Friends and Fells

Over the next few days we are catching up with the family of one of Sylvi's friends near Warrington, and then heading back up north to check out the fells in the Lake District.

Monday 24 October

We drove to Woolston just outside Warrington to meet up with Sylvi's friend Pam and her sister Maureen (Mo) and brother-in-law Steven. This is the second time on our trip that we've stayed over at a friend's place, with our huge beast parked in their front drive, for which we are very appreciative.

Mo took us to the local shopping centre for some shopping and lunch followed by a visit to St John the Evangelist church (1885) with old graveyard attached. A plaque marked the spot where 50 people's ashes had been buried following their deaths from cholera. That totally put us off eating any of the acorns falling off the church yard trees.

A short walk further we came to a beautiful grove of trees overhanging a canal where local fisherman were competing for the heaviest catch of the day. Their nets contained more small sardines then anything really substantial but it was all in fun and they would be released once the winner identified.

Then we came upon the grounds of Walton Hall built in 1838 and now opened to the public for weddings and other functions. The old stables now house a small museum with family photos, displays and relics of tools used in days gone by. The house itself is still resplendent from the exterior and from what we saw looking through the windows, the inside is too. There were 3 gravestones on the front lawn and we wondered if an ancestor was really called Bubbles and similar names. It took us awhile to work out they were dogs, obviously family pets buried here many years ago.

Back at the house, Steve had cooked up a storm – Thai green curry and a sticky date cheesecake made by Pam – and we enjoyed a long dinner with much animated conversation late into the evening. It was such a lovely evening and thank Mo, Steve and Pam with all our heart.

Tuesday 25 October

The sound of the garbage collectors at a very reasonable 8am was all the alarm clock we needed. In the house, Pam was busy preparing our breakfast – burcher muesli followed by a beautiful hot selection. We felt so totally spoilt and would happily have stayed a week.

However, the night before Steve had helped us plan the next places to visit so we headed for the Lakes district in Cumbria after saying our goodbyes.

Once again the countryside scenery is magnificent though the occasional waft of very strong cow poo fertiliser was less so. As we got closer to our destination of Coniston, on Coniston Water, in Cumbria, the roads started to narrow and the occasional tree branch scraped the vehicle as we made room for vehicles coming the other day.

Our camp site, Park Coppice Caravan Club Site, has an amazing 285 pitches for caravans and motor homes and is just about full due to the school holidays this week. It is a very picturesque site built within lush woodland and very close to a huge lake and the village of Coniston.

After lunch we set off wearing our rain gear just in case and did the huge loop from the lake to the village, walking through sheep farming properties. The village is totally gorgeous with many stone buildings, pubs and church, and quite crowded with tourists.

On the return walk we were on a more elevated path so were able to take some great photos of the colourful countryside overlooked by many large mountains.

On the news we heard that parts of Ireland suffered terrible flooding following 48 hours of torrential rain, with at least two people killed so far and many properties damaged. The footage of flooding in Dublin streets we had visited just last week seemed surreal. We are certainly very lucky, once again, not to have been caught up in this disaster.

Wednesday 26 October

A bit of rain overnight but temps aren't too bad – around 5 – 7 degrees. We set off in the late morning to do a somewhat challenging walk through farm and National Trust land. This is Walk #3 from the Lakeland Leisure Walks Series, to Yewdale Valley and Tarn Hows.  The sun was trying to break through but lots of dark clouds hang stubbornly over the mountains.

As we're walking through farming land, we constantly have to open and close gates to prevent livestock from escaping, and obviously have to watch where we walk. There's lots of mud on the paths, but also lots of sheep and cow poo.

The countryside is breathtaking with lots of stone walls covered in moss, tall trees with yellow and orange autumn colours and lots of flowing streams of crystal clear water. The air is crisp but the occasional breakthrough of the sun helps to keep us warm.

After a few steep climbs we arrive at a beautiful waterfall amidst the colourful forest. In summer it's probably hard to resist going for a dip, but at the moment we assume the water is far too cold.

The stream and its numerous waterfalls are called Tom Gill.

Beautiful as this is, it isn't the culmination of our trek so we continue up the still rising slope to arrive at a huge man made lake at the summit called Tarn Hows. There are lots of people here who “cheated” and drove, but we are proud of our efforts and take a well deserved break to admire the wonderful view.

