Welcome to IRELAND!

We have been here for almost a month now. I find it hard to believe
it's already been that long, but time seems to have flown by for the
past three months. I think now that we're here and planning to stay
still for a bit, things should start to operate at a more normal speed.

We were both very excited to move to Ireland, and so we thought
we would immediately love everything. But then, we kind of didn't!
One morning in particular, I rinsed the unfinished cereal from my
bowl into the sink just before I remembered that we don't have a
garbage disposal. I muttered something like, "And we're going to
be here for two years?!" The grouchies got the better of me!

I've since learned that a little culture shock is normal and fortunately
doesn't last that long. Now that we've had some time to settle in and
get adjusted, we're both really growing to like it here very much.
We've met a few people, David's settling into work, the apartment is
starting to feel a little more like home, and we've done some exploring.
Also, we're well on our way to figuring out where things are and how to
get to around, which helps a lot.

It's actually on our outings where we've come to appreciate just how
amazing it is here. This country is more beautiful then we ever thought
it would be. There is so much history here...everywhere we go. And you
know how green everyone says it is here? In the words of our new friend,
Bridget...It's greener. I don't know how to explain it. It's breathtaking,
cute, quaint, fun. It's just a wonderful place.

I know you're all excited to see pictures and get your own glimpse! The
very first weekend we were here, Dennis and Bridget took us to Howth,
which is a working fishing port about 40 minutes from where we live in
Lucan. Going there made for a nice afternoon. Howth (sounds like both)
is not a large town, but it seemed to have a lot to offer.


We parked the car and walked across to the marina. It was a cold and
cloudy day, but it was so nice to get out and be near the water. In the
distance to the right is Bailey Lighthouse.


We all took a walk down the pier. (That's David bundled up on the right.
Dennis and Bridget are on the left.)


On the side of the pier was a group having wine and snacks. It
was really cute..I made a mental note of what a fun date that would be.


David stopped for a quick photo. The water you're seeing behind him is
the Irish Sea. Apparently you can take a boat trip to the land that's also
behind him during the summer. There is the rocky bird sanctuary and
monastic island. More on that once we have warmer weather and can go...


David at the end of the pier...
I love this photo for some reason! The Irish weather makes for a dramatic
view.

The sun popped out a bit on our walk back up the pier. It was almost
as pretty as the walk down it...








Our next stop in Howth was at the market.


Vendors had so many goodies! All this cheese was just
outside on one of the tables. The barrels you see in
the background of this picture were full of different
kind of olives and treats. Other merchants
had fruit, fudge, jams, flowers, and Ireland made
sauces.

The market was in an open area in front of the Fish Monger where
all the days catch is sold. They have just about everything you can
imagine...on or off the bone.





Bridget got some seafood for her dinner that night.


Look at the size of that fish on the bottom, left. That is exaclty why I like
to eat my seafood at restaurants where it's already prepared. At least there
you don't have to make eye contact with your dinner! The markets were
neat to see though. Very cool.

And that ends our first outing in Ireland. We've already done a
quite a bit since then. I'll be adding more soon. And the next
post promises to contain a very good story! So, stay tuned...

P.S. We really are loving it here. Don't let the beginning of this
post fool you. I just vowed to speak my mind on this blog.
Sometimes life isn't all roses, and I think it's OK to be open
about that! I'm actually glad to have experienced that shift
when we arrived. It's teaching me some things.