Dublin, day two

The Book of Kells - in the book
Shelbourne hotel - in the book

The Book of Kells is in Trinity College. It is a historically significant book and extremely rare. It was hand painted. However, it was difficult to actually see because of being kept in a dark room, and trying to fight dozens of other people to get close enough to try and read it.

Shelbourne hotel is one of those hotels that I will never stay at, but was neat to see. I was greeted by men in top hats.

We took a double-decker bus tour around Dublin. It is a great way to see lots without killing my feet. We sat on the top deck. One of the highlights was seeing a naked guy in his condo. He obviously knew he could be seen and didn't care. It made me giggle.

We went back to The Temple Bar to listen to Irish music. It was a group of three men and they were very good.

I am glad to have experienced and seen Dublin. I wouldn't make a point of returning, but mostly because there are so many other places on my travel bucket list.

There were five of us on this trip and here are our nicknames:
Me - boots
Jennie - sassy pants and tiny bladder
Jeff - smasher and Jeff-Jeff
Dave - Guinness Master
Nevenka - long pour

Use your imagination. I'm afraid I am not at liberty to explain the origins of the nicknames. You really had to be there!

Dublin, day one

New country alert -- Ireland!

Guinness factory - not in the book

Dublin pub experience - in the book

I don't like Guinness. Everyone said it was "smoother" and would taste better at the source. That may be true, but I am too much of a wimp to drink such a heavy beer. The factory tour was neat though and their gift shop was amazing.

We went to two pubs. They were fun and both had live music. Jeff dumped his beer and broke his beer glass and our section of the pub broke out in laughter and merriment. He was the first of three and each generated the same response.

The first pub was Temple Bar, which is famous -- apparently. We sat next to a giant statue of Arthur Guinness.

I drank Corona. I do like my light, Mexican beer.

Back in the UK

I arrived at Heathrow just after noon local time. I've never arrived on a Monday before - I usually come in over the weekend. There were a few good reasons why I didn't leave home until Sunday night - one of them was Angela and Ryan's wedding. I'm glad I stayed for it!

Typically I arrive in London on Saturday and spend the rest of the afternoon walking around the city and being a tourist. Today... I went straight to our office near Gatwick airport. I just want to curl up on the floor and fall asleep. I don't want to work, I don't want to blog. I really want to sleep.

I don't think I slept any more or less than normal on the flight, but I really need to be up and active -- not sitting in a chair typing and answering the phone.

I am happy to be back in the UK! Despite my fatigue, which I'm sure will pass in a day or two.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

I admit it - I only went to this museum because it is in "the book." But.... I am really glad I did. The courtyard alone is worth a visit. It is so beautiful I could have spent the whole afternoon there. Pretty flowers and ferns - very well maintained. I especially liked the mosaic tile floor in the middle. It would be a great place for a wedding.

There are some really impressive pieces at this museum, and they had a huge theft 20 years ago; but there were entirely too many religious pieces. IMHO (I am considering starting a new list - the number of Mary and baby Jesus paintings I have seen in museums.)

Sadly, the theft included a Vermeer.

John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

The setting for the library is beautiful - right on Boston Harbor. The museum isn't huge; after all, he wasn't President for very long. There is a nice re-creation of the Oval Office - which seems to be a standard feature of presidential museums.

My favorite pieces in presidential museums are the gifts that the President and First Lady receive from kings, prime ministers, and other world leaders. They get some really nice stuff....that they don't get to keep. My favorite piece was a diamond and emerald encrusted purse.

Whoopie Pie

We've forced my niece, Tiffany, to try many new foods on this trip; such as:

lobster, clams, fried oyster, white fish, scallops

And then...I made her try a Whoopie Pie. That is her new favorite food. She may never be a fan of seafood, but she likes her sweets.

Cape Cod

Cape Cod is in "the book." It is lovely here. More great seafood at very low prices....low compared to Minnesota. I am not tired of lobster yet.

The water is chilly, but I still love the beaches. The houses are adorable. This is the kind of place where I'd love to rent a house for a week or more. I can spend many hours sitting on a beach doing nothing....or reading...or people watching...or doing nothing.

Some kids were surfing off one of the beaches today. The waves weren't really big, but I guess they were big enough.