The walk back to Coniston village is flat and easy but no less picturesque and after a late lunch we head back to our camp.

So many people had suggested we visit this Lake District, and we are very glad we did. We've been very lucky with the weather here and we've loved being amongst this beautiful natural wonder.

Our other photos are here.

North Wales and Blackpool

Wednesday 19 October

Another fine, cold day which is a lovely way to finish our stay in Ireland, though we could do with a little less of the cold (something like 3 degrees this morning).  We pottered about before heading to the port for our 2:30pm ferrycrossing to Holyhead in Wales which should take a couple of hours.

Although it's a fine day and the wind is down, the crossing is quite rocky. Luckily the distraction of the entire repertoire of cartoon “Wacky Races” did the trick for Sylvi.

Once back on terra firma, the caravan park we were heading to, an hour away turned out to be inaccessible to us via the road we'd taken due to a weak bridge which we were too heavy for, and a low underpass – we are too tall – so no way through that way. This turned out to be not such a bad thing as the alternate park, Coed-y-Llwyn CaravanClub Site, was totally perfect. It was so nice to be back in the luxury of a Caravan Club site with warm bathrooms and as much hot water as you wanted.

It seems the temperatures are a bit lower again here (2 degrees) as we are in the hills near Snowdenia National Park.

Thursday 20 October

That was the coldest night we've had so far and the first time the bedding we have didn't seem adequate for warmth. But it's a lovely day again as we brave the single digit temps and head off along a different road to the location we were aiming for yesterday afternoon – Harlech in north west Wales.

Along the way we must have exclaimed ten times out loud how beautiful we thought the countryside was. The beautiful autumn colours, lush green fields, pretty stone cottages and houses, rushing clear streams, high mountains and quaint little villages. But the roads are very narrow and we had a few hairy moments with trucks coming in the opposite direction.

The Harlech Castle sits atop a 200 foot high bluff, so chosen by King Edward I in 1285. It withstood a siege in 1295 but was taken over in 1404 and once again in 1468. Charles I resurrected it during the Civil War until 1647 when it was the last royalist castle to fall. It is pretty well intact and we were going to make the climb up the steep slope to visit, but were more drawn to the long stretch of beach on such a lovely day. 

It was a genuine sandy beach and reminded us of home, especially when we saw the masses of jellyfish washed ashore.

Back on the road we headed for Betws-y-Coed in North Wales which was recommended to us by Sylvi's Welsh/Aussie friend Pam. With any luck we'll will catch up with Pam in the next few days as she's here to visit family.

This region is reknown for its mining of slate and there is much of it everywhere – on the side of the road in piles, used in roof tiles and fences, and coming straight off the mountain sides. At one stage we saw long paths in the mountains leading up to tunnel entrances which must have been mines.

This next site, Riverside Touring Park is another great site with a golf club, graveyard and train station for neighbours.

After setting up we walked the short distance into the village which is absolutely gorgeous. This place must go off in the high season.

We had a pub lunch, did a bit of shopping, checked out the cute medieval church in the graveyard, then went for a short walk around the golf course before calling it a day. The sun sets a bit earlier here so it's dark by around 6pm and of course extremely cold.

In world news, Gadaffi is dead, killed by his own people, and the Queen steps off the plane in Australia for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. She was looking sprightly for her age, however Philip looked very old and frail. Julie Gillard's failure to curtsey received big headlines here in the UK.

Friday 21 October

Woken up nice and early by the first passing train we were happy that the temperature was a more reasonable 4 degrees here. Packing up and heading off towards Blackpool a couple of hours away we passed more beautiful countryside including the magnificent Conwy Castle we could see across the river. Pam had recommended this too but we've seen so many castles and there are many more to see so decided to skip this one.

Arriving at our camp site, Blackpool South Caravan Club Site, we were taken aback by how busy it was. Although it is now school holidays so sites may be busier for the next couple of weeks. We guess UK residents enjoy caravaning no matter what time of the year it is.

Saturday 22 October

Quite a bit of wind overnight but this is a very protected site. It's a beautiful sunny day but the wind is still up.

Happy birthday to Sylvi's girlfriend Dragana and Stephanie who is celebrating a significant birthday. We enjoyed some lovely french champagne last night to toast them both.

We plan to visit the Blackpool Illuminations (founded in 1879) tonight so take it easy in the morning before walking to the local Tesco to catch the bus. It was the slowest bus ride we've had yet as the driver was up for a chat with everyone.

