I had an awesome breakfast of crepes today – another thing that I am often not afforded to eat, we were off on the bus to see the Cliffs of Moher, which I personally had been looking forward to. There were some people though on the bus who were not as happy about taking a boat, as they suffer from sea sickness. I sure hope we have a smooth sailing on the boat and it is a larger boat for them!
My crepe breakfastLobby of hotel/lodgeEntrance to hotel/lodge
It was a beautiful day for a drive – I was so happy it was not raining as rain and an open boat also would not have been fun – enjoy the drive to the little town where we caught the boat to the Cliffs of Moher –
Leaving the propertyLooking back on where we came fromEntering the County of Galway againRoadside tower – this one someone renovated and lives inAbandoned old buildingsSwans…Harbour in seaside cityMore green fieldsTital plainsThe barren hills we are going upView half way up looking backView to the sideThe cows near the busWhere we are yet to go!Fields are so beautifulAnother holiday communitySmall “white cliffs”House with a guard towerAnother castle in the distanceSunday hedge cutting on a narrow road!
Now we have arrived at a small town, unsure of its name, to catch the Cliffs of Moher boat. It reminded me of Peggy’s Cove – the tour bus took up the whole road getting into town! So we all lined up and got onto the boat while was a bit of a struggle for me and my walker. The deckhands were good though and found a seat for me on the upper deck (there was a deck beneath where most people on our tour went except those who needed air for sea sickness concerns). There was a couple who refused to move for me to get by as they liked their seats (language barrier) however I was smart enough to know that I needed the other side of the boat for optimum views and I was right! Lets motor now!
The boat and line up – about 200 ppl on boat it seemedTook this for the French Canadians on tour with usGoing out it was a gentle rolling sea…into the sun!Now I am sitting on the side of the ship on my walker taking pictures w/ othersBeautiful green cliffs…With crashing waves too!Now turning back…Closer to the cliffs we go!Precipice in the oceanSome cliffs in shadow due to sun not high and shining on cliffs in fullBeautiful greenery againLast look of Cliffs of MoherLooking back to where we came fromLooking back to where we came fromNow we are getting wave action!Now we are getting wave action!Now we are getting wave action!Heading back to portCastle on the hillLooking back again…Town by the sea..Rocks at entrance to harbourCrashing waves on rocksMore waves on rocksRandom people on rocksIrish boatman – who was missing his teeth!
Now back on dry land, we went to the local pub for a quick lunch prior to getting back on the bus to get to Killarney – which was another bus drive, ferry and then drive into the town!
Now back on land – we stopped for lunch – cauliflower soup.View from across road from pubView from across road from pubJust a wall standing….Golf course playersDriving by the sea…Now onto the 20 minute ferry ride!With a milk truck beside us!LOTS of turbines creating power all over IrelandWhat is the wait? Going on 15 minutes!Now we see it….… the train to Dublin!
Nice dinner at the International Hotel – beet salad, chicken and meringue dessert!
Beet root and pear saladChicken dinnerMeringue dessert
Tonight it is early to bed and to rest my back as tomorrow is the Ring of Kerry which will be about 4 hours driving around the peninsula!
Here was our drive south today via Doolin where we took the Cliffs of Moher ferry.
Onto the bus nice and early this morning after a wonderful breakfast and we are off to Galway, which I am really interested in checking out as we will be spending 5 nights here after the tour. Again, the drive along the small roads of Ireland (not the motorways) was very beautiful, however as it is getting quite repetitive on how many sheep and cows we see, I have stopped taking so many pictures of them!
As we drove into Galway, it was very interesting that we drove past the B&B that I had booked to stay at. I took one look and realized that there is no way that we could stay there – it was obvious that the bedrooms were on the 2nd floor (North American 2nd floor). So I emailed them and again they said it was “only a couple of steps” to our bedroom. So I decided to try a different tactic and ask how many steps I would have to go up and down? The answer was 12. That in my book is more than a “couple”. Something to cancel and re-book on the horizon for me! Let’s focus now on Galway! We were met by a lovely lady who I am not sure if she likes Vinne, our tour leader or not, as she made some fairly comical comments about him. Nevertheless, she took us on a great walking tour of Galway, and while it was windy, the rain stayed away! Then we were on our own for an hour, so Anne and I went into the sweater shops (with the men in tow – not to their pleasure) to observe and then ended up in a music shop as they had Irish harps – which Anne has too. We both got a Music Sudoku book which is fun to do on the bus and then we got a spot of tea and used the toilets and we went to go meet the bus, when it started raining! We had to wait for the bus (and got wet) as Adrian had an issue getting back into the main part of town. Then we were on our way to Cong and the Lodge at Ashford Castle, where we would be spending the night.
