France, Norway and Ireland May 2018

Saturday, May 12-Sunday, May 13

Flight was nonstop DFW to Paris on American, plane left on time and we arrived a bit early. We flew Business Class and the seats were very comfortable. Greg said his shrimp was good, my ginger beef was yucky. We neither one slept but this was typical for us. Our bags were the one of the last ones out. The agent at DFW did not add the red priority tags but we were just thankful that they arrived. We had a car reserved with Hertz and the rental office was in the same terminal building with a bit of a walk but thankful we didn't have to catch a shuttle bus. First hitch, Greg reserved the car starting on Saturday when we left, not Sunday when we arrived. All was good, we have a Mercedes with navigation. We put in the first address and headed out. Stop #1 was in Giverny, a village in Normandy which is in northern France, to tour Claude Monet's home and Impressionist Museum. Monet lived and worked here from 1883 until his death in 1926 and is where he painted his water lily series. The home and gardens were absolutely beautiful. The museum had a special exhibit of Japanese impressionist. Most of the paintings were part of the special exhibit but there was one room with several large Monet's.

We wanted a little bite to eat so we stopped at a "take away" inside the Monet grounds. I ordered a cheese plate and Greg ordered a hotdog. The mustard was so spicy that he only ate the meat. 

We then put the B&B address into the GPS and headed out. We are staying in the Normandy Region and doing a 2 day D-Day tour then heading back to Paris. Our B&B is Les Quatre Etoiles with hosts Tonnis and Francis Muntinga. Beautful setting and wonderful hosts.

The B&B is a very large complex and the room is large with a nice size bathroom. However, the stairs are very steep and narrow so we just brought up the carry on bag with what we needed  each night and left the big suitcases in the car. Francis made reservations for us  for 7 at Restaurant l'Estaminet in Sainte Maria du Mont which was about 7 min away. When we arrived we were the only customers and the staff spoke no English but the menu was in French and English and we communicated pretty well, except we thought we were ordering glasses of wine but actually we ordered a half bottle of white and a bottle of red. Shocker, we drank it all. I had creamy fish soup (tasted like lobster bisque) and duckling breast. Greg had smoked salmon and lamb ribs. We shared an apple tort with cinnamon ice cream for dessert. They brought us a complimentary smoked salmon spread on toast. All was excellent. Best duck that I have ordered.

We came back to the room, bathed, and hit the hay. A looong day, well long 2 days!

Monday May 14

Breakfast, served at 8:30, was pastries, cereals, strawberries and a boiled egg. We sat and visited with another couple from England for awhile. We met our tour guide, Rene Van Oirschot, with D-Day Battle Tours at 10 in front of the Airborn Museum. 

Rene was very informative and gave an excellent tour. After touring the museum and church we stopped for lunch.

We ate lunch al fresco at E. Castel. Greg and I both ordered grilled ham and cheese with French fries. The first of many chips that we would be eating!

After lunch, we met back at Rene' s house which was next door to the museum and began our afternoon tour. We stopped at several small commemorative spots with Rene giving us battlefield information 

La Fiere Memorial Park pays tribute to the US Airborne Divisions who landed on D-Day. The bridge is the only road that spanned the river and ran across the Merderet marshes and lowlands. Capturing Le Fiere would block off any reinforcement of German troops coming from the south and secure the beachhead of Utah Beach and allow the landing troops to progress inland across the marshes. The bridge at La Fiere became a vital access spots for both the Germans and the Allies. As a result, the Battle of La Fière was one of the fiercest fights of the Battle of Normandy. It took the Allies four days to capture and secure the causeway and the casualties were massive.

I

Cauqaigny Church

along the way to our big stop at Utah Beach. 

Trotter horses training on the beach

Dick Winters (portrayed in Band of Brothers), was chosen to represent and honor all men leading the forces on D-Day with his Leadership Memorial.