On arrival we thought we'd been transported to Las Vegas or Dreamworld. The place is totally filled with amusement rides, fun park attractions of every variety and the 10kms stretch of beach, all illuminated from 6pm each evening from September to November. This is a great way for the city to extend their tourist dollar longer in the year.

There are several piers, all containing rides, games, bars and food stalls, so we picked the first one to explore and felt like we were back in time. Hopefully the engineering structure of these piers is checked regularly, because there is a lot of rust and gaps between the wooden planks. But it's all fun and we love it.

After a coffee at a very dodgy and totally unorganised “Costas” we went to check out the Blackpool Tower, built in 1894 and inspired by the Eiffel Tower. Obviously there is a cost to go up the Tower but it's free to have a look at the Ballroom on the 5^th floor. 

With mouths gapping when we entered the balcony area of the Ballroom, this was definitely decorated in an era “back in time”. Gorgeous chandelliers, gold plaster work, old fashioned seating and a huge dance floor below filled with people of all ages enjoying an afternoon of ballroom dancing. The music being provided by an organist on an instrument sounding like a complete orchestra – it's a Wurlitzer that has been played here for 70 years. It was a magical moment and we totally loved it, sitting there watching several dances before moving on.

We walked practically the full length of the promenade, watching people screaming on the rollercoasters or enjoying a donkey ride on the beach, before returning to one of the piers in the late afternoon to have a few drinks and wait for the lights to come on.

The first to come on was the ferris wheel and then the top of the Tower and finally at 6pm all the street lighting came on. So many beautiful lights with dozens of themes plus the buildings, all lite up in a multitude of colours. So beautiful.

As well as enjoying the view we enjoyed watching the tide come in and the water invade the beach below the pier. Some youngsters had fun drawing on the beach and the donkey rides continued until almost no beach was left. All the while we weren't that cold but that soon changed and we headed off looking for some good, hot food. And we found it one street back from the promenade, possibly the best Indian we've had anywhere so far. Big call but true.

Nicely warmed up we braved the promenade one more time to admire the lights, amaze at the number of people out and about and smile at the old trams transformed into “boats” or other shapes, and all beautifully illuminated.

We caught a taxi home to ensure we got there warmly and in one piece. This was a totally amazing day. So much fun, so many beautiful sights and such goregeous sunny conditions.

Sunday 23 October

Well the French did themselves proud and gave the Kiwis a big scare at the Rugby World Cup, but the Kiwis scraped home, even though they choked, by the barest of margins, 9-8.  Good on the kiwis, they were the only country not capable of handling a loss, so it's good they won this one finally.

We had a lay day today, having a break, catching up on some washing and chores, like blogging and planning the rest of our trip.

Tomorrow we leave Blackpool to visit with a friend of Sylv's, Pam and her UK family.

The rest of our photos are here.

Blarney, Cork, Ring of Kerry and Dublin

Wednesday 12 October

Drizzly rain this morning so we abandoned our idea of going for a longer walk in the mountains, packed up and headed for Cork, about 1.5hrs away.

When we arrived in Cork city and saw how large it was and how unfriendly it would be for motor homes, we decided to head for our camp site, Blarney Caravan and Camping Park, and return by bus tomorrow.

Taking our lives in our hands, we walked the short distance to Blarney to visit the Blarney Castle. The road is definitely not built for walkers and being quite narrow it got a bit hairy a few times when traffic was coming in both directions.

The grounds of the Blarney Castle are immense and you could easily spend a day exploring. The castle is in ruins but you can still climb all the way up and explore the different “rooms” on each level. The residents were obviously much shorter then us as the bedrooms seemed quite tiny but the regal banquet and great hall were given a floor each and the full length of building.

Everybody visiting wants to head to the top level so they can kiss the Blarneystone which these days is guarded by two attendants, one to take your photo and the other to guide you backwards as you pucker up. Bill had a go but we decided the 10 euro for the photo was a bit much so we took a photo of our own in another location. It's all the Blarney stone after all.

One of the gardens below the castle contains poisonous plants which may or may not have featured during the life of this 13^th century stronghold. There is also a fern, rock and water garden, a lake, ruin of a Lime Kiln and other towers, and the Blarney House which is absolutely gorgeous but not opened to visitors at this time. It looks like someone does actually live there.