Welcome to Galway!Crossing the river…Our guide and JFK statueOur guide and Pádraic Ó Conaire statue – he wrote short storiesOscar Wilde & Eduard Vilde StatueMain (carless after 10am) street in GalwayAmerican influence – guide was surprised there was no line though!Kings Head pub – just like near our place in Kits!The “other” side of GalwayThe original gate/wall of the cityBeautiful muralEre square with all the county flags
Now that we are soaked and back on the bus – we proceeded to our hotel for the night – again in a country setting! We are only there one night though and off to Killarney the next day.
Arriving at Ashford Castle and LodgeStaff housingThe castle – which we cannot visitThe castle guests pay 2000+ E a nightAnother castle viewThe view of the Lodge where we stayed
The Lodge at Ashford was a pretty pretentious place. As Vinnie explained, all room/tax and baggage portage fees are already paid to the hotel however the Duty Manager still got on the bus and announced that there is a 10 Euro guest fee per person, which we can decline at the front desk. We had dinner there and the dinner was a bit of a gong show from the kitchen’s perspective – they presented us with a menu that had only a few gluten free items and then when Kathy and I asked if the soup was gluten free without the bread and a couple more questions, they realized just how many Celiacs there were on this tour and they changed their menu to be more gluten free suitable. The funny thing is they took drink orders and provided the drinks but no one wrote them down, so the next morning, when we went to go pay at the front desk, they had no record of our charges! This was a 4 star property however the way they acted was not 4 star at all. Here are some pictures of our food – as it was good once verified it was gluten free!
Our LONG dinner table of 23My squash and spices soupAnne and RichardChicken and roasted veggiesVinnie holding courtDessert – forgot name!
After a fairly amusing conversation about the next day’s tour which includes a boat ride to view the Cliffs of Moher (and people who get sea sick), we went back to our room for an early start tomorrow!
Here is the drive we were on today – which surprised me when I looked at it as we actually went south to go north!
Good morning! Well, today I am having some issues walking so I decided to take a pass on the day tour today and instead go for a massage and swim/hot tub lounging in the hotel spa! Andrew went on the trip to Mass Rock, the Holy Well at Tobernault and Mullaghmore to see Donegal Bay. On the way back, they visited Parke’s Castle, in County Leitrim, which is a restored plantation castle of the early 17th century that was once home to Robert Plante and his family. So we will be looking at his photo’s today as I only took the first one… the rest in this series are the ones Andrew took walking around the castle when he got back from the tour.
In the meantime I had a lovely massage and then went and sat in the underground pool where I took a dip and also sat in the hot tub. Then I relaxed on a lovely lawn chair and was knitting away until the spa lady who had brought me down in the elevator, came to retrieve me as there was going to be a wedding in the castle, and I needed to get back to my room (which I knew about) – I had lost track of time in the blue relaxing atmosphere of the pool area! So quickly I got dressed and up the temporary ramp they had put down for me and through the hotel and back to our room! Unfortunately the internet was so slow I could not be productive that afternoon so I just listened to a book and napped until Andrew came back.
Lynda’s secret picture of the pool…while knitting on a lounge chair!Front door of castleEntrance area for the castleApproaching the castleDriveway up to castleCastle crest and flower box drive inBeautiful gardens – even in October!Amazing green grounds!Walking paths
Now, lets see what trouble he got into today! I later found out that it was a GOOD day that I chose to remain at the hotel as it was quite physical (with no warning) and my walker would not have worked. I would have been quite frustrated if I had left my crutches at the castle and gone on the trip with my walker!
