Day 18. Sunday 31st May 2009. Dublin to London.
We were up at 5:30am Fay woke me before the telephone alarm did; our breakfast was at 6:30am; we were on the waiting bus at 7am and off the ferry terminal to travel back to Holyhead in Wales where we caught a fast Virgin train back to London for two nights. Not much to write about. We are seeing the same wonderful countryside I have already written about, so I will not bore you again. I have written up the last two days on this train; I have a table and power and may have internet nearer to London. We are due to arrive at Euston Station at 4:45pm; we then travel by tube to our hotel.
The England and Ireland Rail Tour 2009 has concluded.
If you wish to follow us to Europe the address is:- http://grandeuropeanrailtour2009.blogspot.com/
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Day 17 Saturday 30th May 2009 Killarney-Galway-Dublin
Day 17 Saturday 30th May 2009. Killarney-Galway-Dublin
Today we move on firstly by coach to Galway and then train to Dublin. At 9am we left the hotel in a very large luxury coach driven by Paul our driver of yesterday. The seats are leather and four lucky passengers have tables to place their maps etc on. The countryside was not good farming country; there were bull rushes in the paddocks and the grass was not lush. The hills were partially obscured by haze. Our first stop was at Adare where we had morning tea. Our driver told us where to look for some nicely thatched cottages so I went in search for them; yes they were nice. The farms improved from here on for a while. As we passed through Limerick driver Paul pointed out the stadium where the Irish beat the All Blacks. We passed through a seaside resort with lots of well kept holiday homes and a golf course where the grass covered sand hill like terrain, was a foot high between the putting greens except for the mown strip footpaths; easy to lose your balls here. We were now heading for the Cliffs of Moher. The bus started to slog up a very narrow country lane edged on both sides by stonewalls, every now and then stooping to let vehicles coming from the opposite direction to pass safely. Passing other big busses was particularly tricky. For the amount of traffic on the road it should really be widened. I hope they never do though, as the narrow lanes between the walls make the up the scenery and give tourists like us a thrill. The Irish have certainly made good business out of the cliffs. The neatly laid stone paths and walls through green grass fields of grazing cattle lead gently up to viewing platforms at the top of the 204meter sea cliffs. The cliffs are of hard black rock; it will take millions of years for them to wear away. Built under the grassy slopes behind and the cliffs were gift shops, rest rooms and a cafe where we had our lunch. After we left this spot we drove through a lot more very narrow roads; it was a slow trip. As we approached Burren high round topped light grey hills appeared in the distance. They looked like they had solid rock surface. I wondered why the rock walls from the green paddocks below continued up the mountains; as we got closer we could see small patches of green vegetation between the rocks, so I guess every bit of grass was being made use of. The houses we passed were all well maintained. I find it difficult to recall any that were not. They were mostly of individual design and painted in pastel shades. The roofs were all slate tiles; real slate, not bitumastic as we saw in England. I cannot recall a timber house anywhere we arrived at Galway at just after 4pm. There was a Volvo sponsored yacht race on which caused traffic chaos. Our train was scheduled to leave at 6:05pm arriving in Dublin at 8:47pm. I left Fay at the station in search of a supermarket to buy our evening meal. I found one quite close to the station. I bought 2 fresh white bread rolls, 2 pieces of ham, an egg salad for me, an apple pie and a trifle for Fay. We dined on the train. When I arrived back at the station I could hardly believe the hoards of people that I had to fight my way through to get back to the waiting room where our group was waiting. I was having thoughts that we may not get on the train so I asked some of them what train they were catching. There was only one platform. They replied to my relief, “the 5:45pm.” It was 5:45pm before they started to load; someone said the train was our train and even though I tried to tell them no they kept going only to return again through the masses. Only half of the people on the platform were allowed to get on, then the guards let a few families with young children on. The train left a ¼hour late and delayed our train. There was still a large crowd. Our train then came for us to load onto after it was due to have left. We had to really fight our way through. The station attendant confused us with another tour group and sent us to the wrong end of the train to a coach that was already full. Back we went again trailing our heavy bags through the tightly bunched crowd. Eventually we found our seats and with relief sat down. What a shemozzle! I will never forget it. We arrived in Dublin at 9:30pm and after a 400meter walk we were at our hotel. We were in bed as quickly as we could as we had to be up at 5:30am for an early start to catch the ferry back to Wales. We had completed a whirlwind tour through picturesque Southern Ireland.
