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Dublin-Alsace-London
  • Ericovan
  • Judith Rivlin
  • Ericovan
  • Judith Rivlin

Dublin-Alsace-London

First trip in 10 years with just Judy and me. Celebrating our 35th year anniversary. Read more
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  • Trip start
    September 21, 2025
  • Dublin-Alsace-London
    1Classic Fish & Chips2Beef Guiness stewSaint Stephen's GreenLierary pub CrawlTom3That first GuinessTrinity College

    Day 1. -Dublin

    September 22, 2025 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Arrived and got settled into elegant digs at Trinity Townhouse, 3 blocks from Saint Stephen’s Green. Perfect weather. Sauntered to the park after a traditional lunch of Fish & Chips and Guinness Stew. Naps.

    Our evening was a pub crawl and literary tour with music provided by Tom (pic 10) along the way. Good and fun literary quotes, stories, music and with a quiz. Excellent tour the two gents have been doing for 37 years!

    A quick bite snd excellent sticky toffee pudding and off to bed.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London
    Oscar Wilde
    2Full Irish BreakfastPasquale - Tour GuideMost People Are Other PeopleEaster Week executions - 19161Judy - Creme d'AlsaceBoxy pancake - Fresh Peas - Marrow BoullionPeas and CodSizzleCreamy CheesecakeBerries and creamy rice pudding

    Diblin - Day 2

    September 23, 2025 in Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Big day. Great breakfast at Townhouse Trinity. Then a 3 hour walking tour with Pasquale, owner of his tour company. Great tour that was personal but also informative.

    Then a tour in the hard to book Kalmainhan Gaol. The tour provided a solid backdrop to 1916 rebellion and subsequent treaty and civil war. It was the executions that ignited public fury not the rebellion itself.

    Judy went on to the EPIC museum to discover the Irish diaspora experience.

    Lastly, we dined at the excellent Pig and Ear.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London
    HowthThey're done1Pittsburgh Steelers in townTour GuideLibrary & Nasa globeProclamation 1916LibraryOldest Harp in Ireland (Guinness logo)The Celtic

    Dublin - Day 3

    September 24, 2025 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Great day. We took a train to Howth on the NE coast. We then walked the 4.9 seaside trsil in perfect weather.

    Returning to Dublin we took a brief rest, then onto a tour of Trinity College and the book of Kells and its beautiful “Old Library.”

    Finally, off to the Celtic for dinner and live music.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London
    Howth & Newgrange
    Matt1Boyne River3200 BC passageway mound1Solar entranceAbbey"The Great Famine"High Cross1Judy's Seafarers (Impartial Arbitrator)Townhouse on the Green"Dining Room

    Day 4 - Dublin

    September 25, 2025 in Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Big history day. We took an 8 hour tour out to the countryside. Matt was our chatty and informative tour guide. Our destination was the neolithic “passageway” mounds dating to 3200 BCE and standing stones. Interesting after my Brittany tour of neolithic stones Les Alignments de Carnac, dating to 4800-4300 BCE. Pic 7.

    It was a beautiful day. Matt was very informative having done this tour for 13 years. A highlight was walking through a mound passageway to see a demonstration of the sun rays piercing the blackened interior for 17 minutes at the Winter solstice.

    We also toured an abbey (in ruins after the reformation done by Henry VIII) and a graveyard with a High Cross which has carved details from the bible.

    As the trip comes together we are piecing together the complex history of Ireland:
    1. “The Famine” or “The Great Hunger”. The British like referring to it as a famine. And a blight did infect the single breed of potato, often grown in poor or even boggy soil. BUT, the British were the land owners, the Irish tenant farmers, and the British shipped grain and cattle and other provisions out of the country ignoring the conditions they had created and could have alleviated. Booo. Ireland’s population still has not recovered its prior level. .
    2. Women. The Catholic laundries continued into 1995.. Women could not hold civil service jobs until 1980. Although protestant women could attend Trinity College in 1904, the Catholic church banned any attendance, man or woman, until 1970 (the same time as UVA allowed women). Now 20,000 students attend.
    3. Economic Hardship. Despite independence in 1949, unemployment continued above 12% through 1960. 1949 is not celebrated as an independence day in part because of economics and in part because of the subtle change from “home rule” to self government.

    From 1974 - 1988, unemployment rose from 6% to 16%. From 1981 to 1990, about 450,000 people emigrated, reflecting economic hardship. Only then and until 2008 did unemployment dramatically decline only to resurface to just below 16% in 2012, now down to 4.7%.