Sign to Holy WellSign before Holy WellHoly Well pulpit stoneStatues in coverHoly Well viewsHoly Well viewsPicture of cross up the hillPrayer areaAnother statue under coverPathway in parkBack on bus – some of the areaGate to Mountbatten EstateGate to Mountbatten EstateMountbatten Estate in distanceMountbatten Estate closer upView of water w/men fishingCows in fieldWAW – Wild Atlantic Way signMullaghmore Sailing ClubSailing boats on inland waterway – where Mountbatten’s boat was blown upPurple flowers for LyndaNorthwestern Ireland beachSwans on riverTown of SligoTown waterwaySome modern buildings in SligoMain bridgePicture looking towards seaAndrews picture = coffee!Yeats house – now libraryPretty bridge in SligoSligo riverSligo churchHouse in SligoStatue of YeatsClock above Town HallTown HallParke’s CastleRe-thatching a roof near castleParke’s Castle entranceParke’s Castle – stairs!Parke’s Castle – stairs to climbPeake’s Castle tower entranceView from castleDisplay of castle and groundsHow the castle was inhabitedCeiling work…Ceiling work…More Ceiling work…Progress on thatching!View again from inside castleView of stone work disintegrating Pigeon holes for their nestsPigeon holes for their nestsWell systemCastle from outsideCastle from outside
Now back at Kilronan Castle, Andrew decided to take some more pictures of the area before our dinner hour.
Entrance to Kilronan CastleAnne and RichardPart of the garden
After our devine dinner, we were back in our room, and I as usual had fallen asleep, when the wedding in house set off fireworks! Here is the display –
Now after that noise – getting back to sleep was an issue! Oh well, the nice comfy bed eventually did me in and we were looking forward to tomorrow where we get to visit Galway – one of the places we will be going back to on our trip in Ireland.
Here is the drive that Andrew took in the bus today:
We are off this morning, bright and early to visit the Titanic Museum and then to drive to Enniskillen and then to the Kilronan Castle where we will be staying for the next two nights. To start off we are driving through Belfast early in the morning (9am) and as there is no traffic, Adrian and Vinnie show us the other side of the river, so to say, or the docks area, before we can arrive at the Titanic exhibit.
Double decker busses everywhere hereSalmon of Knowledge aka “Big Fish”View of river areaThe only ice arena in Northern IrelandThis area was reclaimed for green spaceNot airplane hangers – dry docks!Boat cranes against a rising sunAmazon parking lot/buildingLooking back into Dublin downtown
Soon enough we pulled up to the Titanic museum and what a beautiful building it is! Just standing in front of it makes you think of the bow of a ship – no matter which side you are looking at! Also, behind the museum are still the pilings in place where the ship was launched! Lets launch into this morning at the museum! It started with an overview of Belfast, what was going on, the building of the Titanic and why people left.
Museum from the backMuseum from the frontThe area the Titanic was launchedTitanic hotelMore of original Titanic HotelPurple window boxes!Flax Mills to make linen Belfast area known as Linenopolis in 1700’sGirl at linen millDifferent types/colours of linenSome of the images of early Belfast – 1907 Boomtown99% of Irish Linen exported through Belfast in 1870Many different industries – Textile, Rope Winding, Tobacco, Whiskey and Soft drinks!Picture of downtown BelfastPeople started traveling by shipAlso Emigrating to the New WorldPlaces people were moving toPassenger ships make world smallerThus the dream of the TitanicEnter a known ship builder!The name for the H&W vesselsTime clock for H&W WorkersFirst, the Victoria Channel into Belfast had to be dredged and improved for large ships to be built and launchedPay logs – 200 to 400 per annum!Enginners – how they built the TitanicIndoor Gantry exampleLets get building!The first step 31 Mar 1909 – build the keelBlocks were put down for the keelFrames were 60 feet tall and 1 ton eachOver 3 million rivets were put on TitanicMore rivets for iron and steel plates15 watertight bulkheads across the ship, or 16 watertight compartmentsMade of 6 pieces, bolted and covered in cement – 75 ft high, 15 ft max wideIt took 2 engines to propel the rudderLaunch Day!Port side – as launched without funnelsStarboard side – work completed1st class cabin – ‘Old Dutch’ style1st class cabin – ‘Old Dutch’ styleThe route: Leaving Belfast – Shipbuilding Centre of the worldNew port for Titanic and sister ship OlympicFrench port – competing with Le HavreIrelands most important passenger and mail port before the warsDestination: Ellis IslandA surviving crew member letterAwesome display of what it was like on ocean on the shipThe next eight slides were in a hall with these voices…These 3 slides were 2 floors high of survivors and those who were lostPeople wanted to look for the TitanicOne being Robert BallardQuote from Robert BallardOn last search day – Quote from BallardThen the realization….
