Canal Walk

The sun is shining and the weekend looks like it's going to be warm and beautiful. What perfect weather for a bank holiday weekend! If only I had money and plans...then again, I think I've done enough travelling around the country to last me a while.

There's a massive canal that runs through Dublin and fortunately for me, very close to where I live so I decided to go for a canal walk on Sunday afternoon. I walked for about an hour and got a great workout but learned two things about the canal: 1) it's full of trash and 2) the benches are occupied by homeless and very shady looking individuals. Not that I was nervous or scared, I just couldn't help notice the clientelle that surrounded the canal. The scenery was beautiful with ducks and swans floating by and huge trees and their branches overshadowing the canal. However, I was constantly aware of who I was approaching and if I was being followed. Not to sound like a worrier (moreso) but I've heard plenty of stories about the canals since I arrived. Apparently a severed body was found in one of the canals last year. Every time I mention to someone that I jog, I'm always reminded to not run near the canals. I never thought much of the warning before (people are constantly reminding me to look after myself as though I was I child), however after taking a leisurely stroll in the area, I couldn't help but agree with the advice.

Dublin is currently the middle of what's being called 'gangland wars'. The gangs are either Irish or foreign national, being Lithuania, Polish, etc. When my family was visiting I liked to remind them of this, kind of to just scare of them, but also to remind myself of where I'm living. There wasn't crime like this back home, but when I listen to the radio in the morning and hear about a shooting every other day, I can't help but be reminded that I'm not in Kansas anymore.

So, the bank holiday weekend is coming up. I love these. It's just an excuse for a day off and for

banks and businesses to shut. Not that bad of an idea, and it happens every other month. I've got my fingers crossed that the temperatures will go up as high as they've been predicted so I can put on my bathing suit and lay out in my backyard to get some sun. The girls over here like to wear self tanning lotion, but few have seemed to manage the art of blending so that they don't look dirty. I prefer the effect that only the sun's harmful rays can cause.