My mom and her friend Mary made the long trip over for a fun-filled vaca to Antwerp, Dublin, Galway, Bath and London!
The first night started off a bit rocky with my mom not having my correct phone number, and her and Mary wondering the streets of Amsterdam, running into Dutch folks pointing them in the wrong direction. Luckily with the help of my brother, we were able to connect and get them to my home! We celebrated their arrival at Molenpad where we had bitterballen, spiced pumpkin soup and fresh mint tea!
The next couple days included a tour of Anne Frank, yummy italian subs on a boat ride/tour with Pap, dinner at Casa Di David, a delayed train back and forth to Antwerp for shopping and pastries, and finally sushi and wine with Kirk and Ali! A nice quick weekend in Amsterdam before heading off to Ireland and England.
Dublin is spectacular. So far one of my favorite places. The people are so friendly and genuine. We met a lot of nice folks in passing, at bars over big pints of guiness (delicious) and at cafes. We ate some tasty Irish stews, turkey-bacon-brie sandwiches, shepherds pie, and sipped on Irish coffee! The right way to have your coffee!
We stayed at the lovely Graftin Capitol hotel right in the heart of the town. It's walking distance to many cafes; the Hairy Lemon, Sheehans and Metro. Our first night was a bit noisy. The hotel is attached to a night club that went absolultely nuts until 4am on a Sunday. Monday was a bank holiday and a marathon. How participants slept, no clue. We later heard that Lady Gaga and her dancers ended up at the club. Now I get why it was so loud!
We took an early train to Galway and then a car ride out to the Ballynahinch castle. This lovely place is surrounded by gardens, rivers, trails, and wooded grounds.
Families spend a lot of their time here hiking, pony trekking, fly fishing, golfing and visiting the national park.
The grass was so green and soft like pillows. The river looked like tea and you could see the current move, but not hear a thing. Truly peaceful. We spent most of time reading in the living room in front of a fireplace, drinking Irish coffee and going on lengthy hikes. I also sipped on Jameson with an orange slice - a good way to enjoy your whiskey (learned this trick in Amsterdam)! One hike ended with us being a bit lost and Mary falling into a bog.
After our short stay we headed back to Dublin for more shopping and touring! We didn't get to see Lady Gaga in the night club, but we did see her perform at the O2. She was awesome! Great seats, good vibe, intense beats, and a crazy crowd.
We toured the following places in Dublin:
Trinity College - Book of Kells and Molly Malone Statue
Kilmainham Gaol - former political prison from the late 1700's
Old Jameson Distillery - now I am certified in Whiskey
The political prison was just chilling. Walking around the ward you could definitely feel what it was like to be a prisoner and living under their horrendous conditions. This particular place had no windows in hopes that disease wouldn't spread, so you could only imagine what it would be like as a 10 year old amongst all kinds of criminals, sitting in the cold, sharing a cell with 15-20 others. Yes, a 10 year old, since this prison would even take in children for petty crime like stealing bread, because they were starving and poor.
Funny shows on Dublin TV:
Sally Jesse Raphael and a ton of Alien Nation. The Irish also LOVE Judge Judy!
Next stop, Bath. We flew into Bristol and cabbed over to Bath. Not a fun car ride. I am realizing more and more that I struggle in cars now (get car sick). I guess not driving your own car for now 9 months can do that to you. We stayed in for the night at the lovely Three Abbey Green (B and B) and munched on take-out pizza.
The following morning we enjoyed a traditional English breakfast (eggs, toast, ham and beans) before walking around the quaint town. We saw everything from the Roman Baths (original spa where the city is named after), the Royal Crescent, Assembly Rooms, Fashion Museum (Princess Di exhibit), Jane Austen Centre and the Abbey Church. The Abbey Church has the Jacob's ladder on the side of the structure, such a beautiful place. We spent the evening at a little French restaurant.
On Halloween we hired a driver to take us to Avebury and Stonehenge (about an hour outside Bath). Our driver Peter worked for the British Intelligence and now spends his days retired, traveling and giving tours!
His first stop of the tour was Fox Talbot Estate. William Fox Talbot was a British inventor and pioneer of photography! Just think because of him we can share pictures with you today! Here he showed us all the homes and buildings made out of limestone and flintrock. We even went thru small towns with homes made out of thatch. After our nice walk around estate we made our way over to Avebury in Wiltshire county.
Avebury is an ancient monument and largest stone circle in all of Europe. It is actually older than Stonehenge, about 5,000 years old, and 16 times bigger. You are free to roam the whole area and even touch the stones. We sat on a stone called "Devils Chair". Another favorite spot, the "Barber's Stone". Underneath the stone they found scissors and believed the owner was in fact a barber.
We made our way to the touristy Stonehenge. Unlike Avebury you can not touch the stones or really even walk up to them because of recent problems with vandalism. Stonehenge is England's most famous stone circle. It is believed the stones were built in phases between 3000 and 1000 B.C. with huge stones brought over from Wales or Ireland. It is still not known who built the circle and why, but the mystery I believe makes it more interesting! We also admired the Ley Lines by holding iron rods and walking slowly into this mystical energy. Once you hit this spot the rods will cross into each other.
On our way to our last spot Peter pointed out the many burial mounds and took us to the Kenneth Long Barrow Burial Mound. This mound sat on a top of large hill all by itself with breathtaking views from all directions.
Last stop, Salisbury Cathedral. One of Peter's favorite spots to show on his tour mainly because of what it holds inside, the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta is a document which contains laws establishing the rights of English barons and landowners.
The Cathedral like most was huge, breathtaking and beautiful. I truly admired the courtyard. Felt like I was Alice in Wonderland.
What a wonderful roadtrip and a fun way to spend Halloween! Peter was an absolute joy!!!
Our last night in Bath was spent at an intimate Italian bistro. The Three Abbey Green really made Bath spectacular and feel like home! Before heading out on the train I did a little shopping. People kept asking me "are you ok?" and I thought, "why, does something look wrong?", but this is something I slowly caught onto, are you ok is the equivalent for "how are you?". Good to know when you visit England!
London, final stop! We stayed at the Grovesner over in Westminster by Buckingham Palace. Immediately hopped on a bus and took a little tour of all the main attractions.
We saw everything from Tower and London Bridge, walked across the Millenium bridge, took a ride on the London Eye, drove by Big Ben and strolled thru St. James Park. We spent some quality time at the Tower of London.
I found this to be funny, you might not, instead of RENT you will see a lot of signs that say TO LET. The whole time I couldn't get my mind off these signs advertising Toilets.
I was able to meet up with my friend from Amsterdam who now lives in London! So great to see Denessa and explore her new city! My childhood friend Tim happened to be in London so we met up for quick bite!
I look forward to many trips back to London. It's only a hour flight and such a fun-filled city!
I couldn't have asked more from such a fun trip with my Mom and Mary!!! What a blast and a time I will always cherish!
