Caught a Dog Napper at St. James's Park

This was just two days ago... Friday, July 15. Walking through St. James's Park not far from Buckingham Palace we came across this man and his dog (see photos below).

Talk about being dog-tired! Wendy and I both had tired puppies ourselves from all the walking we had already done that day. I've often thought that if I hadn't been born a human being how wonderful it would be to have been born a dog in a kind and loving home.

 

Wendy makes new friend at the British Museum in London!

Look who I caught on film... Wendy and a new (or should I say, "old"!) friend. We started on Saturday, July 16, with a visit to the British Museum. "Wow!" is all I can say.

We spent over three-and-a-half hours and only got to look in two of dozens of rooms of antiquities! The highlight for both of us was the opportunity to see the actual Rosetta Stone (see photo below). Wendy bought a replica of the stone for my office. 

In the afternoon we took in a play at the Theatre Royal. We had an awesome time with "to die for" seats in a nearly 300-year-old theatre. Thank the good Lord we did not have to die for the seats, however. Otherwise, you might be visiting our remains at the British Museum some three thousand years from now!

Wendy sees the Queen!

This photo shows Wendy's expression after seeing Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip as they drove by us earlier in the morning.

It was Friday morning around 10:30 a.m. We were walking toward Buckingham Palace to view the 11:30 a.m. changing of the guard ceremony. Straight ahead of us a black Bentley drew near, accompanied by police and armed guard escort in the front and in the rear.

I turned my gaze briefly to the left. Wendy watched the Bentley as it drove past on the right. It was then that she saw the queen and her husband in the back seat of the fancy car. The queen was wearing a sea-foam green dress and matching hat. What a sight! (Of course, I wouldn't know... I was looking the other way, remember?!) By the time I turned to look, all I could see were the tail-lights of the Bentley and the flashing lights of the escort vehicles.

Several minutes later we arrived at the gates to Buckingham Palace. A man and his son from Texas stood nearby. The boy informed us that they had seen the queen drive out of the palace and onto the street just a short while before. Wendy informed him that she, too, had seen the queen as we walked toward the palace. So... two Texans and an Oregonian both saw the queen in her sea-foam green attire on this day... while yours truly saw a different shade of green -- green with envy!

Well, if it's any consolation I did see other sights... such as the one pictured below. (I took this photo fifteen minutes or so after Wendy's sighting of the queen.) Now why, I ask, didn't the queen choose to ride a horse on this day? At least then I might have gotten a good glimpse at her stellar attire!

While Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is under investigation for phone tapping here in London, the Mullins' Hotel Room was found to be BUGGED!

No kidding! Wendy and I arrived in London on Wednesday, July 13. We checked into our hotel and then found a nearby laundramat where we did our laundry for the week. Upon returning to our hotel, we prepared for bed. Pulling back the covers, Wendy found what appeared to be a very small black bug. Pulling back the mattress sheet we found evidence of bed bugs. (See the disgusting photos below.) Not a very pleasant discovery at 10:00 p.m. or any time, to say the least!

It took too long for hotel management to come up with a solution to our dilemma. The hotel was booked full to capacity. At 1:00 a.m., several hours after our unpleasant discovery, we were shuttled off to a nearby hotel where we were provided a small, barely satisfactory apartment room for the night at a cost of 130 British pounds (the equivalent of about U.S. $210). We slept rather poorly that night as the bed was rather lumpy and quite uncomfortable.

Upon rising the next morning (at 7:30 a.m.) we returned to our original hotel room and met with the manager. She refunded our 130 British pounds which we paid for the seven-and-a-half hour stay at the "emergency shelter" and assured us that our credit card would be credited as well for the previous night we had paid for in her hotel. Later that day we were moved into a different room that proved to be free of any bugs.

Now... if only I could get some sleep. I keep feeling as if something is crawling on me beneath the covers. But each time I look, I find nothing is there. Still my mind keeps telling me, "something lurks beneath the sheets!" It's definitely not Wendy... she's sleeping soundly in bed as I type this blog.

Give way? No way!

We call them "Yield" signs in the States. Here in the U.K. they're called "Give Way" signs.

It's important to understand the meaning of signs when traveling in a foreign country. It's even more important to watch the flow of traffic when driving anywhere downtown -- whether in Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow or Edinburgh. That's because not everyone pays attention to what's printed on the signs.

For example, the sign says "Give Way" to the traffic on my right. On occasion, however, the behavior of the driver to my right suggests a different mindset... an attitude that says "No Way!" to the "Give Way" mandate.

