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Western European Adventures

August - October 2018
And so it begins ... 45 days of new horizons to fill our hearts and souls! We are going to try to highlight our joys and delights and probably even our snags and snaffues ... right here on this little blog! Read more
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  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    5
    Day 1

    Western European Adventures!

    August 20, 2018 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    We took the Red Arrow to Calgary and spent the night in Calgary! Just sipping coffee in bed and getting more familiar with this travel app before WestJet whisks us away from here to Halifax ... AND THEN ... across the pond to our first stop in the adventure!!

    Glasgow, Scotland!!!

    We had the 'Plus' seating fron Calgary to Halifax .... so comfortable!! Thoroughly enjoyed the Chicken Pad Thai ... and complimentary red wine ... and .... had scads of leg room!

    Got squeeezed into a regular seat for the second leg of our flight from Halifax to Glasgow! Caught a few winks and arrived at 8:00am! john is already excited about the Scotch ... but ... it's far too early for that! I'll share more of our first day here later!!

    Sending love from Sctoland ... k&j    Read more

  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    225
    Day 2

    Hello Glasgow!!

    August 21, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We've got a little AirBnB reserved for 5 days! We found our place! It's a long hike up a narrow circular staircase ...
    but the room is lovely. We walked over to a local eatery for breakfast. I had the chili corn fritters with pomegranite and pumpkin seeds and poached eggs. John opted for the Harissa ... black pudding ... avocado and poached egg. He rounded out the fare with a "white coffee" ... which looks like a cappucino ... but comes with a block of fudge on the side!

    And so ... the joys of our travels continued after I dragged John off the bed ... and we figured out the confusing local train system and arrived in Glasglow Central Station! John figured there were about 19 platforms! So we wandered around and found a nice place to have a glass of beer and wine. They had over 300 different beers ... and ... you ordered by downloading the APP, place your order with your table number and it would be delivered! As you can see ... ours was a nice table outdoors ... #111. We weren't adventurous enough to download the app ... we just did it the old fashioned way! ;-)

    And then ... we ventured back to the south of Glasgow where our AirBnB is located and sampled some more of the local fare. I had the the Beef Stroganoff ... it was lovely!! John ordered the "Haggiss, Neeps and Tatties" ... which he deemed to be delicious. I got brave enough to taste the haggis ... and it was good ... but I'd never ordrer it! I did, however, order two different desserts (to "take away") because we were too dang full to eat anything more. BUT ... we had to have a taste of the "Banoffee Pie" (which John says should be illegal!). It was, in fact, so scrumptious that we almost had nothing left to take away!! The Lemon Meringue would have seemed all the better were it not for the Banoffee ... which is banana and toffee (I'm guessing MacIntosh toffee -all sticky and gooey!)! John is still talking about it being the pie of the Gods.

    We've carried our stuffed bodies home now ...ready for some shut eye! Tommorrow is a new day filled with who knows what kinds of delights! We are so enjoying their "wee" accents ... :-)    Read more

  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    Day 3

    And ... Scotland Does Not Disappoint!

    August 22, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    After a rough night trying to sleep ... we enjoyed another fabulous day in Glasgow! We chatted over another exceptional meal about our Grins, Gasps, Gripes and Gratitudes. Here are the highlights from our discussion!

    GRINS: eating fresh battered fish with vinegar and salt out of the take-away container while waiting for the bus! We never would have ordered the vinegar ... but for the clerk at the street side fish and chip place determined we should definitely take it! And she was SO right!

    GASPS: During our tour a The Clydeside Distillery ... John gasped at me - several times ... for actually TRYING a very WEE sip of all three types of scotch during our taste testing ... the Lowlands, the Highlands and the Islay (really peety)! Gah ... it was just horrible! Almost had to plug my nose ..but ... you know what they say: "When in Rome ..."

    And ... I gasped in total shock to hear that my Scotch loving hubby had to come to Scotland in order to learn that although he's been drinking Scotch 'neat' all these years ... THAT is NOT the optimal way to maximize the taste! Apprently, you need to add a few drops of water and then let it rest for 20 minutes!!! John was so incredibly tickled that it made such a difference in the taste!

    GRIPES: gosh ... we could not think of any gripes! Oh ... except for when John's wallet dropped out of his pocket. But, in all honesty, we can't even gripe about that because I saw it fall ... so ... we didn't lose it!!

    GRATITUDES: it rained during the night ... but we had 90% chance of rain this morning and never got a drop. The sun even shone on us!! And the people are simply fabulous ... and ... the food has been fabulour too thus far!!!
    And we really enjoyed our time on Buchanan street (it's like 8th Avenue mall in Calgary ... but twice as wide!) with shops and bars and restaurants and the buskers playing bagpipes and/or singing beautifully! I added a wee little video of one of them here!

