mamkmm2

Wish I had known that I could halve my packing list and still have an extremely comfortable experience. That some people's "must haves" are other people's clutter and that it takes experience to differentiate between the two.

 

It is great fun to do a lot of research on ports prior to embarkation day ... but you don't have to bring all of those research resources with you. Cut and paste or type what you need into an inclusive document and then keep it, along with all of your other papers and tickets, in a secure folder that you can easily access from your carry on.

 

Pickpockets exist and aren't just in Charles Dickens novels.

 

Always bring at least one more rubber band or hair clip than you think you are going to need. It never fails that the last one snaps when you need it most.

That people all over the world are friendly and a lot of US citizens are snobs who look down on the rest of the world. Know and practice where the life jackets are stored and how to get to the lifeboats. We had a flood once and my first thought is, "Its 3 steps to the closet on the left and bottom right. Ge one fo me and 1 for wife." The reason people panic is because they don't learn it. Don't smuggle booze. It can land you in jail some places and why would someone try to cheat the Cruise line out of $10? Stupid!!

 

No! No! I'm listening. It just takes me a minute to process so much stupid at once....... Sheldon Cooper

 

Blanket statements are never helpful and rarely true. I've never been to a location where a nationality was all one thing or the other. Cultural norms, social pressures, weather, geography, etc. all play a part in everyone's perceptions of those around them. France is a lovely country and there are some lovely people, but enough visitors have experienced the snobbery and nationalistic venom that some people feel free to show in Paris that it stained the reputation of the entire country to the point of being a stereotype.

 

By and large I have found most Italians to be warm and fun-loving people ... most of the type. For some however, their warmth translates to a very "hot" temper which spills over quite frequently.

 

Americans get in a "mode" and are irritated when distracted from it. What I mean by that is when, in general, an American is in "work mode" and someone tries to get their attention they may not be well-received or may find that person's behavior odd and standoffish. We also expect a lot of our service staff including ... including speed and timeliness, two traits not always considered a priority in other cultures.

 

Then there are regional differences. Large, densely populated urban centers during the work day are going to be more stressful and less "friendly." Rural areas can be suspicious of strangers ... and possibly with good reason. The suburbs are generally not tourist mecas and people are cautious of unknown elements operating near their families.

 

Go to an area that exists solely due to tourism and more than likely you will get a completely different experience.

 

Everyone is different. Sometimes those differences are minor and sometimes they are large enough to be insurmountable. But calling an entire group of people one thing or the other is a good way to miss facets of the people and/or culture that could be enlightening.

I just discovered packing cubes and they have made packing so much easier that it is unreal. At least for me and the type of clothes I have packed. The set I have also work well with the type of luggage we have. For $36 on Amazon I got a set of eight in a brand that has already been through multiple trips and still look like new, including the zippers. And they come in multiple colors so it would be easy to identify either multiple types of items or multiple people's belongings.

 

I used to use compression bags, the ones that all you had to do was roll them to get the air out. The problem wasn't so much that they wrinkled the clothes excessively ... that's what wrinkle release is for ... but that the bags themselves were wrinkled and hard after being compressed. It made for a lot of wasted space in the luggage. And the resulting shape wasn't always convenient for the luggage I was taking.

 

Where compression bags beat packing cubes is when you have to take a large bulky item like a heavy coat or ski/snow pants. Normally if I need a coat I just carry it on but that isn't always convenient.

 

Just my experience and I'm sure others will differ.

It might depend on what your itinerary is. On the Sapphire Princess in Alaska hardly anyone used the Sanctuary. A friend of mine did a Princess ship in the Caribbean and she said the Sanctuary saved her sanity as there were some really unruly kids that ran all over the ship. We are doing the Caribbean Princess for the British Isles in July and I can't imagine needing it as out of 12 nights we only have two at sea days due to the itinerary being very port intensive.

