This morning we got to tour the biggest Cathedral in Germany. It was the only building still standing during WWI in the city of Cologne. This afternoon was more adventurous. We split up and I went to a Modern Art museum which has the third largest collection of Picasso paintings (and even some sculptures) who is my favorite artist. The others went to a Roman remains museum next door. After a little trouble trying to find a locker for my bag I was on my way to see some amazing Picasso paintings. I asked a lady where the Picasso section was and she started talking to me in complete German. I didn't want to be rude and stop her so I just nodded and then she started walking away. I followed her and she led me to four sculptures of Picasso. I went around and saw the sculptures by Picasso and saw the one and only Picasso Painting. I was extremely excited about the painting, but I was wondering where were the other paintings in the third largest collection of Picasso paintings. Then all of the sudden a museum attendant came up to me and asked me if I liked Picasso. I told him yes! He said something in German and I guess I nodded so he assumed I knew German. Then he asked me if I spoke German in German. I said, "no just English". He grunted and said, "okay, I'll start over." He went on to explain that their collection of Picasso paintings had gone abroad and had just returned. \They were in this room in the basement waiting to be inspected for any damage while traveling. The museum was planning on having a huge Picasso exhibition in a couple of months. I snapped my finger and said, "oh man, I'm gonna miss it." He said, "well, if you follow me maybe I can give you a little look." we walked over to a staff elevator and he led me down to the basement. On the way down he told me that I shouldn't come up the same way I went down because we didn't want anyone else to know especially the woman sculpture by Picasso. He said she might cry if she knew that I was going to see the others without her. He led me to the room with all the Picasso paintings. I was in HEAVEN! He joked with me and said that we should work on stealing the second painting together. Then he left me there and told me I can stay there as long as I want as long as I don't come up the same way I went down. I got a private showing of the third largest collection of Picasso paintings!

I've been to Brussels, Amsterdam, and now Cologne, Germany. We ate Belgium Waffles in Belgium, we wandered to the Red Light District trying to find a place to eat in Amsterdam. Now we shall see what type of Adventure Germany brings our way!

PARIS!!

I’ve just returned from Galway, Ireland which is on the Atlantic Ocean side of Ireland. We stayed in two bed-n-breakfasts while we were there. The one I was privileged to stay in was called The White House. Our room window overlooked Galway Bay… it was beautiful. The day we arrived we all went to this fancy Italian restaurant where we all ate to our hearts’ content. YUMMY! When we got back the bed-n-breakfast one of the boys, Chris, came into the room I was standing in, got down on one knee, handed me a rose that was drawn on a little piece of paper, and asked me if I would be his date to the Pick-a-date on Valentine’s Day. I was the second person to get asked!! The next day we visited a mission organization in Galway, and then we went and explored Connamara which is a rocky area which is quite different from the landscape of the east coast where we are living. We drove to a bubbling stream and we got out of the bus to take pictures. It was very very muddy there and I fell… needless to say I was had to explain why the back of my pants were brown. J We decided to stop at this hotel to use the restroom but to our dismay the hotel was closed for renovations. Luckily one of the members of our group was brave enough to ask one of the construction men if we could use the restroom. He said of course… but what he didn’t know was that there were thirty of us who had to go. They laughed and laughed at us as we kept piling in. The walls of the stalls were freshly painted so some of us got paint on us. It was truly a funny experience.
We went to visit Bunrady Castle where we received a tour. It was the first time I had ever been inside a Castle. After our tour we wondered around Fowler Park until dinner time. For dinner we went back to the Castle and attended a Medieval Banquet. We had four courses. The first on was soup, then we had barbequed ribs, then came the grilled chicken and vegetables, and last but not least we had strawberry cake for dessert. It was so fun. All the people were dressed in Medieval clothing and sang us songs while we ate. Brian our bus driver taught us a chant that Irish people say at Rugby matches. He says Ogie, Ogie, Ogie and we respond with OY! OY! OY! as loud as we can. (The first time we were taught this Brian was driving and a bird flew into our windshield.) We did this three times during the Medieval Banquet. As we left a man was standing at the doorway playing the bagpipes.
We also went to visit the Burren which is a geological phenomenon. Basically it is a limestone desert. All you see for miles is limestone except the occasional green you see popping up through the cracks of limestone.
On one of the last night we were there, four of us went to a pub to listen to some live music. It was a blast. Then on our way back my friend Rob and I decided to check out the Atlantic Ocean. It was low tide and dark. There only two colors on the ground beneath me, dark and light. I decided I needed to stay away from the dark stuff because it was probably seaweed and I didn’t want to get that all over my shoes. But what I didn’t know was that the light areas on the ground were little puddles of water. Rob got ahead of me and turned around and asked why I was stepping in the puddles only? I laughed and said that I thought I was doing the opposite and keeping other stuff off it. When we finally reached the waters edge a lot of memories came flooding back to the times I went shelling on the shore of Sanibel Island, Florida at 5 in the morning with Brenda. I was amazed at how far the water retreats in low tide. I remember being a little scared my first time to walk out there because I was walking into what was the Sea the day before. I missed that feeling but God was so gracious and allowed me to have another experience all of my own in Ireland.

How Am I Going to Ever Leave this Place?

Bono's Gate!

Enya's House

It's been awhile

First of all, I apologize for my lack of updates. We were traveling in Galway, Ireland for a week were we had no internet access, then when we returned I fell ill and have just now recuperated. I will post an update shortly. Thanks for your patience!
Amanda