So it rains here in Ireland...a lot. On our first day, we had about 30 minutes of rain, and everyone raved about it being a "perfect" day. Yesterday and today have been what even they call rainy...torrential rain.
So we have not gotten to do as much, but we have been enjoying Irish specialties. I've tried a lot of different ciders (they are all great but my favorite is Orchard Thieves), and you really enjoyed the meat pie:
It's like the perfect food for you- beef, mashed potatoes, vegetables. You also got a kick out of the fact that we all have to stop for cows to cross the road, like the geese at home.
I don't think you understand this yet, but Dad has had to drive on the left side of the road our entire time here. He is doing remarkably well, despite the capitalized "DRIVE ON THE LEFT" signs and the high price of car insurance.
So yesterday we hung out at our amazing airbnb until noon, when the rain let up (sort-of) enough for us to go to the Donkey Sanctuary, which is amazing. So many donkeys are abandoned or mistreated, and this place offers them a space in which they can heal. Even though we got absolutely drenched (and learned that donkeys, unlike horses, hate the rain), we did get to meet some sweet donkeys:
Your favorite was Bocelli who, like the singer, is blind. He came right up to you, so we got you a stuffed Bocelli to support their charity. We also adopted Bocelli for a year; you can adopt any of the donkeys here.
We truly enjoyed this place, the sweet donkeys, and the beautiful views of the castle. I'm less than excited about the food- I ordered a pastry with chicken and mushrooms inside and it came slathered in gravy; my side salad also had a mayonnaise-drenched coleslaw directly on top. Thank God for the ciders, which are my saving grace here food-wise.
Today we left our idyllic airbnb and travelled to Dublin. We stopped at a rest stop which advertised itself as Barack Obama's ancestral home. Intrigued, we used the bathrooms, purchased food, and then treated ourselves to the museum explaining that Obama's great-grandmother was actually from this small town in Ireland, Moneygall. The food and coffee were great, and the exhibit was really interesting, actually.
A museum in a rest stop has got to be the strangest thing I've ever seen, but I learned a lot about the Irish origins of Presidents Reagan, Clinton, Bush, and, of course, Obama (who said he would have to replace the apostrophe in his name). Ha.
In Dublin, we only had time for a really tough, windy run today; we ran by the water, it was pelting down rain, and it was tough to move, but you enjoyed it, as you always enjoy running with Dad.
Tomorrow we will add some culture to our lives and see the Book of Kells, Dubliniana (the Viking museum), and Dublin Castle, before we move on to England. At that point, I will be doing my archival work, so this blog will have to wait until Dad can send me some pictures.
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