In March of this year, I experienced wonderful luck for our trip to the West Midlands from London to visit family. My cousin, Cheryl, and I met up in London after her trip to Morocco. I had, at one time, planned to go there with her, but work circumstances changed and prevented me from being able to take an extended time off. Therefore, I flew in from the US and we met in London. You can read about my journey here.
Many of our cousins live in the West Midlands, near Birmingham. We were staying in Rowley Regis with our cousin Linda and her husband David.The plan was to take a taxi from our hotel near Heathrow to Euston Station to catch a train up to Dudley/Sandwell, the closest station to their home.
We arranged transport to the station via the concierge at the hotel. Our driver arrived promptly and we loaded our bags into the car. As Abid drove us to the station, he asked how much we were going to have to pay for our train tickets. When we told him, he offered to drive us right to our cousin’s door for the same price!! This was amazing!! Apparently, he usually does tours to Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath, but his tour that day was canceled. It was a win-win situation for everyone! Abid was a fascinating man and we enjoyed talking with him. He kept us hydrated with water (a key for me) and entertained us with stories of his life. I DEFINITELY plan to use him again on future trips!
Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures. The whole situation surprised me so much! It was wonderful to be driven, in a nice car, instead of being on a train in coach. Also, being dropped off right at Linda’s house instead of them having to pick us up at the train station was amazing! And it cost us no more than taking the train! Definitely a win-win situation for everyone involved! It was such wonderful luck for all of us!
You can read more about our adventures in the West Midlands here.
At the end of June (2018), my youngest two children, Kendyl and CJ, and I drove down to Lynchburg, Virginia to visit their half-sister and my step-daughter, Haley. We always love to see Haley, and now that she has a precious daughter, Riley, we love it even more! It was a rainy drive down, which is sad because the drive is usually such a beautiful one!
We met Haley at one of our favorite eateries, Wasabi. It is kind of a tradition for us to eat there each time we visit. It is a hibachi place and our chef was a ton of fun!
My kids and I at Wasabi in Lynchburg.
The next day we had brunch at El Jefe, where Riley hammed it up for some pictures.
Kendyl and Riley.Kendyl and Riley.
That night, Sean (Haley’s husband) grilled us some amazing steaks–that was the highlight for CJ!
On Sunday we went to Cracker Barrel for brunch to meet Barbara, the kids’ grandmother. Unfortunately, Great-granddad was not up to making it. He is 94 years old now, so we need to make it a point to drive out to his farm next time we visit. That evening we had dinner at Robin Alexander. The food was amazing and there was a caramel apple martini that was TOO DIE FOR!
Most of our visit was for catching up with Haley and Riley! I had not seen them since right after Riley was born last August, so it was amazing to see how much she had grown and how her little personality had developed!
Me with my granddaughter Riley!The cutest child EVER!
Fortunately, our drive home was much nicer weather-wise and I was able to get a picture during one of our stops!
Traveling back to the US was pretty uneventful, other than the fact that I was travelling in a sling. The BEST part of the day was being able to go through US Customs while still in Dublin! This was key, allowing us added time for our layover in Charlotte. It was especially nice since our arrival gate and departure gate in Charlotte were adjacent to one another. If we had had to go through Customs in Charlotte, we would have had to leave the concourse only to return to the same area!
Dublin to Charlotte
We enjoyed several movies during the Dublin to Charlotte flight, including The Darkest Hour (which was even more interesting after visiting The Churchill War Rooms–they were exactly like the movie–did they film in there?) and the newest Jumanji. I usually read when flying, but on a flight that long, I was happy to have some other form of entertainment. The food was very good for airplane food, and the free wine was a bonus!
Home Sweet Home
I thoroughly enjoyed our European vacation, but I was happy to get home to my other kids and my pets! During our trip I had decided not to travel for more than two weeks at a time, but I’ve already blown that–next March I am going to Morocco with my cousin and some of her friends. That trip is 15 days, but Cheryl and I are planning a side trip afterward back to the UK to visit our cousins again. It will be Cheryl’s first time meeting them and I will be excited to see them again!
