, fly...fly RY-AN-AIR"

Learning to Drive Again

Just a post to remind myself how proud I am of being able to drive a stick-shift car with my left hand, sitting on the right side of the car, driving down the left side of the road. All this without hitting anything or killing anyone. (And Dad, you thought I was awful with a regular manual......just wait for the big treat of riding around with me here.) By the way, Reuben is a natural, parallel parking and all......

The McFadden Ranchmobile...hot!

The MANSIZE tissue

Do they have these in the US??? Special Kleenex for Men.

When a regular wimpy tissue just won't do......

Wengen Again

On a side note to our Swiss tour, part of our hike took us through Wengen, a small town in the mountains. I stayed in Wengen on my first ever trip to Europe (14 yrs ago-yikes!), and I was completely enchanted by it. I was a little nervous to return, because I had such good memories and didn't want them ruined!

I am happy to report that it remains the enchanting place I remember from waaaay back when.

Allison in Wengen 14 yrs on; Hotel Regina in the background

Basel & Interlaken

This weekend was a long, bank holiday weekend in Ireland, so Reuben and I took advantage and went to Switzerland. We mainly selected Switzerland because Ryan Air had really cheap rates to Basel....

Switzerland is truly storybook material. The air smells like cows (in a good, wholesome way, not a rank manure way), the lakes are turquoise, and the hillsides are dotted with perfect little cottages. The livestock wear little bells, so there is a constant windchime noise on the breeze. Cheese fondue flows freely. And the trains are always ON TIME. (Note that my Dublin lads think on time trains are BORING.)

We spent the first couple of days hiking in the Alps and touring the Bernese Oberland region (the Eiger). Our last day we loafed around Basel, which looks to me like an outstanding place to live... there was a laid back-soak in the sunshine-have a beer over a game of bocce ball on the public lawn after work kind of vibe. Click here for photos of our Switzerland adventures.

Possum Junction strikes again in the Alps

Colman's Mustard

I have to say a short word about Colman's Mustard, which I mentioned in the previous post. This stuff is fabulous. We first ran into it in a pub, where we proceeded to load it on our burgers, only to find out it is hot like wasabi. It will make my eyes water if I put it on a turkey sandwich. Love it. We eventually spotted some Colman's without the heat, and it was called, what else, "American Style Mustard."

The culprit

Notes on Food Shopping

Honestly, I didn't expect too many differences in the food supply between Ireland and the U.S. I knew they'd have fabulous dairy and lamb here, which they do. But I didn't figure on not being able to find a few key staples. These are regulars in the McFadden Ranch diet, so having to search for them was troublesome. We have been able to locate most of these at specialty food stores, or under different names.

1) Black Beans --> These are not popular here. The preferred beans are Baked beans, a cornerstone of the Irish breakfast. Some of my Irish colleagues had not actually heard of black beans.

2) Popcorn (not microwave popcorn, the stuff you actually pop in a popper) --> we finally found some, and it was labelled "American Style" Popcorn --> Mom, just FYI, we didn't actually have to go to a feed lot to find it!

3) Real Maple Syrup --> haven't looked hard enough yet, I guess.

4) Cottage Cheese --> a seasonal offering here, sometimes found next to the specialty cheese, sometimes it's just not in stock

5) Natural Peanut Butter --> we haven't been able to find any without palm oil

6) Baking Soda --> called Bread Soda here and it comes in a bag. Yes, if it doesn't say Arm & Hammer, I really have to hunt!

Maybe we just haven't mastered food shopping here yet!!!

That said, there are some other wonderful foods here.. my favorites: homemade Irish brown bread, Cashel Blue cheese, and Colman's mustard.

The Clonsilla Train Effect

I'm still trying to catch up on the first 4 months of posts, but I decided I better start logging some entries in real time to capture some notes on daily living in Ireland.

The traffic in Dublin is known for being some of the worst in Europe, and it is as bad as they say. The baffling thing about it though, are the daily surprises. In 6 weeks of driving home from work, we have yet to establish a pattern of traffic jams. That said, you can always expect a traffic jam. I've coined my own term for the unpredictability of Dublin area traffic... the Clonsilla train effect. We'll call it CT for short.

Reuben and I left work today and headed toward Lucan to shop for a car, and took some choice little backroads. Everything was smooth sailing until we hit the Clonsilla train station... Here's the scene..... we watch one train pass, wait 10 minutes without the gates opening, then watch another train pass, wait another 5 mins for everything to clear, then someone in a tower hand cranks the gates closed. 20 minutes after the first train, we're finally moving, and cars are lined up back to Blanchardstown. You never know when, or where, the CT effect will strike next.

