Day 32: Harry Potter Studio and hanging in London

Today I woke a bit early since I kept waking up throughout the night. It was raining all night. Most of England is under a flood warning this morning. I got ready and went to have breakfast. After breakfast, I booked a shuttle van that would take me to the Heathrow Airport tomorrow. It's the cheapest I can find (£15) without using the underground. I have lots of stuff with me and I don't want to take my bags underground. I don't even know how much the tube is to take to the airport zone. An fast way would be to go to Paddington station and take the express, but that would be over £20.

I left the hotel before 9:00 for the Harry Potter Studio tour. I bought a day pass for zones 1&2 because that's the majority of the city centre and where I'll be for £8.40. I took two trains to get to Euston station and then took the overground to Watford Junction (£9.50 return and is not in the London zone). At Watford Junction, there was a shuttle bus (£2 return) where it would take us to the studios. I arrived at the studios a little before 11:00. My booked time was 11:00. So I made it. I didn't realize it took so long. I did take the Overground that stopped at all the stops and not the express.
Once at the studio, I exchanged my email confirmation with a ticket and a souvenir guide book. I didn't know if we could take pictures or not when I booked it so better to have something to remember the tour by. Oh, by getting way, we can take pictures just not during the films.

Once inside, I collected my digital guide that came with the booked package and I was on my way. We had to wait a little bit in the queue. Once they let us in, we were in a room and the person made a little introduction about the place, and we watched a short film about how Harry Potter became such a phenomenon. Then we were ushered into a cinema room and got to sit down and watched a 5 minute film about the filming of the Harry Potter movies. After, the screen lifts to reveal the entrance to the Great Hall. One of the staff took us into the Great Hall and we look around a little bit before she talked about the hall. After that, we were ushered into the studio where we could tour at our own pace.

There were a lot to see. A lot of sets like the boys' dormitories, Prof. Dumbledore's office, Hagrid's hut, the potion classroom and much more. There were also a lot of costumes and props.  There was an interactive room where you get to put on a Hogwart's uniform and fly on a broom in front of a green screen. Then they put a scene behind you and then you can purchase the CD.  They was a line-up, and I didn't want to do it.
This was all in the first sound stage.  Then we go out to the back lot where they have refreshments including butterbeer. I had a nice cup of butterbeer.  I can't quite figure it out what's in it but it is fuzzy.  In the back lot is where they kept the over-sized props.  There was the knight bus, one of the Ford Anglia used in the movie, the Dursley's house, the chess pieces, and more.

The second sound stage housed more props and makeup section. After, it was Diagon Alley like in the movies with Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.  The store fronts all look real and is just like being in the movie.  Next, there were some drawings for the movie, bringing the concept and images to life.  Then there were the small 3D paper models of Hogwarts, the Borrows, Hagrid's hut, etc.  In the end, my favorite part, a big model of Hogwarts.  It's the Hogwarts that you see in the movie.  It has everything.  They keep adding buildings when needed as each movie was being film.  It was amazing staring at everything Hogwarts.
After the tour, I ended up in the gift shop.  I didn't get a lot of stuff in the gift shop, only a pin and some souvenirs for people.

After, I went back on the shuttle for Watford Junction.  Then, I took the express back to London.  It was midday then and continuing my Harry Potter tour, I went to King's Cross/St. Pancreas station to take a picture of Platform 9 3/4. King's Cross was newly renovated and they did a great job mixing the old and new elements together.  Then I went to have a quick lunch.  I found a Japanese fast food place and had some pumpkin coquette with rice and edamame. This was when I figured it out that it cost more to eat in than take out. They charge a service fee.

Next, I went to Oxford Street to walk around and do a little shopping.  There was a Disney store there that I want to go to see if they had a cute Minnie in a UK costume. They had some but there were not worth £20 ($32 cad). There were a lot of people on Oxford Street shopping and sight-seeing.  I just walk around and found a Starbucks so I could use their wifi.  It was sunny and hot by then, and I had a nice mango passion fruit frozen drink.  After, to avoid the rush hour crowd, I headed back to the tube to catch the train back to the hotel. By the time I got back to the hotel is was already 17:00. I hung around a bit and then decided to walk around Queensway and around the mall up the street.  There was a cinema on the top floor of the mall, but the movie tix were a bit expensive.  I then walked around to find dinner.  I went to another Chinese restaurant since the roasted ducks hanging in the windows at most of the Chinese restaurants were enticing.  So, I found a place that had roasted duck with rice.  After, I found another Starbucks and used the wifi there while having tea.  They don't have white tea there.  They call tea that has milk in it white tea.