Angoville-au-Plain church.  During the fighting, a pair of U.S. Army medics from the 501st regiment, Bob Wright and Ken Moore, set up an aid station in the hamlet’s 700-year-old church. Here, they treated both Allied and German soldiers. The pews were used as makeshift beds, and the bloodstains from wounded soldiers can be seen even today. Two medics, Wright and Moore braved the battlefield looking for wounded to bring back to the church and treat. The medics refused to allow weapons inside of the church, and soldiers on both sides heeded their request. At one time, a mortar shell fell through the roof of the church, shattering a floor tile, but it did not hit anyone and it did not explode. Perhaps the place was truly blessed. Two days after D-Day, two German soldiers emerged from hiding in the belfry and promptly surrendered.

As thanks for the work of the paratroopers on that night, the church installed commemorative stained glass windows: one dedicated to the pair of medics, and one to the 101st Airborne Division parachutists. Robert Wright expressed his wish to be buried at the church, but bureaucratic red tape made this almost impossible. In the end, some of his ashes were smuggled into France to be buried in the churchyard. The unofficial headstone simply reads “R.E.W.”, Wright’s initials.

As we headed back to Sante Mere Eglise we made several more small stops. A day packed with history and interesting sites. We went back to the B&B for a rest and then went to dinner at a restaurant suggested by Rene, Chez Jeanne. We both had steak and fries, Entrecôte and fries. Ok, but not great, a very fatty piece of meat but a huge piece of meat. We shared a dessert crepe, chocolate and coconut. Pretty yummy. Again we had trouble ordering wine. The menu said by the glass or carafe. When I ordered the carafe, they wanted to know the size. I thought the first choice was by the glass so I ordered the second choice which was way too much wine. Oh well, maybe we will figure the wine size out before we leave France. 

Tuesday, May 15

Breakfast, said our goodbyes to Frances and Tonnis, and were off to meet Rene. We parked at the Museum and walked to his house. Our first stop was the German cemetery 

La Cambe, German Cemetary

and then to several stops along Omaha Beach.

We ate lunch at a restaurant on the beach, L'Omaha. I ordered mussels but they didn't compare to the mussels in Ireland. 

After lunch, next stop was the Normandy American Cemetary located in Colleville-sur-Mer which covers 172.5 acres and contains the graves of 9,385 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations.

After the visit to the cemetary we made a couple of stops at Gold Beach where the British landed. This area is much more developed and has a resort feel to it. 

This was where one of the two harbors were built in only 2 weeks following the invasion. Remainders from the harbors are still there. 

It was low tide so we were able to walk out to the structures. Rene bought us an ice cream cone and we ate as we walked. 

The last stop was a theater in the round showing the invasion. Nicely done video and definitely worth the stop. We were back in the car and we headed to the airport to turn in the rental car. Trip took almost 4 hours, then a 45 min taxi ride to our hotel, Hotel Chambeges Elysses. Room is a suite, very spacious with two rooms, shower/tub, separate commode. Bed is really comfortable. It was a great boutique hotel, we would definitely stay here again and very reasonably priced for Paris.  

Wednesday, May 16

Breakfast was included so we ate downstairs. It was a continental buffet. Our guide Anne Chouraki met us in the lobby

and we were off for a day's tour of some French neighborhoods. We rode the metro and busses. It was wonderful having Anne direct us to all the locations and navigate the transportation for us. We started in Montmartre district which is named for its large hill and is part of the right bank and is known as an artistic neighborhood. 

We rode the funicular to the top where a large cathedral, Basilica of the Sacre-Coeur, was located with great views of the city. 

Foggy morning

We next visited Marais which was the scene for artists and writers in the 20's. After the French Revolution this area became an active commercial area and hosted a large Jewish community.  

Fashion photo shoot

Sorbonne University

Statue of Montaigne. Students rub his foot for good luck on their exams

We then went to the right bank, stopping for lunch at Carnett'e.  We wandered through Luxembourg Park. 

Our last area was the left bank. 

Anne left us at the Louis Vuitton store where I made a small purchase. 

We went back to the hotel for a short rest and then back to the Louis Vuitton store with my passport to get the paperwork for the VAT tax. We then walked to the Arch of Triumph 

and stopped for dinner at Chez Andre, which was recommended by our guide. It was a very nice dinner. 

After dinner we walked to see the Eiffel Tower. Beautiful at night.

