18 Aug: Portrush, trip 2

Michael Palin included the train ride from Derry to Coleraine in his BBC series "Great Railway Journeys of the World," saying, “A train journey to the North Coast will be an unforgettable experience. Whether you live in Northern Ireland or are visiting, take the opportunity to visit and enjoy the beautiful scenery." M and I took the trip as the first part of our trip to Portrush yesterday. We started our day with a walk along the beach. There were surfing students and a few swimmers. But the water was cold and M and I were content to just to get our feet wet. Then we had an early lunch on the patio at the White House department store.

We spent the afternoon at Barry's Arcade. When we went to Portrush in June, Northern Ireland schools hadn't let out for the summer and I wondered if Portrush and, especially Barry's, would be more crowded now. There were definitely more people around town and in the arcade, but it didn't feel overly busy.

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15 & 16 August: Enniskillen and the Ulster American Folk Park

M and I spent Monday night in Enniskillen, in County Fermanagh. Our first stop was Florence Court, an 18th century manor house and grounds, just south of Enniskillen. The weather was beautiful and we decided to skip the house tour and walk the grounds. We liked seeing the old Icehouse and old sawmill. The first Irish yew trees were discovered on Florence Court grounds and grafted to other trees to spread the species around Ireland. We like thinking that we saw the great-grandma Irish yew.

After a couple of hours at Florence Court, we drove into town and checked into our hotel. After dropping our bags in our room, we walked into the center of town and visited Enniskillen Castle and museums. M enjoyed learning about the castle's history and following their History Detective trail. The original castle building dates from 1420, with other buildings added in the 1700s and 1800s. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

We had dinner at the hotel's bar and breakfast in the restaurant before starting off Tuesday morning. We drove back toward Derry with a long stop at the Ulster American Folk Park. The Folk Park has an exhibit on Irish Emigration to the US and buildings dating from the 19th century in both Ireland and the US. The trail starts with rural Irish houses with volunteers in period dress acting as a blacksmith, a weaver, and a baker. We liked watching the blacksmith work on making a pair of tongs and tasting the soda bread. The next houses are actual homes owned by the Mellon family, before they emigrated to the US. This family went on to found Mellon Bank in Pennsylvania. There is a replica Irish town, with a shipyard and a replica of a sailing ship that emigrants would have taken to the US. After walking through the ship and out the other side, the next buildings are replicas of a US town. The last houses are replicas of the first houses owned by the Mellons upon arriving in PA and a home owned by an Irish immigrant in West Virginia.

We arrived back in Derry mid-afternoon and were glad to see Steve at dinner and share our adventure with him. Today we've stayed at home and started to get things ready for the movers, who come Monday. I can't believe that by this time next week, we'll be on a plane to the US. The summer has flown by!

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13 Aug: Greencastle and Magilligan

We drove through Inishowen again yesterday. We started the trip with lunch at Harry's in Bridgend. Then we drove to Greencastle, named for the 13th century castle ruins, which are covered now with green moss. We took a ferry across Lough Foyle to Magilligan, UK. We walked around the Martello tower and beach in Magilligan. M and I went to a small aviation museum. The museum's owner gave us a brief tour. We read about Antarctic explorer and Ireland native Ernest Shackleton and Amelia Earhart, who ended her transatlantic flight in Derry. A short drive through Greencastle and tea in Moville rounded out the trip.

Meanwhile, back in Derry, the annual Apprentice Boys' Parade took place. We were glad to have missed it, as there were a few clashes between police and demonstrators. From the Wikipedia article: "The Apprentice Boys of Derry is a Protestant fraternal society with a worldwide membership of over 80,000, founded in 1814. ... The Society aims to commemorate the 1689 Siege of Derry when Catholic James II of England and Ireland and VII of Scotland laid siege to the walled city which was at the time a Protestant stronghold. Apprentice Boys parades once regularly led to rioting in the city by Nationalist youths, but recently a more conciliatory approach has taken place and now the parades are virtually trouble free."

