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Justin Mooney
Justin Mooney

Justin Mooney

traveled in 8 countries Read more🇨🇦Regina
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  • Mooney's European Adventure
    The Queens HamletMore of the Queens HamletAnd more of the Queens HamletAnd still more of the Queens HamletAh.... the city of love

    Paris, the Day Not In Paris

    July 21, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Ok.... even I think someone should call social services for what happened today.... BUT... in my defense, they were asking for it.....

    I guess I should go back a few hours to where the day began.

    Today was Versailles day. This is the day that made Jenny tear up in anticipation. After a long time trying to figure out the best way to get there and try to figure out if our Travel Cards would work or do we need to get special tickets (spoiler alert, our cards did work so the trip was already covered) we decided to go especially early in case we had to buy tickets. Everything went smooth and we got there well before they opened and over an hour and a half before our scheduled entry time.

    So we stopped at a pastry shop to get some croissants and pain de chocolate and made the walk to the Palace. Once there we decided to check out the gardens. We were almost the only ones in there and let me say, they are spectacular. You could send the kids out into the backyard to play and not see them for 3 weeks. The kids just kept talking about how you could have an epic paintball fight or play hide and seek where the person hiding would most likely die before they are found. It was amazing.... but... we came to see the inside too. So we wandered around for over an hour before we had to race back to make our entry time.

    What can you say about Versailles? Words don't do it justice. We spent many hours walking the halls and listening to commentaries, and staring at the art or the architecture. It is all amazing to think about the history of that place. So I am not going to even try. But, if you come here.... go to the Palace.

    After the inside we were back into the garden. We walked and walked and walked. Sure there were trains or golf carts you could rent to get around... but that isn't the Mooney way gosh darn it. One of the things we really wanted to see was the Queens Hamlet. It was a fake little village they created so the queen could see what regular people lived like. There is so much more to the story than that but the point is, there was a tiny village out there and we were going to find it. And find it we did. Charming buildings and a working farm. Very cool little place. Then we walked some more to take in some of the fountain shows. Not all the fountains are on all the time so you have to time it for when they are scheduled to go.

    Then, after a long day of walking (just wait, we aren't done yet) we walked back to the train, caught a congested train back to Paris and headed back to our flat.

    And that is where the day "should" have ended. But... it didn't.

    At this time we were sitting at just over 32,000 steps. It was already our longest walking day.... but.... the kids got it into their head they wanted to get to 40. So we decided to take the subway to the far end of the Champs elysees and walk up it towards the Arc de Triomphe at sunset. It certainly sounds nice... right??? Well... it was nice (geeze... not everything good to be so dramatic). The street was bustling, the Arc was beautiful in the setting sun but some of us were starting to fade. We got to the Arc, went under the busy round road to get right under it, took some pictures and rested, and then we looked at the watch. Only 37,000 steps. Now we are faced with a dilemma. Do we call it a day and catch the metro home... or... make one last march to the Eiffel Tower.

    This is the point in the story where the authorities should get involved. The kids all wanted to make the walk, get the 40,000 steps and see the tower at night. We decided to go for it. It was about a 2 km walk so we headed in that direction. Now, we are leaving heavily populated areas and walking in the dark down much quieter streets. We never felt unsafe and I think the areas are fine, but when you don't live in the city, you just never know. And... the length of the day is really starting to affect a couple of the kids. But they are committed so we march on. In the end we get to the tower but some of us were too exhausted and mentally drained to really enjoy it, and we still had to walk the remaining 15 minutes home. The kids pretty much got in and went straight to bed. And... we ended up overshooting a bit. Our final step counter clocked in at 43,332. It goes without saying none of us have any desire to see if we can break that one so I am sure it will stand as our longest walking day of our trip.

    Tomorrow is the Louvre though so this may have been a huge mistake.... we shall see.

    Thanks for tuning in.... and... don't really call social services on us. We won't do it again. I promise. 😉    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    Sacre CoureLove locks on the fencesView from Sacre CoeurFamily eating snails for the first timeArtists are weirdOne of the cool streets we came across on our wanderings.Miscellaneous arch we came across on our wanderingsPlace des Vosges

    Day 2 in the City of... Sidewalks

    July 20, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Well, the heat wave finally broke, which helps with the sleeping, but Wednesday was supposed to be a day of rain. And it started off a bit rainy so we decided to go visit Montmarte and the Sacre Coeur Basilica. It was by far our longest subway ride but we are getting pretty good at it. Haven't left anyone on the subway in day.....

    Montmartre is a beautiful artists haven. Canvasses line the streets, portraits and landscapes are being painted with loving care and sometimes a bit of whimsy. The cobblestones of the streets take you back to a simpler time when the journey was the adventure, not the destination. And the scent of fresh pastries fill the air with a magical sense of hopefulness and the possible.

    And... there are tonnes of people which make you constantly worried someone is going to pick your pocket and walk away with your favorite Kenny G CD (and YES... I take it everywhere!!)

    But the Basilica is cool, the views of the city are great, and the singers on the sidewalk that get the crowd to join in just makes you smile. We don't tip those guys though. Heck, we are doing half the work. 😉

    Then Jen says, let's go see.... something.... I don't remember. We look at the maps and it's like a 30 minute subway ride. But we don't want to keep whizzing by the city underground. So we decide to take a bus... but there are "disagreements" about which bus to take and where the stop is. So "someone" suggests.... LET'S WALK IT!!

    And that is where our day turns. The idea is great. We knew the general direction... south and to the east... (I guess I could have just said South East but I get paid by the word). So I tell Jenny, put your phone away dear.... I got this.