Thursday May 17

Breakfast again downstairs. We were to meet our guide Sarah at 9:30 at the Louvre. After breakfast we asked the front desk to call for a taxi. We went up to the room to get our camera and jackets and headed downstairs. Front desk said they couldn't find a taxi. It was 9:00 and at least a 30 min walk so we headed out on foot. It took us about 40 min. 

Stopped for a couple of pictures along the way

The Louvre

Unfortunately we were pretty exhausted by the time we got there. Not how we wanted the tour to start. Our guide Sarah, who we booked through Tours By Locals, was very good. We started with the Antiquities, seeing Venus de Milo which was created around 100 BC,

 Winged Victory of Samothrace, a statue to honor Nike,

Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss, commissioned in 1787,

Raft of Medusa, 1819 oil painting by Theodore Gericault

The Coronation of Napoleon is a painting completed in 1807 by Jacques-Louis David, the official painter of Napoleon, depicting the coronation of Napoleon I at Notre-Dame de Paris.

Sleeping Hermaphroditus, sculpted in 1620, 

Michelangelo Dying Slave and Rebellious Slave, were commissioned to be part of Pope Julius II's tomb in 1513, but plans changed and they were donated and brought to France,

Grande Odalisque by Ingres painted in 1538

and the Mona Lisa.  When I visited in 1972 the painting was not behind glass and you could get much closer.  Hard to appreciate the painting in amongst the throngs of people.

Great Sphinx of Tanis, dating back to 2600 BC

Wedding Feast at Cana, 1563 by Veronese

More.........

We took a taxi back to the hotel and grabbed a sandwich and drink at Pret a Manger which is a quick sandwhich shop. We met Isabelle, a guide again through Tours by Locals, at 2 downstairs for our tour to Versailles. We took a taxi to maximize our time there. Isabelle had pre ordered our tickets but it still took a while to go through security and get the tickets. It was very crowded with lots of tours. We went through the King's wing, unfortunately the Queen's wing was under renovation, but the bedrooms of the former mistresses which later became the daughters' bedrooms were open. The fountains are only working on the weekend so we missed seeing them in at their best. 

We rode the train back to Paris but our stop was under renovation so we took the bus for our last few blocks. We really enjoyed Isabelle. Very friendly and easy to be with. Dinner tonight was at Relais de I'Entrecote. 

There was a huge line last night but nobody in line tonight so we decided to check it out. We got a seat outside. Waitress walked up and asked how we wanted our steak cooked. Gee, no menu, everyone gets Entrecôte steak with French fries. Wait staff was pretty stiff and when I asked for catsup she said "no catsup, no mayo, welcome to Paris". Strangely, this was the first restaurant in 4 days that did not offer catsup. She brought us a dessert menu, assuming it was included we ordered. Guess what, it was not included. They never showed us a menu, we had no idea of price or how it worked. Steak was tender but we weren't crazy for the sauce. It was good but not great. Not sure what the huge attraction is for this restaurant. We came back to the room and packed our bags.

Friday May 18 Paris to Dublin

We met our guide Susana in the hotel at 9:30.

We checked out of the hotel, ordered a taxi for 1pm, and headed to Notre Dame. The line moved quickly through the inside and then we walked all around on the outside. 

Saw the oldest tree in Paris, over 400 years old, 

we walked the left bank area again but Susana pointed out some new places and gave some new insight. The Procope Restaurant was a bar established in 1686 and was frequented by Benjamin Franklin, Rousseau, Napoleon and many other famous people. 

Saint-Germain-de-Prez.  Started as an Abbey in the 6th century.  The interior of the church has been restored and one of the few examples of what the cathedrals looked like at the time they were built.

After the tour, we returned to the hotel and our taxi came quickly. We left early because there was a train strike and our guide on Wednesday said it would make the traffic much worse, but traffic was lighter than Tuesday night. Check inat the airport was easy but we should have eaten before going to our gate. Once we got to the gate area our only choice was a cold sandwich. Flight was a bit late but we arrived with no problem, grabbed a taxi and were off to the apartment rented through AirBnB. There was a Rolling Stones concert last night and the next two nights an Ed Sheehern concert so hotels were crazy high and booked, thus the apartment. I know lots of people prefer renting an apartment but I like the convenience of a hotel. Jim and Donna had met the manager at 3, so they were already here. Where the taxi dropped us, didn’t look like an apartment building so we were confused. We texted Jim and he walked down and found us. Bedrooms are downstairs with a steep staircase. It was spacious but very cold looking and pretty beat up. The Jensen’s arrived soon after us and we visited a while and then headed out to find a restaurant. The first two we tried were packed. There was another, Copper Alley Bistro, with no one eating so we were concerned, but gave it a shot and had a wonderful meal. 

