Day 18...Still Sunny and a Bus Tour Of Dublin

Here are a few pictures from our last day...sob...yet sunny again. This is Trinity Tower at Trinity College, the church which houses the Book of Kells, including the 4 Gospels and the Irish writing from over 1000 years ago. The city itself is bisected by the Liffey River, and much like Paris's Seine, has made the waterway a major point of interest throughout its east/west route.

A huge spire commemorates something important, but after 19 days of Irish History, I kinda forgot...although you have to admit it looks cool...

The Double Decker Bus Tour was a perfect way to see the city's highlights, including Christ Church dating back to 1000 A.D. and the Vikings...

Saint Patrick's Church was also beautiful...but not as beautiful as my angel :)))

Of course, would a trip like this, even one to Ireland, be complete without a great Italian dinner? The restaurant, Calzone, could be one of Peggy's all time favorite

The creativity of the young chef, and quality of the ingredients made for joy all the way around the table...

and with 100% organic beef, Peggy and Ann want you all to know that this is the place to visit on your next Dublin adventure!

We finished off the evening in the Hilton Bar with a pint of Guinness, a Bulmer's Pear Cider and an Irish Coffee...what a way to end a superb, God-blessed adventure to this Eire-land. A land filled with amazing scenery, wonderful foods, exquisite beverages and mostly, fun and interesting people. May God bring unity to this land! And may He continue to bless our travel home! We truly had a craic (which means fantastic) time together. The Henirichs and Gubitzs signing off for the final time on this the 18the glorious day!!!!

Day 17: Guinness here we come!

On our way to Dublin, to finish off an awesome trip, we again experience sunshine and cool weather. Everyone that we talked to about Dublin had one thing to say....you MUST go to the Guinness Factory (called the Storehouse), where Arthur Guinness secured a 9000 year lease, and enjoy the experience:

While for many the experience is Magic, for others, well, you get the picture:

Ok, so before we can actually launch into the details of the Guinness Magic, wouldn't you know, on the streets of Dublin, as if to say, tie the story of yesterday together with the start of today's story, well, we saw this T shirt and had to include it...what a relief! I wonder if he's sitting on an official, legendary Crapper?

And because we are sentimentalists, let's remind ourselves of our castle's breakfast spread, enjoyed by all, prior to our final departure:

Ann thought it might be a disservice to our castle, not to get a picture of it with our luggage???

I think while we had Peggy lug all the luggage, Jon and Ann enjoyed their final moments, while I had to capture it all on film...I hope Peggy doesn't see this since we told her we couldn't help load luggage since we needed to make a last visit to you know what...the C_ _ _ _ _ _!

A few parting castle photos, with such a lovely couple:

The entry door reminder, which made me think of the Munsters for some reason...

Goodbye Castle...

Hello Guinness!!! :)))

The water they use is of course perfect...

And each hour or so, 1 of the visitors is actually asked to start the next batch to be brewed. Not as exciting as being asked to pray at George Washington's grave (like the Nemy's), but in Peggy's book almost as significant, Peggy was asked to officially launch brew number 5203.

She pressed the magic start button, and if we wanted to wait there 10 days, we could have watched the batch make its way through the whole process...and we might have stayed but there were pints awaiting us upstairs...

While the walking tour was a bit informative, the only way to really understand the nuances of excellence was to start here:

I'm not sure they both looked as thrilled as we might have expected..I think Ann felt cheated since they only gave her an ounce to taste...but there's more to come...at the very top of the 7 story building, designed in the shape of a pint beer glass, you arrive at the 360 degree view of Dublin from the Gravity Bar where everyone got a free (included in the $20 tour cost) pint of Guinness...and the view was spectacular. We ran into 3 young ladies from Fresno...and no they didn't know Andrew Nemy (although you can bet we asked...)

Also part of the experience is an opportunity to learn how to pour the perfect pint

Peggy was a pro as she learned to pour the 1st 3/4ths pulling the tap forward to allow the gas to energize the liquid...then wait 1 minute and 59 seconds

when you then push the tap backwards to prevent any additional gas to disturb the final froth

Then the tasting, and then

the perfect pint makes for a perfect mustache!

or perfect lipstick or something...and by that time in the tour, it really doesn't matter...because it's all good and the day was a success. One and all enjoyed themselves, and we had Italian food for dinner before retiring at a lovely Hilton Hotel with jacuzzi and fitness center to work off the labors of the day..right...Bless you all and tomorrow will be our last blog as we tour the city of Dublin...