Because we actually wanted to arrive home safely, we decided to catch a taxi back and landed on a chatty chap who is making a visit to Brisbane and the Gold Coast after Christmas this year.

The sun made a welcome appearance late in the afternoon and we hope to see it again tomorrow.

Thursday 13 October

Not much sun but no rain either and temps not too cold as we drove back to Blarney and parked for free all day in the Woollen Mills car park and caught the bus into Cork city.

We decided to do our own sightseeing by following the Cork Walk brochure from the Tourist Information Centre. Cork city is quite large with lots of streets and lanes full of shops, cafes and pubs and plenty of people hitting all of them. There are a lot of modern, glitzy buildings but equally a lot of grey, run-down ones too.

This is also a city of churches and St Peter and Paul's was the first we entered, and basically the first we've visited in the Republic as mostly they've been closed. It was totally beautiful with splendid wood work, painted organ pipes, marble and stained glass windows. At first we felt self concious as tourists here as there were several people praying, or some just come in to light a candle before setting about their day.

But we felt even more self concious at the next church - St Augustine'schurch – which had the most bizarre exterior we've ever seen in a church. Inside were heaps of people praying and we just didn't have the courage to take too many photos. The interior was very unusual but also had beautiful stained glass and a side altar surrounded by lovely blue lights.

On our way to the third church we came upon the National Monument honouring the Irish patriots who died during the 1798 and 1867 Risings, and the forlorn Beamish & Crawford Brewery (1792) closed by new owner Heiniken in 2009. A short distance up the road is the former stables which once housed the horses used to cart produce to the brewery when it first began.

St Finbarre's Cathedral is across the street from the stables and is a magnificent sight with several tall spires, a multitude of animal head drain pipes jutting out, and the entrance adorned with statues. Several churches have stood here since the 7^th century and this one was built in 1870 in honour of Cork's patron saint, Fin Barre. 

Inside is quite dark though there are many stained glass windows. There are beautiful mosaics, marble structures and magnificent altar. Most unusual is a hanging 20 pound canon ball discovered in 1864 in the spire of the old cathedral. It had been fired in 1690 during the siege of Cork and remained there. The organ, the biggest and finest in Ireland, has 4000 pipes and is mainly set in a deep pit. A very enjoyable visit.

On a hill above the city is the former Elizabeth Fort built in the 17^th century and which now serves as a police station. There are still a few things to see – the upper battlement, several canons and storage areas, but the main internal space is a car park and there are now many modern buildings within.

Heading back into the city we came upon the ruin of the 14^th century Red Abbey Tower and St Finbarr's South church built 1766. The exterior is the original stone structure but inside is totally refurbished, making it a very strange combination. Equally strange is the “Dead Christ” altar installed there since 1832.

After a lovely pub lunch, our walk took us to the old and abandoned City Hall building, ironically opposite the modern, new City Hall situated across the River Lee. Sylvi preferred the older building and thought it had more character.

Not far away are the old Customs buildings, also with a lot of character. They must still be in use as many cars were parked underneath a very unstable looking awning.

By now we'd had enough of churches so just walked past St Patrick's which looked more like a Roman temple.

The Irish Presidential elections are not far away here, so the candidates were on the campaign trail today. We saw Sean Gallagher, the front runner, doing the meet n greet with locals in the popular shopping district.

Overall we were impressed with Cork city with it's combination of old historical and modern, and we only just touched the surface as there is so much more to see and do here.

On our return to Blarney, we had a look in “The Biggest Irish Shop” filled with the usual tourist delights and also a wander around the rest of this small village which is attractive and beautifully maintained and has a great feel to it.

Arriving back to camp, an eerie fog had started to creep in and increased further as the night wore on.

Our photos of Cork are here.

Friday 14 October

Happy birthday to Sylvi's girlfriend Kylie.

The fog had lifted, leaving drizzly rain as we set off further East towards the Ring of Kerry on the Iveragh Peninsula, one of Ireland's “must dos”. Probably this is a “must do” in spring/summer and definitely when the sun is shining brightly, but in autumn with drizzly rain it's a little less so. We stopped at Killarney first though to do a shop and enjoy a Costa coffee.

We went anti-clockwise as do the tour buses, so as not to encounter any but really there's no chance of that this time of year. Thinking a lot of the road was coastal, we were disappointed that most of it is not, but the parts that were are very spectacular.