Then I went back to the hotel to get ready for the flight home tomorrow.  I didn't really go to bed since the people across the hall kept going in and out of their rooms talking loudly and slamming their doors.  They did this until 1:00am.  If they kept it up, I would probably have yelled at them.

Tomorrow's agenda: Going home

Day 31: Traveling to London

Today is a big travel day. I woke up at 8:00 and dabble around a while packing and getting ready. I went to have breakfast at 9:00. After breakfast, I returned to my room and packed the best I could. I just read for a while and then left the guesthouse a little before 11:00. I had to walk a couple if blocks to catch the Airlink bus that would take me directly to the airport (€6 one way, €10 return).

At the airport, I checked in my bag. It weighed 14.6 kg. I thought it would be heavier. Then I went through security and waited at the gates for a couple of hours. I was traveling with Ryanair. They don't have assigned seating. You can seat wherever you want when you get on. The plane was compact with lots of seats and the seats don't recline. Also, everything on the plane cost money. No complementary drinks or snacks. They were also selling 'Hello' magazine, newspaper, scratchcards for charity, smokeless cigarette (just tubes with nicotine) and legal on planes, and food and drinks. Good thing this was a slightly over an hour flight. Also, the landing wasn't the smoothest. Almost everyone jumped up from their seats when we landed.

After on our way out to baggage claim, I got stopped at 'customs' because I didn't have an UK or EU passport. The passengers traveling across the channels didn't have to go through customs. It's just like traveling cross country. So, anyways, since I had a Canadian passport, I was asked the typical questions like if I was on vacation, how long am I staying, etc. After that, I was free to go. I picked up my luggage and went straight for the trains. I took the express train from Gatwick to London Victoria (£18.90 one way). After, I bought a single (one way) fare (£4.30) to get to the hotel. The one way fare was a rip off because you can get a day pass for zones 1&2 for £8.40, but that was OK since I wasn't planning on taking the tube elsewhere today. I took the Circle train and got to Bayswater Station. I was a bit disoriented about the directions. It took me a few minutes of walking around to figure it out. By the time I got to the hotel, I was hot and sweaty. Dublin was cloudy and but cold, and London was sunny and hot.

After I deposited my luggage, I freshened up and went exploring around the hotel and went to sit in Kensington Park for a little while. The street off the tube station, Queensway, is one long street with lots of multiethnic restaurants and souvenir shops. There were lots of Chinese restaurant along the street. I found one selling noodle soup. I ordered roast duck ho fan noodle soup. I got free Chinese tea and orange slices at the end. After, I headed back to the hotel. The hotel didn't have free wifi. It cost £2/hour. I bought an hour since you can split up the hour of uses. For the reminder of the evening, I started figuring out how much I've spent on this trip. I've already blown my budget I knew that when I was in Ireland.

Tomorrow's agenda: Harry Potter Studio tour and walking around London

Day 30: Touring Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough

Today, I was going to sleep in till 8:00 but my neighbours decided to be noisy and woke up before 7:00. There was no way I can get back to sleep so I caught up with my blog and journaling. At 8:00, I got ready and headed down for breakfast. At 9:00, I left for the Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough tour. I waited in front of the Gresham Hotel. Apparently, a lot tours depart from there and good thing I know what the tour bus look like. The bus is actually a 14 passenger van because they can get into places where the big coach buses can't. So, once the van arrived, I went to tell them my name. Apparently, my name isn't on the roster or on the next van's roster. The person I signed up through email forgot me! This is the only one out of a lot of tours that I've booked that actually forgot me. I booked this tour back in February and was the last tour I booked too. I didn't print out any confirmation because it was just back and forth email communication. And the person kept saying 'see you on the 29th' as they signed off. Well, that left everyone in a pickle. The two vans that showed up were full on the roster. They had four vans going out today for this tour. After a lot texting and phoning, the person checking if I actually signed up confirmed that I did and then found room for me on the other van waiting at the TI. So, one of the driver drove me to TI so I can get in the other van.

