July 3rd London

We woke up at about 5am, and headed out for the airport. There were no delays, and no extra security that we noticed. Our plane left at about 9am, and we arrived in London at about 10:30. After finding our hotel we grabbed some lunch, and stared some sight seeing. We walked past West Minster Abby, and Parliament (Big Ben) on out way to Buckingham Palace.
We took lots of photos, and video tape of the guards, the palace, and the surrounding area. From the Palace, we got our first look at the London Eye. We walked through the city and found our way to the British Museum. There we saw the Rosetta Stone, statues from the Parthenon, and a wide assortment of items from the ancient world. We then stopped at the National gallery were we saw works from all the masters. We also saw Leonardo's "The Virgin of the Rocks" , Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" and Rembrandt's "Belshazzar's Feast" . While walking back threw out the city, a thunderstorm rolled in, so we headed back to our hotel. We stopped at a grocery store and picked up some bread, cheese, lunch meats, and a bottle of soda (we had a mini refrigerator in out hotel room). We had sandwiches for dinner, and we were asleep by nine o'clock.





July 4th Stonehege Tour

After a very good nights sleep and a light breakfast, we went out in to the city for an up-close look at the near by sites. Our first stop was Big Ben and the houses of Parliament. We crossed the river Tames, and stood under the London Eye. We then went to Westminster Abby, where inside I saw the tombs of Queen's Elizabeth and Mary, Henry the 8th, King George, Mary Queen of Scott's, Chaucer, Newton, and Darwin. After lunch we went and waited for the tour bus that would eventually take me to Stonehenge.  Our first stop was to the largest stone circle in the world located in Avebury. There was also a sweet village complete with thatched roofs. Our next stop was a neolithic burial mound that we were allowed inside to explore all the chambers. Right next to the mound happen to be a crop circle that had "formed" in the past few day. It was a simple circle however there were a few people in the middle, chanting. Next we drove threw Pewsey valley, passing the white horse carved in to the chalk hillside. Our last stop was Stonehenge. Normally visitors are not allowed any closer then with in ten feet of the site, and there is a fence to make sure of it. The tour I took is called the "beyond the Fences Tour" and takes its passengers inside the site so you can walk around the stones and touch then. This tour runs either before stonehenge officially opens to the public at sun rise, and just when it closes at sunset. I was on the sun set tour. We spent about an hour walking around the stones and taking photos. It was an amazing experience. The best part was at the end. Myself and another person from my tour were the last people to leave the site. Because of this we each took a turn standing in the center of the stones all alone. It was an unsurpassed moment. We then boarded the bus and headed back to London. We arrived at about 10:30 pm and we headed to bed.



July 5th All Over London

This was a very long day that ended with blisters formed on top of blisters on our feet. After breakfast we headed West to reach the days attractions. All the places we are visiting offers free entrance if you buy "The London Pass" which also gives the bearer special offers at shops and restaurants. We first crossed London Bridge (the original one is long gone and is now just a normal bridge) to arrive at "The Monument". The Monument is the largest stone column in the world, and was built to commemorate the great fire of London. After climbing the 311 steps to the top of the tower, you are rewarded with spectacular views of the entire city. Our next stop was the "HMS Belfast, which is a cruiser that fought in World War Two. Visitors are free to explore nine decks and see recreations of what life was like on a war vessel. The best parts were the boiler rooms, and sitting the captains chair. This was much bigger then we thought it would be and could have spent a lot more time there. We then visited Tower Bridge which most people mistake as London Bridge. We rode to the top and crossed the Thames from the foot bridge at the top of the towers. The bridge was built in 1894 and survived World War Two, because the Germans used the bridge as a landmark to find their targets. For this reason, no pilots were allowed to bomb the bridge. We visited the engine room, and saw fun interactive displays on how the bridge hydraulics work. Next we visited the tower of London. Here we saw the Crown Jewels, traitor gate, the White Tower, The Bloody Tower, and of course the Ravens. We then headed to St. Paul's Cathedral which was featured on Disney's "Marry Poppins" as the location to buy crumbs from the old lady to feed the birds. Here we climbed 530 steps to the top of the golden dome, for more breath-taking views of the city. Our final stop was a gift shop that gives a free teddy bear to you if you have a London Pass. We did a little bit of shopping on the way back to the hotel, and stopped at Pizza Hut for good hot food. When we returned to the hotel, we backed out backpacks and got ready to return home.