    So we started walking... and we walked and walked and walked. We saw amazing streets and cool buildings and some arches I never heard of. And Jenny gets a bit... uh... "twitchy" when she doesn't quite know where she is... so that was a bit entertaining too. In the end, I got us to the neighborhood she wanted and it only took us like 2 hours... of straight walking.

    In the end, we got to Place Des Vosges. It is a famous Palace sort of thing that many rich people like Victor Hugo lived at with a courtyard for doing duels.... that kind of thing. We just finally laid on the grass for awhile soaking up the ambiance.

    As you lay down in a historical place, many thoughts come unbidden into your mind. What is the legacy I will leave? Is there anything I am doing that will leave such permanency?...

    Then it started to thundershower so I thought, how do get home without dying....

    And so that pretty much ended the day. We had plans to go out but the constant threat of thundershowers kept us in. So it was a long day but in the end, we truely did find more enjoyment in the journey than in the destination.... SEE WHAT I DID THERE?? THAT IS STORY TELLING!!!

    And now we are prepping for a big day tomorrow at Versailles. Should be a good one. Thanks for sharing this journey with us.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    Some nice Paris streets
    More nice Paris streetsThe family trying to stand in the shrinking shade2 kids downThe ParthenonCool Paris streets around the ParthenonWalking to the park

    First Day in the City of...Burning Heat

    July 19, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

    So, when we were planning our trip to Paris, we never thought about packing for record setting heat waves. What does one wear for that? Speedos and tube top? Anywho... crippling heat really did hinder our site seeing plans. We didn't have anything booked... and that turned out to be good. The day started off late because everyone slept in after our late night the night before, and then Liam had a long lasting bloody nose that we think just knocked him off kilter the whole day. He wasn't feeling great and was dragging a bit. But we decided to head out anyway by about the time the heat was really hitting its stride.

    We jumped on the metro and headed over to the Spanish Section. There we...... what's that dear ??? Sorry. It is the Latin Quarter. Same thing.... right??? Don't know why she keeps getting angry with me. So... we headed over to the Latin Quarter to walk around a bit. Stopped at a crepe place because Evan really wanted to. The crepes were great and surprisingly filling. Then we wandered over to the river bank and got our first glimpse of Notre Dame. It is sad that we couldn't really get in to see it but they are working hard on it to have it open by the Olympics in 2024. I guess we will just have to come back.

    Then we had to stop for cold drinks/ice cream because of.. well.. near death. And then we wandered some more. We stopped at the Shakespeare and Company book store which is famous for being an English Language bookstore that many famous people have visited.... or something like that. It was famous enough that there was a long line to get in so we didn't even try.

    Then we headed over to the Parthenon... a French version of the one in Rome. It was very grand. By now the kids are dragging. So we headed down the street to the McDonalds, got 6 of their largest drinks, crossed the street and hung out in the Luxemburg Park. The kids were so tired that we couldn't even explore the park. So after sitting for a bit with the Eiffle Tower as our backdrop, we jumped on the Metro and headed home. Jen and I went out one more time to get some groceries but our day was done. Fairly disappointing outcome for our first day in Paris but our kids were just worn out from the heat and the dangerously low blood levels.

    Tomorrow should be a lot cooler and we are talking about hitting it hard tomorrow, so we will just let this one slide. We finished the day with only 10,758 steps. Now it is off to bed and hopefully the cool weather comes to us in the night so we can get a better sleep. Until tomorrow...    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    St. Pancras Station
    St. Pancras StationSecurity line to get through customsFirst views of ParisView from our 7th storey apartmentFirst glimpse and the view of the Eiffle tower from our flatWalking to the tower. Getting closer

    The Never Ending Journey

    July 18, 2022 in France ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    That title is way more dramatic than it was. It is just click bait. But. Read all the way to the bottom for some exclusive bonus content.

    The day started off with a notification that our train from Bath to London was cancelled. We needed to get to London to make our train to Paris so there was just a tiny bit of worry from you know who.

    But, when we looked closer, we found that only every second train to London was cancelled. Our original train was at 10:43 but we could catch a 10:13 train and our tickets would work for any train between today and Wednesday. So that was good to know. We headed off to the train station early just missing a 9:15 train and waited for our 10:13. Because we weren't using our original tickets, we didn't really have seats reserved on this train so there is aways the possibility all the seats would be ful and we would have to stand. But that was just useless worrying as there was lots of room and we had a pleasant trip to London. I had also built into the schedule a lengthy layover to make our Paris train so we had a good cushion to work with.

    The next worry was... are the subways running in London. A lot of the lines were severely delayed due to speed restrictions on the lines and running fewer trains. For us, we caught our direct train to St. Pancras International. The train was a bit slower but it wasnt busy so it turned out not to be a big deal at all.

    So... now we are 3 hours early for our Paris train. The boarding area was packed because many of the trains were delayed. Some by more than an hour. So after a quick lunch we got in the long security line to leave the UK and enter France, all the while wondering how late our train be and what that will mean to us finding our place. But again, there ended up being nothing to worry about. Our train arrived and left on time.... no problems other than some sub par wifi.

    So, now we are in Paris. We figured out on the train what we had to do to get to our new place. There is one change we had to make. It turns out that Paris trains are not like London trains. You have a very finite window to get off the train and if the door starts closing, you can't stop it. So, as we were frantically trying to get off the crowded subway, sadly, we didn't all make it. I had to watch as the train drove away with my wife and Dylan. As I contemplated how we will continue the trip without them, she texted she got off at the next stop and she was going to come back. Whew.... another crisis averted. But.... she had left the station and her ticket wouldn't let he back in. And i had the only extra tickets in my pocket. So she decided to walk back to our station. But there are so many entrances she couldn't find the right one. After some trail and error we found each other once again, used 2 new tickets and continued on our journey.