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8-12 Aug: FAI Camp

It's M. I had a soccer camp in Muff. Muff is in County Donegal. I got a football and my second sun watch and my full Ireland kit/uniform (right). The camp was very fun. I played in goal 3 times (below). We learned a type of fake shot called the Crove Turn. We also practiced heading. They had a Champions League, League of Ireland and World Cup. Here are the teams I played for and what place we came in: in the Champions League, Liverpool (1st) Athletico Madrid (2nd), and Inter Milan (4th), in the World Cup, Nigeria (4th), and in the League of Ireland, Derry City!! (3rd).

It is especially cool that I played for Derry City because we are going to see them tonight (Aug 12). I am going to wear my Candystripes jersey.

7 Aug: Belfast

After a great night's sleep and a yummy breakfast at the Camera Guesthouse, we headed out to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums, which are located in the same park. We walked through the Transport Museum first. M enjoyed the kids' TITANICa trail. Steve and I enjoyed seeing the Penny Farthing bicycle and old cars but also shared a laugh that the two most notable vehicles to come out of Belfast were the Titanic and the de Lorean. I'm probably not going to invest in whatever the next one they plan. :)

After the Transport Museum, we drove to the Folk Museum, which is a re-creation of an Irish town of about 100 years ago. M and I liked seeing the old school and M used the abacus at the school to practice his arithmetic. We also watched a weaving demonstration and read about the history of the police in Northern Ireland.

Our last stop of the weekend was the World of Owls, a volunteer-run owl sanctuary west of Belfast. M likes owls lots and enjoyed seeing all the different species. I especially liked watching the large Eagle Owl and the little Burrowing Owl. I think the Burrowing Owl was Steve's favorite.

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6 Aug: Belfast

We left Derry early Saturday morning for a weekend of sightseeing in Belfast. We dropped our bags at the Camera Guesthouse and walked into the city. Our first stop was St George's Market, an indoor market with food and craft stalls. I picked up some curry sauces to bring home and M enjoyed a cupcake as a snack, but soon we were all hungry for lunch.

We walked to Victoria Square Mall and had lunch at Wagamama. During lunch, M, Steve, and I took turns playing the National Flags Quiz on my phone. M knows his flags better than Steve or I do. After lunch we walked up to the top observation level at the mall (M says he counted 112 stairs!) and looked out over the city. I still wanted to look at the crafts at St Georges, so we walked back to the market.

We walked back to the guesthouse to drop off the curry sauces. Then we headed to the Ulster Museum, which has galleries on Irish history (from a British point of view), geology, zoology, and the "Troubles," the period of conflict in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s-1990s. The musuem is located in the Botanic Gardens and we enjoyed a walk through the park.

We went to Deanes at Queens for dinner. I especially enjoyed my risotto and meringue that Steve and I shared for dessert. After dinner we headed back to the Botanic Gardens so M could play in the playground. Finally, at about 9, we walked back to the guesthouse and everyone was ready for bed.

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1-5 Aug: IFA St. Columb's

Hi. It's M. My camp at St. Columb's was very fun. We were in the Derry Journal!! Some of the boys were also at Old Clondermott (4+me in my group). I liked the drills. When we tried to shoot through the hoops, no one did it! I scored 2 goals, 1 on shooting practice day and 1 in the World Cup.

Coming up next week...

1-5 Aug: Soccer Camp at St Columb's Park

M did another week of IFA (Irish Football Association) Summer Soccer School. This one was at our local park and we walked to camp each day. M wants to write a post about it, so I am just sharing some photos.

The IFA posted a photo from M's first week of camp on their website and the Derry Journal had a few photos from this week. I am including them here.

After the last day, we walked into town and heard some music. A student at the Foyle Harp School played traditional music and a rock band played at Guildhall Square. After the music, we walked to the mall and M ran into a boy who had been at both of the soccer camps. Later, we met Steve for dinner in town and walked home.