July 6th

We started our last day with a good breakfast at the hotel. We checked out early, but left our packs so we could squeeze in a bit more sight seeing before we had to be at the air port. We walked to Hyde park to see the "Wellington Arch" then walked threw the city to see Harrods department store. Our destination was the Science Museum which we arrived at a few minutes before it opened. Once we were in the museum, we saw exhibits on space, train travel, airplanes, and a display on plastics. After a few hours, we headed next door to the Natural History museum. Here we saw lots of dinosaur skeletons and very cool dinosaur displays including some life size animatronics. From here we walked back to our hotel and picked up our bags. We took a bus to Heathrow airport and checked in. Our flight was delayed an hour, and sat on the tarmac for an hour after we had left the gate. We finally got home at about 10 pm, and headed to bed after we took a nice hot shower.


All in all we had a fantastic trip. We saw lots of amazing things and had some fantastic experiences.

Scotland


June 29th Glasgow

Last friday we met up with some guys from Trolltech at the bus station down town to fly to akadamy. We were flying out of the small airport that is a two hour drive from Oslo, which meant the long bus ride was unpleasant. The flight was uneventful, and was soon over. We took a train from Prestwick airport to Glasgow central station. On the train ride we saw many wind turbines on the hills. Once we arrived in to the city, we all split up to find our separate hotels. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, which is located along side the River Clyde. We grabbed some dinner and headed out in to the city. We found the statue of the Duke of Wellington, which is famous because teenagers place a traffic cone on the dukes head, and will replace the cone no matter how many times the sanitation department removes it. Unfortunately for us, there was no cone on the Dukes head when we visited it. We visited George square and saw lots of kids dressed in punk and goth styles. We picked up some groceries so we would have food to snack on, and headed to the hotel for an early bed time.



June 30th Day trip to Loch Ness

After breakfast at the hotel, we walked with me to George Square to meet the bus tour I would be taking that day.  I waited anxious for the bus to arrive. There were only 16 of us on the tour, so the bus was a small coach. When it finally arrived, we all got on board quickly and headed out 10 minutes early. Once we were out of the city, we headed towards Loch Lomond. We drove the length of the loch and stooped for photos. Next we headed north towards the great glen beneath Ben Nevis ( Britain's highest mountain) and learned about the great massacre of the McDonnell's at the hands of the Campbell's. We stopped for lunch near Fort August were I had a tranquil experience. The place we stopped for lunch had a large gift shop and a coffee shop. Since I had packed my own lunch, I went walking around a bit. I saw a fast moving stream down the banks behind the gift shop. I saw a little path threw the woods and decided to explore it a bit. I had only gone down the hilly path for a few yards when I realized I was now parallel to the stream. I walked very carefully across moss coved rocks, until I reached the dry rocks of the shore. The river ran around the shore in a way that made a small peninsula. I walked out to that part of the shore and sat to have my lunch. I was very peaceful and tranquil. Even though I knew there was people and a town up the bank, I could only hear the rushing water, and could only see the wooded tree filled banks. I was a bit saddened to leave my secret stop to rejoin the tour group. After lunch we drove along the four lochs including, and on the way, to Loch Ness. The other Lochs were, Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, and Loch Linnhe. After driving along the bank of Loch Ness for a half hour, we stopped at Urquhart Castle which is one of the most famous and most photographed castles in the world, although not many people know its name. We toured the castle for an hour and a half taking photos of the castle, and the Loch. At 2:30 we gathered together on a boat, and took a half hour cruise on the the Loch itself. The cruse ended at a gift shop were there were two "Nessy" full scale models. We gathered back on the bus (which drove to the spot while the group toured the castle, and took the boat cruise) and headed back towards Glasgow. We drove threw the Forest of Atholl. We stopped for dinner at a sweet little restaurant in Pitlochry where I had roast beef with yorkshire pudding. While people were returning to the bus, the bus driver was on the phone with the office. This is how we learned about the terror attack on Glasgow airport. The airport was now closed with no indication on when it would reopen. Some of the people on the tour bus were suppose to leave in the morning. Since they were not sure if they could get out, they started to discuss taking another tour instead. After the dinner break we drove on the high way to return to the city. Since the road was mostly empty we made it back to George Square an hour early.



