Tuesday, October 14, 2008

off to Dublin town ... Ireland, day two

We started our day with a relaxed and ample breakfast at the Ramada in Bray: cereals, yogurt, fruits, eggs, meats, and of course scones and coffee & tea. Always scones in Ireland! Then it was back to Greystones where we joined the students for chapel. Completely student-led: worship, music, message. So meaningful.
Following, the parents had a session with the director, Ruth Irvine, where we learned more about what the kids are doing and learning this semester. This hour served to initiate some real bonds between the parents.
From the little church where we met, we walked back to the 'Y' and shared a lunch with the kids: soups, cheese, breads and fruit. Simple, yes. But no complaints ... after all, I was off the hook from cooking!
Gathering our daypacks and each other, we walked to the DART station...





The view out a window of the 'Y.'



After the madness of the Paris metro, the DART into Dublin seemed fairly tame. Here we are, waiting at the station in Greystones .... the sea air is causing my hair to misbehave ...






Here I go again with tech challenges....this photo should be down the page. It's of Temple Bar, one of the oldest areas of Dublin. Shops, restaurants, and cobbled streets. In 1742, Handel's Messiah was first performed here. We found an Italian restaurant, of all things, and ate dinner here.



The DART ride north into Dublin takes about 50 minutes. You catch some spectacular scenery along the coast: beaches along the Irish Sea ... sometimes all you see is water, when the rails hug close to the coast. Unfortunately, the train windows cloud my photographs .... but I tried!






We were tourists for the afternoon with Katie and several of the other students and parents. Sorry, readers. I can't even identify the following photos, but they were taken as we rode atop a "hop on - hop off" bus around the city. Certainly a different feel than Paris. Yes, lots of history ... but on a much smaller scale.













The River Liffey. Katie thinks it's the cutest name. It's the heart of Dublin and many bridges traverse it: some of them foot-only bridges.

Had we caught a slightly later train back to Greystones, I would have had an exciting tale to tell. Apparently, the group behind us had to exit the train and walk to the station. Something on the tracks (a log or tree...this sounds odd...) caused the train to have to stop. Meanwhile, we were at the 'Y' awaiting the train-less group of parents. Late night!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I started laughing when I saw Katie's picture on the touri bus....:) Oh, memories from our trip to Mexico....

klrodman said...

We were on your bus, but got off at Bray & had the adventure of getting a taxi van to take us, the Bannisters, & Shaffers back to the Ramada...and I was worried we'd mess up things for Jerry by not following the prescribed schedule! Our group was the least of his worries! ha.