    We managed to find and access our place without much difficulty. The instructions were written in a way that even I could understand them.... so... let's just say there were pictures involved. We got the place organized for sleeping, got a pile of laundry going and then we decided to get some take away pizza amd head down to the Eiffle tower for a late night picnic. The walk was long but the views were magical. Then it was back to the apartment, do up some showers and settle down for the night.

    It is going to be a hot one tomorrow so we will just play it by ear as to what we do. But it will just be nice to be in this city and experience the culture.

    Oh... and putting your kids in French is really paying off. Caden ordered our pizza like a boss and carried on a short conversation with some passersby who wanted to know where we got our pizza from. It was all Greek to me. One person even apologized to me after seeing the blank expression on my face, saying something about... sorry you are so stupid (I am pretty sure that is what he said) .

    And now for your bonus content. It literally took until we were walking back from the tower to hit our 10,000 steps. Ended the day at 15,749. So.. it was a very sitting intensive day.

    Now... aren't you glad you stick around to the end? Well, maybe it isn't that exciting, but wait until you hear about the earth shattering realization and life altering decision we have to make tomorrow. Stay tuned....    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    This is the water overflow that all works today.Up the tree covered walk to the hostelOur hostelThe main road up to the hostel areaNight time shots. Would live to end my days sitting next to the riverI just loved the chair on top of the boat

    AWhole Day In Bath

    July 17, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    So, when we were planning the trip we thought... let's get out of London for a night. See more of the country and save some money on a hotel. At the time it was a great idea. Now with the heatwave hitting Europe, all our travel plans are at risk due to cancellations... but... we went to Bath anyway. We will leave tomorrow's travel plans to God.

    The train out if London was packed. We had seats luckily but there were lots who had to stand for much of the journey. But hey, the train was running so all is good.

    Like everywhere else, Bath is beautiful but with much more of a Roman feel. We got tickets to see the actual Baths and we were surprised it was so big. 1st century architects could do amazing things.

    After the Baths we spent the rest of our time just wandering around the city. There are lots of beautiful areas and buildings. We missed the Michael Buble concert by a day but we saw them taking down the stage. Bath is a rich town and there were amazing cars everywhere.

    Then we made our way to our Youth Hostel. I was very impressed. Our room was spacious and even though we didn't have our own bathroom, they were right outside our door. It had self cooking spaces with everything you need to cook your own meal but they also had dining rooms and a Cafe. And the building was an old Italian style building surrounded by trees up the hill from the city center. A great relaxing place and it never felt busy.

    We walked down the hill to get some groceries for supper and then trekked back up to cook and eat the food. It was a hot day so we pretty much packed it on for the day. Kids were fine too settle in and do nothing. I was a lot more ansy. So when the sun had set, I convinced Jenny to go out for a walk and take some night time pictures. It was very pleasant.... and quiet. 😉.

    Tomorrow we will eat breakfast at the hostel and then start our adventure to get to Paris. Wish us luck.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    Notting Hill on Saturday
    Some artsy pictures of the expensive housesRecreating the Beatles walk... very poorlyMore artsy picturesGot the sub just right to make it look like a halo1Evan liked the juxtaposition of the old and new.... nerdAte lunch at the shake shack.Fake diagon alleyAnother picture in Cadens series of... " The Wanderer"1Dylan standing right in the middle of the bridgeCaden got a new book so at every stop he would sit and read.... Nerd!!!

    Final Day In London

    July 16, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Well... after a lot of debate and working through the pros and cons with each side presenting some compelling arguments, we decided not to stalk Reese Witherspoon today and instead try and hit some things we would probably regret not doing.

    First on the agenda was to go back to Notting Hill and buy a book that Dylan wanted to get. That was an eye opening experience as Notting Hill on a Saturday is very different from a Wednesday as the picture I took illustrates. But we managed to part the crowd like Moses and the burning bush, get that book, and escape with no major difficulties.

    Next we tracked down a couple more filming locations from the Notting Hill movie and while we were at it I took out the big camera for some artsy photos. I was having fun while at the same time annoying the family. It was a good day.

    Next we jumped on the subway to head over to St. Paul's Cathedral. Again.... subway on a Saturday is very different and my claustrophobic wife was experiencing some... uh... tense moments with the number of people who manage to fit inside a moving metal projectile.

    After the cathedral we were off to find the market that inspired Diagon Alley from Harry Potter... which we thought we found but actually didn't. But that didn't dampen our mood because next we were off to walk the Tower Bridge. And it just so happens we were within 20 minutes of them opening it for a boat so we stuck around to watch that.

    Then we walked up the South Bank all the way to the Millennium Bridge so we could cross it ( that one was mine). And after all that we headed back to our apartment so we could pack things up and plan our day in Bath tomorrow (if this heat wave doesn't wreck our plans.... fingers crossed).

