Monday, July 25, 2011

Dublin, oh Dublin

We went on a tour bus of the city today (we went yesterday too, but later in the day so we didn't see quite as much). It was a lot of fun, but man is it windy on the top of that bus!
We saw loads of cool places and got to visit quite a few really nice museums (though I felt that the Irish museum of modern art was terribly underwhelming). We also went to the Guinness Brewery where we got a free pint at the end of the tour (yum!).
We saw neat statues like those of Daniel O'Connel (the liberator, he liberated Catholics from Irish suppression) and some monk that was against alcohol who is now missing three fingers because someone tried to super glue a pint of Guinness to his hand a few St Patrick's days ago.
We also saw the beautiful St Pat's cathedral - the most spectacular bells I have ever heard!

Blarney and the Rock of Cashel

We went to Blarney Castle, walked up the 100 steps (the line was SO long), and kissed the Blarney Stone (I was a little terrified of the height and bending backwards and what not).
We also visited the Rock of Cashel which is a mountain/hill right next to the town of Cashel where St. Patrick converted and baptized kings. He also used the three leaf clover to explain the Holy Trinity. It was super cool.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Ring of Kerry

We drove the Ring of Kerry while we were in Killarney. It was gorgeous. I had no idea a place could be so beautiful.
Or that I could get car sick (I didn't actually get sick, but my stomach was queasy). It is really difficult being on that side of the car and going through all those curves and not being in control (Olivia was driving).
But the view was completely worth it.

Ireland

We flew into Shannon and then drove to Galway, stopping at the Cliffs of Moher on the way. It was SO beautiful!!!! And freezing! The wind was blowing so hard, Olivia said that if she began to run she might start flying. Then in Galway we saw a super fun street performer. After Galway was Killarney. But on the way we went to Athenry (one of the first towns on Ireland). And yes, I drove everywhere. It is really weird being on the wrong side of the road:)

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Aunt Katelyn a domestic goddess...right?

Hahaha. Not really but I did make some cute stuff for some of the most beautiful ladies in my family:)
I bought fabric to make Piper an apron for her birthday and Wendy one too.
Then I made pillowcase dresses for Piper and Charis out of the scraps.
I hope they like them!

Friday, July 22, 2011

Heidelberg and Trier

So I said I would post twice daily to catch up....2 days later I have not posted. Oops.
There was no working Internet while we were in Killarney.
Now we are in Dublin and I have paid for it :).
These pics are from our day trips to Heidelberg and Trier. We had lots of fun.
Then Sunday I hung out with the kids and Wendy (we did not venture to church because Charis had a fairly high fever and Asher a low grade one- we now know that the three oldest have/had strep). While I was chillin', making dinner, and taking some cute kids out for ice cream, Olivia was off on a day trip to Frankfurt. She said the streets were filled with merchants and festival type stuff but she couldn't figure out what was going on...then she came back and we watched the World Cup Final...in Frankfurt;).

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Dino fun!

In London, at the Natural History Museum, I purchased some cool toys for Asher and Piper.
Eggs...
Made of rock (chalk, really)...
With dinosaurs inside...
That glow in the dark!!!!

We had a blast hammering the chalk away.
Olivia and I had fun too, but there are no pics showing that we ever helped...
Cause you know those kiddos did it all on there own, right?


Paris before the battery died

I am being really bad about blogging:). I am behind by about a week. Ooops.
Here are some Paris pics from the first day, before my camera died.
Since then we have been to Germany (which means I have some kid pics to share and traveling Germany pics) and Ireland. I will be double posting today and tomorrow I think:).
Anyway in Paris we went to the Louvre and Notre Dame and ...I don't remember:)

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Paris on an iPhone

So my camera died on the first day in Paris...I got through most of the day fine then...nothing.  I thought no biggie, I'll just recharge tonight and be fine, right?  Wrong.  I unpacked all of my two bags looking for my battery charger and could not find it anywhere.  I have no idea where I lost it, but alas it is lost and out of my life.  So the next day I set off, without my camera.  I knew that Olivia would have her camera and would be able to take pics and that I could easily get them from her...but it is not the same.  
However, I still had my iPhone so a few photos still got snapped.  

Eiffel Tower lit up for the evening.


The Eiffel Tower light show.


Palace of Versailles


Me...in the Hall of Mirrors


The enterance to the Gardens of Versailles


Saturday, July 9, 2011

Last few days in the UK

So we spent a few days in Stratford-upon-Avon and are currently in Salisbury. We went to some of the Shakespeare attractions like his birthplace (the house he grew up in), the Nash house (home of one of his daughters), the Holy Trinity Church (where he is buried), and Anne Hathaway's Cottage (where she grew up). They all had beautiful gardens! Then we took a day trip to Warwick to see the Warwick castle and a peacock just decided to walk with us:). We were supposed to get a car in Stratford and then drive to Salisbury (seeing Bath and trematon castle in Saltash on our way) but they gave our car away and I have been slightly angry ever since. We took the train today to Salisbury, with 5 changes - but really it wasn't so bad. Then when we got here we went to Stonehenge. I thought it was really cool:). Tomorrow we will take a train to Southampton and then a plane to Paris. Too tired to write more now:)