Eventually, everything worked out but I was pretty mad. I had no alternative plans for today since everything I planned for my vacation has gone in so well, and I'm leaving in a few days. At least that's the negative part of my day. The tour was excellent. Our driver/tour guide was named Tommy and is a fountain of knowledge. There was a big group of Dutch students, two from Argentina, and me the lonely Canadian.

So, first we headed south of Dublin to go to the Wicklow Mountains. We stopped, as we headed up towards the top, to get a photo of Dublin below. It was unbelievably windy and cold. After, we climb back in the van and our next stop was Glencree, an old military barrack and known for a place of peacetalks. The mountains are unlike the West where it is just limestone everywhere. Well, one side is all stones but the other side is all peat. We then went through Sally's Gap, where the roads head on four different directions, to the bridge where 'P.S. I Love You' filmed a scene and there the two streams meet and that's where they get the water to make Guinness Beer. After the stop, we turned around to go to the other side. We first stopped at where they filmed the battle scene in 'Braveheart', and then we stopped above a Valley where a family member of the Guinness family owns its house in the Valley. It's so secluded and nice with its own beach and dark water. The water is dark due to the peat. The current owner is just a regular guy that may have posh friends do to his work.

After we headed to a little town, Laragh, for lunch. I had half a potion of beef and Guinness stew and it was a fairly bid portion. I don't want to know what the regular size look like. It was a nice thick stew with a scoop of mash potatoes in it. It was good during this cold rainy day. After lunch, we headed to Glendalough for 1.5 hours of free time to roam this place. Glendalough, 'Valley of two lakes', has Irelands most impressive monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin the sixth century. So, I walked around the Monastic Village with its famous 110 foot tall tower and ruined churches and then took a 3km journey around Lower Glendalough Lake. It was raining lightly when I first started and then coming down a little harder. Once we got back into the van, it was raining and hasn't stopped since.

Then Tommy drove north and east to get to the coast so we could see it as we drove back to Dublin. We got out for a little bit at Killiney to see if we could see any dolphins but that water was very choppy. We drove past Bono's (from U2) house and other famous people. We then continued our journey to Dun Laoghaire. The water was very choppy and big waves were coming in. Dun Laoghaire is a ferry terminal for Wales and England. I didn't see any ferries, and I wouldn't want to cross with this type of water.
After we made our way back to Dublin passing through Dublin's Embassy Row and then up to north side of Dublin where Tommy was nice enough to drop us off near our respective hotels/hostels, etc.

After I came back to the guesthouse, I dried off and got warm. I left to find dinner after 18:00. I always past this Malaysian Chinese restaurant really close to the guesthouse. They had a good looking early bird special (their early bird is from 4 to 8 pm) so I went in. I order honey spare ribs, where you get two big pork ribs, and beef chow mein. I have to get a vegetables some how and the chow mein comes with lots of veggies. After dinner, I went back to the guesthouse since I was drench again. No, I didn't bring an umbrella in this trip and I didn't buy one either. I was tempted many times because they have some pretty Ireland ones but I have survived this long without one. Since my room was on the top floor, it's not very warm. So, I just hanged down in the TV room since the furnace was blasting in there. So, know as I type this, I just finished a whole package of Kit Kat for dessert. *sigh*

I'm going to worry about packing tomorrow since I'm planning to leave the guesthouse at 11:00 for the airport.

Tomorrow's agenda: Getting to London

Day 29: Newgrange/Hill of Tara and the Book of Kells

Today, I woke up early, a little before 7:00, had breakfast and left the guesthouse at 8:00 to get to the pick up location, a few blocks down, for the tour of Newgrange and Hill of Tara. I was at the last location for pick up. There was me and a couple of guys waiting. The tour had over 20 people on it at least.
This tour us a historical tour and the guide gave us a warning before hand.

We first made our way to Bru name Boinne (Boyne). We were going to visit Newgrange, a 5000 year old passage tomb. On the way, the guide gave us a full history on the Boyne area. It was a lot to take in. We arrived at the visitor Centre (since tour buses are not allowed in Newgrange). The Centre controls the number of people visiting the site. They have shuttle buses transporting people to and from the site 5 minutes away. We arrived early because the guide wanted us to be the first people so we waited. The admission to Newgrange is €6 for adults, which was included in the tour. Once we paid for our ticket and got a sticker stating what time your tour is, we went looking around the exhibit before heading to the shuttle leaving at the time of the sticker.  But before we headed out, we got bad news in that the electricity is out at the site. It's kind of ironic that we actually need lights to see a 5000 year old tomb.

