Ile-de-Re

We spent four days on the island of Ile-de-Re, which was lots of fun. Ile-de-Re is famous for cycling, beautiful towns, salt production and donkeys. We spent lots of time in a really cool pool as well.

Brian, Maedbh and Saoirse at one of the beautiful towns on Ile-de-Re.

Lynne, maedbh and Saoirse at La Rochelle.

We went on a Ferris wheel in La Rochelle, which was awesome! We could see the whole way across the town and sea.

Most days we had some special from the boulangerie, usually a chocolate eclair.

A cool car on the island

Ars-en-Re, where we ate dinner a few nights.

The ceadie fields

On a cold, windy day we went to visit the ceadie fields in Co Mayo. These fields have bogs which preserve anything that was sunk in them, for thousands of years. They found a settlement here that is older thank the pyramids, nearly 6000 years old.

Maddbh and Sadhbh out for dinner with everyone

Maedbh, Saoirse and Muireann did a puppet show

Brian, Saoirse, Maedbh and Muireann at Kylemore Abbey

Surfing on Achill

We went surfing on Achill Island, which was really cool. Saoirse loved standing up and catching waves. Maedbh had a huge fall on the tandem bike the day before with Kristian so couldn't surf as she couldn't stand kneel, but she went body boarding. The whole day was awesome!

Saoirse on the surfboard in surf school

Maedbh, Julie, mum and Kristian

A picnic in the rain with everyone - it was still lots of fun

Our cousin Fiachra on the surfboard 

We saw sheep on the road everywhere and often had to stop our car as they went past.

Cycling in the west. We all went cycling for the day around beautiful Achill Island
We haven't had interned access for ages so we're a bit behind on our posts!

There was a tandem bike that we took turns going on.

Ed with Muireann and Saoirse, they kept shouting, "faster, faster!"

The beautiful landscape

Having a drink after a hard day's cycle with all of the family.

Westport House in Mayo in the west of Ireland

We spent a week in county Mayo in the west of Ireland with our cousins and uncles and aunties. The first day we went to Westport House, which is a big, old and beautiful mansion whose gardens have been turned into an adventure park.

Muireann, Saoirse and Maedbh about to go down the zipwire. A zip wire is a flying fox and this one is the longest in Ireland. It was fantastic!

We all went in boats shaped like swans.  

This is one of the rides. It was the swinging ship, it swung side to side and went really high.

In Ireland with the family

We're in Ireland with all of our cousins and family and having a great time. We're going down to the west of Ireland tomorrow where we probably won't have the internet so it may be a while until we write again. 

Saoirse and her cousin Connor (aka Superman) on the trampoline in Ireland

Maedbh at Fionn's birthday party

Saoirse being a penguin at the party

Muireann, Saoirse, Maedbh, Liz and Sadhbh at the Bray seafront- all good Irish names!

Paris day 3

The Eiffel Tower at night, all lit up

Maedbh and Saoirse eating out in Paris

Cooling feet off at the Louvre

Maedbh and Saoirse at the Louvre again

Outside Notre Dame, where the Hunchback used to hang out

Playing with French kids in the Park behind Notre Dame

Day 2: Paris
We had a really busy day for our second day in Paris. We walked all along the River Seine and there were teepees and mazes set up all along the river that we played on. We had a picnic and then went to the Musee D'Orsay, which is an art gallery set up in an old railway station. It was beautiful and there was so much to see. Saoirse's favourite artist was Claude Monet and Maedbh's was Auguste Renoir. We walked along a glass floor and saw a model city of Paris underneath our feet, it was cool.

 Maedbh and Saoirse at the Louvre

Looking back at the musee Dorsay and looking out through the clock of the museum.

This bridge has thousands of locks on it as a sign of couples falling in love. If they ever break up, they break the lock.

Teepees were set up along the River Seine

Hanging out in the teepee

More fun set up along the Seine

The best eclair au chocolat in Paris

Creme brule in Paris

Day 1:
Our trip over was much better than expected.  The first flight seemed very long because it had been a while since we have taken a very long flight.  The second flight was with air France and we felt like we were getting into the French mood of our holiday.  It did not seem as long because we slept and watched movies even though it was thirteen hours.  Saoirse ate a very cold icy pole on the plane and got her tongue stuck.  She tugged and twisted and got it off. Yesterday, after getting off the plane we got a taxi to our apartment. We had a pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant) and Maedbh, Saoirse, Mum, and Dad explored Paris.
We went to a park behind Notre Dame and played with French kids and we had to communicate with a couple of words we knew in each others' languages. We went to the Louvre and cooled our feet in the water and had to walk in the shade as it was so hot. Then we went to a gallery in beautiful gardens (the l'Orangerie in Jardin des Tuileries) where we saw lots of Monet paintings. Then we went to another park and played. It was really awesome because we had to climb up into a tree and then walk along a tunnel made of ropes into a room made of ropes and it was in the air. Then you walked down another rope tunnel and slid down a slide.  So day two, just had breakfast after a great nights sleep.  Here we are just hanging out and planning another day from the left bank!