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Ireland, Portugal and Spain
  • John Hadfield

Ireland, Portugal and Spain

We are travelling for six weeks, starting in Dublin and ending in Barcelona. Leggi altro
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  • Inizio del viaggio
    3 ottobre 2018
    John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore

    Sydney Airport

    3 ottobre 2018, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    After months of planning, a few hiccups along the way, plus a heap of work to do, we are finally on our way to Ireland.

    Bathroom renovations, work to be done before Robyn takes off Term 4 with LSL, and an increase in tuning work have meant that we worked up until the last possible minute. In fact, Richard and I finished installing the shower screen around lunchtime on Tuesday, and with someone house sitting for us, this was an essential item!

    All this last minute rush was not helped by receiving letters from NAB on Monday asking for more information on the disputed credit card transactions relating to the collapse of the Irish travel agency we were using! They required the info by October 10 so I had to trawl through emails and bank statements over many months to ensure that I had everything that they might require. I finished at 8 pm last night and we posted a huge pack of info this morning at the airport.

    In order to ensure that we were at Sydney Airport in plenty of time for our 3 pm flight for Doha we took the 6.30 am flight from Armidale. Our flight was due to land in Dublin at approximately 7.30 am local time, a long haul in anybody’s language.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Fountain in St Stephen's GreenOscar Wilde memorialThe Ginger Man pubAn amphibious tourist bus!

    First day in Ireland

    4 ottobre 2018, Irlanda ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Our plane arrived at Dublin Airport dead on 7.30 am and as it was not even a quarter full we were off and through customs in no time at all. I think the customs officer was a bit bemused with the fact that we were not able to give him a good idea of what Irish attractions we were here to see!

    The Skylink 757 was waiting for us when we walked out to the bus section and in no time we were on our way into town, through the very long Dublin Tunnel. Finding The Alex, our hotel for the next three nights, was easy: we nearly fell into it. Unfortunately it was too early to have a room ready for us so we left our luggage there and headed off to the Tourist Office. We were given maps and general info, and the young lady seemed to know what she was talking about, although this was later to be found incorrect.

    We headed down Grafton Street, a fairly upmarket section of town, and stopped off at Burey’s Oriental Cafe for a coffee and something to eat. Then we took a long stroll around St Stephen’s Green, a most delightful park. The grass is just so green, and the vegetation lovely, all within a few minutes stroll of the town centre.

    It was time to see a few museums, most of which are in one huge block, just across from Trinity College. We found the Natural History Museum extremely interesting. The early tribes in Ireland were master craftsmen, with wonderful exhibits of gold jewellery, pottery, etc and a couple of “Bog Men”, people who had been killed and buried and then preserved in bogs. Very interesting. The Heraldic Museum is no more but in its place we saw a museum devoted to Ireland’s involvement in WW1.

    By then we were flagging so went back to the hotel to unpack and unwind. Dinner was at the Ginger Man Hotel, just across the street, where we had a delightful meal in a friendly environment.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Formula for a humane hanging
    Nelson Mandela exhibitionChrist Church CathedralMy first, and last, Guiness1Italian, in Dublin

    Another day in Dublin

    5 ottobre 2018, Irlanda ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    I rang Mike Whiteley after breakfast to see how Sue was faring. He had sent a text that indicated that she is beyond further medical treatment and is now in palliative care. They are hoping Sam will be able to get home in time from Ireland, and perhaps her brother Phillip.

    We set off with good intentions to visit Kilmainham Gaol. This institution, which was closed back in the 1920s, has a long and not so great history. According to the lady in the Visitors Information Centre it was too far to walk, and too complicated to tell us how to take a bus. In addition, the map she gave us was not to scale, so we should take no notice of it!!!!

    So ... we headed off after a good breakfast. After walking for quite some time, past Christ Church Cathedral and the Guinness factory, we eventually asked a couple walking the other way where it was. Their answer led us completely astray and way past the correct turn to get to it.

    Anyway, we eventually arrived at the Gaol. We could not do a guided tour because they were all sold out for the day, but the Museum was free and what an eye-opener it turned out to be. Built with the best of intentions it nevertheless was a harsh place and was where the insurgents from the Easter Uprising were held and executed.

    One of the more interesting exhibits was about a certain Professor Samuel Houghton who developed the formula for ensuring that a prisoner to be hung had his neck broken. This ended the inhumane practice of hanging where death was caused by strangulation!

    After the dark and unsettling exhibitions on the ground floor and first floor it was encouraging to see the Nelson Mandela exhibition on the top floor. Many years ago, an Irish worker in a department store refused to handle produce from South Africa, and this eventually became a movement against apartheid. In this way Ireland led the way in the international movement against the South African apartheid regime. Upon his release from prison Mandela ensured that Ireland was one of the first places he visited, hence the exhibition. It, too, was truly moving.