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31 July: Peadar O'Donnells

Yesterday we walked into Derry. M and Steve wanted to watch some of the Dublin Super Cup football (i.e. soccer) match. The game wasn't being televised on any of the channels we get, as sports channels are premium upgrades for most cable and satellite packages here. We looked in the windows of several pubs to see if they had the game on. When we arrived at Peadar O'Donnells, a Derry pub known for traditional Irish music, we were surprised to see that there were signs for music but the TVs were on and tuned to the game. Surely, they couldn't be planning both music AND the game, could they? But that's what they were planning: one room of the bar had the game and the other had a local trio. The guys got front row seats at the bar in the room showing the game and I got to listen to Irish music. Something for everyone! :)

Now it's time for me to walk to St Columb's Park and pick up M after the first day of his soccer camp.

30 July: Moville and Buncrana

On Saturday, we drove back to Inishowen. Our first stop was Moville, where the annual town festival was happening. We watched a little of the kayak races and I shopped the Craft Fair. I talked with the owner of a local yarn shop and, while I didn't buy anything, I plan to visit her store when M is soccer camp in nearby Muff next week. I did shop, though, from the handmade purse lady. She many gorgeous bags at her table and told me that she never makes the same bag twice, each is a one-off. I love the one I bought and love too that I will be the only person to own that bag.

We decided not to wait for the rest of the festival to get underway and drove to our favorite village of Buncrana. We walked the beach, had lunch at The Beach House (seafood chowder, yum!), and M played at the playground.

27 & 29 July: Northern Ireland "Milk Cup" soccer

Each summer, the Northern Ireland Dairy Council sponsors a week-long soccer tournament for U-14, U-16, and U-18 players. The tournament is called the "Milk Cup." The U-14 and U-16 teams come from counties around Ireland and from youth teams associated with English Premier League teams. But in the U-18 tournament, 5 national teams from around the world are invited to join the Northern Ireland team in the competition.

And that is how we got to see the US play Mexico in Coleraine (about 45 minutes from Derry) last Wednesday night!

The game was close and ended 1-1. The draw plus an earlier win over Israel last Monday night put the US team in the game for 3rd/4th place on Friday. Steve couldn't take the time off, but M and I drove to Ballymoney to see the US play again on Friday. We arrived early enough to catch the second half of the 5th/6th place game between Mexico and Israel, which ended regular time at 0-0. M and I got to see our first penalty shoot out tie breaker and congrats to Mexico for winning the shoot out 4-3. The US played Georgia and won 2-1. M and I were surprised at the low attendance for the game; I don't think that there were more than 100 spectators!

Friday evening BBC Sport Northern Ireland broadcast the final game between home team Northern Ireland and Denmark and we all watched it from the comfort of our living room. In a disappointing loss for the home team, Denmark won 1-0.

28 July: Cars 2

Hi. It's M. I went to the movie Cars 2. I liked both Cars movies but they were very different because in Cars it could happen except for the cars talking and in Cars 2 it has a lot of James Bond-like stuff.

Mom and I joked that the previews were almost as good as the movie. The best 2 were Puss in Boots, where the narrator says "Nothing can distract him from his brave quest" and then he starts chasing a spot of light around, and then there was a short Toy Story film. In the short film, Barbie and Ken try to stow away to Hawaii and after failing, the other toys make pretend Hawaii. When they spread the sand, Buzz says in Spanish "We removed the poop from the kitty litter" and then Mrs. Potato Head says "Oh, Spanish is such a beautiful language"!

We had dinner at Gary and Laura's. They both work at Seagate like Daddy.

26 July: Costa Colouring Contest

It's M. At Costa I was enjoying a Peach Fruit Cooler when a worker put a colouring page on our table and said "We're having a colouring contest"! I will name what there was on the page, where it was positioned and what colour I made it.(In order they will be regular, bold, italics). The chart is below:

Mammoth near the right edge, walking brown, tusks yellow

Sloth bottom middle, walking with arms swinging green

Sabertooth behind the sloth orange

Mountain behind all animals light pink

Smoothie falling off mountain red, straw purple

22 Jul: British Museum

We got an early start Friday morning and were at the British Museum when http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifit opened. The Museum has excellent multimedia tours for kids, with a separate commentary at each object for adults. We did the Roman Britain (my favorite), Africa, and Middle East tours. M found an owl carving at the gift shop. The owl was based on an Athenian coin and we were able to locate the coin in the money exhibit.

