From Misery to Morocco

A beautiful sunrise on the ferry home from Ireland-Chip sleeping off the virus, missed it

We got back from Ireland and it's been misery. No more kitchen at our little Oxford house, the nation is in a deep freeze and all our Wisconsin clothes are in Wisconsin, and then the killer stomach virus that knocked us all off one by one. How Olivia made it to the top of Blarney Castle and kissed the Blarney Stone, I will never understand. A stomach virus will take a blogger out! Ally and I got it simultaneously, and all I can say is Wednesday was a "non-day" for us. We don't recognize it because we didn't have it.


All our kitchen just sitting on the dining room floor


The new kitchen as yet in boxes



I finally recovered this morning and it was off to Gatwick, a little flight on Atlas Blue flying for Royal Air Maroc and here we are, Marrakech. Do your worst, chicken tajine....I survived Finbar's revenge, and you are no match!



Our Riad is amazing. Riads are extravagant houses, often run by foreigners catering to tourists, that have few rooms and many luxuries and antiquities--not a great place for toddlers. We were greeted by Michelle, our host, who gave us a personal map tour of the city while we were served mint tea and dates stuffed with walnuts. Well, allright, now that's what we're talking about...




We walked through the Jemaa-el-Fna at night through winding alleys and streets, and it isn't an exaggeration to say it's frightening to be in a part of the world that does not resemble anything I know. There isn't a Western thing about this whole experience and that just makes it thrilling for me. Allison is completely panicked (our burgeoning worrier--she's yet an amateur but under my tutelage, she'll grow up a fine worrier indeed) about the food, the beggars, the night. As we sat eating dinner, they turned off the music in the restaurant as the last call for worship went out over the loudspeakers (the muezzin, Olivia tells me) in the city.

So much I don't know. Cous cous! I know that, so I ate it.

Her last name should be Guinness

It's fitting that a woman with a penchant for the hoppy brew
is a New Year's baby through and through



A loyal friend to all, with a pitcher of Two Hearted Ale
She arrives to every party, happy to share the bounty of her kegerator




We hoist a pint to her health and happiness in 2009


It's closing time. Best get the kids home.
Happy Birthday Anne C. We love you.

Dublin in a day

Mission Dublin: Accomplished. St Patrick's Cathedral and the Guinness Storehouse. Upon entry to the Guinness Museum (Ugh, Mom, it's not a museum-stop calling it that), I said sarcastically to the guy selling us the tickets, "We're good parents, aren't we?", pointing at the girls. Without missing a beat, he said quite seriously,"The best kind. I wish my parents would have brought me here."

The famous doors of Dublin

Dublin has a buzzing economy, especially compared to England's north, with restaurants, department stores and shops all open and full of people. The absolute friendliest people. I ran back into St. Patrick's to ask the woman at the desk about a recommendation for a pub for lunch. She was so nice that I came outside and literally started to cry. Her directions weren't great and the pub food was just ok, but it didn't matter. The English are helpful but without any warmth and after six months, I felt this release from the shackles of English formality. Chip and girls whisked me immediately to the pub for a Guinness and some food and there were no more tears after that. The girls think I'm nuts anyway and truly fear everyday that I will do something embarrassing like say....burst into tears inappropriately in public. I was probably hungry but it is delicious to let them believe I've boarded the train to Kookytown.


The Liffey runs through Dublin
St Patrick's Cathedral

Love the nans
Chip explaining beer to Allison
Complimentary pint at the Guinness Storehouse

A real department store downtown

When I was a kid, department stores downtown were glamorous places. It's nice to know they still exist in Dublin.