    So, that concludes our time here in London. Amazing time but we are ready to go. The next big step in the trip is Paris so everyone is getting excited for that. But I know we are leaving here with many fond memories. Until tomorrow.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    Paddington stationFrom the top of Carfax Tower1The door that inspired the wardrobe in the Chronicles of NarniaMagdelan CollegeInside the chapelThis is the path J.R. snd C.S. walked down that helped C.S. decide to be a Christian.1Christ Church CollegeChrist Church CollegeChrist Church College from the front.One of the many pubs J. R. And C. S. would frequent to share ideasStore that inspired the store in thy "Alice Through the Looking Glass"Agatha Christie's home

    Day 5 in London.... but not in London

    July 15, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Today we hummed and hawed about it for awhile. Should we go to Oxford for the day or stay in London? Last night we decided not to go because the really cheap tickets were too early in the morning. But as we got up this morning and looked, the prices were reasonable and the times were reasonable, so we decided to just go for it. And I am glad we did. Oxford is so neat. So many amazing buildings, and so much history with world changing people littering their history. J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and so many others. If I could go to university, I would love to go to Oxford. The only thing holding me back would have been the money and my intelligence... combined with my poor study habits. But who knows.... maybe they have an outreach program.

    The highlight for all of us is the Magdalen College. It is where C.S. Lewis worked and lived. We got to go in and walk around some of the grounds and go into the chapel. Beautiful. I think I could have penned the Chronicles of Narnia if I lived in that environment. It almost feels like cheating.

    And the rest of Oxford is just as inspiring. Christ Church College, from the outside, is beautiful. (We were too late in the day to get to go inside) . The streets are filled with old beautiful buildings. It was just a pleasure to walk around and take in the sites. I do recommend it to anyone in the area.

    After the train ride home we had a little bit of gas in the tanks so we took a small detour to see the house where Agatha Christie lived for a time. Apparently they decided to sell it after the buildings across the street were bombed in the blitz and their basement was partially damaged.

    So now we are chilling at our place and deciding what we should do tomorrow for our last day in London. It may be a mish mash of things we missed along the way... or we just found out that Reese Witherspoon is in London so maybe we go a stalking.... we shall see.

    Oh... and the step counter clocked in at a respectable 23,959.... so time to eat ice cream. Until tomorrow....    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    This is Winston's Nobel prize for literature. I didn't know he had won it.This was one of Winston's bedrooms and where he record his radio addressesA couple of hours with Winston and Ean wants to take up smoking cigarsDylan admiring his first DaVinciRiding the underground. Kids are getting really good at it.1

    Day 4 in London

    July 14, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today ended up being relatively laid back. We started the day off pretty slow letting everyone sleep in a bit. Then we headed back downtown to visit the Winston Churchill war rooms. I thought I knew what to expect but there was so much more information in there. They talked about Winston and his part in the war a lot but there was a whole Winston museum that talked about the rest of his life until his death. What a fascinating man who lead an extraordinary life.

    After that we went over to the National Gallery of London to check out some amazing art. The building itself is beautiful but the art was breath taking. I don't understand that level of talent but I am glad it exists.

    Then it was back to the apartment to make supper, relax a little bit, and then it was off to go see Wicked in the West End.

    I will say this.... don't come to London without taking in a show. Everyone loved it and it made Caden miss theatre class in school. I think it inspired some of the other kids to want to join theatre next year. I loved seeing their excitement afterwards. The show was amazing and the whole experience was worth it.

    In the end we only walked a little over 12,000 steps and the weather wasn't as hot so it was a very pleasant day.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    Riding on the top of the double decker.
    At the 7 disks eating market.Dylan trying to see if he could break in.I want these plates so bad.Streets of Notting HillThe door they used for William and Spike's apartment. Apparently it is worth $5 million

    London... Day 3

    July 13, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    So, I am posting about a day behind. I will try and catch up.

    Today we wanted to hit a few fun/ novelty type spots. First up, the Sherlock Holmes museum. So we hopped on a double decker bus and headed over. The bus was a nice change from the subway and it uses the same travel card. So super easy.

    The museum was really well done. Very interesting guides and stories. It was nice to see what a period home would have been like. And... it was just super cool being at 221B Baker Street.

    Afterwards we walked around and took in the 7 Dials neighborhood. We went to an indoor market and everyone got to choose what they felt like eating for a change. Then we were off to the Charles Dickens museum. It is the home where he actually lived for the first few years of his marriage and where he penned Oliver Twist. Also really well done and full of things he actually owned and used instead of just period replicas. Seeing the desk he used to write at was cool and hearing the stories about his process was fascinating.

    Afterwards we decided to head over and do a Notting Hill tour. Jen and I love the Notting Hill movie so it was cool to see where they shot some of the scenes. We had some yummy treats at a French place and then we headed home for the night.

    We ended the day just over 21,000 steps so it was another long walking day but the kids are still into it so that is great. Until tomorrow...    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    This is where Ann Boleyn was beheadedSuch detailed work on the Armour.

    Second Day in London

    July 12, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Today was our walking day. The plan was just to head down to the heart of westminster and walk. When you get off the subway and exit the station you are greeted by the Elizabeth Tower. Amazing!!! What a way to start a day with a bang. And from there, just walking around you see iconic site after iconic site. Right around the corner is the Westminster church. Then you walk across to the south Bank and see the London eye. And as you walk down that south bank you see St. Paul's Cathedral and the millennium bridge. It talks quite awhile to get all the way down to the tower of london and tower Bridge. But the walk is worth it. I actually didn't take a lot of photos today. Jen took more. But I found myself continually pinching myself to make sure that I was really here and seeing all these things we have seen in movies all my life. It is pretty surreal.

    The only thing we actually booked to do is the tower of london. We took in the free presentations by the beafeaters, went into the white tower and the bloody tower, saw the torture room, and eventually got to see the crown jewels. A very full day.