Not to pick on drivers in Ireland and the U.K.  We've all experienced plenty of times in the States when drivers ignore or blatantly disobey the signs along the way.

Hmmmm... me thinks there's a moral here. "It's better to serve than to be served." Wise instruction, wouldn't you agree? Take the street sign, "Give Way," for example. One could demand that the traffic approaching such a sign abide by its directive, only to find oneself the victim of a collision. Or, one could wisely and politely say, "Okay... you go first!" Such an attitude and behavior will result in safe  progress along one's intended journey as planned.

Small Fox seen on Edinburgh Street carrying Rabbit for Dinner

I couldn't get my camera out fast enough. There we were driving along the city streets in Edinburgh. We came to an intersection near the queen's personal park. While waiting on the traffic light, a rather smallish thin fox crossed the street from our left with a rabbit in his mouth. With stealth he traveled diagonally across the street as though he'd done the same many times before. Slipping in between the steel bars of the park's fence he scurried away into the wood.

We were not the only people surprised by this unexpected event. Cars and busses crossing the street all came to a standstill (that in itself is a miracle of sorts in Edinburgh!). Bystanders stood gawking in amazement. As for me... I found myself wishing I had had my camera ready to get a shot of this most unusual sighting. Ah well... you'll just have to take my word for it. A fox crossing the street with take-out dinner... or, as they say here in Scotland, "take-away dinner".

All of this leads me to ask, "Why did the fox cross the road?" I'll be interested in reading any answers you may have in response to this question!

The Splendor of Kells Priory

Kells Priory is one of the largest and magnificent medieval historic monuments in Ireland. The priory sits alongside King's River, about 9 miles south of the city of Kilkenny. Its most prominent feature is a set of medieval tower houses spaced at intervals along and within walls which enclose a site of just over three acres. These give the priory the appearance more of a fortress than of a place of worship and from them comes its local name of "Seven Castles". A priory is a place where men or women under religious vows are directed by a prior or prioress (a community spiritual leader). Priories may be houses of friars or religious sisters, or monasteries of monks or nuns.

I visited Kells Priory on the afternoon of June 23 while traveling from Kilkenny to Bantry. I was so impressed with this site that I stayed for several hours praying, meditating and singing.


I tried to upload a video of Kells Priory with this blog, but the file was too large for this site to handle. I've uploaded it on my FaceBook site instead. Check it out at
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/video/video.php?v=10150306703814813&notif_t=video_processed


The song that is played as background music to the video is a segment of a song that I wrote earlier in 2011, "Our God, We Come". Written as a song to be sung near the beginning of worship, it has been entered in a song-writing competition sponsored by the Gospel Music Association. I will find out how I fare in the competition when I go to Nashville, Tennessee, the last week of this month of July. The recording features Jon Nitz on the keyboard and the bass guitar, John Hood on the drums, Carl Scheeler on the harmonica, and me on the acoustic guitar and vocals.

Pitlochry, Scotland -- A Place of Peace and Reflection

We arrived in the town of Pitlochry on the afternoon of July 8. What a splendid place... a beautiful setting... Victorian in style and inspiring in atmosphere.

This is where I paused beside a creek to reflect on the beauty of God's creation...

This is where Wendy and I enjoyed an afternoon matinee play -- "See How They Run" -- a production that would have cost us four times what we paid if we were to have viewed the production in someplace like Vegas...

Pitlochry is the place where we sauntered through the streets hand-in-hand in love... like young lovers who just happen to have been married for 32 years and two days.

Oh... and lest I forget... this is the place we came across Sweeney Tod's Demon Barber Shop (see photo below)... I could have lost my head if I hadn't had my haircut before I left Pendleton!

Reminiscing thirty-two years in one short day!

This photo was taken on the isle of Skye, Scotland, the morning of July 8th, one day after our 32nd wedding anniversary. After we took the photo Wendy looked at me and said, "Does it seem like 32 years have passed?"

Sincerely, it seems like little time has gone since we shared our marriage vows. It feels like not that long ago that our daughter, Megan, was born in Ft. Worth, Texas, while I was a student in seminary. It doesn't even seem like four years have passed since Megan herself was married to our wonderful son-in-law Michael. In fact, I scarcely can believe that 16 months have gone by since our first and only grandchild, Grayson, was born! (Grayson... your grandma and I picked you up a "Nessie" stuffed animal when we visited Loch Ness earlier this afternoon!)

