August 1: Back to Italy

We had an easy flight to Pisa and then were lucky to catch the train to LaSpezia and then we transferred to a train heading to Riomaggiore.  We had made arrangements with the owners of the B&B we were staying in for a late check-in and she had given us excellent directions to the house. It was an uphill climb from the train station and I was very happy to finally find the house....but of course we were on the 3rd floor so it was more hauling baggage up the stairs.  Our room was very clean with a separate bathroom.  Maggie, the owner, was very helpful and we soon had maps and lots of ideas how we would spend our short time in Cinque Terre.

Riomaggiore is a small village, dating from the early thirteenth century and is known for its historic character and its wine, produced by the town's vineyards which stretch high up the side of the mountains. The was a small beach and a wharf. Our room was along Riomaggiore's main street called Via Colombo, where numerous restaurants, bars and shops can be found. We went for a stroll down the main street and found a small restaurant where we enjoyed pizza and a beer. We watched people walking back from the beach and as the temperatures cooled a bit locals moved outside to sit and visit with neighbours. After dinner we went down to the wharf area  to locate the ticket booth for the boats that travel from village to village.  The rocks along the coast were filled with people enjoying a swim or a glass of wine  as the sun was setting.

Looking up from our window

Sunset 

Sunset over the water

July 31: Hop On Hop Off Part 2

 Our second morning began with a tour of Kilmainham Gaol.  We arrived just in time for the start of the tour.  Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and discussed the struggle for Irish independence as he conducted the tour of the prison which was built in 1796.  The history of the prison was closely linked with the story of Irish nationalism and many of the leaders of the Irish rebellions were imprisoned there.

West Wing where prisoners were held before execution

The walkway between West Wing cells

East Wing has been used in movies and music videos

The tour guide

Name plates identified political prisoners 

The cross marks where leaders of the 1916 Uprising were shot

The bus drove through Phoenix Park, one of the largest walled  city parks in  Europe.  The park includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth century has been home to a herd of wild fallow deer.  There are also bike trails, sports fields and Dublin zoo.  The bus headed back to O'Connell Street and our second day came to an end.

President's house in Phoenix Park

Wellington Monument

Beautiful flowers

Daniel O'Connell Monument 

Spire of Dublin or Monument of Light

Interesting names for shops

Lots of vines

The Temple Bar District was our favorite place to have dinner and enjoy live music in the pubs.  

Temple Bar

Quay's Bar

Great music

July 30: In Dublin's Fair City

We had two full days in Dublin and decided that the Hop On Hop Off Bus was the way to go for us.  It was a great deal, 2 days for the price of one.  We were the first to board the bus so we could have the front seats on the upper level with a great view.  We chose to ride the entire route and then decide where we wanted to get off, depending on the weather.  The bus driver was the narrator and he gave historical information and told jokes.  It was a great improvement over the taped commentaries on some tours.

Hop on Hop off bus

Georgian Houses with their colourful doors

Stephen's Green Shopping Centre

After one complete tour we hopped off at Trinity College.    It was founded in 1592 and modeled after Oxford and Cambridge. The Book of Kells is on display at the library at Trinity College. We walked around the main courtyard and listened in on a few of the tours being given by students at the College.

Trinity College

From Trinity College it was a short walk to Grafton Street. This is one of the high end shopping districts in Dublin.   Most of the street is pedestrian only and there were lots of people out walking and enjoying the sunshine. We stopped for photos of the Molly Malone statue and then did some window shopping and listened to buskers as we walked.

The "tart with the cart"

Grafton Street

Buskers

One of the side streets off Grafton Street

We jumped back on the bus and went to Dublin Castle.  Until 1922 it was the seat of the British rule in Ireland and is now a major Irish government complex.  There was a sandcastle display being built in the central courtyard.  The Record Tower is the only surviving tower from medieval times and dates back to 1228.

The courtyard at Dublin Castle

Record Tower

Our next stop was Christ Church Cathedral, originally the site of a Viking Cathedral. It has been used as a cathedral of the Anglican Church of Ireland since Henry VIII.  For a very brief time it was a Roman Catholic Cathedral but the last mass was in honour of James II in 1689.  The church and grounds are beautiful but we arrived at the same time that the rain shower did so we took a few photos and it was time to find the closest bus stop!