    On our way back into town we called in to the Guinness tourist facility. The queue for those who didn’t have an internet booked ticket was soooo long that we thought it would be best to come back tomorrow. On enquiring about the price it didn’t seem like such good value. When we stopped at a pub for a drink I had a Guinness, for the first time. I can’t see what people see in it, so that made it an easy decision not to go back tomorrow.

    Christ Church Cathedral wanted 7 euros to visit so we gave that a miss as well. While I had hoped to ring there this evening for practice it didn’t really fit in with our schedule, so we went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant instead and then came back to our hotel and collapsed.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    The Chapel at Dublin Castle
    The last original tower at Dublin CastleDublin CastleDublin Castle interiorEPIC MuseumJeanie Johnston ship

    Day 3 in Dublin

    6 ottobre 2018, Irlanda ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    Dublin Castle is a popular attraction with guided tours often being booked out, so we lined up first thing this morning for the first tour. It really is an interesting place, even though there is very little left of the original castle.

    The sheer opulence was impressive and when you take into account that it was often used for unimportant, i.e. social, occasions it was a waste of money from an Irish perspective.

    Next we headed over the Luffy to the GPO where there is a splendid museum that documents the 1916 Easter Uprising. Too many civilians were killed for it to have been a success at the time.

    Last on our list of attractions was the EPIC museum of Irish emigration. While the great famine was mentioned it was really about the reasons the Irish left their homeland, and how many of them ended up making a success of their lives by doing so. Many parts were very moving, especially the transportation of women and religious.

    Being time for dinner we headed back to our hotel, looking for another nearby pub that served good food in a quiet environment. No such luck, so we ended up back at the Ginger Man pub where we had another nice meal.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore

    Cork via Limerick

    7 ottobre 2018, Irlanda ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    After one last fine breakfast at The Alex in Dublin, we took a taxi to the Thrifty depot to collect our car. We had decided to extend the hire period and also to upsize a little so we ended up driving away with a Ford Focus diesel. Fine car, and soooo economical - 63mpg or more.

    We headed off to Cork, but the signs to Limerick were enticing so we headed WSW and ended up in central Limerick. It was not the most impressive city we have been to, so after a coffee we headed across to Cork where we had a hotel booked for the night.

    The hotel was in a great location, but a bit shabby. Nevertheless we headed off for a walk, exploring various churches and then down to the centre of town. We found a pub that served a reasonable meal, but it was a bit noisy. The locals were really friendly, something we have found everywhere.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Cathedral in Cobh
    1A basic bunk on the TitanicMenu in basic travel classModel of the TitanicCobhThe story of Bertha, a passenger on the Titanic

    Off to Killorglin

    8 ottobre 2018, Irlanda ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    The highlight of today was visiting the Titanic Experience in Cobh. Cobh was the last port of call before the Titanic headed off to New York. 123 passengers embarked, whilst 7 disembarked, and 1 jumped ship. How lucky were those 8!

    The display gives a pretty graphic account of what happened, and why. It was just a litany of errors and omissions all the way, and there is no way so many people should have lost their lives. It was a sobering experience and there were not many laughs as we headed out the exit.

    We walked around Cobh for a while, explored the Cathedral and had a coffee, and then it was time to head to Killorglin where we had two nights booked.

    The Rivers Edge Guest House was hard to find, mainly because it was in plain sight, but when we found it we were welcomed by Sean, a typical Irishman. The place is nice and clean and it seems that we are the only guests tonight. With no restaurant we were left to finding a suitable pub, and we did. The Bunkers Bar was quiet, friendly, and served a good pub meal.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore

    Ring of Kerry

    9 ottobre 2018, Irlanda ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We heard first thing this morning that Sue Whiteley died earlier today. This cast a pall over our day, especially as we will not be able to return for her funeral.

    It was pretty grey and overcast this morning, with a good wind blowing. Our host at Rivers Edge Guest House mentioned that it was “a bit blustery” which was the understatement of the day.

    The Ring of Kerry is a great drive around many of the best features of Southern Ireland, and is approximately 180kms in length. On any day there are around 60 buses doing their version of this. I say “their” version, because there is no way a bus can get to some of the more out of the way places along the way.

    Rather than try to fit everything in we just ambled along, stopping when we were intrigued by something. We were disappointed that the ferry to Valencia Island had stopped for the season, so we had to take the long way around to get to Knightstown. The wind along the edge of the water was just howling and was so strong that Robyn wouldn’t walk out along the jetty. Perhaps she thought she would be blown away!

