Dublin to York ~ Day Four Part One

Planes, Trains and automobiles were our transportation on Monday September 18th.

We were up and packed and all checked out and ready for our Uber to the Dublin airport before 8am. Our flight from Dublin to Manchester, England was a quick flight on Aer Lingus. We got our bags and headed down to the train station that is conveniently located at the airport. We wanted to catch the 12:44 train to York. We bought our tickets and had time to spare to make it on this train. It should have been just under 2 hour ride to York.

As we approached Leeds the train stopped on the tracks before the station and the conductor said there was a blockage ahead and once that was cleared we would be able to come into the station. After we were in the station and the Leeds passengers disembarked the conductor came back on the line and said that our train ride into York was cancelled and we should get off the train and head to Platform 8 if we wanted to continue into York! WHAT?? We grabbed our bags and headed out wondering where platform 8 was. There were several of us scurrying about and asking questions. Josh saw a nun who was trying to hoist and haul a very large suitcase who needed to get to platform 8 with us. He grabbed her bag and hauled it up the stairs across the platform to the other side of the station and down the stairs to get to Platform 8 where the train steward was yelling that the doors were closing! When I got to the doors and he was still fussing I let him know that we were kicked off our other train and were rushing as fast as we could to make it to this train! He lightened up and held the train till we all got on. OYE! The Nun was very thankful and asked Josh for his name and I would venture that she is still praying a blessing over him! We were thankful, too, that we made it to York and to our hotel room ready to discover a new city.

Our stay in York was at The Judge’s Lodging.

 

After we dropped our bags and freshened up we made our way to Betty’s Tearoom where the line was very short. We waited our turn and enjoyed our one and only afternoon tea during our trip.

Laura and I chose the tea. Greg ordered the Chicken Schnitzel and Josh ended up with a burger.

From Bettys Tea Room we made our way to Bootham Bar while it was light and the weather was right for a walk on the walls. We walked the length of walls from Bootham to Monk Bar and a little beyond. Circled around to get back into the center of York through the Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma gate into the Shambles.

The Walls and Gates deserve a post of their own. We were taken in by York. This was Josh and Laura’s first time in York and our time from 2004 and 2006 needed to be refreshed.

We were very thankful we made it to York despite the stress of our cancelled train 3/4’s of the way into our journey. Thankful for nice lodgings and a lovely tea time. Thankful, too, for pleasant walking weather.

Guinness Storehouse ~Day Three

Looking back at our travel days makes me marvel at how much we packed into each day. Our last event on Sunday the 17th of September was our tour of the Guinness Storehouse. Our Uber driver dropped us off at St. James Gate for our tour slot of 4:45. It was still raining. There is so much history that surrounds Guinness in Dublin that we didn’t want to miss this opportunity to learn more.

We bought the basic experience tickets which was a self-guided tour. There are 6 floors to the Storehouse Experience.

Escalators, elevators, ramps and stairs took you around and upward to all the displays and history.

I will share some history with you and if you’d like to read more follow this link.

Arthur Guinness was born in 1725 near Celbridge, County Kildare. His father, Richard Guinness, was land steward for the Rev. Dr. Arthur Price, Archbishop of Cashel.

Arthur was named for the archbishop and was handsomely remembered in his will. Arthur used his £100 bequest to establish a small local brewery in nearby Leixlip with his brother. Arthur set his sights on the capital city of Dublin four years later, signing the now-legendary lease for a former brewery at St. James’s Gate.

Arthur Guinness was just 34 when he signed the iconic 9,000-year Guinness lease, on a then-disused brewery site on 31 December 1759 for an annual rent of £45. It was here on this four-acre site where Arthur would hone his craft and build the global brand that Guinness is today.

Josh took in the stories and history surrounding the handmade casks.

The sixth floor offers panoramic views of the city of Dublin and it has the circular bar with lots of seating. You can hand in your ticket stub for a pint of Guinness and watch the classic Guinness pour.

If you aren’t a beer drinker there are other options for your ticket on the 5th floor at Arthur’s! This is where we camped out for a while enjoying our drinks and having some good food, too.

Sláinte!

And that was the end to our Sunday. It was pouring as we tried to leave the Storehouse. Josh ordered our last Uber of the day and it was back to our hotel to pack up and turn in. Monday we’d be traveling from Dublin across to England to continue our adventures.

This Guinness with the shamrock was served at Martin’s Tavern in Washington D.C. several years ago when I traveled along with Greg for a medical conference.

Gracious Spirit, Dwell With Me ~ Hymn

Gracious Spirit, Dwell With Me

Gracious Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would gracious be,
And with words that help and heal
Would Thy life in mine reveal;
And with actions bold and meek
Would for Christ my Savior speak.

Truthful Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would truthful be;
And with wisdom kind and clear
Let Thy life in mine appear;
And with actions brotherly
Speak my Lord’s sincerity.

Tender Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would tender be;
Shut my heart up like a flower,
In temptation’s darksome hour;
Open it when shines the sun,
And his love by fragrance own.

