Day Trip to Innsbruck

Anna and I decided to take a little day trip to Innsbruck, Austria, on our "weekend".  We walked around the cute little down a little bit and saw a few of the tourist sights. It was a beautiful, sunny day... perfect for our little trip!

One of the street performers... Dorothy and Todo

Innsbruck is home to Swarovski crystal, so we took a trip to Kristallwelten or "crystal world." It is a very unique museum with more crystals than I've ever seen, including the biggest crystal in the world...300,000 karats.  

The entrance to Crystal World...a face made with crystals. 

We headed back to Garmisch and had a slight panic when the border police stopped us on the train and asked for our passports.... which we forgot to bring because it's only an hour train ride and we've never been checked.   Luckily, they had a little sympathy for us and just told us that next time we must bring them.   For a second we thought we might end up in German prison! Sadly, I left my Swarovski earrings that I purchased on the train... oops.

Luck of the Irish

Sarah and I spent the week in Dublin, and had a blast! I would have to say it is probably the friendliest place I've visited.  So many nice people, and everyone was willing to help.... quite a difference compared to some places. And it was quite a treat to go to an English speaking country for a change.

We liked the signs on the streets reminding us which way to look since they drive on the opposite side of the street.. though Sarah still almost got hit by a bus once!

We spent our first day exploring the city.  We visited Trinity College and saw the Book of Kells... one of the oldest versions of the Gospels.  We also walked around Temple Bar, saw the Dublin Castle, and did a little too much shopping on Grafton Street.  We ate dinner at a traditional Irish Pub in Temple Bar and then went to another pub for live music and Irish dancing. Sarah even danced a little!

One of the many gregorian doors lining the streets of Dublin. 

One of Ireland's many famous writers... Oscar Wilde in the park! 

Day 2 we took a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher. It was a long trip because the cliffs are on the West Coast, but it was definitely worth it.  A very beautiful spot....they are actually in the running to become another Wonder of the World.  Unfortunately, it was typical Irish weather... cloudy and rainy, so my pictures are not quite as good as the postcards!

The Cliffs of Moher

Yesterday, we got up and went running in Stephen's Green.... the biggest park we could find.... It was actually tiny and the one downfall to the city.... not so good for running! Then we took a short 40 min train ride to Howth, as suggested by a few of our friends. It's a tiny little fisherman's village on the coast, and was so cute! And we lucked out and had a perfectly sunny day! We spent the afternoon back in Dublin, doing a bit more shopping. We also made reservations at a cute restaurant, Elephant and Castle, and had a great dinner there!

Howth.... water and sun, 2 of my favorite things! 

For our last day, we spent the morning people watching in a coffee shop... one of our favorite things to do. There was a big rugby match vs. Italy going on, so it was fun to see everyone all dressed in green!
Then it was time to head back to Garmish.  We were a little tired, as you can see.... Sarah is taking a little nap in the airport! And our bags were a lot heavier than when we started... oops, maybe a bit too much shopping!

We both loved the city, and I hope one day I can return and spend a few weeks seeing all of Ireland!
As for now, I'll be back in snowy Garmisch for a little while before my next trip!