I just got in this morning. I spent five days in Ireland, and I was ready to leave. I appreciate the country and adore its people (they are very warm-hearted and so unique), but it wasn't a very exciting place. I spent my first three nights at a gorgeous B&B in Dublin. I spent my days doing lots of shopping and walking around. I found lots of sights on my own: Christchurch Cathedral, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dubloin Castle, Trinity College, Temple Bar, etc....By the third day, however, I was bored and gave in and took a sightseeing bus. By then, the weather was terrible (heavy winds and pleting rain), so you couldn't even sit on the top and take good pictures. I saw and did what I could, but it wasn't all that exciting.

On my fourth day there, I took a bus to Ballaghaderreen, which is where my great-grandma and all her family is from. The ride there was gorgeous; I got to see the rolling green hills, fields full of sheep, old cemetaries, crumbling old buildings, and even a rainbow that stretched as far as the eye could see (how fitting). I think the best way to see the true Ireland is to get out of the city and see the countryside. When I got to the town, I was surprised at its size. It is definitely tiny by American standards, but there were several streets lined with all the shops you would need to stay well-stocked and entertained. The pub/hotel I stayed at was very nice. My room was big and had every amenity I could possibly need. I even had a window seat that overlooked the town center, so I could sit there and watch all the action.

Unfortunately, my family who owns the inn was on vacation, so I didn't have any contacts there. I just walked around the town and marveled over the old cathedral and the cemetaries there. I didn't know what to look for as far as family went: where they were buried, where their family home was, etc....I know that they were baptized and married at the cahtedral, so that was kind of cool. I met some pretty fabulous people there who fussed over me and were total sweethearts. I liked the ebb and flow of that little town: families at the local butcher, picking out their dinner for the night; women bowing down and proclaiming "Hello, father!" as the parish priest walked down the street; old men in their newsboy caps standing outside the local pub and sharing the latest sports scores. It was like stepping back in time. I can appreciate places like this, but I was ready to leave the next day. I'll be back, but next time I'm bringing my mom and grandma with me, and my Irish family will be there. It'll be more productive.

I returned to Dublin the next night and had a hell of a time finding accommodation (it was, after all, New Year's Eve). I gave in and booked a room in an 8-bed dorm at a downtown hostel. That ended up being a wise decision: it was cheap, and I met someone with which to go out with that night. She was a Swedish girl who had recently moved to Ireland and was looking for a place to live. She knew some of the places to go, so I tagged along with her. We started out at a poker club, which is a place I have never been to before. I had to join to get in, but it was free and you got free food and drinks just for showing up. I followed the girl around to the various tables, as there was no way in hell I was going to spend and lose money in such a manner. It was fun to watch her, though. At one table, the croupier was the most beautiful, blue-eyed Northern British boy I've ever seen. He and I flirted and bantered back and firth while my Swedish friend lost nearly €100. Eeeek! Understandably, she was ready to leave not long after that, so there went my brief romance with a Dublin croupier.#

It was very cold, so we ducked into the nearest pub. It wasn't very hopping, but that was OK. The streets were lined with girls in their hooker skirts and knee-high boots, so I didn't really want to go where they were going. I drank a cider (I just can't stand Guiness; sorry!), and we swapped life stories. We spent the rest of the evening at Burger King, which is where a lot of people ended up converging at the stroke of midnight. Dublin was not the best place to ring in the new year, as there were no big festivals, no fireworks, no special concerts...However, I ended up having fun anyway, so that's all that matters.

I had to get up super early this morning to catch my flight to Edinburgh. I had fun shopping at the airport, and the flight itself was uneventful. It was very short; 40 minutes. It was cool to see Ireland and Scotland from above; very green and lots of beautiful sea. I had already booked a room in a B&B in Edinburgh, so I found the right bus to get on and a map took me the rest of the way; piece of cake! I think this is the first time I haven't gotten hopelessly lost in a new city. I think I'm getting the hang of this here traveling thing. My B&B is fabulous: it's a Victorial mansion, and the rooms have high ceilings, lots of cool little nooks and crannies, and a great view. I have all the amenities, and the place is a 15 minute walk from the castle and Princes St. Schweet!

As for the rest of my journey, I'm slowly working my way back to London. I don't know how long I'll stay here; I suppose it depends on how much I like the city. Nearly everything is closed today, and the weather is terrible anyway, so I bought tickets to see the film Ms. Potter, and we'll see from there. I may go to Glasgow, or I may tour some other cities in England. Or I may just spend my last few nights in London. I really want to see Les Miserables on the West End. Who knows? I do know thaqt I'm not going to get depressed that my vacation is nearly over, and I'm going to try to live it up as much as possible.

Well, I'm signing off for now. You'll probably hear from me again when I get back to London. I promise to post lots of pictures upon my return home. Til then....Happy holidays!

Anne