Relaxing...

This weekend has been the first weekend I haven't had any serious plans. I wanted to relax before my dad and sister come, as we are going to be covering much of Ireland. Yesterday morning I went to Blackrock Castle Observatory and enjoyed the sunshine on a patio. I also went to a farmers market and to the Crawford Municipal Art Gallery. Aiyana and I went to a pub to watch the USA play Ghana in the World Cup. When we walked into the pub, everyone looked at us. It's interesting how much we stand out. Many people go to the same pub every night so newcomers are easily picked out. We met a young woman from Germany and watched the game with her. It was interesting to get her opinions and views on Ireland. Ghana scored early on in the game and half way through the US caught up. I don't fully understand how football works, but we went into over time which continued for 30 minutes. Ghana eventually scored and won. I am not much a drinker, but the drinks I have bought are taking a toll on my wallet. A pint of even the cheapest beer is 5 euros, which is about 7 US dollars. I will never again complain about paying 4 bucks for a drink in downtown La Crosse. I don't know how the Irish people can afford to go to the pubs on a nightly basis.
Today I went to mass at St. Patrick's Catholic Church. The church was very pretty in the inside. Mass was very different from what I am used to. There was no music and no singing. When it was time for Communion, everyone just rushed to the front of the church in no particular order. Everyone said the prayers at different rates and I found it difficult to keep up. I also noticed that some of the words in the prayer are different from back home. The full service was done in 38 minutes. It was no the most uplifting services I have ever been too....
I worked on some photography today and read at a cafe for the afternoon. I need a nap...I'll add some pictures tonight.