An Early Christmas Present

Shane and I had a chance to meet our baby today. Shane took a video of the screen as the doctor did the ultrasound scan. It's so exciting seeing the little guy move!!

Alpine Views and Apple Strudel

Switzerland was a REAL winter wonderland. Hot cheese fondue, dark chocolate, snowy mountainside and outdoor Christmas markets. What could be better this time of year?! And we even got to see our good friend Melody (which was the best part!). Mel gave us a personalized tour of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne and hooked us up with a great lunch at Bruno's (see pic below).

It was suuuuuuuch a nice get-away. Just imagine looking out the hotel window onto Lake Geneva with towering snow-covered Alps in the background. The French town of Evian was just across the water.

Every corner has a chocolate shop to make you salivate. (Perfect for a pregnant woman!) We just wish we could have spoken French or German like all the multi-lingual locals.

Family Time!

Mom and Dad came to visit us in October. We were late picking them up from the airport (sorry!) but we tried to make up for it with plenty of sightseeing. We saw Dublin, Birr Castle, Tullamore, The Cliff's of Moher, and the Burren. But I think they liked Athlone the best!

(Walking around Dublin)

(Standing out on The Burren - West Coast of Ireland)

One of our more memorable outings was the trip out to the Cliffs on a not-s0-clear day. In fact, I think there were gale force winds in effect. But off we went! When we got there we could hardly see our toes - never mind the view. Luckily Shane's optimism paid off 'cause within 10 minutes the sky began to clear and we saw the sun peek through.

(The Cliff's of Moher)

In Tullamore, we toured the Heritage Center where they explained the history of Tullamore Dew, a well-known whiskey. At the end of the tour, we got to have a taste...

Mom and Dad, it was so much fun having you around. We already miss you, but we're excited to see you at Christmas time! Thanks for making the trip out to Ireland. Rest assured that the cows and rock walls will still be here the next time you come :-)

County Cork - Kilcrohane

Kilcrohane is on Sheep's Head Peninsula in the very southern part of Ireland (they have some palm trees there, even!) Shane's great-great-great grandmother Margaret Harrington was from this town of approx 300 people.

County Cork - Bantry

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This is the town where Shane's great-great-great grandfather, William J. O'Sullivan, lived.

County Cork - Macroom

The first stop along the road to County Cork.

The Venice of the North...

Otherwise known as Stockholm. Everyone should come here. It's so beautiful! I never realized that the Swedish capital was such a jewel. I guess that's why they still have a royal family here, too! There's so much to do. We only had 2 days to digest as much as possible, and it definitely wasn't enough. I'll talk about the food first, of course. We were fortunate to sit next to Jan (pronounced Yan) from Stockholm who told us all about his home city. He recommended an elegant swedish restaurant in the Old Town. When we got to our hotel, we immediately called for a reservation and were thrilled they could host us on such short notice. They served an assortment of gourmet and dense breads, followed by a mustard seed shrimp cocktail. I ordered the Arctic Char (no idea what it was, but the server said it was good) and Shane had his first encounter with Swedish meatballs. We left feeling overindulged and completely happy :-)

Some other things I tried: Saffron ice cream, Polkagris (Swedish Candy Cane), and Pear cider (quite possibly my new favorite beverage). I think my favorite memory was walking around the city at night seeing all the lights reflecting on the water. And the architecture is absolutely stunning no matter which direction you turn.

Belfast

We spent the 2nd day in Belfast - quite a contrast to the serene coastline from the day before. It was rainy and overcast. An appropriate setting for the solemn history lesson we would get from the Black Taxi Tour guide. You can still feel the tension that exists in this city. People continue to live in openly segregated communities: Catholics on one side of the wall, Protestants on the other. Belfast is known for it's controversial murals that depict a variety of local sentiments on world politics, nationality, and religion. Being there really makes you think about how devestating hatred is and how fortunate we can be as Americans so long as we stand united.

The Giant's Causeway

We took our first road trip with our friends and neighbors from Barcelona, Andreu and Susana. Our destination was Northern Ireland, known for it's breath-taking coastline and turbulent history. If you've ever watched the movie In the Name of the Father, you know what I'm talking about. We spent Saturday curving through Irish country roads and battling motion sickness as we headed for the famous "Giant's Causeway" (See photo). Legend has it that an Irish Giant built this pathway of rocks into the sea in order to fight his rival - a Scottish Giant. http://www.giantscausewayofficialguide.com/once01.htm. One of the coolest places I've ever been.

This is Dunluce Castle which was abandoned when part of it fell into the ocean centuries ago... Lots more pictures from our trip in the Northern Ireland link under photo albums.

Watch out Tiger Woods! - Take 2

Watch out Tiger Woods!

