July 14, 2009

Well.....if this is July 14th then it must be our last full day in Ireland :(

Got off to a bit of a slow start this morning and were greeted with some pretty grey skies as we made our way into town by taxi. (Cab costs approx 25 Euros one way)

Our first cabbie of the day was quite a character....we asked him to drop us off at Christchurch Cathedral and he dropped us at the wrong cathedral! Who'd have thought that a cabbie wouldn't know the major tourist attractions after (according to him) he's lived here his entire life and been driving cab for 9 years!!!

We finally located Christchurch and Dublinia (another attraction that has lots of info about the arrival of the Vikings to this area) thanks to the guidance of folks hiding in doorways along the street. Why were they hiding in doorways you ask? Well....I'll tell you.....it's because we were in the midst of a torrential downpour and let me assure you that when it rains in Ireland....it RAINS! We were soaked to the skin in no time as we made our way down the street realizing that it was far too late for us to look for a doorway to hide in.

We spent enough time in Dublinia and Christchurch to dry off a little before braving the elements again. Amazingly....and this is a common pattern in Ireland from what we've observed.....the roads were dry and the sun was shining ..... it was as though not a drop had fallen! But....within minutes the clouds had gathered once more and before we knew it our hoods were back up and our previously nearly dry clothes were on their way to being soaking wet again.

We located a pub to "hide" in and since we were 'hiding-out' in a pub....there was little else to do but grab a little pub grub and something to wash it down with. By the time we were back to the streets.....yes....you know it....the sun was shining and the streets were dry once more!

Local folks here say that a typical weather forecast is that "it will rain till it stops with intermittent sunny periods throughout the day. Clouds are likely for much of the day and you may see some foggy patches when the sun isn't shining through." Basically....my take on it is that they don't have a clue so they cover all their bases just to be on the safe side.

You'll not be surprised to hear that within a couple of blocks of our return to the street....the rain began to fall once more so by the time we arrived at the Guinness Brewery we looked much like the sorry drowned rats we were.

The Brewery was interesting and the 7th floor (the Gravity Bar) provides an outstanding view of the city. And wouldn't you know it.....whenever we're inside anywhere...there isn't a drop of rain falling! By the time we came out of the Brewery the rain had begun to fall once more and we were all ready for a place to dry off so we caught a cab back to our hotel where tea and cookies and a nice warm room were waiting for us.

I'm laughing as I type this....it is just after 10:00 pm here and everyone but me is in bed (nothing new in my world). All three of them (Rob, Jenna, and mom) are ready to head for home and have been for at least a day. Rob is planning his shopping trip to duty free, he's looking for a watch that will suit his new appointment as a marriage commissioner so mom and I are going to get to "help" him find that perfect accessory at the Dublin Airport. Gotta love shopping when it isn't your own money that you're spending :)

I guess I'd better sign off for now and get myself packed for our departure in the morning. It's been another great adventure but as much as I've enjoyed being here....the "Irish Mist" is wearing thin and I'm ready for a little Okanagan sun to soak up.

See you all soon,
L