Thanksgiving with an Irish Twist



Ashford Castle, County Mayo

The greenest place we've ever seen. We flew out of Gatwick on Thanksgiving morning to Shannon, Ireland.  Our destination was The Ashford Castle and we were all really looking forward to this trip...even Nick...he wanted to find a mischievous leprechaun.  We stayed two nights here and it was incredible.  The castle was built in the 1200s and the views were spectacular.  We all tried "falconry" and learned a lot about it's history.  We walked through trails with two falcons, all the while they flew on and off our arms.  Definitely a first for all of us, but really had fun.  The kids were fascinated.

Ireland's Falconry School







 





 

Next, we left County Mayo and drove three hours to Ireland's

capital city, Dublin.  The ride consisted of long, narrow, windy roads where we saw plenty of sheep, stones, Gaelic signs, and the

greenest pastures ever.  A truly picturesque ride to say the

least.  Upon our arrival in Dublin, we headed straight to the "Home of Guinness".   We had scheduled a tour and Kyle wanted to taste Guinness at it's birthplace.  We were taught all the beer ingredients, the art of pouring, and of course enjoyed the taste testing.  The top floor of the plant, "Gravity Bar", is where we saw 360 degree views of Dublin.  It was there that we poured, drank, and enjoyed our perfect pint...Slainte! (Slaan-cheh...which is the Irish toast to "good health"...and as you can imagine, it is said often here! 

Dublin was a busier city than I expected.  I guess the most well known street we visited was Temple Street.  Lots of Irish music and pints poured here.  So many pubs...all in a row...and all busy!  We basically did a walk through, but the kids were able to see & listen to Ireland's customary traditions.  Kyle conveniently had to use the restroom when we happened to be standing in front of "The Temple Bar"...so we all went in to check things out...it's known to be the "friendliest watering hole" in Dublin.  I can still hear the Irish band playing and those Irish accents :)...

We were running short on time and had to move on.  We walked to Trinity College Library where we saw the Book of Kells, a 9th century gospel manuscript famous throughout the world.  We continued our walk around the city (...and Nick's quest to find his lucky leprechaun.)  Such a fun place and nice people.

Although, we were only in Ireland for four days, we certainly saw a lot of new sights.  We wished we had a few more days to explore other areas, but unfortunately work and school await.  It was a cold week, but the bonus was all the holiday decor and lights.  A memory made as it was definitely a unique Thanksgiving for our family.  We'll have our pie when we return to the States!











Georgia Friends and Holiday Fun



Diana & Dodi Memorial at Harrod's Dept Store



Southern Girls take on London



Visitors arrive from our hometown.  Robin and Amy came for the week of Thanksgiving and we were so happy they took us up on our offer!  These ladies were up & out every morning and toured the entire city by day and by night!  They were quick to learn the train and tubes, and set off to see the sights.  They definitely got their exercise, along with a few new purchases and souvenirs to take home...these ladies do love boots! 

Midweek, Kyle & I brought the kids to Hyde Park to visit London's "Winter Wonderland". I later hopped a taxi to meet Robin and Amy at Harrod's...a department store where every woman needs to spend plenty of time and money, especially at Christmastime.  Thanks for all the shopping & the fun night out girls!

Glad y'all had fun visiting London and the pleasure was ours.  We'll see you both soon.



November Update

Wow!  Time is flying.  On November 5th, we learned about an English tradition -"Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night".  It was basically a plot, by Guy Fawkes, to blow up the English Parliment, which later failed.  Every year, the English celebrate this with fireworks and parties...very similar to our Fourth of July festivites.  We were a caught by surprise seeing all the crowds, bonfires, and fireworks.  It didn't take us long to figure things out & join in the fun...after all, we did miss celebrating the Fourth of July over the summer.

Next, all three kids were playing soccer (football to the UKers), but the season has come to an end.  All enjoyed...it was the boys' first time playing and they had a LOT of fun.  The important part was they met new friends and jumped into something new.  And now basketball is right around the corner. 
Kate's arm still hasn't healed completely, so she'll continue to be out for awhile...  

Kyle and I met a friend, Everett Fernald, from Rhode Island in London for dinner.  He was returning from visiting his daughter in Turkey, also doing an expat thing.  It was a nice night out and fantastic to see him again. Happy we had the chance to catch up, although we missed you tons SueB!

Lastly, a big thanks to the Simpson Family for sending Jack a very cool "War Eagles" t-shirt.  Jack was so happy to receive it....his old team just finished up a terrific season.  It was a tough one for him to miss, so you can imagine the smile on his face when he received it.  He immediately put it on and slept in it.  Very kind guys, thanks.  The candy didn't hurt either...:)

"Are You Ready For Some Football"...at Wembley Stadium?

