Day 150 – 165
22nd September 7th October
An Autumn day in London
Its great to be in London. So much change in a relatively short time but still a great feel about it. It was just a day so we visited our old haunts and the landmarks. Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly, Queensway, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Regent Street, Oxford Street. All the icons that make London. Funny how directions come back to you.
Dorking. Where is Dorking?? Dorking is a market town in Surrey, around 33 kilometres from London.
What a wonderful village this is, made even better by two good friends that live there.
Our accommodation was The Waltons on Rose Hill, a backdrop to the green where sheep grazed without a care in the world. Misty mornings and sunny days. Couldn’t be better. Started to feel a bit like the carefree sheep.
Sunday roast lunch at the Red House is the best. The plate was full of delicousness including Yorkshire Pudding but wait there’s more! Plates of vegetables came out as well. After lunch and a few more drinks the chef, who is the publican, shared oysters with us that were brought back from France by one of his staffs family. What a treat! The owners of this pub are hands on and so friendly.
The culture in a small town revolves around the pub and it is not just to drink. It is a shame that these small friendly pubs are not very common in Australia.
A day trip to Guildford, another beautiful market town.
So, back to the pubs and one cannot leave Dorking without visiting at least most of them. The White Heart, The Bulls Head, The Old House, The Star and then there are the many charity shops full of goodies.
The Old House pub looked like any other but had a secret wardrobe leading into the most spectacular Harry Potteresque library. No, it wasn’t the drink.
Ireland and Northern Ireland
First impressions of Dublin came from our taxi driver from the airport. A very charming man who immediately engaged us in conversation throwing the F bomb in-between every 2nd word. No malice or aggression intended. It was hysterical. We also found this to be very common everywhere. Doesn’t sound bad with an Irish accent.
There is a shop here called Penneys where the clothes are warm, cheap and quite stylish. A wardrobe change from the warm climates we are used to. Bit of a shock to wear covered in shoes.
A tour is started. Now this tour was a last minute idea to see as much of Ireland and Northern Ireland as we could in 9 days. Our options were limited so it was not a tour that we would normally choose but positivity is powerful.
The average age was about 70 and was made up mostly of Americans and Canadians. In a bus that holds 45 people, socialising is peripheral as it is all too hard. A late afternoon orientation drive through statue-lined O’Connell Street and elegant Georgian squares to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Trinity College.
Off to Belfast! Passed Drogheda, scene of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, then through the fertile, green landscape of the Boyne Valley. The border into Northern Ireland is very subtle. Past the Mountains of Mourne to Downpatrick, the burial place of Patrick, Ireland’s Patron Saint, and then Belfast, where the Titanic was built. Visited the Titanic Exhibition which won best tourist attraction in the world in 2016. At night four of us were let into the back door of a “full house” Harp Bar by the bouncer. Dancing, great music and crazy Irish. They sure know how to have fun to be sure.
6.45am bags out! 7am Breakfast! 8am On the bus! Boom boom boom. Off to The Giants Causeway.
This is a story about a giant called Finn. Finn McCool actually – already sounds like a superstar.
Finn is getting a little fed up with a giant in Scotland called Benandonner who insists on taunting him with aggressive threats. Finn loses his McCool and picks up massive rocks and throws them into the ocean so he can step his way across and give Benandonner what for! “ I’ll bust your dial. Do yaw want a knuckle supper? Come here and fight ya ferkin eedjit!” etc etc.
This plan was not thought through well and the next minute Benanndonner comes running across the stones and Finn gets a look at him. “Oh Feck the man is massive”! Fin runs into his house and hides while his wife greets Benandonner and welcomes him into her home.
Benandonner was pretty impressed with this show of hospitality and while he was sipping his tea, he hears a baby crying in the corner. Finns wife excuses herself to deal with the crying child. Benandonner has one look at the child and takes off at a run. Why? Finns quick thinking wife had disguised Finn as a baby and Benandonner took one look at the infant and figured if the baby was that big the father must be huge. He ran back to Scotland, ripping up the stones and never bothered Finn again. Of course that is what happened, none of this science rubbish.
Derry or Londonderry. Driving past the Londonderry signs you often see the London crossed out. A passive up yours! This city is one of the best walled cities left.
A strange relationship still exists in Northern Ireland even though things have calmed down on the surface.
There is a lot to see as we travel around this little Island. Drumcliff has the grave of William Butler Yeats and his monument is surprisingly small.
Off to Knock to visit a village that has attracted pilgrims from all over the world since the townsfolk saw apparitions. An apparition is very good for the economy of a town. The shops are filled with all kinds of religion paraphernalia.
Galway is a nice seaside town with lots going on but it was the Cliffs of Moher that was the winner on the day. Strong, freezing winds almost knock you over and the water sprays up high over the clifftops. A very rugged and beautiful coastline.
The nights entertainment was a medieval banquet in a real castle. Why do we do this to ourselves? It might as well have been in a warehouse in Melbourne. Oh well, you live and learn.
Skirted around the city of Limerick to a little village called Adare. This village is well known for its prize-winning thatched cottages.
Travelled the Ring of Kerry for a 100- mile coastal view of rain and fog. Irelands weather is so fickle. One side of the bus can have sunshine and the other has rain pelting on the windows. The sun finally showed up at the end and we were able to see what this areas reputation was all about. On to Killarney where the “Killarney lakes so blue” are. This is where you can jaunt into the national park.
Blarney castle and of course, kissing the blarney stone. Not what was expected lying upside down with your head in a hole but one must do what must do in the name of eloquence!
Enniscorthy, site of the final battle of the Great Rebellion of 1798; Wicklow Mountains; and Glendalough with its ruins of a centre of Irish Christianity, founded by St. Kevin.
Back in Dublin and the Auld Dubliner Pub where the music was booming at 2.30 in the afternoon. Gotta love the Irish. A couple of Jamieson cocktails at the distillery and off to the docks for a ferry to Holyhead.
The entire island of Ireland was fantastic and the people, so friendly. A good time was had to be sure.
Two Travelling Bags 