I live in Tampa and this is what I would suggest for you:

 

Stay at the Downtown Courtyard Marriott. They have a free shuttle that will take you to Ybor City and a lot of the areas that you would want to go. When you want to return to the hotel, you just call. I believe it will take you anywhere within 5 miles of the hotel. Anywhere that it doesn't go, take Uber. The Uber prices here are great and you can get most places for under $10. You can also walk to many downtown restaurants from that area. I love Taps for a good beer or glass of wine on the patio and Anise Gastrobar and it's about a block from the hotel. There is also a park and a riverwalk in that area as well as the Straz center theater.

 

If you stay by the airport, It's all chain restaurants and basically a mall type area. It is nothing special.

 

Additional areas to check out:

Hyde Park - high end shopping and dining and beautiful historic homes (Bern's is located here)

Bayshore Boulevard - amazing waterfront homes and a great place to walk and people watch

 

Hope this helps! Let me know if you need more Tampa tips!:)

 

Excellent advice. I would add that Tampa is just huge ... the entire Hillsborough County area is which makes everything very spread out. Renting a car gives you the most flexibility because. Decide what you want to focus on ... food, museums, culture, history theme park, or physical activities or ... or ... or ....

 

For beaches you are going to need to cross one of the bridges to go to St. Pete, Clearwater, or Sarasota area.

 

Columbia is a great way to experience traditional Cuban cuisine but it can be busy at certain times ... sometimes all the time ... so get reservations. If you are looking for a little hole in the wall place that has been around forever, try Broccatos Sandwich Shop. Run by the same family for over 50 years. Little pricey by some standards but you will not get a bad meal there but be prepared for it to be busy as heck and out of the usual tourist areas.

 

Lots of nifty little museums in the area ... downtown, Ybor City, MOSI over off of Fowler Ave near USF, etc. Then there is the Dali museum but that is again across the bridge.

 

You want to walk? Bayshore Blvd. Wikipedia gives a succinct description: Bayshore Boulevard is a waterfront road on Hillsborough Bay in South Tampa, Florida. Located south of downtown Tampa, its sidewalk, claimed to be the longest continuous sidewalk in the world at 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long, is 10 feet (3.0 m) wide and is widely used for recreation and exercise. The 3-mile (4.8 km) bike lane, a linear park, and the Bayshore Greenway Trail provide scenic views of urban Tampa and the water. Many large and historic homes line the road, as well as business including the Colonnade (restaurant), a historic seafood restaurant established in 1935. The Gasparilla Children's parade is held on a section of the road.

 

There are a couple of trendy, cool restaurants downtown or between downtown and the University of Tampa. Oxford Exchange is the name of one such place, just call for reservations as they can get very busy.

Anytime dining is about all we would want even with the wait. That way a later day in port doesn't have you rushing back to the ship just to eat dinner at your assigned time. Of course we are very flexible ... sometimes we eat in the dining room, sometimes the buffet, sometimes in port, and sometimes frankly we are so stuffed that the idea of dinner is fairly nauseating so we either get something light via room service or skip it all together.

Traditional dining does have its perks but for our preference, it is just too restrictive.

Thanks for the clarification John. Thank you John. Glad to clear up some of the mixed messages I was getting. Especially about the 1 day only HOHO with the London Pass. Saves a lot of frustration.

For Normandy we booked with Overlord Tours, in particular tour #9B.

 

http://www.overlordtour.com/

The season started in Guernsey on Friday, with the Amadea from its round South America cruise and the Azura southbound on Saturday.

 

If you would like to get an idea of the liners in Guernsey you can have a look at my blog, http://guernseyliners.blogspot.com/

 

This season see's a easier climb from the tender pontoon in St Peter Port.

 

Hope you all enjoy your visit, the round the island bus ride gets very crowded with queues at busy time.

 

The walks in the higher levels of St Peter Port gives good views out over the east coast.

 

Nigel

 

Thank you for the link to your blog.

Sorry. but I have no idea what you are talking about with this "purse value" or "fast track" stuff. I'd appreciate it if you could clarify it better. Or provide a link to something that explains it more clearly. We are going to only have 1 full day in London post cruise and plan to use the original HoHo bus to see as much as we can squeeze in.

