Oh dear, it had to happen, we lost the car!!!!! Well Val parked it so SHE lost the car!!!!!!!!!

Anyway lets get the story up to date, we arrived in Portland to take part in the volunteering at the soup kitchen. We couldn't find our way so we asked a local gentleman for directions, he was very knowledgeable, even was able to tell us the opening times (6 thru 7 Monday to Friday, it's a good dinner). It turns out he was one of the regulars, only we could stop a homeless person and ask him the way to a homeless resource centre!!!!

So Val wanted to park in a parking lot near the centre but we weren't sure if it was legal and didn't want to get locked in, I stopped her from parking illegally on the street "they'll tow us away" I thought...fanous last thoughts.... So we parked beside some cars in front of a housing block.

The soup kitchen volnuteering went very well, some of the regular helpers praised the politeness of the NI young people and asked me to pass it on. So congratulations to you all, you did yourselves proud. Thank you to Mary Gordon for inviting us.

After we had finished we had a date at the Boisseneaults for dinner so Naomi, Cheri, Val and I made our way to the car....but there was NO CAR!!!!!!! I thought Val had hidden it but then one of the residents from the housing block told us it had just been towed away. Apparently we needed a permit to park there...oooopppppssss. The phone number on the signs was incorrect so the guy helped us get the right number and another lady from the house helped too. Thanks to them all and to Kate from the soup kitchen we made it to the Towing company just as our car arrived. $65 later we had it back, thanks to Kate and Larry for helping to pay, it was really unneccessary but very much appreciated. Larry even lead us back onto Route 5 so we could get home to the Boisseneaults. Hey what would this trip be like if it wasn't for our car stories!!!!

Dinner was fun but late (we are so sorry Liz and Kevin). We got to learn that they keep the girls working hard, during the day they have to work in the garden,

and at night they have to work in the bar

Dinner was Kevin's Steak and Guinness pie...delicious and dessert was Liz's white chocolate popcorn...I love DESSERTS!!!!!!!! Long live the dessert making side of America.

Here are the "twins" with their host parents and host grandparents(who have been looking after them when Kevin and Liz are working) around the Titanic bell.

Lix is very interested in the Titanic and has a large collection of memorabilia, here are the girls around some of it,

Liz works in a Radio station and has invited everyone to visit her there on Thursday 21st July at 1030. This is before our volunteering at the Maine Irish Heritage Centre so we can make it a good day out. Contact Liz for details of how to get there, check the host family handbook for contact details.

more blog soon