    We took the long road around from Portmagee to Waterville, travelling on very narrow coastal roads. We saw a disused slate mine, an Abbey that had been the replacement for Skillag Michael but was now in disrepair, a number of castles of which there were only remnants, and some beautiful scenery.

    By the time we arrived in Sneem it was getting late so we had a coffee and then headed on a true back road up through Glencar to Killorglin. Honestly, in my work I travel along backroads regularly, but the one over the mountain pass from Glencar to Killorglin makes them look normal. The sheep, on the unfenced road, were more like mountain goats, and the road was almost impassable for two vehicles with trailers!

    Dinner was at the same pub - different food but the same happy, smiling and friendly staff.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore

    Foynes Flying Boat Museum

    10 ottobre 2018, Irlanda ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    Killorglin was a nice place to visit and the hospitality at Rivers Edge Guest House was great. However, it was time to move on.

    Whilst in Limerick a few days ago, we came across information about the Foynes Flying Boat Museum. We couldn’t get there at the time but we thought it a good place to visit when next nearby. And so was the case.

    There were 6 years of flying boat service in and out of Foynes, 1939-1945, and then it was over. The Boeing 314s were, I suppose, at the end of the evolutionary tree, and by 1946 land based planes had taken over.

    The thought of flying from America to Ireland and having both sleeping quarters AND a 14-seat dining room, whilst in the air, must have seemed almost implausible at the time. Nevertheless, that was what was promised and provided. Naturally, it was limited to those with serious money, such as politicians, high ranking armed forces personnel, and film stars such as Maureen O’Hara.

    From there we headed off to do a bit more of the Atlantic Way. We travelled on the ferry from Tarbert Port and then drove on the Atlantic Way as far as Spanish Point before we ran out of time and headed to our bed for the night, in the Rowan Tree Hostel in Ennis.

    This is our first night in a youth hostel and first impressions were very good. We walked up to the local supermarket, bought some provisions and had a relaxing dinner. Robyn had a bad experience with Scrabble and gave up early on!    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore

    North of Galway

    11 ottobre 2018, Irlanda ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Breakfast in our Youth Hostel was just fine, for the money. We have been spoilt with served cooked breakfasts, but this morning we had to look after ourselves. The biggest problem was being out in time to avoid a parking ticket!

    The weather was not too good but we headed up towards the Cliffs of Moher, which as everyone knows is a classic destination. The Doolan Ferry Co had cancelled for the day, and as visibility was not great, plus the swell was a bit high, we didn’t avail ourselves of the other operator!

    We then drove on, through Galway and along the Atlantic Way. It follows the coast very much, notwithstanding the condition of the roads. We went from reasonable “N” roads to those where you had to stop and let some other bigger car or bus past. The weather varied from raining to overcast to sunny.

    Finally we arrived in Clifden, our home for the next two days. It seems a quaint village, but it does have at least four supermarkets so we should be able to eat tonight.

    Our place for the night had been rearranged to a better room, but as we really, really wanted laundry facilities we had to take our earlier booking, which was not quite as roomy.

    As I write this, the washing machine/dryer is working on a week of laundry and we have just had a lovely home-cooked meal washed down with some French and Australian Sav Blanc.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Misty mountain scene
    Banana plant in glasshouse at Kylemore AbbeyVegie garden at Kylemmore AbbeyMore vegie garden at Kylemore AbbeyDining in style at Kylemore AbbeyLake in front of Kylemore AbbeyKylemore Abbey

    Clifden

    12 ottobre 2018, Irlanda

    There was a violent storm predicted for this area last night, code Orange. It passed us by but we had rain and severe winds nevertheless. The Main Street of Clifden was almost deserted when I looked out at breakfast time. It wasn’t cold but it WAS windy.

    After breakfast, drying and washing clothes, we headed off to the Tourist Information Office. One person was manning it, and she admitted that it was the last day before it closed down for the season! The only attractions she recommended were Kylemore Abbey and Connemara National Park.

    Kylemore Abbey was only about 18 kms away so we headed off there with all haste. Wow! What a great place to visit. The walled garden, in a process of being renovated since 1995, was simply spectacular. Mitchell Henry, the owner in the late 19th century, was a visionary for sure. The building of the place, the materials used, and the heating system he had in place to ensure that exotic plants could be grown was extraordinary. He even had a hydro electricity plant in place at a cost of 2000 pounds.

    After going around the gardens we headed for the Abbey, which was Mitchell’s castle. It had been taken over by the Benedictine Sisters in 1920 and was turned into a school, both boarding and day, junior and senior. In its time it would have been quite progressive, but unfortunately was closed down in 2010 due to building problems.