 

If you are only using the HOHO then you can ignore me. LOL. Basically a lot of people purchase the London Pass to go along with a day in London because it is like a one-card ticket to multiple venues. One of the perks of the London Pass is it also comes with a HOHO ticket but not from The Original HOHO Company.

 

Like I said, if you aren't going to use the London Pass, ignore what I posted. But if you are interested in how it works you can go to https://www.londonpass.com/how-it-works/

 

A couple of questions in it explains what "purse value" is for the London Pass.

 

ETA: A lot of coincidence ... we are from Tampa as well.

Those fancy packing lists for first time cruisers are lovely ... but not something to be followed like religion. Trust me. I felt like an idiot on my first cruise ... it was to Alaska ... and we wound up not needing a good deal of what I thought would be a necessity.

 

If you wouldn't take it on a regular ... e.g., non-cruise ... vacation then don't bother with it on a cruise. The lighter you pack, the freer you will feel. It might mean a load of laundry at some point during your vacation but that is SOP these days for many because of the bag restrictions the airlines have.

 

Wash delicates in the bathroom sink and hang them in the shower to drip dry. Spritz them with some wrinkle remover and you are good to go. Slacks can be lightweight cargo or rip-stop material and style and can be worn multiple times. Even if you are going to a cool location you can layer certain types of lightweight fabrics to be quite warm. Stuff like that I had to learn the hard way, feeling silly all along the way.

Lighter is better. The more you pack, the more you have to unpack and then repack at the end of the cruise. Some cruise lines have laundries where you can do a load as needed. Wash dainties out and hang them in the shower or blow them dry. LOL

 

Hubby and I soooooo overpacked for our first cruise to Alaska. Oh ... my ... word. Someone could have made a cartoon out of us. Two LARGE suitcases that looked like duffle bags on wheels. A third suitcase just for shoes and coats. Then there were our carry ons. I swore never ... never ever ... again.

 

Vacation in general and cruising specifically should mean remembering to have fun. I even overpacked on our next cruise to Cozumel ... it was only a four day cruise and we both still had a piece of luggage each. Bah!

 

If you have time to watch a youtube vid on the subject, Rick Steves has a good one on packing light. Worth a watch in my opinion.

 

[YOUTUBE]kn65riaKccA[/YOUTUBE]

I think everyone has their own preferred style. I know people that inhale the food off of their plate and I know people who chew their food for a long time before swallowing and then chase it with a few sips of their beverage before going for the next bite.

 

For a first cruise I would give many of the various opportunities a try ... two top table, group, buffet, room service. Find out which one suits you best and then tailor that one as closely as you can. Then just stay flexible because ... well because life happens and sometimes it happens and you're pleasantly surprised by the unexpected.

 

One of the reasons why the cruise lines are more varied in their eating opportunities than they were in the past is because their clientele has been changing. Once upon a time any-time dining would have been unthinkable, showing up to dinner in anything less that extremely formal would have been a horrible faux pax. Nowadays not so much though you still have a few die hards and that's fine too.

 

I wouldn't sweat it all that much, you'll find your groove. And it might even change from cruise to cruise and from cruise line to cruise line. It's all good as long as you try and keep your eye on the positives.

There are a couple of different HOHO bus companies in London from what I'm seeing. The two primary companies appear to be "The Original" HOHO bus company and the one that comes with the London Pass. I looked at the reviews of both of these companies and "The Original" seemed to have a higher rate of customer satisfaction.

 

Here's what we are doing and why:

 

1. We are purchasing the 2-Day London Pass with an Oyster card.

 

2. We are purchasing 48 hour "The Original" HOHO bus passes rather than relying on the one that comes with the London Pass which comes with a Thames tour, just like the London Pass.

 

Why is because the London Pass comes with a "purse value" for each duration amount. For example a 2-Day London Pass for an adult has a purse value of 205 GBP. The HOHO bus value is listed as 22 GBP and for two days that would be 44 GBP although I've also been told it only works for one day so it is a little grey. Say basically you have a purse value of 205, minus 44 for the two days of the HOHO bus, that leaves you with 161 GBP of value on your Pass to spend over a two day period.