So our guide told us to wait and see if the power can turned back on before going up there. There's no point in seeing the site If you can't get in the tomb. So, we waited about half an hour before hearing the good news. Before we left for the shuttle, we went to see a short film to tell us about the tomb and why it was built the way it was built. Then we headed up to Newgrange. At the site, we were met by a guide. She told us the story again like the film and the structure of the tomb. She also told us about the window above the door and the decorative rock in front of the entrance. She then split us into two groups. One group will go inside while the other would look around and then vice versa. I was in the first group. The passage ways was short, even for me, and very narrow. We're not allowed to take pictures. Once in the centre, it opens up into a dome shape. 5000 years old, all made of rocks and is sealed watertight, good construction. Once we were all inside, the guide talked about the chambers and the roof. Then she shut off all the lights and wanted us to see what happened inside during the equinox when the sun rise due east. The sun would past through the window above the entrance and reflect into the passage way illuminating the rocks like gold. On the floor is just a long triangular slit. Then 15 minutes later as the sun move across the sky, the light slowly disappears and the passageway is dark again. It was pretty interesting. After we looked around the small chambers and made our way out to let the other group in.
Around the area, there are about 40 of these tombs but much smaller. They haven't started excavating yet but you can see the gentle slopes of them in the hills.

After we are finished, we took the shuttle bus back to the visitor Centre and then made our way to the tour bus. We were heading to Hill of Tara next. On the way to Tara, ewe pass by Slane. Our guide told us about Slane. The castle is still occupied and the owner gets his income by having rock concerts, like Rolling Stones and U2, there. Then the guide told us the history of Tara. Tara is a large hill and on top you can see miles around, 360· view. It was a clear enough day that we got to see far enough away. By that was all. The hill has a lot of ridges and bump. All the buildings are done except for some stone graves and a small mount that is not structurally sound. We had an hour at this site. So most of us ended up in the cafe and gift shop.

After, we headed back to Dublin. On the way, we watch this video recapping again about Newgrange.
Once I got dropped off it was about 15:15, so I headed over to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. Since it was crowded, I waited around the gift shop till the crowd died down a little. It was interesting learning about the Book of Kells. Two of the books were on display and you could see the fine work of it. Then, my favorite part, I went up to the Long Hall, inspiration for the films Star Wars and Harry Potter for their libraries. The hall was magnificent with all the old books and two levels. There is even a old spiral staircase going up to the second floor. No photographs allowed. We were kept in the middle of the hall that was lined with busts of famous authors.

Then, I went walking around the other street along O'Connell Street. Since it was sunny and Saturday, the streets were packed with people shopping. There were some street artists out and about. After walking around for a bit, I headed back to the hotel for a power nap since I woke up early this morning. Then, at about 19:00, I headed out to look for dinner. I had the two course special. I ordered roast beef with mash potatoes and puree sweet potatoes and for dessert I have apple pie. There was something off about the apple pie. I can't put my finger on what. Then I just headed back to the guesthouse and email chat with my friend before heading to bed.

Tomorrow's agenda: Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough tour

Day 28: Hanging out in Dublin

Today started out as a cloudy day but gradually got better and was sunny in the afternoon.
I made no plans for today so I did whatever there was available. I had a quick breakfast and left the b&b at 9:00. I hope on the tour bus and it took me down a few blocks to the shopping areas. My objective was to find a carryon size hand luggage. I went walking around the usual shopping streets. I walked around Nassau Street and then Grafton Street. I didn't really find anything. The shopping there is like the shopping at home with almost the same stores.

After looking around the shopping areas, I slowly made my way to City Hall. There was a free walking tour that started at 11:00 and suppose to last for three hours. It actually lasted four hours and there was a 20 minute break for washrooms and snacks. The guide, Robbie, gave us a run down of Ireland and Dublin's history. It took awhile since Ireland has a long history. Actually, the guided walk was one big history lesson. Every place we stopped at we got a lot of history. First, we went inside City Hall and then to the courtyard of Dublin Castle. The castle is not like the other castles you see. They did preserve a part of it, the tower and the church attached, but everything else was Georgian influence. We walked to the Dublin gardens in the castle and learned how Dublin got its name. Dubhlinn in Irish means 'black pool' since there were lots of sediment deposited from the river.

