All good things...

...must come to an end.

My three months in Eire have come to a close and mantra at the moment is..."don't cry because it is over, just smile because it happened. "



An entire day will be set aside for uploading more shots and sharing some stories from my last month...but for now I'm off to wrap my head around being home.

A heavy heart...but so incredibly grateful for the experience.

Paddywaggin along...

Just returned from a crazy 6 day all-Ireland trek with Paddywagon tours. We started off in Dublin...actually just returned back here today. Shit...where to start. Well, since the clock is running in the ol' internet cafe...I'll just list some of the highlights (pictures to follow...promise!)

1. serenaded by a 50 year-old drunken derryman...oh, did i mention, he yodeled too!
2. kissed the blarney stone...yeah, yeah...such a touristy thing to do, I know. probably the most germ infested rock in the world.
3. sang mj's "Beat It" karaoke style in a pub in Annascoul
4. realized sleeping in 16 bed hostels = at least 3-5 incredibly loud snorers
5. imbibed copious amounts of Guinness, which then drastically decreased the above equation
6. drank a pint of the black stuff up at Gravity Bar at the brewery...the absolute best pint in the world
7. checked out a mural up in Belfast displaying Bush's complete stupidity, arrogance and greediness...good to know me and the Irish are on the same page


so many more to write about. no worries...the stories and pictures are on their way...

ahh, fer fecks sake...

It's been too long friends! So I find myself back up in the North...(London) Derry to be specific. Jess got in early on Thursday night...so incredible to see her face here. Meaghan, being in rare form to say the least, had a big of a send off party Wednesday night, as I wasn't sure if we were to hit Galway city again. Woke up around half 8, and had little to no mobility with my left knee. I've been schleping on the Chinese anesthetic my acupuncturist gave me before I left...and it's been treating me well.

We spent our first night in Dublin...a complete nightmare of a city (as all the Irish folk here agree to)...but fun enough. We head up to Belfast tomorrow, then down to Galway on Sunday -- looking foward to showing the bus of 50+ (amazing) people "my" city. Funny, the majority of the group is Austrailian, with a few Kiwis, Americans, Canucks and 2 very straight faced Russians. The invites to Australia and New Zealand have already been put out there...obviously not something I'd turn down.

I'll find myself an internet cafe within the next few days, so the phots will follow.

Hope this finds everyone well!

Much love.

Somewhere over the rainbow...

You must be wondering if the pot of gold is waiting for me on the other side, right? I feel like I should be on the front of a Lucky Charms box!

Had a great trek today through Salthill and Knocknacarra...the sun was shining, and for once...sunburn precautions were taken! The forecast looks good for the next few days, with of course, the occasional "break through shower.

Connemara, Inis Mor and my dancing debut!

I took a daytrip last Monday to the Kylemore Abbey, out in Connemara. It's a 13,000 acre estate that now is the home to a community of Benedictine nuns. There is a beautiful Neo-Gothic Church down a ways from the Abbey as well as a Victorian walled garden. It was a pretty grey and rainy day, so the tour around the gardens was short lived.






The following day out in the Aran Islands...

in front of one of the thousands of dry-stone walls out on Inis Mor. I'd say I've never had a more beautiful bike ride...









Just a partial glimpse of the walls again. Rory, our tour guide, told us there are over 4,000 miles of dry-stone walls on the island!











My view from the top of Dun Aonghasa...note the lack of any walls or fences. I think this was just about where the ol' vertigo set in.





















Out at the ruins of the "Seven Churches" on Inis Mor. There were three cemeteries out on the island and Celtic crosses were commonly seen on each grave site.














Okay, despite the silly facial expression on my part, the audience looks like they're enjoying themselves, huh? This was last Monday down at Richardson's Pub--where both Sandy and Patrick work. Every Monday and Wednesday they have a beginner session where anyone and everyone can bring their guitar, bodhran, tin whistle, accordion or pipes and have a go! This night there were a few Italians that joined in...and the music was just incredible. After a few pints...I felt a few reels were a must.

Back from the Arans...

It's so true when people say things move a bit slower on the islands. It's been over 6 years since my last visit out to the Arans, well...Inis Mor, and luckily (unlike most of Ireland) still remains untouched. Okay, there are a couple new pubs...bringing the total number to 6, but overall, its simplistic ways carry on. One grocery shop, a few restaurants, bicycle rentals, and of course, Aran sweater shops. My good friend (and partner in crime) Sandy and I caught the ferry from Rossaveal Tuesday, hired some bikes and cycled until we could no longer feel our legs. What an experience...and with the sun shining (finally!) it was just a picture perfect day. Wednesday we decided to give the cycles (and our asses) a break and go on a small tour bus. Had a great guide, Rory, who's sense of humor earned him a well deserved tip at the end of the day. We were dropped at the bottom of Dun Aonghasa, a 2,000 year old Celtic dry-stone fort. Little did I know that once I reached the top of the semi-circled fort, my view would be atop a 300 foot cliff. Gotta say...my first real experience with vertigo, but worth every minute of it. Pictures to come...

So now I'm "off-island" and trying to put together a plan for my last month here. It's absolutely insane how quickly 2 months have passed. I think a visit back down to Kerry is a must...plus, there is a family friend down in Kenmare who is willing to show me around, which is always helpful!

My first real reel...

Much more to follow as well as pictures of my irish dance session here. Off to the Aran Islands with Sandy for the next couple of days...