    We then called in briefly at the Connemara National Park before heading back to Clifden. We plan to call back there tomorrow when it is a bit less windy and therefore safer.

    Dinner was pasta and wine, preceded by cheese and bread, and Scrabble was played. As usual Robyn won, at the last minute.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore

    Finally we get some true Irish weather

    13 ottobre 2018, Irlanda ⋅ 🌫 10 °C

    It rained all day, all the way from Clifden to Swinford, via the Wild Atlantic Way. Nevertheless we saw some pretty spectacular scenery. After the rain from yesterday and last night the hills were streaming water, a somewhat different sight from what we normally see in Australia.

    The most unusual sight of the day was a group of girls we passed on a narrow, unsealed track that led to a rocky beach. As we drove past them we noticed that they had wetsuits on! Sure enough, a few hundred metres along, at the rocky beach, we saw a heap of surfboards waiting for them. Why one would want to surf in such conditions is beyond us.

    We are staying for the next two days in a little cottage in Swinford. It was impossible to find, given the directions we had, but Jimmy the owner met us and led us to what turned out to be a tidy, well renovated little place just around the corner from the Main Street. It is lovely and warm and well-appointed.

    The wifi was on but we had no internet. A text to Jimmy and he was around in about 10 minutes, not that he could help. It turned out to be a provider problem so we just had to wait. It is becoming increasingly important to have internet these days, as we now rely completely on it for bookings.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore

    Irish National Parks

    14 ottobre 2018, Irlanda ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Although a little hit chilly (5 degrees C early on) it was a glorious day, so we headed off to Ballycroy National Park for a bit of a walk. Given that we are walking for a week in Spain it is important that we get a few kms under our belts.

    Just out of Swinford we came across an accident on a narrow bridge. It took ages for the Guarda to organise things and let us through but eventually we were on our way. Apparently nobody was injured, and given the amount of miles we have driven on very narrow roads it was surprising that this was our first accident.

    Ballycroy National Park is in the north west of Ireland, and is unusual by Australian standards. It comprises about 5 little discrete areas, and one big area, but the Visitor Information Centre is located within one of the little ones. A friendly chap gave us lots of information, most of which we could not understand, but when we said that we wanted to go for a 2 - 3 hour walk it was hard for him to help. It seems that you either go on a short walk, or get serious and take a compass, walking boots, hiking sticks and map and go all day! What’s more you had to drive to the main park if you wanted to walk more than a half hour.

    Well, we headed out, and ended up walking for nearly two hours, almost all on a road leading to the next part of the park. With only two cars passing us this was no great worry. The scenery is just so different to our national parks. It was basically bog country, and digging peat seemed to be the main industry. At one stage we couldn’t see a single house, or tree, something we are not used to.

    After that we just headed home through the little known byways, going on roads seldom crossed except ...

    All in all, a good day, finished off with Scrabble and dinner.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Interesting Bell arrangement
    Strand Hill Beach - Do not swim here!Remains of Killaspugbrone ChurchUnusual sign - never see this in Australia

    The far north of Ireland

    15 ottobre 2018, Irlanda ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    It was cold but dry when we left Swinford. We headed up towards Sligo, but bypassed it and started following the Wild Atlantic Way, hereinafter called the WAW. This is a scheme whereby little, not so little and some big roads are linked so that travellers can follow the coast. It has been good for business for smaller towns that would otherwise be missed by tourists.

    Our first stop was Strandhill Beach where swimming and canoeing are banned. It allows surfing and we did see a few hardy souls, but why you would bother is beyond us.

    An interesting sign led us to walking along a path that traversed beach and dunes, and around an airport runway, taking us to the ruins of Killaspugbrone Church. It was in a beautiful spot, and Robyn joked that the graves there enjoyed an even better view than Gerringong Cemetery where Uncle Jock is buried.

    We took a few other little sojourns, but all of a sudden we found that we were running out of time. Nevertheless we made it to Malin Head just on 4pm, in time to meet Mary, our host.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Sign indicating Ireland was neutral
    Malin HeadRobyn was nearly blown away at Malin HeadCute thatched cottage at Malin HeadMalin HeadLively Irish countrysideOur cottage at Malin Head

    Malin Head

    16 ottobre 2018, Irlanda ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    This was a morning when we didn’t have to be up early and given that the sun is up fairly late anyway, it was good to be able to have a leisurely breakfast before heading off for a walk.

    The walk up to the point was relatively easy until the wind started. By the time we had reached the top it was really strong, enough to almost blow Robyn off her feet! From the top we could see the place where there were white stones set into the grass spelling EIRE. This was done during WW2 to let pilots know that they were over Ireland, a neutral country.

