An unexpectedly amazing outing

I was a bit anxious about today's outing.  Aspie boy and a few friends and another Mum who suggested we all go to a science gallery, where there would be no computer games.  And he had seen very little of this friend since our Viking Non-Splash Adventure last year.  I expected to watch him flitting past the exhibits and announcing he wanted to go home after ten minutes. 

How wrong could I be?

The Science Gallery in Trinity College Dublin is small, and free, and it kept our party of seven entertained for nearly three wonderful hours.  Well four of the children anyway.  Us Mums were mostly holding our breath in anticipation of boredom and Smiley was little bit bemused at first.  But we found another attraction for her - about which more later.

I can't even tell you exactly what is was that kept them so enthralled.  It might had been this:

Or this:

Or perhaps this:

And then when they'd finished with the exhibits there was an 'interactive' shop with a 'try before you buy policy' and lots of wonderful science toys that I've never seen anywhere else.  Aspie boy spent an hour playing with this one:

And after the shop came the café ...  and the chocolate cake passed the Smiley test and I enjoyed the coffee too.

As if that wasn't enough we're off to visit the lovely Jazzygal and her Wiiboy tomorrow :)