A Week of Traveling

What a week it's been. I've traveled to Italy, Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, and Wales via planes, trains, taxis, and busses. But non stop travel has its tolls as I'm now on antibiotics for a tooth, gum and ear infection, and fighting off a cold. 

After a one night stop in Rome, I took off for Dublin last Friday morning, getting in just as the world's airline travel was shutting down due to the Crowdstrike upgrade rollout. I met up with my friend Christina at the airport, and after dropping off our bags, we headed straight for the Guiness Beer factory tour. I've been to brewery tours all over the world. This one was more of an homage to Guiness than a tour of a working beer factory, but it was a lot of fun. We played drums in their pub, and had beers overlook the city from their terrace. Also, we got certified in how to pour the perfect Guiness stout. We then went off to the Jameson Distillery experience where we took a cocktail making class. Those drinks were very tasty.

 The next day, we took our first of two bus tours. We went mostly to Northern Ireland, visiting Dunluce Castle on the sea, then passing the unique rock formations known as the Giant's Causeway, before spending the day at the Titanic Museum in Belfast, at the site of where the Titanic was built. The museum was the greatest and most immersive Titanic exhibit I've ever seen. The next day, we pushed off early heading to see the Cliffs of Moher and the little town of Galway. The Cliffs of Moher are just majestic to see. Standing there taking in the beauty, it hits oneself how incredibly moving nature can be. It's not a thrill ride, nor is it singing and dancing, yet it is exhilarating and breathtaking. Galway was a cute little town to spend the afternoon in. We had lunch, visited a few markets, had some ice cream, and just enjoyed walking the streets that were filled with people rooting for either Claire or Cork in the national Hurling championship. That's a nutty sport if you've never looked it up.

The next day we got up early for a flight to Liverpool. After it was delayed, we shifted out plans and set out on our own Beatles Tour in Liverpool. We went to a place that was a favorite of Ringo's while growing up, then over to Penny Lane on our way to Strawberry Field. The museum exhibit there, run by the Salvation Army, is a wonderfully mindful experience. If you give it the time, you will discover some inner peace. That day we also visited the Fab Four statue near the docks, and the statue of Eleanor Rigby. After an Italian dinner (I know, I know, but it was delicious and nothing like the Italian food in Italy), we went out to Matthew Street and into the Cavern Club, basically one of the places in Liverpool where The Beatles got their start. There was live music at every bar on the street, and the city seemed really alive...and it was on a Monday. The following morning we went to The Beatles Story exhibit, which was a must stop for any fan. It is filled with artifacts from all eras of their careers.

We didn't stop there, though. Right after the museum we hopped aboard a train and shuffled off to Wrexham, Wales. If you've seen the show "Welcome to Wrexham" you've heard of the town. It not, you're missing out. A few years ago, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the soccer club in this town, the oldest club in Wales and one of the oldest in professional soccer. The team was in the lowest division at the time, and the town was in a rough place. Since buying the team, and investing in the town, thing have improved greatly. The people all over town were incredibly friendly and welcoming. The guy in the team store gave us a quick little private tour to see the pitch and go over some of the history of this once mining town. It is only an hour away from Liverpool, but felt like a different world. the downtown area was cute and lively, and the stadium is undergoing some improvements. The team has also moved up two levels due to their success. 

Yesterday was a travel day. We had long delays at the airport in Manchester, England, and idn't get to the hotel in Rome until close to 10 pm. Somehow, a little toothache has now spread and become a much more painful toothache, gum irritation, and pain in the ear. I went to a pharmacy in Rome and they put me on antibiotics and told me to take a pain pill that is essentially Aleve. It hurt so bad today that I was getting shaky so I went back to the hotel early to lay down and rest. Tomorrow I scheduled to meet with my cousins and head to Campomarino.