Silent Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would quiet be,
Quiet as the growing blade
Which through earth its way has made;
Silently, like morning light,
Putting mists and chills to flight.

Mighty Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would mighty be;
Mighty so as to prevail
Where unaided man must fail;
Ever by a mighty hope,
Pressing on and bearing up.

Holy Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would holy be;
Separate from sin, I would
Choose and cherish all things good;
And whatever I can be
Give to Him who gave me Thee.

Words: Thomas T. Lynch, 1855.

Spicy Chicken Roll-ups

These roll-ups would be a good dish for game day or an appetizer for any party. Choose the level of spice in your wing sauce to adjust the heat. I saw this recipe in my grocery store flyer.

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 packet (1 ounce) ranch dressing seasoning mix
  • 1/2 cup wing sauce like Frank’s Wing Sauce
  • 1-1/2 cups shredded roasted chicken
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican mix cheese
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • 6 – 10 inch flour tortillas
  • Ranch dressing for dipping

Method:

  1. In large bowl mix together the cream cheese and ranch dressing until well-combined.
  2. Mix in the wing sauce.
  3. Use a rubber spatula to stir in the chicken, cheese and green onions.
  4. Spread mixture evenly across each tortilla.
  5. Roll and refrigerate for 3 hours.
  6. Slice and serve with a bowl of ranch dressing for dipping.
  7. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Yield: Up to 60 roll-ups

Divide recipe in half for a smaller group.
Confession: When I made this recipe I forgot to add the cheese. Oops! We had very hot wing sauce on hand and the roll-ups were very spicy. I’d recommend medium or mild to please a larger crowd.

 

Dublin Day Three ~ Sunday

Sunday the 17th of September was our third day in Dublin. We were in for rain most of this day so it was good that we had several indoor experiences planned. We met up in the lobby of our hotel to walk to Lemon Jelly Cafe for our breakfast. We timed things well for getting seated quickly before the crowds started showing up.

We all enjoyed our choices and were happy with this little spot tucked away from the main roads.

We had ordered a taxi to pick us up at 10:00 so that we could make it to a 10:30 AM church service. The taxi came after ten and we drove to the south of downtown Dublin to Grosvenor Road Baptist Church. The taxi had some mechanical issues but we made it to church on time.

The rain continued.

The sermon was taken from I Corinthians 1:18-2:5, True Spirituality, A Cross Centered Church.

The points covered were, The Message of the Cross, The People of the Cross and The Preacher of the Cross. Some points taken; “True wisdom of the cross does not meet the world’s expectations.” “Boast in the Lord-because all we have is because of Him.” “Simply preach the Word of God.” This service was also a Communion service so we ‘broke bread together’. The last song we sang together was ‘My Worth is Not in What I Own’.

It was good to be with fellow believers in Ireland.

After church our son arranged for an Uber to pick us up and take us to our Sunday Roast destination, The Old Spot east of downtown Dublin. We were early and ended up having a little walk around this neighborhood and the rain had died down for our stroll.

We all had our fill of food and we added two desserts to share. I know one was Sticky Toffee Pudding with the most lovely of sauces but I forgot what the second dessert was. Hmmm. From The Old Spot Josh ordered another Uber to take us to St. Patrick’s Cathedral where we would attend Evensong which would begin at 3:30pm.

The rain was coming down again so it was not easy to get some good photos of the outside of the cathedral.

The Choral Evensong was beautiful and moving in song with a special commemoration of the Battle of Britain (1940).

Shout out and thanks again to Laura who took so many great photos and put together collages on our stops each and every day!

We had one more indoor stop on this day with reservations for entry at 4:45. Another Uber transported us from St. Patrick’s Cathedral to The Guinness Storehouse. That will be another post.

Truth for Today #73

Thursday October 12th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

Ephesians 5:6-14

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

From Vera:

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭73‬:‭23‬-‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Marcus Ciderfest 2023

There is no Hodgepodge this week so it’s a good time to go back to our time at the Marcus Cider Fest this past Saturday and get caught up with what’s been happening around here recently.

Every October the little town of Marcus hosts a Cider Fest that is well attended. It starts with a parade on Saturday. This year the weather was so nice it seemed the attendees and cars in the parade doubled!

Granny Great and Jim rode in Jim’s car for the parade.

His car was so shiny that we could see our reflections!

Our kids entered our DIL’s Thunderbird in the car show.

Jamie created all the t-shirts. Dan’s said, It is her car but she lets me drive. Jamie’s shirt said, It is my car but I let him drive and the kids shirts said, What’s the Word? Thunderbird.

We enjoyed the parade with our Grands and then we walked about the craft stalls, bought a caramel apple and headed home for the day.

The last Saturday in September I attended our Women’s Retreat and one of the workshops I attended was on Hospitality and Flower Arranging.

This was my arrangement. Those flowers were spent after a week and I replaced them with these Dahlias I purchased at Trader Joe’s keeping the same filler greens.

Last in this catching up post are photos from our back acres showing some Fall color.