July 1st

On Sunday I spent the day in Glasgow and took advantage of a Hop on - Hop off tour. These tours are in most big cities and the premiss is that you buy a tickets and can get on or off the bus at any of the stops all day long. The bus stops at all the popular tourist attractions and gives a commentary about the sites and about the city itself. I jumped on the bus in George Square and took it to the city limits to see the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The museum is home to real stuffed animals like birds, a giraffe, elephants and many other land and sea creatures. There are fossils, skeletons and Egyptian artifacts on display with hands on experiences for the kids. On the second floor there is an impressive collection of art from many masters like Rembrant, Monte and Rafael. There was also a room dedicated to Scottish painters and a wing for Scottish history. I then took the bus to the 'Barras' Market, which is a large flee market. I then went to see the Glasgow Cathedral and its crypts. When I was done touring the city, I went to aKadamy and then we went to the largest glass top mall in Britain and looked around for a while. We went out for dinner for a hot meal (which is severely under appreciated) during a rain storm. We picked up some ice cream and headed back to the hotel. We ate the ice cream and had a relaxing evening, going to bed early.



July 2nd Edinburgh

I headed out early on Monday morning, and made it on to the 7:13 train to Edinburgh. The journey lasted for a little more then an hour, and took me through the rolling hills of the country side. Along the way, I saw many cows, sheep, and horses grazing in the pastures. When I arrived at Waverly station in Edinburgh, I first visited the statue of Greyfriar's Bobby (check out this site if you are unfamiliar with this story, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_Bobby ) before heading up the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle. The castle was fascinating, and is home to the crown jewels of Scotland, and the destiny stone, as well as the "one o'clock gun" that has fired everyday at 1:00 for the past hundred and fifty years. After about two hours I headed out of the castle and down the Royal Mile. I stopped in at the Tartan Mill, which is a free walk threw exhibit of a real tartan production factory. It is also broken up with many opportunities to buy scottish products. My next stop was the Scottish Whisky experience, where you can learn about the production of scottish whisky. There was a "barrel" ride that took you threw the history of whisky in the country. I had never been more bored on "amusement park ride" in my life, simply because of the slow movement of the cars. My next stop was Giles Cathedral, with it's crypts and lower sanctuaries. After a bit of shopping, I went to high tea (lunch) at Clarinda's tea room. It was extremely quaint, and served tea family style (shared tables). I then headed back towards the train station, stopping at Princess St. Park, and walked around the grounds for a while. My last stop was at the Scott Monument, which is a gothic tower with 287 steps to clime to get to the top. I boarded the train headed back to Glasgow. Back at the hotel and we went out for dinner. Once we were back at the hotel, we packed our backpacks and went to bed early in anticipation of Tuesday being an early and long day.

"aKadamy"

It is once again time for the annual "KDE" conference called "aKadamy". This will be the third conference that we have attended since moving to Europe. It will be great to see a bunch of people again that go to the conference each year, and a few guys that used to work at Trolltech.

We leave on Friday for Glasgow Scotland where this years "aKadamy" is going to be held. While that is going on, I am going on a tour of the highlands, which includes a stop at Lock Ness. I am also going to take the train to Edinburgh for a day trip on my own.

When we are done at "aKadamy", we are going to hop a flight to London for a few days. Although there will plenty of amazing sites to visit, I am most anxious to see the Rosetta Stone, Westminster Abby, and StoneHenge. We are looking forward to going on a trip together, before it gets too hot in Europe.

Amsterdam

Last weekend I found a great deal on a round trip air fair to Amsterdam, so I decided to go on a quick trip. The deal was for the middle of the week so I went by myself. I left Tuesday at five, and got back Wednesday at nine. I stayed in a Hostel, which is a cheap hotel where you share the room with other people. In my case, I was in an all girl room with seven other girls.

I walked around a little bit when I arrived to get my bearings, and did a little bit of shopping. It was very cool in Amsterdam especially around the canals, which even under cloudy skies, were very pretty. I also saw "The Red Light District" with its windows before heading back to the Hostel for the night.

