Monday, April 10, 2006

Weekend in Review

Hello, all! We had a nice weekend here...I hope you did, too.
There's not tons to tell about it, but we took a few pictures I
thought I'd share.

Self portrait, taken in our bathroom Friday night after dinner. : )


David took this when we were walking to the bus stop on
Saturday morning. I think those purple flowers are so pretty, as are the vine
covered and natural stone walls you see everywhere here.


On Saturday, we went to St. Stephens Green. It's a big park (over 20 acres)
that sits right inside the heart of Dublin. David took pictures of the ducks.


A view from the bridge at St. Stephens Green. Apparently they hold free concerts
here during the summer. We'll have to check that out. You just bring a blanket
and enjoy.


I read that the area was enclosed in 1664, but it was landscaped to look the way
it does today in 1880. It's so pretty there - very relaxing.




Beautiful signs of spring are popping up here. These flowers
were in St. Stephens Green, but we noticed signs of warmer weather
elsewhere, with buds on trees and leaves starting to show.


The weather on Saturday was so unpredictable!! We had sun shine
one minute and literally the next minute it was poring rain and very cloudy.
That pattern alternated all day long!

The streets cleared out when we got a ton of pea sized hail. We were eating
lunch at the time, enjoying the view of the weather from inside a warm
restaurant.


You can see the hail here -- people were scooping it up and throwing it
at each other like snowballs. A half a dozen kids came out of no where
to play in it and everyone took out their cameras for their show.


Within 15 minutes after the hail stopped, the sun was out and shining again.


We did a lot of walking on Saturday. That walking took us to Trinity College,
the oldest university in Dublin, to see the library. In it, they have a collection
Samuel Beckett's notes and literary research. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1969. He's an Irish playright and novelist. And during the month of
April is the Samuel Beckett Festical here in Dublin. The Trinity College Library is
also the home to the Book of Kells, a manuscript dating to probably around 800 A.D.
It's an illuminated version of the gospels containing early and ornate Irish art.


The Trinity College campus is beautiful.






Walking around Dublin is a lot of fun. It makes for such good people watching,
and there are always a few musicians out on the the streets playing. Little crowds
gather around to listen quite reliably. During the week, I've noticed people standing
in the streets listening to them while they're eating lunch.


During one of the rainy periods, we thought we'd pop into this
old church to check it out. Turns out, it was the Dublin Tourism
Center! Oh well, we got to use the restrooms and get in from the
cold for a minute.


The building was still beautiful...gorgeous architecture.
David took a shot of this doorway. Above it are the words,
"The Lord Shall Preserve the Going Out And The Coming In."


That evening, we met up with some friends in Temple Bar for dinner
and to go to a pub that played traditional Irish music. It was a lot of fun - Good times!

We've got a lot planned for next weekend. David has a four day weekend
for Easter. So, we're going to take advantage of it and go to Galway on the
west coast of Ireland. We're staying in an old castle! It looks amazing.

This week, I've got to buckle down and do some research on colleges
and family history so I can figure out my application for citizenship here.
Cross your fingers!

6 comments:

TruJen Phtography said...

Looks like you two had a great weekend! Love the pictures. Also, the library links are sweet! I'd love to get some of the Book of Kells artwork. WOW! Do they have prints of them? Does the library have a gift shop? I'll pay! :o)

Can't wait for next weekend's adventure!

Also, best of luck with citizenship stuff. I'm crossing my fingers for you.

Love, Jen

Lindsay Teague Moreno | 5ive Photo said...

awesome pictures...and SNOW???? I call hail snow and you can't stop me! SNOW???? That's awesome. I hope you threw some around! You look gorgeous in that picture on top!!!! :) I love these shots!!!

I want some of your apartment!!! What does it look like inside? Outside? whats in your town? :)

lindsay

Lindsay Teague Moreno | 5ive Photo said...

oh yea and good luck on the citizenship thing...can you be a citizen of 2 countries????

Anonymous said...

I second lindsay's comments about your apartment and town...i'm so curious to see your immediate surroundings.

I also thought Lindsay's reaction to snow in April was great! She obviously is not from MI!

TruJen Phtography said...

Jen Jones,
You should read Lindsay's blog. She prays for rain! I think she needs a ticket to MI sometime!

Sam, I third the pics for home and your town. Also, have you found anything you can't get that one of us could send from home?

Let us know!
:o) Jen

Lindsay Teague Moreno | 5ive Photo said...

Jen...I ask her all the time about sending stuff...she just blows me off! That's okay...soon, I'm going to just start picking stuff out to send if she doesn't give me a list!!!

lindsay