Dundrum Castle, Newcastle, back to Dublin, and dinner in Malahide

Friday Rollie and I drove up the coast further to Dundrum where we briefly visited Dundrum Castle, built around 1170.

Then we went back down the coast a bit to a larger, more touristy town called Newcastle. We had coffee at Maud's Cafe and shared a sausage roll (think croissant with a small sausage in it... YUM!). We sat and watched the sea from the cafe windows, then found a candy store to bring some
treats back with us for Ben and Lydia and Rollie's parents. On our way back to Sarah's house we turned off the GPS and wandered down some country roads just for the fun of it.

Stacy and Joel, this one's for you :)

Then we went to a coffee hour with Sarah and Caleb that is a ministry of their church in Kilkeel, it's an outreach to the Catholic community in their area and they do a bible study together, trying to break down the tensions between Protestants and Catholics there and turn hearts toward Christ. We enjoyed meeting the people there and seeing a bit of what real life is like in Northern Ireland, and how we are all in need of the saving grace of Jesus.

We had a late lunch and Rollie and I packed up, said goodbye to Sarah and baby Caleb, and drove the 1 1/2 hours back to Dublin, where we stayed near the airport for the convenience of our morning flight the next day. Rollie's co-worker Cheryl and her husband Paul picked us up and took us out for dinner Friday night. Cheryl is on a 2 year assignment at Intel's site in Ireland and they've been there about 5 months now. It was good to see them and we had a good time talking over tapas that night. They took us to a nearby coastal city called Malahide and we walked around a bit.

So here we are, Saturday, and Rollie and I are on the 8 hour flight from Dublin to Chicago, then another 1 hour flight back to Minneapolis. We're really looking forward to seeing the kids today. This week has been amazing and we're so thankful for this trip, for time away as a couple, for God's provision of safety this week, for good friends, for Rollie's mom and dad who have lovingly watched our kids this week, and to have seen God's creation in another part of His world. Thanks, Sarah and Samuel, for welcoming us and making us feel like family for a few days.