Our Honeymoon in Ireland

As you all know, we just got married in April when we found out that the husband got his fellowship in Germany.  While it wasn't the original October wedding we had planned in Chicago, it was a perfect day.  Mostly, the day was made perfect by my friends and family who helped me plan and execute every detail.  I owe a post to explaining all the aspects of the wedding with which one of my talented friends or family memebers helped.  I haven't even been able to wrap my brain around the fact that we are married.  And now here I am posting honeymoon pictures 6 months after the big event.



The first week of August the hubs finally had a week off from his language training.  We used this as the oportunity to catch a last minute travel deal and ended up chosing Ireland.  We booked a tour package that plans every single detail of your trip becuase we did not want to be wasting time and/or energy figure out what we were going to be doing on a day-to-day basis.  The catch, because we booked it in Germany, the entire tour was in German.  We loved it, but also laughed at the irony involved in taking a vactation from a German speaking country to an Englsh speaking country only to get there and have to speak and listen to German the whole time. 



For those of you who know about this fight, this picture proves that PEOPLE REPLACE DOOR KNOCKERS! Yes!  Score one for me, Ireland.




Us in front of Kilkenny Castle




Fish and Chips and wedded bliss




Rock of Cashel and statue of St. Patrick.  I thought of my Uncle Al for some reason the whole time I was at this castle.  Then, later on in the pub that same night, Johnny Cash was playing.  His favorite.




Visiting the animals at Molly's Farm.  There was this small, deserted farm in the middle of nowhere set up to show the life of Molly, a single mother who ran her own single family farm and brewed illegal potato whiskey.  The owner found out that it was our honeymoon and gave us free potato whiskey shots because it is supposedly good for virility.  Haha.  Nothing like being embarassed by being offered old-fashioned Irish Viagra.




A leprechaun is drinking some of our beer!  This is really what you find at the end of a rainbow in Ireland.




Here we are sitting on one of the many stone fences that denote the borders of people's property in Ireland.  The gray stone is stunning against the bright green hills.  It almost makes me wish my wedding colors were gray and green, not gray and orange.  Notice the sheep in the background.  We couldn't have seen too many sheep.  We loved every single sheep we saw.




Me barely clinging to a rock that had a rather dramatic drop-off as the husband struggled to get the camera ready for a photo.  This is "Lady's View" on the Ring of Kerry.  A name that sounds quite amusing when said repeatedly in a German accent.




Warming up in the morning with a little Irish Coffee.  Where was this stuff when I needed a delicous kick in the pants before heading off to school in the morning?  The name of the place was "the Vixen's Den", hence the fox in the background.



This is us climbing on an old, medieval Ring Fort some place in rural Ireland.  It was a large, beautiful, stone ring that almost looked like a little amphitheater.  We loved it because we got to climb up in it.  It's steps look hidden until you get up really close and realize they are just camouflaged into the ring itself.



Getting cozy at the foot of Bunraty Castle




The Cliffs of Moher where we were inspired to sneak a romantic kiss, only to turn around and notice a security gaurd gawking at us.  Everyone stares at newlyweds, right?  Or was this person just a creeper.  I mean there is much more beautiful scenery to look at than a married couple making out.  Just look at the picture.




While touring the Burrens, my new husband delighted me (and the other tourists) with his own version of an Irish river dance.




Really interesting street corner in Galway where we found an equal mix of erotic book stores and quaint tee and cake cafes.  What a weird combination.




Eating oysters from the Bay of Gallway while drinking Guiness.  Look at the smile on his face!




Here is the husband learning the art of hand bottling whiskey at the Tullamore Dew distillery.  If the bottler looks a little drunk to you that's becuase he is.  If the tubes clog up during the bottling process, he has to clear the block with his mouth by sucking whiskey.  I think I know some people who would like this job.




Me and the Tullamore Dew tour guide.  We were thinking, "Yes!  What are the chances this lady speaks German.  Finally a tour in English!"  Then our hopes were smashed when she announced that she used to personally know our tour leader and lived in Germany.  Grrrrrrr.




Memorial to the Irish Potato Famine in Dublin




One more shot of us at "Lady's View."  Ireland was stunning and we are already trying to think of when we can go back.