Well its almost time to head home and Im not all that happy about it. London has been wonderful. We have seen so much and just enjoyed walking around the city taking it all in. I think you could live here for months and still not see it all. Perhaps a trip back to venture out to Liverpool and other surrounding areas of interest as well. I would love to take a Harry Potter tour : )
Last night we had a nice pre-show meal of champagne, brie and crackers at our apartment and then caught the tube down to the west end. In true Meggie fashion she managed to render her tube pass useless, much like several of our hotel keys, by putting it in her magnetic closure pocket in her purse....We did make it on the train though and the show of Wicked was amazing. Our seats were dead center in the first row of the front mezzanine. They couldnt have been better. The show was completely different from the story in the novel, but still great. After the show we went to dinner at a nice little Italian restaurant and then finally home for bed.
Today we visited the Victoria and Albert museum as well as the British Natural History museum. We saw the history of fashion, architecture, the worlds cultures, the earth and of dinosaurs! After that we met our tour guide at the Hard Rock Cafe and got in the van for a Rock and Roll tour of the city. We saw where many famous have fallen including Mama Cass and Jimi Hendrix. Saw the homes of Jimmy Page, Paul McCartney and David Bowie to name a few. And of course we saw Abbey Road Records and crossed the famous path more than a few times to get the right pic.
Tonight we will probably have some dinner in a local pub and then tour some of the city all lit up. The buildings here really are amazing, so many from the past and then some really amazing new structures. Tomorrow we will try to see a few more things before leaving. We need to be at heathrow by about 4 I think though and will be out of our hotel by 10 am and thus stuck carting our luggage everywhere (Meggie had to pay an extra $80 or 55 euros for her heavy bag to get on Ryan air)...
Well its been fun and this will probably be my last post from the UK. Hope to see everyone soon and get all of my photos on to some site or another! PS my gmail isnt letting me log on so I cant get or respond to any emails...grrr.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Good Day from London
Ah what a whirlwind of tourism : ) Our last day in Ireland we visited the Cliffs of Moher. They were incredible and I got a ton of pictures. We walked all over the cliffs finally reaching a spot that said private property and of course Meggie called this spot quits but I saw some more chance for exercise and good views...plus everyone else was going over. This really was the best part of the cliffs. There was nothing to prevent you from going over, thus nothing blocking your view and the paths were twisting and winding and had a much more natural feel than the paved steps on the touristy part. I made it about another mile or so out and then decided to get back to Meg since she was sitting alone and it was hurricane style winds of cold air (you could actually lean forward into the wind and not fall down).
On my way back I spotted an older gentleman standing really close to the edge and holding a half drunk bottle of vodka. I watched him for a bit as he teetered back and forth and kept glimpsing over the edge. Not sure of what to do I walked by slowly observing and then he stumbled...luckily falling back onto his butt rather than face first over the cliff. At this I started to run back to the main entrance to get help. An Irish girl flagged me down and she apparently had seen him as well. She had a phone and called for help and we decided to sit and watch him just to be sure. We went down and sat behind him talking loudly so he knew someone was there. Finally he came to chat with us and sit on a rock. He was completely smashed and kept asking us the same questions. We didnt want to tell him we called for help since we didnt want to scare him but we tried to delay him. Finally he wanted to walk back and we couldnt stop him so we decided to help him rather than let him fall off the cliffs. Also 30 minutes had passed and no sign of help. Basically my new friend Debbie and I carried him like two crutches for about half a mile before we couldnt make it anymore. Along the way we had taken rests, fell in mudd and people just kept walking by and refusing eye contact.
Finally after trying to call for help 2 more times they werent there. Luckily he was just drunk and not having a heart attack, it had been at least an hour or so since we first called. Eventually a kind young man named anthony spotted us and offered help. Debbie and I took turns on the one arm and Anthony carried the other side. We made it about another quarter mile before our drunk friend Jerry completely passed out. At this point we called for help and were slightly more assertive. We tried to keep Jerry covered and out of the wind and tried to wake him.