So, I learned how to play golf today! Well, sort of... Not for REAL, but close enough. We went to the Pitch and Putt which is pretty cool for beginners cause you lean how to really swing a club, but the holes are anywhere from 50-80 yards to the pin. You only need two clubs: a pitching wedge and a putter. There are 18 holes, and the whole thing took us about 2 hours. Loved it! I must say, Shane was a good coach. He taught me how to keep my left arm straight, tuck my elbow, and "let the club do the work." But as you'll see in the videos, I still have some practicing to do before I'll be ready for the 2009 LPGA :-)

Fleadh Cheoil

That's Irish for "Music Festival" and it just so happens that the National Irish Music Festival took place 30 minutes from Athlone in a town called Tullamore this past weekend. Shane and I thought it would be a good cultural experience, so we jumped in the car (I got to drive!) and we headed East. Tullamore is another quaint little town with coffee shops and boutiques up and down the main streets. The festival takes place literally in the streets, so you could be walking down the sidewalk and all of a sudden you hear these sweet angelic voices singing Irish folk songs a cappella. I loved how so many of the performers were kids - anywhere from 8 to 18 years old. Although it rained on and off, the people didn't seem to mind it (and neither did we). Check it out...

Flip Flops

Well, I finally became Irish and exposed my toes in flip flops today. Since it IS August, you'd think that wouldn't be such a festive occasion. But we had an absolutely gorgeous day, and I tried to spend as much time as I could outside. I started off by packing up my sketch book (Thank you Gianna) and walking down to the river to "sketch" like those artsy people do. Unfortunately my skills are less than inspiring, so after about 30 minutes of looking at my page (which looked nothing like the scene I was trying to draw), I called it quits. On to something I do slightly better... buy more stuff for the house! Shane is going to kill me :-)

Look how blue the sky was on this beautiful day in Athlone. I also added a few more photos to the "Our Apartment" photo album so you could see what the complex looks like on the outside.

And the adventure begins...

We’re really here! Living in Europe. It only seems half real. Last night we slept with our Delta eye-masks on to shield the early morning sun which shines bright as noon at 6am through our bedroom window. Ann, our land lady, is making lined curtains for us, but they won’t be ready until later this week. Just so happens that the street we live off (the main street that goes through town) just yesterday became a one-way road. Talk about timing. Unfortunately for Shane, this has quadrupled his commute time to 20 minutes with all the traffic. Needless to say he is not happy about this and is considering getting a bike. His office is literally 2 miles down the main road. Once Shane headed out, I closed the door to our apartment and thought, “now what?” So much time, so little to do. Wow, don’t think I’ve ever thought that in my whole life. So I began to walk slowly through each room in our 1500 square foot apartment. Shane has already developed a semblance of a “system” for where things should go and what space should be designated for what. Not surprising. Actually, it’s kind of relieving not to have to decide all those things on my own. Plus, he is very efficient by nature, so his systems just make sense. The kitchen cabinets and drawers had sticky notes in them. “Cups” “Plates” “Tea and Coffee stuff,” etc. Thanks Shane! That makes it easy. Once all my boxes arrive, I’ll know exactly where to put everything! Speaking of boxes, they should get here by Monday assuming all goes well with the Customs Agent in Dublin.

So, after I took a few deep breaths in each room, I started to clean. Learned how to work the vacuum cleaner, swept, and made our bed. Is it weird that I spent 10 solid minutes making the bed? No rush. Every piece of sheet and blanket pulled and tucked just right. My grandmother would have been proud. Then I experimented with the combination washing / drying machine. Definitely did not recognize any of the symbols on that puppy. Do I put the detergent here or in there? Which knob do I press? Oh crap, I poured the powder down the wrong hole. Will it still wash? And what about the fabric softener? Well, after an hour and a half cycle, I opened the machine to the steamy smell of clean white laundry. Perfect! And those clothes were hotter than those white pre-dinner hand towels they give you at those Japanese Steak House restaurants. Of course they were still steamy and needed more drying on the rack. That’s one big difference about living here. No such thing as “dryers” as we know them.

What else? I checked the mail, filled out some paper work, took a stroll to the post office which is just over the bridge and did some reading next to the balcony off our bedroom. Today was a typical Irish day in terms of weather. Light rain for about 20 minutes around 11am. (Just as I walked outside to by the bank and the convenience store). Good thing I was wearing my rain jacket. Then it got sunny and warm for most of the afternoon. By the early evening it was breezy and overcast.

Shane got home around six and we took a walk to the Athlone Town Center Mall for dinner at To Go which is similar to a “Le Petite Bistro” in the Perimeter Mall foodcourt. We shared a meal: chicken, ham (which they call bacon), and mozzarella panini, a carrot, feta, and olive salad, and potato salad. All very good! And then we walked to the Centra (the convenience store) to try Shane’s favorite treat… the Galaxy bar. Vanilla icecream on a stick covered in buttery milk chocolate. I now know why it’s his favorite. We walked with our icecreams to the Tesco which is the 24hour grocery store. More like a mini walmart though cause they had everything from pajamas to TV monitors. Oh, and food of course. I had made a list, but in classic Melissa style, I left it at the apartment. So we walked through the store aisle by aisle picking up a wide assortment of things from wall hanging studs to tea "biscuits" (which are we know as cookies). It was really fun seeing all the new and different products and brand names. There is this white chocolate and hazelnut “duo” spread that I am going to go back and get one of these days. 75 Euro later, we had our cloth bags full (4 to be exact), and we strapped them over our shoulders for the ¼ mile walk home. I could get used to this! Lots of walking, smaller packages which makes for less trash, no driving, not to mention no job. I spent an hour making playlists in my itunes library. I never would have done that back in Atlanta - no time. Now I listen to all my long forgotten songs as I clean my countertops. What could be better?

