O'Shea's go to Dublin

Then back home for a little more catching up on time zones, and off to Dublin, via the Nicholas Mosse pottery factory outside of Kilkenny. Well, old "asleep at the wheel" almost missed that one, forgetting we had to turn off the highway shortly north of Cork, but we managed a little roundabout and got there in good form. Too bad it was a bit of a disappointment. The pottery is pretty much the same stuff he's been making for decades, except twice as expensive, the little cafe should stick to making pottery 'cuz that's what ther scones were like, and there wasn't much else.

But the Eaglais Mhuire abbey at Gowran was a hit, including finding my own gravestone. Francie want's to know who Rebecca was. I maintain it was another life and to never mind.

I want you to know, rumours of my demise...


Are greatly exaggerated.

After a little missed turn in Carlow wherein Francie (who was followning in the 2nd car and relying on my navigation) lost me and decided to continue on her own without telling me, we arrived at the

AvonLea B&B (kinanev@indigo.ie) in Naas. A finer place to stay would be hard to find. Our ten souls filled the place, so it felt like we owned it. A nice big back yard, completely equiped with dead soccer balls and a cute little Westie named Holly, a separate room for the kids, muffins in the TV room and all is well. Also the express(?) bus to Dublin stops at the end of the drive.

Did I mention traffic in Dublin? It's so wretched it takes the bus an hour to go the last 15 miles into the city center. Also parking a car there is about like parking in NYC, fugetabudit. Glad to leave the driving to the guys with the Irish setter mascot, we get to ride in the top of a double decker. Pretty exciting on roads that aren't quite as wide as the bus is, branches scrape down both sides in places.

Dublin is a marvel of an old european city.

It has the widest main street (as opposed to Avenue), the oldest hospital, the tallest obelisk, the most churches, the most pubs (now THERE's a justaposition for you), the biggest brewery, the biggest park, and a host of other features. Not least of which is tour but drivers with a very Irish sense of humour. The Dublin city tour is definitely worth the 14E, you get to see the city from the top of the bus, get off where you like

(the Guinness brewery for instance) and hear quite a bit more about the city than you'll find in Frommer's or Lonely Planet.