Ireland/London/Belgium

Ireland

Hotel: Blooms located in the Temple Bar area in Dublin. Good central location, walking distance to many sights and also a few blocks from the Ireland day tours. This hotel has an attached Irish pub, VAT House, featuring lots of food and drink items as well as live music in the evenings.

Dublin
Guinness Storehouse, a brewery that has a 7-story museum and is one of the icons in Dublin. Lots of information about the creation of Guinness drink, and there is also a seminar where you learn the proper way to pour a Guinness like the bartenders do. At the top is an observation deck, with 360 degree views of Dublin and a bar.


Dublin Castle. The state rooms are beautiful and their historical elegance is preserved. There is also a green garden behind the castle.


Trinity College, one of Ireland's premier universities.


Ireland Countryside
Outside Dublin is where you truly experience the charm of Ireland. Joined a bus tour to visit the Cliffs of Moher and several sites in between the Cliffs and Dublin. It was a mostly sunny day, unusual for Ireland. Outside Dublin, Ireland is like I imagined: green, lots of small towns with country homes. The Cliffs of Moher is one of Ireland's most spectacular sights, and were featured in several movies such as Harry Potter.

London

Most of my time in London was for a travelers conference, consisting of a happy hour, the London City airport tour, wine tasting, and a gala.

I flew into London City airport from Dublin, and attended a group tour. London City is a small airport and its name speaks for itself - the airport is near the City of London. The tour included going out to the runways, watching planes land and takeoff, and a tour of the private jet terminal.


Hotel: Andaz Liverpool and Hyatt Regency Churchill. The Andaz has a free minibar, rare in hotels. Andaz is intended to be a "hip" hotel, similar to Kimpton. The Churchill is one of the most luxurious hotels I have stayed at, and is close to many London attractions.

Hyde Park, with some trees showing fall colors.

Belgium

Traveled to Belgium via Eurostar. This high speed train travels between London and Brussels in around 2 hours. The train goes through the Channel Tunnel, under the English Channel.

Bruges
Hotel: Academie Hotel, located within 15 minutes walk to the train station and within 10 minutes walk to the main sites in Bruges. The hotel provides chocolates each day, a representative of Belgium.

Bruges is the Venice of Belgium (also referred to the Venice of the North), thanks to its canals and bridges. Bruges is pedestrian friendly and many sites are close together. Bruges is beautiful during the day and also at night when the buildings light up. Bruges is busy with visitors in the day and quiet at night when many tourists leave.



Canal boat ride, a 30 minute overview of the highlights of Bruges.



Historium, a multi-media presentation of Bruges in the 15th century. You go through several rooms, each designed to represent a historical scene from medieval Bruges. There is also an outdoor deck with panoramic views of the Market Square.


Memling Museum, an old hospital featuring medical instruments and artwork.


Chocolate Museum, which tells the story and history about chocolate, Belgium's tasty export. Chocolate has been used as a form of worship (by Mayans and Aztecs), medicine, currency, and of course a delicious snack. There is a particular method and recipe for making Belgium chocolate (requires a higher concentration of cocoa). There is also a demonstration room, where they show how to make chocolates and you get to sample some chocolate as well. Tip: for your health's sake, visit this museum right after breakfast or lunch when you're not hungry.


Diamond Museum, which is about the history of diamonds, the process in making diamond stones, and Bruges role in making diamonds. Highlights of this museum are the lab area where you get hands on experience with diamond characteristics (such as brightness, color, shape, and cut) and the diamond show where they demonstrate how to turn a rough diamond stone into a shiny jewel. Check the website for the diamond show times and schedule your museum visit based on the show times.


Brussels
Hotel: Royal Windsor Hotel Grand Place, a two minute walk to a train station and five minute walk to Grand Place.

Grand Place, a major tourist destination and the highlight of Brussels. The Grand Place served as a fort and marketplace. Today, it is mostly shops, restaurants, hotels, and the Museum of Brussels.


Royal Palace in Brussels