    And ... the Hop On Hop Off Bus is always such a great way to get a sense of the city! We learened on the bus that in Scotland, they have a third legal verdict . You can be found guilty ... not guilty .. or not proven. Which, means that we know you are guilty but they just can't prove it ... hence the old adage " getting off Scot Free"

    Oh ... and we also learned the root of the terms ..." make a concession for ..." ! Apparently, students and anyone over 60 qualify for "concession" here in Scotland. Which means ... they give you a discount on your fees for events. I'm including it as a gratitude that we got the discount ... but ... it could also be a wee gripe that we are gaining in years enough to qualify. It's just too bad they don't offer the same concession at the pubs for us grey haired souls!

    Okay ... enough for now! Talk to you all again tomorrow!    Read more

  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    Day 4

    Meanderings & Our Glasgow Pub Crawl

    August 23, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Grins, Gasps, Gripes and Gratitudes of our very full and fun day in Glasgow!!

    We started out with some fresh bread (hot out of the oven baked by our AirBnB host Kenny!) ... it was soooo good. And then ... the day just got better!

    GRINS: The guy at the Glasgow Central Train Station started us off with a lbelly laugh today! The terminal is enormous and we needed to exit through the right doors. So we asked him:  "How do we get down to the level under the bridge?"  "Well" ... he says without missing a beat "you hava to shovel." Never even cracked a smile until we started laughing. He was brilliant!!! And, his sense of humor is not at all rare! The Scots are hilarious ... in the driest ways possible! 😀

    We headed out to the Transportation Museum and spent some time learning more about sea life aboard the GlenLee ... A famous Tall Ship from the past! it was frightening to consider that people had to climb up over 100 feet in the air to adjust the sails!!!! I will post a video if I can figure out how!

    PUBCRAWL ... was a definite GRIN + a GRATITUDE!

    We decided we couldn't leave Scotland without enjoying our own ...self-contrived ... Pub Crawl! It was such a great time!! One thing we learned quickly is that you place your order at the bar ... then find a seat ... and bring it back to your table with you! We started at 'The Piper Bar'... where we sampled the Stornoway Stack! Such authentic Scottish fare!! I even liked it!! And ... John did justice to his Scotch (Bowmore) with a dropper of water at the table! He probably never let it rest long enough though! Just sayin' ... he seemed a bit impatient to me!

    Next on our stop was 'The Toll Booth' . Please meet our new friend ... Samuel McCaffrey. See picture below!! He'd already tipped a few back ... well ... maybe a few too many. He expressed that he had trouble understanding our accents 😉. But ... we learned his wife passed from cancer... and he's a musician ... and he could name more Canadian singers than we could! And ... he could name at least 7 left handed guitar players too!! We wanted to buy him a beer but the bartender had already cut him off. It was lovely to chat with him though. Everyone has a story. Hopefully we redeemed Canadians because an American acquaintance of his told him that he hated Canadians. I guess our rivalry is alive and well and now known to the Scots. 😉

    Bar 91 ... more upscale and trendy ... we had the "mezze" ... hummous, falafel, roasted peppers, mixed olives and pitta bread. But ... POP QUIZ ... can you guess what is in the bottle in the pic below?? We had to figure it out ... ! They were on all the tables ... just like salt and pepper!

    And thank goodness for the lovely lady drinking tea who saw we were trying to get the servers attention and sent him back our way. It was so loud in there that he couldn't even hear us calling to him. We chatted later and he said as the night goes on the Scots get louder ... the music gets louder ... then the Scots have to get louder ... and he speculated that before we know it we'd have a couple of new best friends sitting at our table!! Little did we know how accurate his premonition was going to be!!

    In fact ... our experience of the Scots has been so stellar!! The people at the table next to us at Bar 91 looked like they had some kind of sangria... but no ... upon inquiry we discovered it was gin. The gentleman even offered for me to taste it!! Gotta love that kind of hospitality! 😁 And ... just out of interest ... John counted that out of 41 patrons ... only 2 were on their phone. In the Toll Booth ... no one was using their phone!

    We also found ourselves at 'Denholms' ... and ... met some extraordingary folks! Had some really genuine conversation with Chris, Helen (his second mom) and his real mom and enjoyed some incredibly impressive karaoke. Can they ever sing!!! We had such fun with these delightful souls that we stayed until way past our bed time. I took some video ... but it doesn't do it justice really!

    GASP: Its such a small world. We couldn't sit together on the HopOn Hop Off due to the rain. John squeezed in beside a lady ... and he could tell when she said the seat was wet that she was not Scottish. Turns out she was from Medicine Hat! 