I got an early start in the morning, and headed out to see the sites I was most interested in. I visited "Dam Square" to see the palace and the first Dam which gave Amsterdam its name. I went to the "Rijksmuseum" to see "The Night Watch", which like so many other iconic items, was smaller then I expected. I headed to "The Van Gogh Museum" to see over two hundred of his most important works that included "The potato eaters", "Sunflowers", and "The Bedroom". I visited the "Flower Market" and "Nieuw Market". My last stop was to visit Ann Frank's house. The highlight of the tour was too see the actual bookcase that hid the door and the actual diary that Anne wrote in.

I was a great trip with interesting new experiences. I only needed a backpack and enjoyed not having to wait at baggage claim for a suitcase. It was also the first time I went on a trip by myself. An experience that I might recreate in the next year.

Hodgepodge;

I woke up early the other morning and it was so sunny in the house, I thought that the alarm clock had not gone off . When I looked at the kitchen clock I realized it was only 4am! Now that we are in to summer, the sun is setting at about 11pm, and is rising at about 3am, and it we have not even reached the longest day of the year yet.

We went for a walk to the statue park last weekend, and on the way we heard birds chirping by a wall. We could not figure out where the chirping was coming from until we saw a bird fly in to a vent by a window. When the bird fly out, we peeked inside, and found three baby birds waiting for food. They were extreme adorable.

It has been very hot these past few days the type of heat were you do not want to move or get out of bed. To escape the heat, we spent some time at Trolltech. The office just purchased a "Wii" so we battled it out on all the different sport games. I finally won at a bowling, even if it was only a video game. We ate ice cream from the cafeteria, and cold sodas. An excellent way to spend a hot day. :)

May Day;

May Day in Europe is just like Labor Day in the US. We decided to go for an adventure walk. There is a small lake surrounded by forrest about five miles north of us, which is also the last stop on one of the subway lines. We have gone there a few times on the subway and it is very nice.  We decided to walk to the lake this time since it looked like it would only take about an hour on the map. The way there was up hill and there was some very nice views of downtown and the ocean. We past by a little antique store, but like everything else it was closed. Walking parallel to the train line, we arrived at the lake which was full of people having barbecues and spending time with friends and family. There were people running around the lake and there was someone selling ice cream at the entrance. Walking around the lake took us another hour with breaks and photo opportunities. Never in America would you walk for an hour to a place to exercise and then walk back, that is what the car is for :)

Stupid Fun;

Last Sunday we went to "Vigelandsparken" which is a large park in Oslo, full of statues. We went with a bunch of friends to have a BBQ and some laughs. Well, Veronica and Donald were messing around and Jesper took some video. He then edited it and put it up on You-Tube.

"Frog Fighting" is when you hop around on your calves (like a frog) and try to knock over your opponent. It is very silly and stupid, and much funnier when witnessed in person.

Easter Week;

Easter in Norway is a very big deal. The days leading up, and following the holiday are also observed with the same respect as Easter day itself. Businesses close on Wednesday afternoon, and do open again until the following Tuesday. This also applies for the grocery stores. Normally we go there three times a week, buying enough to last two days. With the grocery store closed for so long, our kitchen is stocked to last a week. It seems so alien to us now to have so much food just sitting on a shelf, while in the USA, we would always have a weeks worth of food available. It is hard to fathom how quickly you can adjust your self to living in a different culture.

Visa;

After nearly two years of living here, I have finally obtained a permanent Visa. The wait for a Visa is about nine months from when the paper work is received until you receive a letter telling you whether or not you are to be issued one. It took me a year extra due to translation mishaps, wrong paper work, and missing paper work. At least that is all behind us now, and I have a legal right to stay in Norway.

A welcome site;

Norway is a culture based on the outdoors. Even though we are not in to sports, we have adopted the practice of picnics in the parks. We have often discussed how a picnic in America always seem to in tale such hassle, to the point where not many people make picnics a routine outing. Many of the picnics here include disposable grills that people use for burgers and hot dogs. I was so excited to see that the grocery store has started putting the grills out. This more than anything else, tells me that spring is coming very soon.

We are back in the states for Christmas, and I cannot get over how big everything is. The produce section of Stop and Shop would hold the entire grocery store I go to in Oslo. Do people really need that many tooth paste choices?? I also used a shopping cart for the first time in a year and a half. Ill try to remember to report other differences that I discover as we spend time in the states for the holidays.