Day 16: Castle Life in "Relief"

On this our 16th sunny day, we decided relaxing at our castle would be an ideal experience...As we strolled, hiked, read, napped, bathed and relieved ourselves (not to worry..we won't be getting too personal)...we discovered a number of interesting facts about relief in a Castle... One young lad that may have found the carpet or other inappropriate location would be this guy at an early age... That's right, Winston Churchill was here and the Leslie's were gifted with this frock, not to mention not too few a spot on the carpet perhaps...

Then of course is the sitting room. While here we first met our host, Uncle Jack Leslie, a 93 year old relative of the current owner...his niece. Uncle Jack roamed around, told stories (and his memory was amazing...for example he was describing when he met the Vanderbilts, and he knew exactly what each was wearing down to the 1 million dollar necklace Mrs. V was sporting..but then again, even I might remember a million dollar piece of jewelry), explained the history of the Castle and even described his 5 years as a German prisoner of war in WWII. Born in 1916, and not to lighten his personal stature in your eyes, but my guess is he's had his favorite relief spots around the castle grounds...

Of course, the Gubitz Bedroom, previously known as the Print Room, had a special apparatus as well. It is not pictured...so we can keep the blog a G-Rating, but looking at the bath and shower you might imagine the creativity of the relief station...

I've been told they will likely replace these random prints on our bedroom wall with photos of Ben, Sam, Kevin and Dan.not to mention the Patriarch, Matriarch and Ancestral Heritage Photos as well...I'm told...

When it's time to prepare for you know what...one must sit comfortably and remove riding boots. What better stool (no pun intended!)...

Of course I must include a short history lesson on relief...Tom, as a young boy, was likely sitting in an outhouse with a leak in the roof. Reading Sears Roebuck catalogues, he was first to recognize that when the rain came down in a torrent, that the pages were losing their color and the sides of his wood framed outhouse looked cleaner. Aha..he immediately jumped up in joy (after first using a few pages of Sears) and went out to invent the toilet. This man's name actually was Tom...and his last name, as you know was Crapper! No kidding...

And to know it was, as you saw in the photo, a venerable invention just adds to the joy. Ok, now during our walk around the grounds, looking back on the castle and on the left you saw the steeple of the church where Paul and Heather McCartney were wed, we come across the location where many of our castle horses decide to relieve themselves..and on a warm sunny day we are surrounded by flies. Not an issue, since we've been through mosquito storms, stinging nettle blockades and the like...a few million flies were no match

Part of our estate includes a Hunting Lodge as pictured here

It is believed this is where Paul and Heather checked in on arrival. As nervous as Paul must have been, after a few pints at the Hunting Lodge Pub, we believe, although we are not certain, that he came outside and found this shrub to be just what he was looking for to ready himself for a few more pints...

Being Paul McCartney, both the effect his singing has on living creatures, and even the impact of his processed Guinness has is amazing...

Stashed away in a humidor next to our Billiard room in our castle, we carry only the finest. I recall the last time I was in Boise Idaho for a North and South American Marketing Managers Meeting, our dear friend from Latin America brought a few of these babes...big trouble as I tried 4 meager puffs on one, and immediately, and I'm not kidding when I say immediately, I had to find a great white telephone and make a long distance call, if you catch my drift...

Finally as our day was winding down, we went off campus to find a wonderful and fancy pub in the town of Monaghan called Andy's...and this was actually the only driving mishap so far on the trip...As we wandered through town looking for this out of the way pub, and thinking I was on the right side of a one way street...turns out Peggy is first to notice I'm in the right lane..and first to scream this is not a one way street...so I swerve to the left just in time to miss a truck coming at me, which was easily a few hundred yards away still....but nonetheless a driving mishap!

And since you probably can't read Gaelic, you wouldn't know this sign says Andy's, so right above this sign is the following sign...thankfully...and we found the food to be excellent...especially their garlic, deep fried mushrooms...mmmmm...can you smell 'em...

Leisurely drive back to our Crapper, I mean our Castle, and we rested up for another great day ahead. Love you all and see you very soon!

Day 15: John, John and Paul

On the evening prior to our departure from Rossmore Manor, we had a thrilling sunset at 10:40pm..and the nightfall continued past 11pm...amazing...
Importantly, in the morning of our departure, we captured some of the eclectic Rossmore Manor knick knacks in side by side photos...so we can remember when we are out shopping, that just 1 more is not really necessary...

