June 20th, 2004

We were pretty busy for a month after the Dublin excursion. We had figured out why Erica was covered in welts. She was being eaten by bedbugs - little tick-like insects that are sneaky as cockroaches and leave welts like mosquitoes. I found the seams in the upholstered headboard of her bed full of eggs, nymphs and adults. She had fed them up nicely! We eventually found out that the previous tenant, also an Intel employee on assignment, had noticed (carried in?) the buggers and had the landlord remove the infested bed. After they left, the landlord brought the bed back(!?). When we asked that it be taken out again, we were told we would have to live with it, and work with the professional exterminator that finally had been called. Instead, we packed up. Six carloads moved us to a town on the other side of Leixlip, and by the 20th we were exploring Lucan town centre.

The river Liffey above the Lucan bridge.

The Lucan bridge - largest single stone span in Ireland.

Stairs to the abandoned lock above the weir.