.....and the sun shone!

JOHNmann

Two days of sunshine! What a treat!
We spent last weekend outdoors making the most of the fine weather ( with a raincoat and umbrella just in case).
Dublin was holding the Street Performance World Championships with wacky and zany performers such as Lizard Man (a green scaly bloke with a forked tongue), JOHNman (a human robot with red and white striped eyes and a red plastic suit handing out lollipops), 2 on 1 (a couple of American street dancers and musicians), Lisa Lottie (a very pink hoola hoop performer), Cirque No Problem (Hungarian acrobats) and Hakuna Matata Acrobats (African flaming limbo dancers). I forgot to mention the Human Canonball- now he was a real blast! Actually he was a bit of a fizzer!

Hakuna Matata Acrobats

Lizardman

All acts had something slightly different to offer but were basically juggling or acrobatic and drew huge crowds.Being short made it difficult to see some acts but a relief when the sword swallowing or face piercing started!

To keep with our outdoor theme, David bravely suggested a tandem bike ride in Phoenix Park on Sunday. The last time I had ridden on a tandem bike was when I was about 12 in NZ and it wasn't a pleasant experience as my brother, David, might recall. Needless to say David and I are still talking and all in all it was a great afternoon. David did most of the peddling while I carried the back pack( a fair balance of duties). It was a great way to see the enormous park. There was a huge cross where the pope had celebrated mass for a million people in 1979. The same spot was also used for the Swedish Mafia Concert earlier this month which drew lots of attention due to 2 deaths at the concert. We rode the length of the park which is about 6 miles and had lunch at a little cafe. On the return we fed the deer, which roam the park.

Tandem cycling in Phoenix Park

With weary legs we caught the Luas, Dublin's light rail, back to town, as our evening was to be spent in Howth, a 20 minute bus ride north of our apartment. We caught the bus to the Summit and did a short stroll to the cliff tops to view the coast south towards Bray where we had been with Paul and Dolores a few weeks ago. After a drink at the Summit Inn we headed into town to meet Paul and Dolores for dinner at one of the seaside cafes, which we followed by a visit to The Bloody Stream to listen to the Celtic Symphony, seven musicians playing traditional music with a modern twist.

The girls returned to us on Sunday night for the last couple of days of their holiday. We had planned two busy days - shopping, dinner at a traditional Irish pub, a trip to Howth and an evening at Riverdance.
Riverdance would have to be a highlight! The music, costumes and sheer energy made for a spectacular performance. I may take up Irish dancing!!!!!
After the girls' 4th trip to Bewley's Grafton Street Cafe (thanks Peter and Faye) for a late night coffee, or in Emma's case a caramel cino, it was time to go home in preparation for their early start.
We have had a great time with the girls and are sending them home tired and broke.
David and I are, on the other hand, looking forward to more Irish adventures.  Anne.