 

Now most people might not use that much but it isn't really that hard to do:

 

Tower of London 22 GBP

Thames River Boat Cruise 18 GBP

Westminster Abbey 20 GBP

Kensington Palace 15 GBP

Globe Theater 15 GBP

The Monument 4 GBP

London Bicycle tour 24 GBP

Take in a show at one of the Curzon's at night 14 GBP

London Bridge Experience 27 GBP

 

And that leaves 2 pounds of value. If you want to do two nights of shows at the Curzon then you give up something else. Either way, your Pass is no longer valid if you use your purse value before your pass expires time wise.

 

It is just a matter of math and how much you intend on using the card. If you are only going to use it to get into a couple of places ... maybe the Fast Track specific ones ... then probably not a big deal but we plan to use it quite a bit starting first bus of the morning and not stopping until late in the day.

 

I only mention this because some people don't realize there is a purse value limit on the Pass.

I am glad that you're so excited but the Caribbean Princess has the British Isles cruise on July 7 and 19 but not on July 17. It would be a shame if you got there 10 days late or 2 days early. Have a great cruise.

 

Robert

 

LOL. Yeah, I know the correct date. My fingers just didn't get the message. :D

Thank you so much for sharing that photo. It is really pretty!

This will be our third cruise and first trip ever to Europe. I'm so excited I can't stand it. LOL! Though we have traveled extensively in the USofA.

 

Hubby and I spend a lot of time enjoying the anticipation before a trip and part of that is researching the various places we go and want to do. To us it makes for a more relaxing experience once vacation time does begin.

Our first cruise ever was to Alaska in 2013 on Princess. This after many years of my husband saying he would never cruise. We extended our cruise with a land package as well as a few days on our own even before that. What an eye opener as far as cruising goes. It gave us a taste for it though we've only done one cruise since with one coming this summer.

 

We are youngish - I'm turning 50 this summer - and still have kids at home so for us cruising remains a "special occasion only for the two of us" deal. Yes, we could take the kids with us but only if we didn't do anything the rest of the year. When we say we have kids I mean we have five plus a son in law and soon to have grandchild so you can see the expense involved for a family cruise. Our youngest is 12 and four of them still live at home.

 

That said we do want to go back to Alaska but it will be a few years yet after we get more cruising experience. Last summer we went to Cozumel on Carnival ... won't be doing that again, or at least not that itinerary. We're from Florida, we've got better beaches within 15 minutes of our home and a pool in the backyard. LOL When we cruise we want something different from what we get practically every day.

 

This summer we are doing the British Isles with several days on our own beforehand for London and Paris. The itinerary is a bit better ... fewer "at sea" days and lots more ports to get off in and explore. Again this is with Princess.

 

Will we do Alaska again? Yep. Some day. Will we do it the same way we did it the first time? Probably not. We'll cruise but the excursions will be different and we'll try an itinerary with a minimum number of "at sea" days. We are the type of travelers that prefer "doing" in port than "relaxing" on board. LOL

Here are some of the resources that I've been using to plan our day in St. Peter Port. Thought I would share and maybe save someone some time and/or work.

 

Websites:

http://www.visitguernsey.com/st-peter-port

http://www.visitguernsey.com/cruise-visitors

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g551622-St_Peter_Port_Guernsey_Channel_Islands-Vacations.html

http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=547

https://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Guernsey/Saint_Peter_Port-733193/TravelGuide-Saint_Peter_Port.html

http://www.chriscruises.com/2013/09/ten-things-to-do-in-st-peter-port-guernsey-channel-islands/

 

Maps:

http://www.mapquest.com/great-britain/st-peter-port-282409004

http://www.guernseyharbours.gov.gg/article/103073/Maps-of-St-Peter-Port-Harbour

 

Self-guiding walks of St. Peter Port:

http://www.visitguernsey.com/tasty-walks

I found the maps and audio (that you can download to your smart phone and play as you walk) very useful. Tasty Walk 2 is the one that I'm most focused on for this port.

