Giant's Causeway Cancelled!

October 14, 2008

Cold and rainy this morning...just the way Ireland should be in mid October. We had breakfast at the hotel. Much better than the hostel in London...it better be for the price!

We decided to skip the drive to northern Ireland. We initially planned on visiting an area along the north coast called "Giant's Causeway." It's a very unique natural formation of hexagon shaped rocks. I don't recall what makes then hexagon shaped, and the homeschool-on-vacation-moment is lost so I don't much care anymore. I'm sure you could use the google.

Part of our decision was based on the locals at the hotel informing us the drive was about 4 to 5 hours! Which means we would have been in the car all day today and all day tomorrow as we drive to Dublin. So we skipped it altogether and decided to drive straight across on the N6 to spend the whole next day in Dublin.

We stopped in a little town called Balisone at a very cool little cafe for a cappuccino. Popped into an electronics store with the boys and found a 220v charger for their Nintendo DS' with the big, honkin' English adapter.

Got back on the, now M6 motorway, and continued east. The road turned into a "double carriageway" which Heather says sounds much more proper than "double lane road."

Listening to the radio in English was fun. We listen to the radio in the car back in Italy, but the DJ's and the news is all in Italian. We can pick out a few words, but they speak so fast we never understand what they're saying. In Ireland it sounds like there's a little leprechaun in the radio. I couldn't help thinking of having a bowl of Lucky Charms.

The Garmin Nuvi 270 (with North America and Europe Maps) came through again and brought us right to the front door of the apartment. It was a nice little one bedroom apt with a small kitchenette and a pull out sofa bed in the living room for the boys. We left the luggage with reception (because the apt wasn't ready yet) and set out for the visitors center around the corner. Bought some postcards and picked up a free map.

Next stop was the Temple Bar, an area of Dublin just south of the river, where we had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. Used our new membership and and everything! The burgers in London are better.

On the way back to the apt we found a big book store. We never shop the book stores in Italy because just like the radio...it's all Italian! So it was nice to browse a book shop where all the books are in English. We found a Euro coin book we've been looking for - but it was a few years old.

Made it back to the apt, got our bags and settled in for a nap.

Later than evening we headed back to Temple Bar. We heard the pubs were kid friendly until about 9:00 pm and we saw a family inside Farringtons so we ducked in.

Heather struck up a conversation with them as I ordered us a drink. They were on holiday from Wales and had two boys, a year younger and a year older than Nick & Tom. I got our drinks and we enjoyed our very first Guinness in a real Irish pub with a friendly English family!

I was admiring the Guinness bar mat - a friend wanted one as a souvenir - when the bartender told me they are free from Guinness. I guess you can't buy them from the gift shop at the brewery so he gave it to me!

We walked across the street after a couple halves (that's how the Irish say "half pint") of Guinness and had, you guessed it, pizza for dinner! A good Italian place called Botticelli. The bruschetta was different, but good.

Got back to our apt, the boys took a shower, I read a chapter of Narnia and we were in bed around 9:30 pm.

Did You Know You Can't Take a Sword on an Airplane?

I know...I'm way behind - bear with me...

October 13, 2008

Had breakfast at the hostel and picked up a sack lunch from the kitchen. We got home so late last night that we didn't have time to do laundry so I did two loads at the hostel this morning. I was crazy rushed because we had to catch a flight at 1515 (3:15 pm) and you have to be there two hours early and the hostel was about an hour and a half by train from the airport...

Packed the now clean clothes, checked out of the hostel and headed for the tube. I was worried about the time so I didn't stop at the Starbucks right outside the tube station for a cappuccino. I'm kicking myself now because I can't find the London city mug anywhere!

At Victoria Station we found the train to Gatwick. After we got aboard, we hear an announcement that the train is going to split somewhere along the line. Half the train is going toward Dover and the other half somewhere east (Brussels, I think.) We were worried sick until the conducted came along and told us we were in the right cab and that the train splits after the airport.


Talked to a nice couple from Israel on the train. They had some questions about the upcoming elections. They mentioned the traffic jam during B. Hussein Obama's trip the Israel. I told them I was the wrong one to talk to about American Politics if they wanted to see more of Obama because I won't be voting for him. They gave Nick a couple of Israeli coins for his collection.

