I just wanted to make it official -- I've finished my London/Ireland blogs!!!!! It only took10times longer than the trip itself, but now it's finished!
Now, to present day posting. Yay!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Epilogue to the European Whirlwind
Well, we got up early to catch the bus to the airport, luggage in tow. It was a quiet flight back for us, long, but we were pretty tired and eager to get home. It was an AMAZING trip, but we were both really homesick, missing our husbands...
Turns out there were crazy thunderstorms in Chicago, where we landed back in the states. As soon as we able to turn on our phones, we were bombarded with texts and voicemails from Michael, Joe, and the airline, letting us know that our flights to our respective homes were canceled. ACK! We got in line to claim our luggage and I was able to get re-booked onto a flight from O'Hare to LaGuardia, and then back to RDU. Brian, unfortunately, would have to wait until the next day to get to Seattle. Which really sucked, because he was supposed to go back to work that day, and now had to pay for a hotel and wait another day. My flight to New York was uneventful, and I waited for a few hours in the crappiest rat-hole of an airport I've ever seen -- LaGuardia airport SUCKS!! It smells, it's old, and I was so annoyed at how long it was taking to get home, I was in a really bad mood.
Finally, I made it home, and as I headed toward the baggage claim area to meet Joe, I was peeling off layers of coats, since it was 75 degrees in NC! Joe was actually waiting right outside the security area, and I have never been so glad to see him! Home at last, exhausted. Brian made it home the next day.
What a wonderful trip! Brian and I both want to go back to Ireland (and I want to go back to England), but next time, we'll bring the hubbies with us :).
Turns out there were crazy thunderstorms in Chicago, where we landed back in the states. As soon as we able to turn on our phones, we were bombarded with texts and voicemails from Michael, Joe, and the airline, letting us know that our flights to our respective homes were canceled. ACK! We got in line to claim our luggage and I was able to get re-booked onto a flight from O'Hare to LaGuardia, and then back to RDU. Brian, unfortunately, would have to wait until the next day to get to Seattle. Which really sucked, because he was supposed to go back to work that day, and now had to pay for a hotel and wait another day. My flight to New York was uneventful, and I waited for a few hours in the crappiest rat-hole of an airport I've ever seen -- LaGuardia airport SUCKS!! It smells, it's old, and I was so annoyed at how long it was taking to get home, I was in a really bad mood.
Finally, I made it home, and as I headed toward the baggage claim area to meet Joe, I was peeling off layers of coats, since it was 75 degrees in NC! Joe was actually waiting right outside the security area, and I have never been so glad to see him! Home at last, exhausted. Brian made it home the next day.
What a wonderful trip! Brian and I both want to go back to Ireland (and I want to go back to England), but next time, we'll bring the hubbies with us :).
Monday -- a Bunch of Blarney
This is going to be short... it's been a long day, and I'm pretty beat.
We got up at the buttcrack of dawn to catch a shuttle bus to the airport. We flew to Cork this morning, and then took a bus to Blarney Village and the Blarney Castle grounds. Wow! It was an amazing trip! Beautiful, mystical grounds, and an amazingly clear gorgeous day! They really dangle you waaaay down to kiss the Blarney Stone!
After we toured the Castle we explored some of the grounds. We were able to see some ancient rock formations and a Druid cave. Oh, and some fairies, too -- "Heyyyyy!" :)
We took the bus back to Cork to have a late lunch, and then caught a bus to get back to Dublin. It was a long trip, even though it was an Express bus route. By the time we got back to Dublin we ate dinner, and went to have an Irish Coffee at the hotel bar before going up to pack. We head home tomorrow, bright and early!
G'night!
More pictures (click here!)
We got up at the buttcrack of dawn to catch a shuttle bus to the airport. We flew to Cork this morning, and then took a bus to Blarney Village and the Blarney Castle grounds. Wow! It was an amazing trip! Beautiful, mystical grounds, and an amazingly clear gorgeous day! They really dangle you waaaay down to kiss the Blarney Stone!
After we toured the Castle we explored some of the grounds. We were able to see some ancient rock formations and a Druid cave. Oh, and some fairies, too -- "Heyyyyy!" :)
We took the bus back to Cork to have a late lunch, and then caught a bus to get back to Dublin. It was a long trip, even though it was an Express bus route. By the time we got back to Dublin we ate dinner, and went to have an Irish Coffee at the hotel bar before going up to pack. We head home tomorrow, bright and early!
G'night!
More pictures (click here!)
October 23, 2010 -- Dublin on a Sunday
Dublin was much better today. Cold, but dry. We walked ALL over today, saw a whole lot, all on foot. We got up early, and left the hotel to find some breakfast, and it was SO COLD outside!!! And windy, too! Well, we walked down the middle of O'Connell Street (the median is rather large), found our airport shuttle bus stop for tomorrow and Tuesday, and took lots of picture of the art installations down the median -- statues, mostly, and a really tall spire.