    After all the walking and the tour, we were pretty much done. It really is amazing how much the heat takes out of you. The whole day was around +30. We still ended with 18,702 steps though. So we found some food to eat outside the tower, sat along the bank of the river to eat it, and then we headed back to our place where we did laundry and tried to cool down for sleep.

    We will let the kids sleep in a bit tomorrow but there is still so much to see. Can't wait to get back at it. Till then.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    1
    Can you get any more british?Evan with the Rosetta Stone.11

    Day One .. In London. . Is Done

    July 11, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Well, if you only have 6 days in London, you want to go hard.... so we did. The day started off with breakfast in the apartment and then we were riding the subway down to Buckingham Palace. We toured around the outside for a bit and then we walked the mall down to Trafalgar Square. It was just cool sites after cool sites... so what did we decide to do next..... the M&M store.

    We also stopped and got same day cheap..er tickets to see "The Mousetrap".. the longest continuous running play ever. Going on 70 years now.

    With that purchased, we went to do lunch. We saw a Sherlock Pub so we decided to try there. But when we opened up the menu, it was identical to the Beehive Inn in Edinburgh, where we ate on our last day. I mean.... identical. It must be owed by the same company. So we decided to go elsewhere. We ended up at this Italian restaurant that had wood fired pizzas and bruscetta, and spaghetti. It was wonderful.

    Then bit more wandering until we ended up at the British Museum. What a cool place. We saw the Rosetta Stone, a bunch of Greek statues, some clocks, and we finally found the chess pieces Evan has been obsessed about since Dublin. He was pretty excited.

    After that we headed back to the apartment to have a quick bite to eat and refresh a bit before the play. It was a hot day today and we sure sweat a lot so it was good to relax and have a shower.

    Then we were off to the show. We were on the third balcony and seating was tight, but we could see the play fine and it was a lot of fun. One of the rules about Mousetrap is, you can't talk about Mousetrap so we will leave it at that. But go if you get the chance.

    Then it was riding the underground at night back to our place and off to bed.

    Today we clocked in 24,673 steps. Pretty good for such a hot day. Hopefully we walk a bit less tomorrow. But... we shall see.

    Until then.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    Walter Scott's Monument. Apparently you can climb it. Next time.
    Riding the London underground for the first time.Are new digs for the next week.Kensington Palace. I think in was expecting something more grand.Found some Canadian geese. Unfortunately they were the mean birds of the lake.Look hard. Our first sneak peak at the London Bridge. We think.Peter Pan statue.

    It's London Baby!!!!

    July 10, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Well, we made it. London. So far the kids are most excited about London which is cool. But first... we had to say goodbye to Edinburgh. We started the day with a goodbye toast. We cracked open a bottle of butterscotch beer, all said our goodbyes and walked to the train station. We were really early... again... so we swung by Sir Walter Scott's monument which is located just outside the train station. Somehow, we missed it when we arrived.

    Then it was on the train on our way to London. After an uneventful train ride we arrived amongst the hustle and bustle of Kings Cross Station. Our first order of business is to get Oyster cards and learn how to maneuver the underground tain system. We fumbled around a bit but got it figured out and we were off to our apartment. It is... small... but we hope we aren't here much. After getting unpacked, we headed out for food. The kids were craving fast food so we stopped to get some on the way to Hyde Park which is located about 5 blocks from our place. We sat and had a picnic in the park surrounded by locals playing soccer, badminton and walking their dogs. Super fun. Then, we were off to wander the park. I felt like we walked from one end to the other. We saw Kensington Palace. And there was a concert series going on in the park so we walked all the way down to get closer to that. Then over to see the Peter Pan statue and the Italian gardens. Hyde Park is huge and full of people. Lots of rollerskaters and "interesting" people. We loved it. But everyone was starting to wear down so we headed to the grocery store to stock our fridge with food and headed back to our apartment. Not sure if we will head out again tonight but for now we are just lovin' bein' in London.

    After a slow start to the day, we managed to pack on the steps and finished just under 20,000. It is hot here so that is slowing us down a bit. We shall see what we get done tomorrow. Until then....    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    1This huge building is actually redeveloped. You can buy condos in it.1

    Last day in Edinburgh

    July 9, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    This place will be hard to leave. So much left undone. I guess when you leave wanting more, it provides greater incentive to come back.

    The day started off on a high note. We met up with my long lost cousin Donelda and her Scottish husband Nick. They live near Edinburgh and drove into the city to meet us. Great conversation and nice to see family on the road.

    Afterwards we decided to head over to Dean Village. Some friends of ours used to live there when they lived in Edinburgh and said it was lovely. So we went to check it out and send them some pictures to help them reminisce. On the way we came across a cool graveyard that we wandered into and looked around. Apparently, that graveyard had the grave of the mathematician who made using the decimal popular. Who knew?!?! Then it was on to Dean Village. It was a beautiful area with nice parks and walking paths. We wandered down some of those covered paths for a bit until we decided to head back to the old town.

    Once we got back we headed over to Greyfriars Kirkyard where there lies the grave of Greyfriar Bobby and Thomas Riddle (the inspiration for Voldemort in the Harry Potter books). We got to eavesdrop on a tour telling the story of Greyfriar Bobby. Look it up if you don't know the story ( a little homework for you. What, you thought this was just going to be all fun?!?!?)

    Then we made reservations for supper at the Beehive Inn here on Grassmarket, did some more walking around went and ate supper and then headed back to our flat where we are now packing up, journaling the day, and listening to the live music coming from outside. The grassmarket is hopping on a Saturday night. Tomorrow we are off to London which everyone is excited about. Jen and I are feeling a bit trepidatious but I am sure we will get it figured out in no time.

