Ireland--the first week, Readers Digest version: Castles, Cathedrals, sheep and horses.

Dublin intersection

I can't believe our Ireland adventure is half over! The time has flown by. And of course, I haven't kept up with the blog--mostly because we have been busy! There is so much to see and do--and it stays light until 10:30 or 11:00pm, so we have lots of time to be doing things! And then it's midnight and I'm exhausted, so the blog gets ignored.

So here's the Reader's Digest version of the past week.

We started out in Dublin. I flew in Wednesday night, Mike came in the next morning. We did a brief jaunt through the downtown historic area by Trinity college, and of course St. Patrick's cathedral.

Trinity University Dublin-one of the oldest universities in the world.

Dublin Castle entrance.

St. Patrick's Cathedral Dublin

Then we went and picked up THE CAR. This is in caps because a) Ireland drives on the left (note I didn't say the wrong!) side; b) we were in the middle of Dublin, full of one-way streets, roundabouts and other cars; c) Mike and I are both directionally impaired. We did get a GPS to help us out. Maggie (the GPS) has been both a blessing and a curse--she has rescued us a few times, but she has also led us astray more than once. Paddy O'Shea, commonly known as Paddy Wagon, our little black Hyundai has been a trooper, and has gone down winding, narrow, gravel and all kinds of roads and done just fine, though he does smell like burning toast on steep hills.

Sheep in the road. This has become a common sight.

In front of a waterfall in County Wicklow.

I stopped to commune with some of the locals. They were very friendly.

From Dublin we drove (actually, I drove--since I lived in Malaysia for 3 years and have driven on the left, I'm driving, Michael is navigating) down the east side of the island through county Wicklow and through Glendalough. By the way, that is pronounced Glendalock, I have no idea why or how they get a "k" sound from "gh" but that's how it's said, and yes, it means lake the same as the Scottish loch.

We ended the day in Kilkenny, a quaint town with colorful storefronts and a medieval castle and cathedral. We have since discovered most towns in Ireland have cute colorful storefronts, a cathedral and at least the ruins of a castle.