UK and Dublin: Day 10: Glasgow, Scotland to Dublin, Ireland July 30, 2024

My husband K, daughter J and I were up at 7. We ate up the last of the breakfast foods we'd brought and double-checked  to be sure we'd left nothing behind, before we checked out at 8:20.

We stepped out into sunshine and walked down the street toward the train station. We stopped, though, at the bus stop just 5 minutes down the street to wait for bus #500. The clouds reappeared.

By8:35, we were on the road to the airport. At 9, we were all booted off well short of even T1, because a vehicle ahead couldn't get through the security gate. Of course, as soon as all of us were off the bus, the vehicle moved and the bus took off.

We hiked down to T2, arriving at 9:10. But, we couldn't find any sign of  Aer Lingus.  So, we went to T1, where we found check-in didn't start until 10. We looked around the area a bit and kept checking the boards for updates.

At 10:10, which was 10 minutes late, we were waiting in a long line for desks 23 and 24 for Aer Lingus check-in. (This is such a European thing- don't tell you where you are checking in until it is time to do so.) Only 23 was being used, because 24 was reserved for priority. We ran into an Aussie couple from the Peak District visit.

We were finally done check-in at 10:50 and went right to security. My artificial knee tripped the security warning and I got extra attention. We got finished at 11.

Now, it was time to get lunch. We went into Boots and J got her own food, while I got two meal deals for K and me at Ł4,99 each. Once again, the small shopping bag that hangs on my purse came in handy.

At 11:40, we were seated at gate 16 and ate our lunch. We admired a nifty Glasgow advertisement with the G made to look like thistle. We also noted we had British money with our girl Jane Austen on it.

I was surprised to look out the window and see that our plane was a propeller plane, basically a puddle jumper.

At 12:01, we were in a line on the tarmac leading to the back of the plane. I noticed that the luggage was being loaded in front, behind the pilots. It wasn't until we were seated on flight EI3223  at 12:05 that we were told we couldn't take photos. Too late.

    

We were in seats 2A, C, D. The plane pushed back at 12:17 and took off at 12:25. It was a short, uneventful flight, for we landed in Dublin at 1:12.

When we got off, we were taken to the terminal in a bus. K noticed a young woman with a clarinet case and asked if she was going to ClarinetFest. She was and they got to talking. Eventually, she asked his name and, when he replied, she blurted out, "You're a celebrity!" We will never let him live that down. She said she read every one of his columns, when he was president of the ICA (International Clarinet Association).

After we got through immigration at 1:42, we ran into this great sign. I love that German is the third language. Both parts of my heritage- German and Irish- on one sign.

Luggage in hand, we were outside and waiting for a taxi shortly after 2.

We were in a taxi at 2:05. He was talkative and warned us to not be in the area behind our hotel after dark. He had us at the Hilton Garden Inn City Centre at 2:30. I paid Ł26.44 for the fare. We were staying here so that K could get Hilton points and it wasn't far from the ClarinetFest.  We were assigned room 223 and could go right up.

 

I'll admit that I did not look forward to climbing in and out of that tub, even with bars.

We got ourselves settled in, claiming drawers, closet space, etc, because we would be here a while. I got some shots of the view from our window.

 

J had planned  an activity for us for today. So, we left at 3:50.

The River Liffey was on the other side of the street, but the Sean O'Casey Bridge was just catty corner from the hotel. On the bridge, we had to stop and take photos both to the west and to the east.

   

Zooming to the west, we could see the imposing Customs House.

Turning back toward the street, we could see EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, for which we already have tickets. Wikipedia had interesting information about the building itself:

The CHQ Building, formerly known as Stack A, is an industrial building in Dublin, Ireland. CHQ stands for "Custom House Quay", named for the nearby Custom House. Known as the Tobacco Store to dockworkers, it was built in 1820 to store cargos of tobacco, tea, wine and spirits and later grain and flour. Tobacco, tea and grain and flour were kept in separate compartments above ground. Wine and spirit casks were stored in the bonded vaults below ground. 

Looking just to the right of that, we could see just how big our hotel was.