    And another gasp what when we discovered we were sitting on the wrong train after our Pub Crawl! Were it not for a very kind gentleman at the end of the evening ... alerting us to the fact that we were on the right platform, but the wrong train ....well ... who knows how long it would have taken us to get home! There is always always always a snaffu!

    GRIPES: Only the lack of sleep!! Still have our days and nights confused. Didn't ... couldn't ... fall alseep last night before 3:00am here!! Gah. Not good. And I'm still up now ... at 11:37pm ... hoping though that once I close my eyes that the sleep will come!

    GRATITUDES: Oh my ...so many! I even found a lucky penny to tuck into my shoe earlier today at the train station. Oh ...and it rained all morning ... but the sun shone for us while we enjoyed the exhibits ... and ... the pub crawl (we were on foot!). And ... check out the sign that I saw in the bathroom of the last pub! I am so grateful for the humanity so generously expressed within it!! Oh gosh ... and more of their wonderful humor can be found in the other wall posting!

    And so ... it was such a great day! Hopin for a good sleep! We are off to Edinburgh tomorrow for the Fringe Festival!! Talk to you later ..... xo    Read more

  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    Day 5

    Escapades in Edinburgh

    August 24, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    FUN FACTS: 

    During the "Fringe Festival" the population of Edinburgh increases from 500,000 people to one million!! 

    We learned that another old adage originated in Edinburgh. Being "ear marked" came from the barbaric torture of nailing shady characters ears to the post. You'd have to RIP your own ear in order to escape ... leaving you "earmarked" so people could visibly tell you were a scoundrel. 

    The architectural beauty of the "Old Town" and the "Royal Mile" is beyond spectacular in the most medieval and magical manner. It really brings you back in time. Not as far back as ... Game of Thrones ... but ... the cobblestones and rain showers and chilly wind are enchantingly mixed with the sunshine and smiles on the faces of the bartenders and passersby.

    And ... Rose Street is a pedestrian road littered generously with pubs and shops and people consuming liberally ... both imbibing and spending! ☺

    Oh ... and we've learned that the Scots have their very own rivalry between Edinburgh and Glasgow. In fact, the common saying in Glasgow is that "The only good thing coming out of Edinburgh is the train to Glasgow." 😁

    GRINS: We had an early morning start ... after our FIRST good night's sleep! And we discovered a Tim Hortons enroute yo the Queen Street Train Station! The sun was beaming on us through the train windows as we took the 52 minute commute this morning while sipping our Timmy's. And the countryside is stunning in its rich green offerings! And John finally got to enjoy a bowl of "Cullin Skink"( smoked haddock& potato chowder) ...which he rated a full 9.5 out of 10. I tried the fries ... only a 7. I was hoping for fresh cut fries! They weren't bad but they weren't home made. I'll stay on the hunt ... maybe better chance in London!

    GASPS: Arghhh! Everytime we passed by another train I nearly jumped out of my skin. Every. Single.Time. They are so close ... its ridiculous! 😲😟😬

    GRIPES: not really a gripe ... but ... I had to try the cheese, onion and carrot sandwich. I'd seen them often ... thought they must be as Scottish as their "toasties" (which are like grilled cheese sandwiches... all melty and gooey inside) . Sadly, I have not tried a toastie yet but it's on my list!! I did not, however, care much for the cheese, onion and carrot. A bit too rich and the onion was awfully strong!! It rated a 4 out of 10 for our Canadian palates! 

    GRATITUDES: So many. We were able to find the specially recommended hot pie and roll with butter ... with the pie put into the roll. This delicacy is not at all common but was highly recommended by our friends Chris and Helen from the pub last night. They even wrote it down so we could give the order to the staff at Gregg's Bakery. While the sausage roll is their best seller, John gives the hot pie in the roll a solid 9 out of 10. 👍

    And ... we couldn't have been more grateful than to have enjoyed a live theatre performance called " A Work in Progress." It was so darn good that I had tears because I was laughing so hard. John agreed... he thought it was "hilarious"!! We give it 11 out of 10!