One picturesque area had a small bay dotted by sailing boats with only a few houses set within the sloping hill.

The wind wasn't too bad apart from atop one high peak where we stopped to take photos. The road conditions however were less then ideal being very narrow with lots of uneven surfaces for much of the 179km distance.

Along the way we were back into boggy country, not great scenery wise, but we were glad to come upon a pile of freshly dug peat left out to dry. This is the first time we've seen a plot of land where peat is actually being dug which is surprising as so much of it is used each year for heating.  Peat is a hugely important resource in Ireland, and elsewhere globally, so follow the link if you want to know more.

Passing the outskirts of the village of Millstreet, still in County Cork, we saw signs pointing to the arena where they hosted the 1993 EurovisionContest, obviously a very proud moment for them. This was the fifth time Ireland won the contest and in such a location with a population of only 1500 residents at the time it would have given the local community a real boost.

Arriving at our camp site, Wave Crest, Caherdaniel County Kerry, we had to phone the manager as the reception was closed however we knew that this site is open all year round. And what a spot it is. In summer it must just go off because the location is so beautiful, right on the water front with heaps of sites strategically placed for maximum advantage of the view.

After setting up we went for a short (and dangerous) walk along the road to the next bend which also has a caravan park and restaurant/pub. Under normal circumstances we would have had dinner there, but walking home in the dark along the road with cars zooming past didn't tickle our fancy. Why did we not just stay at that caravan park? Because it wasn't listed and may or may not have been open this time of year.

Now camp site facilities in Ireland have generally not been that great. And although Wave Crest is a great location, the shower was only good if you wanted your skin blasted off with the water pressure – supposedly a water saving device. Amazing really considering water pressure has often been a problem for flushing the loo in Ireland (and parts of the UK too). But at least we were in a protected location, so even this close to the coast we weren't troubled by wind at night.

Saturday 15 October

Completing the Ring of Kerry in more drizzly rain, we were frankly glad to get to a major, smooth road heading towards Kilkenny, a very tiring 4 hours drive away.

Sadly, the Ring of Kerry is probably the most overated tourist route we have encountered on our travels so far. While there are some nice views, the road is a disgrace to Irish road engineers. This is not that tough a drive – it's dual carriage all the way. The bends are not difficult even in a large motorhome. We have driven some truly claassic and difficult ocean and mountain routes on our trip, and this is not one of them. The state of the road – undulating bitumen is the best it gets – a moonscape of potholes or worse - patchworks of many attempts to mend potholes – just leaves us jarred to pieces. Not enjoyable at all.

Try as we might to find a radio station broadcasting the France v Wales rugby match, we had to content ourselves with updates on the news hour. Bye bye Wales.

We haven't seen many crop plantations in Ireland so far (probably too late in the year) but in this region we did see some corn crops.  Something else that struck us as unusual is that most of the houses don't have garages for their cars so they park them on the driveway. I'm sure they regret this fact each winter.

As we arrive into Kilkenny, we drive through the centre of town along the high street, on a Saturday afternoon, and it is very busy – good to see. Our camp site, Tree Grove, Kilkenny, was also open but unattended so we just set up and waited for someone to come ask for payment – which they did late in the afternoon. The site is quite busy for this time of year – no tents though - but very reasonably priced and the facilities are pretty good.

Sunday 16 October

The day has commenced cold but sunny (hooray) but before we take the 25 minute walk into Kilkenny city to explore, we watch the Aussies get beaten by NZ in the rugby. Damn.

Ok, so this 25 minute walk into the city is supposed to be along the River Nore but the lack of signage lead us to just walk along the major road (luckily with footpath) which lead us directly to KilkennyCastle.

The first structure on this site was a wooden tower built in 1172 by Anglo-Norman conqueror, Strongbow. In 1192 a four tower castle was erected (three of which survive) and bought by the powerful Butler family in 1391. The Butler descendants continued to live there until 1935, which is totally amazing. But sadly due to the running costs, the furniture was then sold off when the family moved out at this time. The castle, abandoned all this time and falling into ruin, was handed over to the city in 1967 for the measly sum of 50 pounds. And the city has done a wonderful job in restoring the interior and reacquiring many original artworks from the family.

One of our favourite rooms was the Withdrawing Room where the ladies would go after dinner, leaving the men to smoke their cigars and drink port. This room contained amazing remnants of hand painted Chinese wallpaper from the 1850s, obviously positioned behind paintings, mirrors or furniture. The outline of the rest of the wallpaper was drawn in to give continuity. So fascinating.

