After arriving in Dublin on Aer Lingus we jumped on the express bus to Belfast where we dropped bags at our favorite Tara Lodge and then explored the University area on a hot day with students enjoying the sun. We spent a good deal of time in the Ulster Museum and the original Victorian Greenouse and a new Tropical Conservatory.
We flew to Glasgow and explored for a day before taking the train to Carlisle. Glasgow is a modern, bustling city with interesting pedestrianized downtown shopping. It cured me of my fears derived from Ewan MacColl singing about the "pool halls of Govan," although I understand it still has the highest murder rate in Britain. In the west of downtown is the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum that we explored.
We had a second stay in Glasgow after our Hebrides visit, which gave us a chance to wander east to visit the Glasgow Cathedral and associated museum.
And after we flew back to Dublin, we spent a little more time wandering in a city we both know fairly well. The only new experience was visiting EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum with multimedia presentations and interesting personal stories of the Irish who left their homeland.
River Liffey