    And then there were the "Bangers and Mash and Gravy" at a cozy little pattisserie on the Royal Mile . Neither of us have ever before had such a smoothly whipped potato ... rating it a firm 8 for taste and 9 for texture! Delicious ... and ... it was even more enjoyable sitting outdoors with a violinist evoking incredible emotions with her exquisite craftsmanship!! There we were ... just trying to enjoy our bangers ...and ... we were both tearing up!! Yep. Both weeping tenderly into our mash. And ... I should have included this in our GASP section ... but ... I had no idea that you could play "Don't worry , Be Happy!" on the violin! Wow ... so appreciative of that calibre of talent! We even bought a CD from her. I took some video. Not sure if it will do it justice because I had to crop it so I could post it here. I really hope you can get the 'feel' of it too! 💛

    All in all ... it was a fabulous day! We got home early ... hoping to get a second good night's sleep before we head off for the Lochness and Inverness and I think the Highlands tomorrow! So .. we're sipping a glass of wine ... John is checking options for travel and sleep whenwe leave London. And ... I'm happily journalling our days delights here ... and grateful I can share them with with you.

    We hope you are all doing well ... and ... send lots of love! k&j    Read more

  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    Day 6

    The Highlands of Scotland

    August 25, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    FUN FACTS:

    What we know to be "infinity scarves" are called "snoods" here Scotland! I had to buy one when I misplaced my favorite scarf somewhere! 

    Sheep are everywhere in the Highlands ... dyed different colors to identify ownership in shared co-op for grazing.

    They highlands were heavily populated prior to all the battles. Very little Gaelic is spoken anymore ... especially in the Lowlands. They have both languages on the road signs where it is still spoken. And so ... Glaschu is the Gaelic for Glasgow.

    The Carrick Golf Course ... sees many pro tournaments played there ... but otherwise its members only with a 72 year wait list. No transfers. The only way to get a membership is if someone leaves or dies. 😟

    The folk lore of Scotland is so very enchanting!! The Scots are known to be very superstitious. For example, Glen Coe ... is the glen of the weeping stone (thought to be the tears of MacDonald Clan!) and is used in the opening shoot of the Outlander series. This part of the Highlands proudly boasts the three sisters peaks of Faith, Hope and Charity. Interesting, the town is called Glencoe ... small 'c' but the glen is big 'c'.

    Apparently you don't want to claim your Clan Campbell heritage if you are on Clan Macdonald land! There are public places where it is written that Campbells are not welcome!

    The size of the church tells you the size of the towns in the Highlands! Small town = small church. However ... the latest research states that those living in Great Britain are 70% non religious. 

    And there are numerous swing bridges ... to accommodate the water traffic at the expense of the road traffic! A risk you take when travelling by car. It could cost you 5 to 35 minutes delay if the bridge swings before you! 

    The Highland Games were being played in one of the little towns "Drum" something. We learned that one of the strictest rules is that you MUST be wearing a kilt in order to participate!

    There is also 96 mile walk along the base of the highlands ...... called the "West Hoghlands Way". It starts in Milngavie... passes through Loch Lomond and goes on to Fort William. We could see people with back packs making their way! Who knew the Scots have their own Camino trail? 😊

    GAHS: Emmm ... (oh my ...I'm starting to write with a Scottish drawl!) ........ it occurred to me while we were on this trip that Scotland is where our Scotch Pines come from! Duh. Gah. I know. It seems obvious now ... but I never connected the dots. I mean ... I have never thought about a tree's origin before. I still have no clue where Blue Spruce originated?? Anyone? And, apparently ... the Scots Pine (as they call it here) it is one of the hardiest trees ... grows almost anywhere and bears the most exceptional woods.

    GRINS: At Urquhart Castle ... the time frame was incredibly tight and we had to meet to embark for the Loch Ness cruise. With 47 people on the bus ... the likelihood of people being late is as high as the hills! And so ... our driver mentioned... dare I say 25 times that we needed to be on the dock by 2:25pm ... lest we 'miss the boat'.... literally! And ... I laughed out loud when John wondered if he should be the timekeeper!!! Ha ha ha!! Not. One. Chance. 🙄

    GASPS: Passing other big tour buses on mountain passes and lakeside roads! There were a few times we met and we had to back up and stop to allow them to pass. The rest of the time our lady driver drove at the speed of Nascar... despite the curves and lack of shoulders! 

    Oh ... and I gasped persistently when rounding corners and coming unexpectedly upon bicyclers on these narrow roads!! I found myself thinking that they were clearly putting their lives at risk to share this tiny road with motorists. I had no idea how psychic my intuitions were! 😔

    GRATITUDES:
    Oh my ... the weather for today's excursion could not have been better ... a "bonnie, bonnie" day ... it was warm, clear, sunny and wind free!

    We thoroughly enjoyed the Loch Ness Cruise ... along the 23 miles long and 3 miles wideexpanse of this infamous lake. It's do deep that you could submerge the Eiffel Tower in it. The water looks black. They say it is essentially it's own glen with sunlight penetrating only the first 120 feet. With peet on the bottom. 

