Trip Index
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On Wednesday, we had breakfast, checked out of the B+B Belgravia, and walked over to Victoria Station to board a train taking us to Gatwick airport for our flight to Dublin, Ireland.
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| today's selection |
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| getting around Victoria Station (colored lines on the ground guide you to different transportation) |
There were a couple of options to get to Gatwick: take a taxi (expensive), take a local train (involves a stop), or taking a direct train from Victoria to Gatwick via the
Gatwick Express. It cost a bit more to take the Gatwick Express versus the local train, but it ran every 15 minutes and was a 30 minute non-stop ride. There were discounts if you bought the tickets online, and also if you had 2 or more people in your party. When I received the booking confirmation in my inbox, it also included a link to download a 30 minute track you could listen to once the train started moving. The track was designed to be in sync with the landscape outside the train during the journey. I didn't try but I am curious how many people have done it.
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| refreshments were sold on board Gatwick Express |
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| arriving into Gatwick |
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| this way to South Terminal |
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| sign telling you where to check in |
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Our flight to Dublin was on
Aer Lingus, which was located in Gatwick's South Terminal. There wasn't a United or Star Alliance lounge that we could use, but if you have a membership in
Lounge Club or
Priority Pass (some credit cards give free membership and visits), you can enter the
No. 1 airport lounge in South Terminal.
I had considered flying
Ryan Air, an infamous low-cost carrier, but its airport hubs were really far away from London, and by the time all fees were added up such as checked baggage, it was just as comparable to fly with a full-service airline. Ryan Air also required travelers to check-in online and print their boarding pass, else pay a hefty fee to check in at the airport! I didn't want to limit my hotel search to one with a computer and printer or find an internet cafe while on vacation.
We landed early into Dublin, so we grabbed a bite to eat before our shuttle pick-up time. I must say that the airport food was surprisingly good!
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| shrimp and smoked salmon open-face sandwich |
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| longer-than-expected walk to the shuttle pick-up area |
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Our home for the night was the
Celtic Lodge Guesthouse, which I found by perusing TripAdvisor reviews. I booked about four months from departure, and the nights we needed were almost sold out! One benefit of staying there was that it offered free shuttle rides from the airport to the hotel, via "
Paddywagon". After reserving the rooms online, I emailed the hotel to secure seats for the 4pm shuttle. The response came rather quickly, our seats reserved and instructions to go to Space 14 in the motor-coach parking lot outside of the airport. It turned out that Space 14 was the furthest away from the airport, and I think we walked a good 15 minutes to get there. The shuttle was to depart promptly at 4pm so we were getting a bit worried about missing it, but thankfully we made it on time.
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| Paddywagon was easy to spot |
There were other people on board being dropped off at different hotels. We were the only ones stopping at the Celtic Lodge. The ride took about 20 minutes.
The rooms were clean and comfortable. We had a small issue with our shower as the knob fell off, but this was taken care of by maintenance while we were out for the evening. You could hear the city outside the windows so it may not be ideal for light sleepers.
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| Celtic Lodge Guesthouse |
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| nice renovated bathroom |
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| double bed |
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| view outside |
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We had reservations for the
Food, Folklore and Fairies show at Ireland's oldest pub, the
Brazen Head, at 7pm. It was about a 10 minute walk from our hotel to the pub, so we took a scenic route through
Temple Bar, a lively section of town with pubs and restaurants.
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| walking around Temple Bar |
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| how do you prove you are "unwaged"? |
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We arrived a bit early at the Brazen Head so we indulged in some fresh Guinness while we waited. It seemed to taste better in Ireland than in the US, even though Guinness says that it tastes the same everywhere. I'd think the flavor profile would change when delivered thousands of miles away!
The folk show was held at an upper floor of the pub, with community dining set up for around 40-50 people.
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| fresh Guinness |
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| dinner show menu |
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| storyteller |
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| bread |
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| Irish fish cake |
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| Irish stew |
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| Guinness stew |
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| more Guinness |
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After the main part of the meal, a couple of musicians came in to perform Irish folk songs.
Dessert was then served, with more folklore stories shared.
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| apple pie |
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| fudge cake |
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The show was entertaining, and the food was decent...I would recommend the fish cake, Irish stew and fudge cake. I had found the tour from a list of
TripAdvisor's top Dublin attractions.
Even though it was 10pm by the time we got out of the show, as we were at a higher latitude, the sun was setting, making the walk back to the hotel very pleasant. I had read forums on Dublin, how people were concerned about their safety while staying in various parts of town, and our hotel was on the border of these "bad" sections. We kept to major well-lit streets and didn't feel unsafe at all. In fact, it felt very lively at night.
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| the River Liffey |
Sue, Gerry, and Kaleb decided to stop by the pub that was connected to the hotel ("
The Celt"), while I went back to the room for some needed sleep as I was still jet lagged. They had a lot of fun there, enjoying good beer and live music.
Here is a 20 second sample of some of the live music:
They also sang "Folsom Prison Blues" (2 minute video clip below):
Tomorrow, we will take an overnight tour to visit the west part of Ireland, including Bunratty Castle and the spectacular Cliffs of Moher!
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