Help finally arrived with a stretcher to carry him out and we all took turns helping to carry him off the cliffs. When we made it back 2 hours after I had left Meggie...there she was watching us come over the hill. She later told me she was convinced the stretcher was for me and that the rangers had been out twice before but turned back at the private property sign (which we had told them repeatedly we were beyond). Hopefully Jerry is ok now. I know Im feeling the pain in my arms and legs still.
After all that action we went to Shannon airport and turned in our Yaris and got on a flight to London. We arrived in London around 11pm and it was FREEZING. Getting to our apartment was a nice end to the day. We have a nice one bedroom place with our own kitchen and washer/dryer, plus digital cable : )
Yesterday we saw the Globe Theatre, crossed Tower Bridge and Millenium Bridge, saw the exhibits at the Tate Modern, rode the London Eye and got a tour around London Tower by a Yeoman. We also saw where Benjamin Franklin was held before he was exiled to the states.
Today we went to Madame Toussards wax museum. It was a lot of fun and the haunted house part was definitely scary. Im looking forward to another fun filled day of site-seeing and of course a stop at the yarn shops. Tonight we are going to see Wicked and out for drinks in the West End : )
Ok well time to call my parents to let them know Im alive. Hope all is well at home. GO NOVA!! I cant believe im missing all these games. If Im not on tomorrow, Happy Birthday Elizabeth : )
On my way back I spotted an older gentleman standing really close to the edge and holding a half drunk bottle of vodka. I watched him for a bit as he teetered back and forth and kept glimpsing over the edge. Not sure of what to do I walked by slowly observing and then he stumbled...luckily falling back onto his butt rather than face first over the cliff. At this I started to run back to the main entrance to get help. An Irish girl flagged me down and she apparently had seen him as well. She had a phone and called for help and we decided to sit and watch him just to be sure. We went down and sat behind him talking loudly so he knew someone was there. Finally he came to chat with us and sit on a rock. He was completely smashed and kept asking us the same questions. We didnt want to tell him we called for help since we didnt want to scare him but we tried to delay him. Finally he wanted to walk back and we couldnt stop him so we decided to help him rather than let him fall off the cliffs. Also 30 minutes had passed and no sign of help. Basically my new friend Debbie and I carried him like two crutches for about half a mile before we couldnt make it anymore. Along the way we had taken rests, fell in mudd and people just kept walking by and refusing eye contact.
Finally after trying to call for help 2 more times they werent there. Luckily he was just drunk and not having a heart attack, it had been at least an hour or so since we first called. Eventually a kind young man named anthony spotted us and offered help. Debbie and I took turns on the one arm and Anthony carried the other side. We made it about another quarter mile before our drunk friend Jerry completely passed out. At this point we called for help and were slightly more assertive. We tried to keep Jerry covered and out of the wind and tried to wake him.
Help finally arrived with a stretcher to carry him out and we all took turns helping to carry him off the cliffs. When we made it back 2 hours after I had left Meggie...there she was watching us come over the hill. She later told me she was convinced the stretcher was for me and that the rangers had been out twice before but turned back at the private property sign (which we had told them repeatedly we were beyond). Hopefully Jerry is ok now. I know Im feeling the pain in my arms and legs still.
After all that action we went to Shannon airport and turned in our Yaris and got on a flight to London. We arrived in London around 11pm and it was FREEZING. Getting to our apartment was a nice end to the day. We have a nice one bedroom place with our own kitchen and washer/dryer, plus digital cable : )
Yesterday we saw the Globe Theatre, crossed Tower Bridge and Millenium Bridge, saw the exhibits at the Tate Modern, rode the London Eye and got a tour around London Tower by a Yeoman. We also saw where Benjamin Franklin was held before he was exiled to the states.
Today we went to Madame Toussards wax museum. It was a lot of fun and the haunted house part was definitely scary. Im looking forward to another fun filled day of site-seeing and of course a stop at the yarn shops. Tonight we are going to see Wicked and out for drinks in the West End : )
Ok well time to call my parents to let them know Im alive. Hope all is well at home. GO NOVA!! I cant believe im missing all these games. If Im not on tomorrow, Happy Birthday Elizabeth : )
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Happy Easter!!
Well most things are closed today so we took our time getting up and out. Had a bit of easter candy for breakfast too : )
Last night we made it to the movies again for Vantage Point, really good. Then to the Danny Man Pub which had live Irish music. It was a really nice place. We were pretty tired from hiking around all day though.
