From Pounds to Euros

Yesterday we saw a bit of Belfast in Northern Ireland. I thought about my family at Carrickfergus Castle...

...learned a bit about Northern Ireland's complicated past...

...then left Great Britain and the Pound to re-enter the Euro Zone. We spent the night at Cabra Castle. It was beautiful, but not the most pleasant night. The walls were very thin, and we got to hear most of the next door couple's raging argument at four in the morning. 

This morning, after a final look around the castle, we were off to some of Ireland's ancient sites. The "passage tombs" of Knowth and Newgrange were built before Stonehenge and Egypt's pyramids.

Our guide at Knowth, our first stop, was quite enthusiastic and friendly.

You can't walk in this site, but you can peak down the passage.

We got to Newgrange, and after our guide there told off a kid for making too much noise while standing on the gravel, Natalie dubbed him the "Newgrange Nazi." It is a spectacular place to visit, though. We got to go inside with our guide--where he was in his element. Overall, visiting the sites was an amazing experience.

After that, we drove off to the Hill of Tara. It was here the ancient high kings of Ireland were crowned. It was another cold day, but the sun was shining. It was absolutely beautiful up on the hill, walking among all the mysterious mounds and circles formed in the earth.