Tag: ireland

COBH (CORK), IRELAND

From British Pounds to Euros to British Pounds to Euros. Thanks to whoever invented the “plastic money”, it makes it easier to purchase souvenirs!

Colorful homes in Cobh with our ship, Regal Princess, in the background (Photo by Erna/Onie Marasigan)

The Port of Cobh is not only a gateway for cruisers but also a destination rich in history and charm. Whether you’re tracing the steps of Titanic passengers, exploring the quaint town or simply soaking the harbor views, Cobh has something to offer to everyone. Interesting to note that Cobh was the single most important port of emigration from Ireland. We docked in Cobh at 7:00 am and the gangway opened a half hour later. Those who didn’t book any ship’s excursion either stayed in Cobh or took the 25-minute train ride or bus to go to the city of Cork.

St. Coleman’s Cathedral
Memorial for the Lusitania
Interesting trivia

Those who decided to stay and explore Cobh were spared the crowded train to Cork. Trini and I decided the latter. For the first time, the sun came out occasionally requiring you to wear sunglasses. The temperature though was pleasant, in the high 50’s F. It was perfect for our leisurely stroll in the beautiful city. Cork is the gateway to romantic Ireland. In a land where fable and fact blend to become folklore, it was near Cork that the great Tuatha De Danaan, a race with magical powers was driven underground by the conquering Celts.

While strolling the narrow streets of Cork, we noticed that many of the locals were not bothered with the cold weather, most of them just wearing a single layer of clothing whereas I had three layers!

When in between ports, the ship finds ways to entertain the guests – games, lectures, entertainment and of course shopping bargains. Whatever your interests are, chances are you’ll find one. Other cruisers just sit in the quiet nooks of the ship reading their favorite novels in their ebooks.

Center photo above is Aaron, the ship’s cruise director
Onie and Erna joining the morning Zumba class to shed off some of those unwanted calories

Late post: Nelda and Mike Hope, Maria and Egidio Bernardi, Vicky and Eddie Baumann, and Manny and Offie Lopez flew to London two days prior to our cruise and joined tours to explore the city and its surroundings.

Tomorrow, we dock at La Havre, France.

DÚN LAOGHAIRE (DUBLIN)

DUBLIN is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland.  It is a vibrant hub for culture, history, music and literature.  Dublin is well known for its iconic landmarks like Dublin College and Trinity College., bustling pub scene and my favorite- Guinness Storehouse – where you can sample the world-famous stout! It has a population of about 1.2 million people.

We dropped anchor in Dún Laoghaire (pronounced dun-leery) a small town about 8 miles from Dublin. The day started with some drizzle but abated and eventually stopped by the time we were ready to board the water shuttle. It took approximately 30 minutes to reach our destination.

As I mentioned in my previous post, Trini and I have visited the British Isles including Dublin so we decided to just take a stroll in Dún Laoghaire and get a feel of the place. We noticed right away that it was a laid back town with not much activity around. It was a nice time for us to just sit in the park benches and people-watch and inhale the salty breeze coming from the ocean.

The rest of our group separately took a train to visit Dublin. Some took the hop-on-hop-off buses to explore the city and some just strolled around admiring the different iconic landmarks.

After we all came back from the ship, the senior citizens required a nap to rest from the “stressful and hectic” tour of the city! Then we all met in our usual evening haunt – The Concerto Dining Room – where we have two permanent tables of eight (some of us rotating each night to the other table). It’s so fun to share stories with each other and we try to catch up with what’s going on to our families! Sometimes we get a little loud for the other guests nearby but who cares, we are having fun after all!

After dinner, we went to watch a lady contortionist/hula hoop dancer. Then some of us went to the Princess Theater to listen to more musical entertainment while Trini and I stayed behind to enjoy the ship’s band’s oldies repertoire.