Megalithic art = big rock art

Hello everyone!
I've had a busy last few days, so sorry that I haven't been updating the posts! Last week found me keeping very busy in clinic with lots of patients, letters to write and trying to organize everything before leaving. I finished with enough cases (phew!) and actually spent my last day counseling family history patients and didn't counsel any serum screen patients.
My friend Mindy arrived last Thursday and we met up with no problems at the British Museum...of course it helped that it was almost closing time by the time I got there (note: never take the cross town bus in London...it takes almost 2 hours, who said that congestion was eased in central London??). Friday was spent on another whirlwind tour of London so Min could see some sights. Westminster, Trafalgar, National Gallery, Covent Garden all in one afternoon. The Grant's gave us a great send off dinner that evening full of fantastic food and great conversation. The only pity was that we hadn't been able to do it earlier and more often!
Saturday evening we caught our flight to Ireland. I'd made a command decision that we'd leave Dublin until the end and just pick up the car directly from the airport. Luckily for me my first driving in Ireland was on one way streets with no oncoming traffic. It's definitely taken more thought when shifting but so far the door handle has remained untouched (for those that don't know, Ireland, like the UK drives on the left but sit on the right side of the car). The car is small but we all fit and most of our packs fit in the truck, with only a little engineering needed. Roundabouts have been okay so far with everyone pitching in looking at signs and calling directions. I think we've only gotten lost a few times so far but have managed to always get to where we needed to go eventually.

Leaving England...and basically the look on Mindy's face the entire time we're driving...

We spent two nights in Trim, about 45 minutes north of Dublin. Yesterday we drove around some of Brun a Boine.

Mindy & me on top of Knowth

We took a tour of Newgrange and Knowth, both Neolithic burial/worship sights with lots of megalithic carvings.

Megalithic art (Knowth)

Both structures are older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids. From there we drove up to a small, yet popular cemetary, though it used to be a monastary called Monasterboice to see some of the best Irish high crosses.

High cross

On the way back we to Trim we tried to find the Hill of Tara but are convinced that it's a constantly moving structure as every time we followed the signs pointing towards it we could never find it and appeared to be driving in circles.
This morning we headed out to check out Trim Castle, which apparently was used as part of the set for Braveheart. The castle wall is in partial ruin and the keep is missing some flooring on upper levels but it was still interesting and easy to imagine what it was like when it was completely built. We headed out to Galway though learning on our way that the Galway races had started and worried that we might not find lodging. We stopped about half way to check out the widest/oldest road in Europe that had been built over and then preserved in a bog.
We managed to find a B&B outside Galway and were able to find the racetrack and get fairly close to the action for one race. I don't think I've ever been that close to so many galloping horses before!
Pubs have been the name of dinner and for the last two nights we've been entertained by music and dancing as well as Guinness and cider. Unfortunately, the music has been either country or contemporary, no fiddles, flutes or other expected Irish instruments, but I hope soon! Needless to say, so far the rumor of Irish friendliness is true, though I could be wrong as half of the time we have no idea what they're saying, but they smile while they say it...whatever it may be.
Ben has been ruin hopping and Mindy has been entertaining us all with her Mindyness...including getting locked in the loo.
That's all for now, hopefully again soon!