Greg and I both had Guinness Stew. After dinner we all called it a night. View from the apartment's balcony.

Saturday, May 19 Dublin

Scott surprised us by going to the market and bringing back bacon and eggs to cook. We headed out to tour a little after 10, starting at St Patrick's Cathedral which was right across from the apartment. This was a new site for us. 

We then caught the yellow line HOHO bus which took us to The Guinness Storehouse. The line to enter was fairly short. We enjoyed it more this time than we did 5 years ago. Tours end on the top floor with a 360 degree view of Dublin and a glass of Guinness. The tour took 2 hours and was not too crowded except on the top floor. 

We then jumped on the bus and hopped of at the Gaul (jail). We had been here previously but it is a worth while stop for the history of the Republic of Ireland. The tours were sold out but we were told we could visit the museum. While heading to the museum, one of the guides said they had cancellations and we could join the 3:00 tour. Luck was with us. Tour lasted about one hour 

and then we jumped on the bus with plans to get off at Temple Bar area. Due to the crowds from a Rugby match, the bus was detoured and we had to back track but eventually we ended up in the Temple Bar area, known for its pubs and restaurants. We ate at The Seafood Cafe 

and had a great meal. First refreshment!

I had mussels and there were enough to feed three people. Greg ordered gambas and they looked like a cross between lobster and prawns. We walked back to the apartment from the restaurant. Weather was perfect and it was a nice walk back.

Sunday May 20. Embarkation.

We all were moving slowly this morning. Rental agency came by around 10 to check us out and showed us how to exit without the keys. We had preordered a taxi and it arrived right on time at 11:30. Short ride to the port, dropped off our luggage, no line for checkin, then a shuttle to the ship.
Greg and I ate lunch in Luminea, the restaurant for our room level, and visited with a couple next to us that live in Peoria and are Club fans. They lived for many years in Las Cruces and are going to Sanibel to check it out for retirement. A lot of similarities! We sat there talking for a long time and by then the rooms were available. As we walked down the hall, I saw my suitcase, but no where near our room. The little suitcase was outside the door when we arrived at the room and Greg's arrived soon after. We were unpacked by 3:00. Could be a record! Muster was at 4:45 in Tuscan Grill. They had a new video that was entertaining. After muster we had drinks in Michael's and met the group in MDR at 6:30 for dinner. Nixon is our waiter and Lutfi is the assistent with Sommelier Augusthino. Good service and good food, the sommelier is quick but not a lot of personality. The show was Rock City. Celebrity continues to put on shows geared toward 20-40 yr olds with an audience of 60+. Lots of screaming and gyrating versus good singing and dancing. Maybe we are just getting old. 

CD Eddy.  This was our second cruise with him as CD.  We think he does a good job.  

Monday, May 21

Sea Day!!!!!! Ordered breakfast at 9 am. We had a time charge last night and lost an hour. Our butler, Allain, brought breakfast right on time. We dressed and wandered through the shops and attended the lecture on Norway. Lecturer was pretty good. Then up to Sky Lounge for a bloody Mary and to listen to the music trivia game. They kicked us out for a private party so we went to lunch in Luminea then back to the room for reading. Caught a glance of the line dancing!

We tried to go to the Ensemble Lounge at 5:30 to hear the guitarist but no seats so instead we went to the foyer and listened to Passion Duo. 

They were quite good. Dinner again in the MDR at the same table. 

Greg and I both had rack of lamb and it was excellent. Show tonight was hypnotist Christopher Caress. He put me to sleep but only because it was so boring. After the show we went to see the guitarist Michael Redden and his show Lost Legends. Really enjoyed him and the audience got into the show, singing along. Crowd surprised him by asking for an encore which he said was a first for him. 

