Day 14, June 14, Ireland

Today was our last full day in Ireland.  Today was a day totally on our own.  Yesterday in the drive around I spotted a city market, St. Georges, which has food, fruits and vegetables, clothing and antiques.  A couple of us wanted to do the Titanic Belfast and also the antique market.  St. Georges was about 10 blocks from our hotel and the Titanic Belfast was even further.  So we decided to walk to the market and then take a cab from there.

The walk was a pleasant one.  I was intent on finding something from the antique dealers to mark the end of the trip.  I ended up buying 6 silver tea spoons and a silver sugar spoon for 7 pounds and a cast iron boot that was a pincushion.

primula vialii (herbaceous perennial)

pouring in tomato sauce to paella
 

Then we took a taxi out to the Titanic Belfast.  This is not so much a museum, as it doesn't actually have any artifacts from the Titanic.  It explores the shipyard and the building of the ship, boomtown Belfast at that time,  All around it was a very interesting exhibit, in a really cool building.

 

After we were done at the Titanic Belfast we caught a cab that took us to Deann's for lunch. Evidently this is the restaurant of a famous chef that has great lunches for 6 pounds 50 pence.  So we took the cab and he delivered us to the door.  I had a very good mushroom risotto the other ladies has fish and chips.

When lunch was done they wanted to go back to the hotel to rest as tomorrow will be a very early day to get to the airport.  So we walked back and parted ways.  I wanted to still look around more.  I walked to city hall and then found my way to Castlecourt Shopping Center.

I passed a nice covered shopping street on my way to the shopping center.  This reminded me of some I have visited in London.

I walked around for a couple of hours and then headed back to the hotel.  A bunch (6 or 7) had decided to go across the street from the hotel for supper.  Good meal and inspiring tile work.

 

After supper all, well most of Bonnie Hunter's group met up in the piano bar at the Europa and has one last cider.

I and Bonnie Hunter

I and roommate Mickey Donahue



Then it was off to bed.  No matter what time our flight was tomorrow, 8 am, 11:30 or 3:30 we had to be on the bus at 5 am to head to Dublin airport.  That meant getting up at 3 am to get dressed and double check that everything was packed.  Mickey was staying another week so she got to sleep while I tried to quietly get around.  Then it was a 7 hour wait at the airport for the flight home.

All in all it was a great way to see a good portion of Ireland for the first time.  People couldn't have been more helpful or friendly.