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Mooney's European Adventure

June - August 2022
Justin's 2022 sabbatical trip Read more
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  • Mooney's European Adventure
    Day 11

    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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    Day 12

    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
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    Day 14

    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
    Day 15

    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
    11
    Day 16

    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
    Day 17

    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
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    11
    Day 18

    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
    Day 19

    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
    Day 20

    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
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    Day 21

    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

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