    And although there have been about 1000 sightings ... we did not see the monster (affectionately named "Nessie") in the loch. BTW: "Inver" means the mouth of .... so, Inverness is at the mouth of Loch Ness. Loch= lake.

    Ben Nevis is the highest peak in Great Britain. At 4406 feet high ... there are only 60 days per year in Scotland where the summit can only be seen.. We got lucky enough to see it!!!  We also learned that Bananas are discouraged to be taken by hikers or climbers because the peels are not biodegradable... and ... in this climate they just get really slippery and make footing precarious. Who knew that a healthy snack could be dangerous on a mountainside! 

    Got to taste another Scottish specialty today ... Scotch Broth. A hearty soup filled with chunks of carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips, maybe some peas and lots of pearl barley. Very satisfying.

    John got to enjoy free Scotch Whiskey samples at lunch.

    And ... I'd be remiss not to mention how grateful I was for the timely bathroom stops on our 12 hour travel day! I was also grateful for my wee little credit card sized charger so I could keep my phone alive for the duration!

    GRIPES: Once again ... more of a gratitude than a gripe ... but we did not make it all the way to Inverness so, we did not get a chance to see Jamie and Claire. There was a fatality on the road ... and there is only one road in and out. They expected the road to be closed for 8 hours ... so ... we turned back and retraced our steps to get back to Glasgow. The fatality involved a motorbike and a bus like the one we were on. Our driver said that on beautiful days, they can count on seeing the motorbikes out in record numbers. My premonition was realized. Although I am sorry we didn't get to see all the places on our tour, I am so darn grateful that we remained safe and sound on these narrow roads.

    And ... we got to do a good deed! On our way back we passed another crash. A father and son who were in that accident needed a lift because there is only one taxi in the nearby town and it was out transporting the other accident victims home. We are so happy we had three extra seats so we could give them two!!!

    And I am graeful we arrived safe and sound on our last day here in Scotland! All in all ... we've enjoyed such a great taste of Scotland! Tomorrow we head off to Ireland. Talk to you soon ... k & j    Read more

  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    Day 7

    Farewell Scotland and Hello Ireland

    August 26, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Okay ... so ... it was our last half day in Glasgow and it was the first time it was dark, dreary and wet from the rain. On the way to the airport, our cabby stated this was typical of the weather all winter in Glasgow. An so, we were reminded just how grateful we were to have enjoyed all the sights and events with such fine weather over our time here. We dont think we would have been so eager to participate in the outdoor activities if the weather had been dark, cold and dreary.

    GRINS: We started the day off with a lovely breakfast at our very favorite restaurant in Scotland! Moyra Janes! LOVED it there so much that we went back 3 or 4 times over our 5 days there! john ordered his favorite Eggs Benny Royale ... smoked salmon on a croissant with poached to perfection eggs and hollandaise sauce!

    We arrived early to the airport and were alerted, at the last minute, that our flight was delayed by an hour. So .. what's a traveler to do in such circumstances? Order a drink and some "Topped skinny fries." They come with cheese, maple-cured bacon, sour cream or British beef chili and sourcream. Well ... you can't fool me! How could any or all of those be "skinny"? 🤔 There were tasty but the menu indicated that they were 1300 calories per order! We finally departed about 5:00pm instead of 3:25pm ... but ... we weren't comlaining ... yet!

    GAHS: We arrived into Dublin ... and you know how taxi cabs are lined up waiiting for people at the airport. Well ... not so in Ireland. We were in a line lup that rivaled some of the rides at Disneyland! No word of a lie! When we finally got into the taxi, our driver laughed when we gave him our address.

    "No way ... can't get you there. Not today! Not a hope in hell." 

    GASP: He called out to one of the airport security guys. They both shook their heads in agreement. "We'll get you as close as we can ... but ... you are probably going to have to walk for a ways." Huh??

    GROANS: It turns out that the Pope was in town and had just given mass in the park nearby our AirBnB. And, therefore all the streets were blocked off in a gigantic radius ... enought to accomodate the 200,000 people trying to get out. They were expecting 500,000. The cabby talked about the poor turnout! Less than half of what they thought would arriveactually showed up. he had some thoughts about it.

    Despite the poor turnout 😉 ... the roads were indeeed all blocked off within a 20 to 30 minute walk of our AirBnB! The cabby tried his very best to get us as close as possible ... but ... we got dropped off in the middle of who knows where and we had to hike in!!!

    GRIPES: It sounds hilarious in retrospect ... but ... it cost us $60CAD to not get taken where we wanted to go!!!

    GRATITUDES: We dropped our bags into our room and then, of course, went for refreshments! Unfortunately, the only thing appealing to me on the menu was the soup! And, it did NOT disappoint! John ordered the lamb kidneys with mushrooms ... AND ... had his very first official GUINNESS! He is a happy boy!