Hedgehogs!

Reuben and I live right across the street from Malahide Demesne and Malahide Castle. The Demesne has a great little network of paths for jogging/walking, and it has acres of playing fields for soccer, cricket, etc. Tonight in the park, Reuben cut through a little wooded area to a playing field and started shouting at me to come quickly....... there was a little hedgehog sniffing around in the field just meters away from Reuben! Of course I was very excited.... Apparently this is normal, to see wild hedgehogs in Ireland. I told some people at work and they were not impressed.

The WEST

This weekend, we went to "THE WEST" as they call it here, off to Galway and the region of Connemara. Galway is what I would call the Asheville of Ireland, and if you know Asheville, NC, you know what I mean. It's a small-ish university town, with lots of farmers markets, drum circles, etc. Wonderful little place with a few great restaurants serving up wicked vegetarian grub. And of course, the quay streets with lively music and pubs. We spent the day on Saturday wandering around town in the rain and shopping for Claddagh rings and Aran Island sweaters. The Claddagh ring originated here, from a tribe that made its home just south of the river in Galway. Word has it they still had a "king" of the Claddagh tribe until the mid 1950s.

On Sunday, we headed even further west to Connemara for a day of hiking. Connemara is one of the remaining native Irish speaking areas in the country. Sitting quietly outside a convenient store, I was able to listen to the locals conducting their daily gossip/business in Gaelic (Irish). We'll get to the Irish language later, it's extremely difficult to identify by (my) untrained ear. The hiking at Connemara National Park was not extensive, but it was wonderful and wild. Outstanding views of Kylemore Abbey from the peaks, and sea views to the North and West.
Click here for more photos

Reuben and Allison staying dry in Galway

Newgrange and Trim Castle

In early April, Reuben and I took a quick trip to the Midlands to visit Newgrange and Trim Castle. These are both within an hour's drive of Dublin, and made for an interesting impromptu afternoon. Newgrange is an ancient passage grave built in ~3000 BC (older than the pyramids). On the morning of the winter solstice, the sun shines directly down the small passageway entrance at dawn, lighting up the entire chamber. For the rest of the year, the tomb remains dark. We toured the grave on one of those lovely Irish spring days, and got hit with a hailstorm as we stood out in the field. Regardless, it was beautiful.

Trim Castle was also great... some scenes from Braveheart were filmed at the castle, which gave it instant star power. Reuben has been wanting to see some castles, so this was his 'starter' castle. Click here for more Newgrange and Trim photos

Newgrange

Belfast

On Easter weekend, Reuben and I took a trip up to Belfast, Northern Ireland. Our main intent was just to go up and hit the IKEA (the only one on the island), but we ended up on one of the best city bus tours. The tour guide was treating the sensitive subjects of Belfast's history with great humor... there is obviously an attempt here by the city to be viewed as progressive and peaceful. The reality is that there still seems to be a bit of tension in Belfast. The "peace wall" still exists between the Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods (a 40ft tall wall topped with barbed wire), and my co-workers tell me that kids will still throw rocks at your car if they see you have Dublin tags on your car. All of that said, there's a beautiful new mall right in the middle of downtown with high end shops, Ireland's only IKEA and Apple Store, and they're planning an enormous Titanic museum (the Titanic was built in Belfast).

The highlight of the day must have been the amazing display of political murals up and down the Shankill Road.
Click here for Belfast photos

One of the murals - this one not so political

St. Patrick's Day in Dublin

After 3 months of business travel, Reuben and I finally moved to Dublin. The beauty of it all was this: as much as we struggled to expedite the process of moving, in the end, our final move in date fell on St. Patrick's Day weekend. After a couple of days getting settled, we headed down to O'Connell Street and the Liffey to catch the big parade. It was blustery and cold, but we managed to hold out for most of the parade before we retired to the pub. An Irish bonus: On St. Patty's Day, it is traditional for the men to wear real live shamrock in their front coat pocket... most older men observe this. Charming! Click here for more parade photos

Reuben and Allison on Dame Street waiting in the cold for the parade to begin

Moving Day

You know how when you move, there are those little things you find that make you wonder ..........why, why, why did you ever think you'd use THAT again??

