All three were absolutely fantastic at going with the flow and consistently game for anything. We hung out in town while it was pouring rain, chased sheep, and walked to Killarney on the last day. Well, almost to Killarney. We did take a "jaunting car" that picked us up just past the cascade but that only shaved off a few miles and we had already finished 15. Whoop whoop! Git on lil pony!
I love having that little slice of familiarity somewhere out of context. Ireland has quickly become a second home to me so having some of the people who molded Portland into my HOME home see my second home...it feels like things always come full circle.
One of the greatest things about the whole week was the bad weather. I am so glad it was miserable out. It alleviated all the pressure to see and do and instead we could just be. What a gift. We did not ride as much as we wanted or go see as many things as we had hoped, but it just proves that no matter where you are in the world, sometimes the best thing to do is just lay on the couch and watch a movie.
Besides, how else would it get so green? More shots from the Dylan & Co. invasion can be found here.
I'm sure it started with Oma. Almost every Irish granny that I meet makes me think of Oma. They somehow have the same adventurous soul, peppered with a mental toughness that can only come from great challenges in life and topped with a slightly disheveled appearance. They are smart. Still sharp as tacks with piercing wit well into their 70s and 80s. I guess that's the irish humor in general, but the grannys are no exception. Even if they are not the ones making the jokes, you can rarely frazzle them. 
I am tired and my shoulders are aching. I have not been on a bike since a week before leaving for Germany and those times were few and far between. Instead I've been the walking queen...walking trips, walking presearch, and walking my buns over to the coffee shop. 
This city is architecturally one of the most fascinating places I have ever been. It has a very strong gothic and medieval influence which is rare since so many comparable cities were destroyed during WWII. 
We stayed at a lovely hostel in a private room and wandered all night and all day. Here are a couple of things that I learned: 
3. The closer to the old town square the more expensive the ice cream and the smaller the portions (I actually new this, but apparently needed a good reminder).
6. I may be completely insatiable. On the train back we were talking about the trip and Kate said she would probably not make it back there. It was a four hour train from her house. Me on the other hand, I said I definitely wanted to get back there "someday". This is a reoccuring theme. I don't check things off my bucket list, I just add more. Maybe I should work on that or I am going to have to start making a lot more money to support my travel habits. That said, there are worse habits to have. 
I can't tell you how good it was to have down time with a familiar face. It is amazing how many friends I have, people I love dearly, that I have not seen in years. I guess it is one of the unfortunate side effects of my overly nomadic lifestyle combined with knowing really cool people spread out around the world. But with the really good friends, it is just so easy to fall back into that comfortable place. 
Point is: I knew her well when we were really just kids, then I saw her when we were in college a couple times, met her (then boyfriend) Josh visiting home after college one night, and then once more, I saw her while traveling the US when she was living in Colorado (Josh, her now husband, was deployed at the time). And now I have seen her in Germany where she is embracing life, and looking some real world challenges right in the eye. I feel like I have gradually seen this growth in her and I am so impressed. She is still the same old Kate at the core, but even better.
