Category: travel

We wanted football jerseys. In the tourist shops and sporting goods stores, they’re crazy expensive, so we’d given up hope. Then, we found O’Neills Factory Store, and we were saved!!! It’s a factory outlet on Long Mile Road in Dublin, and we got crazy deals on jerseys, hats and even a soccer ball that has St Kevin’s Boys printed on it.\
So, don’t get suckered in by the tourist places, hit the outlet. You won’t be sorry.

I’ve uploaded a bunch of photosets to Flickr on this trip, and I figured I’d do one post with links to all of them, just so you don’t miss anything.

• Irish National Print Museum
• Newgrange
• Monasterboice
• Mellifont Abby
• Glendalough
• Wicklow\
  There ya go. All of them, in one handy-dandy list. There may not be any more, since I’m not sure what we’re doing next weekend. Enjoy!

Ireland: Glendalough

I swear that’s really its name. I could not make this up. iPhoto is taking is sweet time uploading the other pictures to Flickr, but they’ll get there eventually.\
Porter and I went to Glendalough, in County Wicklow today. It was absolutely gorgeous. The falls are just one part. Wait till you see the monastic city and St. Kevin’s Church. The lakes were beautiful, and about the time we left, the sun came out. As soon as the Glendalough pictures are done, I’ll start the Wicklow harbor pictures, which we hit on the way home.\
I love Ireland, but we’ve been here a week, and I’m really homesick. As good as the food, the people and the scenery are, they’re not my family.\
Here are the rest of the Glendalough shots I posted to Flickr. The place was gorgeous, but boy are my legs paying for all that hiking.

Here are the pictures I took at Newgrange today. Newgrange is amazing. It’s a neolithic passage tomb built over five thousand years ago. It sits on top of a large hill and is surrounded by thirty-seven smaller passage tombs. The structure is a amazing. It’s made with huge flat stones laid with each layer slightly overlapping until there’s room for just one stone, the capstone, to be laid on top it. The entire structure has been watertight for over five thousand years, which just amazes me.\
During the winter solstice, the sunrise shines through the “sunbox” a small hole above the door, which shoots a beam of sunlight down a passageway to light the small chamber inside. If you’re ever in Ireland, I highly recommend it.\
We went to two other places today, Monasterboice and Mellifont Abby. I’ll post those pictures in a little bit. The highlight of the day, though, was definitely Newgrange.

I’ve caught something. I think it’s a mix of my asthma coupled with cold and very wet air (93% humidity, 33-40 degrees). My chest is full of… stuff, and I can’t breathe, which makes me tired, irritable and vulgar. I went to the “chemist” today after work, and picked up some mucolytic agent, vaporub (for colds, or so it says), and am planning an evening in. I’ll probably soak in a super hot shower after I eat dinner (I ordered soup from room service, they just happened to have my favorite sick soup – green pea and ham), take some craptacular medicine and watch Carnivale in bed (thank you, BitTorrent).\
I’ve discovered something on this trip, or at least remembered it from last time. I love Ireland. Even though I feel pretty crap, I love the people here. They’re so much fun, even at work, where no one is supposed to have any fun at all. I saw some of the guys I worked with last time, and they greeted me like an old friend. People on the street look you in the eye and smile. The lady at the pharmacy (ooops, “chemist”) was helpful, friendly and showed genuine sympathy. It’s touching. I’m not sure where it comes from, but I love it.\
I don’t like the weather. Hate it. Could totally live without it. If it’s going to be cold, it should be dry as a bone. It should be so dry, there’s no frost on your windshield in the morning. It should be Utah dry, where your ears feel like they’re going to fall off. No one gets pneumonia in Utah (well, that’s because they’re all got the Speeerit, but you get the picture). This wet and cold stuff is murderous.\
Oh, and I could live without European TV too. Trying to watch the finale of a reality show you’ve never seen before, with one cast member you can’t understand a damn thing he says is a real crappy way to spend an hour (I watched the finale of Celebrity Big Brother, and the winner is from Manchester, and a mumbler, so I was totally lost).\
That’s it from here. No new pictures, because I’ve been in the car, on the most unscenic route in Ireland. We pass the Irish version of the car mall several times over, and something called “MEGAMart” that promises “American Style Shopping”. I shudder to think what that means…

We got in yesterday and I spent the afternoon trying to stay awake. We went to a wonderful little restaurant for dinner called Ouzo’s, then wandered over to Spar to pick up snacks. I managed to stay awake until 8pm, took two Tylenol PM’s and then slept like a log until 5:30 this morning.\
I ate a lovely Irish breakfast in the hotel restaurant and then went wandering. I made a big circle around the hotel, and ran into the Irish National Print Museum. They weren’t open, but they had a workshop going on and let me wander around and take pictures anyway.\
Just a note if you come to Dublin… don’t go out early on Sunday. Nothing opens till at least noon (except the grocery store and select coffeehouses/cafes), and some places never open. It makes being a tourist difficult.\
Anyway, we’re going to go out to dinner soon, but I wanted to post the pictures from today before I forgot.

I’m goin’ to Dublin! I’m goin’ to Dublin! I’m goin’ to Dublin! I’m goin’ to Dublin! I’m goin’ to Dublin! I’m goin’ to Dublin! I’m goin’ to Dublin! I’m goin’ to Dublin! I’m goin’ to Dublin! I’m goin’ to Dublin! I’m goin’ to Dublin!\
Did you hear? I’m goin’ to Dublin!

Why not vacation in France? I couldn’t agree more! I suggest the south of France, especially Mandelieu-La Napoule. It’s small, not as touristy as Cannes (although it’s a five minute train ride away), and the restaurants are to die for. You won’t see a McDonalds or Burger King around, and you’ll be surrounded by the sea, the mountains and lots of really friendly French people. I highly recommend the hotel I stayed in on my trip, L’Ermitage du Riou. The hotel’s restaurant is world class, and extremely reasonable considering the quality of the food and service.

While you’re there, you should definitely take the tour at the Chateau La Napoule, and walk around the town. It’s gorgeous.

Seriously, I think it was the smoke, and Chuck took forever to take the picture, but it looks like I’m gonna cry. And really, I didn’t cry once, not the whole night. I coughed quite a bit, and laughed a lot (them Canadians, James, Brent, and Brent, are fun to hang out with).

And apparently, I’m one of two monsters of blog …. The picture was taken by George, and the guy standing next to me is Chuck Olsen, who’s making a blogumentary. Oh, and we were all at Break Bread With Brad, which was great. I met a bunch of bloggers I’ve been reading for years, some I’ve heard of, and others who were all new to me. Everyone was super-swell, and I had a great time.

After breaking bread (which I didn’t… I don’t think I ever sat down for more than five minutes), we all went to Polly Esther’s for Karaoke. Watching Smokler cover U2 will be burned into my retinas and eardrums for days.

Big thanks to Michael and Ari for introducing me to folks, and for being great ambassadors for their city. You guys rule.

Oh, and just so Jen doesn’t worry, I did eat dinner. I got two pieces of pizza at Onion on 5th Street at 11:30 as I walked back to the hotel.