 

Very cool virtual tour of St. Peter Port:

http://www.destination360.com/europe/uk/guernsey-saint-peter-port/virtual-tour

 

There's a youtube channel by a gentleman named Vic who has done all sorts of vids of St. Peter Port. He's fond of boats and tends to talk a lot but he does provide some information. Below is his youtube on Cornet Castle

 

[YOUTUBE]GOrmbENIT3s[/YOUTUBE]

 

For a broader look at the island of Guernsey this is a pretty good vid:

 

[YOUTUBE]umLE6rt09GY[/YOUTUBE]

You ladies are a true hoot with your practicality and willingness to answer. LOL.

 

For those of us who must be kin to both Sasquatch and Rapunzel somewhere along the line ... meaning that we get hairy fast ... five o'clock shadow on our legs on a daily basis fast ... some of the hair care products on the market run from us in fear. Seriously, band saws and sling blades come to mind when it comes to the hair on my legs. Age is only modifying that a wee little bit.

 

For years I had to use a man's razor blade because one use with a woman's and it was done for ... or I was, with multiple nicks and cuts. They now make a woman's razor with five blades, just like the male version, only it has that nifty stuff around the blade that seems to be like silicon grease to help the razor pass smoothly over your skin. I can actually go two or three days between shavings now. ROFL!

 

Anyway, I had to laugh when I saw the topic as it is one that I've had to deal with since hitting puberty. Thank goodness hubby doesn't mind the natural look though it did take him a while to get used to what he calls "piranha legs" in the night. LOL We compromised when I told him to if he didn't get funny about my legs I wouldn't razz him about his mustache and fast growing beard. Ahhhh ... detent.

Here's my opinion as a relatively new cruiser ... first cruise was to Alaska in 2013 on board Princess, second cruise was last year to the Caribbean on Carnival, and this this year we are going to the British Isles once again on Princess.

 

Balcony will depend on how many "at sea" days and how many ports. Our first two cruises we both had balconies. We really appreciated the balcony for Alaska. The balcony on Carnival for the Caribbean was just kinda there as it was a last minute sale type thing and it was cheap, cheap, cheap and it kept us away from the crowds of 20 and 30 somethings that seemed to drink and party 24/7. That experience has limited our desire to cruise in Carnival much in the future despite being from Florida and I'm still in my 40s.

 

We booked an OV for the BIs. Why you ask? Because we are in port 10 out of 12 of the days of the cruise. I'm not paying for a balcony if it isn't going to get used all that much.

 

So, think of it as a balancing act ... only pay for what you will truly utilize. Paying for a balcony is a bit like bringing a tux if you don't intend on going to formal dining nights or packing too many clothes period. Just pay for what you need and you'll have money left to do other things.

I posted this on our roll call and thought someone else down the road might find it useful. I haven't completely fleshed it out but it has good bones. Our cruise is going to be in port 1 pm - 11 pm which doesn't give a lot of time for a walking tour before close of business but it's something. We'll be taking in a show and dinner in the evening, others may wish to do a "pub crawl" or something similar.

Barring finding some better way to do this, the following is what is on our agenda for Dublin. If, as we walk, we find some of the stops to be outside of our interest we'll just give it a casual look and keep going. I need to get a good history book on Dublin, or find a good website, so I can pick out things to attach to our self-guided walking tour. On some of the items below I've included a website (or two); it should give you some information on it. I haven't quite finished everything but hopefully this will help someone out there.

Also, just for kicks and giggles for those of us that enjoy a good penny pinching, you can check out [url]http://travel.usnews.com/Dublin_Ireland/Things_To_Do/Free/[/url] for free things to do in Dublin.

