A Quick Visit to Dublin, Ireland

We made it to Dublin! After our GREAT stay with our cousins in Norway, we took a short flight on SAS from Oslo to Dublin. We stayed at Clontarf Castle hotel(where they served Guinness) on the North Side of the ciy. We walked all over our area. Everyone walks in Europe...did I mention that! We were near a park and the Bay of Dublin, so we did a lot of walking there, too. And we got one more item checked off the Bucket List: Golf in Ireland. We played 18 wonderful holes with some of the all time oldest rental clubs in our experience. Deer Park Golf

Course, in Howth, was where we had the pleasure of testing our skills against an Irish course. It was great fun, as was the Guinness in the Clubhouse after the round.

Dublin is a GREAT little city, with so much rich history. We almost didn't know where to start, but we began with public transportation into the City Center, and we walked and walked and walked. Except when we had lunch in Fitzgerald's Pub, with Guinness.

We felt so lucky to have seen Trinity College, The Book of Kells, Oscar Wilde's birthplace, the Bank of Ireland, the Temple Bar area, the River Liffy, O'Connell Street, Dublin Bay...just to name a few of the things we experienced. And we ate new foods, too: Black Pudding, White Pudding, Brown bread, lamb stew.

Did I mention: we drank Guinness?

It was an awesome trip. We want to go back.

The Seniors Do Norway

WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY IN NORWAY.

Driving through Oslo with my cousin Sue at the wheel, leaving the airport gratefully behind, we were at once struck by two facts: 1: Norwegians all drive small, fuel efficient cars. 2. All signs were in Norwegian.

We were impressed with the squeaky cleanliness of Norway, the length of the tunnels we drove through on the way North to our cousins' house, and the totally uncountable number of sailboats in every harbor on the way! Also impressive, and scary, are the innumberable 'turn-a-rounds in Oslo. Not a lot of traffic lights, just traffic circles. Our cousins had no trouble negotiating these at lightning speed. We were glad they were driving.

The rest of our afternoon was spent getting acquainted with our new surroundings and with our cousins. The views from the deck of our cousins' home were breathtaking. We were on a rocky hill, overlooking Oslo fjord. It was magnificent. After a great dinner of (what else?) Swedish meatballs (!), some wine and some GREAT conversation, it was time for the weary travellers to crash out. And we did.

Dawn on the deck of our cousin's house was amazing.

After a walk down to the beach, where my cousin Sue ACTUALLY WENT SWIMMING IN THE ICE COLD WATERS OF THE FJORD, we logged many wonderful, memorable experiences.

Here are just a few:

Walking in Norway: There is NO flat land. Up and down hills. Does wonders for the body tone. No wonder Norwegians are thin! Pick and eat wild lingonberries, blueberries, rose hips.

Sights to See: Kon Tiki Museum, Downtown Oslo, Gadeland Glassverk, Oslo Harbor.

Things to Do: Sail the Norway Fjord in the Cousins' Sailboat, fish the fjord. Watch Glass Blowing at Hadeland Glassverk.

Try New Foods: Whale Beef, Dried Cod, Norwegian chocolate (wow!); Norwegian Coffee (wow!)

Have a Rural Experience: Farm stands, barns, Norwegian corn on the cob

Watch the birds: Magpies everywhere! Variety of gulls. Wild swans.

Watch the people: bicycles and walkers everywhere!

That's all for today. We'll write more and post more pictures soon.