Now that Robert Ballard had discovered the Titanic, these are some of the things that were recovered and are displayed in this museum –
Architectural design of the TitanicDeck chairLooking through a glass floor (uck!) at a “sea bed” photo of the wreck – 3 picsMore objects – ticket, studio photo and pocket watchSheepskin coat, walking stick and silver flaskWallace Hartley’s violin, mourning card and letter to Wallace HartleyPlaque for Wallace Hartley’s passingOriginal photos of Titanic launchLoving Cup presented to Captain Rostron for rescuing Titanic passengersWall of treasures found
After touring the museum and having a snack to eat in the cafe, Andrew and I went outside to view the other side of the docks from where the Titanic was launched and we found two more ships and a beautiful stained glass display.
SS Nomadic – last remaining White Star Line VesselNo idea what this hull is from but it was OLD!Stained glass display – one of 3 (did not get to other 2)The men watching the peopleSame men, different view!
Now, we drove to our next hotel, which is Kilronan Castle in County Roscommon. As this hotel/castle is out in the middle of nowhere, we did make a lunch stop in Enniskillen so people could pick up groceries or whatever they needed for the next 2 nights at this hotel. Of course, I picked up some Coke Zero and Andrew and I got some food for lunch on the go!
The church in EnniskillenThe left side of the castle from our bedroom windowThe right side of the castle from our bedroom window – more pics to comeOur VERY HIGH bed – needed a pole vault!An excellent group dinner!Pumpkin soup starter – yum!
We were early to bed tonight – I had my trusty heating bottle in bed with me as my back was starting to get sore again after some bumpy (more like wavy) roads on the way to the castle today. Tomorrow is a side trip to visit some areas nearby! Here is the route we took from Belfast to the Kilronan Castle in Roscommon, with a stop for groceries in Enniskillen.
Today we are on the bus heading north westish to see the Giant’s Causeway. The Giant’s Causeway or Clochán an Aifir is an area next to the sea of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. The Giant’s Causeway was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 and is known as the fourth-greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom.
The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although some have four, five, seven, or eight sides. The tallest are approximately 12 metres high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres thick in places. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ireland, receiving more than 998,000 visitors in 2019.
So off we went on our first day trip of this tour! It also is looking to be a sunny day – which can be quite lucky when visiting the northern part of Ireland. I took WAY too many pictures today from the bus – that is the luxury of digital pictures – you can just delete them! I have tried to pare them down to just a few along the drive from Belfast to the a cafe in a park where we picked up our lunches (we had ordered them the day before), had a toilet break, and then resumed the drive to the Giant’s Causeway. We were taking the scenic route there and the motorway back. So here are the pictures on the way to the cafe in the park:
The countryside is so green!Amazing views from these housesYes, the bus fit through this tunnelAcross the water – historic housesMost towns look like this – houses and seaTide is going out…More houses and the seafrontLow tide!Old fort in this small townOld church at seafrontMonastery by the SeaRed telephone boothBeautiful old hotel with vinesThat stack of rocks bothered me!Town cemetaryI was amazed at how pretty and clean Irish houses are.Waterfall after huge rainstorm yesterday
This is the park that we stopped at where at the cafe, the ladies prepared us bagged lunches – both gluten free and not, depending on what we ordered yesterday from a form. The property was beautiful and amazingly enough it was accessible too! Like most other properties, there were sheep grazing in the distance…
View from cafeYup, sheep!Accessible cafe and washrooms!Across the valleyOur bus The country house/estate
After picking up our lunches we made our way to the Giant’s Causeway. Again we drove along the seaside and I took some more pictures! Here are a SELECTION:
House being built – they are double walled for insulation Wishing well!Bog lands – first of manyBog lands with too much waterSo many old bridges!Holiday homesAn old abandoned houseSheep – everywhere sheep!We did not see a lot of fencingOffshore rock cliff of an islandOften there are paths next to the roadBeautiful painting on buildingChurch by the seaSheep farmFalling down houseS0 many pretty baysMore well kept housesMore well kept housesMore well kept housesCliff view
Apparently they are VERY strict with tour busses and you are given a 10 minute window which you must arrive within. We had no issues arriving on time however I can see, based on the small roads that wind around, why it can be a problem. At the Giant’s Causeway there is a Visitors Centre and it is actually free to walk down and visit the stone formations. However some people, like myself, will not do the hill, so we take the bus which was 2 Pounds each (as we technically are in Great Britain). The fact that the earth created these square pieces of stone jutting out is quite amazing! Here are the pictures that I took. Andrew and I also had our lunches down by the formations.