Today we leave Killarney for Ennis which is near Clare. Hoping to see the Bunratty Castle today if it is open, then tomorrow is the Cliffs of Moher which Im pretty excited about. Even more exciting is that tomorrow we leave for London. I really can't wait! We will be seeing all kinds of things and even going on a rock and roll tour.
Everything is really expensive here though. The dollar is truely killing us and its only going to get worse in London. Luckily we rented a apartment with its own kitchen so perhaps we can save some making our own meals occasionally...maybe even something with vegetables : )
My backpack is starting to swell with new purchases...however meggie has expanded to a mystery 3rd bag she had rolled up inside one of her other two...should be interesting to see what Ryan Air says when we roll up. They are pretty strict about luggage and luggage weight.
Last night we made it to the movies again for Vantage Point, really good. Then to the Danny Man Pub which had live Irish music. It was a really nice place. We were pretty tired from hiking around all day though.
Today we leave Killarney for Ennis which is near Clare. Hoping to see the Bunratty Castle today if it is open, then tomorrow is the Cliffs of Moher which Im pretty excited about. Even more exciting is that tomorrow we leave for London. I really can't wait! We will be seeing all kinds of things and even going on a rock and roll tour.
Everything is really expensive here though. The dollar is truely killing us and its only going to get worse in London. Luckily we rented a apartment with its own kitchen so perhaps we can save some making our own meals occasionally...maybe even something with vegetables : )
My backpack is starting to swell with new purchases...however meggie has expanded to a mystery 3rd bag she had rolled up inside one of her other two...should be interesting to see what Ryan Air says when we roll up. They are pretty strict about luggage and luggage weight.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Easter in Killarney
We made it out of Dingle...only after having to call AA. I may have accidentally locked the keys in the car. Luckily since the Yaris isnt exactly a quality fortress it was easily fixed. The ride to Killarney was picturesqe : ) and fun.
Once in Killarney we checked into our hotel and rested a bit. Then since most things were closed to headed to the cinema to see Horton Hears a Who followed by a nice chinese meal. Chinese food has been the salvation to the menu here in Ireland. My mouth was definitely greatfull for the return of flavor.
Today we saw Ross Castle which was an original castle from the 1400's and has been wonderfully restored. They even used all of the original tools to rebuild it.
After the castle we visited Killarney National Park to see Toch Waterfall and walk around the grounds. It was a really nice loop around the park to get some exercise and some great pictures. Meggie of course hugged to the inside of the path to avoid the view to the bottom of the mountain we were climbing up.
Then we were off to Mucross house and the Mucross Farm. This was an beautiful house which was once owned by the Guinness family and then sold to an American family who gave it to their daughter. The tour was great and all the original furnishings were still in side. It was right on a huge lake surrounded by mountians. They also had a small farm that we could tour.
We are now checking out downtown Killarney again and may end up at the movies again tonight due to the holiday. Horton Hears a Who was very funny. Going to pick up some easter candy and dinner. Being rushed out since they are trying to close. Will try to log on again tomorrow. We are heading to Clare for our final night here. Happy Easter and Hooray for Nova!
Once in Killarney we checked into our hotel and rested a bit. Then since most things were closed to headed to the cinema to see Horton Hears a Who followed by a nice chinese meal. Chinese food has been the salvation to the menu here in Ireland. My mouth was definitely greatfull for the return of flavor.
Today we saw Ross Castle which was an original castle from the 1400's and has been wonderfully restored. They even used all of the original tools to rebuild it.
After the castle we visited Killarney National Park to see Toch Waterfall and walk around the grounds. It was a really nice loop around the park to get some exercise and some great pictures. Meggie of course hugged to the inside of the path to avoid the view to the bottom of the mountain we were climbing up.
Then we were off to Mucross house and the Mucross Farm. This was an beautiful house which was once owned by the Guinness family and then sold to an American family who gave it to their daughter. The tour was great and all the original furnishings were still in side. It was right on a huge lake surrounded by mountians. They also had a small farm that we could tour.
