Sunday, July 19 - Ireland day #2

Thank you Phil for making breakfast and coffee!

Cody and Jessie enjoying the electric keyboard in the playroom.

After sleeping in, yummy food, and getting dressed, our two families piled into our two cars and headed out on a short drive to Castlewellan Forest Park.

Along the way we saw lots of rock walls.

Reminds me of where I grew up.

Phil with Anya on his shoulders and Suzi with Jessie on her back were ready for our hike/walk.

Our walk included beautiful views of this castle.  

The kids had fun playing on this tree stump.

Is it possible to get these 4 cousins together in a picture?

Sort of got 3 of them.

I liked this 2-headed sculpture.

Devon collected loads of sticks.  He said they were kindling wood for the wood burning stove back at the house.

Cody also collected some wood.

Rosa got treated to a ride on Scott's shoulders.  

Phil, Suzi, and Anya walking in the woods.  Jessie's being carried on Suzi's back.

We explored part of the arboretum on the grounds.  Bob - this picture is for you.

I got to have Jessie on my shoulders for a little bit.  Cody is with me as we enter the arboretum.

Some of the beautiful flowers we saw.

Later we brought the kids to the Peace Maze that's on the grounds.

They were fun to explore.

Views in the area.

Mountains in the background!  Beautiful!

The bridge over the maze.

Rosa leading the way.

The grounds also had a fun playground that the kids loved playing on.  And, there was a big and beautiful lake where we saw people out canoeing.

After the forest, the 5 of us headed to the town of Castlewellan for lunch.  We ate it at Bilbo's

View inside the cute cafe.

We all tremendously enjoyed lunch.  It was so easy to speak English once again and to see so many familiar items on the menu.  I love the daily challenge in Spain, but it was really nice to get a break from it all while in Ireland.  Even driving on the other side of the road and having a stick shift vs. automatic was a piece of cake (says Scott).

A view in town.

Later, back at the house, it was snack time for Devon, Cody, Jessie, and Anya.  Rosa was likely immersed reading one of the many English chapter books she found there.

Goofy Cody in the family room.

Cute Jessie in the family room.

Jessie and Cody playing together.

Suzi brought Phil to the train station to return to Dublin.  He had an early morning flight to London the next day for his new job.

Once Suzi returned, we walked down to the main promenade and ate dinner at a lovely restaurant next to Vanilla.

Anya and Rosa enjoying dinner next to each other. 

After dinner we walked along the water.

Low tide.

And then the kids had fun at the arcade.  Anya and Jessie sat in a tea cup on the merry-go-round.  Devon, Rosa, and Cody first drove bumper cars.

Devon and Rosa ready.

Cody ready.

And they're off.

After bumper cars, our 3 monkeys rode bumper boats.

They loved them!