On Saturday 23 July, we went to Greenwich, as M wrote, and on Sunday we headed back to Derry. On both days, we also fit in short trips to the Princess of Wales memorial playground in Kensington Gardens. Yesterday and today have been pretty quiet. But tomorrow night we are going to see the US U-18 soccer team play Mexico in the Northern Ireland Milk Cup. What luck to be able to see the US National team... while we're in Northern Ireland!

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21 July: Tower Bridge, South Bank, and the London Eye

In the morning, we went to the Tower Bridge. On the way, we saw one of the remaining bits of London's Roman wall and the outside of the Tower of London. The exhibit in Tower Bridge was great. It included a description of the crowding that necessitated building the bridge and some of the competing designs, as well as a history of bridge building in the world.

After the bridge, we walked along the South Bank and stumbled on a street festival. M especially liked seeing the acrobats. After lunch at Giraffe, we took a ride on the London Eye. We had ridden the Eye in 2008, but M didn't remember it. The view of Westminster and the Houses of Parliament from the Eye is beautiful. M found a copy of "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd at the hotel and was glad to have it to read while we waited in line for our ride on the Eye. M recommends the book, "it was very good."

For dinner, we went to our favorite Prince Edward Pub in Bayswater.

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23 July: Greenwich

Hi. It's me, M and my 5th post is about Greenwich, which hosts the

Prime Meridian (right).

It was fun to have one foot on each side of the world. Minneapolis's

location is at 44 degrees, 59 minutes north, 93 degrees, 16 minutes west. (Just for comparison, Greenwich is at 52 degrees, 32 minutes north, 0 degrees, 0 minutes east/west). After that, we saw some time/longitude/latitude exhibits. After that, we went to the planetarium and saw a show. The show said that there are 553,170 known asteroids in space. Then we went to the Greenwich Market. I got an owl who will be named either Roberto or Luca. The last pic is right and below.

20 Jul: Kew Gardens

On Wednesday morning, we headed to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. Our first stop was the Xstrata Treetop Walkway, where we climbed 117 steps to the 59 foot high loop over part of the gardens. I held on tight when the wind caused the walkway to sway but the view was beautiful.

M liked playing at the "Climbers and Creepers" playground and the badger dens, where he met some other kids and played hide and seek. We walked across Sackler's Crossing, where we watched a peacock and listened to his call, saw the California redwoods, and got caught in a brief rain shower at the Chinese pagoda and Japanese gateway.

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19 Jul: Harry Potter

We saw the last Harry Potter movie the way it is meant to be seen... in London!

We flew from Belfast to London. After checking into our favorite hotel and getting lunch at a nearby pub, we went to see the movie. I think that this was my favorite of the movies.

We picked up salads and sandwiches to eat at the hotel for dinner and watched "The Story of Maths" on BBC 4.

16 July: Tower Museum

We're spending the weekend in Derry, after being on the road the last few. The weather is rainy and very cold (13 C, 55 F) so we decided to go to the Tower Museum. M and I went the first week we were here but Steve hadn't been yet. Also there is a temporary exhibit on megaliths in Northern Ireland that Steve and I wanted to see.

The temporary exhibit is developed by a local Young Archeologists Club and had great information about the different types of megalithic tombs, which include court tombs, stone circles, and passage tombs. The types are classified by the number of chambers, shapes of the chambers, and court tombs have an uncovered u-shaped court in front.

A staff member at the Museum built wooden models that can be taken apart and rebuilt. M enjoyed building the tombs.

Once we entered the permanent "Story of Derry" exhibit, a staff member showed us a tomb that had been found near Derry and moved to the museum. In the tomb's cover, he showed us a face carved into the stone. Can you see it?

At the end of the "Story of Derry exhibit," there is a table with blocks that look like the city walls and the buildings within the walls. M played with the blocks and built the High Cross Town that he wrote about in his post today.

