Day 4 - To Ireland

After breakfast we are on our way walking to Paddington Station to take the Heathrow Express to the Airport. The train is so smooth and only takes fifteen minutes so I guess it's worth the hefty price. Tony and I are not aware that if the doors close on you while boarding, you only have to push the button and they'll reopen, as long as the train is not moving. He is half in and half out with a suitcase and backpack and the doors begin to close. Instinct kicks in and he does what resembles a Tarzan act, raising his hairy arms and straining against those incoming doors with all his might, while I stand gaping at him aghast. What to do? A young woman on the train sees our dilemna

and presses the button. So much easier. Next time.
At the airport, we have an hour or two to wait for our Aer Lingus flight to Ireland so we have coffee at an appealing looking cafe. I love reading the special Eggs menu, including 'Eggs Royale' (no doubt from the royal chooks), 'Black Pudding Scotch Eggs' and 'Boiled Eggs and Soldiers', the latter with the description: 'A couple of soft, hard or somewhere in the middle boiled eggs, served with buttered soldiers, toasted or not' - so delightfully British! The breakfast Cocktails & Fizz menu is also enticing, but we refrain and instead buy take away sushi to eat before boarding.
It is lucky that we eat this as there are only drinks and a few snacks to 'purchase' onboard. We buy a beer and a wine for our short 55 minute trip over the water and reminisce on the previous trips to Ireland we've both taken separately.
We catch the City Direct bus and are not sure where to get off but we hope the driver knows where to drop us. We proceed along Burlington Street trailing our suitcases, then Mespil Street to find our hotel. Tony has spent the past few weeks studying Google maps for all our hotel whereabouts so we arrive shortly, but a little out of breath. Great exercise and a good way to keep those calories off. A lovely room at the Mespil Hotel greets us.

We go exploring to find a 'laundrette', as they call them here, and walk along the picturesque canal banks. Peter, our guide, later tells us that these canals were built in 1791 with precision engineering so that even today they are still used to keep the water levels steady. There are lochs all the way along the waterway, fed by a spring over 40 miles away. If the water is allowed to run free, the canals would dry up most of the time. So the lochs keep the levels steady at about six feet deep.
We finally locate the laundrette, having googled the nearest, and decide to return the next day with our four days of washing. When our coach tour begins, we know there'll be no time for laundering so this is a good chance.
We nearly get run over by determined-looking Dublin bicycle riders moving very quickly. They don't appear to be keeping to their designated lanes while crossing streets so it's a bit risky for all of us.

Tony is doing a bit of darting and diving out of the way.....look out!
We pass by Devitt's Pub with beer barrels standing outside for effect. And I just love those hanging baskets everywhere, with such a riot of colour on the otherwise dowdy footpaths.
In the evening, we head for the local pub, The Wellington, and Tony immediately attracts a local who is slightly inebriated. Noel chats with us for over an hour and his comments are quite insightful despite the liquor. Topics include the state of the world economy, Ireland's economy, jobs in Ireland and the Gay Marriage Law change here. After he insists on buying us a round of drinks, we stay longer and Tony buys a further round. I opt out. Much fond farewelling at the end (Phew! We got away) and we are lucky to gain entry to a nearly booked out Japanese restaurant, Zakara, just around the corner. The food is amazing. I have chicken kebabs and fried tofu with the most divine Japanese sauce and with a hint of chilli. Tony has marinated chicken, salad and rice. Yum!
Back home at our lovely Mespil Hotel lounge, we sit and enjoy the ambience in front of the fire. Temperatures are descending so it is nice to find a cosy spot.