Down the hill towards the rock displayView from my lunch spotView of bayExamples of rock columnsUp close view of rock columnsPeople climbing the ridgeBroken rocksSome of the longer rock columnsAndrew in front of rock moundDriving back to Visitor CentreLooking back on column areaView of cliffsView of bay from up topView of bay to northView of people walking upMore people walking upGiant’s Causeway Map
After visiting the store and the toilet which was a Changing Places toilet which was quite cool (fully accessible with ceiling lift and adult change table) we were on our way back to Belfast. We first went for dinner at a lovely Thai restaurant with Anne and Richard and then Andrew and I walked a bit around downtown to visit some sights that were pointed out to us on the bus. We looked at the Europa Hotel which is known as the “most bombed hotel in the world” after having suffered 36 bomb attacks during the troubles in Ireland. Beside it is the Belfast Opera House. Then, across the street we went into the Crown pub, which was pretty unique – I think it has a 2nd floor too but we did not go there. Beautiful bar area and then they have booths or snugs in it where groups can sit. When back at the Grand Hotel, we then met Anne and Richard on the top floor (23rd I believe) for an after dinner mocktail and to take some pictures of Belfast, as this is the tallest building in the city.
Europa HotelBelfast Opera HouseThe Crown barInside the Crown BarThe actual barThe “side door” with snugs on each sideThe beautiful outside “side door”Rooftop bar at Grand HotelRooftop bar at Grand HotelRooftop bar at Grand HotelView of Belfast City Hall in PURPLEView towards Queens University
Well it is early to bed tonight! Tomorrow we visit the Titanic Museum and then we are on the road heading out of Great Britain territory (and the pound) and back into the Republic of Ireland to stay at the Kilronan Castle. See you there!
Here is our round trip to Giant’s Causeway via the ocean road there and highway back.
What is that noise??? It is the phone in the room is ringing! It was Anne asking if we are coming down to the lobby soon. I asked her what time it is and she said 7:45am – we were to meet them at 7:30am to take a taxi to the airport. Someone’s alarm did not work and that person’s name does not start with an L! So Anne and Richard took their own taxi and Andrew and I quickly packed and got on our way too, about 20 minutes later! On the way to the airport, Andrew realized that he had set the alarm for 6:30 PM not AM. Oh well, these things happen!
We had a great driver to the airport – very friendly and chatted the whole way there. His last name was Lennon which was cool too! He even dropped us off where our bus should have been, however as it was not there, Andrew and I went inside to the Arrivals area and met up with the people who had already arrived for the tour. There are a total of 23 people on this Gluten Free Tour, which has been arranged by a travel agent, Royal Irish Tours and two volunteers – Anne (who is here) and Liz (who unfortunately could not make it). Once everyone got through customs we were off to find the bus for the trip! Adrian, the bus driver had brought the bus around and we then all got on – with the “back of the bus” people already occupying the same seats that they had in Italy – they had stayed at the airport and the 6 of them were picked up first prior to swinging by the airport and acquiring the rest of the group of us.
We are on a very nice bus, other than it drives on the other side of the road! It seats about 50 people – very similar to the bus we had in Italy however it does not have a lift on it, which I knew prior to the trip. In fact I was told that there are no tour busses in Ireland with lifts on them.
Vinnie is our tour leader and he is from Wexford, which is on the south east coast of Ireland. He has the same hairline as Andrew and my father and he is quite outgoing and funny! He is also gluten intolerant so that is why he was picked to lead our group.
Our first stop was the Man O’ War pub for a light lunch. It was only about 10:30am however as half the group had been travelling overnight, it was best to start them on a proper eating schedule! The pub had opened up especially for us and had a lovely GF spread of tomato soup, variety of GF sandwiches and a plate of GF cookies/sweets. There were also gluten options for those who were accompanying us. It was the first time for me having bread on this trip and I almost could not tell that the white bread for the egg sandwich was gluten free – it was that GOOD! While egg sandwiches are not my favourite thing to eat, the “mystery meat” sandwiches I was not going to take part in. Even those who eat meat were wondering what the meat was!
The pub both smelled and oozed history – there were items on the ceiling that had been found when grounds around the pub had been dug up. It was all wood panelled and had that awesome “pub” feel to it! Here are some pictures that I took:
Man O’ War pubFireplace at Man O’ War pubOur seating at Man O’ War pubMore seating Man O’ War pubLooking at the bar – Man O’ War pubOldest post box in Ireland from Queen IThe back of Man O’ War pubThe back of Man O’ War pubView from The back of Man O’ War pub
Now back on the bus, we are heading towards Belfast, in Northern Ireland. When we got to Belfast, prior to checking into the Grand Hotel, we did a City Tour – all those photos are below!
