The Most Beautiful Place On Earth

We've just returned from what's been called that very thing. We'd wholeheartedly agree. Where else would the sun beam through clouds like this for the entire day?

Our house is filled with a predisposition to like the Irish (my being baptised at the "Touchdown Jesus" parish in South Bend doesn't hurt, either). Baby Sister's namesakes tie us there and the girls Irish dance to most every pop song at the drop of a hat. Still, our trip to Ireland far exceeded our expectations.

Not exactly sure why we left. Something about school and work. Blah Blah Blah. But we're already plotting our return to the Dingle Peninsula. Absolutely wonderful. We'll have to keep replaying these images Monday morning when we're doing the school run on a red bus in uniforms.

No sooner had we explained to Baby Sister that we'd not moved to Ireland -- "You said we'd get more bunk beds!" (It really must be so confusing to be three. And also six because I'd be rich if I had one pound for every time Big Sister asked, "Where are we going now?" I promise you, we had everyone fully on board with the program before and through the trip but still...) -- it seemed it was time to return home. If I ever get the resulting laundry pile smaller than Mount Brandon (see, I read all the guidebooks!) I'll send you more pictures and tell a few tales of the trip.

It was surely an adventure from start to finish. We arrived in an incomparable darkness and howling winds likely only found in that western most tip of Europe -- what's also been called the "end of the earth." As soon as I opened my car door, our entire stack of important papers (to include 6 boarding passes for the return flight) whipped off my lap and shot into the night sky like fireworks. The next morning we found 5 of the boarding passes stuck all around the neighboring sheeps' fence line. All but mine. So I was mighty tempted to stay on for a bit.

We had a 13 passenger van and the 4 kids mostly rode in the way, way back together. They might not have noticed I wasn't 3 rows in front of them for a while. At least until they were ready for another banana to be slung at them.

But I would have missed the small people, this guy and London, too. To ease the departure, the Mister and I felt obligated to try more local offerings. Just doing our part.

So, a big thanks to Ireland for a gracious welcome and a homecoming of sorts. We'll keep the wind at our back until we can return.