Also, I didn't make this up myself, but found it on multiple websites about Dublin. I did however, add the websites and a few bits and pieces here and there. About.com does a version of this that is wordier than what I have below but it gives more on the starting area of O'Connell's Bridge at [url]http://goireland.about.com/od/dublinandleinster/ss/walkdublin.htm[/url]

Not included in the walking tour below is St. Stephen's Green shopping center (or mall). At the about.com link they have a picture of the inside of this place and ... just wow. LOL! My understanding is anyone needing ATMs can find them at the shopping center and/or at the Bank of Ireland which is stop number one in the walking tour.

There's also a brief article on O'Connell Street worth reading:
[url]http://goireland.about.com/od/dublincityandcounty/gr/oconnellstreet.htm[/url]

For more places to visit you can try: [url]http://www.dublinplacestovisit.com/[/url]

--------------------------------------

[B]Dublin Walks: The Old City[/B]
[I]With emphasis on Dublin’s glorious past, this walk covers the principal historic sites just south of the river’s expansive O’Connell Bridge.[/I]
Starts: College Green – Bank of Ireland building
Finish: Stephen’s Green
Time: Allow at least 3 hours, not including stopping

[B]Bank of Ireland, College Green[/B]
[url]http://www.dublintourist.com/details/bank-of-ireland-former-parliament-house-colle.shtml[/url]
The prestigious offices of Ireland’s national bank began life as the first purpose-built parliament house in Europe. Completed in 1739 it served as Ireland’s Parliament until the Act of Union in 1801. Today, attendants lead tours that point out the coffered ceiling and oak paneling. [I]Across the street is one of Dublin’s best known landmarks:[/I]

[B]Trinity College[/B]
[url]http://www.tcd.ie/[/url]
[url]http://www.tcd.ie/Library/bookofkells/[/url]
[url]http://historymedren.about.com/od/bookofkell1/p/book_of_kells.htm[/url]
Founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth. Among many famous students to attend the college were playwrights Oliver Goldsmith and Samuel Beckett. Trinity’s lawns and cobbled quads provide a pleasant haven in the hearth of the city. The major attractions are the Old Library and the Book of Kells, housed in the Treasury. [I]Exit form the front of the Trinity complex and walk from College Green to Dame St and Continue west passing:[/I]

[B]The Olympia Theatre[/B]
[url]http://www.olympia.ie/[/url]
[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympia_Theatre_(Dublin[/url])
Dating back to the 1800s, this Victorian music hall-style theatre has a capacity of 1,300. It presents an eclectic schedule of variety shows, musicals, operettas, concerts, ballet, comedy, and drama. As a variation, for the late-night crowd, live bands are often featured after regular programs. [I]Across the Street is Dublin’s:[/I]

[B]City Hall[/B]
[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Hall,_Dublin[/url]
Erected between 1769 and 1779, and formerly the Royal Exchange. It is a square building in Corinthian style, with three fronts of Portland stone. Since 1852, however it has been the centre of the municipal government. The interior is designed as a circle within a square, with fluted columns supporting a dome shaped roof over the central hall. The building contains many items of interest, including 102 royal charters and the mace and sword of the city. [I]Adjacent to City Hall is:[/I]

[B]Dublin Castle[/B]
[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_Castle[/url]
[url]http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/dublin/dublincastle/[/url]
[url]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186605-d214882-Reviews-Dublin_Castle-Dublin_County_Dublin.html[/url]
Built between 1208 and 1220, this complex represents some of the oldest surviving architecture in the city. Highlights include the 13th-century record tower, the largest visible fragment of the original Norman castle and the State Apartments, once the residence of viceroys and now the focal point for government ceremonial functions, including the inauguration of Ireland’s presidents. [I]At this point Dame St takes on the name Lord Edward St, and leads to:[/I]