Bridge on way to BelfastWelcome to Northern Ireland!No billboards – just truck signsDouble bubble display entering BelfastSelf cycle bar on wheels – bartender on board too!Various buildings in BelfastVarious buildings in BelfastArtwork instead of a bullboardQueens University – BelfastQueens University – BelfastQueens University – BelfastQueens University – BelfastQueens University – BelfastQueens University – BelfastThe thinker – Queens University BelfastFamous bar – the Crown in BelfastNext to the Crown – RobinsonsDriving in downtown Belfast -area is pretty small for the cityVinnie wanted to point this out to us…
Still on the City Tour, we are now going to visit some historical areas between the Protestant and Catholics challenges that have happened in Belfast.
Divis building where British troops stayed and accessed roof by helicopterOn our way to the “troubled” section of BelfastWall paintings along the wayWall paintings along the wayWall paintings along the wayDriving in Belfast neighbourhoodNeighbourhood bar signHousing in Belfast suburbsHousing in Belfast suburbsHousing in Belfast suburbsBelfast Catholic churchGarden of Remembrance – those killed in religious battlesPart of the Garden of RememberanceNo man’s land – the area where the walls were put up to stop fightingMemorial for the unrestMemorial for the unrestMemorial for the unrestLooking to other wall while standing in No Mans Land areaMore building paintingsThis is more graffiti like!Driving down main street in suburb – with Amazon!Old Catholic ChurchChurch with clock – smaller than Big Ben but similar
We then arrived at the Grand Central Hotel in Belfast where we would be staying for 2 nights. It is a beautiful hotel! Other than needing a pole vault to get onto the bed, we had a very nice accessible room! Here are our pictures!
Hotel during Day – tallest in CityHotel at nightBedroomAccessible washroomDining roomGF Desert!
Tomorrow, we are off to check out the Giant’s Causeway! Here is the drive we took today:
Today, despite the jetlag, we got up early as we had to be at the Guinness Storehouse (basically the Guinness Factory and Visitor’s Centre) that is in Dublin at 10am for our scheduled entrance time. What an amazing set of buildings this is and a beautiful visitors facility! This is also the number one tourist attraction in Ireland, with the Titanic Exhibit (and some others) claiming to be in 2nd place.
The Guinness Storehouse was an AMAZING experience – even for someone who does not drink! The funny part was that Andrew was on an accompanying person ticket and I was on a full ticket – so I got the ticket for the beer at the end and he got the ticket for the soft drink (which is appropriate for a carer ticket). Needless to say those were exchanged pretty fast! It is 7 stories high with a glass bar as the 7th floor that is above most buildings in Dublin and has a great view – would be even better if it was not raining cats and dogs! Yup, the cats and dogs in Dublin look very similar to the ones in Vancouver – I am saying that for my dad as I knew that question was coming up… They had elevators for those who needed them that at the beginning when to the next floor you needed to be on and then once past the 2nd floor (keep in mind in Europe the floors start at Zero or 0) there is both a main elevator and a secret smaller elevator for those in the know 🙂 So off we go!
The “Gate” where the Accessible Entrance was locatedThe regular entranceGuinness – 4 Simple IngredientsBarley Field (fake thank goodness!)Water display – beerWater display – harpWater display – Guinness word1st step at Storehouse – RoastingDifferent roasters over timeOptimal roasting temperatureBarley grainsBrewing process in pictures 🙂Really cool display of items in to create beer – using tubing!See right – that is what is described hereKieve No. 15BThe beers Guinness producesThe beers Guinness producesThe beers Guinness producesThe beers Guinness producesThe beers Guinness producesThe beers Guinness producesThe beers Guinness producesThe beers Guinness producesSkimming the Yeast after FermentingMarket Street Fermenting HouseCleaning the inside of the tanksWhat time is it???Where the wort is boiledSome thoughts on GuinnessSome thoughts on GuinnessSome thoughts on GuinnessSome thoughts on GuinnessSome thoughts on GuinnessSome thoughts on GuinnessSome thoughts on GuinnessSome thoughts on GuinnessSome thoughts on GuinnessQuote from GuinnessThe display of how fields are managedToilet break time! Never seen such a small sink in an accessible toilet!Now onto what Andrew has been waiting for…The White Room – where you get 4 scents of the different ingredientsThe shots of Guinness being pouredThe man leading the “drinking” of the shot of GuinnessNew floor – some very funny ads!Seal balancing GuinnessAussie and GuinnessGuinness CartoonTurtle with its GuinnessSee next pictureThis was a moving fish pedeling a bikeOn the floor under the fish on a bikeSome Guinness adsSome Guinness adsSome Guinness adsSome Guinness adsSome Guinness adsSome Guinness adsSome Guinness adsSome Guinness adsDown where we have come from!Nice to see in a VERY busy bar!Our rewards!The bar provides city info too!The bar provides city info too!The bar provides city info too!The bar provides city info too!The bar provides city info too!The bar provides city info too!The bar provides city info too!The bar provides city info too!The bar provides city info too!The bar provides city info too!The bar provides city info too!City viewsCity viewsCity views
From the Guinness Storehouse Andrew and I then caught a taxi to take us to Trinity University where we were going to meet Anne and Richard and go for a tour of the University and see the Book of Kells and the Library. The taxi driver was not very good and dropped us off at a large intersection and told me to go to the glass building as that is where the Book of Kells exhibit is.
