In just a few days Nancy and I leave for Dublin. I will be going straight from Greensboro and Nancy will go there via Washington DC, after the annual Fulbright Orientation. For two months this blog will be coming from the Emerald Isle and introduce people and places from Adelaide Presbyterian Church to the Aran Islands (a place I have wanted to visit for years). After that, God willing, it will come from the cycle road as a couple of us hit the trail from Barcelona to Brussels and, possibly, on to Berlin. Then a return to Albania and friends and ministry in Tirana and Erseke. It will be hard to be away from family (especially granddaughter) for four months, but it is a privilege to have an opportunity to experience and minister in so many places.



Before leaving Greensboro, though, I should share a few photos of cycling places right around our home. In Seattle cycling is wonderful: the Burke Gillman trail along the shores of Lake Washington, the ferry ride over to the Peninsula and the quiet roads there, the snow-capped peaks east and west and the beauty of the Sound. I knew I would miss these and sure enough, there is none of that here and I do miss it. But there is a beauty and tranquility about this place, and cycling is a wonderful way to experience it—and many people do just that. It is not uncommon to see individuals, groups or families cycling on the roads around our home. And just behind us is a long and beautiful cycle/jogging path through the woods, past ponds and a lake, and over roads. Every day I see more people wearing cycling clothes, or just recreational clothes, on their bikes going out for a ride, than I would see on an average day in Seattle.


From our front door there are various rides, all different and most with both historical sites along the way. So, this is a cycling city—and I am glad!...Now let’s see about Dublin next….