I am amazed by it all. I have pondered many times, especially in the early mornings when I have a bit of time to myself, my favorite part of the trip, a town or city that sticks out the most, or activity I have done thus far. I replay the scenes in my head like I am rewatching a movie and pausing at all my favorite parts and to my utter delight, I pause at each and every one. There is a special place in my soul for Ardmore that speaks a little louder than the rest, but outside of that, choosing a favorite is almost impossible. Each town we visit holds its own unique charm and beauty. Every place and activity engaged in, despite the inevitable exhaustion that follows, brings their own thrill of excitement. Even what one might call mundane; the flowers lining the streets, be it the wildflowers growing haphazardly wherever they please or the well-planned pots and baskets by homes and businesses, the attention to road quality, our desperately missed cows that sometimes reside in green fields next door, or the scenery that flies by the car windows as we move from one destination to the next. I cannot help but be in love with it all. As I looked through pictures of our journey this morning, I came to the realization that the answer is quite simple. I have shared in all these places, sights, and activities with my family. The memories we have and will be making here together will last a lifetime. Experiencing not only my personal joy, fascination, wonderment, and awe but also experiencing the girls and Kevin’s, is a gift. One that I will forever cherish.

Thursday was spent discovering Waterford, home of Waterford Crystal and a seaport city located about an hour from the cottage. We were welcomed by the River Suir Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge that was opened to traffic in 2009. During construction of the bridge the Viking settlement at Woodstown was discovered and the southern approach roads were altered to preserve the site. The bridge is magnificent and was quite the welcome into Waterford. We spent the day in Ireland’s oldest city, originally founded by the Vikings in 853 A.D and after being driven out by the native Irish, returned and re-established the settlement in 914 A.D, and explored all she had to offer. We stopped in at the Museum of Time, housed in a refurbished gothic-style church showcasing time pieces throughout history and after a quick stop to photograph Christ Church Cathedral, explored the Medieval Museum. The preservation of history and artifacts was amazing and although Kevin and I could have spent hours there, the girls were ready to move along. The obvious trip to the gift shop was made and we tracked down lunch.

We stopped in at a restaurant called The Reg, had a light lunch, and headed off to do some more shopping and sightseeing. We discovered the public bathroom, which functions almost like a vending machine. Money is entered into the slot, the doors open and close behind you and reopen after you have finished or automatically after 20 minutes, whichever comes first. It was fascinating for the lot of us. We stopped by the Waterford Clocktower and then explored Reginald’s Tower. It sits, originally on the site of a wooden Viking fort, but the tower was built by the Anglo-Normans who made it the strongest point of the medieval defensive walls. We climbed the circular staircase to view a 19^th century prison cell and artifacts from Waterford’s Viking history and Ellery and Kevin both tried on an authentic Viking helmet. The tower has never fallen into ruins and has been in continuous use for over 800 years. We finished our walk through the Viking Triangle and took in the scenery back over to Dungarvan to end the day.

We did more shopping in Dungarvan and explored Dungarvan Castle, build around 1209 to safeguard the harbor by the Anglo-Normans. We opted for dinner at Oristano as Audra had a hankering for Italian food. The pasta was wonderful, the dessert was amazing, and we had a nice chat with the owners, who gave the girls additional treats to take home with them. Kevin and I took a short walk down the road, lamented over missing our cow neighbors and checked in with a phone call home, ending the evening with more board games with the girls. This morning the sun is up and waiting for me to get up too, but only after I finish my cup of tea.