At the airport, we checked our luggage and headed for security. After the boy's back packs went through the x-ray the nice security officials wanted to search the bags. I don't mean "nice" facetiously, they were the nicest airport security people I've ever met! Very polite, "thank you for your time", the who bit.

However, when we visited the Tower of London, Tom had purchased a small, medieval wooden shield and sword. The sword couldn't have been more than 12 inches long, dull, wood and obviously a child's toy. But, rules are rules, and anything that resembles a weapon can not be carried aboard.

Heather and the boys waited for me in the terminal as I headed back to the airline check-in now armed. The man at the desk exclaimed, "Oh, you're back!" He had a huge line of people checking in but still took a few minutes to explain I could check in the sword as a separate piece of luggage but that it would either (a) end up lost, (b) get broken or (c) both. Also, it would cost me $20 to check it. Then, he gave me a piece of paper to write my address and promised to mail it to me.

The flight to Shannon, Ireland was less than an hour. We rented a Toyota Terra from Hertz and headed for the Cliffs of Moher - on the wrong side of the rode!

All of Great Britain and Ireland drive on the left side. It was easy enough to get used to after the first 3 or 4 traffic circles. They're called roundabouts on this side of the pond and they're everywhere. Right turns proved to be the most difficult because it's like a left turn back home. I was humbled only once after making a right turn and turning onto the right side of the road vice the left. I drove along on the right side, without thinking anything about it (neither did Heather) for about 10 seconds.

I immediately got over to the left and only 100 meters down the road I went around a curve and passed a couple of cars going the opposite direction...on the same side I was just on! I drove for about 5 minutes before my heart stopped racing! But you should see me now...driving on the left side of the road, from the right side of the car, shifting with my left hand and signalling all at the same time!

We arrived safe and sound at the Cliffs of Moher on the west coast of Ireland about an hour before sunset. The parking lot was open but the visitor center was closed. We briefly talked to some Americans who were on vacation from California and learned the park was closed but you could still go out to the cliffs.

Walked along the cliffs to a small castle tower. Took a handful of photos and then looked for a bathroom! The far corner of the parking lot served well and then we got back on the left side of the road for about an hour.

Our first night stay was at the Travelodge in Galway. The portable Garmin driving GPS unit worked awesome...took us right to the hotel!

Mind the Gap

October 12, 2008

We finally got to tour the Tower of London. The London Pass came through again...we were able to skip an entrance line about 45 minutes long and enter through the group entrance! Saw the Crown Jewels including a scepter that has the world's largest diamond (Heather says she would use the Coronation Spoon to eat soup) and a bunch of other old stuff.

There was a display about the new 2008 coins inside the White Tower.

Toured the "Bloody Tower" named because of all the beheading that took place in the medieval times. So, Nick's customary "Stormtrooper visits the Tower of London" scene had to include a beheading.

Had lunch at a restaurant called "EAT" alongside the castle wall. Then took the RV1 bus across town to Gabriel's Wharf where we got a free bike rental (London Pass, again!) We biked past Buckingham Palace and Shakespeare's Old Globe Theater. The ride took about an hour. Had crepes and a coffee for a snack afterwards along the river.

Next, we took the tube to King's Cross station to visit Platform 9 & 3/4 made famous by the first Harry Potter movie. The was a luggage trolley stuck in the wall for tourists...

Tube back the hostel and dropped off our bags of souvenirs. Then we went down the street to an Italian restaurant for dinner. Typical Italian service (slow) but good food. Saw a bunch of cool cars parked along the road on the walk home...including this Nissan Figaro. They were made in 1991 only in Japan and there were only 20,000 ever made!

(Mind the Gap is the recording that plays several times on the subway every time you get on or off the cars. It refers to the gap between the car and platform...evidently they don't want people getting stuck. Tommy used this phrase to practice his English accent.)

Does the Queen Have to Call Brush When She Get’s Up from Her Throne?

October 11, 2008

Had breakfast at the hostel then caught the tube to Victoria station. At Victoria we got on a coach (bus) to Windsor Castle.

Windsor is really a sight. It’s a real, live working castle where the Royal Family stays. We toured the state apartments and St. George’s cathedral. Took about 2 hours then we headed into the town of Windsor for lunch.

Heather says it looks just like a Fisher Price Little People Castle she had as a little girl.

Caught the 13:55 coach back to London. The boys watched the latest Star Wars Clone Wars episode (new TV show) on the iPod.