    On our wind-assisted return we then walked in to the Farrens Arms for a coffee and to check our emails. There were two behind the bar and one customer, so there was plenty of time for them to chat to us. They were really quite interesting, and friendly.

    Trying to buy groceries in this part of the world has proven to be a challenge. We are self-catering and trying to eat well, walk well and drink well, but when potatoes and carrots are about all you can rely on it is slim pickings for the cook! In desperation we went in to Malin village itself, to no avail.

    The last thing for the day was to join the locals for a pint (or glass of wine) and this time there were a few more customers.

    Our walk home was just beautiful, with the sun going down and the sea just below us.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Robyn outside our cottage in Malin Head
    Mural along Falls Road, BelfastMural along Falls Road, Belfast

    Belfast

    17 ottobre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    It was time to pack up and leave our cottage and head for Belfast. Mary, our host, turned up early because, as she explained, she had to look after breakfasts for her B&B. She read the meter, calculated the electricity cost and gave us a bill for a ridiculously small amount. Admittedly we had to stuff coins into a meter for the gas heating, but it was still peanuts for a nice cottage with a million dollar view!

    Our trip to Belfast was easy as we ended up taking more major roads than little byways. This put us in Belfast a bit early for our unit, but it is always nice to know where it is and what the parking is like. Because there were few opportunities to park on the side of the road and put the actual address into the GPS we ended up in Belfast proper first. By then, of course, we had overshot the mark, and Madam Lash took us up some fairly narrow streets to get us back on track.

    Parking around the corner from the unit was a breeze, so we headed down Antram Road towards town. As luck would have it a lady opened the (very shabby) door of our apartment block so I asked if Barry was in. The lady was the person who did all the housekeeping and was more than happy to let us in quite early. What a bonus that was. It meant that we could set ourselves up early and then spend the rest of the afternoon in town.

    We walked in to Cathedral Square, had a look round, and then decided to have some lunch. The couple beside us in the patisserie, sort of locals, strongly advised us to take one of the Red Buses on a tour of the city. What a good suggestion that was. We had an hour and a half of a guided tour that gave us a brief history of much of the town. Robyn was especially interested in The Troubles, and travelling down Falls Road and seeing the murals and memorial gardens was very sobering.

    Following that Robyn went shopping and ended up with three items of clothing, so all in all a great day.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    A moving tribute to the band that played as the Titanic went down.
    The Titanic Experience buildingThe Lord Mayor's Pub in Sword - friendly Irish pub

    Titanic again

    18 ottobre 2018, Irlanda ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Given that we had plenty of time to get down to Dublin Airport and I wanted to visit the Titanic Experience, we headed off there in plenty of time for the opening at 10 am. That was a really good move, because by the time we left it was really crowded. Last year it was Ireland’s most popular tourist attraction, and with good reason.

    The Cobh Titanic museum which we saw the previous week was really good, but this was at another level entirely. We really liked the fact that it didn’t just concentrate on the sinking, but rather the whole story.

    Belfast in the late 19th century and its industries was a bustling city, bigger than Dublin at one stage. The shipbuilding industry was the world’s biggest in the early 20th century, and many other industries were on a world standard as well. The exhibits showed working life and the various industries, such as linen, tobacco, and whisky, in the city at that time. However, the decision to build three “super liners” meant that the industry had to step up and install bigger and better facilities.

    The exhibits relating to the Titanic itself, its design and its first sailing were very impressive. But reading the stories of some of those on the ship, why they were there and what happened to them, made for a very sombre experience. We would recommend it to any of our friends who visited Belfast.

    It was then time to head to Dublin Airport where we fly out in the morning. The Travelodge proved hard to find, and was a lot further from the airport than we envisaged. We eventually found it, booked in, and then went to hand the car in. That was not much of a problem and we enjoyed the 50 minute walk back to the hotel.

    The Travelodge was a rather tired old “motel” in our terms, so rather than eat there we walked into Sword and had a very pleasant dinner at The Lord Mayor’s Pub.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Uneen damage to our car
    Robyn at Face Cafe Bar - relaxingA narrow street at night in Madrid

    Off to Viseu via Madrid

    19 ottobre 2018, Portogallo

    It is always hard to sleep when you have an early flight that you just CANNOT miss, and so it proved last night. By the time we received our wake up call at 3.30 am we were well and truly up.

    We took the 4.06am bus to the airport and were surprised at just how many people were on it. Going through the rigmarole of booking in and going through security was a breeze. The check-in lady was extremely friendly, and thought that as we looked after so many Irish in Australia it was the least she could do to reciprocate!

