Donaldson Crew Adventures

A full day in Dublin!

We met up with the Facchini family again in the morning and went to the Dublin Zoo.  Their son Rocco was also turning 4 so we celebrated his birthday with lunch & cake inside the Zoo.  

Since we were in Dublin, I couldn't leave without going to the Guinness factory, so that was our outing for the afternoon after returning from the Zoo.... kids included!  Your ticket includes a free pour from the bar, but only on the adult tickets:)  The kids got soft drinks.

In the evening I booked a babysitter in advance for a Saturday night out.  The Facchini's (Christine and Pete) were also with us for the evening.  We went to the oldest pub in Ireland - The Brazen Head (dating back to 1198!) for a dinner event that included traditional Irish food, Irish storytelling and music.  Kelly and I are now an expert in such topics as Irish Fary's!  After dinner we walked back to the Temple Bar district and listened to live music and drank beer in an Irish Pub until it was time to relieve the babysitter at Midnight.

A great day in Dublin Ireland!

We drove into Dublin today in pouring rain but thankfully it stopped just after we arrived!  Staying at a great location right in downtown Dublin.  Its a really nice 3 bedroom extended stay apartment which is great for our family.

We are a 15 minute walk from the Temple Bar area of Dublin so we decided to walk down there.  It was a little stressful with the kids on the narrow sidewalks and throngs of people.  Here are a few photos of HaPenny Bridge, Temple Bar District, and Trinity College

Our friends, The Facchini family (also Americans living in Wales) were also going to be in Dublin at the same time at a place very near to us.  Tonight we met them for dinner in the Temple Bar district.  The kids all together had a great time.

After departing Wexford we made a stop at a Park area called Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains on the way North to Dublin.  There is a 5th century monastery site founded by St. Kevin!  The Irish name for the site is called Gleann Da Locha meaning Glen of the Two Lakes.  In the 5th century a monk named St. Kevin chose this secluded setting around a Bronze Age tomb for his home.  For 7 years he fasted, prayed, and slept on the hard ground and ate only what he could catch or find.  His self deprivation and fervor gained attention from passing hunters and peddlers and soon similarly devout followers found their way here.  

The site is very popular and quite crowded.  The guide book says to visit early or late, and I would concur.  While the weather was not great, the low clouds added to the mystique of the place.

Kevin in front of St. Kevin's Church

Pictures from the grounds.  There were lots o really cool old Celtic crosses in the graveyard.

Today in the morning we took the kids to the Irish National Heritage Museum, where they learned all about the history of Ireland from the stone age through medieval times.

The weather cleared in the afternoon so after Preston had a nap we headed over to a beautiful blue flag beach on the Irish Sea named Curracloe beach about 8 miles north of Wexford town.

Car is jam packed... but everyone is excited!

Here is the planned route:

After a drive to Pembroke Docks, and a Ferry Ride, we end up in Wexford Town just a short 10 miles from the port for the first couple nights

After Oxwich, the weather started to clear late morning and with the low tide hitting about mid afternoon, I wanted to take the boys to beautiful village of Rhossoli and see if we could hike across to Worms Head.  Worms head is a tiny spine of rock that hangs off the Western tip of the Gower, and you can only cross over to it at low tide when a rocky land-bridge is exposed.   Historically 'Wurm' is another word for dragon and the rocky outcrop is called this due to its resemblance to a sea serpent.  

 Worms Head off in the distance and waiting for the tide to recede before making the crossing

On Sunday after packing up our campsite, the plan was to head further west on the peninsula and do some exploring.  A few miles from the campsite we decided to take a detour to check out Oxwich Castle.  Not much different than other castle ruins we have been too, but the boys love to climb around (as long as no-one is looking:)  Bit disappointed that they charged £3 per person to get in to this one...

This past weekend I took Hunter and Noah camping on the Gower Peninsula of South Wales.    The Gower is a beautiful are with amazing beaches.  People come from all over to stay there.  The site I booked was a place I tried to get to last year but was full.  It is called Three Cliffs Bay Campground.  In 2006 the Independent ranked it the best campsite view in the world.  Its definitely must be up there for sure.  

View from the Campsite and our setup

Hiking and playing at the beach and nearby Pennard Castle 

Beach Day and climbing up to the highest of the 3 cliffs

This weekend, we wanted to get out and enjoy the summer sun.  It was a little cool for the beach so I packed a picnic lunch and we headed over to another one of the castles in our home area - Coity Castle near the village of Bridgend.  We first ran across Coity Castle last year when we were going to a baptism at the church next to it, and took a mental note to visit it again when the kids were in proper play clothes. 

 More pictures of climbing on the walls

Our friends Barb and her son Ian came for a visit.  Picture of the boys up on the rock wall around the house.  Climbing along this wall is one of their favorite pastimes.