Travel Journaling - Oh the Places We Would Go...

It's been over a month since we've come home from our trip to the UK and Ireland. Time flies when life is happening fast! It is good to stop for a moment, remember, and be grateful. So as I think of going from Iona, to Edinburgh, and on to Dublin, I smile, thankful for the memories.

We rode the train from Iona to Edinburgh, small island town to Scottish city, 

with amazing Architecture and dinner with our high school friend. 

We flew to Dublin. Took a taxi to our rented apartment. Sean and Merri arrived in the wee hours the next morning. We had a blast! Oh my, what a bustle. When we planned the Ireland part of the vacation, we each listed our top two things we wanted to do/see. Then we made sure everyone did those things together. It was soooo fun!!! Part of what made the experiences even more enjoyable was sharing in the joy of someone else's wonder at doing something they've always dreamed about. One thing at the top of Sean's list was the Guinness factory tour. We had the best time. I might not have even gone if it weren't on his list, and I would've missed out. We learned a lot, such as why many Irish would end what they were telling us with, "It's okay, we have Guinness." Arthur Guinness certainly had vision. At the beginning of the tour, in the floor, is the 9,000 year lease he signed for the factory:

He, and his family, did one thing well, and focused on that one thing: making stout beer. We also learned from another tour at St. Patricks Cathedral, and another tour, that Guinness brought better pay and working conditions to their workers, along with a lot of philanthropy. I loved the tour of St. Patrick's Cathedral. I felt a connection there, maybe because I see the power of redemption, compassion, and I am familiar with his story and ministry.  

A typical photo, Keith or Merri taking a photo of Sean and I taking photos....

Seeing the Book of Kells and the Trinity College Library was at the top of my list. 

I think my expectations were pretty high for seeing the Book of Kells and the Trinity Library. I am so glad we did, but the experience wasn't quite all I had hoped for. It was crowded, and the Book was very dimly lit as we were walked through fairly quickly. There was a very nice presentation area of the Book of Kells before we went in to see the actual book. It was much smaller than I had imagined, which made the illumination even more amazing. I noted that people get much more out of something if they can experience it, not just see it. I am not finished studying the Book of Kells. There is just something about illumination and Celtic knots...

When Merri was in high school, we'd see photos of the Trinity Library and say, "Someday we're going to go there." And we did. Joy!

Some dreams do come true!