We enjoyed our last full day of Dublin attractions, despite having my arm in a sling due to my fall the day before (read about it here). Our first stop was the Jennie Johnson, one of the famine tall ships that took the folks that left Ireland during the potato famine to other places in the world. Often the US and Canada. Our guide, Ronan, was very knowledgeable about the plight of the people in general, and about the history of this particular ship specifically. It was an eye opening experience and anyone who had family leave Ireland during that time should visit it!
The Jennie Johnson Tall Ship
Bow of the Jennie Johnson, a replica of a ship that carried Irish people to other places during the Potato Famine.Depiction of the Captain of the Jennie Johnson.The Jennie Johnson under scaffolding during renovations.The :”Famine Statues” on the river walkway near the tall ship.
Museum of Irish Emigration
After the ship we visited the Museum of Irish Emigration. Amazing fact–there are over 70 million people in the world who have Irish ancestry! This is WAY more than live in Ireland today! The museum was very interesting and informative, and another thing I recommend for anyone of Irish descent!
Lunch at HQ
We tried to have lunch at the Ferryman Pub we had been trying to get to for our whole visit, Bingo! We got a seat at the bar–only to find out they do not serve food on the weekend! WTF???? I was so disappointed! Ah well, we walked back to the canal area and ended up having a lovely lunch at HQ. Our server was named Kevin and he was very friendly and nice! I had a Chicken Pesto Salad and it was AMAZINGLY good! Seth had a burger and fries that he enjoyed quite a bit!
Seth’s burger and fries.My chicken pesto salad.
After lunch, we walked back to our hotel and passed what looks to be the Irish headquarters for Facebook!
Facebook’s sign at its Irish location.
Our Last Dinner in Dublin
As per our tradition, we had dinner on our last night at the restaurant in our hotel. I had a lovely salmon while Seth had duck (his favorite). Both were delicious, and we killed a couple bottles of wine! It was the perfect way to cap off our wonderful trip enjoying all of the Dublin attractions!
My delicious salmon.Seth’s duck.
!
We were sad that our European adventure was coming to an end, but both of us were more than ready to get home. I missed my other kids, my pets, and my own bed! Believe it or not, I even missed my job and my co-workers! Yes, my work is a major part of who I am, and I miss it if I’m gone too long!
My next post will be a brief one about our trip back to the States! Stay tuned! You can find it here.
Our Friday in Dublin started with a Whiskey Brunch at the Irish Whiskey Museum. This was very informative and we got so sample several Irish Whiskeys to compare them to each other. My favorite was the middle one, which I think was called Porters. Apparently it is the favorite of the Irish, so much so that they don’t export it so they can keep it for themselves! The museum is not associated with any one brand, so that made it even more interesting! The leader of our little group was actually from the US. Her name was Shannon and she had just finished her Masters at Trinity College. She was fun and informative! The brunch afterwards was also very good!
Pictures of the Irish Whiskey Museum
Old-fashioned distilling equipment.Uisce Beatha means “Water of Life” in Irish.The bar!Our three Irish Whiskey samples.I just thought this made a cool photo!Our delicious meal for the Irish Brunch.
Walking Around Dublin
After the Whiskey Brunch, we walked Grafton Street. It was a vibrant area, but not a lot for us since we are not big shoppers. From there we headed to the Temple Bar area and had a drink in the famed Temple Bar itself. It was very crowded even though it was only about noon! There was a gentleman playing traditional Irish music, which I love!
The iconic Grafton Street in Dublin.My son, Seth, in front of the famous Temple Bar.One of several bars inside The Temple Bar.
We wanted to get some pictures of the Ha’penny Bridge–the first bridge over the River Liffey. The name comes from the price of the toll back in the day.
The Ha’penny Bridge.
Dublin Castle
Next on our agenda was the Dublin Castle. It seemed more like a museum than a castle to me. The self-guided tour was not as thorough as I would have liked, so consider the actual guided tour if you go there and are a history buff like me!
One of the elaborate halls in Dublin Castle.The same hall from another angle.The throne in Dublin Castle.
Lunch and My Clumsiness
We had lunch at O’Neill’s. It was a self-service kind of place, which I’m not a big fan of, but at least we didn’t have to wait for our bill! Most places in Europe are so unlike America–they don’t rush you out the door by bringing your check as soon as you look close to done! This is great when you want to relax, but sometimes you have to hunt someone down when you really need to go! Anyway, I had a celeriac and bacon soup which was lukewarm by the time I got it, but tasted good. Seth had a spicy chicken burger that he really enjoyed.