Today we move on firstly by coach to Galway and then train to Dublin. At 9am we left the hotel in a very large luxury coach driven by Paul our driver of yesterday. The seats are leather and four lucky passengers have tables to place their maps etc on. The countryside was not good farming country; there were bull rushes in the paddocks and the grass was not lush. The hills were partially obscured by haze. Our first stop was at Adare where we had morning tea. Our driver told us where to look for some nicely thatched cottages so I went in search for them; yes they were nice. The farms improved from here on for a while. As we passed through Limerick driver Paul pointed out the stadium where the Irish beat the All Blacks. We passed through a seaside resort with lots of well kept holiday homes and a golf course where the grass covered sand hill like terrain, was a foot high between the putting greens except for the mown strip footpaths; easy to lose your balls here. We were now heading for the Cliffs of Moher. The bus started to slog up a very narrow country lane edged on both sides by stonewalls, every now and then stooping to let vehicles coming from the opposite direction to pass safely. Passing other big busses was particularly tricky. For the amount of traffic on the road it should really be widened. I hope they never do though, as the narrow lanes between the walls make the up the scenery and give tourists like us a thrill. The Irish have certainly made good business out of the cliffs. The neatly laid stone paths and walls through green grass fields of grazing cattle lead gently up to viewing platforms at the top of the 204meter sea cliffs. The cliffs are of hard black rock; it will take millions of years for them to wear away. Built under the grassy slopes behind and the cliffs were gift shops, rest rooms and a cafe where we had our lunch. After we left this spot we drove through a lot more very narrow roads; it was a slow trip. As we approached Burren high round topped light grey hills appeared in the distance. They looked like they had solid rock surface. I wondered why the rock walls from the green paddocks below continued up the mountains; as we got closer we could see small patches of green vegetation between the rocks, so I guess every bit of grass was being made use of. The houses we passed were all well maintained. I find it difficult to recall any that were not. They were mostly of individual design and painted in pastel shades. The roofs were all slate tiles; real slate, not bitumastic as we saw in England. I cannot recall a timber house anywhere we arrived at Galway at just after 4pm. There was a Volvo sponsored yacht race on which caused traffic chaos. Our train was scheduled to leave at 6:05pm arriving in Dublin at 8:47pm. I left Fay at the station in search of a supermarket to buy our evening meal. I found one quite close to the station. I bought 2 fresh white bread rolls, 2 pieces of ham, an egg salad for me, an apple pie and a trifle for Fay. We dined on the train. When I arrived back at the station I could hardly believe the hoards of people that I had to fight my way through to get back to the waiting room where our group was waiting. I was having thoughts that we may not get on the train so I asked some of them what train they were catching. There was only one platform. They replied to my relief, “the 5:45pm.” It was 5:45pm before they started to load; someone said the train was our train and even though I tried to tell them no they kept going only to return again through the masses. Only half of the people on the platform were allowed to get on, then the guards let a few families with young children on. The train left a ¼hour late and delayed our train. There was still a large crowd. Our train then came for us to load onto after it was due to have left. We had to really fight our way through. The station attendant confused us with another tour group and sent us to the wrong end of the train to a coach that was already full. Back we went again trailing our heavy bags through the tightly bunched crowd. Eventually we found our seats and with relief sat down. What a shemozzle! I will never forget it. We arrived in Dublin at 9:30pm and after a 400meter walk we were at our hotel. We were in bed as quickly as we could as we had to be up at 5:30am for an early start to catch the ferry back to Wales. We had completed a whirlwind tour through picturesque Southern Ireland.
Day 16 Friday 29th May 2009 The Ring of Kerry
Day 16 Friday 29th May 2009. The Ring of Kerry. County Kerry.
