Leaving Dublin behind we drove west across the country through sheep, dairy and thorough-bred breeding areas. First stop was Galway and we immediately travelled along the shores of Galway Bay. Although it was drizzling and freezing, we braved the elements and strolled through the town centre and stumbled into a genuine old traditional Irish pub. At least it was dry and warm and sustenance was available. Afterwards we did the tourist thing and did some shopping b...

A tour of Dublin, home to about 1.5 million people, was first up this morning. Key points of interest included:- Christ Church Cathedral (or, more formally, the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity), the cathedral of the United Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough- St Patricks Cathedral- Guinness Brewery- the Post Office and monuments commemorating the 1916 Easter Uprising, part of the Irish fight for independence- the famous Trinity College- statues of many of Ireland's f...

We left Manchester, passing by the Trafford Stadium - home of Manchester United - and then the cricket ground at Old Trafford.We stopped at medieval Chester, a town which has retained the whole of its original perimeter wall. Many of the buildings, now used as shops, date from the 15th century. St Werburgh Cathedral, typical of English cathedrals in having been modified many times, dates from between 1093 and the early 16th century, although the site itself may h...

We left Glasgow for Manchester stopping first at the Glasgow Cathedral (under significant repair and refurbishment) and a tour around the Necropolis. We accidentally found the grave of William Miller - author of Wee Willie Winkie. Glasgow is abuzz with infrastructure development everywhere in preparation for the hosting of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Then off to Gretna Green which is a little Scottish village famous for run-away weddings since 1754 as Scotland...

We left Laggan and headed to Glasgow. This was a day trip with lots to see. First we called into the Royal Commandos' Memorial overlooking Ben Nevis then we went to the Ben Nevis Whiskey Distillery outside Fort William for a tour and a wee dram (plus acquisitions of course). We then drove through beautiful mountainous national park areas - heather covered hills, waterfalls, old estate homes and obviously a mecca for hikers and walkers. Lunch was at the Drovers ...