Celeriac and bacon soup and delicious Irish bread.Seth’s spicy chicken burger.
On our walk back to the hotel we saw a bar named with the name of my second son, Brogan!! It is an Irish name, but it was so cool to see “Brogan’s Bar”!! Shortly after that, I had a bad fall. I have had problems with my depth perception, and I had fallen twice before on this vacation–once in London and one other time in Dublin. But this fall came with injuries. The most immediately noticeable was my bleeding forehead–my glasses broke and the metal arm cut my forehead. I was bleeding like crazy, though the actual cut was quite small and only needed some steri-strips. Fortunately, we were in front of a youth hostel, and they had a first aid kit. They were so nice! I wish I would have gotten their names, and the name of their place, so I could thank them, but I was a mess–more embarrassed than in pain, but both really! On the way back to the hotel, I realized my left arm really hurt. I suspected a radial head fracture, which was confirmed once I got home to the states. As it was, I texted a friend who works in Orthopedics and asked his opinion. He recommended I get a sling and use it until I got home, which I did. I wasn’t up for going out that night, so we ordered pizza from room service.
One of my sons is named Brogan, so I had to photograph this bar!Clumsy me–glasses broken, forehead cut, arm broken!
You can’t tell from the picture, but my glasses were taped up on the left, and you can see the steri-strips if you look closely.
At this point, we only had one day left on our European adventure. Stay tuned for a synopsis of our last day!
Thursday, May 24, 2018, was my favorite day in Dublin! This is because of one of the places we went–Dublinia! It is a museum dedicated to the Viking and Medieval history of Ireland, and those are my favorite periods of history!!
Breakfast and Trinity College
We started the day with breakfast at The Lombard, on the way to Trinity College. I had the “small” Irish breakfast (it was NOT small) and Seth had Eggs Benedict. Everything was delicious and filled us up for our adventures!
After breakfast we continued our walk to Trinity College with hopes of seeing the Book of Kells. We had thought it was included in our Dublin Pass since it is a big attraction there, but it was not. Between having to pay extra and the very long line, we decided to skip this attraction in favor of other things. I am very glad we did, since we would not have had time to do everything that we ended up doing!
Grafton Street and St. Stephen’s Green
Upon leaving Trinity College, we strolled through the Grafton Street area. There were nice shops, a few great pubs and a coffee shop with a lovely downstairs area with couches and tables that would be perfect for studying! Our journey brought us to St. Stephen’s Green, a most delightful park that I could easily spend all day in! I especially loved the ponds and the ducks. We even saw some swans! I love swans! There was a very protective male duck swimming beside his female and quacking all the other ducks away. It was so cute!
The iconic Grafton Street.A majestic swan at St. Stephen’s Green.Lovely fountain with beautiful foilage in the background.The protective male duck escorting his female.
Great Driver and Dublinia
We picked up the Hop On Hop Off Bus at the park and were blessed with an awesome driver–Declan was entertaining, informative, and sang beautifully! We were lucky enough to get him again later in the day, too! He was one of the highlights of our day!
Our next stop was the highlight of my stay in Dublin–Dublinia. I am fascinated by Viking and Medieval history, so this interactive museum was right up my alley! I’ve been reading a series of books on this era that are loosely based on fact, so seeing those people come to life and the reality behind the fiction made it even more meaningful for me! I definitely geeked out during our visit to Dublinia. You can learn more about this attraction here.
Dublinia.A timeline of The Viking Age.
Lunch at the Copper Alley Bistro
We ate lunch at a pub nearby, Copper Alley Bistro. I had a traditional Bangers and Mash, which was delicious, and Seth had the “House Special Burger” that he thoroughly enjoyed. We split a bottle of Malbec, my favorite type of red wine!
My Bangers and Mash.Seth’s Special House Burger.