Well, that about sums up my first day. I think we are going to like it here. This view shows our side of the river. Our apartment building is just beyond the bank.

Do I have to leave???

Saying goodbye is not easy. Especially when you have such great friends. Here are a couple of photos from my going away party at Meehan's and my last lunch in Lawrenceville.

Braves v. Brewers

After our staff meeting, David took the team to Turner Field as an official send-off celebration and a get-to-know for the new team members. I'm really gonna miss this bunch!!!

Well wishes from Metro West

I had my last staff meeting with Metro West Region today. They surprised me with a box of goodies to remember Georgia Power and "the south." You can see by the picture that they wanted to be sure I ate well in Ireland! The picnic basket is filled with Cracker Barrel's finest like Fried Apples and Pecan logs. Staples for any long trip, right?? It was a great gift and so thoughtful.

Thank you Georgia Power

My Metro Region customers surprised me today with a going away send-off! I should have known they wouldn't let me leave quietly. We watched a slide show that Kelli made for me, and had an Irish themed cake. Richard, our Senior VP, shared some very thoughtful and kind words which made me realize just how much I was going to miss my job. David Seago was celebrating his 40 year anniversary with the company, so we had a GT cake for him too. (See photo). I feel blessed to work with people who really go out of their way to make employees feel appreciated. Thank you Metro Region!

In honor of Ashley

Ashley wants to know what I've had to drink in her honor...

So here it is!

- Several Pints of Guiness (the old person's drink here)

- 2 Gin and Tonic's

- A Shandy (Heineken and Sprite)

- Several glasses of red wine

- A Glass of Smithwicks

- Several Glasses of Bulmer's (the college student's drink)

Will that suffice for now?? Not sure I can handle the whiskey...

The Whispering Door

This is really cool... we went to an old Monastery built in the 6th century right on the River Shannon.  In this picture, we are standing in front of what's known as the whispering door. If you whisper something into the groove, the sound travels all the way around the arch so that if someone placed their ear near the groove, they could hear your whisper really clearly. It worked!

Meet Joan

Joan has been our lifesaver since we've gotten here. She has helped us set up a bank account (which is not an easy thing to do here) and shown us around town. She is a great resource!!  In the picture here, she is the one on the far right. This is Birr Castle we are standing in front of. The others in the picture are GTI employees (American).

First Castle Sighting

Joan took us to Kinnitty Castle today which is a popular venue for Celebrity weddings.  We ate at the Dungeon Bar located in what used to be the Dungeon of the Castle...kinda creepy!

Afterwards, we went to the Birr Castle where an actual family still lives today.  (Yes, people still live in Castles here). On the Castle grounds is a huge telescope that the family constructed years ago.   There is even a moate around the entire building!

Quiet Sunday Morning

It's 10:30 am (or half 10 like the Irish say), and we just got out of Mass at the Friary. It's a beautiful church with brightly colored stained glass windows. The ceiling is turquoise and the mosaics behind the altar are a vibrant coral. Gives you a feel of being near the ocean. The Mass was fast - 35 minutes. Apparently it isn't common to have music, so the whole thing just flies by. 

Today a group of us are going to Joan's house (she is the office manager for GTI). Joan lives about 30 minutes outside of Athlone in Banagher (pronounced Ban-a-hur), a town of 1500.  Now that is small town!! Athlone is huge in comparison.  Joan is going to take us somewhere... I really have no clue where. I've heard we may be going horseback riding somewhere in the countryside. The weather has been beautiful this weekend - about 65 degrees and sunny. The wind is strong though which makes it just at tad bit chilly. The locals, however, are wearing sandals and tank tops. They think it's summer. I, on the other hand, am quite comfortable in my sweater and pea-coat.

Last night, we ate at a Polish restaurant called Divertimento. I had the Pierogi's which mom would have loved.  We've learned that the Poles are the next largest ethnic group here in Ireland.  All the employees in the hotels and many of the restaurants are Polish. Who would have known!

Cheers...

The Local Speak

The Local Speak is pretty entertaining so far. We've learned that the Irish here in Athlone like to say "Cheers" instead of "Thanks".  They describe good meals as "gorgeous," and they interject "lohveleh stuff" often in their conversations.  "Brilliant!" is used instead of "Great!" (so much more fun to say...)