A white Halloween;
It snowed today for the first time in Oslo. It is not sticking to the ground yet, but the wind makes it look like a blizzard. I got the winter coats, hats, gloves, and scarves down from the attic, so we are all set to start the winter. If this snow fall is like last year at this time, the snow will not stick and it will not fall again until December, but at least we are ready now.

All in all;

This years Akadamy was such a great time. The weather was great (for Ireland) and the attractions were not to be missed. I did some shopping. It was a very enjoyable and I am very glad I got out of the city. The entire trip was well worth it. Next years Akadamy will be held in Glasgow Scotland, and I am already making plans for what I will see there

By train and bus, traveling in Ireland;

Taking the train to Blarney-

During the past year of planning our trip to Ireland, I was determined to find a way to get to Blarney to see the Blarney stone. I discovered that I could take a three-hour train to Cork, and then take a taxi or bus to the city of Blarney. The main website for Blarney Castle said that the self guided tour of the property would take about three hours. After checking the train schedule, I realized that I could take an early train, see all of Blarney castle, and still make the train back to Dublin. If I timed it all correctly, I theorized that I could be back by six that same night.

On Tuesday morning, I woke up at five A.M and got ready. I had packed my bag the night before, so I got a kiss good-bye, grab my bag and headed down stairs. I took a taxi to the train station and found my platform. I had to wait a half hour before boarding the train, but was soon settled in my seat. The train was off at seven and I was able to watch the sunrise as we left the city. The train rout took me through the country and I was able to see the sprawling lands with mountains in the distance. It was a very relaxing and comforting site. I kept waiting for the tea cart to come to my car to get a cup of tea, but for some reason the cart never showed up.

The train arrived in Cork at about nine forty five, and I grabbed a taxi to take me to Blarney. Once at the castle grounds I went slow and took my time. First I went to the castle and slowly made my way up the stairs, exploring all the nooks and rooms (tourists are free to go anywhere inside the castle ruins). The stairs were very slick, steep, and tight. I made sure to stop fairly often to take photos and video of everything I saw. At the top of the castle, I was amazed at the views of the country. The sun was still out, and everywhere you looked resembled a post card. I made my way in to line to kiss the Blarney stone. To kiss it, you must lie on your back, hold on to parallel bars set in to the stone, and bend backwards to get to the bottom of the stone. A man sits next to you to hold you as you “hover” above the hole in the wall that is about five stories high. Although it seems dangerous, in reality there is a grate at the base of the outcrop, which will prevent you from falling more then a foot. For a little more info here is a link, http://www.sparta.k12.il.us/SID/blarneystone.htm.

While you are kissing the stone, a man is also above you taking your photo that you can later purchase at the gift shop. I then slowly descended down the castle again taking photos and videos of areas of the castle. I even climbed up in to window ledges to get and interesting photo. Just as I had finished my exploration of the castle, the sun went behind the clouds. I could not have timed it better my self. Back on the ground I explored the property. There were supposed Druid sites, the wishing steps, rock formations that seem to look like a witches head, and woodland trails. After the grounds had been thoroughly investigated, I returned to the main entrance, picked up my souvenir photo, and ate the lunch I had packed.

I explored the village of Blarney for an hour before hailing a taxi to take me back to the Cork train station. I boarded the three thirty train and headed back to Dublin. It rained for most of the ride however I was still able to see many farm animals grazing in the fields. As we were pulling in to one of the stops, I was able to see a full bright rainbow that was situated very close to the train tracks. On arrival in Dublin I walked back to Trinity. We went out to dinner before going back to the hotel, where my soar feet got a foot rub. I am very glad that the trip was a success, and it was completely worth the time and effort to plan it.

Bus tour to Celtic sites-

On Wednesday I scheduled a bus tour to see the Neolithic sites know as the Hill of Tara, and Newgrange. The bus picked me up right around the corner from Trinity collage. The tour guide was an Archeologist specializing in Neolithic Irish sites. Our first stop was the Hill of Tara, which is situated in the middle of a sheep paddock. You had to be careful of where you stepped due to the amount of sheep dropping, and because the grass was wet and slick. Here is some more info, http://www.mythicalireland.com/ancientsites/tara/. From the top of the mounds on a clear day, you are able to see two thirds of Ireland. I was there on a rainy overcast day, so I am unsure if this is correct.

