Photos from Cardiff and Dublin

The beautiful new Cardiff Opera House (from the docks at the back)


Trinity College in Dublin, where the Book of Kells is displayed


Walking towards the famous Halfpenny Bridge over the equally famous Liffey River in the centre of Dublin


Long liost sisters and cousins in Dublin

Travels to Cardiff and Dublin

Have been doing so much these past few days I haven't had time to write here at all! I've been in Dublin since Thursday (flying back to London on Sunday afternoon). I spent 2 days in Cardiff before that with Charles and Doris - very nice!

I'm going to write a separate post later about some of the earlier stuff (including Sunday yoga last week). But for now I'll just talk about Cardiff and Dublin. Had a lovely couple of days in Cardiff with Charles and Doris. Spent a lot of time going through Doris' quilting books! As well as admiring an incredibly beautiful quilt she'd made for the bed I was sleeping in (in her workroom) - of deep reds and oranges. I can't believe I didn't take a photo of it now! We also managed to fit in the obligatory visit to Charles' allotment (where we picked the last of the raspberries!), and then went on a drive to the Cardiff docks area which has seen a huge amount of redevelopment over the past few years. Saw the new Opera House, which is really lovely. (Photo will appear later!) Also the Norwegian church and a monument to the Scott Antarctic expedition. I hadn't realised that they had set off from Cardiff. Somehow I always think of Antarctic expeditions as starting from New Zealand, or Tasmania!!

Came back on Wednesday afternoon, and just had time to wash and dry some clothes and pack, before going out for dinner with Anthea, which was lovely too! And before I knew it I was on the bus to Stansted airport at 7.30 the next morning, on my way to Dublin for the grand sisters' get-together! I'd arranged to meet Carla (Irish sister) at Trinity College, as she had a lecture there. So that accomplished, we had lunch and then went in to see the Book of Kells exhibition. That was wonderful. Lots of information about it and the times beforehand, and then we went into a darkened room where we could see 2 openings of the Book of Kells (they have split it into 2), and also 2 other similar illustrated manuscript books. It was very peaceful and beautiful.

Yesterday Carla took me to this wonderful exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland. It was of 'prehistory' and included some amazing things, like an enormously long boat, probably the length of a redwood tree! And of course, some strangely moving exhibitions of bog people - bodies that had been found in bogs from many hundreds/thousands of years ago, amazingly well preserved. On some you can see the hands and fingers so clearly as if it was just yesterday. I really loved this exhibition. Not even mentioning the incredible section of gold torcs and other types of jewellery they used to wear way back when!!

After that we met up with some of the other sisters/cousins who had arrived for this big 'sisterly' get-together, and went off to the Art Gallery to a Metsu exhibition, also very lovely.

Today we have been to the Temple Bar Farmers Market, which I love, and then to yet another art exhibition, by Lavery. It was quite political - he was painting portraits of people involved in both sides of the Irish troubles at the beginning of the 20th Century. Very interesting, when I recognised the names!

We've also been doing a lot of great eating! Had a great family meal here at Carla's last night, cooked by her of course. Today we found ourselves in a great Mexican/Spanish tapas place for lunch, and in an hour or so will be going out for dinner somewhere else! I wonder if  I will even be able to do Marichyasana A (ed: let alone B, C or D!) on Monday when I finally get back to yoga! I have definitely been having withdrawal symptoms - have been staying in places with absolutely no room to put down a yoga mat, so I didn't even bring it! However, when I go to Portugal next week I will definitely make sure I bring my mat with me, and make a space somehow ... :)

Yoga and - Dublin

Yoga again this morning ... I had lots more energy than on Saturday which was great. But I am having a bad balance day. And also, despite my earlier triumphs with navasana (how long ago was that?!) having not done it since I left Australia some weeks ago (because I was stopped at Marichysana A in London) I'm finding it very hard again!! Silent screams of frustration were heard!! However, on the bright side I was able to bind on both sides in Marichyasana A both on Saturday and today, which is really good! I was mostly only able to do it on one side before ...

A new guy arrived at the yoga flat today (from South Carolina) - there's 7 of us staying there at the moment. Had a quiet day, and even did some choir practice in my room, singing the Messiah choruses through with the alto part on my iPod!

And now let's go back to - Dublin! I never posted anything about this bit of my holiday before - got caught up in other things. But the first weekend I was away (based in London) Judy and I went to visit another sister, Carla, who lives in Dublin. I've never met her before (these sisters are from my father's prevous marriage, and for whatever reason we never intermingled). And I'd also never been to Dublin before, so it was a great excitement for me. We flew in on Friday afternoon (2 days after I'd arrived in London) and were looked after so well by Carla and her husband. We were driven all around Dublin and surrounds on the Saturday - walked up Fishamble Street to the building where the first ever performance of The Messiah happened. Went for a lovely walk on the headland at the south end of the Dublin Bay. Had lunch in Avoca Weavers (in County Witlow) and drove back over a lovely mountain road - Sally Gap. (Why does every place in Ireland sound like it's out of a folk song?!) Beautiful wild country side, reminiscent of Scotland, complete with lochs!

Carla has a really lovely garden - she's obviously got green fingers! (I think Dad did too, though he mainly confined his gardening to the vegetable variety!!)

Dublin is such a lovely city - apparently it's the 2nd biggest Georgian city after Bath! Can see why ...

Anyway, it was such a lovely weekend, and really great to meet another sister. (In fact I got quite excited and told Judy I was no longer the oldest in the family! I'm now the 4th sister!!!!)