Wicklow Way Lodge

... of our hockey which I know most of you understand. I did have some ego boosting there which was great! Two friends who were competing with each other, one was cute, the other wasn’t. The courage was increased as the Guinness was drank so the conversations got quite ridiculous. We tried to call in some back up from the guys at the hostel but I guess our request sounded ridiculous too so it never got passed on. Imagine, alcohol and conversations….always go so ...

... estates such as this), which was relaxing. Not worth the 7 euros each, though. We then drove to the coastal town of Bray and got our first view of the ocean. We walked up a hill to Bray head and had a great view down to the town, the ocean and the valley. We then continued on a coastal walk for a couple hours to the town of Graystone. That was a mistake. The town was supposed to have a nice harbour but it was all ...

... s got such a talent for socializing it definately made that first evening way smoother and the brazilians seemed to really like him aswell, Fernanda even cooked us a great dinner : ) Then at night, I tried to take a nap in my new room but there was just too many thought going through my head and then Fernanda called to say that Bruno and Chris were coming home that night and needed my duvet and what not so I called Will to beg him to take me in for one more night which he of course agreed to .

... signs). Ireland is unbelievably sunny and HOT!!!! The sun is bright, even at 8AM. It's a beautiful day as I head along the motorway to City West, a suburb southwest of Dublin, about a 45 minute drive. Everything looks gorgeous in this type of weather, even the City West Hotel, my destination. I have stayed there on a previous trip, and it certainly looks better now. It is a huge low-rise property, with extremely long corridors (not for the frail or those with walking ...

After getting up early to watch an episode of Friends and the news, Brian picked me up around 10 and we were off to sight see for the day in the rolling hills of Ireland. Our main destination was Wicklow Forest National Mountain Park. The journey took about 1 ½ hours, but the scenery was beautiful. The rolling hills, farms, and windy roads made me think of a bight spring day home in Wisconsin. Once we arrived at the park, we ...

... took it like * trooper though *nd we ventured into the living room to meet our hosts B*rtek *nd Soeren, *nd *nother couple th*t w*s couch surfing there *s well, D*niel *nd Anj* from Germ*ny. Couch Surfing is *n internet b*sed progr*m where you p*y * fee to join, then people *round the country offer their homes to you for however long you like for free. The two guys we st*yed with seemed to re*lly enjoy h*ving guests *nd they h*d fun t*king us out *nd showing us Dublin ...

... anyway, I'm still searching for a suitable place. Being outside of the country has just made it even more obvious why I should be leaving. I think its sad to see folks traveling from the US and we all look so tired and sad. There was this woman on the tour bus from California and I ended up asking her if she was ok cause she just looked so sad and worn out and I don't know how I looked but I sure felt tired and sad on the tour. The ...

... BREATH...the bags are in Cork... yes the other side of the country," that was followed by an immediate hug (restraining and comforting tactics!) We left the luggage area a little in a bit of dismay, with out a clue of what we were going to do to get our bags. We didn't have a lot of time in Dublin; my dad's party was the next night.... And then we were blind sided with the screams of my mother! It was wonderful, the tears the happiness... I got ...

... the train station and setting out on foot looking for beds. That's the way I normally operate on the road, but when travelling through Europe in summer it's wise to pre-book accommodation ahead of time. It increases the chances of getting reasonably priced beds, saving on costs. Plus, it gives us something we quite like... that being a definite itinerary, at least until we get to Naples. The itinerary for the rest of the trip beyond Italy has, only in the ...

... being good Catholics, decided to shut everything and prohibit the serving of alcohol. BAH! Just as well we'd picked up 2 bottles of Moet at the airport :) Impressions of Ireland (republic of), in no particular order: - GUINNESS!!!! Real, live, yummy, smooth, creamy, fresh, real, yummy Guinness from the Guinness factory. Needless to say I consumed as much of this nectar of the Irish gods as was humanly possible. - The ...