Our next stop was Newgrange, which is a mound made in honor of the winter solstice. It is built so that the sun will shine in threw a shaft and illuminate the chamber inside on the shortest day of the year. There are more mounds built for the summer solstice as well as other solar occurrences, but the winter solstice mound is the only one that has been excavated. It is the only mound that small groups of visitors are allowed to enter. Here is some more information, http://www.knowth.com/newgrange.htm.

What I saw and did in Dublin by foot;

On Saturday morning I got an early start and headed out in to the city. My first stop was St. Patrick’s, which is Irelands largest church. I then headed to the Guinness Brewery were I saw how they make their beer. Your “ticket” was a free gift of a clear paperweight that contains a drop of real beer in the center. The tour ended with a free pint, but since I do not drink, I received a large soda instead. My next stop was the Jameson Distillery, where they make whiskey. This tour ended with four volunteers conducting a taste test of the different whiskies produced by Jameson, and other top manufactures. Everyone else enjoyed a free glass of whiskey, or in my case a soda. I then walked around the block to the Jameson viewing tower. The viewing tower is am observation deck nestled atop a tall chimney. I was the only one on this tour, and had the deck all to my self to take as much video footage as I wanted of the city views. I next walked to St. Audens, which is the oldest church in the city. Not much is left of the church, however one small chapel remains around the ruins, and still holds Sunday mass. Next I walked to Christ church, where I found the most beautiful tile patterns on the floors. My last stop was at Dublin Castle. The castle was turned in to more of a state home, and only one tower is left of castle. One the tour we were taking underground, where we could see more of the original breaking walls, and what is left of the moat (still filled with water from the river).

On Sunday I again headed to the opposite side of the city to take a tour of Kilmainham Gaol, a prison built in 1792. It was one of the first “modern” prisons that held people in individual cells, and focused on rehabilitation. It was also the site were many rebellion leaders were executed. Next I headed to Phoenix Park to see the animals of Dublin Zoo. My favorite moment was when I was alone at the Gibbon house. I knelt down as a young gibbon approached the glass and we observed each other from very close up. This exchange lasted only moments when a young girl shouted excitedly from across the path. She ran up to the glass and freighted the gibbon away. My last stop of the day was to see the Bram Stoker (author of Dracula) exhibit. My guidebooks, and online research of this attraction led me to believe it was an exhibit on the life of the famous author. I quickly learned that the exhibit was a long hallway of news articles about the writer, that turned in to a cheesy haunted house.

On Monday I arrived at St. Michans, which is home to four natural Mummies. For those that might not know, a human mummy can be formed in any environment, as long as the weather conditions stay constant. Like a dessert, in ice, in peat moss, or in a constant dry cool place. The crypts of St. Michans created the latter conditions. Some of the coffins were damaged and the remains fell out. The church will not explore the other hundred or so coffins to see if more mummies exist. The tour of the mummies included two priests, one nun, and a crusader’s remains. It is suppose to be “lucky” to gently touch the finger of the crusaders hand. When the group was allowed to touch the body, the Archeologist in me told me not to, but the curiosity in me won out, and I did gently touch the finger. It was a thrilling experience.

I then started to walk towards Trinity College, to Akadamy. I intended to do some shopping on my way back, and was crossing a street when a man about my age said “hi” to me. The people are very friendly in Dublin, so I thought nothing of it and replied “hello” to him in response. I was about to enter a store when the same man ran up to me and started to talk to me. When he asked if I was traveling alone, I started to tell him all about my spouse, and what we were doing in the city. He looked at me and said, “Oh, you are married?” while at the same time looking at my hand. I then realized he was trying to “pick me up”. I replied yes, and then asked him if he was going to ask me out. He responded that he was, and then apologized for not knowing I was married. Now it might seem strange that I included this experience in my blog, but this had never happened to me before. I have never been “hit on” or had a random person come up to me on the street to ask me out. It was an interesting experience.

When I arrived at Trinity College, I took a guided tour of the campus, which ended in the old library. It is officially called “the long room” and is the most amazingly beautiful library I have ever seen. There were no paintings, no stain glass, just the two stories high vaulted wood ceiling, with wood bookcases on the main level, and around the balcony of the room. Every shelf was full of old priceless books from floor to ceiling. The best part was the rich deep smell, of old manuscripts, and old wood. I found my spouse at the conference site and told him all about my day. The guys laughed as I told them all about the guy that “hit” on me.

