Dublin for Whiskey and Rocking Into London in 2007 - post 34

When we got to the distillery,

Outside the door


Copper kettle


Towers and chimneys



Washback tank No 1


Looking inside the mash tun

they were mopping the ladies room floor and wouldn't let us in, so we had to use the handicapped bathroom. The actual distillery is out in the country now, so the old distillery building is just for tours. They took us through the whole process and then gave us a free whiskey drink. My grandson and Ryan got coke and I got cranberry juice with no whiskey in it.


They picked two women and two men to be tasters at the end.

Three of the tasters: Annie-center, Jim -right

One of the women was Ryan's mom Annie and one of the men was Bill who has a Pearson 34 in Maine and the other was Jim who was one of the kings at the banquet the first night. That was appropriate as his stated goal was to drink at as many pubs as possible.

They gave them three Irish whiskeys, one Scotch whiskey and one US whiskey (Johnny Walker). Annie picked another Irish whiskey with Gold in the name which is made by a subsidiary of Jameson. Everyone else picked the Jameson.

Then we went to Trinity College and saw the Book of Kells. No pictures please.

Trinity College

Afterwards, I was completely beat and needed to go to the bathroom, so I bought some postcards and with the change, I got the bus back to the hotel. My grandson was with Scott and his mom and aunt. They walked around downtown Dublin and then came back.

I got on the internet but when my grandson got back I was so sleepy I could hardly keep my eyes open, so I handed the computer over to him to do his my-space, and I took a nap. About 3, my grandson and Scott went out and got pizza. Then he went to sleep.

I continued to be on the computer after he woke up, and about 2300, the internet time I had came to an end, so I said we had to pack to have the bags outside early in the morning as the bus was going to leave at 6:50 because some people had early flights.


June 8

The phone range at 5:45 and they wanted our bags - I thought it was 6:50, but that was when the bus left. My grandson hadn't bothered to get undressed - he slept in his clothes. So he put the bags out, and we went on down to breakfast. I asked about the internet charge to pay it, and the guy couldn't understand what I was talking about. Apparently in exasperation, he said he'd take it off the bill.

We ate, and this time not only were the scrambled eggs runny, but the fried potatoes were limp and greasy.

Runny eggs and greasy chips

We were to be out on the bus by 6:50, but Matt had to come after us at 7.

When he dropped us off at the airport, I got off the bus so quickly that I left my bum bag on the bus. It had $22.00 and about €45, plus a spare camera battery, and my notebook with all the receipts in it. My grandson ran back but the bus had gone. We went to the CIE desk, and they phoned Matt and he said he would look for it and send it to the hotel in London. I also phoned the hotel to see if it was in the restaurant, but they said no. [Note - none of our vouchers or credit cards or my passport were in the fanny pack, and neither was the majority of my cash]

Grandson in the airport

We got our boarding passes (we got 2A and 2b), and went to the gate to wait. The plane was late in from Amsterdam, so it didn't even get there before it was supposed to take off. My grandson got his € changed to £, and I charged some £ on my credit card. We knew that Aer Lingus would charge us for food,


Grandson with a Coke in another airport - Dublin this time

So my grandson bought a coke in Dublin. He had two €s left, so I got two little shortbread cookies, and he got a big Twix.

The gate lady let us board first. We got to Heathrow in due course, and there actually was a wheelchair for me there. We went to the Hotel-Link desk which was where the transfer was to take place.

Long story short - we were at the Radisson on Cromwell Rd, and the hotel HAD mailed my charger to me here with the battery that was in it. So I now have three batteries and a way to charge them.

Front of the hotel

This hotel (and also the last hotel) have a system where you have to insert your room key to have any electricity. This hotel also has that system for the elevator. There are no baggage racks which is a PITA, and the room fronts on the street which is noisy with the windows open.

Bay window of the room


Grandson at the desk

I'm not too happy about the location of this hotel. There are not many bus routes near here and it is out in the boondocks from the main area

We walked around the corner and ate at Burger King. I didn't think it was that good.

I had bought tickets to three shows in London. The first one was We Will Rock You because my grandson plays rock guitar.

We took the tube to the theatre. This was not too good - while the first station (Gloucester Rd) had a lift down, I had to walk down more stairs and then when we transferred I had to walk up and down a lot more stairs, and the final station was a LOT more stairs. We emerged at the top and I had to rest for some time.

Building opposite the theatre



We Will Rock You marquee

I did enjoy the show, and I think my grandson did too, but it was way too loud and I forgot my earplugs so I spent most of the show with my fingers in my ears. It was supposed to be after the apocalypse and people were not allowed to hear rock music. They were kind of making it up as they went along. Brittany Spears was played by a big black guy

There were so many steps that I was too exhausted to go back on the tube so we got a cab. The fare was £17.40, and I accidentally tipped him only the 60p. But he was talking on the phone the whole time.

My grandson insisted that I not do the internet and go right to bed.