The moral of this short blog: cherish each moment you have as a precious gift from God. Let your gift to the Creator be a life lived fully each moment of every day. Take opportunity each day (and often!) to serve others in Christ's spirit of love and grace. Be slow to criticize or complain and steadfast in sharing compliments and appreciation. In this way, honor Christ who came to demonstrate the depth and dimension of God's love and grace (which is unfathomable, indeed!).

God bless you richly and warmly as you read this.

Playing with Maurice Sutherst on the Scottish Isle of Skye

On the day of our 32nd wedding anniversary, July 7, Wendy and I were traveling on the Scottish isle of Skye. We happened to stop for a "wee bit" when we heard the sound of guitar and mandolin music coming from not too far away. Investigating the source of the music, we came upon Maurice Sutherst of North Shields, UK, and his companion Elaine Johnson of Dumfries, Scotland. It was not long before Maurice and Elaine invited me to play with them. Within a short few minutes our music attracted other musicians who decided to come and join us.

Maurice is a professional recording artist who started singing and writing songs a few years ago and came to the attention of David Wood of Impulse Studio who had previously discovered and recorded Sting. At the time Maurice was playing one of his own original songs in a music store he owned in England. Unbeknownst to Maurice, David Wood happened to be in the store at the time. Hearing Maurice's song, David asked if he would play it one more time. After the second play-through David asked Maurice if he would like to record the song. The song was recorded two days later and Maurice was on his way to stardom.

Wendy and I had a delightful time that afternoon on Skye. One of the other musicians who happened to come by and play with us was none other than Brian Skinner who played and toured with Belfast, Ireland, artist Robin Mark for twenty years. Robin Mark and his band are famous for his "Revival in Belfast Live" CD that was released in 1999 (as well as many other CDs produced and sold since then). Brian is the man playing fiddle to the right in the photo below.

Look up Maurice Sutherst and Brian Skinner on Google!

Day in Glasgow with Wendy

Wendy is one tired woman! Her plane arrived at Glasgow International Airport at 7:50 a.m. I met her at 8:45 a.m. after she had picked up her luggage and gone through customs. We took the city bus back to the hotel ($18.47 for both of us -- mine a two-way ticket from hotel/airport/hotel and hers a one-way -- as compared with a taxi which would have been minimum $50 round-trip). Arrived to the hotel around 10:30 a.m. and Wendy took a 2-hour nap. We then went sightseeing on foot... a very nice city, contrary to my initial observation from last evening. Lots of very old and very ornate buildings. Did my laundry at a hostel across the street from the hotel, since our hotel does not offer laundry service. Cost was $8.39 for one load (wash and dry)... everything's very expensive! At least I didn't have to pay for the ironing and folding! (Wendy ironed and I folded!!!)

Speaking of folding, I think I'll close for now. I've had lousy internet connection speed here at the hotel. Can you believe it's not Wi-Fi??? I guess I've become spoiled. Connection was too slow to upload any videos today... perhaps better luck tomorrow. We'll be in Inveraray then. Our personal guide meets us in the morning at 9:30 a.m. to begin our tour of Scotland!

On my way to Scotland... goodbye, Belfast!

My time in Ireland has officially come to a close. I set sail for Scotland from the docks of Belfast at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, July 2nd. They told me I was taking a ferry out of port. The water craft was much more like a cruise liner, however... well, not exactly, but it was quite large and posh!

After two weeks in Ireland it was with mixed feelings that I said goodbye to the land of many shades of green. I am looking forward to meeting Wendy at the airport in Glasgow tomorrow morning. But I'm also feeling some sadness about saying goodbye to the land of clover, Leprechauns and pots of gold. (Well... at least two out of three rang true for me. I walked upon clover and met a short Irishman who introduced himself to me as a Leprechaun... surely, he looked the part from head-to-toe! As for the gold? That's another issue... I've spent far more than I've discovered. However, I did find a fifty euro note in the mud (the equivalent of U.S. $72.65) as I walked in the rain through an ancient cemetery! The saints were lookin' kindly down upon me that day, for sure!

Learning Irish Jigs and Reels (Part 2)

 

Here's the second part of my experience with David Crowe in the Traditional Irish Music Shop located in Doolin, Ireland. The date is June 27, 2011, and I have found a good friend in David who was most gracious in spending a bit of time helping me learn some Irish dance music. David just completed his first year of college and is working in the Music Shop as a way of earning income for his next year of school. In addition to his work at the Music Shop he also performs with other musicians in pubs around the region. He informed me that a pub performer who plays seven nights a week (for a couple of hours a night) can expect to receive between 200 - 300 Euro (US $285 - $428) a week for his or her work. Not many musicians play that many nights per week, however. David plays a couple of nights per week and then performs and competes in Irish dance at other times.