We are now checking out downtown Killarney again and may end up at the movies again tonight due to the holiday. Horton Hears a Who was very funny. Going to pick up some easter candy and dinner. Being rushed out since they are trying to close. Will try to log on again tomorrow. We are heading to Clare for our final night here. Happy Easter and Hooray for Nova!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Dingle and its roads!
Well we made it to Dingle. It took about 5 hours of driving with a quick stop in Adare to take pictures of some real thatch cottages. The drive was actually quite fun and we saw some nice areas and drove through some small villages.
We passed on place that looked pretty cool but it had no signs...then we saw a billboard "something or other castle, previous left turn". Must have some real geniuses working there. I hope they didnt spend too much putting that up...
When we finally made it out to the mountains to cross over to Dingle the roads were like something out of a car commercial. It was great. Meggie covered her face with the map and occasionally laid down to avoid the views. When she did come out of hiding all she could say is "the road has gotten even smaller". There were turns for winding road ahead like I have never seen before, some complete corkskrew turns up the edge of the mountain. We took a break for Meggie to get some fresh air and to take some lovely pictures.
We finally made it to Dingle. We stopped in some of the towns shops and had some pints in the town pub...which was once a shoe store and a pub. From the looks of the shoe boxes on the shelves its been quite awhile since they've sold any shoes but what a brilliant idea! We were even served by the owner who was featured in art around the bar from when he was much younger.
Today we are going to walk around town, see some shops and walk down to the bay to see the village area by the water. It really is lovely here and the people are quite nice. We have been told though that most things will be closing early and that there will be no pub sales today due to it being good friday...oh well. After touring the town we are off to Killarney. Meggie says that it is really nice there. Im just excited for the drive back off the pennisula : )
Also interesting here is that all their news and a lot of the shopkeepers discussions are about our dollar and how the number of American tourists has already started to steeply decline. They are definitely not happy about it at all and seem to be hoping as much as we are that it picks back up soon.
Talk to you soon I hope...we are worried a lot of places will be closed for the holiday coming up so if I dont get back on...Have a Happy Easter and enjoy all the chocolate!
We passed on place that looked pretty cool but it had no signs...then we saw a billboard "something or other castle, previous left turn". Must have some real geniuses working there. I hope they didnt spend too much putting that up...
When we finally made it out to the mountains to cross over to Dingle the roads were like something out of a car commercial. It was great. Meggie covered her face with the map and occasionally laid down to avoid the views. When she did come out of hiding all she could say is "the road has gotten even smaller". There were turns for winding road ahead like I have never seen before, some complete corkskrew turns up the edge of the mountain. We took a break for Meggie to get some fresh air and to take some lovely pictures.
We finally made it to Dingle. We stopped in some of the towns shops and had some pints in the town pub...which was once a shoe store and a pub. From the looks of the shoe boxes on the shelves its been quite awhile since they've sold any shoes but what a brilliant idea! We were even served by the owner who was featured in art around the bar from when he was much younger.
Today we are going to walk around town, see some shops and walk down to the bay to see the village area by the water. It really is lovely here and the people are quite nice. We have been told though that most things will be closing early and that there will be no pub sales today due to it being good friday...oh well. After touring the town we are off to Killarney. Meggie says that it is really nice there. Im just excited for the drive back off the pennisula : )
Also interesting here is that all their news and a lot of the shopkeepers discussions are about our dollar and how the number of American tourists has already started to steeply decline. They are definitely not happy about it at all and seem to be hoping as much as we are that it picks back up soon.
Talk to you soon I hope...we are worried a lot of places will be closed for the holiday coming up so if I dont get back on...Have a Happy Easter and enjoy all the chocolate!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Off to Dingle
We have picked Dingle as our next city. We will spend a bit more walking around Galway and seeing the shops and then we are off. Hopefully we will find another internet port to keep updating this on our drive along the coast. Talk to everyone soon!
PS really hoping that some of the guests leave the hotel before noon to clear out the hotel parking lot...their parking pattern leaves little to be desired when backing out on the opposite side of a rented car...
PS really hoping that some of the guests leave the hotel before noon to clear out the hotel parking lot...their parking pattern leaves little to be desired when backing out on the opposite side of a rented car...