The Ring of Kerry is reputed to be one of the top scenic drives in Ireland and we are of great expectation. Soon after we started we were driving through a suburb with some of the best looking houses I have seen in Ireland; they were not the usual uniform, grey or white but of a wide spectrum of colour, shapes and sizes with well tended flower gardens and lawns. Our first stop was at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club. As we drove in through the nice greens we could observe some small dear sitting in a group. (As an afterthought they may have been statues.) We then passed through narrow, tree lined lanes before reaching open country with hills in the background. The driver quoted one as being over three thousand feet. At our first photo stop; a grassy roadside with a rocky stream below us I could observe Rhododendrons amongst the yellow flowering gorse bushes growing wild amid outcrops of rock. The Rhododendrons were flowering two shades of red. Evidence could be seen of an old railway. We passed through two villages before sighting the sea from a vantage point atop a high cliff. The streets in the villages were narrow; buildings were of many different shades; there were three in a row that were outstanding i.e. lime, dark red and the dark green. We passed through several more such villages before our driver stopped so that we could take a picture of a typical Irish peat bog. Our next stop was at a delightful seaside beach resort called Waterville. Charlie Chaplin apparently stayed here so the village commemorates the fact with a statue of on the waterfront. The sun was shining, the grass was green and pleasant to sit on and the sea was deep blue, but we had to move on. The bus slowed as it climbed up a steep hill; neat stone fenced small paddocks with houses sheep and cattle scattered over the terrain as it sloped away from the road down to the sea. The driver stopped at the top of the hill for a photo opportunity. He warned us to be aware of the wind; he was correct; it certainly blew straight from the sea up to the top where we were. We could look back where we had come from and forward to where we were going. Up ‘til now the landscape had been very pretty, rolling country, wild flowers stony creeks and paddocks sandy beaches and blue sea with rounded mountains as a backdrop. We were now leaving this behind us; the landscape was becoming more rugged; the mountains steeper and rockier and lakes were appearing. We were driven down a narrow road towards an ocean beach where at the end was a rich man’s large stone holiday home in a pretty garden setting; it was called Derrynane House. We next stopped at a pretty little village for lunch. I think it was called Kenmare we sat in a small park to eat it. We were entering the lake district of the Killarney National Park. Our next stop was at Muckross House; a large grey stone and castle like building. The house is decorated in the Victorian style of its heyday. It’s richly appointed rooms, the lavish lifestyle of the 19th century landowning classes comes to life as you walk in the footsteps of Muckross Houses most famous guest, Queen Victoria. Before finishing we visited Ross Castle on the shores of Lake Killarney. The boutique hotel we are staying at is very nice. It has internet at €5 for two hours. This night I was able update my diary on the net. Killarney is a nice town with a population of around 16000 who live in very nice houses with pretty gardens; NZ style, not joined together as we see in other towns.
The Ring of Kerry is reputed to be one of the top scenic drives in Ireland and we are of great expectation. Soon after we started we were driving through a suburb with some of the best looking houses I have seen in Ireland; they were not the usual uniform, grey or white but of a wide spectrum of colour, shapes and sizes with well tended flower gardens and lawns. Our first stop was at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club. As we drove in through the nice greens we could observe some small dear sitting in a group. (As an afterthought they may have been statues.) We then passed through narrow, tree lined lanes before reaching open country with hills in the background. The driver quoted one as being over three thousand feet. At our first photo stop; a grassy roadside with a rocky stream below us I could observe Rhododendrons amongst the yellow flowering gorse bushes growing wild amid outcrops of rock. The Rhododendrons were flowering two shades of red. Evidence could be seen of an old railway. We passed through two villages before sighting the sea from a vantage point atop a high cliff. The streets in the villages were narrow; buildings were of many different shades; there were three in a row that were outstanding i.e. lime, dark red and the dark green. We passed through several more such villages before our driver stopped so that we could take a picture of a typical Irish peat bog. Our next stop was at a delightful seaside beach resort called Waterville. Charlie Chaplin apparently stayed here so the village commemorates the fact with a statue of on the waterfront. The sun was shining, the grass was green and pleasant to sit on and the sea was deep blue, but we had to move on. The bus slowed as it climbed up a steep hill; neat stone fenced small paddocks with houses sheep and cattle scattered over the terrain as it sloped away from the road down to the sea. The driver stopped at the top of the hill for a photo opportunity. He warned us to be aware of the wind; he was correct; it certainly blew straight from the sea up to the top where we were. We could look back where we had come from and forward to where we were going. Up ‘til now the landscape had been very pretty, rolling country, wild flowers stony creeks and paddocks sandy beaches and blue sea with rounded mountains as a backdrop. We were now leaving this behind us; the landscape was becoming more rugged; the mountains steeper and rockier and lakes were appearing. We were driven down a narrow road towards an ocean beach where at the end was a rich man’s large stone holiday home in a pretty garden setting; it was called Derrynane House. We next stopped at a pretty little village for lunch. I think it was called Kenmare we sat in a small park to eat it. We were entering the lake district of the Killarney National Park. Our next stop was at Muckross House; a large grey stone and castle like building. The house is decorated in the Victorian style of its heyday. It’s richly appointed rooms, the lavish lifestyle of the 19th century landowning classes comes to life as you walk in the footsteps of Muckross Houses most famous guest, Queen Victoria. Before finishing we visited Ross Castle on the shores of Lake Killarney. The boutique hotel we are staying at is very nice. It has internet at €5 for two hours. This night I was able update my diary on the net. Killarney is a nice town with a population of around 16000 who live in very nice houses with pretty gardens; NZ style, not joined together as we see in other towns.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Day 15 Thursday 28th May 2009 Wexford-Cobh-Killarney
Day 15 Thursday 8th May 2009. Wexford-Cobh-Killarney.