    And ... we are glad to be here ... but .. one more gripe. We are back in our room and the music from the pub next door is so loud that we can hear it clearly enough to sing along. Hopefully this will be funny in retrospect too! BUT, was tempted to audio record it so you could hear just how loud it really is!!! The walls must be paper thin!

    Tomorrow we are hoping to get on the Hop On Hop Off bus (just outside our door - stop 28) to acquaint ourselves with the community! I look forward to reconnecting with you again after our first day here! Here's hopiing we enjoy the luck of the Irish from now on ...    Read more

  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    Day 8

    Dublin Delights ... Pun Intended

    August 27, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Well ... I guess our first week of travel caught up with us! We had trouble getting up and at it this morning ... we were still in bed at 9:00am!! And guess what?? Not a peep outside either! No traffic sounds, no pub music ... no sign of life in Dublin at that ghastly early morning hour!  And so ... at the risk of sounding ungrateful, I must start out this journalling with a gripe! 

    GRIPES: So... when we arrived at our flat ...we got the keys to our castle! And ... it takes three of them to get to our room. And although they look good ... they don't work well! We have to fiddle and tinker and pray ... like we are Irish Catholics ... that we will quickly defeat the lock. And so ... I'm griping. The locks are such formidable foes! We forgot something in the room and decided to go without it rather than turn back and risk the frustration of the key turning! 🙄

    And somehow, although my cardinal rule when seeking out accommodation was having a private bathroom ... we ended up with a shared loo in this Airbnb!! And ... it's two very narrow flights up the creaky crooked hairpin curved staircase!😫 And of course ... at 2:45am .... someone had to pee! It must have been the Guinness ... because it wasn't me!! So, John was going to make the dark trek up those twelve steps alone. I didn't have to go then but figured I better go for a proactive piddle rather than rouse us both again an hour later! And ... just so you know ... we can hear the toilet flushing in our room! 

    Okay ... and just one more wee little groan before I move on ... okay? I love all the nice espressos ... but I sure do miss my cream!! They use only milk. And ... I need a whole cow to it creamy enough. And so ... I'd rather go without. Hence my sad dilemma. 

    GASPS: Check out the pic of our electric system! And our low ceiling over head lighting is rather romantic! 😁

    GRATITUDES: Sausage rolls and quiche Lorraine for breakfast at The Natural Bakery, and, oh my ... the camera simply cannot capture the majesty of the flowers spilling down in opulent abundance and cascading in sheer generosity of the faces of the pubs!! John said it was absolutely "floretic'. I think he coined a new term here ... but its apt ... because I'm speechless in trying to describe the magic of their display! 
    🌼🌹🥀🌾🌻🌺⚘

    I'm also grateful that my anxious mind can relax because we got so many loose ends taken care of today! We found a 'print center' that could print out train tickets...we located the pick up for our tour to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher. And we figured out a way to take a train out to the fishing village in Howth without having to take a tour bus!! Woohoo! Oh ... and did I mention how lovely the weather is!?! We were sitting short sleeved on the patio at 5:00pm. Not a rain cloud in sight! 

    GRINS: Lunch at 'The Temple Bar" ...which boasts Ireland's largest sandwich collection...92 in all!! We had a #28 and a #29!  Oh ... I would be remiss not to mention that I have been reluctant to let John take pictures with my phone because he will drain my battery taking pics of bridges and statues and things that don't mean much to me. 

    So .. a new competition was accepted!! John was armed with the tablet and I with my phone. And ... we are going to let you all vote and decide who captured the BEST picture of Ireland !! I have posted a few from each of us!

    GAHS: I wish I was a beer drinker ...because ... the wine is 50% more expensive than the beer. it turns out that I'm an expensive date! And the bus driver on the Hop On Hop Off Bus was a real card! Everytime new passengers boarded, he introduced himself with a different name. He also quoted Oscar Wilde: "The ladies are to be loved not understood". So now John claims he no longer has to understand me ... just love me. Sheesh ... 41 years of training .....right down the tubes because Oscar Wilde and the bus driver (whoever he really is!) said so!! 

    And so, later ... when we were at the Bad Ass Bar and John goes to the "toilet". He sees a sign that says " Men to the left ... women are always right!" So ... maybe there is hope that all is not lost! 😉

    FUN FACTS: Dublin looks like an old industrial town ... a sign said: "Don't wish for it, work for it." sounds more like a Protestant work ethic than a Catholic rule of thumb ... but ... it seems like hard work is part and parcel of living in the UK over the years! Most interestingly, the restaurants and pubs list allergens by number on the menu! So, for instance, shellfish is 1, nuts are 2, gluten is 3 etc. And then beside every menu item, you get all the numbers to be concerned with. So smart!!

