The West of Ireland

We decided upon the Bend in the River since we live in Battersea, and it is around the bend in the Thames River in London. We thought starting a blog would be nice, so we could keep you all updated on our lives here in London, and share new experiences with you all.

We have been in London now for a little over two months. We are finally getting settled now that our furniture and other items have arrived. We are all unpacked and mostly organzied; there are a few items such as bookshelves that we still need to replace due to the move.

We have had two friends visit London, Dave and Bob. It was so great to see you and spend some time together. Thank you for making time for us in your London traveling schedule. We look forward to future visits from family and friends.

Last week, we went to Ireland to take advantage of a long bank holiday here, and also to celebrate my 35th birthday. During our time in Ireland, I kept my eye out for the little green leprechaun, in hopes I would find one which would led us to a crock of gold! I did however drink my first Guiness!

The stereotypes of Ireland are true. For as far as the eye can see, there are fields of rolling green hills or pasturelands, separated by stone/large rocks used as fencing to separate livestock.
We spent most of our time in the lower Shannon area and a day in the West of Ireland. Some of the places we visited were Limerick, Killarny, Galway and the Cliffs of Moher. We saw many castles, a few we visited were Carrigafoyle, King Johns and the Bunratty. We also visited many great churches and travelled through some great villages.

We rented a car for our travels and Jack drove. It felt strange being in a car since it has been months since we have been in one. I really have to get use to the changes - driving on the opposite side of the road and using the gear shift with my left hand. As a passenger while in Ireland, I found my left shoulder was often tense due to me pulling myself inwards, probably due to stress because of fear of how close we were to the left hand side of the road. The roads are often times very narrow and winding with shoulders made of small rolling hills, hedge or stone. There were a few close calls were we both squealed due to how close the passing car came to us when we passed. I had to do some serious yoga breathing to reduce the adrenaline rush from the fear. We both have decided that our favorite part of our trip was the Cliffs of Moher.

In a little over a week, I will be heading to Edinburgh, Scotland with my colleagues for an off-site work meeting, and a day of rest and relaxation at a day spa. I am looking forward to visiting Scotland. As for our jobs, we are both settling down and learning our new roles at work and enjoying our jobs.

We have began a BT London Carbon Cycling Club, so it will be fun to see how many join and how it develops. I am the team captain, so now everyone can call me Captain Cartwright this time. :) We live near Richmond park; it is an amazing park with fields. On our bike rides, we often see people riding horses and elk or deer in the streets or nearby fields. It is a great escape from the city life.

We will be downloading photos to share with you all soon. Ciao for now, we miss you all!