Atlantic Odyssey 2025:: Dublin

On May 30, 2025, the MS Vista sailed into Dublin Bay and dropped its anchor. Ship to shore transfers were to be done by tender that day. Unfortunately, the drop off point for the tenders was at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, nowhere near the Liffey River. One had to get a cab to drive the 10 kilometres to the Temple Bar area where St. Patrick's Cathedral and Dublin Castle are situated. But our adventurers had seen all that stuff before and they just wanted to go ashore and go for walk.

Gym and his dear companion decided to stroll through some of the more chi-chi neighborhoods in the capital. On the way to the Ballsbridge and Donnybrook districts they traveled above Seaport Park where they observed a a few 'polar bears' braving the sub 15C surf.  The air temperature was much warmer than the sea though and there were numerous locals out on the park pathways pushing upscale strollers and pulling posh canine companions. To our hero, the populace appeared to be mostly Millennial and Gen Z but that made sense because he'd passed multiple campuses of Trinity College and Dublin College scattered throughout the area. At one point along the way, Mrs. Gym deftly steered her husband away from a row of watering holes between two campuses. 

They continued on and came to several blocks of beautiful detached stone houses, on generous lots, surrounded by hedges of rose bushes and flanked by ornate wrought-iron gates. They had arrived in the Ballsbridge area. There were a few listings by Saville and Sotheby's. When Gym returned to the ship he checked out the list prices and they did not surprise him. His favourite house was on Ailesbury Road was listed at 8M Euros. 

The dynamic duo dined in a quaint little Irish public house and returned to Loaghaaire Harbour by cab. They had reached their step-count goal for the day and then some.

That night the Vista would cross the Irish Sea to Wales.

Grand Canal near Ballsbridge, Dublin

Pink door/white door duplex

Clayton Hotel in Ballsbridge

Blackrock park

Apperol Spritz on the terrace

Swimmers in Dublin Bay

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A very friendly public house where the Guiness is fresh

Atlantic Odyssey 2025: Belfast and the Giant's Causeway

Hexagonal columns of basalt at Giant's Causeway

Leaving Donegal and the Republic of Ireland behind, the MS Vista sailed back into the North Atlantic and turned right. She rounded the top of the Emerald Isle and in the morning of May 29th sailed into Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland and a constituent part of the UK. Mrs. Gym put away the Euros for the day and grabbed the sack of British Pounds. 

Belfast and the surrounding area have so much to offer. Our hero and his dear wife had a difficult time choosing where they would spend the few hours that they had in Northern Ireland. They ended up passing on  everything in Belfast city and so they would miss the Titanic Belfast Museum, St. Georges Market, Cave Hill Park and the Black Cab Tours. As usual, they discovered that they needed to return someday and spend a few more days there.  

As Mr. Gym's favourite subject in university was geomorphology, he wanted to see the Giant's Causeway and his lovely sidekick agreed to join him in this endeavour. It was a bit of a drive outside of the city but it was well worth it. And it turned out, there were a few bonus experiences close to the Causeway, that werepart of the itinerary.  

The Giant's Causeway is a must-see venue. The paved pathway down the cliffs to the igneous formations is wide and safe. It is about 1.5 milesl down to sea level and back up again. Beside the pathway is a paved one-lane road for the trolley that runs up and down the grade. The trolley is  for the elderly and the lazy sightseers. The exposed outcrops of the hexagonal-shaped columns of basalt are stunning and really worth seeing. The facilities at the top of the cliffs are clean, modern and comprehensive with spacious and ultra-modern washrooms, a very nice cafeteria and a gift shop. In the summer months, they average several thousand people a day there and although it was crowded, everything flowed pretty well.

Just eight miles down the road from the Causeway, Gym was pleased to be able to drive by the venue for this year's British Open. The 153rd Open is being played at the Royal Portrush Golf Course from July 13-20, 2025. When the bus drove by Gym could see the bleachers going up and the hospitality tents being erected. 

A little farther down the road from the golf course is the ruins of Dunluce Castle. Shots of it appeared in Game of Thrones. Dunluce was the inspiration for the castle of the House of Greyjoy. The bus stopped here for a photo opportunity.

Finally, on the way back to Belfast the bus drove past the town of Bushmills and its famous Irish Whisky Distillery. Gym was saddened that they couldn't stop for a tasting.

All-in-all, it was a great tour.

That night, the Vista would steam south into the Irish Sea. The next stop was Dublin where Euros would again be the currency-du-jur.

the basalt turns black near the water and becomes
treacherous to walk on

the hexagon shape is evident from the top but some 
of the columns are worn by erosion

Another angle

The Bay of the Cow

Mrs, Gym on path down to Causeway

Not too crowded

Royal Portrush Golf Club

Almost ready for the Open

Royal Portrush Clubhouse

Dunluce Castle

Atlantic Odyssey 2025: Donegal, Ireland

 

It had just finished raining when our adventurers
first sighted the Emerald Isle and a rainbow
 appeared over the port bow of the ship. 

On the morning of May 28th, 2025, the MS Vista cruised into Killybegs, Donegal and tied up to the pier. Killybegs is a very picturesque town in a deepwater fjord on the south coast of the county. Killybegs was mainly about fishing in the old days. Today though, the economy has become more diverse, especially since the infrastructure was given a boost by the European Union. Ireland joined the EU in 1973. EU grants helped to improve the port and build new highways. These investments allowed tourism to become an important part of the economy. 

The dynamic duo decided to go on a scenic hike that day. They would be driven to a very special place in the foothills of the Bluestack Mountains. They lucked out with the local fellow that led the group that day. Keith Corcoran, the author of several books on Irish folklore, would be the guide.

About 30 kilometres outside of Killybegs, the small group piled out of a mini-bus in a parking lot next to a rural soccer field. The hike involved a 2.2-mile loop that climbed up and back down the side of the impossibly green foothills. 

At the halfway point of the hike they came to the Disert Graveyard of Donegal. This is a site where pagan Druids and later Christians gathered to worship in a beautiful outdoor setting between the mountains and the sea. Massive stones were used to build a tomb and erect an alter at the site. A nearby well  provided water for baptisms. It is said in the literature that most of these constructions date from the times of St. Colmcille in the 6th century.  Keith did an excellent job of  passing on the lore and keeping everyone entertained. Then, everyone hiked back down to the mini-bus. There were no casualties.

Keith's Corcoran's latest book is titled; "Finding Fairy Mysteries in Donegal; Close Encounters with the Wee Folk". Find him at https://www.irelandguidedtravel.com/

A point near the Rotten Island Lighthouse

A nice place overlooking the harbour

A stream running through the valley in the
foothills of the Bluestaack Mountains

Author and guide Keith Corcoran

Alter 

Iconic scene from the Emerald Isle

Gym hiked by this lovely farmyard