We arose at 5:15am; breakfast at 6:00am and on the bus at 6:30am; we were to have caught the train at 6:48am but because a section of the track was under repair we had to catch the substitute bus to Rosslare to catch it. John persuaded the driver to bring his bus to the hotel for us which saved us a walk. Good work John! We departed Rosslare at 7:11 and arrived at Waterford at 8:23am. The train parks here until 9:35am. We were able to leave our luggage on the train. I went for a walk over a big bridge; a large sailing ship was moored beside a wharf. One of our members had walked to it and found out that it took on disabled people for an ocean sailing experience. It was due to sail later in the morning for America. At 9:35 we left on the next stage of our day long journey and headed for Limerick Junction. I had managed to acquire a map and a railway timetable and was able to see where we were going; I now new john was leading us one of his day tours but also ending at a new city for the night. Up until now we had been riding on suburban commuter trains. The farms in the country side were not as good as those we had seen in England. There were a lot of Friesian cows. The houses were more colourful than in England. At Limerick Junction we changed to a cross-country train travelling from Dublin to Cork; it was more swept up and faster. No power points or internet. We had a short while in Cork before catching the 1:00pm train for a twenty minute trip to Cobh. At Cobh we all went to a museum; the museums three main topics was the emigration of the Irish to America and Australia, the history of the Curnard luxury Liners as well as other shipping lines and the sinking of the Lusitania. The town was also the last port of call of the Titanic on her last fatal voyage. Cobh has had three name change over the years; a long time ago it became known as Cove, then when an English Queen first set foot in Ireland it was here so the town became Queenstown, eventually returning to its original name of Cobh. Between 1815 and 1970 over 3 million Irish emigrated from here. We had three hours to view the museum and see the town before catching the train at 4:30 to Mallow. The train stopped a Cork wherefrom it was only standing room only; for the 50km from Cork to Mallow it was nonstop. At Mallow we had to hurriedly climb stairs to get to our train which was waiting to take us to our final destination for the day, Killarney. On this train there was luggage all over the passageways and in front of the doors; the train was very very packed. We arrived at Killarney at 6:30pm. We had a long but interesting day.
We arose at 5:15am; breakfast at 6:00am and on the bus at 6:30am; we were to have caught the train at 6:48am but because a section of the track was under repair we had to catch the substitute bus to Rosslare to catch it. John persuaded the driver to bring his bus to the hotel for us which saved us a walk. Good work John! We departed Rosslare at 7:11 and arrived at Waterford at 8:23am. The train parks here until 9:35am. We were able to leave our luggage on the train. I went for a walk over a big bridge; a large sailing ship was moored beside a wharf. One of our members had walked to it and found out that it took on disabled people for an ocean sailing experience. It was due to sail later in the morning for America. At 9:35 we left on the next stage of our day long journey and headed for Limerick Junction. I had managed to acquire a map and a railway timetable and was able to see where we were going; I now new john was leading us one of his day tours but also ending at a new city for the night. Up until now we had been riding on suburban commuter trains. The farms in the country side were not as good as those we had seen in England. There were a lot of Friesian cows. The houses were more colourful than in England. At Limerick Junction we changed to a cross-country train travelling from Dublin to Cork; it was more swept up and faster. No power points or internet. We had a short while in Cork before catching the 1:00pm train for a twenty minute trip to Cobh. At Cobh we all went to a museum; the museums three main topics was the emigration of the Irish to America and Australia, the history of the Curnard luxury Liners as well as other shipping lines and the sinking of the Lusitania. The town was also the last port of call of the Titanic on her last fatal voyage. Cobh has had three name change over the years; a long time ago it became known as Cove, then when an English Queen first set foot in Ireland it was here so the town became Queenstown, eventually returning to its original name of Cobh. Between 1815 and 1970 over 3 million Irish emigrated from here. We had three hours to view the museum and see the town before catching the train at 4:30 to Mallow. The train stopped a Cork wherefrom it was only standing room only; for the 50km from Cork to Mallow it was nonstop. At Mallow we had to hurriedly climb stairs to get to our train which was waiting to take us to our final destination for the day, Killarney. On this train there was luggage all over the passageways and in front of the doors; the train was very very packed. We arrived at Killarney at 6:30pm. We had a long but interesting day.