[B]Christ Church Cathedral[/B]
[url]http://christchurchcathedral.ie/[/url]
[url]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186605-d214879-Reviews-Christ_Church_Cathedral-Dublin_County_Dublin.html[/url]
Standing on high ground in the oldest part of the city, this cathedral is one of Dublin’s finest historic buildings. It dates back to 1038 when Sitric, the then Danish king of Dublin, built the first wood here. In 1171 the original simple foundation was extended into a cruciform and rebuilt in stone by Strongbow, although the present structure dates mainly from 1871 to 1878 when a huge restoration was undertaken. Only the transepts, the crypt, and a few other portions date from the medieval times. Highlights of the interior include magnificent stonework and graceful pointed arches, with delicately chiselled supporting columns. Strongbow himself is among the historic figures buried in the church. See Churches Section for details. [I]Across the Street in the former Synod Hall you can visit:[/I]

[B]Dublinia[/B]
[url]http://www.dublinia.ie/[/url]
[url]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186605-d214887-Reviews-Dublinia_Experience_Viking_and_Medieval_Dublin-Dublin_County_Dublin.html[/url]
The Dublinia exhibition covers the formative period of Dublin’s history from the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in 1170 to the closure of the monasteries in the 1540s.There are many exhibits here which include videos, models and reconstructions. The ground floor houses a large scale model of Dublin around 1500, a display of artefacts from Wood Quay, and reconstructions. See Museums section for details. [I]Turn onto Winetavern St towards the River Liffey in front on Dublinia and you will come to:[/I]

[B]Wood Quay[/B]
[url]http://www.woodquayvenue.ie/[/url]
[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_Quay[/url]
Although today you will see a modern office complex, the home of the Dublin City Council Civic Offices, this was the site of the original Viking city in Dublin. During recent excavations, before the offices were built, archaeological digs revealed the layout, houses, walls, and quay of Dublin as they existed in the 9th and 11th centuries. Return back up Winetavern St, turn right onto High St. On the right are two St. Audeon’s churches, one Protestant and one Catholic both sitting beside a portion of the old city walls. [I]Next is the:[/I]

[B]Cornmarket[/B]
Dates from the 13th century when it was an important trade and open market site on the west end of the old city. Nothing remains of the original cornmarket except the name. As a slight detour, turn right and walk down Bridge St towards the river. [I]At the lower end of Bridge St you will see:[/I]

[B]The Brazen Head[/B]
[url]http://brazenhead.com/[/url]
[url]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186605-d189057-Reviews-The_Brazen_Head-Dublin_County_Dublin.html[/url]
This dates back to 1198 and is reputed to be the city’s oldest pub. Stroll back up Bridge St (after an optional drink) to the cornmarket. [I]A detour across the main thoroughfare will bring you to:[/I]

[B]Francis St[/B]
This is known as Dublin’s antiques row because of its abundance of fine antique shops. Return to High St, walk along the opposite side of the street in an east direction. [I]Take the cutoff for Back lane and here is:[/I]

[B]Tailors Hall[/B]
[url]http://www.antaisce.org/properties/tailors-hall-back-lane-dublin-8[/url]
[url]http://www.dublinplacestovisit.com/tailors-hall/[/url]
Erected in 1706, one of the few remaining Queen Anne buildings in the city and Dublin’s oldest surviving guildhall. [I]This little lane ends at Patrick St; take a right and follow Patrick St south to:[/I]

[B]St. Patrick’s Cathedral[/B]
[url]http://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/index.aspx[/url]
[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Patrick%27s_Cathedral,_Dublin[/url]
[url]https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186605-d188504-Reviews-Saint_Patrick_s_Cathedral-Dublin_County_Dublin.html[/url]
Ireland’s largest church was founded beside a sacred well where St. Patrick is said to have baptised converts around 450A.D. A stone slab bearing a Celtic cross and covering the well was un-earthed at the turn of the 20th century. It is now preserved in the west end of the cathedral’s nave. The original building was just a wooden chapel and remained so until 1192 when Archbishop John Comyn rebuilt the cathedral in stone. Much of the present building dates back to work completed between 1254 and 1270. [I]From Patrick Street, turn left onto Patrick’s Close and on the left is:[/I]

[B]Marsh’s Library[/B]
Founded in 1701 and the oldest public library in Ireland with books (more than 25,000) on theology, medicine, ancient history, law, science, maps, Hebrew, Syrian, Greek, Latin, and French literature dating back to 1472. [I]This street leads to Kevin St where you will see the:[/I]