Then we walked outside of the castle gate, and Robbie mentioned a scene that was filmed in 'PS, I Love You' by the gates and also he talked about Jonathan Swift's work. Then we headed to Christ Church Cathedral, and Robbie talked about the artifacts in the crypts. Then we went behind the church where there was once an old Viking settlement. But in its place now is the Dublin City Council building which had so much controversy before the building was built. Next we headed to Temple Bar for a break. We saw the hotel owned by U2, and we stopped at a cafe a couple door down by the famous Temple Bar pub.

After our break, we headed to O'Connell Street and then to Trinity College. Lots of history in these two places. Then we headed over to the government building and the National Museum. We didn't go inside these but again lots of history. Then we made our way over to St. Stephen's Green to learn about the Potato Famine and more about the rebellion during WWI. After that, it was over and was 15:00.
Since it was sunny, but no less warmer, I took the hop on hop off tour bus for a final loop and try to get all the pictures I missed or didn't take yesterday due to the rain. I hopped off the bus before O'Connell Street and slowly made my way up to find a place that sells luggage. I eventually found and bought a bag and was on sale too.

I went back to the b&b and rested and even had a 15 minutes power nap. I was exhausted from all that walking. I left the hotel at 18:00 to walk farther east around the River Liffey to see the Custom House, the Famine statues, and the Jeanie Johnston Famine ship. It was too late for the tour of the ship so I just took some pictures. Then I went to find food. Since my sister mentioned that I eat a lot of fish and chips, I decided to try for a restaurant instead of the usual pubs or fish and chips shop. I found one, apparently famous for its hot stone cooked steaks (steak cooked on a very hot stone and served that way), and had confit leg of duck. The legs sat on a bed of mash potatoes, cabbage, and bacon. Sounds good. It was good.

Next, I made my way back to the b&b and rest. I'm going to try to turn in early tonight since I have an early tour tomorrow.

Tomorrow's agenda: Newgrange and Hill of Tara tour

Day 27: Traveling to Dublin, Dublin at a glance

Today I woke up as usual and got ready and packed. I had a little break at the guesthouse and then slowly made my way across the bridge to the train station. The train, when I was checking, is suppose to be cheaper than the bus. But now, I'm not so sure. The train cost €28 from Waterford to Dublin and takes 2.5 hours. At Waterford, they let us in the train early, 10:25, and it doesn't leave till 11:00. OK, at first this train had two cars, but when got off the train at Dublin Houston, it had four cars. I think they pick up two cars in Kilkenny. At Kilkenny, the shut the power off for a minute and then back on again, and we were traveling in a different direction. I don't know how the train systems works in Ireland since this is my first and only train ride here.

Anyways, I got to Dublin at 13:30, after asking for directions, I made my way to a hop on hop off tour bus stop by the rail station and rode that to the guesthouse since the route is by the place. It save some money since the tour bus ticket is good for 48 hours, and I could use it tomorrow to tour Dublin some more. At the guesthouse, there was a lineup when I arrived. Check in isn't till 14:00, and I guess everyone was waiting. When I finally got my room, I huffed it up the stairs. I'm on the top floor, 4th floor, and the stories of these old Georgian houses are tall. Maybe 4 floors is equivalent to 6 floors at home. They have tall ceilings. I don't think there is an elevator in the guesthouse. Doesn't matter to me, you get what you pay for, and Dublin is not a cheap place.

After setting down my stuff, I made my way to O'Connell Street and hop on the bus. I rode it around till almost the last stop. It was raining off and on so I didn't get many good pictures. I was tempted to go to the Guinness Factory and Storehouse but decided not to. The place, I got to say, is surprising very, very big. At least right now, I know where approximately where everything is. I thinking about joining the free walking tour tomorrow which is approximately 3 hours long so lots of see in Dublin. After getting off the bus, I took some pictures of some of the bridges connecting north and south Dublin. There are a few some are just food bridges. I crossed over to the south at Ha'Penny Bridge, named for the halfpence toll people used to pay to cross it. Then I was essentially in the Temple Bar district. There are a lot of colourful pubs there but I couldn't find the famous Temple Bar pub. I walked around then essentially walked myself out of it and ran right into Trinity College. I walked around the outside of Trinity College. To go inside some buildings, you have to pay or do the tour. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow when I have time. They filmed some scenes of Harry Potter in there. I forgot where right now.