In the video you'll hear me ask David about the name of the shop. Because of his accent I misunderstood his reply. I thought he said "Trish and Larry's" when, in fact, he said "Traditional Irish". Jeesh, Marc... clean your ears out!

Anyway, the shop has nothing to do with either Trish or Larry... its actual name is "Traditional Irish" Music Shop. So there you have it... one time I was mistaken about something! (Ha! If only you knew... of course, Wendy knows... I've been wrong a bit more than just one time in my life!)







Learning Irish Jigs and Reels (Part 1)

Here I am on June 27, 2011, in the Traditional Irish Music Shop in Doolin, Ireland, with David Crowe. David has just taught me two Irish tunes, the first of which is played here.

Kilkennys in Concert 2

Here's another song from the Kilkennys concert on June 22.

The Kilkennys in Concert (June 22, 2011)

On the evening of June 22 I was invited to a private party/concert by the owners of the Bed and Breakfast where I was staying. It was held at Matt the Millers Pub in downtown Kilkenny and featured a band of local young men who are quite popular throughout Ireland and in many parts of the world. This video (and a couple of others I'll post) was shot with their permission. After the concert I was asked to play them one of my songs, which I did. In appreciation they gave me one of their live concert album CDs. It's a great CD which I'm pleased to have!

In this video group members are playing the following instruments: mandolin, 4-string tenor banjo, mandolin and the bodrahn (pronounced BOW-rawn). The bodrahn is an Irish drum that is played with a single stick called a "beater". Notice how the drummer produces different sounds by the way in which he moves his left hand up-and-down inside the drum head, as well as how and where he hits the drum head with the beater.

A "Chippie" on the Old Block

Jacob Street is an old street in Kilkenny. After walking just one block down this street I came across Tom and Chippie Mullins' place. Are they any relation to me? Who knows for sure? One thing is for certain, though. Tom bears striking resemblance to many of my dad's own siblings. His physical features... his personality and temperament... even his generosity (He and Chippie gave me a free meal and a Coke while I visited with them in their shop during my three-and-a-half hour stop in their shop!).

Comments can now be posted from viewers...

Megan informed me that some people (including herself) were not successful in posting comments on this blog site. I went into the settings and changed one item. People now should be able to post comments as they wish!

Kilkenny Street Scenes taken between 10:30 - 11:00 p.m.

I went to the Marble City Pub this evening to listen to a musician I had met earlier in the day, Tom Comerford of Waterford, Ireland (about 45 minute drive from Kilkenny). Check out Tom's website at www.tomcomerford.com .

During his concert Tom invited me up to play a couple of songs. I first played the song I wrote for Wendy for our wedding 32 years ago, "Angel in White." (We will celebrate our 32nd wedding anniversary in Scotland this July 7th!) I followed that number up with "The Bubblegum Song" (also known as "Frank and Harold"). I wrote that song about a month before our wedding -- attempting to write a wedding love song, but it was finals week my senior year of college, I was under pressure, and crazy stuff comes out of my brain in such times! What more can I say?

Anyway, the night was awesome. The small crowd at the pub seemed to enjoy my music. Two ladies who were with their own husbands really appreciated my song written for Wendy.

Now, to introduce the pictures above... I took these after leaving the pub, between 10:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Notice how light the sky is yet in these photos. It doesn't get entirely dark until after 11 p.m. here.

It's 10:30 p.m. in Kilkenny and there's still daylight in the sky!

The radio news reported that today is the longest day in the year in Ireland. I believe it!

Take a look at this short video. Notice the sky, how light it still is. This is an undoctored video. You're looking at the scene exactly as I was seeing it at 10:30 p.m.

The street is two-way, believe it or not! Earlier in the day it was packed with cars going both ways as well as pedestrians threading their way through and among the vehicles. Needless to say, I didn't drive this road. But I've driven others not much wider than this one since my arrival in Ireland.

It's quite an experience, an American driving in these parts. First, there's the fact that you're driving on the "wrong" side of the road (at least from our perspective). Then, you're driving in the "wrong" front seat of the car (again, that's from an American's point-of-view). Furthermore, you're driving on narrow roads that are littered with parked cars, bicyclists, pedestrians and the traffic coming toward you!

