IRELAND AND TENNESSEE.          11th November 2008

I know this sounds like a strange combination, but bear with me.

D, Amy and I (DAI - a good Welsh name) started traveling just after 3:00 pm yesterday, when Lindsey dropped us off at the train station in Lillestrom. I was pleased we had arranged a late flight, as we were flying out of TORP airport, which is two hours outside of Oslo. I like to arrive at airports early, and this proved to be a good thing. We didn't get off to a very auspicious start to our journey as we missed the scheduled bus out to the airport. Before anyone starts assuming that we screwed up or were negligent, this was not the case.

We were the first ones to arrive to take the bus, and we were at the front of the line. However, what we did not know was that the system requires you to pay as you enter the bus. As soon as that bus pulled up, utter mayhem broke out. D, Amy and I soon found ourselves at the back of the line as we searched for money for the fares. Then, when we were just three people away from boarding, the driver called "full!"

Luckily for us, they transportation company soon sent a new bus for the stragglers. However, the second bus was tough to get on as well, and we had to fight for our places. They need a new system in place. Otherwise weak losers like the three of us are never going to get anywhere on a trip.

We did eventually make our flight in plenty of time, and we arrived in Dublin's fair city just after 9:00pm, and took the city bus into town. We were staying the night at Kinlay House, and this hostel took a little time to find. I am not sure what we were expecting. Perhaps an Irish house with a huge neon sign, flashing "Hotel," would have been nice. This was not the case.

We spent rather a lot of time trying to find the place as we lugged around our backpacks. Thank goodness some kind passing stranger managed to figure out that were were lost. Perhaps it was the backpacks, the map, or the looks of consternation on our faces, but something alerted her, and she pointed us in the right direction.

  Kinlay House

We were all happy to get to our room in the hotel, although the joy of finding it was soon tempered. WE found a VERY smelly Italian there as a roommate, already very much at home and using all four beds in the room. We dropped our things on the floor, and got the heck out of there to find something to eat.

We settled on a nearby pub , the Elephant and Castle. I was a little depressed about eating here, as I know a pub of the same name - part of a pub chain - in Ottawa. However, the food was was quick, cheap (compared to Norway everything is cheap), and even tasty.

I was exhausted by now and looking forward to getting back to my reeking room, where I promptly opened the window. Unfortunately, when I returned from brushing my teeth I found it closed again. It seemed that our Italian roommate liked his own stench. I reopened the window and went to bed.

I woke up a little later to find the window closed again, but by now I was too tired to care. I needed that sleep.

I woke up this morning at 7:00 am , too excited to get the vacation underway, to sleep anymore. The other two are still sleeping, so I went to work on the internet. Today, the plan is to drive to Kilkenny, where we are staying in a hostel which is a castle, called Foulksrath Castle. Amy is excited about the prospect of staying there. She has romantic notions of tapestries and roaring fires - I think it sounds cold and draughty. We will see!

 Foulksrath Castle.

Where Tennessee comes in is that my alma mater defeated fourth-seeded Georgia 1 - to win the SEC Tournament. This means that the Lady Vols secure the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament and play Charlotte. It is their fourth tournament title in program history.