Now the first John of our day's Title...at Hanna Hats! On the entire "concept" map of Ireland, where Jim Jordan gave us ideas on what to see and what was worth doing in various regions around Ireland, he made special note to declare,"You MUST go to Hanna Hats in Donegal". Hanna Hats was the only MUST do on the entire trip, according to Jim. Well first finding it was quite the adventure. Jim mentioned it was behind the old church in town. And yes that's true, but it was actually off a side road behind the church, and then you had to take an alley off the side road, and then tucked into a driveway off the alley off the side ride...if you didn't blink at 4 kph, you would barely catch the sign...but oh what a joy it was, on our 4th circling of the town, to see the sign even if they were closed for the day. Wouldn't you know as I asked our hosts at the Rossmore Manor if they knew when Hanna Hats would be open, they said 1st...they will not be open until Monday morning at 8am and 2nd...did you notice the gentleman that was having dinner with us last night...his name was John Hanna! So with great joy, and hopes of a little discount perhaps for knowing his friends, we set off for Hanna hats on our departure from Donegal town. When we arrived, John was actually there, and he was giving an impromptu tour to 32 folks from Chicago. (This was a 75th birthday gift that a grandma gave to herself, to host her entire family, including the 20 grandchildren, on a 9 day tour of Ireland.) When I spoke to him, I had to show John the map where Jim had written MUST next to Hanna Hats. He was thrilled and actually signed the map with a nice note to Jim..which I will bring back and offer to Jim, along with his gift hat, upon our return.

The tiny (or as they say in Ireland...wee) little hat factory was actually quite amazing...and John's willingness to refit and iron and mold hats to your exact head was a treat. You be the judge when we come back with two or tree of them.

The most important lesson we learned from John Hanna was that "caps are for fashion, and hats are for conversations". Come into a room with a sweet looking cap, perfectly fitted, and the crowd will say, wow that looks great. But come into the same room with a perfectly fitted Irish Walking Hat and folks will ask, where did you get that? And then the conversation is off and running... Classic story was told of how the Hanna Hats become world famous in the 60s and 70s , worn by nearly every Irish American. Daniel Patrick Moynihan was wearing a Hanna Hat when having a conversation with another politician in New York who was also wearing a Hanna hat. When the other politician was heading to the bar to order a drink, he left his hat at the table next to him. Moynihan quickly said, "You never leave your Hanna Hat unattended...it will walk away!" And with that, the name Irish Walking Hat was coined..and within months every single somebody who was anybody on the East Coast was wearing one. We bought one for Danny!

On our way to our next stop, Castle Leslie, we were actually wondering if we peaked too early. If we have such amazing times, weather, music, food etc., that we couldn't appreciate any more. And then the castle! But prior to the castle, we must say that Ann was able to do some excellent genealogical research on her great grandfather, John Turner at both the American Folk Library and the Library in Omagh. This is the 2nd John in today's title. It was exciting to see how close she was able to get in narrowing down exactly which Parish, which town etc. that he may have been buried in, and this after finding records of his return from Philadelphia to County Tyrone, in the southernmost part of Northern Ireland. Now armed with websites and more detail, she may be able to answer all the questions about this part of her heritage!

While Ann was in the library researching with Peggy, Jon and I were patiently waiting, as husbands always do, and I got on a library computer to research Castle Leslie where we were heading next. When a librarian overheard me mention the name, she gasped a bit and said, isn't that where Paul McCartney got married to Heather Mills in 2002? She was right! This brings us to the Paul name in today's blog title. Here are some wonderful pictures of our entry in to the castle: Jon and Ann's room...the Green Room

The front view:

The main stairwell:

The back side (oops, can you say that about a castle?)

The dining hall for large receptions:

And the starter that I had...confit and truffle pate:

Peggy's starter, lobster and langoustine tortellini with a seafood foam: By the way, although the food looks excellent, the meal was actually a bit expensive, and as Peggy proclaimed..uneven in service and quality...

The intermezzo sorbet of pear and apple:

The filet mignon with beef cheek and potato mash:

Pan fried Stone Bass:

We have decided to eat in town tonight, but when we blog about today, tomorrow, we will tell you about yesterday, which is today now but will be yesterday tomorrow, and explain the joys of the breakfast and tea service we are experiencing now...today..which will be yesterday when you read this tomorrow! We slept great on day 15!