Dublin Zoo

First, here is a quick update for yesterday...

Springtime has arrived and I could not be happier. The sunshine that graced the end of last week is still shining and I'm finding that it really does make all the difference. Friday I had my Arts in Ireland class from 10:00 to 1:00 and after I met my friend Déarbhla for tea. We went to her little secret cafe near DCU's campus, and I had the best afternoon getting to talk with her. Time passed too quickly, and before we knew it the afternoon was almost over. She has been so helpful throughout my stay and has given me some more ideas of things that I need to see before I leave. I hope to see her again in the next couple of weeks.

Last night, Mary, Kate and I went into the city center to O'Donoghues Pub for an evening of music. Mary had seen this pub on a PBS special, advertising their live music and we decided we should check it out. The place was crowded, but we were fortunate enough to get a set close to the action and had a really relaxing and entertaining time listening to the talented musicians. Three older men made up the entertainment, playing the Irish whistle, banjo, and guitar. What I loved was that the man playing the whistle must have been in his seventies and still really loved playing. We were able to talk to them between songs, and were told that they come play in the same pub almost every Friday together which I thought was really neat.

Now for today...the Dublin Zoo

Tara and I headed down to the city center to go to the zoo. After a quick coffee treat at Butlers, we caught the 10 bus which brought us right to the zoo. Apparently everyone in Dublin had the same idea, and after making our way through the long line we were inside! I can't remember the last time I had been to the zoo, and I think the two of us were just as excited as many of the little children we shared the park with. Here were some highlights of the afternoon!

















On the way back to the bus stop, we walked through Pheonix Park, one of the largest enclosed urban parks in Europe. The day was spectacular, and I was sad to see the time end.