DAY 10 DUBLIN IRELAND & FIRST OF TWO DAYS IN DUBLIN

Before dinner last evening we had a pre-dinner drink at the Crystal Cove as we listened to pianist Scott Mitchel play the piano.  Olga who is one of the women who now lives on the ship joined us.

We always kid around when the canapés come around and usually we'll ask what they are serving and then say thank you but maybe tomorrow.  However, last night was a different story for Keith as for the first time he could remember there was a tray of raw vegetables so Keith helped himself to a few of them.  Rest assured a few minutes later another tray appeared of small hamburgers (sliders) and we did say thank you but maybe tomorrow.  LOL.

Another running joke we have with Raymond is about Bananas.  Years ago when we would have our breakfast at the Lido Cafe for one day they were out of Bananas as we were at sea for several days and it was not possible to bring additional bananas on board until our next port stop.  So, often when we see Raymond at night, either we ask or he asks if we want a Banana.

We then went to the Crystal Dining Room for dinner.  It was quite quiet as many guests were on tour and others were eating at one of the three Specialty Restaurants.

Keith had the Caviar as an appetizer.

Anne Marie had the Fresh Artichoke Appetizer.

We bathed the Heart of Boston Lettuce Salad as our next course.

For our entree Anne Marie had the Sablefish.

Keith had Salmon which is available every night.

For dessert, it was a fruit plate for Anne Marie and Strawberries and Blueberries for Keith.

We skipped the show so we could read and write and get to sleep earlier than last night.

Serenity departed the port at around 10:00 PM.  We both slept well as we headed to our next port of call in Dublin.

Keith was up first and worked out at the Fitness Center and then had coffee at the Lido Cafe.  Anne Marie walked for one hour before we had breakfast in our room.

We then got ready for our visit to Dublin.

Shortly prior to our arrival in Dublin Captain Birger spoke from the bridge and spoke about a couple of weather situations.  One of them is that the forecast called for heavy wind due to a low pressure system moving up the coast which would prevent tender service from running on our planned August 3 visit to Londonderry,  Northern Island on August 3 and as a result we will have an overnight and second day in Belfast.  

While we have had the pleasure of visiting Dublin, Ireland on several previous voyages, we decided that we would do a tour.  Crystal Cruises was kind enough to arrange this private tour for us.

Our tour began at 11:00 AM as we were met at the pier by our tour guide and our driver for a drive into Dublin City which included a panoramic drive through Dublin en route to the Cliff Townhouse.

Our tour guide was Dave and our driver was Paul.  Both were great.  Dave has been conducting tours for about ten years and has a wealth of knowledge.

We walked through a city park on the way to our first stop.

Our first stop was the Cliff Townhouse which is now a restaurant in a former house.

Upon our arrival to the Cliff Townhouse we attended a private Seafood Master class with the head chef and this was followed by lunch at the Cliff Town House.

We then enjoyed lunch at the Cliff Town House.

We began with a starter and we each chose a Brie Tart with Meat and Jelly.

We both chose the Organic Salmon with Peas and Onions.

Anne Marie had part of the Cream Brûlée dessert while Keith had some Fresh Strawberries.

After lunch we visited the Mansion House which is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin and which was hosted by the Lord Mayor herself; Criona Ni Dhalaigh.

We chatted with the Lord Mayor for about thirty minutes and then we were taken on a guide tour of the house.

Our next stop was Trinity College where we visited the Book of Kells accompanied by the Visitor Services Manager. Her name is also Anne Marie.

We then made our way over to St Patrick's Cathedral with the Cathedral Manager & Dean's Verger.  This included a visit to the ringing room and to the top of the tow for views of Dublin City which are not normally available to the public.

Our Guide.

This is the area where the bells are rung and is not an area that the public gets to see.

After an absolutely amazing tour we were driven back to the Crystal Serenity.

This evening we have been invited by the Crystal Society Hostess to dine at a Crystal Society Dinner at Prego and we will post about that tomorrow.

TODAY'S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY........

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." - Robert Francis Kennedy

Keith & Anne Marie