It's enough to drive a man to drink... or prayer, which is my choice of comfort!

I found St. Mullins!

Check this out... I took a guided tour of Trinity College in Dublin yesterday afternoon. The guide was a student... he had just completed his exams to allow him to move on from junior status to senior status. As a fourth year student he wore a Harry Potter-like cape... except his cape was rich dark brown whereas Harry's (if I remember correctly from the movies) was black.

At the end of the tour we were granted admission into the Great Library... it reminded me of the library scene in one of the Potter movies... and just prior to entering the Great Library I was given the opportunity to see the Book of Kells. (I'll speak more about that later. You may want to Google it.)

What I really want to mention at this time is the fact that there is a book that is stored in the Great Library (actually three books... three of the four Gospels) that was produced by a monk known as St. Mullins. NO KIDDING!

Look closely at the photos above and you'll see that St. Moling (from which Mulling is derived) is the same as St. Mullins. I've been "mulling" it over in my mind since yesterday afternoon... pondering... cogitating... thinking that perhaps I am related to St. Mullins. It's not inconceivable. I mean, look at me. Don't I remind you of a saint???

Okay... maybe I don't want you to answer that question. But I can still wonder over it... and while I'm considering the matter, I think I'll begin a research project on the subject. Who knows... maybe I'm closer to sainthood than I ever before thought!

Cod Dinner in Kilkenny

I drove 82 miles southwest from Dublin to Kilkenny today. They built a new highway about a year ago that made the drive quite nice... no narrow squeezes along the way, which made the drive much more comfortable. The historic town of Kilkenny is another matter, however. The streets are narrow, making it a tight fit in approaching oncoming traffic. I'm getting the hang of it, though. I'm feeling more and more comfortable at the wheel, but still not without "white knuckling" the steering wheel from time to time.

I ate dinner at a restaurant/pub in Kilkenny... called the Marble City Pub. I had batter-fried cod (a HUGE plank of it!), mushy peas (really quite tasty!), and thick plank fries. I must say, it's the best cod I've ever eaten... and I've eaten a lot of cod in my lifetime! All in all, an excellent meal.

Gotta sign-off for now. Wendy's at lunch and it's time to try to reach her by Skype!

Traditional Irish Music

Here's a session of music at a local pub in the center of Dublin town. I arrived at 8:30 p.m. These musicians had been playing non-stop since 12:30 p.m. and they had plans to play on for several hours more! Now that's dedication!!!

Marc Encounters Group of Demonstrators/Protestors in Dublin

On Sunday afternoon, June 19, after seeing Jesus, I encountered a group of predominantly young college-age demonstrators/protestors in the center of the street in front of Dublin's main general post office. The group is protesting the handling of their country's economic and financial crisis. Presently, Ireland's economy is among the worst among free-enterprise nations throughout the world.

Throughout the whole of Ireland house prices have dropped nearly 12% in the past year, and are down by 40% from their peak four years ago.

Economist Dermot O'Leary says that the arrival of the European Union (EU) and the United Nations International Monetary Fund (IMF) into Ireland may have had something to do with the drop in housing prices. He blames poor and mismanaged banking for much of the problem.

Look closely in the early frames of the video and you might even see Jesus walking briskly away from the protest. Perhaps it was reminiscent of a time 2,000 years ago when a crowd cried out choosing Barabbas over the Lord. (Please forgive my humor!)

Marc Meets Ireland's Ambassador to Korea!

Yesterday, Sunday, June 19, I met Dr. Eamonn (pronounced Amon) McKee while traveling on the train into the Dublin city center. He is Ireland's ambassador to Korea and had come back to his hometown of Dublin for a family reunion.

We discussed quite a bit during our 20-minute train ride together... the struggling economic conditions that Ireland faces, the political situation in Korea, our faith, our families, music, history and much more. It was quite an eventful experience, indeed!

Dublin Castle Coach House Grounds

Dublin Castle

Merry Christmas from Dublin Castle!

Sauntering among the gardens of the Dublin Castle I spotted this symbol of Christmas. Take a look. See if you aren't charmed with a wee bit o' the Christmas spirit as I was!

NEWS FLASH! Jesus Spotted in Dublin!

First it was Waldo. Then it was Jesus. I couldn't believe the celebreties I was seeing in Dublin on Sunday, June 19!

