Aug. 24 and 25 - Cork and Dublin

Oops, been away for two days. Let me see, where did I leave off? On my last post we had skipped Guernsey and were cruising in heavy seas to Cork. The seas actually got worse - winds, according to the Captain, were Gale force winds.

Herb still not well, so he skipped this tour and went back to sick bay for more drugs and an injection. He know knows the medical staff by first name!!

We arrived in Cobh (the port city for Cork) on schedule on Aug. 24, They told us on the dock we brought good weather with us. It was sunny and warmish (high's around 72). This day we had planned a private tour with 12 others from Cruise Critic. I booked it because I love the little city of Kinsale. But before going to Kinsale, I survived a trip to Blarney castle. Once there, no need to go back to kiss the Blarney stone. While the others on the bus hiked up 120 steps, Carlos and I had coffee with the driver and guide in the Blarney
Woolen Factory. Nice shop - but I did not help the Irish economy by making any purchases! On to Kinsale, the pretty little port town in the S.W. of Ireland. It has lovely narrow streets with different colors of houses and lots of flower pots on the walls. We wandered around the little shops without purchasing anything. Hooray for the Alvarez Future-cruise-fund! Did stop in a little restaurant called Fishy-Fishy for a light lunch. The other stop we made was to Charles Fort. This is a beautifully sited fort guarding the harbor of Kinsale.

If any of you wonder will Princess wait for you if you are on a private tour - I have the pictures to prove THEY DO! The announcements kept coming over the loud speakers of the ship looking for one couple. Finally the Captain did come on saying they were going to sail and the couple would have to take a train to the next port of Dublin. He did wait though - and we finally sailed about 15 mins behind schedule.

We had an easy sail from Cobh to Dublin, docking at 3 a.m. on the 25th. However, we were told the time in port was shortened hy 90 mins due to tides. So adjustments to the day's tour stops had to be made. We were on another private tour arranged through friends of Cruise Critic, this one a double-decker bus ride into town with multiple stops. Herb was feeling much better, so he decided to head into town with us today.



We drove into the city with a great tour guide pointing out so many landmarks finally stopping at Trinity College. Since I had purchased tickets to the Guinness brewery on line before departing the U.S., we decided we had to skip this stop. Off we went to the brewery.

It is a facinating story how Albert Guinness started the brewery in 1759. He signed a lease with the city for 9,000 years (yes, I said 9,000 not 900) at a whopping 45 Euros per year. However, no one seems to mind this since a job with Guinness is a very coveted position to this day. The best part of all for those who know me was the tasting room. I do not drink beer and Guinness is not the place to acquire the taste.

We are now sailing to Liverpool. It is just across the channel from Dublin, so we are going slowly. The weather prediction for tomorrow are highs in the mid 60's and sunshine.