We walked down to the river, found the Ha'Penny Bridge and did our morning self-portrait. We crossed the bridge to head to Grafton Street to find coffee. Being Sunday, however, in a church town, not much was open at 7am -- except Starbucks. *sigh* So, we caved, had lattes and pastries, and thawed out for a bit to figure out our plan. From there we walked to St. Stephen's Green -- WOW!!!! It was beautiful and AMAZING! Lots of monuments, gardens, fountains, benches, and green spaces. Lovely, truly lovely. Left there and headed toward the "Cathedral District." Went to St Patrick's Cathedral (of course), saw a bunch of other churches, as well as St Patrick's Park. "If it's old, it must be important and therefore I must take a picture of it" became my picture-taking mantra :).
We stumbled upon Dublin Castle, and impulsively decided to take the tour -- super interesting!! Ate lunch nearby, and headed back out. Wandered down to Dublinia, a Medieval Interpretive Center that looked interesting from the outside, but it was way way expensive to get in, so we passed on it. SO, what was left to do in Dublin? The Guinness Storehouse, of course!! We took the tour -- it was AWESOME! The atrium was designed to look like a giant pint glass (the world's largest, to be exact) -- very cool. The tour takes you from the ground floor, and spirals up, and goes through the brewing process and how it has changed over the years. At the very top is the Galaxy Bar or something like that (Gravity Bar, actually), and it had the most AMAZING views of Dublin -- almost 360 degrees around! We were able to get a free pint of Guinness as a part of the tour, and it was THE BEST PINT !! So yummy and smooth... mmmmmm. We met an Irish Rugby team there, and they invited us to join them for the evening, but we politely declined. I don't think we could keep up (or come close!) with them.
The last thing that I really wanted to do? The Leprechaun Museum. Unfortunately, though, it closed about 30 minutes before we got there... so sad :( ... I was disappointed, but we wandered off to a nearby bar called The Church -- it really is an old church! It now houses a bar/cafe/restaurant/lounge-y kind of place, but the still has the structures and details of a church. Including the organ pipes and marble carvings of bible verses and monuments on the walls! Brian and I each had an Irish Coffee there, and left to find dinner at a more affordable place.
We went back to the hotel to settle in early, since we have to get up early to fly to Cork and kiss the Blarney Stone!
G'Night!
Some pictures (click here!)
We walked down to the river, found the Ha'Penny Bridge and did our morning self-portrait. We crossed the bridge to head to Grafton Street to find coffee. Being Sunday, however, in a church town, not much was open at 7am -- except Starbucks. *sigh* So, we caved, had lattes and pastries, and thawed out for a bit to figure out our plan. From there we walked to St. Stephen's Green -- WOW!!!! It was beautiful and AMAZING! Lots of monuments, gardens, fountains, benches, and green spaces. Lovely, truly lovely. Left there and headed toward the "Cathedral District." Went to St Patrick's Cathedral (of course), saw a bunch of other churches, as well as St Patrick's Park. "If it's old, it must be important and therefore I must take a picture of it" became my picture-taking mantra :).
We stumbled upon Dublin Castle, and impulsively decided to take the tour -- super interesting!! Ate lunch nearby, and headed back out. Wandered down to Dublinia, a Medieval Interpretive Center that looked interesting from the outside, but it was way way expensive to get in, so we passed on it. SO, what was left to do in Dublin? The Guinness Storehouse, of course!! We took the tour -- it was AWESOME! The atrium was designed to look like a giant pint glass (the world's largest, to be exact) -- very cool. The tour takes you from the ground floor, and spirals up, and goes through the brewing process and how it has changed over the years. At the very top is the Galaxy Bar or something like that (Gravity Bar, actually), and it had the most AMAZING views of Dublin -- almost 360 degrees around! We were able to get a free pint of Guinness as a part of the tour, and it was THE BEST PINT !! So yummy and smooth... mmmmmm. We met an Irish Rugby team there, and they invited us to join them for the evening, but we politely declined. I don't think we could keep up (or come close!) with them.
The last thing that I really wanted to do? The Leprechaun Museum. Unfortunately, though, it closed about 30 minutes before we got there... so sad :( ... I was disappointed, but we wandered off to a nearby bar called The Church -- it really is an old church! It now houses a bar/cafe/restaurant/lounge-y kind of place, but the still has the structures and details of a church. Including the organ pipes and marble carvings of bible verses and monuments on the walls! Brian and I each had an Irish Coffee there, and left to find dinner at a more affordable place.
We went back to the hotel to settle in early, since we have to get up early to fly to Cork and kiss the Blarney Stone!
G'Night!
Some pictures (click here!)
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