Tuesday, May 22nd.

We went to breakfast at Luminea. As we came back to room, our butler said we had left us two Caramel Machiatta coffees and some almond croissants. I actually drank mine and shared Greg's with Donna. We attended the CD, Eddy's talk: 10 things you must see with Celebrity and then back to the room. We are beginning to see land.

Ship docked at 1 pm and we left the ship around 1:30. There was a shuttle bus that took us to the exit of the port area. From there we walked about 20 minute through the fish market and then to Bryggen, the wharf area which is now a shopping area. We bought our magnet and a t-shirt. The art was ridiculously high, so we passed. At the end of the wharf there is St Mary's Church which is only open for a couple of hours each day and we had missed it.

 We headed to the funicular. The line didn't seem that bad but once we paid, we realized that the line was much longer inside. It took us over an hour to catch the train up. Once on top, the line was ridiculous for the ride down. We took a few pictures, stopped for a beer and coke and then got in line to catch the ride down.

 Again, it took us an hour. We slowly made our way back to the port, 

caught the shuttle and back on board. After cleaning up, it was time for dinner in the MDR. I had trout and it was really good. Greg said his pork loin was good as well. Theatre show was Fly Boys, a group that sings current songs in the style of 40's swing. 

They were good but didn't get a huge response. It was still light out so we returned to our room to enjoy the scenery. Sunset was around 10:30.

Wednesday, May 23rd

I'm not sure it ever got completely dark last night. I woke up at 4:30 and we had entered the fjord and the scenery was beautiful. I woke up again at 6:15 and again beautiful scenes out the window. I quietly opened the sliding door and took a few pictures with the nice low light.

We were turning and docking by 6:30. The town of Skjolden has a population of 200 people and has no cruise presence at all. Beautiful setting. We ordered breakfast for 8 but heard a crash outside our door and poor Allain had dropped our breakfast tray. We were not in a hurry so no worries and he returned quickly with our food. We left the ship around 9:30 and walked to the small village and then around a lake to two waterfalls. We made it to the first one and was close enough to get pictures of the 2nd one. Very peaceful, serene countryside. 

We walked back to the village and bought some water for me and Greg had coffee and we sat outside drinking our drinks for a bit and then we slowly walked back to the ship, stopping at a couple of places looking for a magnet but couldn't find one we liked. Back on the ship and to the buffet. We snagged a table outside and had a typical buffet lunch, never our favorite but restaurants are closed on port days. After lunch we went back to the room. Sail away was at 5:30 but we didn't cast off until a little before 6. We all watched sail away from our balcony and then headed to Tuscan Grill for dinner. Our butler was supposed to make reservations for tonight and he said he did but when we got there the reservations were for tomorrow night. Ugh!!!! They sat us anyway and we had a nice dinner (veal Marshall and rib eye steak) with a nice view as we left Skjolden. 

Dinner lasted longer than normal and we missed the theater. Tried to catch Michael Redden but only heard the last song, then headed upstairs for Motown. Around 11:30 we called it a night. 

Thursday, May 24 Geiranger

Arrival time in Geiranger is 1:00 and the sail in promises to be beautiful. We opted for breakfast in Luminea and then headed to the 6th floor front elevators to watch the scenery from the helipad, an invitation from the Concierge. It was windy and cooler up front but we then turned to the left and it was very comfortable. The big attraction is the 7 sisters waterfalls on the left and the suitor waterfall on the right. They did not disappoint. The captain was able to do a 360 so all could see. 

We left the heliport and came back to our aft balcony and had another great view of the waterfalls. We stayed outside and watched as we arrived into port. Quaint looking small town with a rushing waterfall right at the port. 

Moving dock.

