Jim & Wayne's Fabulous Adventures: 2013

Ireland 2013 - Ireland to England it three fun weeks!

So... here we are on a trip to Ireland and England for Jim's 60th birthday celebration. Tuesday we arrived in Dublin at 7:30 am without any sleep since we left Salt Lake City at 10:00 am. totally fried.

May 6 - The Trip Begins

What began as a quiet an uneventful trip, turned in to an extraordinary one when President Jimmy Carter boarded our flight from Atlanta to Dublin, He gracuiously shook everyone's hand - at least on our side of the plane. His secret service agent standing behind President Carter ended up sitting next to me on the flight, while Jimmy C. flew first class (of course).

President Carter

May 7 - Arrived in Dublin

Having not slept for about 24 hours since getting up in Salt Lake City, we arrived in Dublin, dropped our luggage off at the Harding Hotel, had a coffee and scone, then took the double-decker bus around town. We drove by the Guinness Factory and out to the Kilmainham Gaol (Jail). and got a feel for what we wanted to see while in Dublin.

Unfortunately, all of my jpg photos got deleted somewhere not to be found. I still have them in NEF format, so I'll get them converted once I get home and have access to Photoshop. But for now, day one is gone.

Stayed at the Harding Hotel - a small hotel near Christ Church Cathedral - for three nights.

May 8 - Our official Dublin Tour Day

St. Patrick's Cathedral in downtown Dublin

Guinness Factory

Eric Clapton poster - going to see him at the O2 in Dublin tomorrow night

Oscar Wilde sculpture

Trinity College - Old library above the Book of Kells.

May 9 - Bru na Boinne and Hill of Tara

In the morning, before heading northwest to the Bru na Boinne and Hill of Tara we spotted this fine young buxom woman selling her cockles and mussels on the side of the road in Dublin. Her name... Molly Malone

In Dublins fair city, where the girls are so pretty,

I once met a girl called sweet Molly Malone,

As she wheeled her wheelbarrow, through the streets broad and narrow,

Cryng cockles and mussels` Alive alive o

Alive alive oh,

Alive alive oh

Crying cockles and mussels,

Alive alive oh.

Bru na Boinne

This one is for Nicole! She knows why

Headstone at the Hill of Tara

May 10 - Isle of Man

Flew to Isle of Man and saw a few sites. This was Jim's first day of driving on the opposite side of the road - I guess he's just braver than me.

Panorama shot at Peel Castle in Isle of Man

Kastleton Kitty

Saturday May 11 - Dublin to Cashel

Flew back from Isle of Man and drove from Dublin to Glendalough and ended at Watties B&B in Cahsel run by feisty Maria. A great place, great hopsitality, and great food! Following are some shots from Glendalough (pronounced glenda lock). We had sunshine and we had rain - and boy did it rain. I'll try to add some shots of that, but they'll have to come from my phone. I was NOT taking my camera out in that rain!

Glendalough

Rock of Cashel

Abbey from

Ring of Kerry - Monday, May 13

Today we drove the Ring of Kerry after a restful night at Virginia's B&B in Kenmaree run by Neil and Noreen - lovely people, great rooms, outstanding breakfast. We followed Rick Steves' advice and drove the ring clockwise, rather than counterclockwise, which is the direction that all the tour buses go. In more less the order that we saw these things...

Please Keep Off

The Wall Tops!

Staigue Stone Fort- One of many on the Ring of Kerry
The fort is thought to have been built somewhere between 300 and 400 AD, as a defensive stronghold for a local lord or king.

Armeria on the tip of the Ring of Kerry

These little beauties are quite abundant and look exactly like the ones we buy at nurseries in Salt Lake City.

Charlie Chaplin in Waterville

Seems as though Charlie and his young wife hung out in Ireland, and I believe in Waterville specifically. I haven't had time to do any research into this matterk but they at least have a statue in his honor and photos at the nearby hotel.

(again.. help me rotate my images!)

Best View on the Ring of Kerry

Lecanabuile Stone Fort

Ballycanberry Castle

This castle was just sitting out in a field waiting for people to come for a visit. You crawled under a barbed wire fence and, once up to the castle, could simply climb all over it. Very fun! I took photos of the sign and will try to post them below this image so I can remember what this is all about..