Needless to say, after about an hour of walking around, including 3 two block circles, AND asking for directions at an information desk where they sent us in the opposite direction (thanks Math department) along with being unable to get up to the street as elevators were broken; I finally sat down and called (via Skype) the Book of Kells exhibit where we were supposed to be and asked them how to get there. I had already heard from Anne – the tour had started at 2pm without us and it was now 3pm. The ladies on the phone were very nice and got us turned around and on our way to the correct building. We also found out that Trinity University is pretty well a walled university – so the cab driver could not actually take us to where we needed to go – only to the nearest intersection. That would have been nice to know.
Now at the correct building, the lady was actually outside waiting for us to arrive, which was pretty nice – she then told me that due to the storm the previous evening (we were not aware of one however we could not see or hear much in the matchbox room) that a lot of the power was out for the elevators (we already found that out) including one that takes us to the majority of the exhibit – the Old Library. So they ended up refunding our tickets and letting us see the Book of Kells anyways. That was really nice! At this time I thought Anne and Richard were upstairs as I had told them we had arrived and they said they would meet us in an hour. Low and behold, we went through the Book of Kells entry and they were right there! So we saw the exhibit together and then they proceeded upstairs to visit the Old Library while Andrew and I went and hung out on the campus and people watched!
For those who do not know what the Book of Kells is – as I did not know until Anne told me about it – here is an overview – it is a Celtic manuscript, written in Latin, containing four Gospels of the New Testament. It was created in about 800 AD, in a monastery in either Ireland or Scotland, with other contributors. It is a beautiful example of calligraphy and illustration. Book takes its name from the Abbey of Kells, County Meath, which was its home for centuries. There are 340 velum leaves or folios; with each side of the leaf totaling 680 pages in a 13 inches by 9.8 inches volume, one for each Gospel. Lets take a look! No pictures were allowed of the actual book, however here are some pictures of the display prior to seeing the official copy.
Entrance to Book of KellsBeautiful Stained GlassDifferent pages in the BooksDifferent pages in the BooksDifferent pages in the BooksDifferent pages in the BooksDifferent pages in the BooksDifferent pages in the BooksDifferent pages in the BooksExamples of caligraphyDescribing elements on a pageDifferent pages in the BooksMaterials and Methods usedAbout VellumWriting and Binding MaterialsMaterials and Methods usedExamples of CaligraphyMaterials and Methods used
We then walked to a restaurant for dinner that Anne found on a Gluten Free app. It was awesome! Anytime I can have GF fish and chips and that is the same GF fish and chips the whole restaurant eats so there is no possibility of wheat contamination, it is a good day! After a great dinner in a very unique restaurant, we walked back to the hotel (2.2 km) to work off our dinner!
Now back at the matchbox hotel room, Andrew decided to take a shower while I, after walking about 10 km today, decided to give my legs a little bonus time on the heating pad. So I plugged in the plug converter and then the power bar and POOF! the lights went out and there was a pop sound! To me, it sounded like a breaker had shut off which is weird as I had not plugged in anything requiring power. It was cool though that two small emergency lights in the ceiling turned on, however Andrew was in the dark in the shower and that he was not impressed with!