Watch carefully and you'll see Jesus standing outside of his broken-down tricycle taxi. Pondering over the situation he appears to attempt to heal it. But placing his hand on the windshield and pronouncing a blessing upon the crippled contraption apparently isn't enough.

By and by another tricycle taxi comes along. Its operator emerges from his vehicle with intentions of helping, as well. What?! Does he think he can do better than the Lord???

In time a third tricycle taxi meanders up with another driver who stops to see what assistance he might provide. (It conjures up the saying, "Where two or more are gathered in His name, there He is in their midst.")

I always thought there was something special about the Trinity... you know, things go better in threes. (Kind of like the proverb, "A cord of two strands is easily broken, but a cord of three remains strong.") But apparently, the magical number 3 wasn't sufficient either.

Having observed this spectacle sufficiently, I decided to move on to a demonstration up the street. After all, if Jesus couldn't fix the trike, what business did I have sticking my nose into it?

As I passed by the Lord I offered him the best advice I could think of... "Next time, take a donkey!" (I hope he wasn't late for Mass....)

Dart Train into Dublin

Rather than drive into downtown Dublin and try to find a place to park, I've found it much easier to ride the public transit train. This video shows some of the residential area off of the tracks near the center of the city.

Goldilocks Learns to Dance

Yesterday afternoon, Sunday, June 19, I spotted Goldilocks at the Bloody Stream pub near Howth Harbour on the outskirts of Dublin city. And I thought my grandson, Grayson, had curly locks of hair! This little Irish girl is cute as can be. Watch the video and you'll see what I mean. Prior to this video shoot she was watching another young girl dancing up a storm. Interest peaked her curiosity, so she meandered down the steps and right up to the dancing girl. Isn't it marvelous how children perceive no barriers between each other? Two girls, strangers to each other, but not for long. In no time at all they're dancing and having a great time as true friends -- if not for life, at least in the moment!

News Flash! Little Caesar Busted in Dublin!!!

What's the world coming to? Even great pizza magnates are not safe in the streets!!!

Even the Statues in the Park are getting in on the Waldo Thing!!!

Waldo Record-Breaking Report from those who were there!

Where's Waldo?

On the afternoon of Sunday, June 19, 2011, in downtown Dublin I thought my eyes were seeing double... triple... quadruple... or worse. Everywhere I turned there was Waldo! I rubbed my eyes... blinked... closed my eyes and shook my head furiously back and forth. But still, when I opened my eyes, there they were... everywhere it seemed... Waldos were coming out of the brickwork of the streets (the streets in old Dublin are made of brick). Then, in St. Stephen's Green (park) I met this wonderful family. They explained that the city of Dublin had held an event that day to set a world record. The record they sought to make for Guinness was to have the world's greatest number of people dressed up like Waldo meet together for a photograph. Did Dublin set the record that day? You betcha!!! As reported to me, over 3,800 Waldos came together in one place. Young and old, small and tall, male and female, they came from all parts of the city. And just think... I was there to witness the event myself! Of course, in Ireland they weren't looking for Waldo. And neither were they looking for 3,800 plus Waldos. They were looking for Wally. Because that's the name they know him by over here!

I Scream for Ice Cream

On Father's Day (Sunday, June 19) I went down to the Howth Outdoor Market in the afternoon. There, I met these two young men -- David and Jackie -- who were minding their father's ice cream stand. For one euro (about $1.43) I got more than just an ice cream cone... I discovered two new friends! Quite wonderful!!!

This short clip was taken in the afternoon of Saturday, June 18, in the Temple Bar area of Dublin. The young man featured in this video is a student at Trinity College (Dublin) and is playing his Irish pipes for extra income. I gave him 2 Euros (about $2.85) in appreciation for allowing me to take this video of him.

This short video was shot in a pub in the Temple Bar area of old town Dublin. It was Saturday afternoon and, as you can see, the Irish love to have a grand time any time day or night. They call such opportunities for fun time "craic" (pronounced "crack").

Howth Harbor, Dublin (June 18, 2011)

This was my first day in Dublin. I shot this video at Howth Harbor. On the video I mis-pronounced the word "Howth" two times. It should be pronounced with a long "o" sound (the sound of the "o" in the word "oath"). So, I should have said "Hoath" instead of "Howth".

Toronto Airport

This was a video taken yesterday, June 17, while I was on an eight-and-a-half layover in Toronto, Canada.

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Blog Site Created!

I just successfully set up my blog site to journal my summer 2011 sabbatical! I will add posts daily or as often as I am able. I will also add photos and video of my journey and experiences as able.