    The most interesting thing is that the consistent attitude is “move on.“ Folks don’t dwell on the past or past economic hardships but celebrate the present. This attitude makes Ireland a special place to visit and to enjoy.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London

    Dublin to Luxembourg - Day 5

    September 26, 2025 in Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Great breakfast followed by a tour with Gillian of the Tenement Museum. Gillian’s father grew up nearby - 100 people to 19 rooms - 17 families. She also has encountered many folks who came back to visit who had lived there. It was a very personal and heartfelt tour by Gillian, with many tears by her, as her father recently had died and this was her last day touring. She had too many memories of her da, especially as he showed up in a tour one day and heckled her throughout the tour.

    Sadly, these old Georgian mansions, left behind in 1801 when Ireland joined the UK in the Act of Union, turned into tenements that continued to exist until 1979. The 1801 act abolished the local parliament and, in name only, allowed Irish protestant representation in Westminster.

    Luxembourg. A way stop on the trip to Strasbourg, we stayed at Villa Petrusse, a sumptuous hotel just next to the Haut Ville.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London
    View from hotel Villa Petrusse
    Lux1KaddishBlind to the HolocaustView towards our bay windowView from room Cour de CorbeauJudy - Cathedral in background1Mushroom Tarte FlambeeLiberator of Strasbourg - 1262GutenbergAlmond nougatPetite France bridgeChoucroute

    Lux to Strasbourg - Day 6

    September 27, 2025 in Luxembourg ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    A brief walk around Luxembourg starting with the terrace in back of our hotel. We stumbled upon “Kaddish,” a statue in remembrance of the 1,244 known jews (plus 200+ unknown jews) deported and exterminated in the holocaust. Kaddish is both a prayer in remembrance of the deceased and an affirmation of life, faith and the greatness of God. The artist was 14 when sent to the camps and survived two death marches.

    Strasbourg. Rain yesterday (when we weren’t here) but all sunshine today. We walked in the steps of our good friends Jamie and Ed to claim the beauty of this popular city and the commencement of our Alsace journey. Home to Gutenberg (grandfather of Anime), great Riesling, choucroute and tarte flambée.

    We walked all the way to Petite France and back, with crowds of Germans, French and many families. Very festive.

    Tomorrow we have a three hour walking tour to better immerse ourselves.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London
    Cathedral1Elora- Tour Guide1/3 forts guarding entrance by waterWood fired Flambee1TempleCathedralCathedral322 steps - 226 feet to platformKidneysConfit de Porc speatzleat night2

    Strasbourg - Day 7

    September 28, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    OMG (Oh Mein Gott). Beautiful weather and a great day for a 4.5 hour tour (including lunch) with 26 year old Elora. She was personable, enthusiastic and informative.

    As Jamie and Ed said awhile back, Strasbourg is a magical jewel. What damage occurred during the war carefully has been repaired or reconstructed. Each street has a picturesque view. A perfect city for celebrating 35 years together.

    For lunch we had a garlic and chive Flambee, Riesling and a salad.

    After the tour, and in accordance with our Margot/family tradition, we climbed the church tower - the highest in the world (1469 - 1874) - 435 years. 332 steps and an elevation of 216 feet. Was it worth it? You bet. The views all the way up were astounding.

    Naps and a traditional dinner of onion tarte, Porc Confit and Kidneys, ending in a Tarte Tatin. Great conversations on either side of our communal table.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London
    Benoit our tour guideCharcuterie board

    Strasbourg to Kaysersbourg - Day 8

    September 29, 2025 in France ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We hit the road today, visiting Obernai, Barr, Mittelbergheim and taking a fantastic winery tour at Zeyssolff.

    At the winery we had a thoughtful review by Benoit of the grapes (Riesling, Gwurtz., Pinot Gris, Pinot blanc and Pinot Noir), the “Terroir,” the AOC denominations and characteristics of all. Plus three movies on the family owned vineyard in continuous family control and operation since 1778 - 245 years ago! See, Family Tree, Pic 5.

    Then off to our spa, Relais and Chateau La Chambard. What a luxurious stay before motoring on to Colmar in two days (after hammon, sauna and massages). Not bad for a 35 year anniversary.

    Lastly, we walked around the incredibly beautiful Kaysersbourg - Birthplace of Albert Schweitzer. “Schweitzer was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 for his lifelong advocacy of “Reverence for Life” and humanitarian achievements…. He is celebrated as a universalist figure of peace, combining careers as a doctor, theologian, philosopher, and musician…”

    Not to be outdone by some random Nobel Prize laureate, Kaysersbourg, itself is outstanding (as in out standing in fields of vines). The name means Emperor’s Moutain, a claim by The Holy Roman Empire/Germany over a free city from 1293 and French after 1648 (more or less).