The Picture Gallery Wing is huge and the ceiling has the real look of a ship's hull which we've seen before on our travels. Unfortunately no photos are allowed so we'll have to remember the ornate animal head decorations jutting out below the ceiling, very similar to what we saw at St Finbarre's Cathedral in Cork, and the splendid white marble double fireplace.  Or poach some photos from elsewhere...

The Moorish staircase deserves a mention. Possibly painted a far brighter burgundy then it originally would have been, an amazing sky light brilliantly highlights the intricate plaster foliage and small animal decorations (snails, lizards, worms) adorning the columns.

There were so many other wondrous things about this castle that we loved and we're so glad the city spent the money to resurrect it as this type of attraction is what draws tourists. It's nice to see ruins, but seeing something as it was back in the day is so much more pleasurable.

Bill had wondered why he couldn't find Kilkenny beer in Ireland, and that's because it doesn't exist any more. Well is does exist, but locally it's under the label Smithwick's (pronounced Smithick). This was a family run business since 1710 with the red ale brewed at the 12^th century St Francis Abbey which is still on the site but now a ruin. In 1965 the brewery was bought by Guinness (who are now owned by Diageo) and in 2000 the name changed to Guinness UDV Ireland St Francis Abbey Brewery Kilkenny. The site is basically in the centre of the city so we went to have a look, though the 1.5hr tours don't operate Sunday or Monday.

The medieval cathedral, St Canice was not far away. This is another amazing historical landmark that has been maintained and still used today as a working church. A church has stood here since 400AD and the Round Tower (which still exists) since 849. The present church was commenced in 1202 and restorations occurred as recently as 1985.

There is a fascinating story of a “witch” being captured by the bishop of the day, she escaping and her poor maid being burnt at the stake and the nephew of said “witch” paying to re-roof the church to redeem himself. Unfortunately this lead roof was too heavy and collapsed in 1332. Funny enough, the “witch” lived a long life and the cross decorating her headstone is now copied for a collection of jewellery especially hand crafted for the cathedral.

Many of the prominent Butler family (of Kilkenny Castle fame) are interred here as are many of the Smithwick family from the famous brewery (though they have graves outside).

The choir stalls were installed in 1901 and were made in Bruges, Belgium as an exact copy of what you will find in their cathedral. Unfortunately we did not get to visit Bruges on our European leg.

We really enjoyed this visit and would have climbed the narrow Round Tower if it had been open whilst we were there.

A little further away is the Dominican Black Abbey founded in 1225. In 1543 it became a courthouse then fell into disrepair from 1650 until 1866. Two fascinating finds during an excavation and which are on display are several 13^th century stone coffins and a marble statue of the Holy Trinity. This was quite a nice little church.

Back in the city centre, the roman looking City Hall stands on the spot where the unfortunate “witch's” maid, Petronella was burnt at the stake in 1324 and a short distance away is the very attractive RotheHouse, a 16^th century merchants house in Tudor style.

Heading back to our camp site, we found the river walk which commenced outside the Castle but again the lack of signage forced us to follow a local couple to once again find the road.

We decided to pack up and head for Dublin which is only an hour's drive away and were super happy to be on a major, smooth road all the way. Lots of trees are shedding their autumn leaves along the highway, leaving a pretty carpet of orange, red and yellow.

Arriving at our camp site, Camac Valley Dublin, we were glad to see that this is a large, totally professional site. It is right beside the highway, so noise may be an issue, but in contrast there are several buses into the city right at our doorstep. And on the cute factor, there are tonnes of bunnys hopping about at dusk.

It was so nice to have a beautiful, sunny day. The first in Ireland. This made everything look so much more radiant and beautiful and lifted our mood no end.

Our other Ring of Kerry  and Kilkenny photos are here.

Monday 17 October

Strong winds picked up again overnight and the temp first up is around 8 degrees and overcast. The HOHO in Dublin picked us up from our camp site which is great.

Dublin is quite a big city and the tour took us past the Castle, several churches, the massive Guinness brewery, the old jail, a huge park (Phoenix), the old Jameson Distillery and the Temple Bar area where lots of tendy cafes and pubs can be found.  

Dublin also has the amazing Spire, or Monument of Light whcih rises 122 metres above the City, and emits light form the tip of the spire at night.  It looks great.