From out here, we had a better view of the east, which is where the Liffey empties into the Dublin Bay. We could see the cable-stayed swingbridge Samuel Beckett. It is meant to look like a harp lying on its edge. The harp is the national symbol for Ireland. We could also see the very modern Convention Centre Dublin with its tilted front. K would be going there for the ClarinetFest. Wikipedia had this about the building:

The Convention Centre Dublin is a convention centre in the Dublin Docklands, Ireland. The Convention centre overlooks the River Liffey at Spencer Dock. It was designed by the Irish-born American architect Kevin Roche. Construction started in 1998 and the building opened in 2010. From June 2020 it acted as a temporary location for Dáil Éireann [lower house of the legislature] due to the necessity to implement social distancing because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the other side of the bridge, we came upon a sculpture by Dony Mac Manus called "The Linesman". It commemorates all those who used to work in shipping along the river.

Dublin is an interesting mix of old and new. For new, you can't beat the IFSC- International Financial Services Center. That's a nice Irish green on that glass.

The river is near the ocean. So, of course, there are sea gulls like this European herring gull.

We passed the church that J and I will be attending for Sunday Mass- Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Close by the Talbot Memorial Bridge is the memorial to the Venerable Matt Talbot, an Irish ascetic who died in 1925. He is admired by many for his life of self-sacrifice and mortification of the flesh. Pope Paul VI declared him "venerable" in 1975.

We soon came upon a site that brought back old memories- an EF bus. I took students to Germany on tours organized by EF.

We discovered that an Irish mailbox looks a lot like a British one, just green, of course.

Another memorial appeared. This one was dedicated to Patrick Sheahan, a Dublin constable who died trying to rescue a colleague overcome by sewer gas. That happened in 1905, under British rule.

 

Finally, at 4:50, we arrived at the Irish Whiskey Museum. The sign says "a hundred thousand welcomes", which is an Irish greeting.

 

It probably bears mentioning at this point that J doesn't drink, I don't like whiskey, and K doesn't like Irish whiskey. So, why are we here? It's a cultural experience, like J agreeing to visit a brewery or winery.

The museum was upstairs, but, thankfully, there was an elevator. We bought our tickets in the gift shop. J paid for hers and I paid €17 for non-drinking and €21 for a senior. I bought 2 pins and a postcard, before visiting their restroom, where I found this.

The tour began at 5 and there were quite a few folks. We did have to climb stairs, but, there you go.

We learned important vocabulary.

We were taken to a room meant to look like a cave and the guide told us the history of whiskey and how it is made. The word whiskey came from "uisce beatha", where the first word is the Old Irish word for "water" and "bethu" is the Old Irish word for "life". So, it is the "water of life".

The next room was styled as a Victorian pub. Pictures on the wall came to life and talked.

We eventually were led to the tasting room. Each person got four pours. Well, except J and I, who were given Coke products in cute little bottles. K was surprised to find he liked the Tullamore D.E.W. So much so, that he is actually going to look for it back home.

As we left at six, we saw this clever ad.

Stopping in a souvenir shop, we saw all manner of shirts. But, the one that caught my eye was the second one on the top. Brilliant!

Going a bit farther down the street, we came to Butlers Chocolate Cafe. We went in to check it out and sampled one that was very good. So, we bought some to take home and some to eat while we are here.

It was time for dinner and J led us down to Duke Street to The Duke, an old establishment. We arrived at 6:38.

 

We were directed to an incredibly small table with a banquette and two chairs. They really are a pub and emphasize the drinks, I guess. I ordered what turned out to be a pint of Orchard Thieves Apple Cider for €7.40. J got a half pint of non-alcoholic Guinness for €3.70 and K's pint of Five Lamps Lage was €7.10.J was not impressed by hers, but ours were good.

 

J and I both ordered what turned out to be a rather watery Irish stew for €18.50. K got Five Lamps Beer-Battered Cod for €18.

 

We left at 7:36 and soon came upon this nice piece of art. I couldn't find a title or artist.

  

Heading back to the river, we saw the Provost's House at Trinity College. We'd visited Trinity the last time we were here and saw the Book of Kells.

The walk along the quay was pleasant. I liked the lamp posts and also the Pulse Sculpture on City Quay. The later had blinking lights.

As we crossed the Sean O'Casey Bridge, we had a nice view of the sun heading down in the west over the River Liffey.

At about 8:10, we were back in the hotel. A couple of hours later, I looked out to see some of the buildings lit with green lights. I don't care to say how long it took me to go, "Oh, the Emerald Isle".

It took me until 1 to feel wound down enough to go to bed.

My phone registered 10,394 steps for 3.2 miles.