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16 July: High Cross Town, UK (Tower Museum)

Hello to all in my fourth post!! (This is M). We went to the Tower Museum (more on that from Mom) and at the end there was a wooden village with a temple/church and castle inside wooden walls!! You were allowed to move everything around... so I did and made High Cross Town! It's one of the few UK towns to have democracy since the Middle Ages. In High Cross Town, the houses were closer to the walls so that everything was protected. There are three regions, which are Kildare, Ulacht and Napoleon. What I think should be the top 5 attractions in High Cross Town:

5. "Airborne Albus"

Description:

A cannon on top of the city walls. Closest to the south entrance, it gets its name from the period which it sat on top of the south entrance, which was 1552-1975.

4. The Southwest Point Museum

Description:

One of the six lookouts on the walls, it no longer remains one (a lookout) but a museum, mainly showing High Cross Town from 1489 (when it reached 1,003 people) to 1975 (end of the famines and Airborne Albus's reign).

3. The Citizen House

Description:

The house where the citizens and current government come together to decide important decisions (and, every decade, to recap it all). They first came together in 1481 and will celebrate their 250th meeting in 2015 when they choose the new president!!

2. Bri Temple

Description:

This is where from 1975 to the present day they worship Zeus (yes, they believe in the Greek gods and yes, this is 73 feet in the air and overlooking the sky). Why 1975? When the famines ended, they thought it was Zeus that stopped Hades (the famines) and ever since have worshipped him. (Bri means Power).

1. Border Castle

Description:

A castle that was built in 1399 (finished in 1481) that represents High Cross Town united together. It has Kildare's flag (green with a blue cross like the Scottish flag), Ulacht's flag (red with a white stripe), Napoleon's flag (yellow with a black canary), HCT (High Cross Town)'s flag (green with a white stripe and a black canary) and the UK flag. The 30-minute tour is totally worth it! The prices are: Adult=£10.00 Senior=£7.50 Child (u17)=£5.00 Family=£19.99.

Mom has some stuff (see way, way above this). Next from me: 5th post!! Woo-hoo!

8-13 July: Dublin by Droid

After I finished our Dublin posts, I realized I had even more photos on my phone. Here are the best of them.

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15 July: Buncrana

M and I drove to Buncrana this morning. M played at the playground and then we walked down to the beach. We found a soccer ball on the beach and M kicked it up and down the beach while I collected seashells. We didn't bring the ball home, in case its owner came back to reclaim it. We walked down the street to the Buncrana Castle but the Castle isn't open to the public, so we just walked around the grounds before heading back to the car.

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14 July: Solo Cissokho

M and I drove to Letterkenny in Donegal to see Solo Cissokho, a seventh-generation griot storyteller and kora player from Senegal. Solo is performing in a couple of places in Donegal as part of the Earagail Arts Festival, a two week, countywide arts festival. Only about 40 people turned out for the storyteller. He asked that kids sit on the floor at the front of the auditorium and M was only one of five kids to sit in front. Solo engaged the audience, teaching us to say hello in Swahili ("Jambu") and asking each of the kids his/her name. The kids each also had a turn playing the kora, which is a handmade instrument similar to a guitar, but with 23 strings. M liked playing the kora.

I couldn't take pictures, as the theater was dark. But here is a video of Solo Cisskho performing in Oslo in 2008.

12 July: Megalithic tombs at Knowth and Newgrange

On Tuesday we took a tour bus out to the megalithic sites at Newgrange and Knowth. Steve and I were expecting only to have time to see one of the sites but were pleasantly surprised to find out that we could see both. We went to Knowth first. Our guide explained that the site had been used by four groups: around 3000-2000 BC, during the Iron Age (around early centuries A.D), during the Early Christian period (8-12th century), and during the Norman era (12-14th century). During the Norman period, the land was used by a monastery that farmed 35,000 acres around Knowth. The Normans also built tunnels through the mounds and M and I got to climb through one of the tunnels.

