Let’s try this again. You are invited to view Turkish Delight, a photographic journey of our Spring 2014 trip to Istanbul and Cappadocia, with stops in Sinop and Trabzon. Photography by both of us. If you have several minutes to fritter away, click the link, sound up and full screen, click the little wheel to view in 720 HD for better quality and enjoy the show! http://youtu.be/9vePK7UU6PY.
Well, folks, this seems to be it! Luisa, our travel agent, booked us home from Italy through Dublin to get a good airline fare. But we stayed two nights to take a look around, so blew the savings. It was fun taking a peek at Ireland, as we have not been here except to change planes at Shannon years ago. I bought a china ashtray in the duty-free shop, that was how long ago it was—another millennium.
We had a comedic introduction to Dublin from the cabbie who drove us from the airport to our hotel. He was Rodney Dangerfield on wheels, literally. He had the one-liners coming so fast that we can’t remember any of them. But he’s driving us to the airport in the morning, so we have a second chance.
But in the meantime, we saw Dublin from a HOHO, which is a great way to get a quick overview of a city when your time is limited. Twenty-three stops were on the circuit, including cathedrals, museums (all were closed today), a zoo, Trinity College and Dublin Castle, to name a few. We eschewed them all for the most popular tourist attraction in Ireland: the Guinness Storehouse. It is Disneyland for beer drinkers, and we happen to have one in our family. I believe Chris was impressed.
In the Storehouse, Guinness has created a teaching experience inside a massive seven-story building, a former Guinness fermentation plant, remodeled into the shape of a giant pint of Guinness. The Storehouse is located in the heart of the St James’s Gate Brewery, which has been home to the black stuff since 1759. Oh, what they can do with water, barley, hops and yeast. At the end, you wind up at the top-floor round Gravity Bar where you are rewarded with a complimentary pint of Guinness, which is enjoyed while taking in the 360-degree views across Dublin.
Dublin is not world-class, or exotic, or even somewhere we would return, but it was fun to get a taste of this old city where the Irish brogue can charm the shamrocks off of you.
We are blessed to have been able to make this extraordinary trip as a family. Postcards will help us remember moments of Turkey, the Black Sea cruise, Croatia and Italy when they drift into the past. Thanks for coming along. I hope you enjoyed the ride!
This is Dublin!
What’s on tap at the pub where we lunched today.
Street scenes from the HOHO
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
This is where we hopped off the HOHO. (get it?)
A section of the Guinness Brewery
Hey, it’s Ireland!
Our tour guide.
In the massive pint.
Water, a magic ingredient.
When I asked the bartender to post with the brews, he remarked, “Ya sure know how to ruin a picture of three pints of Guinness!”
Guinness’ take on the Space Needle of Dublin.
Fresh off the plane from Rome yesterday, the travelers eat a hearty Irish lunch. Today at our pub lunch, Chris dutifully ordered bangers and mash.
Postcards 