Ballycanberry Castle

Another view of Ballycanberry Castle. I'll post some images, once again, from my iPhone, which often takes better shops than my spendy Kikon

Tuesday, May 14 - Dingle Peninsula & Drive to Ennis

Wednesday, May 15 - Cliffs of Moher & The Burren

Poulnabrone Dolman - a Portal tomb that the locals called a "druid's altar" as late as 200 years ago. According to Rick Steves, it was a grave chamber in a cairn of stacked stones four thousand years ago. Saw wild orchids and other loverly plants blooming around this areaa. Supposedly, the Burren holds nearly 70% of Ireland's native lant pspecies.

Thursday, May 16 - Drive to Derry

Merchant's House B&B
Lovely Joan Pyne was our hostess and the people who stay there are all wonderful We met a fine retired librarian who grew up in Derry (or Londonderry as it used to be called) and, while away at university in the 1960s pretty much lost access to his homeland. It was a sad story, but it underlined the tensions that still live strong between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Here are just a few shots from around the city where Bloody Sunday took place in 1972.

Derry Peace Bridge

A cannon on the wall that surrounds Derry was pointed at a church. Catholics v. Protestants?

Bloody Sunday - January 30, 1972

Bogside Murals in Derry, Northern Ireland

Burnadette Devlin addressing rioters

Young boy with mill jug petrol bomb, Battle of the Bogside

Father Edward Daly waving a blood-stained white handkerchief while trying to escort the mortally wounded Jackie Duddy to safety (from Wikipedia).

L - British soldier knocking down the door of a house with sledgehamer

R - Looks like protestors running from gas bomb

Friday, May 17 - Antrim Coast

Dunluce Castle - Story is that the kitchen fell into the ocean one rainy evening in 1639 and took all the staff with it.

Giant's Causeway - Basalt Geological Formation

The following story is from Wikipedia (more fun than just a geologic wonder)

According to legend, the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant. The story goes that the Irish giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool) was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Fionn accepted the challenge and built the causeway across the North Channel so that the two giants could meet. In one version of the story, Fionn defeats Benandonner.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Bridge is about 100 feet above the rocks and ocean below

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

Saturday, May 18 - Jim's 60th Birthday & Drive to Belfast

We won't talk about the drive from (London)Derry to Belfast, or our ordeal turing the rental car in, except that it rained all day and it took us 4 hours and three gas-stops before we found the rental place about 2 blocks from our hotel in Belfast. Dinner was good, as was the wine, and the young woman that waited on us put a candle in Jim's dessert. Happy 60th!

Cheers! Glad this day ended so sweet!

Sunday, May 19 - Belfast

The Titanic Museum was the highlight of Belfast. It seems like a sad town that has to fold up tight at night, but we're glad we spent a day there. A lot of history...

Monday, May 20 - Belfast to London to Bath

This was a travel day. We flew out of Belfast to London then took the train to Bath in southwestern England. Of course, we thought our flight was out of Belfast International, but it wasn't. Unfortunately we found this out after taking a cab to the International airport. After some panic (okay, a LOT of panic) and a very good (and fast) taxi ride from Belfast International to Belfast City Airport, we made our flight. Landed in London on time, caught the first train to Bath and got settled in at our hotel.

Mind the Gap!

Message on the train loading area in London

Our first English beer (well, our first beer in England)

Restaurant outside the Greek baths in Bath, England

Tuesday, May 21 - Bath

Greek baths in Bath

Selfy at the Greek baths in Bath

Gulls lining up in the River Avon

Corner of Queen Square and Gay Street - I couldn't resist

TODAY'S OFFER

Buy ANY 2

drinks & pay for

them both...

River Avon

Queen's hats in the window

Roman Baths

Town of Bath

River Avon - Beautiful!

Our very own soap!

Wednesday, May 22- Stonehenge and then some

Castle Combe where War Horse was filmed. Just add dirt to the roads and it looks like a town in earlier times

Castle Combe

Cherhill White Horse

Avebury Stone Circle from Google Earth

Real energy comes off the Avebury Stones

Gathering up our energy from those Avebury Stones

Avebury Stone Circle

As the story goes, the United Kingdom has "new age" hotspots, and the Avebury Stone Circle and adjacent village is one of the, if not THE hottest sites around. Hug those rocks for good energy!

Laycock Village - House where Harry Potter lived with his parents in the first film

Laycock Kitty

Stonehenge - nuff said

Stonehenge

Thursday, May 23 - London

Did you know it rains occasionally in London (duh)?

Nelson Mandela statue across from Parliament Building

London Tower and bobbies in front of the Parliament Building

London Tower

Westminster Abbey

Friday, May 24 - London

A somewhat rainy (understatement) day in London. We hit the London Tower, London Eye, and Buckingham Palace. Just your basic tourist hotspots, but Très cool!