Saturday, November 9, 2013

On foreign shores: Ireland & London



So much has happened in the weeks I've been away, it's a blur. To condense this post a bit I've captioned the pictures, so just linger your mouse over for more information.

I was chuffed like crazy to get to Ireland. My father's side of the family are from Baltimore, Cork, so it was an 'ancestral' visit really. The Irish are really awesome people too. No, really! Upon visiting Blarney Castle I was feeling a little peckish, but of course, the shop there had no gluten free foods. The lovely lady behind the counter revealed she was a coeliac sufferer and then produced a GF apple sponge cake she'd just made and gave me a piece for free. That's the kind of lovely I'm talking about. A beautiful drive around the countryside included the Ring of Kerry and the Ring of Dingle, they were stupidly wonderfully breathtakingly magnificent. I stayed in a fabulous B&B in Dingle and even met an Aussie running the Irish Linen store.

My time in Dublin was brief, yet busy. I visited the National Museum of Ireland Archaeology (that place gave me shivers, so much amazing history!), toured Dublin Castle, and saw a cute musical at Gaiety Theatre.

After Dublin it was on to London for the second time. Highlights including visiting The Museum of London to view the Cheapside Hoard (the coolest collection of hidden Elizabethan jewelery ever), The National Portrait Gallery's display of 'Elizabeth I & her people' portraits, The Natural History Museum 'Pearls' Exhibition at the V&A (including jewels owned by royalty, Marilyn, Elizabeth Taylor etc) and took a day trip to freezing-my-nippies-off Cambridge. Aside from that I saw an opera gala at Royal Albert Hall, The Nutcracker on Ice (on Halloween night, of course), and Romeo and Juliet the ballet at the Royal Opera House. I also had a massage at the Lush Spa (ah, heaven! Go get a The Comforter? treatment right this second) and shopped up a storm.

Love WTP x

4 comments:

Heidi's Wanderings said...

It sounds like you had a wonderful trip. And I envy you! I've always wanted to visit Ireland. Hope you have a wonderful day!

Heidi’s Wanderings

Nancy Wilde said...

This post makes me want to pack my bags and go to Ireland... and maybe just stay there, you know. All that green, the mossy landscaping, the rain... I need it!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful trip. It sounds like you fit in a lot and that lovely giving you a piece of cake is so sweet. I love random travel tales of kindness like that. :)

xo

Anonymous said...

Such beautiful photos - I miss London so much!

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