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Aran Islands
Today was probably my favorite day so far...obviously the nights still go to Dublin. We took a ferry over to the Aran Islands and then rented bikes to tour everywhere and anywhere. The beaches were rocky but nice. We even got to see some girls take a dip in the water...underwear only. Meggie drew the line with this and I agreed due to the possible water temp...
We rode around for a good 2 hours and then hiked up to the top of the cliffs. The views up there were amazing and the views down were even better. There isn't an insurance threat like it in the US. A sheer cliff thats a drop about 100 meters straight down onto rocks and there isnt one railing in sight. I walked all the way up to the edge and sat down with my feet dangling over. It was great. Meggie stayed back at a slightly safer distance. After taking about 100 pictures we headed back down for lunch and some more biking around the island for another hour or so.
I think this is when Meggie had pretty much had it so I dropped her at the knitting museum and took off to the south side of the island working up a pretty good speed. I was even cheered on by a few small children outside of a school and raced a tractor uphill. It was great. I took a nice hilly path up the one side and then back down to the opposite coast. It was a great day. There were lots of farm animals and green grass all over. After we took the ferry back home and are now going to head out to dinner and to get some pints in Galway.
Probably going to get some good sleep tonight after all the days activities and then enjoy Galway for one more day before moving on. We havent decided on our next city yet but of course Ill keep you posted! Talk to you soon and GO NOVA!!! They played selection sunday's special this morning on their version of espn : )
We rode around for a good 2 hours and then hiked up to the top of the cliffs. The views up there were amazing and the views down were even better. There isn't an insurance threat like it in the US. A sheer cliff thats a drop about 100 meters straight down onto rocks and there isnt one railing in sight. I walked all the way up to the edge and sat down with my feet dangling over. It was great. Meggie stayed back at a slightly safer distance. After taking about 100 pictures we headed back down for lunch and some more biking around the island for another hour or so.
I think this is when Meggie had pretty much had it so I dropped her at the knitting museum and took off to the south side of the island working up a pretty good speed. I was even cheered on by a few small children outside of a school and raced a tractor uphill. It was great. I took a nice hilly path up the one side and then back down to the opposite coast. It was a great day. There were lots of farm animals and green grass all over. After we took the ferry back home and are now going to head out to dinner and to get some pints in Galway.
Probably going to get some good sleep tonight after all the days activities and then enjoy Galway for one more day before moving on. We havent decided on our next city yet but of course Ill keep you posted! Talk to you soon and GO NOVA!!! They played selection sunday's special this morning on their version of espn : )
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
St Patricks Day
What a great day to be in Ireland! We got to the parade route bright and early to get a good spot and its definitely good we did. The street was packed by the time the parade started. I will say that Ireland is a little lacking in their parade skills though. There were some cool ballons and dance troup groups but all the marching bands were from the US and almost none of the parade was St Patricks themed. Most of it was about being multicultural so there were all kinds of other countries represented by their music and dance. Still fun but definitely not what I was expecting. There wasnt one bag pipe player in the whole two hour event!
After the parade we went to Gallaghers Boxty House for some traditional Irish fare. I got the beer boxty which is pieces of beef with brown gravy and onions all wrapped up in something like a pancake. It was really good. Followed up with some sticky toffee pudding...mmm
Then it was off to Temple bar. The place was packed and lived up to its reputation of being a great time. We made a bunch of friends from all over the world. Some required translators and lots of hand talking to get points across but most spoke enough english. We of course had our fair share of pints. The evening ended when a girl spilled a beer all down the back of my jeans...not fun.
This morning we took our times getting up and out of the hotel. Had some breakfast and then caught the bus to get our car. The bus was probably the worst experience so far. The driver was incredibly rude and unhelpful. He yelled at pretty much everyone who got on and completely ignored people waiting at some stops. Luckily a nice lady on the bus told us where our stop was since we werent about to ask for any special treatment from that guy.
We are now the renters of a brand new bright red Toyota Yaris...left hand stick of course. I will say I got pretty nervous as I got in the car but after a quick look over and test trip around the block I had it down. City turns are definitely the weirdst part. And the roundabouts are a blast. Im thankful for my Gloucester City lessons back in high school. I can defintely see the people who are afraid of the circles and stay far away from them.