After Knowth, we went to Newgrange. Newgrange looks much different than Knowth, in that most of the site is one large monument, rather than many smaller ones at Knowth, and is older (5000 years old). The guide described the work to build Newgrange is thought to have taken 80 years, at a time when people lived only about 30 years, and that the builders dragged the large rocks along the river and then 4km (2.5 miles) uphill to the site. It took 80 workers 4 days to move one of the rocks up to the site! There is a single path into the monument, which allows sunlight to enter for just 17 minutes a day and only on the days around the winter solstice. Our guide used electric lights to demonstrate what the light would look like at the solstice. There is a lottery to pick people who get to bring a guest and come see the monument on one of the days near the solstice. Steve and I each filled out a lottery ticket, but with 50 winners out of 30,000 entrants each year, we aren't holding our breath.

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We found out that the Tower Museum has an exhibit on megalithics in Northern Ireland! I think we'll try to get there this weekend.

10 July: GAA Leinster Final

It's me, M! I went to the GAA Leinster Final between Dublin and Wexford at Croake Park. Dublin won 2-12 to 1-12 (18 to 15). This means that they will play in the All-Ireland Semi-final. Maybe I should explain a little of Gaelic Football. You can run with the ball five steps but then you have to bounce it. If you run another five steps you need to kick it to yourself (or pass it.) The scoring: at each end of the field there are American football-like goal posts (only different because there is not one post in the middle; instead two spread out like the posts on top.) Kick it through the top and you get a point, scored as 0-01. Kick it through the bottom (and past the keeper) and you get a goal, worth three points and scored as 1-00.

Wexford came really, really close. One of their players scored 0-07! However, they have one fatal flaw. In both of Dublin's goals their keeper was totally out of position. Sorry, Wexford! (for this and the next paragraph.)

I got some cool souvenirs! They were an "Ath Calith" (Dublin) flag and a scarf bearing "The Dubs" at each end.

It wasn't just the seniors (and souvenirs), though. The minors also played. I don't remember the score (we only saw the last 5 minutes) but Dublin beat Meath something like 3-18 to 2-15.

That's all from me today. However, you should keep watching. Although I am done, Mom is just getting started...

11 July: Dublin

We started Monday morning at Trinity College, where we saw the Book of Kells and its accompanying display "Turning Darkness into Light." M liked seeing the Irish Ogham language and learning a few Latin words. We all liked the poem Pangur Bán:

I and Pangur Ban, my cat,
'Tis a like task we are at;
Hunting mice is his delight,
Hunting words I sit all night.

Better far than praise of men
'Tis to sit with book and pen;
Pangur bears me no ill will;
He, too, plies his simple skill.

'Tis a merry thing to see
At our task how glad are we,
When at home we sit and find
Entertainment to our mind.

Oftentimes a mouse will stray
Into the hero Pangur's way;
Oftentimes my keen thought set
Takes a meaning in its net.

'Gainst the wall he sets his eye
Full and fierce and sharp and sly;
'Gainst the wall of knowledge I
All my little wisdom try.

When a mouse darts from its den.
O how glad is Pangur then!
O what gladness do I prove
When I solve the doubts I love!

So in peace our tasks we ply,
Pangur Ban, my cat and I;
In our arts we find our bliss,
I have mine, and he has his.

Practice every day has made
Pangur perfect in his trade ;
I get wisdom day and night,
Turning Darkness into light.'

from http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/poetry/PangurBan.html

The Wikipedia article on Pangur Ban also notes that there is a cat named Pangur Ban in the 2009 movie "The Book of Kells."


Monday afternoon we took a tour of Dublin Castle, which was first a Norman fortification, then the seat of English government in Ireland and, after 1922, a ceremonial seat for Irish government and state functions. The original Dublin Castle was built in 1204 and survived until a fire destroyed most of the castle in 1673. The current castle was built after the fire on the same site. As part of the tour, we were able to see an excavation of the original castle walls and tower, under a neighboring building.

10 July: Dublin

We spent Sunday morning walking through Merrion Square and St Stephen's Green. M liked the playground at St Stephen's and watching the finches in Merrion Square. Merrion Square also had statues of Oscar Wilde and Bernardo O'Higgins.

