MikeandSue

Our plane back to Dublin wasn't scheduled until about 4 p.m. and we were able to leave our luggage in the lounge at the Edelweiss and wander the city a bit more, walking along the Promenade, which we'd said all week we'd like to do! Rode the bus to the airport (said goodbye to the Fairy Bridge), flew to Dublin, found the shuttle to the Hilton, had dinner and a great shower. In the morning, caught an early shuttle to the airport so I'd have time to retrieve our checked luggage from Terminal One, move some stuff around for weight/space, check the luggage, and get through security. We stopped at the Duty Free shop to fulfill a friend's request. The great thing about flying out of Dublin is that American Customs has space there (the only ... read more

We had signed up for an Isle of Man Trike Tour. We chose the East Coast tour which went north, up the east coast to Ramsey, with a couple stops, then returned via part of the TT course. The Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) is the ultimate 'must see it' event for motorsport fans across the globe. Every May and June the Isle, a tiny country between England and Ireland, turns into motorcycle nirvana as the world's greatest road racers gather to test themselves against the incredible 37.73 mile 'Mountain Course' (https://www.iomtt.com/tt-info). We were NOT there to see the race but were interested in it because it's such a big event for the island. There were several cycle enthusiasts staying at our hotel earlier in the week, just come over to ride the course before ... read more

As we were flying to Isle of Man (which meant no free luggage) and staying only for four days, we didn't need three weeks worth of clothes (nor any of the souvenirs we'd already gotten) so we reorganized so we could take only the smaller suitcase and stored the larger suitcase. We had done that in 2017 so Sue had a vague idea of where the desk was and was able to walk/roll the big one over to Terminal 1. It's a forever walk (so it seems) and a shuttle ride to the smaller plane for Isle of Man. Happily, you can't get on the shuttle till the plane is landed and ready to go again. The flight was delayed about an hour but it stays light so late that there was no worry. The flight ... read more

Since I blew a fuse the evening before, I began the day by fessing up (by What's App) to the host who replied that it was not unusual for North American electrical items to cause that problem and she would 'pop up and check' during the day. Had a reservation for 9:30 for the Book of Kells in Trinity College. Got up early, took a taxi in to Trinity. Certainly looked different from our last visit--not the College but the streets around the College. In 2017, there was a massive Roads Project and it was a mess. Some of the entrances to Trinity were closed by it even. This time, we easily walked across the street and in, had a great visit with the Book of Kells and went up to the Long Room. A LOT ... read more

One of our guides in Northern Ireland, Brandon, told us about taking a basket making class in Spiddal, a craft village near Galway. We had seen it from the road when returning both from Inishmore and from Connemara and went out today. it was raining off and on but the village was designed to be walked around. The glass artist was closed but the potter, basket weaver, a couple painters, and the leather and Celtic coin jeweler were open. Had a great time in the jeweler’s shop, Eric Byrne. Got some Connemara marble earrings, a claddagh ring, And a couple old Irish coins from in Mikes birth year. We had a walking food tour scheduled for mid-afternoon and, after a rest, headed off to that. Great host, good food and drink, including a Guinness. Also nice ... read more