Don't worry, we got rid of these (3D glasses)

The Clever Irish

Reuben and I caught sight of this truck in traffic one day. It's hard to make out in our photo, but what it says is: "Court Welding Ltd. Structural Steel Erectors. Small Company, Big Erections" Very Clever.

Sticker Shock

After 1 month in Dublin, we're still in awe of the prices. We're still converting Euro to Dollars in our heads, which is a very dangerous practice, and getting worse by the day! One of the best illustrations of this is the 17.50 euro burrito in Howth. That's a $25.00 burrito, friends. Ugly.

Now, on a positive note, Howth could be one of the greatest places I've seen. It's like the Ireland Sausalito... gorgeous. Great farmers market, lovely cliffs and the sea.
Click here for Howth Photos

Reuben in Howth

Malahide

After painful deliberation about "where to live" in Ireland, Reuben and I finally decided on the seaside town of Malahide. I was determined to live in the middle of Dublin City, but suddenly, this little village wouldn't leave my mind. Our first trip to Malahide was a cold, wet, wintry day, but we went for our walk on the beach anyway. I love the Irish Sea and the sound of the sailboat buoys in the wind on a weekend morning run.

Malahide Beach in the Winter

Bratislava Break

Another work trip took me to Bratislava, Slovakia for a long weekend. Reuben was able to meet me there and join in the fun. We started in Vienna Friday night (it's just 50 mi from Bratislava) - out on the town with work colleagues. Saturday we spent the day exploring sights we hadn't yet seen in Vienna. The zoo was a highlight with my first ever Koala viewing (I couldn't believe I'd never seen a koala before). Went back to Bratislava Sunday morning to spend the day traipsing around the town.

Bratislava was an amazing little city, and the weather was great (mid-60s in Feb, how lucky)! It reminded me of Sopron, Hungary.... with a central old town and towers at the gates. Bratislava had some unique features remaining from prior Communist rule (spaceship-like bridge, concrete high-rise housing sprawl). Reuben and I had lunch at a wonderful little restaurant right on the main square overlooking the opera house and enjoyed the sun.

Visitors from the States

I never realized how many work visitors I'd receive now that I am in Europe. We had several guys over from the Raleigh and Boulder offices in mid-February, and Reuben and I were able to act as the local pub guides. The pub of the evening was the Oliver St. John Gogarty right in the heart of Temple Bar. Great pub for a Tuesday evening in February when tourist traffic is light....otherwise, you may not be able to squeeze in the door! A grand time was had by all, with plenty of merriment, jigs, and pints. Not so grand for Wednesday morning project reviews.

A toast to Ireland with Allison's co-workers mysteriously excluded from the photo

Here's what's going on in the background!

Hole in the Wall

There is a near perfect pub on Blackhorse Rd in Dublin, just at the edge of the Phoenix Park. It's called Hole in the Wall, and is built around, well, a hole in the Phoenix Park wall. I've heard that historically, people would take a walk in the park and be able to grab a cool pint through the hole. In any case, the absolute, hands down, best mushy peas with fish & chips anywhere in Dublin. The atmosphere is quite perfect too, and what else - a good pint of Guinness. Hole in the Wall Review

Possum Junction goes global at Hole in the Wall

Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough

On our first weekend in Dublin together, Reuben and I decided to rent a car and head down to the Wicklow Mountains to do some exploring. Glendalough is an ancient monastary tucked away into the Wicklow hills, and we paid it a visit on this trip. This was really our first taste of the Irish countryside, and it was everything you'd expect it to be...... cold, windswept, ancient hillsides.

Reuben in Sally Gap, Distant view of the Irish Sea

Views of the Round Tower and Monastery at Glendalough

January in Dublin

After 6 weeks of traveling solo back and forth to Dublin, Reuben finally got to join me. We spent a week looking at apartments and practicing our navigation skills. It turns out to be something of an art to master the Dublin Bus system and the DART (train system). Fortunately, the Guinness brewery was close at hand, and we rewarded ourselves with a pint.

The Gravity Bar at the Guinness Storehouse. I'd highly recommend going at dusk to watch the lights come on over the city.

Denmark Visit with the Schnoors

Reuben and I started out the year in Copenhagen, DK. My new job in Ireland sometimes requires that I head to Denmark for quarter end. So... while I worked, Reuben was able to hit the town with his sister and her family, who are currently living in Germany. Castles and amusement park rides at Tivoli kept everyone occupied in the cold, windy Denmark winter.

Reuben & Audrey @ Tivoli

The Schnoor Family in Denmark