Over the Christmas holidays, the Shan clan went on a day trip to Dublin, partly to visit Funderland, but mainly to go to Wild Lights at Dublin Zoo. Mrs Shan had wanted to go to this for quite a few years. I was dubious, but after much nagging I agreed to tag along and act as chauffeur for everyone.

Reader, I was WRONG!!

It was fabulous!!! A seemingly endless parade of Chinese Lantern-style sculptures of animals, insects, flowers and more. Biodiversity was this year's theme, and they delivered in spades. We all wandered round, for an hour and a half, awestruck. Even the Shan kids thought it was amazing, and they're VERY hard to please!!

Opening has been extended through next weekend, and I think tickets are still available for both Saturday and Sunday. If you can make, my advice is to drop everything, book tickets and GO!! If you can't, then keep your eye on their sight and sign up to go next year when the tickets for their next venture go on sale -- I know that *I* will certainly be aiming to go, and I won't need any nagging from Mrs Shan this time!!!!

https://www.dublinzoo.ie/wildlights/

Here are some photos from our visit, where we encountered a giant beehive, giant bees and butterflies, and a life-sized wolf that sent my thoughts flying back to wintry nights on the slopes of Vampire Mountain. Did I rush forward in front of a sea of stunned onlookers to howl in sympathy with my spiritual brethren?!? Hey, even without the photographic evidence, I'm sure my regular followers would know only too damn well that I did!!!!