Today was touring day and the weather was perfect. Carolyn (my daughter), Evan (my sound guy), and I hopped the Dart and rode the rails to the end of the green line where we saw beautiful hill country. Our goal was to enjoy the town and then head back with stops at a handful of other towns to see various sites.

By late morning my stomach suggested that lunch would be appropriate, so I asked a lady when the restaurant would open. She replied, “Half eleven and the kitchen at 12.” Once again the cultural differences became clear.

In Ireland, it is common for the stores to open around 9 am and restaurants 12pm. Most stores close by 6 pm except on Thursdays, which is the big shopping day during the week. Dinner is typically eaten at 9 pm.

I was hoping to shoot some B-roll footage during our tour, but something went wrong with the equipment and the camera was only good for a minute, at which time the battery crashed. Evan and I brainstormed a solution and the camera is now good to go for tomorrow’s shooting.

While the camera was down, I used my daughter’s Flip camera to film the castle we visited. It had endured a battle of some type and was no longer inhabitable. Other sights included a marina, numerous shops, a fair, a couple beaches and beautiful country.

We met up later this evening with some interns who knew the area well and took us to an inexpensive place to eat with great fish and chips. Shopping was next on the list with large discounts that dropped the prices well below the exchange rate. I bought an imitation leather jacket for $26.

Every evening has been filled with great conversation and I’ve learned a tremendous amount about the quality people who surround me. It is always humbling to realize that my life is so insignificant compared to the wonderful people I’ve met. Some day I’d love to write a book called “Living Miracles: My Amazing Friends.”

I wish It was my place to tell you the wonderful stories, testimonies and shared events that have made and molded each of the people I’ve met this week. I am so honored to be in their presence and I’m in awe of who each has become and what they are doing to share their wisdom, good fortune, and compassion with others.

This is an amazing trip!