Guinness, Fiddles, and Books...oh my!

Dublin! A busy, large city with their colourful doors and charm, although not as immediately obvious as Edinburgh and not as bustling as London. Ireland is extremely proud of the literary giants from this land (eg. James Joyce, Yeats, Swift to name a few) and that there have been 4 Nobel Prizes for literature from this country. And the music! A definite highlight of the entire trip.

A recap:

- 3.5 days on this leg of the trip.
- 1 castle toured: Dublin castle, which serves as a government building, essentially. This castle was used as the seat of the UK government and the residence of the Viceroy until 1922 when the last Viceroy left and the building was ceremoniously handed over to the Irish government. Bonus: Turns out the castle sits atop one of the oldest Norman ruins in the country which one can visit via guided tour. What can we say? We like viewing ruins and crypt-like areas.

St. Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle

- 1 day tour to Northern Ireland (separate country!) with Wild Rover tours: visited the Giant's Causeway, Carrick a redde rope bridge, and Belfast. We took a "black taxi tour" as part of the day trip package and it was amazing. We got a personal perspective of the Troubles from our guide who was a young man during this period. We had been told by our good friend, Mac, that this was a great experience but we were still gobsmacked by all that we learned and saw. We got to see many of the murals throughout the city, many of which directly depict/reference the Troubles, including the 10 who died during the H-block Hunger strike in 1981. Overall, the day was quite long, but we were extremely happy to have done it and it really got us thinking.

One of the many murals throughout the city of Blefast.

Carrick a rede rope bridge

- 1 Guinness Storehouse toured: the Guinness advert exhibit was funny and a highlight was the Gravity bar on the top floor where one can get a panoramic view of the city while enjoying a pint of the black stuff (which we learned is actually a dark ruby red). yep.

 






- 2 libraries visited: Old Library at Trinity College and the Chester Beatty Library. Chester Beatty was an American mining engineer and art collector who became the first honorary Irish citizen. We kind of fell totally in love with the Trinity College Library and tried to figure out how we could live there.

Old Library, Trinity College.

- 2 historic churches visited: St. Patrick's Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral. Both beautiful and historic. Being from the West Coast, where cities and buildings are much younger, I'm always awestruck by the history connected to certain buildings (and in some cases, the evidence of rebuilding from invasions over time). Fun fact: Christ Church Cathedral was the church that was within the historic castle walls and St. Pat's was the slightly smaller church that was built outside of the castle walls. We did the tour at Christ Church Cathedral and got to visit the belfry where we got to ring a Cathedral bell! Apparently, there are no laws in Dublin that state that cathedral bells cannot be rung willy-nilly. Yay, for us!

St. Patrick's Cathedral

- Several illuminated/decorated religious books viewed: The Book of Kells, exhibited at Trinity College and a collection of gorgeous Qur'ans, exhibited at the Chester Beatty Library (part of the aforementioned Chester Beatty's art collection). No photography at these exhibits, unfortunately.
- more fun sightings of Art and stuff, Dublin edition.

- A few pubs visited where we listened to live music. Our very most favourite (and a definite highlight of the trip) was the Cobblestone Pub, a pub that only serves drinks (no food) and is a bit away from the main touristy areas. Many locals gather here nightly with their instruments (fiddles, accordions, pipes, flutes, drums, banjos, etc.) and just start playing together. It was essentially like watching a group of people (some buddies, some strangers) who just sit around drinking and playing traditional Irish music together. It appears it's well known enough that sometimes visitors (we overheard a trio of fiddlers from Cork) will also show up with their instruments and ask to join in. There was even some spontaneous dancing, despite the cramped space. We loved it so much we spent two nights in a row perched on bar stools and nursing pints of Guinness.

3 generations fiddling at the Cobblestone.

Slainte, Dublin!!

The Giant's Causeway - a story

Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland.

The story goes that the benevolent Irish giant, Finn McCool (mac Cumhaill), lived a good and peaceful life up with his wife, Oonagh, in what is today County Antrim. The Scottish giant, Benandonner, lived across the sea and was a great, bad-tempered, shouting giant. Because they lived across the water from each other, the two giants - one Irish and one Scottish - never did see each other but this didn't stop Benandonner from shouting insults over to Finn McCool.

One day, Finn McCool had had enough and all through the night he picked up strangely shaped rocks and placed them in the water, creating a bridge -- or a causeway -- to the Scottish side where Benandonner lived. In the morning, when Finn McCool heard Benandonner begin his daily hurling of insults, Finn challenged Benandonner to come across the causeway and to say these things to his face. At that, Benandonner began making his way across to Finn McCool.

