My Travels Around the World

Category: Ireland

The Giant’s Causeway

Tuesday Oct 25, 2016

The Giant’s Causeway

The Giant’s Causeway was one of the most beautiful and interesting sights in Northern Ireland. is an area of about 40,000 interlocking massive black basalt columns sticking out from the sea, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption, about 60 million years ago. It is also known as Clochán an Aifir. It is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland and in 2015 was awarded the UKs Best Heritage Attraction at the British Travel Awards. It was discovered around 1690 and at that time there were lots of arguments as to whether the Causeway had been created by men with picks and chisels, by nature, or by the efforts of a giant. Only in 1771 was it discovered that it was caused by a volcano.

Heading to Belfast – no longer one of the “B” cities to avoid

Day 5, Sunday Oct 23, 2016

Leaving Dublin

Today we headed out of Dublin and headed north to Belfast. Since we would be traveling all around the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, I thought I’d include a map.

Dublin – City of Cathedrals and the Tart with the Cart

Day 4, Saturday October 22, 2016

Our time on our own ended today as it was the first day of our CIE tour. We had decided we did not want to drive all through Ireland since I like to spend time looking at the country side (not at the road) and I like to know what I’m looking at. So we arranged to travel for 7 days with CIE tours.

Dublin – like the EverReady bunny, we keep going

Day 3, Friday, Oct 21, 2016

Work – well that is, after all, why I’m here

This morning was my symposium, so it was back to the Aviva stadium. What an unusual place to have a meeting and to give a talk. The view from the wall-to-wall windows was onto the very green soccer field. Although the room was set up with rows and rows of chairs, it was clearly a small ballroom, with built-in bars. Let’s face it, most people come hear to drink beer, not hear talks.

But the talks went well and my colleagues and I were very pleased.

Dublin, Ireland (con’t)

More of Dublin

Day 2, Thursday, October 20, 2016

We spent the morning doing some more walking. We walked back over towards the convention center and the Samuel Beckett Bridge, and then along the River Liffey crossinIreland -13301-2g over to the North side of the river, known as the more down to earth, less touristy side of town. Along the way we passed lots of sculptures.  There was one bronze sculpture, called The Linesman, commemorating the tradition of docking in the area.

Dublin, Ireland

 

Our first view of Dublin

Dublin, Day 1, October 19, 2016

We arrived late Tuesday night. We got through customs. We got our passports stamped, collected luggage and easily found a taxi to our hotel. The taxi driver was extremely friendly, telling us about the sights along the way and making recommendations on what to see and where to eat.  After less than 30 minutes, we arrived at the Grand Canal Hotel. The rooms at the Grand Canal are more simple than our usual hotels, but very adequate. We had one double bed and one twin bed. (were we supposed to invite someone to join us?). There was ample closet and drawer space. There was a coffee machine and a pot for boiling water for tea. And we even had cookies. Breakfast was OK with all the basics (cereal, scrambled or baked eggs, cheese, cold meats, mushrooms, fresh fruit, yogurt, smoothies), but nothing fancy. One plus for me was that it was very convenient to the Aviva stadium where my meeting was being held, as, of course, it was work that got us here. And it was only about a 15-minute walk to City Centre which was a good thing as there was no public transportation close by.

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