Northern Ireland

Making our way up to Northern Ireland, Michelle and I did a 20 km hike from Carrick-a-Rede Bridge to the famous Giants Causeway. The only thing is we did not know it was a 20 km hike and also did not realize how far away the trail was from any sort of civilization, like food, water, and transportation. It only took us 7.5 hours to complete the hike and after almost dying and exhaustion, we managed to make our way back to our hostel. The views were well worth it though...at least now I think so...hindsight is always more positive than living in the exhaustion of the moment. Having walked for almost 8 hours, I fell off a cliff from exhaustion and was washed up on shore.

The stones of Giants Causeway. One of the wonders of the world.

Eye spy with my little eye, something that looks like an Elephant...can you find it?

Yes, we did frolick through the medows.

Michelle trying to blend in with the sheep.

Sheep here, sheep there, everywhere there are sheepies. There were parts of the hike where no we were once with the sheep and cows, walking through their pastures and stepping over their cow/sheep pies. One unlucky step, however, did not make it over but rather, landed in.

Roars Kitchen, a little tea house where we stopped to have lunch and enjoyed homemade soup and pies...so tasty but not quite as good as my both my Grandma's and my mom's.

Going across the Carrick-a-Rede Bridge.

Michelle, expressing our excitment upon being here and seeing such beauty.

PPP (Partying with People from different Places)

One of our favorite parts about Ireland is both the music and the people you meet in Pubs. Below are some pictures of the different beers we've had, the people we've met, and the places we've had some of the best Irish dance-a-thons with people from all around the world!


Temple Bar in Dublin is known for its nightlife and music. We enjoyed strolling the streets and tapping our feet to some local buskers as well and dancing the night away with fellow travelers.

Michelle, listening to some celtic fiddle players along Temple Bar area.

Bulmers is our new favorite beverage. Being a cider it is a nice option when you are in the mood for something sweeter but still want to have a pint.

Of course, when in Dublin one needs to try Guinness. I was actually surprised at how much I liked the thick beverage. The foam on top is quite impressive and leaves behind a very fashionable mustach.

The girls who introduced us to Bulmers...Belgium girls know how to have a good time:)

Michelle's dance off with the Danish guys.

I think we have representation here from 3 different continents.

Canadian girls and American boys...a little North American reunion. We busted up the dance floor with our flailing Irish jigs.

The male form of Erin, as Michelle refers to him as, who has now become my personal hair stylist.

Yes we have had quite a few good times with people from across the globe.

Clontarf Castle

Treat of all treats, Michelle and I booked ourselves 2 nights the Clontarf Castle Hotel which is located just outside Dublin City Center. Here we slurged and got the 24 hour movie special for £9.99 and watched 4.5 movies with our 24 hour period. We made it a point to not get out of our beds except to eat and shower. When we did happen to venture out of our room, we made sure to do so in style!This place was a wonderful resting stop where we were able to sleep off our colds and plan the next leg of our trip. Going back to hostels after this was quite a hardship but at least we were able to experience living like Royalty for a few days. And yes, I couldn't help but get swept up in the magic of the castle, eloping with a knite and ridding Azlan through the Irish countryside. Unfortunately my carriage turned back into a pumpkin at midnight as my stylish boots were replaced with hiking runners once again.

COLDPLAY...and Dublin

So I am finally able to post pictures and have created numerous new blog entries flashing back to places Michelle and I have been so far. Please check them out as they will provide you with a better idea of what we have seen and done.

Dublin is a city, and it is nice, but the real reason we came here was not so much to see the city but to go to THE BEST CONCERT IN THE WORLD!!!! That's right we, along with 80, 000 other people, attended the Coldplay concert in Phoenix Park (which is the biggest park in an European city). We were tired, we were hungry, we had to use the lieu, but none of this kept us from leaving our place in line. We persevered and succeeded by being only feet away from the stage. The concert was UNBELIEVABLE. I had seen them in Winnipeg, but being this close and surrounded by so many people was a completely new experience. Totally worth the mile and a half walk in and out of the park. Totally worth the 2 hour walk there. Totally worth all the buses being full back to the city center. And totally worth the 30 min. walk back...until we were saved by a taxi. If you haven't caught on...it would have been worth flying over here just to see them! Since you couldn't be there you can live vicariously through these pictures.