Upon seeing Benandonner on the causeway, Finn McCool realized how much larger of a giant was Benandonner and ran back to his home in great fear where he told all to his wife, Oonagh. Now, Oonagh, being a clever one, told Finn McCool to calm himself and have his morning tank of ale in the other room, which he did. What Finn did not realize was that Oonagh had put a sleeping potion in Finn's ale and out he went! Once Finn had fallen asleep, Oonagh quickly wrapped him in a blanket and popped his thumb in his mouth and left him to sleep.

Just then, there was a great pounding and roaring at the door -- there stood Benandonner, shouting for Finn McCool. Oonagh scolded Benandonner and told him that Finn was out for his morning walk but for Benandonner to stop his shouting because she had just put the baby to sleep. She told Benandonner that he was welcome to come in for some tea and to wait for Finn but that if he woke the baby, there would be trouble to pay. So, Benandonner sat down to wait and quietly had some tea. And as he drank his tea, he thought and he realized that he had never before heard that Finn McCool had a baby. He poked his head into the other room to see if this was true and there Benandonner saw a baby fast asleep, wrapped in a blanket with his thumb in his mouth -- and the size of a full-grown giant and with a great ginger beard. Upon seeing this baby, Benandonner thought to himself that if this was what Finn McCool's baby was like, Finn himself must be a giant amongst giants. With that, Benandonner fled back to Scotland in fright and destroyed the causeway behind him with his great mallet so that Finn could not follow him.

Finn McCool woke up just as Benandonner crashed out of his home and stumbled out of his home as Benandonner was nearly back to Scotland. Finn McCool roared out after Benandonner and taking a huge great handful of dirt, threw it at the Scottish giant; however, still being groggy and disoriented from the sleeping potion, Finn's aim was terrible and he missed entirely, the handful of dirt landing in the ocean. This became the Isle of Man.

And this is the story of the Giant's Causeway and the Isle of Man.

    --- the version of the legend as told to us by our guide, Jack.

The Land of Scotch and Gin

I am completely charmed by Edinburgh. It's like visiting Hogsmeade Village (Harry Potter reference!!), especially in Old Town. Edinburgh actually reminded us both a bit of Victoria, BC. It also has a much more laid-back vibe than London and is pretty much exactly how we both envisioned visiting a part of Scotland would be like: hilly, old stone buildings, blustery weather, and a much more raw beauty. We both developed a cold our first morning here, unfortunately. But we were still able to do a fair number of activities (and perhaps a couple of activities helped combat our colds...?).

An overview:

- roughly 2.5 days in this beautiful city.
- 2 castles visited: Holyrood Castle and Edinburgh Castle. Holyrood Castle is the royal family's official residence in Scotland and is closed when they are in residence (apparently typically in the summer). We walked around part of the grounds and the outside of the castle, but did not tour the interior. Edinburgh Castle is actually a fortress vs a castle that people live in and we did tour this. Guides provide free 30 minute tours which we of course joined and found very informative. The Scottish Crown jewels are housed here (no photography allowed in here) as well as the old vaults that were used as prisons, particularly for prisoners of war during the various wars, including the Revolutionary War; old doors with graffiti are showcased, which includes what is believed to be the earliest etching of an old version of the American flag on British soil. Bonus: the daily one o' clock gun is shot from Edinburgh Castle. While there is a lot less pomp and pagentry than the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, it was still pretty fun to watch.

Can you see the American flag?

Nearly one o'clock!

- 1 "Gold Tour" visit to the Scotch Whiskey Experience. While not an actual distillery, it included many great elements: a silly barrel ride that takes you through a brief video of how scotch whiskey is made, a guide who provides a brief history of the drink, a viewing of the largest private collection of scotch, your own scotch glass to bring home, and tastings of 5 different types of malt whiskey (each tasting was a proper 25 mL!!). Bonus: meeting Josh, a young man in his mid-20s who lives in England. He was doing a carpe diem sort of trip having experienced a very serious health issue last year. ** An aside: I've had the privilege of meeting several people over various trips who have shared stories that remind me that time and life are gifts and to make the most of it. It always gives me perspective which I am grateful for and inspires me to make the most of each day. **

A small section of this very large private collection of scotch whiskey.