Day 14 Wednesday 27th May 2009 Dublin to Wexford
Day 14 Wednesday 27th May 2009 Dublin to Wexford.
After any easy morning Fay and I left the hotel to walk about 400 meters along a level tram track to catch a tram to Connolly Rail Station where our would train leave for Wexford at 1:05pm. Most of the group had gone before. The train left on time. At first the train travelled along elevated tracks; we were able to look down on everyone on the streets and some gardens. After about ¼ hour we were back down to earth and very soon we reached the coastline. The beaches were of grey sand; some were shingle; I counted about ten hardy souls swimming in the calm sea. For a while the houses in the small villages were mostly white with grey roof tiles. Later they were greys and browns. About ¾ of the way to Wexford we left the seashore and headed inland where the yellow flowering gorse made a lovely contrast against the green fields of grass. We arrived at Wexford on time at 3:27pm after having travel about 136km. John led us across a very busy narrow street; then up another narrow street; round a corner into an even narrower one way street for cars. Fortunately the footpaths were wider. After turning the next corner to the right it was the foot paths turn to become narrower. At times we were forced to walk on the road slowing the traffic; the drivers were very patient. I was get visions of arriving at a small boutique hotel but when we turned the last corner to the left, what a surprise; the Whites of Wexford was a huge hotel set amongst generally small buildings apart from the cathedrals. After settling Fay into our room I went to check the town out. It was mainly old but quaint. On one narrow street I spotted a front door in a small stone cottage which when I stood in front of reached only to the top of my eyes; it was approx. 168cm. There was a lot of traffic which appeared to move very fast considering the narrowness of the streets. Eventually I found a shopping street with good shops. Eventually I found the waterfront where fishing boats were tied up. I asked our bus driver the next morning what sort of fish they caught; his reply “all sorts”. The afternoon all most over I hastened back to the hotel; we were dining as a group at 7;00pm; then early to bed for an early start next day.
After any easy morning Fay and I left the hotel to walk about 400 meters along a level tram track to catch a tram to Connolly Rail Station where our would train leave for Wexford at 1:05pm. Most of the group had gone before. The train left on time. At first the train travelled along elevated tracks; we were able to look down on everyone on the streets and some gardens. After about ¼ hour we were back down to earth and very soon we reached the coastline. The beaches were of grey sand; some were shingle; I counted about ten hardy souls swimming in the calm sea. For a while the houses in the small villages were mostly white with grey roof tiles. Later they were greys and browns. About ¾ of the way to Wexford we left the seashore and headed inland where the yellow flowering gorse made a lovely contrast against the green fields of grass. We arrived at Wexford on time at 3:27pm after having travel about 136km. John led us across a very busy narrow street; then up another narrow street; round a corner into an even narrower one way street for cars. Fortunately the footpaths were wider. After turning the next corner to the right it was the foot paths turn to become narrower. At times we were forced to walk on the road slowing the traffic; the drivers were very patient. I was get visions of arriving at a small boutique hotel but when we turned the last corner to the left, what a surprise; the Whites of Wexford was a huge hotel set amongst generally small buildings apart from the cathedrals. After settling Fay into our room I went to check the town out. It was mainly old but quaint. On one narrow street I spotted a front door in a small stone cottage which when I stood in front of reached only to the top of my eyes; it was approx. 168cm. There was a lot of traffic which appeared to move very fast considering the narrowness of the streets. Eventually I found a shopping street with good shops. Eventually I found the waterfront where fishing boats were tied up. I asked our bus driver the next morning what sort of fish they caught; his reply “all sorts”. The afternoon all most over I hastened back to the hotel; we were dining as a group at 7;00pm; then early to bed for an early start next day.
