//Europa 2006//

London's quite balmy in the evenings, especially on the terrace outside our room at the Albert Hotel. (I've started calling it the Fat Albert)

Yes, we've switched countries.

But now, Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday morning, Dr. Hylton took us on a bike ride up a hill whose name I've already forgotten. Kill-something. And no, the picture does not lie, I was wearing linen shorts and leather shoes on that bike ride. The top of the hill afforded amazing views of the coast from Dublin city all the way down to Greystones. Dr. Hylton beat us up the hill. And pointed out some important places we could see from up there.

We returned to the house and, after getting caught up in a Hylton family photo-screensaver-archive viewing, Graham and I headed into Dublin to do every free everything that the city would give us: the National Natural History Museum (a bunch of dead Irish animals: foxes, ducks, squids from 1908, and Tapeworms from 1873, tenderly preserved in formaldehyde. Mmm mmm.), St. Steven's Green (big park in the city; lots of very white Irish bodies turning very red), National Archeological Blah Blah Blah Museum (Old stuff. Lots of old stuff predominantly drawn from the many bogs of Ireland. Some cool swords and skeletons but mostly just pots and shoes and looms), and a few other places. We split a bagel for lunch. A bagel and Coke.

After our trip into the city, we headed south towards Greystones. After a while, we got to the lovely little Irish town and were met by a lovely little Irish girl (whom we've met before). Hannah introduced us to the other interns and we ate dinner and played futbol and guitar and they showed us the pier and we skipped stones (Grey Stones) and tried to hit the boats in the quay. 'Twas great fun and we nearly missed our train back to the Hyltons. When we got back, Abby warmed us up some taco things and Giz made some very gooey cookies and we sat and argued the most absurd things, which is always wonderful. As far as I know, both Graham and myself got to sleep.

Sunday, we arose and went to Hylton's church in Dun Laoghaire (Dun LEERY) and it was enjoyable and somehow humbling to have such fellowship all this way across the sea. We napped and watched the world cup matches and washed clothes and tried to dry them and got to talk to James and Kate via the www. And Graham decided to stay home for the evening but I went to the pier in Dun Laoghaire and walked along as the sun set. Graham was at home darning his socks or something, I don't know. Eventually I got back and did some housekeeping and had some midnight chili and a great Caesar salad.

We woke at 4:29am and Mrs. Hylton took us to the Aircoach station on the way to take Abby to swim practice. We said goodbye and thank you and headed to the airport. Without incident, we got into London and found the hostel and they only took cash so we checked our bags and went out to see the city (it was a little before noon) parliament, Big Ben, Westminster, Buckingham, many parks, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, the works.

A note on the Gallery: I enjoy art. Not as much as the next guy. But still. But the gallery pieces were all the same thing over and over. And it all pretty much followed a formula: 1)Take a biblical character or rich person or possibly a god from mythology. Bible folks must be naked with cloth draped randomly about their bodies, not necessarily lending to any kind of modesty. Rich people must be painted much larger than life and probably in armor. Horses help. Mythological figures also need no clothes and they pretty much look like bible characters. 2.)Add small, naked cupids liberally 3.) Perhaps consider putting an old man dying somewhere. That's a nice touch. 4.) Someone needs a phony expression of surprise or agony. 5.) Add more cupids.

Anyway...

US lost their 1^st match. That's disappointing. They played sloppy football.

By the way, I saw Orlando Bloom (elvish actor from LOTR) in the park while Graham rested. I couldn't get that excited about it but a realize the odds of the event are pretty slim so I figured I'd share it.

Until We Write Again,

Caleb

# posted by Caleb @ 8:38 PM