Bluegrass Brigid

WHAT BENNIE'S BEEN DOING: Weeks 5-6 (Scotland/England, Ireland, France!) Part 5: Dublin, Kildare & Western Ireland NOTE: This is an updated post.... Because of a delay getting out of Edinburgh, we didn't arrive in Dublin until mid-afternoon Friday, September 28. It was too early for dinner and too late for lunch and we hadn't eaten since breakfast, so we settled for a classic Irish snack to tide us over: Potato Skins and... Authentic Guinness Draught! Then, because of the weary legs/feet from all the walking we did and stairs we climbed up and down over the last few days in Edinburgh, we opted for dinner at the hotel and a rousing round of washing our clothes in the tub for our evening entertainment ;) Bennie's Suds & Duds! We only had a few days, but we got in as much Irish lore as possible...  Highlights included: 1) Tour of Irish Rock and Roll Museum in Dublin where David even got to sit down at the drum kit and jam wi...

WHAT BENNIE'S BEEN DOING WEEKS 8-9 (Lexington to Denver) So, before I continue catching you up on what I was doing the rest of weeks 5-7 during the European portion of this sabbatical journey, I thought it might be good to communicate in real time for a moment and let you know where I am right now! I arrived in Denver yesterday evening, October 26, so I can attend worship Sunday at the Lutheran Church founded by Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber I have told you so much about, House for All Sinners & Saints.  The place I am staying here in Denver is within walking distance of the church... and, it  has beautiful views of downtown and the mountains! Rooftop View I can't tell you much about Denver or the church yet since I just got here, but I can tell you it feels great to have time to just read and rest a while! Standing on the rooftop porch where I am  catching up  on all the reading I haven't  had time to do yet!!! Also, just to catch you up ...

WHAT BENNIE'S BEEN DOING: Weeks 5-6 (Scotland/England, Ireland, France!) Part 4: Day trip to Holy Island and Alnwick Castle There are many, many tours from Edinburgh inviting folks to explore the Scottish Highlands and other remarkable sites. The one most in line with my sabbatical plan was a "Day Trip to Holy Island and Alnwick Castle." Honestly, I didn't even know about the Alnwick Castle part when I booked the trip. But, given that David and I are such Harry Potter fans (along with many of our friends, family, church-folk, etc.), we welcomed this additional destination where some scenes from Harry Potter movies were filmed as a fun bonus! And, when we got there, we found out that several scenes from Downton Abbey were also filmed there, so it was a double-bonus for me! In the early 7th century, the future King of Northumbria, Oswald, was in exile on the island of Iona and became a Christian while he was there. When he returned to Northumbria as king, he invit...

WHAT BENNIE'S BEEN DOING: Weeks 5-6  (Scotland/England, Ireland, France!) Part 3: Edinburgh From Glasgow, we traveled by train to Edinburgh on September 25...   Highlights included:  1)  A lunch visit with one of my new friends from the Iona Pilgrimage who is from Edinburgh, Wallace. I can't believe I didn't think to take a picture of us with Wallace while we were together... but, alas, this is one of the pitfalls of a such an ambitious itinerary. Suffice it to say that my mind was not always in full gear!  Anyway, Wallace ordered Haggis and encouraged us to taste it. For those of you who may not be aware, Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish. The name comes from the Old Norse meaning to hack or hew. Haggis, Neeps & Tatties (Neeps = Turnips; Tatties = Potatoes) Historically, when hunters made their kill, they would add oatmeal, onions, suet, and spices to the offal (heart, liver, lungs)... and clean the animal's stomach to use as a coo...