    Gosh ... I could go on forever! So many delight in Dublin ... but enough for now ... there is no noise next door so we are going to sleep early!
    Warmest smiles to all ... k&j    Read more

  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
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    Day 9

    The Goodness of Guinness

    August 28, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    GRATITUDES: We started the day a little later than usual ... but feeling more rested ... with one small Irish breakfast (aka " a fry"). This includes bacon (more like ham), sausage, flat mushroom, fried egg, homemade baked beans(to die for!) and a toasted sourdough served with tea or coffee! We added a waffle with maple syrup and mixed fruit ... and .. it comes with fresh cream. I guess they only use their fresh cream for whipping ... not for coffee! Dang it! Other than the lack of cream for my coffee, the meals here in the UK have put our American food service industry to shame. John always wants to lick the plate!! 😛 Oh ... and I found a display of the allergens they list on the menu that I was talking about yesterday! They assign each of them numbers. So cool.

    As a social worker, I can't even express how it warmed my heart to see, instead of paid advertising on the sides of the city buses ... a message fostering the embrace of diversity and promoting inclusivity! Wow! A whole city loudly proclaiming notions of social justice!!

    We thoroughly enjoyed a 7 floor tour of the St James Gate Brewery & Guiness Storehouse. It's the most popular tourist attraction in Dublin ... boasting1.8 million visitors in 2017. At its peak ... the brew house employed 8000 people ... these days only 800! It's currently the 4th pr 5th largest Guiness brewery in the world. Nigeria has the largest! 

    Apparently Arthur Guiness signed a 9000 year lease for the premises in 1759! We also learned that Guiness contains twice the hops of other ales ... and ... it is the addition of nitrogen that give it the thick creamy head! (30 million gas bubbles in every pint).
    I enjoyed my first pint of Guiness. John helped me with it, but it was very good! And ... in Irish when you raise your glass you say "Slotcha" which means cheers ... and an invocation of health and well-being! I don't know if I spelled that right ... but that it what it sounded like!

    Oh ... and I had my first 'toastie' at the Storehouse made with Guiness mustard mayonnaise. John tried the Hot Roast Beef sandwich with Guiness carmelized onions and horseradish mayonnaise. So dang delicious ... gobbled it up enthusiastically while swaying and tapping toes to the music played by a live Irish band ... ! I think we have some video!😍

    GRINS: The DoDublin Hop On Hop Off bus is great fun. We were stopped at a light and the driver launched a sing-along! I posted a wee video to capture the feel of it!! 🤗

    FUN FACTS: The police are called the Garda ... not the police. "Dockers" ... are known to be really tough men who used to work on the docks! And there are Subway sandwich stores everywhere here ... but ... not a McDonald's in sight. You'd think with the name McDonald there would be some roots here in Ireland. So interesting to see some franchise stores but not others!

    Oh my ... there are so, so many buses: tour buses, sightseeing buses, air coaches, city buses. Buses, buses, buses!! 

    The tram is called the "Luas" ... which means 'speed'! We took a trip on it today to get oriented because we have to take it to get across the city by 6:30am for our early morning tour to Galway! 

    We learned that the harp is oldest Irish musical instrument. And the Samuel Beckett Bridge is shaped just like a harp ... going over the river Liffey (the "An Life' in Irish). The Guiness Company was not granted permission to use the harp for their logo ... so not to be dissuaded... they just tipped it sideways and used it anyway!! 🙃

    GROANS: We were hoping to take a tour of the jail but they were booked up. I guess it wasn't meant to be!  So ... what's a traveler supposed to do when there are no more sights to see? Go to the pub for oysters and Guiness! 😉

    GAHS: I just realized that we haven't shared much of the architectural sights around Dublin like the cathedral here. There are many old stone churches (kils) and buildings here to enjoy.

    And so ... we shall say good night for now. We are calling it a night so we can get to sleep soon and be early birds tomorrow for our tour! I'm hoping we can sit at the front of the bus ... 🤞🤞🤞

    As John and the Irish would say : "Top of the evening" ... and/or "Top of the morning!" ... depending where you are when you read this! 🧡    Read more

  • Lansers on the Loose ...Western European Adventures
    4
    322221
    Day 10

    The Cliffs of Moher and Galway

    August 29, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    GRATITUDES: I must start this by letting you know how grateful I was to see sunshine ... and... to get the very front seat of the coach for our 13 hour travels to the West coast and along the Wild Atlantic Way today!! 🤗🤗🤗🤗

    GASPS OF GORGEOUS GIFTS FOR OUR SENSES: Our first stop was the Cliffs of Moher! These incredible scapes of land are 8 kms long ... 712 feet high at the peak and guess what!?! You dont just LOOK at them from afar with your camera lens! No... you get to experience them fully while you WALK along them ... peering over the sharp ledges while you listen to the waves crashing onto the shores below!