    Our flight left on time and was early in to Madrid where it had rained earlier. Getting out of the airport was easy, but lining up and waiting for a car at the Avis counter was not much fun. Eventually, after quite some time, a young lady tried to sell us a better car, and then better insurance. We declined in each instance and were issued the relevant paperwork for a Citroen C4 Gspace, quite a large vehicle. We then had to wait for it to be brought over from another terminal. It seems that most times we interact with hire car firms, a length of time is involved.

    When it arrived we hurriedly loaded up, waited for the GPS to work out where we were and then it was off to Viseu. The first hour or two of RHS driving is always a bit stressful, but at least this time we managed to get out of town without an accident. I wish I had inspected the car carefully before we headed out because I found a significant scrape when we stopped after a few hours.

    Our first stop in Portugal was at Viseu, on our way to Porto. The GPS indicated that it was 679 kms, much more than I had anticipated. However, as that was where our booking for the night was we headed out at great speed. A few hours later, at a very basic petrol stop we saw on a map that things were not as they seemed, and that Viseu was not that far after all. We drove, and drove, avoiding toll roads and arrived in the town around 6pm. Bugger - the GPS had no idea of where we wanted to go. A phone call elicited another street name nearby, to no avail. A second phone call, much stress, and a fair bit of luck, and we found our hotel in the middle of Viseu.

    What a surprise it was! Formerly the private residence of a wealthy family, it had been converted into a 12 room hotel, owned by an antique dealer with premises underneath. He furnishes it with antiques which are for sale so apparently you never know what you will find.

    After settling in we headed out for dinner and ended up in Face Bar Cafe. What an experience that was! Owned by a sort of local we enjoyed local wine and local bread (actually toasties) while watching locals walk by. We spent quite a while chatting to the owner.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Church, not the Cathedral in Viseu
    Church organ in ViseuOld bell and fittingsCThedral in ViseuPortugese countrysideNo wasted space hereBridge in Porto. Train on top, cars below

    Porto

    20 ottobre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Breakfast at our hotel was sumptuous, unless you wanted a truckie’s breakfast. We had plenty of choice and the staff were very helpful.

    As we were leaving, one of the hotel staff suggested that we go to the church museum just up from the hotel, and, not wanting to appear rude, we took her advice. As we have found in the past it is awesome to be in the presence of paintings, or statues etc from many hundreds of years ago, with NO security. While there I heard the organ in the church start up so I went in, hoping to hear something really nice. The organ was nice, the acoustics were fine, and ... the organist was a young boy practising. Oh well ...

    When travelling, we try to avoid tolls and did the same today, until it became obvious that we were doing it the hard way. So we changed the GPS and headed in to Porto , ending up in the old part of town. We were really early, and I wanted to scope the place out first, but all we could see was a garage entrance in a one-way street with no parking. This made for a difficult time. Anyway, we drove around until I could park (illegally) and we texted the owners to open up the garage door. In five minutes or so we came up the street and the owner was there with the door open. Good, except that we had to stop our line of traffic. The we had to wait until the other lane was relatively clear so I could swing out and then turn left into the very narrow entrance. I think we probably upset about 100 drivers in all!

    That aside, our apartment is just wonderful - so roomy and well presented. We asked if it would be possible to stay another day, which was okay, so we can now settle in a bit and not live out of our suitcases for a little while.

    We went for a brief walk to see what the lie of the land was. Then we returned to our apartment to do some washing (very important when travelling for some time) and then went for a much longer walk, over one bridge and back on another. Back for a shower, then had a drink in a local cafe, did some shopping and returned for dinner. All in all, another good day.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Our driveway, through a house
    Shopping in PortoPonte do InfanteRobyn enjoying dinner

    Porto on a Sunday

    21 ottobre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We eased into the day slowly so it was around midday when we went shopping. We really packed for colder weather and the 25 degrees in Porto has shown up the weaknesses in both our wardrobes. So, when the going gets tough the tough get going, and Robyn is tough.

    Robyn soon found a lightweight top and two T-shirts, and even I found a nice shirt, T-shirt and jeans. Unfortunately shorts were off the menu here, as most of the stock on display was for winter.

    Then it was off for our walk for the day. Those to whom we have related our plans for these holidays will know that we are going for a 5 day walk around Segovia in Spain, averaging around 15 kms per day. That is why we have been trying to walk more each day, and today was no exception. We managed around 9 kms, which included a long walk along the river and crossing it twice, on two different bridges. They certainly know how to build bridges here.