    “Kaysersberg stands out as one of the most picturesque and historically significant destinations on the Alsace Wine Route. It was elected “France’s Favourite Village” in 2017.”

    Back at our room we had a charcuterie board with local cured meats and cheeses to go with our Creme d’Alsace (on the house).

    Finally, dinner at the Spa’s Winstup (pronounced Vinstoop). A “winstub is a traditional Alsatian tavern-style restaurant known for its rustic, convivial atmosphere and classic regional cuisine.” Fine by us. We had an excellent onion tarte and trout and pair tarte for dessert. They also brought over a Joyeaux Anniversaire treat.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London
    Hotel Lobby
    The transparent hills of AlsaceCh. Haut KonigsbourgWild Mushroom on Pain GrilleBaeckeoffePavlova

    Strasbourg to Kaysersbourg - Day 9

    October 1, 2025 in France ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    The cover shot is from out Relais and Chateau, Le Chambard which has a lobby filled with stuffed animals. In Pic 3, you can see the famous transparent hills of Alsace. 😉

    Today was a road trip day using Kaysersbourg as our base. We hit the delightful and picturesque town of Riquwer first. The town is a feast of color and located right amongst vineyards. Every step offered a view. It’s a bit touristy but well worth it. You can see a stork’s nest here and there, the official bird of Alsace.

    We also visited Ribeauville, a smaller picturesque town.

    Next to Chateau Haut Konigsbourg, a fully restored castle by Wilhelm II of Germany between 1900 and 1908 only to have the French take it after WWI in the Treaty of Versailles. Irony of ironies. In France, “chateau” covers both castles and stately homes.

    The castle is impressive and features a fantasy of what the late 19th century thought medieval castle life was like. The castle was destroyed in the 30 years war, and is unusual for its incorporation of cannon. A “sheer” delight.

    Lastly, we returned to our hotel to have a second dinner in its Winstub. Last night, the menu featured a 48 hour notice needed dish, Baeckeoffe. Baeckeoffe is a casserole traditionally made on laundry day, with an assortment of meats and potatoes on top and a classic Alsatian dish. We were in luck, as “Madame” inquired and told us it could be done if we ordered it by dessert - which we did. Our waitress tonight said her mother made it every Sunday when they were growing up. Fun.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London
    Entrance
    LobbyLobbyOur sitting areaCourtyard roomsSitting areaLe Chambard bedroomRiquwer doorwayMaison des Tetes (heads)Upstairs roomUpstairs roomView from our bedroomView from our bedroomSuper Touristy TrainSurprise. The French love HalloweenCreperieMaison des Tetes detailSunsetNight Lighting MdTDetail MdTLocal Fish in foam - artsy but lots of flavor

    Kaysersberg to Colmar - Day 10

    October 1, 2025 in France ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    From one Relais to another on yet another beautiful day. We wandered the streets of Kaysersbourg after a leisurely breakfast. I really liked Keysersbourg for its feeling of authenticity and beauty. Great shops too. We bid farewell to our fanciful hotel and drove to Equisheim (not pictured) and onto our Relais and Chateau, Maison des Tetes, in the very heart of Colmar.

    What makes Colmar so different is that it is a thriving, if small, city. So, yes, the “center villa,” a pedestrian zone, is quaint but the feeling there and elsewhere is of a city. And I like cities. We look forward to our tour tomorrow.

    Meanwhile, off to a dinner in the Hotel’s Brasserie and it was lots of fun, an “accord” or wine pairing with overall good food and fun wine. Rule 42, in France, always order the fish.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London
    Madison des Tetes - Traditional and HistoricMore Traditional ColorsTraditionalSomewhat traditional

    The Towns of Alsace

    October 1, 2025 in France ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    OK so Alsace is just so picturesque, so pristine and the buildings are sooo colorful, what’s the scoop?

    The Romans invented stucco, so no surprise that it features so heavily in Alsace, although in 1824 a Brit developed “Portland Cement,” a stucco based on fired lime and clay that is much more durable than the stucco of old. But was it sooo colorful back in the day?

    No. As seen in the first 8 pics, Alsace has upped the ante and infused its buildings with strongly colored pigments that would not have been seen or used back in the day. It makes for a very cheerful townscape. Starting with pic 8, our Relais and Chateau Hotel, and historic landmark in Colmar, “Maison des Tetes, the actual colors were more earthy and muted, beautiful in their own way. This did not mean there weren’t colors, must more toned down.

