weekend...come back to me!!

Last weekend seems ages ago, but our trip to Fota wildlife park was amazing. We took our first Irish train ride! Okay, so the trip only took ten minutes, but trains are still fun. We made sure to make the most of it by getting off at the wrong stop and waiting an hour for the next train. Well, maybe we didn't do it on purpose. Maybe we were just confused. Seeing the look on Laurie's face as she stepped off the train and then turned around to see the doors closing with all of us still on board was absolutely priceless. I'm sure we looked very special too as we tried to figure out how to make the train stop and the doors open. No worries. Some kind passengers shouted at us "Push the button!" More importantly, our accidental stop turned out to be gorgeous. See for yourself.

So peaceful.

And windy.




The train finally reappeared around lunchtime and we were on our way once more.

About five minutes later, we arrived outside the gates of Fota. Oh my goodness, what an awesome zoo!!! The park uses as little fencing as possible, so the animals were really easy to see and many actually roamed freely around the park. Tons of cavies, so cooped up at the Dublin Zoo, could be found all over the park, even under the slide at the playground.

I've never seen so many guinea pig bunny whatsits in my life.
Here are some of the park's other inhabitants.

gibbons

sea eagles

ostriches

alpacas

The cheetahs were some of the few animals actually in cages. I can't say that I minded. Isn't he so cute?! I caught this one sticking it's tongue out.


Pretty zebras

heehee
Penguins, peahens, peacocks, and many other birds all chilled out in the same area.


Impertinent monkey

Have you ever seen a giraffe running?

Laurie was really excited about the harbor seal.

The zoo had some pretty landscape elements as well.





When we finally left, we were ever so happy and ever so hungry. Once back in Cork, we stopped at McDonald's for a cheap hunger fix.

We tried to go by St. Finnbarr's, but apparently they're not open on weekends.
That didn't stop me from taking a million pictures from outside the gate anyway. It's a very lovely cathedral, even from afar.



St. Finnbarr's not an option, we headed back towards city center for Sarah and Laurie to do some shopping. We eventually ended up in a coffee shop where we bumped into Edward. I had a coffee while Laurie and Sarah, well...they obviously should have had some too.


The rest of the week has been work as usual. I have another essay under my belt, but that still leaves the other sixty million. Tonight we all took a break by listening to some live music at UCC. Afterwards, everyone shared my craving for french fries. So Lennox's fish n'chips shop and ten tons of grease later we were all happily full.
This is a glass of water filled with bubbles.

Next stop Killarney. I'm not really sure what we'll be doing there. Edward has yet to send us an itinerary. I'm sure it will be lovely.
That said, I have to continue struggling over artists and their ambiguous ways. I would hate to be an interviewer for these artists. It seems the more famous you are, the more difficult you are to interview. Ask an artist a question and he's likely to ask you back. Take this interview with Jasper Johns:
Interviewer: "But the marks you make are not made automatically?"
Jasper Johns: "But how are they made?"
Interviewer: "That is what I would like to know."
Other failed attempts at interviewing include:
Jasper Johns: "Did I say that?" Interviewer: "I think so..."
Jasper Johns: "You said it" Interviewer: "I'm asking you."
Jasper Johns: "What is it the result of, if it is not that?" Interviewer: "Well it is that. But is that all it is?"
There are some art commentators who I could swear just took a dictionary, found the biggest words in it, and strung them along in sentences for the fun of it. I can understand why these people are artists, because they clearly can't express themselves plainly through writing. Anyway, wish me luck...I have to do it.
Expect many more awesome pics from Laurie.