We ate a light lunch in Luminea and then our group met at 2 for our private excursion. We met our tour with Geiranger Fjord Service right outside the gate. It was a bit disorganized and there were some unhappy people, but once we were on our minibus with a small group of 16 all was well. The driver spoke broken English but they had a tape in English explaining where we were going. It was a 3 hour tour with 4 scenic stops. Scenery was pretty amazing and the only hitch was when 2 busses couldn't pass each other and one had to back up. It created a complete stop of traffic for about 20 minutes.

frozen lake

When we arrived back at the port we all decided to go our separate ways tonight because Donna and Jim missed the 5 sisters this morning. We shopped for a magnet and then went back to the ship. Decided to have drinks in Michael's but it was a frustrating event. Concierge hardly recognized us and bar tender totally ignored us. When he was clearing another table we asked him for drinks. He didn't ask us. No offer of anything to eat. As we were leaving, we mentioned it to the concierge. Dinner was in Luminea where we both had a good meal. The theater show was a musician, Ollie Mulkeen from the U.K. His show was the best by leaps and bounds. 

Friday, May 25. Alesund

We did room service at 6:45 because we had an excursion with the cruise ship, Troll Road. We had to be in the theater by 7:15 and our group was called quickly. Unfortunately we were the last on the bus and had to sit in the back which was 5 across, very crowded. We stopped first for a overlook but it was foggy and the overlook was not open.

our guide

Next stop was a church and an old farmhouse. The church had a volunteer telling the history of the church. He wouldn't let anyone take pictures until he finished talking, unfortunately he never finished talking. He yelled at one guy, but after about 15 minutes people started taking pictures and he didn't yell at anyone else. The farm house was not opened. 

There was a bathroom but with 3 busses, the line was ridiculous. When we asked about the next bathroom stop, the guide said she couldn't guarantee that the bathrooms would be open, so we got in the long line and the bus left about 15 minutes late. 3rd stop was a waterfall and gorge. It was pretty awesome. 

Next stop was a overlook over the troll road. 

When we got back to the bus we found out the bus had broken down. The other two busses went on to lunch and then came back to get us, giving us an additional 30 minutes here. It could have been worse, there was a souvenir shop and table and chairs for sitting. 

Lunch was a buffet with salmon, salmon and salmon, hamburger patties and chicken drummies. It was all good. 

restaurant

A new bus arrived while we were eating and we were off. We made one last stop at the Troll Wall, a very vertical mountain. 

It was a long tour with a lot of driving and the guide talked nonstop, but the scenery was very beautiful and the guide gave us good information about what we were seeing and Norway in general. We arrived back 20 minutes late and they closed up the gangway as we boarded. We wanted to go back to Michael's after the bad service, and service was much better tonight. We met the group for dinner where we all had lobster. I think it may be the biggest lobster we have been served in the MDR on any cruise line. The show tonight was not our taste, Amade by the singer and dancers. After the show we all went upstairs to Abba and disco but it was too loud for us so we went back down to Ensemble Lounge and listened to Michael Redding. Greg visited with a couple from Ireland for a bit and then we called it a night.

Saturday, May 26th Shetland Islands

Beautiful sunrise.

Lerwick from the ship.

Today is a tender day. We asked last night and Guest Service said you could come at 8 and pick up tickets for your whole group. So, we had room service at 7:30. We had a notice that suite guests did not need a tender ticket so we called and asked if we could bring non suite guests with us and they said yes. So, Greg found Scott and we decided to meet at Michaels at 8:45. Concierge walked us down and we were on the tender. Easy. Our guide Tony, with Sinclair's, was waiting for us at the exit and we were off.

First stop was to see Broch of Clickimin, which was a stone community used from 1000 BC to 500 AD.  The brochs or forts have a single entrance and are located in hard to reach places.  Probably were safe places during the Iron Age for people and livestock. 

Next stop we saw Shetland ponies with babies, a beautiful beach, cliffs and seals. 

Harvesting peat along the roadway.

After this, we saw a crofter house that had been lived in as recently as the 1960's with no electricity or running water. There was a gentleman here that gave a bit of history and we saw more Shetland horses. 

Next we went to the southern most point and saw a couple of puffins and dramatic landscape. 

We then turned to the west and went to the town Skalloway, which was the first Shetland port. The Norwegians, including the king and his family, fled in boats during WWII and arrived here at this port. We saw remnants of a castle. 