[B]Kevin St Garda Station (Police)[/B]
Formerly a medieval archbishop’s palace. Take a left and walk up Bridge St and take another right onto Golden Lane, so named in medieval times because goldsmiths were practiced here, which becomes Stephen’s St. [I]On Lower Stephens St, take a left onto South William St. On the right is:[/I]

[B]Dublin Civic Museum[/B]
This small museum, set in the former City Assembly House, depicts Dublin from Viking times to the 21st Century through paintings, photographs, old newspaper cuttings and an assortment of objects including from a 40 metre (134ft) high pillar with a statue of Nelson on top. [I]Across the street is:[/I]

[B]Powerscourt Town House Centre[/B]
The townhouse of a famous Georgian family. Today the building houses one of the cities nicest shopping centres. In the 1960′s major restoration turned it into a centre of specialist galleries, antique shops, jewellery stalls, cafés and other shop units. The centre can also be reached from Grafton Street down the narrow Johnson Court Alley. [I]On the opposite side of the street is:[/I]

[B]St. Teresa’s Church[/B]
Opened in 1810, this church is famed for its stained-glass windows. From St. Teresa’s side entrance, there is a side alley that leads directly onto Grafton St, Dublin’s principal shopping street, which you should turn left onto and walk up to St. Stephen’s Green.

[B]St. Stephen’s Green[/B]
[url]http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/Dublin/StStephensGreen/[/url]
[ENTRANCE FEE FOR GARDENS: Free. MUSEUM: HOURS OF OPERATION FOR GARDEN: Daily 9:30/10:30 to dusk. MUSEUM: ] St. Stephen’s Green was enclosed in 1664. The 9 hectare(22 acre) park was laid out in its present form in 1880. Landscaped with flowerbeds, trees, a fountain and a lake, the green is dotted with memorials to eminent Dubliners. The 1887 bandstand is still the focal point for free daytime concerts in summer.

Don't forget that with the London Pass you get "Fast Track" status for several of those attractions.

 

But fast or slow lines, expect crowds from what I understand. We are touching down in London on the 14th as well and will be there through the 19th but plan on a day in Paris as well as a day excursion to Dover Castle and the White Cliffs of Dover ... think Canterbury is in there also.

 

What I found while trying to schedule our days in London is that unlike here in the States attractions do not stay open much beyond 5:00 pm and even then sometimes "last entrance allowed" is even earlier. It has made scheduling things interesting to say the least. Sometimes you'll find that an attraction is open later but that's rare and normally restricted to say a Friday night.

 

Good luck, I think we'll both need it.

Oh fine. Yeah, I admit it. I'm one of those poor helpless souls that get lost at the drop of a hat. So trying to figure out all of those lines on the Tube map had my dyslexic brain in a tizzy.

 

Enter http://www.tubeplanner.com/search/result?from=Marble+Arch&to=King%27s+Cross+St.+Pancras&go=Go which I found I forget exactly how, but it involved multiple redirects on several different websites. LOL I played it safe and bookmarked it as soon as I found it.

 

You choose a starting point. Then you choose an end point. Hit search. Then it provides you with easy directions ... which line to take and where to make the transfer, how much time the route will take, and what fare zone you will be in/crossing. I feel much better about using the Tube with this thing to help me out.

I was in a panic a bit myself never having had to use a subway. Well, there was a couple of days in Washington, DC but that was years ago and it was mostly just to get into DC without having to use a car.

 

I found a pretty cool way to help me figure out the "Tube" in London.

 

http://www.tubeplanner.com/search/result?from=Marble+Arch&to=King%27s+Cross+St.+Pancras&go=Go

 

You choose a starting point and then you choose where you want to wind up. Press search and vavoom ... it figures out which lines you take, how much time it will take, what the fare zones are, which transfers at what stations, etc.

 

I much prefer trying to figure things out in advance than to wait until I actually have to step foot on the Tube. LOL

 

Hope this helps.