We rushed to catch the tube to the Tower of London but it was closed. So we hurried over to the London Tower but it was closing as well. So, we walked over to the gift shop at the Tower of London where Nick found the 2008 GBP coins mint set. It’s a really cool set – the back of the coins forms the shield of the Royal Arms. We’ve been finding them in circulation but we also picked up the un-circulated proof set.

Next, we took the tube to Picadilly Circus. It’s to London what Times Square is to New York…packed with people.

We ate dinner at Planet Hollywood. There was a 45 minute wait but the London Pass got us priority seating so we were seated in 5 minutes. The food was not as good as Hard Rock Café, but they had fun stuff to look at. They had the long barrel revolver from the Batman movie and the over sized Zagnut bar from "Betelgeuse." They also had Indiana Jone’s whip and the big sword from the bad guy in the first movie – the guy in black who pulls out this big long sword and starts swinging it around all crazy so Indiana Jones just shoots him.

Took the tube back to the hostel and were in bed by 22:00!

(When we were walking around Windsor Castle, we saw several large thrones in the different rooms. In the aviation community of the Navy, if you get up for a just a few minutes, and you want to save your seat, you call “brush.” Then nobody can swipe you chair when you’re gone. I doubt the Queen has to call brush when she leaves the throne, but Heather was wondering. )

Greenwich Mean Time

October 10, 2008...

How did I forget to mention that we rode on a double decker bus yesterday???

Had breakfast at the hostel and the boys grabbed a roll each to take with them and feed the ducks.

Then we walked through the Science Museum for about 90 minutes. The Science Museum and Natural History Museum are both right across the street from the hostel and are free!

From there, we went North to Hyde Park and walked along Rotten Row past the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. The boys fed the ducks and geese as we walked along the pond. Stopped at a playground for about 10 minutes before we left the park to the East.

We had lunch at the ORIGINAL Hard Rock Cafe! The very first one! Heather and I had cheeseburgers and the boys had a hot dog and mac & cheese. Best burger we've had in a while. Tom tried to order chocolate milk and our server had no idea what he was talking about.

The Hard Rock store is across the street. We went in and took the vault tour. Their store is in a building that used to be a bank, so there's an actual vault in the basement where they keep all the most prized rock & roll memorabilia. Guitars from Slash, Clapton, and even Jimi Hendrix's Flying V...plus Madonna's brassier

After lunch, we rode the tube to Greenwich to visit the Observatory. The museums and observatory were closed, but we got to stand on the prime meridian and walk around the grounds for a few hours.

Took a cruise boat back to London on the River Thames.

Got back to the hostel at 10:15 pm...

The Turner Family World Tour 2007-2008...

Paris, Rome and LONDON!

Travel days can be sort of fun...

We had to wake up at 5:00 am to catch our flight at 8:30 am. But it was a two and a half hour non-stop flight meaning we didn't have to make a connection in Rome. We got our bags, bought a train ticket and were in London in about 45 minutes. Found our way to the tube and rode to our hostel, the Lord Baden Powell House about two blocks south of Hyde Park.

After getting our room settled, we rode the tube to Piccadilly Circus to pick up our London City Pass at the Visitor's Center. It's good for all kinds of sights such as the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey to name a few.

Then we walked by way of Horse Guards Road which runs by the Horse Guards Building...

...stopped to feed some squirrels in St. James Park...

....continued around a corner to catch our first glimpse of Big Ben...

...past the Westminster Abbey...

...with it's cool sundial (it was about 3:00 pm)...

...stopped for a photo in the shadow of Big Ben before heading...

...across to the River Thames and onto the London Eye.

We took the ceremonial Lego Storm Trooper photo and Tom added his Sponge Bob Lego.

Nick took our picture from the capsule. The view of London was awesome!

Stopped for a snack (candy bars and water...not a good snack) and walked over to Waterloo Station to catch the RV1 bus which took us over the Tower Bridge and past the London Tower. We changed to the #15 Bus and took it to Piccadilly Circus where we had dinner at....

...wait for it....

....wait.....

Pizza Express!! The boys had the Margherita Pizza and I had the Americana (pepperoni.) Heather chose the salad and swiped a couple of slices of pizza from the boys.

Back to our room by 10:00 pm where the boys took showers and we all passed out from our 18 hour day!