K9JY in Ireland -- EI

For the last week, I've been in Ireland with Kate and having a blast. While not able to do any ham radio or participate in the ARRL contest, it's still a great trip.For the past week, we've spent four days in Dublin, touring the Guinness brewery plus taking two day trips to the far south and north of Dublin using their commuter train system. Pretty spectacular stuff.Then, Thursday, Friday and today, we've spent at a bed and breakfast in Navan, about 40 KM northwest of Dublin. Our purpose here was to visit some of the ancient spiritual sites and to see the countryside.Then, on Sunday, we return to Dublin and pick up a country-wide tour that covers Waterford, the Ring of Kerry, and Sligo before returning to Dublin next Saturday so that we can fly home on Sunday.Our first week was to get acclimated, see a lot of Dublin as the tour doesn't cover much of it, and get to the interior of Ireland a bit as the tour doesn't cover that either.The people have been great, the jet lag was tough, and Guinness is my new favorite beer. And Kate and I have spent some great time together. All in all, a really great trip.Some pics:This is a view of downtown Drogheda, a town on the Irish Sea north of Dublin. We got here using the DART, the commuter train after about an hour's travel with stops.Having a complimentary pint of Guinness in the "Gravity Bar." The bar has a 330 degree view of Dublin City from about seven stories up. Below is a picture of part of the city from the Gravity Bar:Taken through a window, of course, so you can see shadows of people there. But, a clear day in Dublin in February -- very rare.Finally, a picture of the harbor at Dun Laoghaire, a seaside city south of Dublin. We traveled here as well using the DART.It's been great fun.Scot, K9JY