Day 13 Tuesday 26th May 2009 A Day in Dublin
Day 13. Tuesday 26th May 2009. A day in Dublin.
Today the sun is lighting up the scene a little and the city does not look quite so grey. Our hotel is situated about 2 miles from the City Centre. Just outside our hotel is the River Liffey and on each side of it are two one way main roads that lead to and from the centre of the city and on to the port. I needed to cash some traveller’s cheques so I set off along the road. Beside the hotel and on a separate road running parallel to the main road is a tram track with frequent well patronised trams. I had no Euros so I set off on foot. Within ten minutes I was looking at shops on the way. The pastry shops were lovely, but oh the price of sandwiches and cakes; sandwiches were on average about €5.00 ($NZ12.50). After a while I managed to find a bank that would cash my cheques for a small fee, but woe is me, I had brought Fay’s passport rather than mine. Just as well I have my new Westpac worldwide debit card; it is really useful. It gives $US in America, Pounds in Great Britain and Euros in Ireland and Europe; all on the one card. As I wandered along I found a pedestrian mall full of interesting shops and street vendors. There was a specialist soap shop; all the different handmade soaps filled the air with an overpowering fragrance. The meat shops were colourful but wow the price of meat is high; one large (10kg is my estimate) leg of pork was €49.99c ($NZ125 approx.) There were several old grand ma mas pushing perambulators. They did not have their grandchildren in them; one had bananas, one had pears and one had lovely red cherries; yes they were selling them to passersby. Men were sitting on chairs holding placards advertising nearby business. One was for an Irish fortune teller. One busker was playing lively music on an accordion and another was singing as he played his guitar. One cake shop was particularly enticing; I bought a lovely butterfly cupcake liberally covered with cream and took it for Fay who was having a day of rest back to the hotel. I had walked all the way over a period of 5 hours. The hotel we are staying at is a Best Western, the Ashling Hotel. It has recently been refurbished. The rooms are large and comfortable; the fittings are mostly chrome even down to the power points. There are two large mirrors; fay is intrigued that she appears many times off into the distance as she sits in bed watching the nice flat screen LCD Television. We had a splendid dinner in the hotel restaurant.
Today the sun is lighting up the scene a little and the city does not look quite so grey. Our hotel is situated about 2 miles from the City Centre. Just outside our hotel is the River Liffey and on each side of it are two one way main roads that lead to and from the centre of the city and on to the port. I needed to cash some traveller’s cheques so I set off along the road. Beside the hotel and on a separate road running parallel to the main road is a tram track with frequent well patronised trams. I had no Euros so I set off on foot. Within ten minutes I was looking at shops on the way. The pastry shops were lovely, but oh the price of sandwiches and cakes; sandwiches were on average about €5.00 ($NZ12.50). After a while I managed to find a bank that would cash my cheques for a small fee, but woe is me, I had brought Fay’s passport rather than mine. Just as well I have my new Westpac worldwide debit card; it is really useful. It gives $US in America, Pounds in Great Britain and Euros in Ireland and Europe; all on the one card. As I wandered along I found a pedestrian mall full of interesting shops and street vendors. There was a specialist soap shop; all the different handmade soaps filled the air with an overpowering fragrance. The meat shops were colourful but wow the price of meat is high; one large (10kg is my estimate) leg of pork was €49.99c ($NZ125 approx.) There were several old grand ma mas pushing perambulators. They did not have their grandchildren in them; one had bananas, one had pears and one had lovely red cherries; yes they were selling them to passersby. Men were sitting on chairs holding placards advertising nearby business. One was for an Irish fortune teller. One busker was playing lively music on an accordion and another was singing as he played his guitar. One cake shop was particularly enticing; I bought a lovely butterfly cupcake liberally covered with cream and took it for Fay who was having a day of rest back to the hotel. I had walked all the way over a period of 5 hours. The hotel we are staying at is a Best Western, the Ashling Hotel. It has recently been refurbished. The rooms are large and comfortable; the fittings are mostly chrome even down to the power points. There are two large mirrors; fay is intrigued that she appears many times off into the distance as she sits in bed watching the nice flat screen LCD Television. We had a splendid dinner in the hotel restaurant.