Well we are off to walk the streets of Galway and get our bearings for the next few days. Hope everyone had a great St Patricks and Erin Express. Ill try to get pictures on here soon but so far none of the computers have had front usb ports. Talk to you all soon! Cheers!
After the parade we went to Gallaghers Boxty House for some traditional Irish fare. I got the beer boxty which is pieces of beef with brown gravy and onions all wrapped up in something like a pancake. It was really good. Followed up with some sticky toffee pudding...mmm
Then it was off to Temple bar. The place was packed and lived up to its reputation of being a great time. We made a bunch of friends from all over the world. Some required translators and lots of hand talking to get points across but most spoke enough english. We of course had our fair share of pints. The evening ended when a girl spilled a beer all down the back of my jeans...not fun.
This morning we took our times getting up and out of the hotel. Had some breakfast and then caught the bus to get our car. The bus was probably the worst experience so far. The driver was incredibly rude and unhelpful. He yelled at pretty much everyone who got on and completely ignored people waiting at some stops. Luckily a nice lady on the bus told us where our stop was since we werent about to ask for any special treatment from that guy.
We are now the renters of a brand new bright red Toyota Yaris...left hand stick of course. I will say I got pretty nervous as I got in the car but after a quick look over and test trip around the block I had it down. City turns are definitely the weirdst part. And the roundabouts are a blast. Im thankful for my Gloucester City lessons back in high school. I can defintely see the people who are afraid of the circles and stay far away from them.
Well we are off to walk the streets of Galway and get our bearings for the next few days. Hope everyone had a great St Patricks and Erin Express. Ill try to get pictures on here soon but so far none of the computers have had front usb ports. Talk to you all soon! Cheers!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
HOT HOT HOT
So we survived our first day...barely...
After finally getting settled in our hotel room we had lunch at the Bleeding Horse. Yesterday was the Ireland v England rugby match so the place was packed with fans. It was a fun time of pints and new friends. We even met some students from Nova who are studying abroad in Brussels and came here for the weekend.
After the match we left to find transportation to the fireworks show. It turns out that they didnt plan any special train or bus schedules so we could get out there, but we wouldnt have been able to return til this morning. That plus the fact that it was freezing and raining we decided to just stay in Dublin. We went back to the hotel, took a nap and then got all jazzed up to go out. We did catch the show on tv and well we missed out on a really amazing display of pyrotechnics.
This is where the luck starts to turn. First my hair dryer refused to accept the voltage converter and burned itself up. Guess I have a little more room in my bag now. Meggies curlers worked fine though so perhaps it was just my dryers time.
Finally we were off to the pub. We chose a place called Whelans since Meggie said it was the HOT spot last time she was here. Her point would be proven later. We met some nice people in line and hit the dance floor like it was our job. We tried several beers and the bud light here is not the bud light we have at home...very carbonated.
Around 1am we hear something that sounds like an alarm. We couldnt tell if it was the music or if someone had actually pulled it. Of course the crowds first response is "who was the jerk who pulled the alarm". Meggie who was in the process of having a Smithwicks bought for her turns and gives me the "oh great" look. Then suddenly...smoke, lots of smoke. I will say they did a good job of getting us all out on the street....without our coats or umbrellas which were checked upstairs. After some time spent waiting it out and then finding shelter in a pizza place we gave up and went home.
This morning we woke to smoke stenched hair and clothes that will definitely need to be washed before putting back in our bags. After a nice breakfast in the hotel we walked back to the bar to see the whole front burnt and exposed. There were some workers out front though and we asked about the coats. He said "sure come on in". Apparently it was the place next door that caught on fire and the smoke was just coming into their place so they were cleaning up and will be open for business again tonight. So in th end we had a great time, found an awsome bar and still have our coats which somehow magically dont reek of fire!
Time to start day two... Guiness tour, Trinity college and maybe Jameson tour : )
After finally getting settled in our hotel room we had lunch at the Bleeding Horse. Yesterday was the Ireland v England rugby match so the place was packed with fans. It was a fun time of pints and new friends. We even met some students from Nova who are studying abroad in Brussels and came here for the weekend.