Back to Lerwick where Tony dropped us off at an authentic Shetland wool store. He explained that the wool industry  a few years back was dying and people were having to kill the lambs because they could not afford to feed the livestock. A visitor from Maryland returned to the island with ideas for sweaters, coats, gloves, hats, etc and a market to sell the goods through. This turned around the Shetland wool craft and the island's economy. After buying more than we needed we went to a fish and chips restaurant, Fort Cafe,  suggested by our guideTony. It only had a few tables and they were all full but we waited for a table. Scott and Gaynel opted to go back to the ship. The fish and chips were as good as the recommendation. 

We walked the quaint street, bought our magnet and headed for the tender station. No wait and back on boat with no hassle. Dinner again at 6:30 after a cocktail in Michael's. Service was good tonight but no appetizers offered. We all went to the show in the theater. Entertainer was Phil Butler, a comedian with a bit of magic thrown in and he was very entertaining. After the show we went to the photo gallery to look at pictures and bought a couple since we still had OBC.

Sunday, May 27th. Sea Day

Ate breakfast and lunch in Luminea. Had the worst meal of the cruise at lunch. Their idea of a BLT and mine are quite different. We packed and enjoyed a quiet afternoon reading. Michael Redding was playing in Ensemble so we all met before dinner and enjoyed his music. Our last meal in the MDR was excellent again. We skipped the production show Topper since we saw it on our last Eclipse cruise and it was not to our liking. Instead we went to our room, changed clothes and set our bags outside our room. Michael was singing again in the small theater so we went to watch his show one more time and then called it a night.

Monday, May 28th Dublin to Bunratty

Breakfast in Luminea and then met Donna and Jim at the elevators and we were off the ship. Found the bags quickly and then waited for our taxi. We had a reservation for a car for 4 people and 6 bags. It was not obvious where we were to meet a reserved taxi. Taxi  shows up pretty close to the correct time, but it is a car that will hold maybe 4 people but definitely not 6 bags, or 4 bags, only 2 bags. After lots of discussion, we ordered another taxi for Jim and Donna and Greg and I went in the taxi to Enterprise. Getting the car was easy but our GPS would not work. Ugh!!!! We have used this GPS 2 other times in Ireland and no problem. Luckily, we had opted for the international phone plan so we turned on Greg's phone. No cab had showed up for Jim and Donna so we headed black to the port and off to Doolin. We stopped for lunch in a small town and had a wonderful meal at Fox's. My minestrone soup was really, really good and Donna like her seafood chowder. 

We had a 3:00 reservation for the Cliffs of Moher and arrived with about 20 minutes to spare. The boat was late leaving but not too bad, seas were pretty calm, and the weather was perfect, so a good boat ride to see the cliffs and we saw puffins!!! 

After the cliffs we stopped at the Dolman in the Burren. It was much greener on this trip and lots of small flowers blooming. 

Our last ride in the car was to our B&B, Bunratty Courtyard B&B. Room is nice size. 

Tonight we are going to the Bunratty Castle for the medieval dinner. We arrived around 8 for the 8:45 show. We wandered the grounds and then got in line for the show. 

The show was basically the same, we even had the same server. Show starts with mead wine and an Irish harpist, then the introduction of the show. We climb many winding steps to the banquet hall where we are served a really good soup, ribs, and a chicken breast with roasted vegetables followed by a nondescript dessert. The servers are also the singers who end the evening with a short (20 min) concert. A good evening overall.

Tuesday, May 29th. Bunratty to Kenmare via the Dingle Peninsula 

We had breakfast at 8:30. We encouraged Jim to order the full Irish breakfast, the rest of us went with eggs and Irish bacon. We headed out for the Dingle Peninsula via Adare, stopping at the windmill exhibit. The windmill is the largest working grain mill in Ireland. It was restored In the 1960's and is a working mill today. We watched a video about the mill and immigration to the US from the port Benneville. They also had a model railroad which the guys enjoyed. 

Scenic stop

After passing through Dingle we stopped for lunch at a nice pub. Service was quick and food was very good. 

We began the loop around the peninsula, stopping at a ring fort, 

beehive huts, 

scenic overviews, 

the southern most point of Ireland, and the Gallerous Oratory, where we watched a short video before walking out to the church. 