Day 12 Monday 25th May 2009 Liveropool to Dublin
Day 12 Monday 25th May 2009. Liverpool to Dublin.
My day was ok until after a lovely breakfast; then it went wrong; first I had forgotten about our changed schedule caused by railway repair; Instead of catching the train for Holyhead Dublin Ferry port at Liverpool Lime Street we first had to catch a bus to Birkenhead Station which took longer meaning we had to start earlier. If it had not been for rearguard Ross phoning me I would have been left behind. Thank you Ross. Any way we caught up the others at Birkenhead Station and set off at 9:50am for Chester where our first train change occurs. I went through the barrier to buy a sandwich an on my return I produced my Train ticket to get back through again. I walked about 8 meters to fay and handed her the sandwich; then I could not find my ticket. I had lost it within 8 meters. We hunted everywhere and all my pockets. I was advised that I may be able to buy another on the train. As luck would have it no train attendant asked for it. I walked through the station barriers as well without trouble. At Chester we boarded a Virgin train that came from Euston in London. There was not much luggage space which impeded our boarding. We all settled down after the train departed at 11:16 by utilising spare seats as luggage racks. Very soon the station names and signs seemed to be written in a strange language. That meant we were travelling through Wales. The terrain now had some hills and the paddocks had gorse hedges covered with yellow flowers. As we neared Holyhead mist was moving from the sea through the hills and houses. We arrived on time at 12:50pm. A short time later we passed through an x-ray security check and boarded a bus which drove us onto the boat. We had to climb stairs up to the seventh deck. When we got there all the good window seats had been taken. Never mind ten minutes after leaving the dock we were in thick fog and could not see sea scenery. The ferry is large and modern. They serve very good meals. The fish and chips are served with mushy peas. I like mushy peas. About 30 minutes before we docked the fog lifted; this enabled us to see Ireland for the first time. The day was heavily overcast with rain threatening. My overall impression was that Dublin was a grey city, it being the dominant colour especially as the grey buildings met the grey sky. We were loaded into a bus onboard and driven off to a depot where we collected our luggage and then driven to our hotel. The hotel has a very new look about it and guess what? I have complementary broadband.
My day was ok until after a lovely breakfast; then it went wrong; first I had forgotten about our changed schedule caused by railway repair; Instead of catching the train for Holyhead Dublin Ferry port at Liverpool Lime Street we first had to catch a bus to Birkenhead Station which took longer meaning we had to start earlier. If it had not been for rearguard Ross phoning me I would have been left behind. Thank you Ross. Any way we caught up the others at Birkenhead Station and set off at 9:50am for Chester where our first train change occurs. I went through the barrier to buy a sandwich an on my return I produced my Train ticket to get back through again. I walked about 8 meters to fay and handed her the sandwich; then I could not find my ticket. I had lost it within 8 meters. We hunted everywhere and all my pockets. I was advised that I may be able to buy another on the train. As luck would have it no train attendant asked for it. I walked through the station barriers as well without trouble. At Chester we boarded a Virgin train that came from Euston in London. There was not much luggage space which impeded our boarding. We all settled down after the train departed at 11:16 by utilising spare seats as luggage racks. Very soon the station names and signs seemed to be written in a strange language. That meant we were travelling through Wales. The terrain now had some hills and the paddocks had gorse hedges covered with yellow flowers. As we neared Holyhead mist was moving from the sea through the hills and houses. We arrived on time at 12:50pm. A short time later we passed through an x-ray security check and boarded a bus which drove us onto the boat. We had to climb stairs up to the seventh deck. When we got there all the good window seats had been taken. Never mind ten minutes after leaving the dock we were in thick fog and could not see sea scenery. The ferry is large and modern. They serve very good meals. The fish and chips are served with mushy peas. I like mushy peas. About 30 minutes before we docked the fog lifted; this enabled us to see Ireland for the first time. The day was heavily overcast with rain threatening. My overall impression was that Dublin was a grey city, it being the dominant colour especially as the grey buildings met the grey sky. We were loaded into a bus onboard and driven off to a depot where we collected our luggage and then driven to our hotel. The hotel has a very new look about it and guess what? I have complementary broadband.
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