Then I walked around O'Connell Street which is the grandest street according to Rick Steves. There are a lot of monuments and statues on this street and a lot of history. What I find the Ireland is that people just give nicknames to their statues or monuments instead of using its real name. For example, the 390 foot tall stainless steel Millennium Spire that was suppose to be completed in 2000 but instead it was completed in 2003, has several nicknames including the Stiletto in the Ghetto. All around the touristy areas there are a lot of souvenirs shop particularly on named Carroll's. There are two on O'Connell Street almost across the street from each other. So, knowing this I bought souvenirs of almost everyone. If I miss you, I'm sorry. I can only fit so much in my luggage.

After spending a lot of money on souvenirs, I went back to the guesthouse to repack my luggage to see if everything fit. Surprisingly, everything fit except that now I have to buy a larger carryon bag due to Ryanair restriction of allowing one carryon item. If I was allow the two like in the Canadian airlines, I would have no problem. I hope I can find a cheap, big hand luggage somewhere tomorrow.

After the repacking, I headed out to find dinner and maybe you guess it. I had fish, haddock, and chips. I was going to chose something else but it's the cheapest thing I can find on my short walk that was not a McDonalds or Burger King. After dinner, instead of heading to Temple Bar or a pub, I went to see a movie. Yep, I went to watch a movie in Dublin. Since the cinema is close by, I watched 'Hunger Games', which was pretty good. I just started reading the book on the train ride this morning. I'm already at Part II in the book. The price of admission is pretty much comparable except maybe it is slightly cheaper here by less than $1 than in Calgary.

After the movie, I just returned to the guesthouse and am staying since was already almost 23:00. There were some pubs along the way that have live Irish music but I was getting a little tried.

Tomorrow's agenda: Touring Dublin

Day 26: Going to Waterford

Just a traveling day today and a little stopover at Waterford for the night.

I woke around 8:00 this morning to pack and got ready. I knew the breakfasts places won't be opened till 9:00 so I just hanged around the lobby. For breakfast, I had a medium Irish which means it came with one of everything except toast (you get two slices). It consisted of sausage, bacon, baked beans, eggs, white and black puddings, and tea. The puddings weren't that bad. I don't really remember what's in them but I'll look it up when I get home and not before.

Since it was a traveling, there is not much to tell. From Killarney to Waterford by bus it took about 4.5 hours and two buses, transfer in Cork, and cost €24.50. Once I got to Waterford, I went straight to the guesthouse, maybe less than 5 minutes away from the bus station. The guesthouse is close to the bus and rail station which is good. Once I settled, I headed off straight away to the Waterford Crystal Factory which is about 10 to 15 minutes walk down the street. Waterford is an old and big city. It has some city walls left over and some Viking influence. Too bad I only have a night here. I would live to do the historical walk around this city.

So, at the crystal factory, I didn't say I went nuts but I did buy a few items in which it would be nameless right now since people I bought gifts for are reading the blog. I did find a nice looking vase for myself. I had to get something there for me or else this part of the trip is worthless. It's a good thing shipping are cheap, and I hope nothing breaks on its way to Canada.

After the crystal factory, I just wandered around the quay. I didn't want to go inside shops since I already spent a lot. I have a nice dinner of Chinese food since I was hungry, didn't have any lunch on my bus trip to Waterford. I ordered sweet and sour pork again to see how they cook it. They cooked it like home. I guess the place in Dingle is unique. I had fried rice which was not that great. It's just rice fried with some soy sauce and sesame oil...No veggies or egg or anything. I didn't have a lot of the rice since I'm not a bad fan of sesame oil.

Then I made way slowly back to the guesthouse and am going to relax in the sitting room for a while and watch some of these weird English soap opera like Hollyoaks and Emmerdale.

Tomorrow's agenda: Train to Dublin and sightseeing