    GAHS: I do not have words. No words can aptly describe our felt sense of this adventure! Spectacular is not effusive enough to describe the splendor of these sights!! And ... the sunshine gifted us with its rare presence in these Irish lands ... which only served to enhance the sublime sweetness of this enchanting spectacle!! 

    The walking would certainly not be for those who are afraid of heights!! And, we are speculating that if we had such incredible tourist attractions in our parts,in Canada, they would surely have erected safety fences and compromised the untampered beauty for human safety ... but no ... not so here. It is entirely natural ... its breathtakingly beautiful! And ... at the same time treacherous ... because you could easily lose your footing on the rain soaked dirt pathways or slip on the wet green grass ... and end up unexpectedly cliff diving! We were so glad we ventured beyond what we could see from the paved areas because the view got even better the higher we went..

    GROANS: Okay ... we can only post 10 photos in total ... and... we have hundreds of them to choose from! We have 2 videos to share so John will pick 4 and I will pick 4 because we still have our photo competition going ... so please be sure to say which picture you most prefer of the ones we posted! I'm betting you'll pick mine!! 😉

    GRINS TO MAKE YOUR HEART SMILE: And then we continued down the Wild Atlantic Way towards The Burren. The Burren is 350 square miles of such unique landscape. Apparently, Neil Armstrong was quoted as saying the Burren was the closest composition to the terraine on the moon. It's hard and haunting in its barrenness.

    And enroute down this narrow winding oceanside lane, there are oodles of quaint little villages like Inagh (which is the tiniest village in Ireland) filled with picturesque and pristine little cottages that reminded me of Thomas Kinkade paintings! Lisdoonvarna is a wee little village that boasts an annual matchmaking festival that is highly regarded and very famous in these parts! Stone walls are abundant over the countryside! They have no mortar between the rocks. They are built to allow the wind to blow through them so the don't topple over in the harsh territorial gales.

    Bogs are quite plentiful! And, apparently there is no oxygen beneath the bog. As such, it mummifies pr petrifies whatever sinks is into it.

    There were signs over the River Shannon using pictures to ensure folks knew that no horses or carriages were permitted on the motorway! We also passed a fancy undulating golf course ... costs 300 Euros per round. Apparently the Irish Open is played here! 

    We inched our way towards Galway which was the biggest port for importing red and white wines! We learned that it has been inhabited since 4 BC ... and ... that Christopher Colombus was in Galway in 1492. It is known to be Ireland's cultural corner ... its a very vibrant center.

    Although we have enjoyed succulent meals ... the best meal we have had so far was in Galway at The Quays Kichen! We didn't even think we were very hungry ... but knew we best eat before our long journey back to Dublin. Because it's a seaside port ... John had the mussels and the chowder. I ordered the grilled cod which came with spicy stir-fried veggies and basmati rice. Again... no words. We both concluded it was the very best fish either of us have had in our lifetimes. No exaggeration!!

    FUN FACTS: Dublin has population of over one million! Galway is 77,000 in the city itself but has many rural townships which bring it upwards of 300,000 in total.

    We learned that Ireland imposed a window tax many years back ... so ... windows were bricked over to save money! They are still windowless in many of the buildings! But then ... people "couldn't see the light of day"! Hence the origin of that old adage!

    A not so fun fact is that the Great Potato Famine of Ireland started in1845 and went for 5 consecutive years. Much starvation and poverty inspired mass emigration from these areas of Ireland.

    Oh ...I stand corrected!! ... I saw McDonalds in the countryside as well as a Burger King in Dublin today! 

    Irish Language Lessons; 

    Yesterday I mentioned that 'cheers' are shared by saying slotcha . However ... it is Sloncha ... not ... Slotcha. And ... it is imperative to look into people's eyes when you say it!

    Other Irish sayings:
    Me carra = my friend;
    Cupon tay = Cup of tea; 
    Ta may gummah = I am good!
    Colleen = girl
    done on doris= close the door
    Nee lisicom = I don't know

    Gosh ... I could say so much more but... enough for now! This was a day that is wonder-fully etched into our hearts. We are filled with deepest gratitude for the chance to enjoy it today!! I must now attempt the cruelling task of selecting pick my 4 pictures for your consideration. Please dont forget to vote ... for me! 😉    Read more

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