The Commitments

As we drove into Dublin, I wondered if I would feel a kindred connection to the Irish.  Would my Irish roots feel a tug?  In the Heraldic Shop I found the "Downey" family history and crest. 

There is always a little rush when you see your name in print.  Even though I am a fifth generation Canadian, was the little flutter more than just seeing my name?  As we drove passed the River Liffey and the Irish Famine Memorial I couldn't help but feel a little tug on the heart strings.



Irish Famine Memorial along the River Liffey.

I went to a traditional Irish night with dinner, music and Irish dancing.   The venue was an old Irish building with a thatched roof (think dried grass).  

Thatched roof building - is thatch really that good, or do they keep repairing it so it doesn't leak?

The show was pretty cheesy but the lead singer was hilarious.  He told us that his cousin came to Canada and saw a sign that said  "Drink Canada Dry" and he almost died trying.

Three man Irish band.

One of the cute Irish dancers picked Greggy Poo to join her on stage.  I guess I'm not the only one who finds him irresistible!

Irish dancers - the photo of Greg dancing didn't turn out (:-(

What would a trip to Dublin be without Guinness.  The tour of the Guinness factory was surprisingly good - not just another tourist trap.  They incorporated many modern features to the tour that keep you interested and engaged.  As if free beer isn't enough to keep most tourists engaged!

An old milling machine.

The exhibit on how to make the old wooden kegs showed that it is a lost art.

Guinness is a dry stout beer and the dark colour is a result of roasting the barley.  The nice, thick head on the beer is because there is nitrogen in the mix, not just carbon dioxide.   I was led to believe that Guinness was served at room temperatures - this is not true.  My first taste of Guinness was a good one - it was cold and tastes better than it looks!  There is a hint of coffee and chocolate flavour because of the roasted barley.

The top floor of the Guinness museum has a pub with some of the most beautiful views of Dublin.

In the top floor bar of the Guinness factory.

My favorite view in Dublin.

Dublin at Dusk.

 Did you know that Guinness beer started the Guinness Book of World Records? 

My favorite part of Dublin was certainly the Temple Bar  district.  This is a set of streets filled with pubs, bars, restaurants, shopping and TONS OF PEOPLE.  The night we were there, the Irish Leinster Rugby team was competing in the semi-finals against France (Toulouse).  The entire Temple Bar area was packed by 8 pm.  Much to Greg's frustration, I picked the busiest bar I could find:  the Auld Dubliner. 

Temple Bar district.
(I did not go to the Leprechaun museum, I must have run out of time)

Amongst the frenzy were rugby fans in blue (Leinster) and red (Toulouse) with  various forms of costumes, get-ups, fanatic attire and wigs -  and a two-man band.  We pushed our way to the bar for a drink, just as the band started to play U2's "With or Without You".  Ahhhh...listening to U2 in an Irish pub is as good as it gets.  I was teary eyed before I finished my drink. 

Very small, very crowded pub, can you spot the black afro wigs in the very back?

Unlike everyone else in the bar, I was sober.  In fact, the craziness was such that I couldn't even tell who won the rugby match.  People dressed in blue and the people dressed in red were equally drunk and appeared to be equally celebrating in their ballet leotards and superhero costumes.  (For the die-hard rugby fans reading this, Leinster was victorious).

Dublin's River Liffey at night.

There are some beautiful views in Dublin.  As we walked down O'Connell Street to St. Stephen's park, I once again sang Molly Malone as we passed her statue. And then I sang it again, and again...

Molly Malone showing off her cockle shells.

Far & Away

At last, the Emerald Isle.  It is as green and as beautiful as I imagined. 

Ireland is Baaaatiful.

My first Irish experience was in Waterford.  I took a 4-hour ferry over from Wales and then a short bus trip to Waterford.  The bus ride included a sing-along to some famous Irish songs:  Danny Boy, It's a Long Way to Tipperary, and Molly Malone.  It was a fun experience.  If I had known I would hear Molly Malone 15 times in 2 days, my attitude towards Irish folk songs may have been a bit different.

Ferry from Wales to Ireland.  It had 9 levels and 4 pubs.

Waterford is famous for their crystal factory.  Crystal is different from glass in that a red lead powder is added.  The lead increases the brilliance and shine, and makes the product heavier which allows Master Carvers to etch designs into the crystal. 

I toured the factory and saw the Master Carvers blowing glass, polishing, cooling and finally etching the crystal by hand.  Watching them control their cuts on a rounded or oval surface is amazing to see.  All the Master Carvers study for 8 years, and they were all very helpful and stopped working to show us their technique and to answer our questions.