Late in the morning, we split up: M and Steve headed to Croake Park to see a Gaelic football game and I caught the DART (light rail) to Dun Laoghaire*.

Gaelic football, according to the hotel bartender, is like a cross between Australian Rules football and rugby. The game that M and Steve saw was the Leinster (central Ireland) final and home team Dublin won their sixth consecutive Leinster title. M tells me that Dublin's win means that they will play in the All-Ireland semifinal. This coming Sunday, Derry plays Donegal for the Ulster final and their shot at the All-Ireland semifinal. I think I know what the guys will be watching on Sunday afternoon.

I went to Dun Laoghaire to see the James Joyce museum, which is located in the Martello tower that Joyce used as a setting for parts of Ulysses. Unfortunately, the museum changed its hours and wasn't open on Sunday. Instead I walked the beach, watched a sailboat race, and enjoyed a smoked salmon crepe from the Sunday open air market.

*Laoghaire was also the name of a character in a series of books I read this spring. I had all kinds of mental pronunciations for her name, but was surprised to find out that Laoghaire is simply pronounced "Leery."

8-9 July: Dublin (evening flight and first day)

We decided to take advantage of Steve having 12 July off from work (for the Northern Ireland holiday for the Battle of the Boyne) and go to Dublin for 5 nights. We flew out on Friday evening and back this morning (Wed 13 Jul). Steve took a little teasing at work for us splurging on airline tickets for what would have been a 3-4 hour drive. But we were glad to be able to arrive Friday evening and stay Tuesday night without Steve having to take Wednesday off. The flights were just 30 minutes. None of us had ever been in such empty planes: there were only 7 passengers on the flight to Dublin and just 4 of us coming back, even though the planes seated 68 and 32, respectively. The customs officer in Dublin told us that often there was only one passenger on the flight!

After arriving Friday night, we took a bus to the hotel, got a quick sandwich for supper, and went to sleep to be ready to get an early start Saturday. On Saturday morning, we walked along the river and through Temple Bar. We then went to Dublinia, a museum about the Viking and Medieval periods in Dublin's history. M loved Dublinia! He took notes for himself, especially about the Viking runic alphabet.

Dublinia is next door to Christ Church, a Gothic church that occupies the same site as the first church in Dublin (c. 1070). I was excited to learn that Christ Church has been used for filming some of the church scenes in "The Tudors" and the wedding costumes worn by Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Henry VIII) and Annabelle Wallis (Jane Seymour) were on display!

We walked back to Temple Bar for lunch and stumbled upon the open air book market. I was tempted to shop the books, but Steve reminded me of the baggage weight limits and I contented myself with photos of books to add to my "to read" list.

Continuing the day's theme, we walked to the National Museum's History and Archeology. M always loves the kids' activity sheets available at European museums and the National Museum's Viking sheet was no exception. His favorite activity was to draw a Viking shield. Finding his favorite object, though, was difficult and Steve and I rested on a bench while he checked back to narrow down the list.

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And, to close, here's a shout out to my favorite radio station BBC R2, which just finished playing an "oldies" set that included the Stones' "Paint it Black," America's "Horse with No Name," and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." I love that the radio stations here don't stick to a single genre or format. I am discovering, or in today's case, rediscovering lots of great music.

8 July: Recap of Soccer Camp

Hallo, it's M! I had a great time at soccer camp! We played the Mini World Cup today to end it all.

My Career Stats:

Goals: 3

Assists: 3

World Cup Assists: 1

Matches: 35

Starts: 32

World Cup Matches: 5

Club: Oranges=7 matches

Greens=23 matches

National Team: Holland=4 matches

Northern Ireland=1 match (sub on)

The Mini World Cup was made up of Argentina, Northern Ireland and Holland. I think either Northern Ireland or Holland won it all.

I got a Nutty Krust goodie bag for participating. Along with some other things, it had a loaf of bread and a funny sticker that said "Do you know the Muffin Man?"