After the match we left to find transportation to the fireworks show. It turns out that they didnt plan any special train or bus schedules so we could get out there, but we wouldnt have been able to return til this morning. That plus the fact that it was freezing and raining we decided to just stay in Dublin. We went back to the hotel, took a nap and then got all jazzed up to go out. We did catch the show on tv and well we missed out on a really amazing display of pyrotechnics.
This is where the luck starts to turn. First my hair dryer refused to accept the voltage converter and burned itself up. Guess I have a little more room in my bag now. Meggies curlers worked fine though so perhaps it was just my dryers time.
Finally we were off to the pub. We chose a place called Whelans since Meggie said it was the HOT spot last time she was here. Her point would be proven later. We met some nice people in line and hit the dance floor like it was our job. We tried several beers and the bud light here is not the bud light we have at home...very carbonated.
Around 1am we hear something that sounds like an alarm. We couldnt tell if it was the music or if someone had actually pulled it. Of course the crowds first response is "who was the jerk who pulled the alarm". Meggie who was in the process of having a Smithwicks bought for her turns and gives me the "oh great" look. Then suddenly...smoke, lots of smoke. I will say they did a good job of getting us all out on the street....without our coats or umbrellas which were checked upstairs. After some time spent waiting it out and then finding shelter in a pizza place we gave up and went home.
This morning we woke to smoke stenched hair and clothes that will definitely need to be washed before putting back in our bags. After a nice breakfast in the hotel we walked back to the bar to see the whole front burnt and exposed. There were some workers out front though and we asked about the coats. He said "sure come on in". Apparently it was the place next door that caught on fire and the smoke was just coming into their place so they were cleaning up and will be open for business again tonight. So in th end we had a great time, found an awsome bar and still have our coats which somehow magically dont reek of fire!
Time to start day two... Guiness tour, Trinity college and maybe Jameson tour : )
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Well we made it!! Our first flight was pretty delayed and so we missed our connection in London...this of course left some time for a pint before take off to Dublin. So far the best sight to see was a girl from Japan who was definitely living in 1985...highlights were the lime green steve erkel glasses with lime green high top reboks to match and of course an Umbro fleece in assorted neon colors. We were going to attempt a picture in the customs line even though there were signs posted everywhere saying "no photos" but then they carted off a woman and another couple without letting them into the country so we decided against breaking the rules.
Now we are off to the Bleeding Horse Pub for lunch and then to the Rock of Cashel for the fireworks show. Hopefully the rain stops soon. The show is rain or shine but Im not really feeling up for 3 hours in a muddy field.
Best comment about Meggies luggage so far "oh dear" said in a british accent by the immigration officer when she realized we missed our flight since we had to pick up meggies bag and go through customs twice to recheck it ... : )
Off to lunch and a few pints, check in soon!
Now we are off to the Bleeding Horse Pub for lunch and then to the Rock of Cashel for the fireworks show. Hopefully the rain stops soon. The show is rain or shine but Im not really feeling up for 3 hours in a muddy field.
Best comment about Meggies luggage so far "oh dear" said in a british accent by the immigration officer when she realized we missed our flight since we had to pick up meggies bag and go through customs twice to recheck it ... : )
Off to lunch and a few pints, check in soon!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The begining
Off to Ireland in t minus 3.5 days!
I will be signing on here everyday that I can to keep the world updated on where we are and what we are doing. Perhaps a running tally of bottomed pints, comments made on the size of meggies luggage and of course some pictures of our accomplishments.
We plan on seeing a lot and Ill try to get it all across as best I can. Our first day there will be a whirlwind of a pirate themed treasure hunt to help us see all of Dublin and then a trip to Cashel to see one of Europes largest fireworks displays to kick off the holiday weekend.
Of course feel free to comment and we will try to respond.
I will be signing on here everyday that I can to keep the world updated on where we are and what we are doing. Perhaps a running tally of bottomed pints, comments made on the size of meggies luggage and of course some pictures of our accomplishments.
We plan on seeing a lot and Ill try to get it all across as best I can. Our first day there will be a whirlwind of a pirate themed treasure hunt to help us see all of Dublin and then a trip to Cashel to see one of Europes largest fireworks displays to kick off the holiday weekend.
Of course feel free to comment and we will try to respond.
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