Jameson Distillery
After lunch we hopped on the bus again and went to the Jameson Distillery where Darren taught us all about the history of the brand. He also instructed us in the process of making whiskey, and the difference between various types of whiskeys. The word “whiskey” actually comes from the Gaelic word for water–uisce. We also tasted and compared Jameson with Scotch (Johnnie Walker) and Bourbon (Jack Daniels). The Jameson was definitely MUCH smoother! IF I were to drink whiskey, it would be my preferred type! We each got a free drink (mine was a Jameson and lemonade) , and Seth bought a bottle to go! On the way back, we again had Declan for our driver–what a treat!
Declan teaching us about whiskeys and how they differ.Jameson and lemonade.
Dinner at Our Hotel Bar
After a brief trip back to the hotel to recharge ourselves and our devices, we again tried to go the the Ferryman, but it was (again) too crowded! We ended up having dinner at the hotel bar. We had drinks and burgers and enjoyed a relaxed dinner before retiring to the room for a well-earned rest!
On our first FULL day of Dublin adventures, we first walked to get our Dublin Passes. It was about a mile-long lovely stroll across and along the River Liffey. We then jumped on the Hop-on Hop-off Bus for an overview of the city. I definitely recommend these tours as an introduction to a new city–it gives you an idea of what you want to go back to for further investigation!
Guinness Storehouse
We got off at the Guinness Storehouse and toured the facility. We at lunch there and enjoyed a free pint of Guinness Stout! It was a very informative self-guided tour that taught us about the ingredients and the process of making beer, as well as a lot of the history of Guinness in particular.
For lunch there, I had a traditional Beef and Guinness Stew with a pint of Hop House 13 Lager (a lighter beer made by Guinness). The stew was quite amazing and I recommend you get this at least once if you visit Ireland! Seth opted for a Guinness Stout with a flatbread that was delicious!
After leaving Guinness, we took in many sights from the bus, including the Gaol (prison), several churches, Phoenix Park, Trinity College, and even an apartment (penthouse, of course) owned by Bono of U2! We got off the bus near the Whiskey Museum near Trinity College to check into the “whiskey brunch” they advertised (more about that in a later post), then walked the mile or so back to our hotel.
Our driver, Colin, had recommended the Ferryman Pub, right down the street from our hotel, and we wanted to have dinner there, but it was so crowded, we could not get a table. Instead, we walked to the canal area a block or so away, and we found the H-Bar. I had a mango peach fizz and ate a traditional seafood stew. It was a delectable combination! Seth drank a blackberry mint gin and ate a char-grilled chicken burger. We were definitely not disappointed in our choice!
After a busy day, we were happy to get back to our lovely hotel to relax and get some rest!
On Tuesday, May 22, 2018, we traveled from Birmingham, UK to Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The Birmingham airport was a bit confusing, and there was a delay due to some kind of strike in France involving air travel. We did make it to Dublin about an hour late, and thankfully our driver was still there. His name was Colin and he was very nice, as well as informative with recommendations of things to do and places to eat!
Travel days always take the wind out of my sails! Once we settled into our hotel, the Clayton Hotel Cardiff Lane, we had dinner at Stir, the hotel’s restaurant. The hotel is only a block from the River Liffey and across from a theater. They had a pre-theater special menu that was scrumptious and reasonable! I had onion and goat cheese tarts for an appetizer and Seth had a lovely salad. For our entrees I had Salmon with a wine wine sauce and Seth had a pasta dish. We shared a bottle of wine and were soon ready to rest up for our first full day in Dublin!
On our last full day in London, we started the day at Brew Dog again. It was delicious, and the young man who waited on us had Pennsylvania roots–his father was from Wilkes-Barre. We both had avocado toast with egg. Seth had his egg scrambled with chorizo and I had mine sunny-side up with bacon!
After we filled our bellies, we caught the City Cruise boat at Tower Hill and took it up to Westminster for the morning. As we exited the wharf area there was a guy dressed up as Spiderman! Our main objective was to visit the Churchill War Rooms. They did NOT disappoint! Rich in history, I was so intrigued I somehow forgot to take pictures!! I did snap some pictures from around the Westminster area, though. We found an adorable corner pub we wanted to have lunch at, The Red Lion, but it was way too crowded. We also opted out of going INSIDE Westminster Abbey due to the long line. And the famous clock tower (“Big Ben” refers to the bell not the tower) was under scaffolding!
