A more refined form of Boat Race

Oxford and Cambridge lining up at the start of the annual Boat Race - Oxford (closest to the camera) taking it out in the end by a length or two.

M

In search of the Corrs, to be sure to be sure

Last Friday evening we dashed away from work and within an hour or two we were in Dublin, trying to get a taste of the city in 2 days. Yes, a "city break" - that great OE institution where you try and see a city in a weekend and end up seeing the church, the unusual statue in the square, the museum and the "quaint local restaurant" before getting back on the plane.

What to do that was, well, Irish? Well it was Dublin, so one of our early stops was Ireland's #1 tourist destination - the Guinness Storehouse, now an impressive conceptual space dedicated to the art of brewing the black stuff. Indoor waterfalls and huge vats of barley featured (together with a complimentary pint of Guinness from the bar on the 7th floor). I've decided that it does actually taste slightly better than liquid Marmite - my previous firmly held impression.

Also a required stop was Kilmainham Gaol - which housed the leaders of the Irish Republican movement in 1916 (and in which they were ultimately executed) - very sobering and quite a contrast to the Guinness visit.

OK so we did visit a church - the Christ Church Cathedral. However, as well as the usual cathedral offerings, Christ Church displays a mummified cat and mouse which were found in an organ pipe in the 1850s - bet that cat rued the day he chased that mouse in there.

Following our tourist trail around the city we headed to Temple Bar later for some Irish music and the bar scene, via an Irish storyteller over dinner and some good old Irish stew. I suspect Shaun was secretly hoping he might see one of the Corr sisters wandering around Dublin by night but if they were there, they were hiding.

The next morning we were up early and out of the city on a mini tour south of Dublin through the mountains and lakes of Ireland's prime film-making district - County Wicklow - as well as being the source of all that pure Guinness water and (apparently) the home of Daniel Day-Lewis. He must have been spending his weekend wherever the Corrs were.

We spent some time wandering through Glendalough - a beautiful 10th century monastery complex in a secluded valley, in surprisingly good repair. Lovely to be outside in the sunshine and the trees!

M

Bavaria Baby!

The Second May Bank Holiday Weekend was a chance for an adventure in za German countryside with some friends, Angus and Jamie.

The only way to do it was in style - Bavarian Motor Works style (thanks to a complimentary upgrade from Hertz) ...

With the Beamer we were able to dominate the Autobahns and even slip across the border into Austria and back again.

In amongst the mountains there are some impressive man made sites as well as natural ones, including the Eagle's Nest built as a birthday present for Hitler. Entry is via a tunnel built into the mountainside and then up in an elevator through the inside of the mountain, opening inside the evil lair on the ridge line.

We finished our trip in Munich, sampling the local brew and bratwurst but also being reminded of some of Hitler's horrors at Dachau.
After packing all of this in there was just enough time for a spot of local delicacy shopping before leaving.

S