Last night, Gerry drove me up to the mountains that would be known as the Dublin Wicklow mountains, since they lie along the border between the two counties. From the mountains you can see Dublin city lights and beyond them, the Irish Sea. It was already getting dark by the time we arrived, but the view was breathtaking. I cannot wait to take this drive during daylight - these mountains are incredible. 

I've never had the chance to see the lights of a city this large, so it was an absolutely amazing first experience. 

Across the sea, the village of Howth is still just barely visible.

I was surprised to see that there was some snow accumulation in the mountains, but Gerry reminded me that it's always a few degrees colder up there, so the snow is heavier than in the city, and it actually has the potential to "stick" in the mountains. We also saw a family sledding on one of the hills that had accumulated a couple inches of snow, which is something else I hadn't expected to see while being here. 

The view from a different lookout

After coming down from the mountains, we headed into the city centre, where Gerry treated me to my first fish-and-chips dinner at the original Leo Burdock's, which is located in Christchurch, Dublin.  I've been eating mainly healthy foods since being here, so I didn't feel a bit of remorse after devouring the largest portion of cod I've ever seen, fried in a delicious batter and then sprinkled with vinegar and oil. However, I was so full that I couldn't bring myself to finish my chips ("chips" are what we call French-fries, for all my fellow Americans).

Read about the history of Leo Burdock here:  http://www.leoburdock.com/about/history/index.html

Honestly, the picture just doesn't do it justice. 

After having a filling meal, we ventured into the city to check out the "Tradfest" event that was going on, which is a Traditional Irish Music Festival.  We worked our way through the city centre, following the music when we heard it and having a few drinks in the pubs as we went.

This is the statue of Phil Lynott of the band Thin Lizzy, music legend throughout Ireland

To read about Phil and his band, click here:  http://www.thinlizzy.org/phil.html

Walking the boardwalk along the Liffey River

Gerry and myself. I'm honestly not sure what I'd be doing around here had I not met this man
on the plane. He has proven to be an invaluable resource to me, as well as a friend.

This city is beautiful, and I am already starting to think of how much I will miss it when I'm gone. I still cannot believe that I am actually here, and that I won't be waking up to "real life" any time soon. It really is the turning out to be the adventure of a lifetime, and I must keep reminding myself of how incredibly blessed I am to be here.

Thanks for reading, and cheers!