Visit of Johnnie Fox's Pub,Ireland - Day 6- 8/6/12

As usual woke up early to go to the town centre for our breakfast. I know that we were going to Glencullen. The weather was so lousy and it was raining heavily when we reached one of the park. We didn't pay for the entrance fee to pay a visit of this park due to it was raining.

We drove off  to the Johnnie Fox's Pub  in Glencullen. Johnnie fox's pub is on the top Dublin mountains and one of the Ireland's oldest and most famous traditional pub.

When we reached the pub, surprised to see they were so busy with lot of locals and tourists enjoying their meals and drink. We found a table to sit down and was surprised to find that there are lot of smaller rooms. Each rooms is fill up with old historical photographs, artifacts, old clothing, shoes and cookery pots hanging on top of the ceiling.

In some rooms the old furnishings and dressers were from another times when it  were loving hand made. The pub are like a living museum and every rooms seem to furnish with a  different theme.

We order our drink and foods and while waiting for our foods, wandering around the pub busy taking photos of this amazing place. Just in front of our table there was a table converted  from a bed and it was reserved. There was a plaque on the bedstead explained it. "This bed was presented to Lady Hollingsworth in 1829 as a wedding gift. she is reputed to have not left it for a week and a night! She died a very happy woman at the age of 101.

Another room furnished with rows and rows of tables and chairs. This room was a stage where  the famous "Hooley Nights" of Irish Traditional music and dance was held weekly.

Over the years, the pub attracted lot of famous people and celebrities such as European Royalty, 12 Foreign Presidents and 7 Prime Ministers. Celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, The Rolling Stones, U2 and Robbie Williams.

The foods were beautiful cooked and well present and the services was good also. We enjoyed a good lunch and then went back home. We didn't have times to walk around the town centre or the mountains surrounding this pub. It worth a walk around these mountains as the scenery was so beautiful.

Once we back home, we have our dinner and then went out for our walk around the temple bar  and the Grand Canals Docks.  After walking for 4 hours along the Grand Canals Docks we were knackered and were for our bed.

Places: Johnnie Fox's Pub and Grand Canals Docks and Temple Bars Street.
Scored: 5 stars
Photos : by Robert Suen  and Catherine Suen
Dated: 8/6/2012

Free and Easy Day at Dublin - Day 5 on 7/6/2012

As usual we woke up early and went for our breakfast. Took a lazy stroll in the town centre and back at the apartment around 11.30 a.m. I am not sure if my nephew have plan for any outing. So went back to check up with him, they have a vet appointment for the puppies and my daughter decided to go with them.

We went to the Dublin Castle but didn't pay for the guided tour to the inside of the castle. Walking along from the Temple Bar to the North Wall Quay following the River Liffey. Walking along the quay where there wasn't lot of tourists around this areas. In these areas there were lot of youngsters living rough, sleeping and begging along bridges.

After a few hours walk around here we went back to our nephew's apartment as we were going for dinner in a Korean Restaurant at 7.00 p.m. Unfortunately, we reached home at 7.15 p.m. and we were late for dinner by  twenty minutes.

The Korean Restaurant served beautiful food and we enjoyed the foods and the service was not bad . After dinner we went to Tesco to get some foods for the puppies and then back home for an early night.

We had early nite again as it had been raining non-stop for the last few days and I getting bored in Ireland due to the lousy weather.  We can't do much these few days due to the lousy weather.

Wow, also I have change the color photos to black and white photos to bring out the contrast, sharpness and details out of the buildings or bridges.

Place: Dublin, Ireland
Photos By : Robert Suen and Catherine Suen
Scored for the Place: 2 stars
Dated: 7/6/2012

A visit to Guinness, Dublin, Ireland - Day 4 on 6/6

We woke around 8.00 a.m. in the morning and went for our breakfast. After finished our breakfast and walking around the city centre to take some street photos. When we reached the park and there parked a Coca Cola bus to celebrate the Olympic flame lighting Event in the Park today. The staff from the Coca Cola were giving free cokes and freebies to all the locals and tourists.  while taking some of the street photos and we couldn't resist the temptation of free Cokes so we joined in the queue for free drinks and freebies.

We were quite happy to get both free drinks and freebies. Suddenly there were lot of polices patrol in horses. So we ask around what was going on around this park. Wow, been told that the Olympic Flame coming to this park around 11.30 a.m. and we asked the policemen the exact direct where this event was taking place.

Once we were pointed to the direction to go, we just follow the crowds around but suddenly all the crowds started to run to another direction. Told my husband, we better followed it seem either there will be more free gifts to be given to the crowds again.

"No, we are wrong this time, no free gift but there are the famous singers Jedward walking toward the stage." Oh! Oh! this was great, so now I got to be a pop stars chaser taking photos of them. Trying my best to snapped my camera as fast as I could but unfortunately, I am so short and in between taking photos, I had also lost my husband in the crowds.

I had no choice but tried my best to find a place where I can see the stage where the DJ stated that the Olympic Flame was coming soon and one of the Olympic lady winner in the last Olympic games in Beijing, she will be holding the torch and to lit it on the stage. No luck, I am at the side of the stage where my views were blocked by the guests and councils members of Ireland.

Luckily, after this lighting event so I walked back to the park where lot of the camera and television stations vans were parked to wait for my husband.  Found my old man and we walked around the park to take some photos. Times to go back to the apartment to meet my nephews and daughter as I have no idea what time they were going out.

My nephew, Gng arranged for us to go the Guinness later today around 3.00 p.m. so stay around playing with the puppies and get ready to go out later.

The Guinness Brewery was about 20 minutes walk away from my nephew apartment. The entrance fee per person was $12.00 euro and student $8.00 euro.  For this entrance fee entitled to 2 drinks. It was a six floors building and at every level we can see how the beer was  process from the start till it was ready to shipped out.    

At the 4th level, there was a Guinness for everyone to test. The beer was different from everywhere, it was  smoother. I am not a beer person so my nephew help me to finish it.  Then we went up to the gallery level which was the 6th level. At this level we can view from the sky view of the city centre. And there were sofas, chairs, tables and bars for tourists to take a seat and enjoy a glass of Guinness or soft drink.

Taking the window seats and enjoy a beer and drink, times seem to fly away.  Gng's friends wanted to buy some foods  to cook tonight. So we went to meet them at the Chinese grocery shop. Bought the items we needed for the dinner tonight and  went back to the apartment to rest and cook.

Finished dinner around 7.30 p.m. Gng took as to the temple bars where it was famous for pubs and discos  clubs around this temple bars street. My nephews arrange to meet their friends at the pubs so we went to walk around this area for 2 hours then went back to the apartment to get an early night rest.

Place: Dublin, Guinness Brewery and Temple Bar Street
Scored: 5 stars
Photos :  By Robert Suen and Catherine Suen
Dated: 6.06.2012