    Earlier in the evening, on our way home from our big walk, we started looking at restaurants in our area. One that appealed to us had only 1 person in it, while the next one had people all over the sidewalk. Not a good recommendation. After showering we went back and it was still deserted until 6 people suddenly walked in while we were looking on. We ended up having a lovely meal there, more like a tapas evening, with nice wine and beer. The young lady who served us spoke lovely English, and no wonder - she had English as a subject for 12 years at school! By the time we left there were heaps of people there. The Portuguese do prefer to come out later in the evening, like the Italians and Spanish I suppose.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Atlantic Ocean
    Atlantic Ocean with beachPorto tram - ancient and noisyPark along Rio DouroCorkscrew watching Robyn losing a game of Scrabble

    Second day in Porto

    22 ottobre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    After a lifetime of never using open top buses, the hop-on and hop-off type, we are now convinced they have value. We lined up for the Blue Bus circuit (which is probably the same as the Red Bus circuit and the Yellow Bus circuit) and caught it at stop 11, just around the corner from our apartment. It was quite interesting and took us to places we would not otherwise have gone, but when it reached the ocean we hopped off because we had the opportunity to walk for some kilometres along the beach, such as it was. There were a few people brave enough to go into the water, but most were just sunbaking.

    We missed the bus two stops on so had to go to the third one along, and then waited and waited while Red and Yellow buses drove past. At least we had a good walk along the Rio Douro.

    While walking around the centre of the old town, we noticed many tram tracks but no trams. Today we saw a few of them out and about, all packed to the rafters with hot passengers. We weren’t even slightly tempted to hop on. They looked more like the ones you seen in third world countries where they are piled high with people and their belongings.

    Naturally we are trying a broad range of local wines, including some “Port” left by our hosts. Mostly they have been okay, picked as they were at random because we could not understand the labels. However, this evening we opened a bottle of sparkling and had to pour it down the sink, after a heroic effort to convince ourselves it was okay! Cork bottle closures are still the standard here. We did not see one screw cap anywhere, so it was just as well there was a corkscrew in the drawer.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Porto's Cathedral
    A restored port cask boatMaria Pia rail bridge, no longer usedUrban renewal of dock siteOur river cruise boatCasks in Cave of Offley Port HouseOffley Port HouseRobyn and Sophie, our tour guideTastings after tour at Offley Port House

    Last day in Porto

    23 ottobre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    The tickets we bought yesterday for the Blue Bus included a trip on the Rio Douro on the Blue Boat. We walked over to the riverside dock where we were soon on a boat. Once again, it was interesting and the 45 minutes we spent on board showed us things we would not otherwise have seen. Most of the traffic on the river was tourist boats such as ours, with one going past every couple of minutes.

    Our next planned event for the day was to visit the Offley Port House. We had read a good report about it in the SMH six months ago so we bypassed the ones closer to the tourist area. On arrival, at 1 pm, we were told that the next tour was at 3pm. Not to be deterred we went for a long walk, with gelato, and were back in time for the tour.

    Sophie, our guide, gave a good presentation of the history of Port Wine, how and where it is made, and so forth. I believe that this is not one of the larger port houses, but they certainly had a lot of wine maturing away in French oak barrels. At the end of the tour we were taken to the tasting room where tables had been set up to reflect each ticket. Robyn had bought a two glass tasting, and of course I had to have a three glass ticket. It was all very nicely set out, and we were talked through the various types. Obviously doing two port house sessions in one day would take an effort.

    On our return we showered and changed and went out for a pre-dinner drink. This was a pleasant way of ending our time in Porto, as tomorrow we head to Lisbon for three days.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Apartment in Porto
    Kitchen in Porto apartmentJust up the road from our apartmentRobyn in the kitchen

    Moving on down to Lisbon

    24 ottobre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Sadly it was time to leave our wonderful apartment in Porto. We have enjoyed our four days here, with plenty of room, a good kitchen and secure parking. It really is the benchmark against which we will judge all our accommodation on this holiday.

    Leaving was an issue. As I had mentioned when we arrived, getting into the parking area was a problem, but getting out was not much easier. The traffic had eased a little from the pre 9 am rush, but there was still plenty there. We had to poke our car’s nose out and wait, wait, wait until some kind soul saw our predicament and let us in. That was fine, but we also needed half of the other lane to turn properly so it was interesting.

    Our drive down to Lisbon was straightforward, with our GPS and signs makings it quite easy. The only thing of note was when we needed to refuel and thought a coffee would be in order. At the “restaurant” we walked in, and Robyn asked for a cappuccino. Would you believe they only did strong coffee shots and if you wanted a cappuccino you had to go to a machine and put money in. That was just a bridge too far, so we continued on our way.

    At the next service area we tried again, with little luck. Robyn ended up with a poor excuse for a flat white and I had to get my hot chocolate from a machine. Amazing!

