Friday, March 11, our unique family of four generations including a one-year old baby is in route to Dublin and London for a week – “our big idea.” Was it a good idea? Yes and No. My daughter, Cathy wanted me to go on a trip while I was agile – active/spry. Remember that word; it comes up a lot in some form. I was a young elder – new term for 60 – 70s aged-travelers.
Upon arriving at
Dublin Airport, Saturday afternoon, we ran across the airport carrying the baby and her necessities, plus too many bags. The custom agent looked at us and said, “ The buggy is not in the boot." We looked at each other and looked at our feet. “What does that have to do with boots?” When we figured it out, we bought a new buggy i.e. stroller and put it in the boot – trunk of the car.
Dublin is spread over a broad valley of the River Liffey, with the Wicklow Hills sheltering it on the south. We rented a car and nearly wrecked it pulling out of the lot; our first impressions were the impressive architecture, colorful flowers; green, green on the way to Castleknock about 15 minutes from the airport. “We practiced driving on the left side of the road and arrived at the hotel.”
Settled into our spacious room for the moment, and Chenille and Chloe stayed in and caught up on their rest. (There wasn’t a refrigerator in the room, so we kept limited amounts of baby food on ice.)
Cathy and I started walking to the bus that we could see about a block away. We put on speed and started running. Agile? Huffing and puffing, I ran past Phoenix Park as the black wrought iron posts “flashed by”. We made it to the bus…
One of the things we regretted was trying to fit too many things into too little time. We arrived in Dublin Saturday afternoon – toured Dublin briefly to get our bearings, checked into our hotel in Castleknock, back downtown…
After arriving downtown, Cathy and I strolled down O’Connell Street, window shopping and drinking in the sounds and sights in Dublin. “We made it!” On our list of things to do was the Dublin Ghost tour that was scheduled to leave at 7:00. Arriving at the Ghost tour office, we were informed we were too late. Cathy and I went into a pub, hopefully not against protocol. Seriously, in years gone by, women in rural areas were not allowed in pubs. Picturesque – “Ordered Irish coffee.” Lights flickered from the windows, as we walked back to the hotel.
Our list also included
St. Patrick’s Cathedral – diverse interests, and off to London for the Tower of London, Warwick Castle… Our family entered the imposing St. Patrick’s Cathedral with high wooden arches stretching from side to side. Impressive 300-foot long floor, making it the longest church in Ireland. Over the pulpit, light coming through the reds, blues, and greens of the stained glass windows. Awesome.
Monday morning - Raining. Our group is dressed in jeans and warm clothes, as we prepare to fly 291 miles to
London. Second stroller on board…
Arrived at London airport – early evening – Hail a taxicab and load all the bags, stroller, the three of us and the baby. Again the stately buildings and so much to take in, as we approached Henry VIII Hotel near Hyde Park. Cathy, Chenille, Chloe and I checked into the hotel. Cathy said, “Where is my purse?” We searched the baggages and articles we carried from the cab. “There wasn’t any purse – we forgot it in the cab.” We called the cab company, and the driver had returned it to the airport office.
The attendant said, “The driver can return the purse to the hotel for $170.” Cathy and Chenille took the Tube to the airport – purse had been locked up – “No one on duty has access to it…” The purse remained in “lock-up” until we left London on Thursday – St. Patrick’s Day to go back to Dublin… “I used my credit cards and ATMs.”
Missed the theater production of “Mama Mia” which was scheduled for that evening…
“Disappointing.” Scheduled a double decker bus tour to see the sights. Tower of London, Big Ben, the Eye…(Whenever we go somewhere new, we take a city tour to get an overview of the area. If we have time – definitely not now - to go back, can select which ones to see.)
The four of us climbed on a sightseeing bus with the stroller in the boot. We were at the back of the bus and had to wait to get the stroller out. First stop was Warwick Castle where we had to race through everything.
Next stop was Shakespeare’s house – while Cathy and Chenille were upstairs, Chloe and I waited downstairs next to the wall. All was quiet and I looked down – “Chloe was picking the whitewash off the wall and eating it!” Final stop was Oxford where Harry Potter’s fans could see the “Great Hall at Hogwart’s School.” The driver opened the “boot”, and the second buggy had been smashed. We had to replace the “blooming buggy” again…
Cathy laughed, “ Chloe has the only English buggy in West Jordan, UT.”
“Would I do it again?” Yes, without hesitating, but time to see everything again plus more… “Would I take a year-old baby?” I would give that some thought. Not because of the mishaps of the strollers / buggies, but because of the long flight. We flew during the night, that is the key; Chloe slept most of the way in a travel bed at our feet. On the return flight, we left in early morning and were sitting in front of the bulkhead. On the other side are First class passengers with their black masks reclining in lounge seats. Picture this – one-year old on her own biological clock – time to get up and sleeping passengers…
Update - Sept. 23, 2010
Red Hats destination for 2011 New Year's Eve...
The
Charing Cross is London's most central hotel; located on the Strand near Covent Garden and overlooking Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, the Charing Cross hotel is literally situated in the center of London. Since 1865, this luxurious four-star hotel has stood as a monument to the grandeur of the Victorian era. While it has been updated to have the latest in modern convenience, it retains its classic elegance.
For the adventurous, this hotel is the place to stay!
It's close to Trafalgar Square, Victoria Embankment and Embankment Gardens, and Harrods! Across the Hungerford Bridge, you'll find the London Eye and Jubilee Gardens. For those looking for a bit more, Charing Cross Rail and Underground station and nearby Embankment Underground Station are immediately next to the hotel!