Glass blowing.

Using a mould to shape the glass.  All moulds are wooden and are hand carved on site.

Polishing.

Etching a wine glass using a diamond tip cutting stone.

Famous Waterford pattern in progress.  Black felt lines are guides for the carvers.

Some Master Carvers study for an additional 4 years to become Master Engravers.  The engraving work is beyond what I thought was possible.  One artist designed and completed a horse and carriage scene for the Royal Wedding.  The Waterford Crystal claim to fame includes Superbowl Trophies, Golf Trophies, and a special piece of work for Justin Timberlake.

Trophy for the Ryder Cup - Golf.

When I entered the factory, we saw the shop where the initial moulds are made.  A mould labeled "Justin Timberlake" caught my eye right away.  Someone will need to have extreme talent to carve Justin's "Chia Pet" hair into crystal, that's for sure!!

Hand-made wooden mould.

Admit it, as a kid you wanted one!

Admit it, there is a similarity!

At the end of the tour I was shown that the JustinTimberlake piece was a grand piano, not a replica of the Chia Hair.  I found it funny that I was extremely sad about not seeing  JT in crystal.

Justin Timberlake's piano.

 

Our next stop on our way to Dublin was Kilkenny.  It was here that I watched the Royal Wedding.  Kilkenny is a cute town with secret back lanes hiding behind their streets.  These lanes are filled with shops, pubs and cafes.  Kilkenny is quaint, delicate and relaxing.

Enjoying the Royal Wedding with a pint.

Kate is beautiful - love the dress.  Could the TV have been any smaller?!?

Following Kilkenny, I had the good fortune of visiting Kildare and the Irish National Stud.  This is where the best thoroughbred horses in the U.K. are bred.  It was an interesting tour, the guide talked about sex the entire time!

Caroline, our tour guide at the Irish National Stud where the Queen will visit in early May.

The grounds at the I.N.S. are immaculate, and there are huge paddocks and grazing lands for all the horses.  They keep cattle in the paddocks with the horses, which I thought was odd.  I was told that the cattle bring a calming effect to the high strung thoroughbreds.  The cattle also help to cut-down on horse related diseases.  Nature amazes me!

The main attraction at the I.N.S. is a horse named Invincible Spirit.  This horse won many races, and so have his offspring.  As a result, this horse allows the I.N.S. to charge $125,000 for Invincible Spirit to impregnate a mare.  Talk about a high performance horse!  He is insured for $96 Million.  He has a rough life and has to do the deed every 3 hours, 7 days a week.  In case you feel bad for Invincible Spirit, he does get a 4 week holiday in the winter.

Who you really need to feel bad for is Tommy The Teaser.   Tommy is the horse that has the ill fated job of warming up the mares.  Tommy is put in a paddock with a mare, and if she sticks around, bats her eyelashes, and shows signs of interest, Tommy's job is done.  Poor Tommy is cruelly yanked from the paddock and the high price stallion is brought in to complete the transaction.  Poor Tommy: destined for a life with jewels a delicate shade of blue. 

At least Tommy the Teaser gets a nice paddock.  I wonder if it has a cold shower?

Although it will be tough to top learning about Tommy the Teaser, Justin Timerlake's crystal piano, and a Royal Wedding, Dublin is my next stop and I am excited to explore all that Dublin has to offer.

Hot Tub Time Machine

In Bath, England there is a set of man-made stone pools (baths), fed by hot springs, that date back to the Roman times (40 A.D.)  These baths are where the Romans would enjoy the healing powers of the waters.  The water is green and very turbid and can reach up to 49 degrees C.  You can drink the water, if you can get over the rotten egg smell!

Ancient Roman Bath found 4 meters below ground.

Bath is a beautiful city with a lush, manicured park along the Avon river decorated with the Pulteney Bridge. 

River Avon in Bath, England.

Pulteney Bridge - it has shops built onto the bridge.

All the buildings in Bath are the same color and design.  There are rows and rows of sandstone houses in the valley and up the hills.  A section called "The Crescent" puts a slight curve on the view.  Photos don't do it justice - it looks like the perfect town.

Typical street in Bath.  Some of the row-houses are missing windows due to a window tax that was implemented.

The Crescent.

I also stopped in at Stonehenge on my way to Bath.  Stonehenge looks exactly like the photographs and I hate to admit it, but it was not a "wow" experience for me.  Our tour group had the discussion on if the stones were placed by man or aliens - since nobody knows for sure.  My vote is with the humans.

Stonehenge is not as big as you think.

