...some sound Irish advice.....
"The most important things to do in the world are........
....to get........something to eat......something to drink..... and somebody to love you.” Irish author..Brendan Behan.............................................
The Green Isle... Part 1
Lord.......the Irish love....their drink, their music.....and to dance.....
We've landed in Dublin, after a fairly painless flight from Vancouver, BC to London, Gatwick then onto Ireland with Ryanair.
....yep on the road again....starting with Ireland for several weeks, or possibly, several months to explore the cities, small towns, quiet landscape and along the way....drink enough Guinness to fill one of the water tight holds on the Titanic, sit back in a few pubs and just take in the Irish way.
Dublin....located in middle right side of map.
Leaving London...
We spend several days in Dublin wandering streets, visiting sites and shaking off jet lag. All in glorious sun. Even managed to spot a local with sunburned calves!
We attended service at the Cathedral to beers...... The Guinness Storehouse Brewery. Here we graduate 1st in pints from our beer pouring academy. Ale-a-lou-ya! Ah, yes, you must first have a tulip shaped pint to allow the nitogen to flow down the side, then pour at a 45 degree angle until 3/4 full and let it settle for at least 90 seconds. The bubbles flow down the sides and back up the middle creating the creamy head. At this stage you top it off creating a domed effect across the glass. And so you have a perfect pint! Give it a try!
Not to be rushed and well worth the wait.
We've taken a fondness to this nectar of the gods.
The view of Dublin is endless from the sky high Guinness Gravity Bar!
Dublin city scapes
The music is magnificent. Loud, passionate, full of life and played from the heart.
Check out menu item #16. And, just outside the pub, a horse taxi waiting for its next customer
Heading south from Dublin to Kilkenny
We depart Dublin in the rain. Welcome to the Irish mist as we head south to Kilkenny (see map) in County Kilkenny. An easy 90 minute bus ride from Dublin takes us to the medieval town set alongside the picturesque River Nore.
A beautiful old-walled city filled with churches, forts and even a true 'Hole in the Wall' pub. Pubs seem to be placed at just the right spots for a quick duck out of the rain and a chance to refresh with a pint or two.
This particular pub had a 1000 year old rustic oak bar and seated less than a dozen patrons.
Kilkenny Castle and grounds
The Black Abby Cathedral.
(Cathedral actually means 'chair'.)
Not your lawn chair variety, but one more regal and wielding great power. Huh!
That's it for now....from Kilkenny.
We're just getting started. So pull up a seat , pour a beer, taste some fine whiskey....'cause, you know at heart.....we're all Irish!
Cheers from Yvonne & Shayne
PS......Hmmm? Beer, pub food, Irish music, great people.... what's not to like? Until next time!
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It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” – JRR Tolkien
Additional Random Photos
Looking at the text box...
