Although the trip has been an amazing experience so far, we have certainly had a few bumps in the road.  The weather has been very bipolar, with the sun shining one minute, and then hail pelting us the next.  We have dealt with freezing rain, slush, and hail that forced us to hide under the huge rocks at the Giant's Causeway (and we're from Michigan, so we're used to crazy weather!).  Our umbrellas, rain jackets, hats and gloves have certainly been useful!

We also have spent a lot of time figuring out public transportation.  Although we were very grateful to have a bus stop with a route directly to the city center close to our hotel, we had a hard time figuring out the different stops.  We had quite a few long walks after getting off the bus at night way too early, but luckily we just followed the bus stop signs home!  On one of our trips home, the bus broke down, leaving us a few miles from home with a bunch of other stranded passengers.  They assured us that another bus was on its way, so we hung around until the next bus showed up... then it also proceeded to break down within ten yards of the first bus!  Having two buses break down within ten minutes, being stranded with two double-decker buses worth of stranded passengers was quite the hassle, but we thought quickly and flagged down the first open taxi to take us the last few miles.

Other than that, things have gone pretty smoothly.  We love the hotel in Dublin, and finally figured out which bus stop to get off at, avoiding the extra long walks back to the hotel.  Just across from our bus stop, we found a little fish and chips place and a small grocery store that have been our favorite places to get food before we catch the bus into town.  We will certainly have more bumps in the road as we continue on our journey, but all of the mishaps are learning experiences and stories to take with us.  Our time in Dublin is slowly coming to an end, so we'll post a few more pictures of the city before our next stop in Manchester!

Here's to being wiser and a little more in shape after all of those extra walks,

Laura and Bryan