Andrew got dressed and went down to the front desk to get the clerk and they tried putting the breaker back (which was in the room) but to no avail. So then, they moved us to another accessible room which was BIGGER! Yahoo! Andrew can get to his own side of the bed without crawling over me! Also the power supply works 🙂 Time for sleep as tomorrow we are getting up early to take a taxi back to the airport with Anne and Richard to meet all the people for the Gluten Free Ireland tour!
Lights are on and we are now awake while on the Dreamliner to Ireland! I neglected to mention that we almost did not stay in Business Class, where we had booked our seats for our flight to Dublin. At about 4pm on Sept 28th, day of departure, we received a phone call from Air Canada, which I thought it was another call from the Mobility department about my walker, and instead it was an Air Canada agent telling us we have been downgraded to Economy – not Premium Economy, but Economy. I asked her why and she said the plane that they were going to use had to go in for maintenance and instead they were going to use a “smaller” Dreamliner – 787-800 instead of the -900. That plane change only has 20 people in Business Class instead of 30. So they had to downgrade 10 people to Economy, as Premium Economy was full. I was tired of dealing with Air Canada at this point so I said that they had broken my walker and that I did not think I was able to be downgraded as I do fly with medical information on my file. She said we probably would be downgraded but she would call back. Well, she did call back and told us that everything was fine – we can stay in our 1K and 2K seats. Yipee! Lie flat seats so my back does not get sore!
Arriving over IrelandEngine and wing 🙂Andrew watching out windowMore Irish countrysideTower again separate from airportRAIN! And big USA carriers!
We got through customs and found our bags pretty fast and we were escorted to the coffee shop next to the Arrivals area, which was where we were going to wait for Anne and Richard, as they were coming in on the WestJet flight from Calgary. It worked our really well – we ended up getting to the coffee shop at about 9:45am and then I looked up their flight, which was due in at 11am and it was arriving early at 10:30am. Sure enough, they popped out of the Arrivals area just before 11am and we then took a cab to our hotel – Dublin One, which I have nicknamed the Matchbox Hotel! The Dublin One would not allow us to check in until 3pm, and it was currently about 12:30pm so we decided to walk to get a spot of lunch! We left our luggage at the hotel and off we walked – about 2km to a local pub which Anne and I had looked up the menu for online. Looked really good – both gluten free items for us and vegan for Richard!
We got there and it was a really authentic Irish pub! Only downside was the menu that was displayed on the website was not being offered – they only offered what was on the whiteboard next to the serving station! No vegan options for Richard! Only suitable item for me was curry chicken – which suited me just fine – that was until she put it on a plate and it was MASSIVE! So Anne and I ended up sharing the dish, I cannot remember what Andrew had and Richard’s food issue we solved on the way back by visiting a Tesco grocery store! As this was late afternoon now, we thought we would go out for a walk, however Anne and Richard were pretty tired (8 hour time change for them) so we all just rested for the evening and were going to connect the next day!
As for the Matchstick – the room was so small that I could not take a realistic picture! The bed was against the wall, so Andrew had to climb into it, there was limited floor space with only a very small desk and a stool and luggage rack, no side table for the bed, and then a huge wet washroom with roll in shower! The accessible washroom was almost the side of the bedroom if folded up! Cute but no where to put one’s luggage other than on the floor and then if we did that, no where to walk or roll a walker around!
Pub – Andrew/Richard and menu boardPictures of famous peopleNational drink sign!
Time to get some rest – we are off to the Guinness Storehouse tomorrow morning! The number 1 tourist attraction in Ireland! Probably the 1st Guinness of many for Andrew too!
Well, we have planned, changed, reversed direction, then optimized and finalized our 2024 trip now!
We are soon off to Toronto for a couple of days, then to North Carolina and Washington DC and then back to Montreal where we will fly to Dublin, Ireland! Both Andrew and I are joining the tour for those with Celiac Disease, visiting Ireland this year. Last year when I went to Italy on the celiac trip, Andrew stayed home. This time he is joining me! After the tour ends, we will be navigating the “opposite” side of the road and going on a Guinness and scotch breweries tour along with a yarn quest! Then when we head home, we will be stopping over in Rekivek, Iceland, as Iceland Air has a very nice stop over program that does not cost you any more for a ticket home when connecting through their country.
My quest for this trip is to take a minimal amount of clothes and thus a smaller suitcase, so that all the yarn I am going to purchase can make it home! Not sure what Andrew’s goal is as he already packs pretty light…all I know is the yarn is going INTO THE SUITCASE so I do not run into “rope” issues again. If you do not know what I am referring to check out this post: What is with wool and Dubai?