Since The Red Lion was too crowded, we decided to take the Tube to Kensington. Before heading to the palace and its garden, we had lunch at a little place called Noah’s Kitchen. I had wanted lamb, but they were out, so I settled for a pizza with asparagus and ham which was very tasty. Seth opted for the Steak Burger which looked amazing!! We washed it down with a red wine from Sicily which tasted much better after it aerated a bit.
Once we were sated with food and wine, we strolled through Kensington Park and Gardens. Our first stop on the way to the palace was Princess Diana Memorial Playground with its replica of Captain Hook’s pirate ship from Peter Pan.
Kensington Palace was a highlight for me. Victoria has always been my favorite British monarch, and this is where she was born. We were actually in the room where she was born and I got a picture of her cradle! There was also a really neat family tree and memorabilia from other monarchs including William and Mary!
!
Other highlights of Kensington were the jewels and the gardens, as well as an exhibit of Princess Diana’s wardrobe. I was in such awe I forgot to take pictures of the dresses!
We had wanted to have our last dinner at the Brew Dog, but it was too crowded (good for them, since they just opened a week before). We ended up having dinner at the hotel restaurant, Natural Kitchen. I had salmon burger and salad while Seth had a lamb burger. Both were delicious! We tried the “Porn Star Martini” which sounded interesting, but it wasn’t very strong. Topping off our last evening, I had an amaretto sour and Seth had an old fashioned. Then it was time to pack for Dudley!
Our third full day in London was spent south of the River Thames. First off, we discovered a brand new restaurant right around the corner from our hotel for breakfast. It had JUST OPENED a week before. The food was delicious and the service was top notch! Sadly, I forgot to take pictures, but Seth had some kind of avocado toast sandwich with chorizo and I had a more traditional bacon and eggs. We fell in love with the place!
We walked past the Tower of London and over the iconic Tower Bridge on our way to visit the HMS Belfast, a decommissioned warship that had been involved in D-day as well as other assignments. As we walked, I took some great pictures giving another perspective of the Tower, as well as the Tower Bridge!
The HMS Belfast was SO interesting! I love to be on the water, but I can’t imagine living in such close quarters with so many other people! It makes me truly appreciate those who have done so for the sake of our freedom!
After the warship, we walked to the reproduction of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. Again, the history nerd in me rejoiced! One interesting bit of trivia–this building is the ONLY one in London that is allowed to have a thatch roof. Apparently, after the big fire in the city, these were outlawed.
Our next stop was a great little restaurant/pub called Founders’ Arms. We were both torn between the duck and the tuna, so we ordered one of each and shared! We had a lovely wine that I really liked–it had hints of grapefruit which I loved! It was a Chilean Sauvingon Blanc from Marande! I will have to find it at home!
From there we went to one of the highlights of our London stay–the London Eye! We spent a little extra to skip the line and it was an amazing investment! I would DEFINITELY recommend this as the queue is usually quite long! The trip around the eye provides some of the most incredible views of the city!
Upon exiting the Eye, the wharf for the City Cruise was right next door, so we decided to take it back to the hotel. It makes stops at Westminster, the Eye, Tower Hill (where our hotel was) and all the way to Greenwich. If we had been in London longer, I would have loved to visit Greenwich, as well as Hampton Palace, Stonehenge, Windsor and Bath. Of course, Windsor was not in the stars for us since we were in London over the few days prior to the Royal Wedding of Harry and Meghan. Our tour guide on the City Cruise, Ted, was so funny and engaging, as well as informative! The marker in the first picture delineates the border between the City of London on the right, and Westminster on the left. The white ship is actually a private club for retired naval officers. Apparently, Prince Phillip has been a regular there, although he currently has been battling his hip issues. And, of course, I can never resist a good wildlife photo when I have the chance!!
That night we went to a traditional Bavarian restaurant very close to our hotel. Seth is particularly fond of German beer. We both got a liter of German beer and I got a free T-shirt for drinking 2 pints of Lowenbrau beer! I got a trio of wursts served with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, and Seth got beef goulash served with braised cabbage and spetzel. It was quite a hearty meal!
That concludes our Thursday in London. Check back soon for our last full day when we visited Kensington Palace and Gardens!
!