The drive to Kenmare was about 2 hours with heavy traffic. We are staying at Seashore B&B, where we stayed 5 years ago and we even had the same room! 

Our view from our room

After settling in, we went back to town stopping at a shop to pick up souvenirs and then supper at a local pub, the Wander Inn. Mussels were even better than I remembered. Nice dinner with a couple of drinks then back to the B&B.

Wednesday, May 30. 

Our plan was Killarney National Park but not to be. We met for breakfast at 8 and was on the road by 8:45. We were meeting Brandon for the tour at Ross Castle which was the jaunting cars to the restaurant and then back by boats. When we found Brandon we learned that the road that the jaunting cars take was closed today for repairs. Bummer. This was my favorite day five years ago and was looking forward to sharing the day with Donna and Jim. We looked around Ross Castle 

We met Charlie 5 years ago.  It was good to see him again!

and then decided on going to Middleton and the Jameson Distillery. It was a 2 hour drive. I prebooked a tour at 1:00 but we arrived at 12:25 and they let us go with the 12:30 tour. Tour lasted an hour and was very enjoyable with our guide Clair. 

We ate lunch following the tour at the Distillery and then decided to take the scenic route home. This would turn out to be a bad idea. First stop was ruins of a Friars Abbey which was interesting. 

Then we headed for a stone ring. Right before arriving a car made a wide turn and Greg swerve to avoid being hit and the front tire hit a rock and we immediately had a flat tire. It took a while to change the tire due to having to find the jack, figuring out where the spare was located and actually getting the tire off the stem. Ughhh. The spare was not a full sized tire and looked low.  Sorry we didn't get a picture of the guys at work!

We did walk out to see the stone ring and beside it was the remains of an old cooking pit and hunting hut. We had not seen this before. 

The drive back was very slow. We did stop and put in more air which was a bit more reassuring. Dinner tonight was in Kenmare at Paddy Foley's. Greg had bangers and mash and I had crab claws. Tomorrow we will have to get a new tire. Ughhhh

Thursday, May 31st. 

Greg called Enterprise about the tire and they will send someone to the B&B to change the tire. We will have to wait for a call to tell us they are on the way. We went down to breakfast and enjoyed another nice breakfast. Right after breakfast the tire store called and said they would be there by 10:30. When they arrived they needed the car to go to the shop to balance the wheels since it was the front tire, so Greg and Jim followed him. They returned fairly quickly. We decided to go into Kenmare and play tourist, look around the stores, eat lunch at O Donnabhain's, toured the small lace museum, then to a store for liquid refreshments. 

Waiting for the Lace Museum to open

We went back to the B&B and sat outside drinking wine, beer and Jameson. A nice relaxing day. 

We made reservations for dinner at Packies for 7. A nice restaurant that didn't disappoint. Scallops were very good.

 We went to the Coachman's for a nightcap and to listen to the live music. The guy was good but not really traditional Irish music. 

Friday, June 1st. Kenmare to Dublin

A final breakfast with Pat and Owen and we said our goodbyes. First stop was Rock of Cashel dating back to the 12th century. Impressive sight. 

We then drove for awhile and randomly picked an exit for lunch, stopping at Butlers Inn. We may have been the only tourists in the restaurant. Jim ordered lasagne and of course it came with french fries!

We headed to Glendalough, driving through the Wicklow Gap. Scenery was very pretty and everyone enjoyed the ruins at Glendalough. 

After walking around for a bit, we headed to Dublin. We had reservations at the Crown Plaza at the airport. We have stayed here before and again was given a room on the Executive floor with a bigger room and access to the lounge. Greg and Jim returned the rent car and Donna and I took advantage of the free drinks in the lounge. The guys were back quickly and joined us a drink then we went down to the restaurant for dinner. Food was good but slooooow. We went back to the room, repacked, and off to bed. 

Saturday, June 2nd Dublin to Charlotte to DFW

We caught the 7 am shuttle to the airport and it was packed. We checked bags, went through customs, immigration, security twice and finally at the gate area. We had time for a drink and snack. They actually started boarding early. Uneventful flight home.  You clear customs in Dublin so that makes arriving in the States so much easier.