Christ Church Cathedral

Another view of Christ Church Cathedral

The Bridge  structure connects the Cathedral and the old Synod Hall

We rode the bus to Guinness Storehouse and it seemed almost everyone had the same idea..... time for a pint! The admission price included a self guided tour of the historical building and a pint of Guinness with a view of the city of Dublin from the Gravity Bar.  The tour was very interesting. When we arrived on the top floor we were lucky to get some chairs near the window and enjoyed our pint while we admired the view.  When we left the Storehouse the rain was threatening again so we took the bus back to the hotel.

Self Guided Tour

A view from the Gravity Bar

The much awaited pint of Guinness!!

July 29: Rock of Cashel

We decided to get an early start so we could stop at Cashel.  We programmed Greta and headed for the road to Dublin.  Apparently Greta's maps had not been updated since the recent road construction  and before we knew it we were driving down narrow streets in the residential area of Cork.  We finally stopped and asked directions and then, with fingers crossed, attempted to find some signs that would help us on our way.  We eventually got straightened around and we were heading in the right direction!!

Oops! Going the wrong way!!

Rock of Cashel is a historical site also known as the Cashel of the Kings.  We arrived just in time for the guided tour. The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman Invasion.  In 1101, the King of Munster,  donated his fortress on the Rock to the Church.  There is also a legend that St. Patrick came to the Rock and baptized one of the kings.

The buildings on the Rock

The first stop on our tour was Cormac's Chapel.  Construction began in 1127 and the chapel was consecrated in 1134.  The Irish Abbot of Regensberg sent two of his carpenters to help in the work and the chapel is similar in design to  St. James Abbey in Regensberg.  The Chapel contains one of the best preserved Irish frescoes from this time period. The Chapel was constructed primarily of sandstone which has become water logged over the centuries, significantly damaging the interior frescos. Restoration and preservation required the chapel be completely enclosed in a rain-proof structure with interior dehumidifiers to dry out the stone.  This is an ongoing project.

Restoration in progress

The Cathedral, built between 1235 and 1270, also included the residence of the Archbishop.  It was known as the Saint Patrick Cathedral. The cross-shaped cathedral has no aisle.  The most stunning features are the transepts, each with three beautiful lancet windows. Each transept is attached with two chapels at either side. 

A view of the tower from the Cathedral

From the back of the Cathedral

Beautiful windows

The Archbishop's residence

St. Patrick's Cross

The oldest and tallest of the buildings is the well preserved  round tower, dating from 1100. Its entrance is 12 feet from the ground.   The tower has been closed off and visitors are not allowed to enter the round tower.

The tower and high cross

The door to the tower

We also visited the “Hall of The Vicars Choral,” as it’s known, the home to the choir in medieval times. It was built in the fifteenth century. The vicors choral were laymen appointed to assist in chanting the cathedral services. The building has been restored using the same methods that were used in the original building.  Furnishings have been added and there are beautiful examples of tapestries hanging on the wall.

Tapestries

The entire plateau on which the buildings and graveyard lie is walled. In the grounds around the buildings an extensive graveyard includes a number of high crosses.  Scully's Cross, one of the largest and most famous high crosses here, originally constructed in 1867 to commemorate the Scully family, was destroyed in 1976 when lightning struck a metal rod that ran the length of the cross. The remains of the top of the cross now lie at the base of the cross adjacent to the rock wall.

High crosses

Scully's high cross

The top of the cross after the lightening storm of 1976

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and made the tour very enjoyable, adding interesting stories and historical anecdotes.  

Our tour guide

Following the tour we went for a drive around Cashel and found Bailey's Hotel.  If we are ever back this way we will have to make a point of staying there.  

Baileys Hotel

Bailey's in Cashel

We continued on to Dublin and dropped off the rental car at the airport.  We took a shuttle bus to downtown Dublin and then walked to The Belvedere, where we will be staying for the next three days.