Ireland & Scotland

I wrote this post on the road but evidently failed to publish it...

Holy cow what a trip this has been! I thought that I would have time to blog during our travels but we have been going non-stop. Bon Jovi are on tour in Europe but their schedule is not as punishing as ours. Blaine and I are so proud of our parents for their stamina!

We spent 3 days in Ireland checking out Dublin and Belfast... The whole holiday is a (drunken?) blur so I am struggling to recall the order of events. I believe that our first day in Dublin was spent doing the bus tour and visiting the Guinness Brewery, Kilmainham Goal, Dublinia and the Jameson's Distillery. In the evening we went to the Brazen Head pub for a drink and then got some Chinese takeaway in Temple Bar. The next day Blaine and I took the train to Belfast for a very interesting bus tour around the peace walls and such. The northern Irish are very proud that they built the Titanic, Blaine bought a t-shirt proclaiming that the Titanic was "built by an Irishman and sunk by an Englishman" I got a Titanic Swim Team one. Back in Dublin we went to the pub again but with the parents this time and we all ate a feast then listened to some real live Irish music.

On Wednesday morning we checked out of our apartment and flew to Edinburgh where we stayed in a beautiful Georgian apartment in the new town. Blaine and I went to the Cafe Royal for drinks and dinner with Rhona and Duncan before they set off for Glastonbury. Thursday morning I ascended the Nelson Monument atop Calton Hill and was rewarded with spectacular views over the city. We lunched at the Bow Bar in the old town and then took a bus to Leith where we tried to see the Royal Yacht Britannia but it was well concealed from anyone unwilling to pay an entrance fee. Back in the city we dined at the Kennilworth pub on Rose St, as featured in the CAMRA book of historic pub interiors. Our final day in the Scottish capital featured more of the same... Strolling around the old city soaking up the atmosphere and drinking real ale.