Speaking of Fall, we finally had conditions that allowed us to take care of our burn piles. Branches that fell throughout the year were gathered up and burned. We worked as a team and accomplished a lot on Tuesday.

It’s been good to catch up with many of your blogs.

We are praying for Israel and the conflict on that side of the world. So distressed at how prisoners of war have been treated in such a barbaric and inhumane way. I can’t even imagine the sadness, terror and grief of losing loved ones in this way and the feelings of despair while huddled in a bomb shelter.

Borrowing the verses that Joyce shared on her blog.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day” Psalm 46:1-5

Dublin Day Two ~ Tour Part Four

Our last stop of the day on Saturday September 16th before heading back to Dublin was the city of Belfast.

We enjoyed the little we saw of Belfast.

We popped into the Magnificent Margot and had an enjoyable time in the upbeat and friendly atmosphere. We joined a local couple at a table and had an enjoyable conversation with them.

The Belfast Boer war memorial takes the form of a statue of a private of the Regiment in khaki uniform, with topee and puttees, with a rifle and fixed bayonet at the ready. It lists 130 names of the officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the Royal Irish Rifles who were killed during the Second South African War that lasted from 1899 to 1902. The memorial was unveiled by Field Marshall Lord Grenfell in 1905.

There were several meaningful monuments around the City Hall, war memorials and a memorial to the lives lost on the Titanic.

The last work of sculptor Sir Thomas Brock and originally unveiled in the North of Donegall Square in 1920, this memorial was moved in 1960 to where it stands now. In white Carrera marble, the female figure of Death or Fate looks down at two sea nymphs rising from the waves, with the body of a drowned sailor in their arms. It was thought at the time that only 22 local people had died in the disaster and only the names of those victims are recorded on the original memorial. Their names are listed on two sides in order of rank upon the ship.

The Titanic was built in Belfast.

Created by the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, it was unveiled by her son, King Edward VII in 1903. Carved from Sicilian marble and standing 11 feet high, this memorial is accompanied on each side by life size bronze figures representing spinning and shipbuilding.

The birds have no respect for Queen Victoria or any other people memorialized in the statues.

 

Robert McMordie Statue at City Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland
The political position of Lord Mayor of Belfast dates back to 1613 when the Sovereign of Belfast received its charter as a town. This is one of four statues of famous Lord Mayors on the grounds of the Belfast City Hall. The sculpture by Frederick Pomeroy is a tribute to Robert James McMordie. He held the post from 1910 until his unexpected death during his fifth year in 1914.

The Belfast War Memorial is in the form of a cenotaph (a memorial to those who are buried elsewhere) with the backdrop of a colonnade. The memorial was unveiled on Armistice Day 11 November 1929. It was designed by Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas and constructed by W J Campbell from 1925 to 1927.

Several days after we were here our daughter Katie and hubby Andrew reached Belfast on their small tour and stayed in the hotel directly behind this memorial.

From this stop we boarded the bus for our trip back to Dublin. We had one ‘convenience’ stop off the motorway on our trip back. Dropped off along the River Liffey in Dublin we decided to walk to The Church Cafe for our evening meal. This was a great find I learned about by watching podcasts of places to visit in Dublin. I’ll share more about this Cafe in a post of it’s own.

Sláinte!

Dublin Day Two ~ Tour Part Three

On the road in Northern Ireland Laura captured these great country scenes.

On Saturday September 16th, the third and longest stop of our tour day was at The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.

Laura was able to capture shots that made it look like we weren’t surrounded by hundreds of people!

On the road down. You can see the line of people headed down in front of us.

There were as many people behind us, too. This was a very popular place to visit.

The Giant’s Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. It is made up of some 40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out of the sea. The dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland. Geological studies of these formations over the last 300 years have greatly contributed to the development of the earth sciences, and show that this striking landscape was caused by volcanic activity.

 

Josh and Laura were more sure footed than Greg and me. They went to some heights. We stayed closer to solid ground. We all decided on taking the bus back to the top and to our tour bus when we were done seeing what we wanted to see.

Our next stop on this day would be Belfast for a very short stop.

I want to mention again the beautiful sunshine and blue skies we were able to enjoy at these stops, glorious!

Here, O My Lord, I See You Face to Face ~ Hymn

Here, O My Lord, I See You Face to Face

Here, O my Lord, I see you face to face,
Here would I touch and handle things unseen,
Here grasp with firmer hand eternal grace,
And all our weariness upon you lean.

Here would I feed upon the bread of God,
Here drink with Thee the royal cup of heaven;
Here would I lay aside each earthly load,
Here taste afresh the calm of sin forgiven.

I have no help but Thine, nor do I need
Another arm save Thine to lean upon;
It is enough, my Lord, enough indeed
My strength is in Thy might, Thy might alone

Mine is the sin, but Thine the righteousness,
Mine is the guilt, but Thine the cleansing blood;
Here is my robe, my refuge and my peace
Thy blood, Thy righteousness, O Lord, my God. Amen

Words: Horatius Bonar