NFL Football in London?  Yes, it happens once a year and it is actually a big deal here.  The Bears and the the Buccaneers played last Sunday, October 30th at Wembley Stadium.  Jack and Kyle were lucky enough to score some tickets and enjoyed the day, along with 79,000 other people.  :)

Chicago Bears won 24-18.

Proud to be an American...in Great Britian.  Goo Goo Dolls were a bonus too.

Tenerife, Spain

 

Mid October brought us a "holiday" from school, our first week off.  (Remember, there is no Labor Day, Columbus Day, half days, etc...here in the U.K.)  We chose to head seventy miles from the west coast of Africa to the Canary Islands, which are surprisingly, part of Spain.  We found a terrific hotel on the island of Tenerife and hoped for a great R&R vacation...the beach, sun, and just lazy outdoor days.  Selfishly, we figured it wouldn't hurt to get our last burst of warm sunshine before the cold England winter hits...after all, it'll be here before we know it.  

Turns out it was all that and more.  We had the sunshine, terrific pools, and continued our quest to see new sights.  We took a day trip to Pico del Teide, the highest mountain in Spain and the 3rd highest volcano in the world.  Our rental car took us to it, followed by a cable car/gondola lift.  After that, we were free to hike around and explore.  Something worth noting...it was freezing at the top.  It often snows here in mid summer.  Unbelieveable, especially since we had just come from the beaches below!  Our next day trip was to Loro Parque, where we saw dolphins, sea lions, and killer whales put on amazing performances.  I guess it is similiar to Sea World back home.  The kids loved it and each had their favorite animal.  :)   Other fun things were parasailing while at the same time looking below and seeing wild dolphins in the ocean.  I swear they were meant to put on a show and make people smile! 

To sum it up, it was a terrific family getaway to somewhere we would never have chosen from the States.  Just too far.  In fact, I think it was the farthest the kids have been from the the US and needless to say, we were just about the only Americans there.  Bonus though, we enjoyed the food much better there, than in our area of London.  We ate well, and the sangria wasn't bad either.:) 
One last detail worth mentioning is that our kids got their first taste of "European bathing suits".  As soon as we arrived they ran way ahead to check out the beaches and came running back, all saying the same thing in unison..."the bikinis here are missing the top piece!"  Nick now has a whole new vocabulary...most of which he made up himself and is decriptive to say the least.  Seven year olds can really charm "el senoritas"!  Winthin days, it was just reality and much less of a culture shock.  I must say that I couldn't help but laugh looking out to the ocean seeing my kids swimming beside ladies and their tatas!  Oh well, part of the whole educational process I suppose...I'm sure they all will remember Spain and all it's beauty.  I know Kyle will...:)


Hibachi tonight at" Kamakura"



First October weekend...Sunny & Blue Skies

The weather this week has been gorgeous.  27 degrees celcius....that converts to approximately 80 degrees farenheit.  We can switch the math fast now...experts no less, and we'll take the sunshine anytime.  :)
Two things made this week unique...first you'll notice Kate's sling.  She had a horse riding accident and fractured her arm by her right shoulder.  She's okay now, just cannot play soccer, write, or take PE...and of course, riding is out for at least 7 weeks.  We at least figured out the nearby hospitals, and local doctor offices...getting our first taste of National Healthcare.  On a more positive side, Jack's birthday was Friday!  He turned 11.  He had a birthday cake at school and home, and spent the day with his friends after school.  Happy birthday bud!

On Saturday we decided to visit the medieval Warwick Castle in Warwickshire, England.  It was built in 1068 by William the Conqueror.  Many prisoners were held in the dungeons.  The largest catapult in the world sits toward the back of the castle along the Avon River.  It was about a two hour drive and the kids were able to see falconry, warfare, defensive towers, archery, & visit 'The Dragon Tower'.  

Below are pictures from our crop picking day...we went for pumpkins, but also came home with strawberries, rasberries, and corn.  The kids had a quest to find the perfect shapes and colors.  Many were eaten before they hit the basket...just a fun day.  Strawberry shortcake tonight...

The line between two hemispheres

Kate's 4th grade class took a field trip to Greenwich, England to see the Prime Meridian of the World.  Longitude is 0 degrees.  Every place on Earth is measured in terms of distance east or west from this line. The line divides the hemispheres...pretty cool for a nine year old to step on!!  Hopefully a memory (& concept) she'll hold onto.