    Ok. That is it from Scotland. See you in England.

    P.s. for your enjoyment I took a video of this girl trying to climb onto the back of a giraffe from out my window. Good times.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    Walking the royal mileThis is the great hall at the castleJust some really cool swordScotland Parliament Building

    First Full Day in Edinburgh

    July 8, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    We love this city.

    Today was a lot of just walking around and taking things in. We booked the castle for noon so we would have time to wander. We went in a tonne of shops because you just feel compelled to. Everything looks so interesting you have to check it out. We walked up and down the royal mile listening to bag pipers and taking pictures. We walked way out of our way to got to a game store called Mox In The Hole so the kids could look at Magic the Gathering cards, and we toured through the castle. So much stuff to see and read. There is lots of history on Scotlands military history through the ages and historical places where kings were born. Super interseting.

    We had to make some cuts to our schedule when we were planning this trip and getting into the highlands was one of them. So we will have to come back at some point because it is beautiful here. And the 3 days we booked here don't seem to be enough.

    We were concerned about noise coming off the bars here in Grass Market but it wasn't too bad. You can hear some laughter but all in all it is a nice background noise to remind us life is going on out there.

    Ok. Off to bed now and we are looking forward to tomorrow.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    We walked by this restaurant every single day. It holds a special place in our heart
    This is the front of the jailPascal drove us to the jail but had to make 2 trips. So this is us waiting.A great idea for a DIY wacking stick1This is the old court house located across the street from the jail.Vehicles waiting to board the ferryFirst views of ScotlandEdinburgh train station. So cool2

    Last Day in Belfast and on to Edinburgh

    July 7, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    This update encompasses 2 days of our trip. Our last day in Belfast, we didn't do a lot. The highlight was getting to meet up with a distant cousin and his wife who live here in Northern Ireland. We met Pascal and Jacqui a few years ago when they came to Canada to visit the lost Mooney family. When they found out we were coming to Belfast they reached out and drove up to Belfast to meet us for Lunch. What a great time.

    Afterwards we went on a tour of the Crumlin Road Gaol (the old jail here in Belfast during the time of the troubles). Super interesting and very well done. We don't have much in the way of pictures because we weren't supposed to take any (but I think Jenny snuck a few). And after that we pretty much just walked home and started getting ready to check out the next morning. So you see, not a lot to tell.

    Which then takes us on to Edinburgh. For this travel day, we had to catch a bus at city hall and that bus takes us on to the Stena Line ferry and then off to Glasgow. I spent a bit of time on the outside deck of the ferry watching Ireland slowly fade into the distance. Not knowing what lay ahead. Turns out, Scotland looks a lot like Ireland. Who Knew?!?! It really is beautiful here. Glasgow looked really neat but unfortunately we were just passing through. We got to Glasgow by bus so we walked down to the Central train station, brought tickets to the next train to Edinburgh immediately boarded and we were off. Just like that.

    Arriving in Edinburgh was like a dream. Tall buildings all around us. Steep hills and narrow closes to walk through. Amazing. Out apartment is really cool too. 3rd floor walk up with a view of the grass market... although our building is covered with scaffolding so that isn't ideal. We got in and settled then went to a lovely little restaurant called Mums Great Comfort Food for a late supper. Then it was off to buy some groceries, get back to our place and do some laundry. I am really looking forward to some exploring tomorrow.

    That is it for these 2 days. Hopefully more exciting updates tomorrow.

    P.s. 15,401 steps yesterday and 16,953 today. Gonna have to"step it up" tomorrow. HAHAHA.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    Waiting for the bus
    Mandatory Sheep Photo141

    The Giants Causeway and more

    July 5, 2022 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today was tour day at the Giants Causeway. This is our third tour with Paddywagon tours and we really like them. Our pick up spot was a bit of a hike so we got going early...and in true Mooney fashion, arrived an hour early. We really misjudged. So there was a lot of sitting around waiting for the tour bus to arrive.

    The tour bus was full as it is also a day trip tour from Dublin. Luckily we could all still sit together. The bus takes us North out of Belfast and up into County Antrim where my grandfather and his family were from. It was pretty cool to imaging my relatives growing up and looking at these views.

    The tour's first stop is at the Dark Hedges which are featured in the show Game Of Thrones. Apparently, the land lord here wanted a very dramatic walkway up to his house so he planted these trees along the lane back in the 1700's. Hundreds of years later and they are impressive.

    Next we drove up to see Sheep's Island and Rathlin Island. In the distance you could just barely make out Scotland. Beautiful views.

    Then it was on to the main event. The Giant's Causeway. We weren't sure how long it would take so we ended up spending all our time on the Causeway and never got to eat lunch. So we got some ice cream from the hotel and just ate that. It would have to tie us over until supper.

    On the way back we stopped at the ruins of Dunlace Castle which apparently is also in Game Of Thrones. Without having watched the show, some of the awe was lost on me but I snapped some pics anyway. And then we were off to come back to Belfast.

    By the time we got back we were ready for supper. We decided on a place called McHugh's. It was amazing food in a 300 year old pub/reataurant. I finally got a Boxty meal, and Jen said the Irish stew was the best she had. Great atmosphere.

    We did a bit more wandering and made a couple of stops in some shops.... (hey, that rhymes) and then we headed home for the night. We currently have nothing scheduled for tomorrow so we will get going when everyone feels ready. Tomorrow is our last full day in Ireland and I am sad to see it go but excited for the rest. Thanks for staying tuned.

