grand holiday

first time since i was 10 years old 

to travel without a camera. 

traveling light this time, 

armed only with a cell phone.

sfo to dublin

our hotel at merrion street (view from the bus)

jet lag? what jet lag? sleep is for old people. :)

dublin city and the river liffey

p.j., chemist, at the james joyce pharmacy. p.j. sang us a ballad and asked us to join him for a pint at kennedy's.

i thought he was delightful.

national gallery cafe and visit

parliament

notorious doors of dublin and the protected georgian blocks

centennial of the 1916 uprising

dublin castle yard

the chapel at the castle

bumping into our neighbor who literally lives five houses away

ancestor?

jameson tour and customized gift for gary

river liffey as we cross the bridge

bye bye dublin

hello kilkenny

our holiday house and car.

integrated appliances

first pub stop: kyteler's. old when christopher columbus 

embarked for the new world.

scott and jennifer as guests on the local radio station kclr,

 promoting international torch run for special olympics

kilkenny castle

butler house & garden

castle stables turned in to artists shops

kilkenny design centre

the gallery at kilkenny castle

some of our favorite food at left bank

cafe upstairs i want to go to next time

st. canice's cathedral and round tower 

(1 of only 2 still climbable)

so we did. 

 view from the top

wonky phone lenses but here's the exterior and interior

the true focus of our trip:

parade time

my view from the back, holding the second torch

huddle

photo opps nonstop

lots of new friends

message from home during the festivities

presentation for special guests in the castle tower

presenting plaque to mayor of kilkenny

gary with athletes 

some of kilkenny's special olympics athletes

two hours of this. there was no blending in.

the locals were incredibly welcoming and curious about the foreigner

family in back the owners of our holiday rental.

they were kind and gracious. on friday, 

the family brought us two homemade apple pies,

still hot from the oven

notice the garda to left. this boy has lost his mum. 

the officer was helping him call her.

a few more parade shots.

below, passing the international torch 

between northern ireland and the u.s.

tour of the garda station and presenting the 

chief superintendent with a plaque.

one more - for gary, who deserves a holiday for 

all the details he coordinated for this

shenanigans. 

wondering how long it took them to find all our magnets? 

tower tour at the viking triangle, waterford (where the crystal comes from)

smithwicks brewery tour

(better than guinness if you ask me)

dylan, matthew, sarah, james, plus mandy and dave, n.i.

scott, patricia and i

this guy

last night in kilkenny

police association sponsors a meet and greet/finger food event 

at the local pub by our holiday house

sophie, gary's daughter. not shown: johanna, gary's wife

subdued, quiet ride on the minibus back to the dublin airport

gary has early ideas about 2018. if so, we'll be back. :)