- 1 "Gin Connoisseur" tour at the Edinburgh Gin Distillery which is right in the heart of the city (a bit of a theme to our visit, we realize....). Ted and I both quite enjoy gin and had no idea until just before this trip that Scotland was quite a gin producing country! Tour includes a very funny guide who takes you through the history of gin making and the political and economic impacts of it in Britain over time, which was actually very fascinating, a tasting of 5 various types of gins/gin liquors and a full delicious gin&tonic.

Let the gin tasting begin!

- 1 hike along Salisbury Crags which overlooks Holyrood Castle and the Scottish Parliament. One can go further and hike all the way up to "Arthur's Seat". It appeared to include a long route consisting mostly of stairs hewn into the rock (kind of like the Grouse Grind in Vancouver). Our head colds, fatigue, and generally lack of fitness ultimately deterred us from doing this.

Hiking Salisbury Crags. How beautiful is that?

- a few strolls along the Royal Mile: the main drag in Edinburgh, particularly if you're a tourist. Filled with shops selling souvenirs and Scottish wares.
- various examples of architecture admired: St. Giles church, Scottish Parliament (controversially designed by a Catalan architect. Indeed, elements of the building are reminiscent of what you might see in parts of Barcelona but are based on various Scottish things, such as an interpretation of a famous Scottish painting), and New Town (Georgian style).
- a quick visit to the University of Edinburgh. Because. It's the University of Edinburgh!!!

" Old School", University of Edinburgh

- various requisite foods and beer/ale consumed, including: haggis (VERY delicious. Honestly!) And smoked salmon. We also found a neat cocktail bar that is housed in a cellar called Bramble. Very delicious. Bonus: clinking glasses and sharing friendly "cheers" with a solo traveller in a pub our first night who was also clearly as excited to be in Edinburgh as we were.

My Mint 500 served in a teacup wine glass thing. I can't remember what was in it, but it was delicious and I may have to recreate the glass when I get home.

- Other things: wandering down various "closes" - narrow corridors/side streets off the main roads. Some of the wandering around town highlighted the great pride in Scottish literary giants which tickles my fancy, having read some works be some of these authors once upon a time (I used to be a big reader! I have since fallen out of the habit); examples include Stevenson and Sir Walter Scott (in fact, one of the major train stations, Waverly, is reportedly the only station in the world named after a piece of literature). Also, Thursday, May 5 was the Scottish Parliamentary election, so we watched the news to see the outcome and see if we could learn about the various parties (it was a bit confusing. Closer to the Canadian system - we think). It was interesting -- there was absolutely no news on this until after 10pm (which is when the polls close) which we remarked on; during the Canadian Federal election in the fall of 2015, my parents were pretty miffed about the news coverage and the projected wins coming from the east coast (time difference, y'all).
- I had the added bonus of watching Ted develop pride in his distant Scottish heritage and looking up information on his sept and clan (Robertson, we discovered) and trying to find the clan tartan.

Slàinte Mhath, Edinburgh!
Onward to: Dublin, Ireland!

London Calling

An overview of our jam-packed holiday in London, England:

- 5.5 days spent in this English metropolis.
- 3 museums/galleries toured: Tate Modern, National Gallery, and the British Museum. Fun fact: they're all free to get into and to view the main collections. Special exhibits require tickets.

Main atrium of the British Museum.

- 4 bridges crossed: Waterloo Bridge, London Bridge (not to be confused with Tower Bridge), Millennium Bridge, Westminster Bridge.
- 7 iconic landmarks admired: Tower Bridge (viewed from London Bridge), St. Paul's Cathedral, the Gherkin, The Shard (seriously), the London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

- 1 show attended in the West End: the amazing Lion King.
- 1 Shakespearean production seen at the Globe Theatre: the beautifully staged and wildly entertaining adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". #WonderSeason.
- 1 Abbey toured: Westminster Abbey (£20 for admission, but you get an audio guide). Darwin and Newton are interred there and there's a great " Poet's corner" where many English literary bigwigs are commemorated, including Lewis Carrol. Also the grave of the Unknown Soldier is here. Handel also has a giant monument as a German-born composer who primarily worked in England. The whole abbey was a lot larger than I had anticipated.

Courtyard of Westminster Abbey.

- 3 squares/circuses (plus Regent St) visited and people-watched at: Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Sq, Oxford Circus. Bonus: Canada House is right at Trafalgar Square and houses a small exhibition area currently showcasing Emily Carr paintings. We didn't have a chance to go in.
- 1 viewing of the pomp and pagentry that is the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Arrive early and be prepared to lose your place if you so much as twitch or turn away for a half second. Weirdest moment: when the marching band started playing Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" and Ted started singing.

