Pinch and a punch for the first of the month.

So what has John been up to?

Monday I went down from Portadown to Dublin. I spent a few hours here, doing email, finding food, checking out ferry and train options for sunday, adn workign out how the city works. Then at 6pm, off to Westport. I was met at the train by the Diocesan Youth Worker (very very part time, worked 90 hours in his first year). Steve is a delightful guy, and he and his wife Orla looked after me really really well. Highlights included the rural life museum, and going to Matt Malones for a couple of guiness' and a live Irish jam. What fun.

Wednesday I went on the train to Galway. The weather was aweful. And to make matters worse I failed to note the signs pointing to the Information Centre, and walked the wrong way, only to get caught in some seriously wetting rain. I nearly gave up in disgust, but after finding the Info Centre, and getting a B&B with a lovely Catholic couple in a B&B called "St. Clares" I settled into enjoying the city. In the end I can say Galway is a nice touristy kind of place, with very nice Fish and Chips.

Thursday back to Dublin, where I did all the main relisgious sites, Christ Church Cathedral, Guiness Storehouse, and a touristy bus tour around the place. The thing about these is you get to see the sites, and have no idea how it all fits together. Crazy.

Today I have been to out to Glendalough and the Wicklows. It was grand. Glendalough is where St. Keven set up a monastry. And then we had lunch at Avoca, the site of the Ballykisangel progamme. Cool. The scenary is just beautiful. One of the places that will stand out is "Guiness Lake" a lake owned by the Guiness family. It has a river of bog water, water that is black in and out of it. They have imported sand on one end of the lake to make it look like the head of a point of guiness. They live in this most beautifaul 500 acre spot, which includes two lakes.
The peat bog on the tops of the Wicklows was just amazing, and really really nice too.

Tommorow I am off to a training day with Jonny Baker of CMS UK, and a franciscan meeting. I am staying with a couple, and then on sunday I am off ot Hemel Hempstead and my aunts.
I will do somemore thinking about this part of hte trip and pur that up later. All I want to say now is that umbrellas are evil. Yes evil. Woman, especially short woman put them up at eye level, wander around blocking footpaths with them and just create havoc. They should be banned!!!! Actually everyone with them are a pain!

One other thought or observation. Dubliners when they get on the lumas tram stand in the door area, and then glare at you when you just push on the tram, as I have had to do. Even when people get out they just stand there, and don;t stand int eh empty spaces, and some then moan about beign squashed. What is all the aabout? It just forces me to practice praying for peace. Hard work, let me tell you.

Comments

Paul Fromont said…
John, fantastic that you got to catch up with Jonny...who knows how that connection might develop and be of benefit to us down here at the bottom of the world - particularly within Anglican circles...

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