    The apartment we have rented for three days in Lisbon was at the lower end of the price scale, so we didn’t have high expectations, but it has everything we need and the location is great.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Arco da Rua Augusta
    The river at Praca Do ComercioSuperior Postal pointRobyn lifting a gold barThat's a real vault door!Captioned as a portable phoneEuro notes, some of which we have not seen

    Our first day in Lisbon Pt 1

    25 ottobre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Our friendly host here in our apartment gave us many tips about what to see in Lisbon. Really, if you are happy to walk you can see so much, but if you want to take a “tourist trap” tram you can see even more without the sore feet.

    We decided to walk into town this morning to see a little and visit the main Tourist Information Centre, post some postcards and change some Aussie dollars for Euros. Funnily enough we managed to do all of these things before midday, as well as buy another T-shirt for Robyn, this time one with Lisbon on it. Typical tourist!

    We found a post office point, not actual office, but a point that sold stamps and you could post according to type of mail. It was very well done, and so in no time we had bought 5 stamps and put the postcards in the International slot. Little things like that show how much better other countries do some things than Australia.

    While strolling around we found a museum dedicated to money. It was contained in a huge building that had originally been a church but had been bought by the Bank of Portugal in the 1930s and used as a head office. Entrance was free so we went in, were put through airport type security and saw a very interesting history of money, from the first coinage in 7th century BC through to the introduction of the Euro in Portugal.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Candle for Sue Whiteley
    Sardines are a big thing hereTypical Lisbon being rebuiltSea PrincessOur little apartment in Rue Bempostinha

    Our first day in Lisbon Pt 2

    25 ottobre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    The afternoon was spent walking. I had left our map at the cafe where we had a little lunch so finding our way around was a bit difficult, We managed to make it up to the Castle, but missed the Cathedral on the way. Given its size I don’t know how we managed that.

    Anyway, we bought a map and backtracked to the Cathedral where we lit a candle in memory of Sue Whiteley. It seems that their cathedrals are all dark, sombre places, and this was no exception. However, its scale was impressive and we enjoyed taking it all in.

    Next was a walk down to the docks where we saw two gigantic (to us) cruise ships. We watched them being re-provisioned and some painting being done as well, and then saw bus after bus of passengers coming back to board. We are not sure that this type of holiday is for us, but maybe, perhaps, when we are too old ...

    Our walk took us a long way along the bank of the Rio Tejo before we headed back to our apartment. One thing we have noted is that there are many hills, and while not particularly steep, they seem to go on forever.

    Literally around the corner from our place we noticed a little bar/restaurant that looked very inviting. After a shower and change we went back there and had a quiet drink. We are going back tomorrow evening for dinner.    Leggi altro

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  • John HadfieldIreland, Portugal and SpainViaggiatore
    Recycling collection
    Real Association de Lisboa HQBuildings in new quarter were limited to 2 storiesRub his ticket and get luckyStreet guitaristView from Elevador Santa JustaElevador Sant JustaMemorial to 1506 Easter SlaughterApology from Catholic Church for 1506 Easter Slaughter

    Last day in Lisbon - the walking tour

    26 ottobre 2018, Portogallo ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Instead of taking a Yellow (or Red or Blue) Bus we decided yesterday to book ourselves in to a guided walking tour of the centre of Lisbon with Take Lisboa. So, at 10.30 we were at Largo Chiado to meet up with Afonso Pereira and 16 other people for a 2.5 hours guided tour. Our tour was in English, naturally, but it was interesting how many nationalities were represented - Canada, USA, Germany, Sweden, Malta and Australia.

    For the next two hours we walked around, stopping at various points of interest, and hearing stories about many different things. I really enjoyed his commentary about the bloke who is head of the movement to return the monarchy. He has headquarters in Lisbon, and wants to be the King. Afonso said that whenever there is a slow news day he will be interviewed by the press on whatever topic comes to mind, and he is usually good for a laugh.

    The big earthquake of 1755 devastated Lisbon. Many thousands died then, and the person put in charge of the cleanup was very mindful of disease. He ordered bodies be taken on a barge and taken well out in the river and dumped, an action that saved many more from death. However, he clashed with the Catholic Church over this because it did not constitute a Christian burial. Prior to the earthquake he had been put in charge of urban renewal, and his town planning ideas were way ahead of the times. It turned out that some of the new areas, perhaps seedier ones, survived the earthquake because of his radical building ideas, whereas the thousands who piled into the cathedral for safety died when it collapsed.

    The tour ended in the square where the 1506 Easter Slaughter took place. About 1900 Jews were killed, burnt, or hung by a wild crowd, incited by a couple of Dominican friars who promised absolution for the sins of the past 100 days if one killed a “heretic”. This was a dark day in the past of both Lisbon and Portugal.    Leggi altro

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