Holiday within a holiday

The word holiday can mean lots of things. Before I had children holidays usually involved lots of sleeping in, lazing around and doing whatever I wanted. After having children holidays are very different! Flying for a very long time to wildly fascinating places also means that sleeping and lazing are not really on the cards. I have tried to keep our schedule achievable but making sure that you see most of the things you want to see does make for a busy time. The last couple of days in Ireland have been slower and very relaxing.

Paul, Ryan and Daniel picked us up yesterday around 1pm and drove us through the hills south of Dublin. The scenery was different again to what we have been seeing. Ireland seems to be much hillier and in parts quite lonely and bleak. Icy looking streams flowing down heathery slopes with scattered sheep the only signs of life. Around the corner a beautiful lake at the foot of the mountains which become green and lush. The roads were quite windy so I wasn't sorry my slightly prone to carsickness children weren't with us, but once we got to Avondale House and Park I did really wish they were here.

We went on a beautiful walk through the woods down to the river. The rain held off the whole time we were outside. The trees are so tall and every shade of vibrant green. Once at the river the boys started competing. Who can skim stones the best, who can hit various targets across the river, who can pick up the biggest rock etc. I had no hope of hitting targets, I throw as badly as a girl can throw, but I did manage to skim stones for the first time! The boys played football and when we hopped back into the car it started raining. We drove to a village and found a pub where we had dinner. I had beef and Guinness stew (delicious).

We slept in this morning longer than I have slept in in at least 9 years! Then we caught the tram into Dublin. Dublin is a great city - not as atmospheric as Edinburgh or as old as London, but lovely. We wandered all over, I have quite worn through the soles of my shoes. We saw Trinity College, bought gear at the Celtic (that's a football team for those not in the know) shop and walked a very long way to the Guinness Storehouse to arrive just after it closed. Not to worry, we caught a bus back to Temple Bar where we went into The Temple Bar (a pub) and ordered my first ever Guinness which we drank while enjoying live Irish music - very cool. I'm an eater not a drinker, and beer is not something I enjoy drinking usually so I didn't have high hopes for the black stuff, but it wasn't that bad and we drank a pint between us. Oh! I forgot to mention that we also ate that peculiar Scottish delicacy the battered Mars Bar! Um... the Mars Bar is quite good when it is all warm and squishy, but the batter is just like what you batter fish with so it was weird.

So, now you are caught up. Sadly I can't put photos up here because I have a brilliant one of me trying Guinness and one of Andrew and I squinting in sun that really shouldn't be here. Tomorrow we check out of our hotel and go to spend our last night in Ireland with Paul, Sara and the boys, we're really looking forward to that!