Just a Quick Note

Just wanted to let some of you know that the internet connection at the place we're staying at here doesn't allow me to log onto MySpace, so if you've written and I haven't responded...that's why! :)

*Ireland*

Well, I've finally got a chance to write about Ireland! We arrived in Dublin on Wednesday and got our rental car and drove the 3 hours south to Cork. I love it here because it's so beautiful and peaceful and the people that you meet are incredible.

We found the apartment we had lined up, stayed there a night and decided to look for another place to live because there were 3 older Eastern European men living there, and the shared living area was TINY and they were always in there. Apparently they were looking for work..but it seemed as if they never left. So, Zack and I both got the creeps from them so we went searching for a new place, and luckily found a great spot a little closer to the city center. It's like a small dormitory..with 4 rooms. We both have our own room, (the only rooms they had) and we're living with two girls about my age that are never here. So it's great!

Last Friday we drove up to Dingle, a cute peninsula town on the west coast. We stayed at a B&B two nights and had the traditional Irish breakfast both mornings. The town is tiny..it has a marina, B&B's all over town and exactly 52 pubs! We got to know the daughter of the lady who owns the B&B and we met up with her at her favorite pub last night. It was fun..great music, great drinks, and an unforgettable atmosphere!





Here's something funny about Dingle...a handful of the pubs are shops during the day and pubs at night. There's the most famous one, Dick Macks, which is (used to be) a shoe/leather shop by day and pub at night..there are still shoe boxes and shoes all over the shelves of the place. There's another one that's a hardware store by day but drinking pub at night. No music at that one. This picture is hard to read, but it says Bar, Hardware, Bicycles. Kinda funny, huh?
Saturday we drove the coast of the Peninsula, stopping at most turnouts to look at the amazing views and neat things like Beehive Huts and a church made out of only stone and things like that. The views were breathtaking. Too bad the sun wasn't shining..but at least it wasn't raining!

The Netherlands!

This past weekend Zack and I took the train up to Amsterdam. What a beautiful city! The canals, the architecture, and the history are all amazing. After our 3-hour train ride we grabbed a bite to eat and ended up walking around the city for about 2 hours. It started to look the same after a while, crossing over canal after canal, trying to not die from a car or someone on a bike. We were lucky and had fantastic weather too.











My dear friend, Katie, lives in Hilversum...just a short train ride from Amsterdam and she and her roommate were nice enough to let us stay the night at their apartment. (Thanks again, Katie!) Katie and I were neighbors in the dorms back at Northwest..and we haven't seen each other in over 3 years..so it was such a treat to be able to visit her while she's working with the church she helped to plant, in Holland. After church on Sunday we went to a cute little tourist trap, with all the things you'd expect of Holland. Wooden shoes, cheese, tulips (sadly they're all gone this time of year, but they had plenty of fake ones) and of course the windmills. It was adorable.

Tour de France

I took a train up to Gent (pronounced Ghent) yesterday to watch all the riders (is that what they're called? cyclists maybe?) finish that day's ride. Upon arriving, I noticed millions of policemen everywhere and tons of people. A nice lady told me where I'd find the blocked off road to see them. Unfortunately, Zack accidentally took the digital camera with him to Strasbourg, so I only have pictures from my SLR in black and white photos. Anyway, there were way more beer and frite stands than you can count and all down the road there were people hanging out of apartment windows with a camera in one hand and a beer in the other. Luckily it was a beautiful day, only a few dark clouds in the distance that never actually came into town. The riders came in just at the predicted time and I could barely see them through the crowds. I took pictures, but I think they're only of some lady's head...no bikes! Bummer.

It was a nice little day trip..kinda lonely, but nice nonetheless. I can officially say I have traveled somewhere in Europe by myself!

Books

Since arriving June 12 I've read 4 1/4 books! I was in the process of one of Donald Miller's books before I arrived here, but I finished it quickly. Other than books by Donald Miller, (who I obviously love!) I am unfortunately always drawn to books that deal with loved one's dying and grief. I don't mean to choose them, they're like magnets or something. I guess I always choose the one with the prettiest cover or the nicest looking picture on it. I judge books by covers!! I guess my punishment for judging books is that I end up crying through the whole book because the subject is always so morbid. I did however read a lovely book about a couple from England who bought a house in Provence and it was all about their year there and it talked about the people and the food and the town and it all sounded so wonderful.

Quickest read ever: Bought a book by Marian Keyes on Sunday called "Anybody Out There" (593 pages)..finished Tuesday night! I don't know if that's something to be proud of or embarrassed by...

Also, Zack and I are reading through the New Testament, and our goal is to finish it before the year is over. That shouldn't be a problem. I really like the New Testament..I love reading about what Jesus was really like and how he related to people and how it shows who he was as a person.

Anyway, I hope you all are doing well and having an amazing summer! I miss you!

Brugge

We took a train up to Brugge last Saturday with another couple that Zack works with at the Parliament. It's such a cute town! It's very touristy, but adorable nonetheless. There's a beautiful canal going all the way around the city, and there are boat rides you can take. It was a great day to get out of Brussels and to also see the countryside on the train.