Dublin

Megan, Judson and I spent the weekend in Dublin (St. Patrick's Day!) It was a lot of fun, although I'd like to go back when it wasn't so packed with people. (mainly drunk Americans!!)

A view of some buildings along the River Liffey, that runs through the city
Another view of the River Liffey

Looking across the river at buildings on the other side

The Ha'penny bridge over the River Liffey, so-called because you used to pay a half-penny to cross

A sign showing English and Gaelic, all the signs were in both languages

A view of Christ Church Cathedral

A side view of the cathedral

Christchurch Cathedral from a distance

Dublin City Hall, lit up in green for St. Patrick's Day

Four Courts building

The courtyard at Trinity College, founded in 1592

Megan and I eating green ice cream

The former church of St. Andrew's, now the home of Dublin tourism

Dublin news

Me standing on the stairs of the former medieval wall, now located underneath Dublin Castle

The remains of the Viking wall, also now located underneath Dublin Castle

The ceiling of the long gallery in the Castle

Me standing in the Long Gallery

Megan standing under two Presidential seals of Ireland, the one on the right belongs to the first female president of Ireland (Ireland has had a female president continously for the past 21 years)

The painted ceiling in the ballroom, the ballroom is where Ireland's presidents are inaugarated

A table in the castle made by a prisoner for Queen Victoria in the hopes that she would commute his sentence. She took offense and he was sentenced to 10 years.

The throne used by Queen Victoria when she visited Ireland. It was originally much taller but Victoria had part of it cut off as she was so short, she had to be lifted into it, but considered this to be undignified.

Megan standing by a sign in the Guinness Storehouse

Megan by a waterfall inside the Guinness Storehouse

Megan and I on the way to the Tasting Room

A pub decorated for St. Patrick's Day

A Dublin town house

Cramers' Visit-Wednesday

We took the train out to Windsor Castle, supposedly the Queen's favorite home. Then we went back to the city and went to the Clink Prison Museum near the Globe Theatre. At night we took the Jack the Ripper walk through Whitechapel and the East End.

The Round Tower at Windsor Castle
The outside of St. George's Chapel (where Charles and Camilla got married)

Megan with a guard

The view from the castle, Eton College, where William and Harry went to school is in the backgound

An exhibit from the prison museum showing a religious prisoner

Cramers' Visit-Tuesday

Today we visited Hampton Court, the former palace of Henry VIII. The palace is about a half hour outside of the city, since we were there on a weekday, we had the place almost to ourselves.

The palace from across the river at the train station
Judson in front of the entrance of the palace

Judson on the bridge over the former moat

One of inner courtyards from a window

An alleyway leading to the Tudor Kitchens

Megan standing by a wine barrel in the wine cellar

Judson standing in the doorway of Cardinal Wolsey's cabinet or study

The Wren facade of the palace from the gardens

A passageway named after Anne Boleyn

Flowers growing in part of the formal gardens

Cramers' Visit-Monday

Megan, Judson and I went to the British Museum this morning. It was huge and wandered all of the place so we, of course, didn't see all of it. In the afternoon, we went to the Tower of London.

Megan and Judson with a stuffed bear in the Tower
Megan talking to a Beefeater

Judson standing in a guard's booth

The Great Court in the British Museum

Head from an Egyptian statue

Egyptian scareb

A wall engraving from the Assyrians (Iraq)

Another wall engraving from the Assyrians