On Thursday I went to the Archeology museum, where there were three peat moss mummies on display. I also saw some Viking artifacts, including a small scout ship (about the size of a canoe). It was fun to compare that ship with the ships I have seen on display in Norway. I also went to the national gallery, where I saw some famous Irish paintings and sculptures. I spent most of the day at the KDE conference, and I got online for the first time in a week.

The ambience of Dublin;

I had an unbelievably good time in Ireland this past week. The country is as green as it is always depicted, which is a direct result of the fact that is does indeed rain (at least a sun shower) every day. The rain never lasted more then ten minutes each time which did not hinder my walking around the city very much. The rain showers also allowed me to view a full bright rainbow on three different days during our seven-day trip.

The hotel we stayed at was a small B&B, just a ten-minute walk from Trinity college (the KDE location). The hotel was a typical European hotel, which means the rooms are small and the hallways tight. We ended up having to change rooms three times because the Ryder Cup was also in Dublin this week, and the hotel did not have the same room available for our entire stay. Two of the rooms we stayed in had only a shower and sink. The actual bathroom was down the hall on the landings. This is also very common in European B&B’s and other small hotels.

The people in Dublin were extremely friendly and polite. In fact, they went out of their way to help me if I was having trouble locating a street. One gentleman even walked six blocks with me to make sure I found what I was looking for. After being so used to listening to Norwegian accents, I found myself having a hard time understanding the Irish one. By the end of the week I was doing fine hearing the words, but every now and then I still could not understand what I was being asked.

One great thing about all the attractions and tours I attended, was the history lessons. While on my tours of churches or other monuments, the guides would give the customary history of the property and what it meant to the people of its time. They would then go further and explain how future history would be affected as a result of this particular site both in Ireland, and the rest of the world. As a result I know more about how the world impacted Ireland, and how it impacted the world, then I ever learned from other sources.

Good to be home;
We just got back from Akademy in Dublin. I will blog all about the trip in the next few days, but for right now we are in need of a shower, hot food, and our own bed.

Dublin

It is time again for the KDE conference called Akademy. This year it is Dublin Ireland, and we will be there for seven days. Of course I made an itinerary of everything I am going to do there while the boys are in meetings. I even got a train ticket and will travel for three hours to Blarney Castle to kiss the blarney stone. I will blog all about the trip when we get back.

Kayaking

Girish and Tahara invited us to go kayaking with them last Saturday. We met them at the last stop on the bus route, and headed for the harbor. None of us had ever kayaked before, so we were all a bit hesitant. The renter of the kayaks seemed a bit concerned at our lack of “out door” abilities, and joked about having a rescue boat follow us. After a bit of effort, we were all settled in out boats and headed out in to the harbor.

We followed the coat line where we had a great view of nesting birds, and the cliffs. The weather was perfect, and the clear skies gave us a great view of the Fords. Sometimes powerboats would go by, creating large wakes. Our boats road the waves, much to our delight at the up and down motions.

After about 45 minutes we headed back to the pier. Poor Tahara (who is not as strong as the rest of us) lagged behind so much that when the rest of us docked, the renter thought we had lost one. Kayaking was not as hard as I thought it would be, and we are already planning on going back next season. We went out to lunch at a restaurant near our apartment and had fun conversation about how the different cultures view marriage. It was nice to talk to another couple about married life, when we are so accustomed to going out with the single guys.

Toys “R” Us

While looking up Toys R Us locations on line, we discovered that there was one “near” us. We decided to go for a long walk and find it. During the walk we found the circus that has been in town for a few months. By looking over the fence, we saw the elephants, and some dogs that had just come out of the ring.

We followed the bike path along the high way for about two hours, until we reached the border of Oslo. We were about to give up out search and head home when we saw a mall. We decided to investigate in a last effort to find the store. As we reached the back of the mall, we finally found the Toys R Us sign.

We found Transformers and Care Bears, but did not purchase anything. The store was as big as the one in the states, and even had the same smell. Although we are still not that good at speaking Norwegian, we recognized the whiney voices of children stating “But I want it!” I think that is one of the few phrases that has a universal understanding.
After thoroughly exploring the store we turned around and walked the two hours home. We agreed that we never thought we would spend four hours on a Saturday walking back and forth to a toy store.