    Trivia. In the last pic, you can see a table of colors traditionally used iby trades (who could afford to use pigment) in Alsace (although more muted than shown). Each trade had its own color denomination. Very clever advertising.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London
    1Where is Judy? Can you find her?3Judy on our 25th Anniversary - Loire2Judy on our 35th Anniversary - AlsaceBreakfastDominican CathedralVirgin of the Rose BushMarinaRandom Street Ornament in recog. of BartholdiAvailable man insideAvailable Woman inside (to marry)Boy Drinking Wine by BartholdiCheerful Brussels sprite in honor of Alsace's Valiance in the occupationUnterlinden MuseumWeirdnessMore weirdness16th Century VaseMuseum VisitorCrepesSwan

    Colmar - Day 11

    October 2, 2025 in France ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Another perfect day! Can you find Judy in the second pic? Hint, we are staying in that room. The 3rd pic was taken in 2014 in the Loire as we celebrated our 25th anniversary. Pic 4 was taken today as we celebrate our 35th.

    Great breakfast to start the day. We visited a local Dominican (as in Domi Canes - wolves of God) church - austere but beautiful. It featured a famous panel: Virgin of the Rose Bush, which was stolen in 1972 and recovered in 1973.

    Then onto meet Marina, our expat Ukrainian tour guide who has been here for some 20 years. She was loads of fun with an oncology degree and other degrees (one from Korea) whose main job is Strategic Planning. We walked and talked learning about Colmar, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, creator of the Statute of Liberty, and visiting a local wine shop. It was a 1 hour tour, but she spent over two hours with us (because we are, like, so much fun).

    Finally, onto see the famous Issenheim Altarpiece at the Unterlinden Museum. It is a masterpiece created between 1512 and 1516 with multiple panels that can be unfolded all to comfort those with Saint Anthony’s Fire, caused by ergotism, a rye fungus, that had a high mortality rate with some 83 documented outbreaks one of which occurred in France in the 10th century causing 20,000 - 40,000 deaths.

    Another fun, local dinner at a Wistub de Petit Venise. Tomorrow, we are off to London.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London

    Travel Day to London - Day 12

    October 3, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    9 hour travel day to London, but all went smoothly.

    Our funky hotel is right in SOHO on top of a pub. We then saw an excellent two person play, Born with Teeth about a fictional relationship between Shakespeare and Marlow. It had a lot of depth, was very well acted and captivating and moved along quickly.

    Then onto the Tandoor Chop House for spicy onion rings, bone marrow naan, tandoor cauliflower and crispy, grilled lamb chops. Excellent meal.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London
    Bizarre fashion
    Wedding partySoane MuseumDining Room and studyFoldable art screensCrowdsLinesFish CurryTandoor mixed grillLittle Ben's cousin, Big BenFerris WheelOld Vic TheaterInside Old Vic

    London - Day 13

    October 4, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    Up and out after breakfast at our pub-hotel, we went the Sir John Soane’s Museum at friend Danny’s suggestion. He had a private act of parliament establish the national museum (while he was alive) in 1837. He stipulated that it could be modernized but not changed.

    Soane was an architect and collector (worth some 13 million euros in today’s euros). The house is a labyrinth of rooms some filled to the brim with sculptures and paintings. He introduced the idea of skylights as a light source, loved mirrors and has a room with foldable panels hung with art.

    Then on to Fortnam & Mason…

    Finally, onto another Indian meal and a play, Mary Page Marlow. Six actresses portray a woman’s life.

    SOHO, by the way, is still a complete zoo this time of year. Lines everywhere. Lots of drinking. Big crowds. Like Times Square meets NOLA.

    PS English fashion continues to be bizarre, especially when it’s 55 and windy.    Read more

  • Dublin-Alsace-London
    A covid masked carvingEleanor of Aqu. was hereA no mess-around townTea timeFavored local pubMadonna Sin BambiniMadonna con bambini and Judy

    St Albans Day 15

    October 6, 2025 in England ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Great and beautiful day. After a guided tour of the cathedral, we met up with Nancy, had a leisurely tea, naps, and a long and also leisurely dinner at a baby friendly pub. After, we visited them at home. They walked us back to our place to a full moon. Perfect day.

    Note. Baby Harrison - born on May 31st, is a hefty 18 pounds (thanks to a high steroids diet) and showing signs of awareness and personality. He is trying his best to stand - I don’t see him crawling much. I believe the English saying is “ Strong little bugger.”

    He really likes engaging now. He confided in me (through winks and giggles) that he can’t wait to see his grandparents this Xmas. He also likes sports cars; hates car seats.    Read more

  • Trip end
    October 7, 2025
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