One more travel post- from my day in Dublin

What a wonderful day I had exploring Dublin today! I was delighted by the great hanging baskets of flowers EVERYWHERE.

I spent happy hours in the National Gallery being introduced to Irish painters I'd never heard of, but who left me excited and inspired. I also sat in on a lecture on Harry Clarke's illustrations of Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tales. National Gallery-

Dublin is a cosmopolitan city- the tour buses had narrative recordings in any of 10 languages, the National Gallery's brochures were in at least eight. It was packed with people, even on a Sunday. I got all the way to the door of the Trinity College Library where the Book of Kells is displayed, and because of the crowd, decided I'd learn about it online so that I could get on to the National Gallery. I also visited the Hugh Lane (Dublin municipal) Art Gallery. Wonderful!

One of the many statues in the city-

Noisy, bustling and very different from the rural and small-town Ireland I'd visited all week-

My view from the top of the double-decker bus-

I had dinner tonight outside at a sweet restaurant call The Farm, that serves all healthy, locally grown foods. My waiter, Marian, and I got along like a house afire and I've promised to paint him sometime from the photos I took of him.

It was a perfect 68 degree day and only began to lightly mist as I was waiting for my ride back to the hotel. I've got a 5:30 a.m. wake up call, so I'd better get some sleep, as it's almost 1 a.m. now.

As wonderful as this trip has been, I'm ready to get back to family and friends in Texas.

Sweet dreams, Ya'll!

Susan