We also went past Trinity College (1592) so decided to make our way back there to check out this massive and most prestigious place and did a half hour walking tour taken by a history student in his 4^th year. The many buildings are of different architectural style, some beautiful and some not so.

One that was totally gorgeous was the Exam Hall, normally not open at this time of year but students are still selecting subjects etc as the college term begins. The interior is a beautiful light blue with many white plaster decorations, large portraits of Irish notables and prettily painted pipe organs which the Irish seem famous for.

Something people definitely come to see is the Old Library which houses the Book of Kells – a magnificent illustrated bible with exceptional caligraphy and illustrations from 6^th centruy - as well as a massive collection of really old books of all shapes and sizes. It's a bit like something out of Harry Potter.

It is quite amazing to view 2 of the 4 volumes of the Book of Kells (they swap them around all the time) to see their fantastic condition and vibrant colour. No photos allows so these are sourced elsewhere.

Up until now there had only been a few light showers but in the late afternoon we got a massive downpour plus strong winds so had to take shelter until it passed. The temps started to feel Artic so we decided to head back to our camp. It's supposed to be very cold overnight, around 3 degrees.

Tuesday 18 October

It's a beautiful, sunny, windy, chilly 4 degree morning and temps aren't expected to go much higher then 11 degrees.

Back into the city on the HOHO we first headed to have breakfast at Bewley's Grafton Street, opened 1927 with Bewley's being a world coffee and tea supplier since 1840. This place was bustling with dine in and take away service, a larger dining room and upstairs seating for lunch, a 50 seat theatre on the third floor and coffee roasting facilities on the fourth floor. The food and coffee were fantastic.  Nearby was a statue of Molly Malone of Cockles and Mussels fame.

A visit to the Dublin National Archaeology Museum was a must to see the “bog bodies”. After seeing so much bog in the Irish countryside, we were curious about these finds only made a few years ago in 2003. There were two complete bodies and three partials, all amazingly well preserved by their time in the perfect conditions of the bogs. Hair, skin, nails, even internal organs could be seen we well as the scars caused by the violent ways in which they were killed – stabbings, strangulations, beheading. Amazing and fascinating.

As well as the bodies, many items of clothing have been found over the years in the bogs. These were also in pristine condition and Sylvi can't imagine how difficult it must have been to wash them for display.

After the era of the Celts in Dublin around 500BC came the Vikings who urbanised the city. Many excavations have found Viking remains and relics and some of them were on display in the museum – a complete human skeleton, many swords, shields, homewares etc.  And as always, there were lots of Egyptian items including two mummies.

The museum building itself was magnificent. Completed in 1890, it is richly decorated with floor mosaics, a domed ceiling with zodiac mosaic, marble columns, and ornate plaster work. A very enjoyable visit.  Sadly no photos allowed.

Next door to the museum is Leinster House, a 1748 Georgian house which is now home to both seats of the Irish Parliament which must have been in session as there was a lot of activity going on.

Dublin city has a lot of green space, so on such a beautiful day we took a stroll in St Stephen's Green which reminded us a little of the Brisbane Botanical Gardens with its lush green lawns, walking paths, ample bench seating and large duck ponds.

Not far down the road was a glass topped Stephen's Green Shopping Centre which houses the largest indoor clock. The building itself and array of shops inside is very impressive but the clock is less so.

A quick look in the Dublin Castle grounds revealed a mix match of architecture probably from different eras. First built in 1204, only the Record tower survives from the original. Next to it is a lovely old church but the rest of the “palace” looking buildings have a much more modern feel. We didn't take the tour of the State Rooms but did walk through the small garden, overlooked by the facade of castle coach building.

After lunch in a funny little tea house, we walked through the Temple Bar area and then back around the City.

Bill had his third haircut of the trip and then it was time to board the bus back to camp. We decided to use the onboard shower for the first time as the hot water at this camp (which you have to pay extra for) is more cool to luke warm. Not terribly pleasant when the outside temp is 4 degrees. And as confirmation that it really is 4 degrees and below here, the beer Bill keeps in the garage is colder then that in the fridge.

 So that is it for our time in Ireland, as we catch the ferry from Dublin to Holyhead in Wales tomorrow.  We really enjoyed parts of Ireland, but found some areas hard work.

The rest of our Dublin photos are here.