"Hello...Aliens?"

We lunched in Salisbury, England at the Ox Row Inn.  I was looking forward to having a Salisbury Steak in Salisbury.  However, nobody in the area knew what I was talking about.  What!?!  No Salisbury Steak in Salisbury???  I settled for a tuna melt and a pint of Carling. 

Pub in Salisbury, England.  Alas...no steak...

Salisbury is known not for steak, but for a cathedral with the tallest spire in England.  It is a cute, quaint town.

The only steak I could find in Salisbury.

Notting Hill

I was pretty sure I lost my watch at the Bristol Train Station.  I went into the Lost Property office to see if anyone had turned it in.  Greg figured this was a waste of time, it is a 20 year old girly pink and green Timex ironman watch not worth much.  But it is my greatest travel buddy that wakes me up so I don't miss my tours, and allows me to countdown how much time remains in a flight.  So I persevered. 

As I walked into the  Lost Property office I could hear a watch alarm going off...and my heart started to beat faster.  I remember setting my alarm watch for 12:40pm on the train yesterday.  And it was...somewhere close to 12:40 (of course I didn't know what time it was since I didn't have my beloved watch).  The time was approximately correct, the beeps of the alarm sounded like my familiar beeps - it had to be.  I felt in my heart my worthless little watch was in that very office.  As I stood at the back of the line-up I yelled to everyone who could hear (much to their delight):  "Yesterday I lost my watch, and now I can hear it!!  I know it's here!!".  This was the start of my lucky day.   Can you believe they made me fill out 4 forms and PAY $3 to get my own watch back?

We hopped the train to London, on which I slept most of the way.  We arrived in the super busy London Paddington train station in the middle of the afternoon on a bank holiday (Easter Monday).  It was a zoo.  I didn't have a map, and figured we would be adventurous and take The Underground to find our hotel.  We asked the guy at the ticket window which subway takes us to Edgware St.  He said "Whoy don't yew just wahlk theya?". 

In a city as big as London, the road to  our hotel was conveniently a few blocks from the train station.  Lucky!  The trick was when we arrived at Edgware Street - in which direction do we walk to find our hotel?  Keep in mind we are wheeling our suitcases, sporting our backpacks down busy sidewalks without a map.  We walk around for one block only to turn around and look up - our hotel was right there!  Lucky Lucky!



Getting stabbed by St. George (& Dragon) by the hotel.  Not so lucky.

 London!  I can't believe I am here.  The first thing I did was walk through Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace.  I saw the guards that don't laugh or smile or talk - BORING!  I wonder what they are like when they get home?  They are probably hyper, funny guys - kind of like a clean shaven, short hair, English version of Kramer. 

The famous balcony at Buckingham Palace.  This was the smallest croud we saw here.

At least this guy gets a gun.

 

I was on The Mall during all the prep for the Royal Wedding.  It was so special to watch the wedding and say "I was just there - in that very spot!"  Seeing the news coverage of the area and all the barricades, scaffolding and bleachers made visiting this week a unique experience.   

Beautiful flowers and press boxes outside Buckingham Palace.

Bleachers for those willing to brave the elements.

Any possible view of Westminster Abbey is being set-up for TV crews, like the corner of this building rooftop.

We saw Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street (famous shopping district).  One of the neatest stores was the National Geographic store.  They sell clothing, books, posters, maps, trekking gear.  The store also had an exhibit of photographs of water from around the world.

View into the cafe at the National Geographic store.

Piccadilly Circus.

Regent Street shopping district.

We took a bus through Notting Hill.  When the "Notting Hill" movie came out - there was a rush of people looking for the famous bookstore with a blue door.  As a result - all the shop owners in Notting Hill white washed their doors.  To keep the tourists happy - there is one bookstore with a blue door in Notting Hill, too bad it has nothing to do with the movie!

Don't be fooled!

  

Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square are where the theatre district is.  There are advertisements, stores and theatres along many of the streets.  It had a great vibe, and it was thrilling to drink it all in.  We found a booth with discount theatre tickets.  We picked up 2 tickets for "Les Miserables", which we both had not seen. 

Les Mis at the Queen's Theatre.

I love how Les Mis sells out every night in London - and yet came twice to Calgary for a total of approximately 14 days.  That tells you how big London is!  The actors sang their hearts out.    After the show we had a pint of beer in St. James pub.  We rode the tube from Piccadilly Circus back to our hotel.  I will never forget how it felt to be in all these famous places. 

In the Underground Station about to ride the tube.

"OK Will & Kate, we can still be friends even though you forgot to mail my invitation to the wedding."