    And... the step counter for today clocked in at 20,404. I know that may seem like a lot of walking but we keep checking on the kids and they are doing great. They don't feel it is too much so as long as Jen and I can keep up then we are good (so don't call social services on us for child abuse)

    Anywho... off to bed. Check ya later.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure

    First Day In Belfast

    July 4, 2022 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Today was explore Belfast day. And we figured the best thing to do was do one of those hop on hop off bus tours. So we stopped at a local grocer, got some muffins and chocolate milk, and headed down to city hall to catch our double decker tour bus. We decided to do the whole tour right of the bat (90 minutes long) and then use it for transportation when we want to get somewhere. The tour was great and the weather was great so we got to hang out on the open air top. The bus hits all the major sights including the university where they were having their grad. At the end of our tour we hoped on another bus and headed over to the titanic experience. It is so well done and everything is meaningful down to the benches outside that look like the distress signal the ship sent out. So so cool. I recommend using the audio guides as it gives you so much information.

    After that emotional experience, we caught the bus and headed back into downtown Belfast looking for lunch. We ended up at Grannie Annie's.

    By then it was late afternoon and we decided to head over to the Victoria Square Mall. It is a glass dome thing that has great free views of the city. While there, the kids saw a movie theatre and wanted to go see a movie. So we sent 3 of them to Jurassic World while Jen, Evan and I continued our Belfast wanderings. We finally got to the top viewing platform of the mall, kissed the "Salmon of Knowledge", visited Tim Hortons, walked around city hall and just meandered wherever our hearts took us. Then it was back to the mall to get the kids and head back to our place.

    All in all, it was a great day. Tomorrow we are off to the Giants Causeway so better get to bed.

    And... just to keep things consistent, I will close off with the step counter. We clocked in at 17,723 steps. So a more laid back day. We will try and do better tomorrow.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
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    On to Belfast

    July 3, 2022 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Today was a travel day. And our most complicated travel day. The trick was trying to get to Dublin to catch the train to Belfast that would get us here early enough in the day to get to our place and go out of we wanted to. In order to do that, we started by taking a bus from Killarney at 9:30 to Cork. We had about an hour to walk from the bus station to the train station and print off our tickets. No real rush but when you are dealing with so many firsts, you don't know what to expect. But we made our train and enjoyed a nice ride across the country to Dublin. When we got there, that is when things got tricky. We arrived at the Heuston station where we had 30 minutes to catch a train that was outside the station that world take us to the Connoly station. From there we had 10 minutes to find and board our train to Belfast. We got lucky and caught an earlier train to Connolly which gave us more time to find our Belfast train. And we needed it.

    Once we managed to find our train, it turns out our seats weren't our seats. They were given to someone else. And it appears that this happened to a bunch of people. The conductor guy just said to make our way down to the dining car and when the train starts, just go find some empty seats. So on our way we were seeing enough empty seats that we figured we would be fine. And in the end it turned out fine. The kids got to sit together and we were right behind them. So... we were good. It is still weird though.

    Anyway, we arrived in Belfast around 6:30pm. By the time we walked to our place and got settled, we were tired so we ordered food again and just relaxed for the evening. Tomorrow we are doing a hop on hop off bus tour and hopefully do the titanic museum. Weather is supposed to be good so cross your fingers.

    Ok. Off to bed. Check ya later.

    p.s. For those who care I only had a measly 12,025 steps today. Feels like I was slacking off...    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
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    Day 6 Summary

    July 2, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Today was our last day in Killarney. It was "supposed" to be a laid back day. So we decided to walk FOREVER!!! We started off making breakfast at the hotelly place, and then started on our way to Muckross House. We ended up taking the very long way through an off the beaten path which was the right decision. The house was cool and the gardens were amazing.

    Then on the way back we stopped off at the Muckross Abbey, took a bunch of pictures, and then walked back to the hotel. After eating supper together we walked into town to walk around. Today was also the Ring Of Kerry Charity Bike event which brings in around 6000 bicyclists. So it was cool watching all the bikers coming back and cheering for them.

    We walked around downtown Killarney and ended with a trip to Celtic Donuts for a sweet treat. Then back to the hotel to eat supper and do a pre final cleanup so we can hit the road to Belfast via Dublin via Cork early.

    So... what was supposed to be a laid back day ended up being a 30,748 Step Day. The most walking yet. We really need to stop using our laid back days to walk a mini marathon.

    So... big travel day tomorrow and then starts our Belfast adventure.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    1

    Day 4 and 5 Summary

    July 1, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    I didn't post a summary yesterday as there wasn't much to say. After waking up early in Dublin to get packed up and out the door, we got groceries to do breakfast and lunch and got on the bus to Killarney. Again, the country is beautiful and we got to Killarney around 5. It is a 2 km walk to our place and it is a little out of town, so we got here, got settled, and then decided to order food instead of walking back into town. We watched some TV to have some down time and went to bed.

    See..... uneventful.

    Today, we got up and walked into town to get some breakfast at a great little Cafe called Mannas. I had some beautiful meat sandwich. Then we caught our PaddyWagon tour bus through the Ring of Kerry. I can't say this enough. Absolutely beautiful. The tour was great and the Irish driver talked the entire time about everything. Informative and funny. Lots of stops in small towns, a stop at a waterfall, and breathtaking views. Amazing.

    After arriving back in Killarney, we got a bunch of groceries and made the trek back to our place. We are madly doing laundry and made some Penne and Sauce for supper and now Jen and I are just recording our trip. Tomorrow we are doing a low key wander around Killarney day so I will pay some of the cool pictures of Killarney then. I only get 20 pictures on a post so I think I will use up all my spots with Ring of Kerry pictures.