- 4 markets shopped at: Camden Market, Portobello Road Market, Old Spitalfields Market, and Brick Lane Market.
- 2 delicious meals filled with laughs with family and friends who live in London.
- many tubes and double-decker busses ridden. Bonus: an attempt to get to platform 9 3/4 to catch the train to Hogwarts.

- several requisite meals/foods eaten including: yummy Indian food, bangers & mash, meat pie (FINALLY!!), fish & chips, Cornish pasties, Sunday roast with all the fixings, sticky toffee pudding, afternoon tea with scones and clotted cream.
- many pubs visited and several pints of beer imbibed. Bonus: 1 Canadian-themed bar visited where we drank Sleeman's Honey Brown.

The Maple Leaf! I was first brought here during my 2nd trip to London in 2010 by my good friend, Heather -- a fellow Canadian.

- and we still managed to wander the neighbourhoods and duck into residential streets, just to see. Bonus: Street art, 221B Baker St (a totally just-for-fun address, but it still made me giddy!), and a peek at Craven St,  where a particular doorknocker (that is no longer there), apparently gave Dickens (one of my favourite authors) the inspiration to a certain key scene in his classic "A Christmas Carol".

London, you've been a slice!
Up next: Edinburgh, Scotland!

Art and stuff

One of the things Ted and I enjoy doing together, whether at home or on trips, is wandering around different neighbourhoods and finding fun and funny street/graffiti and public art. When travelling, this is even more interesting because it has the added benefit of sometimes getting us a tiny bit outside the major touristy spots (which we always unabashedly enjoy) into other fun spots.

London, it turns out, is quite the hub for street artists (Banksy, anyone?) -- there's even a street art collective. There are blogs and websites dedicated to mapping some of the blocks street artists tend to regularly work and we were able to find and take snaps of neat examples. Turns out some of the fun pieces that caught our eye were done by well-known artists which we figured out after the fact.

Our hotel happened to be right next to Leake Street, one of the only areas where graffiti can be legally done. Although street art can be found all over London, the East End and the Shoreditch neighbourhood are particular hotspots for this. There are some great markets in these areas as well (Old Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane, for example) so depending on where one is, one can mix it up a bit between gawking at walls while taking in the urine-scented atmosphere of some sidestreets and tunnels and looking at handicrafts, vintage ware, and artisan foods.

As for the street art we came across -- sometimes it was an obvious political and/or social commentary, sometimes it was just plain incredible, and sometimes it just made me smile.

This guy made me laugh and was seen near Camden Market.

By ROA. Seen near Brick Lane. Plus, I love pigs.

A medley.

Dolus.

Very topical. John D'Oh.

A giant ROA piece in the Shoreditch area.

Leake Street tunnel. Street artists were actively working while we walked through.

Banksy. Near the Mayfair area.

Celebrating the Lunar New Year (kind of)

Let's just start by saying that we do our best. :)

The Lunar New Year has always been a big deal in my home growing up. To this day, leading up to Chinese New Year, my parents spend days preparing for this occasion. A whole day is dedicated to cooking a banquet for a holiday we observe over 3 days. Let's also not forget the cleaning of the house top-to-bottom. Dinner consisted of my parents doling out items of food while explaining the significance and meaning of each food -- it all has to do with good fortune and long life. Man, I wish I had paid more attention to these traditions.

Over the past couple of years, Ted and I have created our own version of this holiday. Our knowledge is pretty limited and dependent mostly on emails and Skype calls with my mom, and my own interpretation of childhood memories of the holiday (Ted not being Chinese and all). We clean the apartment and we try to make a mini- banquet that consists of: a steamed fish (to represent luck and never running out), noodles of some sort (long life), some sliced carrots (to represent coins), and maybe some dumplings. This year, I decided to limit my kitchen time to making Chinese New Year almond cookies and to go out to eat at Myers + Chang, instead. We also invited some very good friends we've made here. While not Chinese and having never celebrated Chinese New Year, they're good sports who are genuinely curious and delighted about sharing in various customs and recognized the importance of this holiday for me. As I get older, I value these traditions even more and am pretty pleased that while our customs (as in the ones Ted and I have mashed together) are not quite to-the-letter, we've created our own that I feel honour an important piece of my life -- a part of my Asian identity -- and have the privilege of sharing these with close friends.

So, yay!

Homemade almond cookies and strawberry luck candies! Yum!