    Until tomorrow....    Read more

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    111

    Day 3 Summary... and... parenting fail

    June 29, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Day 3... wow.... time flies. Today is our last full day in Dublin... and we still had a list of things to do. So we started... nice and late. Everyone slept in till 10. We must still be jet lagging it a bit. So we decided to start off the day with a nice breakfast/lunch at Lemon Jelly, a fun little restaurant with amazing food. After that we were treking it on foot to the Guiness Storehouse for a tour through their museum. It was very well done.

    After that we walked briskly over to the Archeology Musem to search for an old chess queen that Evan saw a replica of and found out the queen was in Dublin while the other pieces are in Edinburgh and London. So... we thought it would be cool to find them all. But we couldn't find it and they eventually kicked us out. After that we went to the potatoe famine memorial which was super interseting, and then we made our way back to the hotel where we had supper and relaxed for a bit.

    And now... on to the parenting fail. I thought it would be fun and interesting to take the kids out a bit later and see the lights and the energy of the city. Jen warned me that may not be a good idea. I thought she was worrying over nothing and we would be fine... thinking her concerns were with safety. They were not. We headed down to the Temple Bar area because I wanted a picture of the historic bar all light up. And... I was looking forward to hearing some live Celtic bands as we merrily stroll through the streets. As it turns out, not only is there a very large amount of drunk people walking around at 10pm, but this is also the time companies start to put out their advertising for lap dances and steak dinners. So, after getting some Gelato at Cloud Nine, we walked around a little bit until we saw a couple of girls doing something inappropriate and then one drunk girl stole Liam's nose. Liam was traumatized and ran off and Caden had to run up and steal the imaginary nose back. What a hero. So, it was at that time I figured it was time to go.

    So... lessons learned. Put the kids to bed at 8 don't let them out at night. And always listen to your wife when she tells you something is a bad idea. Liam keeps reaching up to check if his nose is really back. Poor kid. Tomorrow it is on to Killarney. Should be fun.

    p.s. We also set a new personal best of 26,522 steps. Woo Hoo.

    p.s.s On top of all that, I still didn't get to hear any celtic music. All the bands we could hear were all playing modern music. Stupid modern society.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure

    A day with the cliffs

    June 28, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Today was our day trip to the Cliff's of Moher. And by day trip, I mean we left Dublin around 8 am and didn't get back until 9pm. A very long but amazing day. Our tour guide was funny and shared lots of interesting facts. The trip made lots of stops to see small towns and have bathroom breaks. We stopped at Bunratty Castle which apparently hosts nights where you can dress up like nobility and eat ribs all night. I nearly left the tour right there. We ended up spending a couple of hours at the cliffs, then off for lunch in Doolin, then we went to the mini cliffs, and then are harrowing journey along the sea wall that had Jen turning green. Then back home and we call it a day. All the kids spent time sleeping on the bus so we continue to wear them out, which is good.Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    1111

    Ok.... Day 1 Summay Wrap Up

    June 27, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    So... I don't think anyone wants me to post after every little thing we do... so I think I will try and post just a daily summary and hit "my" highlights.... which I am sure is different from Jen's highlights that she posts on Facebook.

    So... Day 1. After Trinity College and The Book of Kells, we got on our walking horse and headed south. We tried to go to a museum but it was closed. So we went to a park... then left that park. Then we went on a wild emotional journey to find a bathroom which we eventually found but had to pay $0.25 for...so.... i dried my hands for an extra 10 seconds to get my monies worth.

    Then it was off to find lunch. The place we wanted to go opens at 11 but they didn't open their doors until 12 so we went to another place where my kids could eat chicken wings. Then it was off to a church we didn't go in and Dublinia... the Viking museum, where we took a video of a viking pooping. Then it was off to another church that we did go to but got kicked out of because they were "closing" for a service. Then it was a mad run to a store my kids wanted to go to because they had magic cards there but we didn't make it in time so now my kids were "disappointed". REALLY!!!! And then it was time to tackle the near impossible question... "where do we eat supper " which ended up getting answered with "a grocery store". Then it was back to the room where Liam fell right to sleep and our watches that record our steps were smoking and almost dead after recording over 23,000 steps.

    Whew....

    Tomorrow will be much more laid back.    Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure
    1

    Book of Kells and the Long Room

    June 27, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    First thing we did on the first full day here was head to Trinity College and take in the Book of Kells (a 1200 year old copy of the first 4 books of the New testament hand illustrated by monks on cow skin). Super interesting. Upstairs from that is the a room ingeniously named... "The Long Room" due to it's rather impressing length. Apparently they had a lot of books and they needed a place to store them. Then we wandered around Trinity College for a bit before hitting the open road.... or.... in our case... congested sidewalks. More to come later.Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure

    Arrived in Dublin and getting settled

    June 26, 2022 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    The plane ride was smooth but the kids had trouble sleeping so they are pretty wiped right now. They feel asleep on the bus ride and now they fell asleep in the hotel room while we were getting settled. So now it's time to wake them up and head out to see the city. More fascinating posts to come.Read more

  • Mooney's European Adventure

    At the airport waiting for the plane

    June 25, 2022 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Well, first hurdle is through. We are at the airport and through security. Minor hiccup... Apparently you can't fill in that your kid's name is Dylan Money. The airport people get all picky because "his name doesn't match his passport". So 20 minutes to get that fixed and now we are actively waiting. Good thing we got here 4 hours early. There was no wait at all.... So... next up... the flight. Should be fun.Read more

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