September 15-23, 2018 - London and Ireland

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw's daughters Jenny and Sarah and son-in-law Zak arrived at Heathrow on Saturday 15 September 2018 late-morning just in time to hand off their luggage to mom and dad.

Sarah, Zak and Jenny arrive at Heathrow Airport looking very good after an all night flight.

Next they headed off to Wembley Stadium to watch a Premier League Football (Soccer) match with Zak's favorite team, Liverpool versus Tottenham.  Since football is a serious sport here, they required Zak to change out of his Liverpool tee-shirt before entering the stadium as Wembley is Tottenham's home  field!

Premier League match Liverpool versus Totenham in Wembley Stadium.

While they were at the game, Jenny spotted Stephen Curry, point guard for the Golden State Warriors, seated in the center.  They obviously had good seats at the game.

While Jenny, Sarah and Zak went to the game, Elder and Sister Burkinshaw after dropping their suitcases at the Marriott had a "proper" hamburger at "Byron Proper Hamburgers."

Byron Proper Hamburgers restaurant which serves an excellent hamburger.  Sister Burkinshaw grew up in a small Wyoming town named Byron.

Sister Burkinshaw having her Byron "proper hamburger" complete with sweet potato fries!

London Sites

Jenny, Sister Burkinshaw, Sarah and Zak in front of the Hyde Park Chapel in London.

Jenny, Zak and Sarah in front of Buckingham Palace after a nice walk through Hyde Park with a short stop at the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. It was a beautiful day!

Sarah, Zak and Jenny on Westminster Bridge over the River Thames with the Palace of Westminster in the background. 

Sarah, Zak and Jenny on the Westminster bridge with Big Ben in the background. The name Big Ben is often used to describe the tower the clock and the bell but the name was first given to the Great Bell. The Elizabeth Tower, which stands at the north end of the House of Parliament, was completed in 1859 and the Great Clock started on May 31st, with the Great Bell's strikes heard for the first time on July 11th.  Big Ben  and the Elizabeth Tower, as you can see from the scaffolding, is being refurbished and is closed until 2021.

Zak, Sarah and Jenny on Westminster Bridge with The Eye of London in the background.

Jenny, Sarah and Zak pose for a picture before entering the Tower of London grounds. The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history since 1066. It has served as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public record office, and the home of the Crown jewels of England.

jenny, Sarah and Zak on the Tower of London grounds with the Tower Bridge in the background.

Jenny, Zak and Sarah in front of the White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name and was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, although a grand palace early in its history and serving as a royal residence, it was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The Castle was used as a prison from 1100 until 1952, although that was not its primary purpose.

Zak checking out the extensive armor in the Tower of London a reminder that the past was filled with war. Despite it's reputation as a place of torture and death, only seven people were executed within the Tower before the World Wars. Executions were more commonly held on the notorious Tower Hill to the north of the castle, with 112 occurring there over a 400-year period. The were however many more tortured, an exhibition found in the lower Wakefield Tower much of this happened in the 1500 and 1600s during a period of extreme political and religious upheaval. There were a few tortured during the World Wars.

St Martin-in-the-Fields is an English Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church on the site since the medieval period. It is the parish church for the Royal Family, 10 Downing Street and the Admiralty (Royal Navy).

Trafalgar Square London on a warm September Day with lots of people.  The statue on the column is Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson was noted for his inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics, which together resulted in a number of decisive British naval victories, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was wounded several times in combat, losing the sight in one eye in Corsica and most of one arm in the unsuccessful attempt to conquer Santa Cruz de Tenerife. He was shot and killed during his final victory at the Battle of Trafalgar and hence the name of the square.

Jenny, Sister Burkinshaw, Sarah and Zak in front of the Lions and monument to Admiral Lord Nelson on Trafalgar Square.  The square has been used for community gatherings and national celebrations as well as political demonstrations. A Christmas tree has been donated to the square by Norway since 1947 and is erected for twelve days before and after Christmas Day. The square is a centre of annual celebrations on New Year's Eve.

Jenny, Sister Burkinshaw, Sarah and Zak in front of Piccadilly Circus which connects to Piccadilly Road, named in 1743 after a house belonging to Robert Baker, a tailor famous for selling piccadills, or piccadillies, a term used for various kinds of collars.  Circus derives from Latin for circle. Today it is known for shopping and entertainment in the West End.

A quick ride on the underground to Kings Cross Station, London; the station young wizards and witches travel through in order to board the Hogwarts Express. Waiting in line to get a picture at Platform 9 3/4 took much longer then the ride on the underground. Zak got a lot of height on his jump through the wall.

Sarah at Kings Cross Station, Platform 9 3/4.

Jenny at Kings Cross Station, Platform 9 3/4. They are all still young at heart!

White Cliffs of Dover

Zak and Sarah with the White Cliffs of Dover in the background.

Jenny with the White Cliffs of Dover in the background, it was a very windy day! Our walk  to the point was easier as the wind was behind us, coming back was a little rougher.

Sarah and Zak stopped for a picture on their way down the stairs leading to the beach at the White Cliffs of Dover.

Jenny in front of the White Cliffs of Dover on our hike down to the beach from the top.

Well almost to the beach, they don't tell you until you get almost to the bottom that the path is out and although you might survive the 40 foot drop to the shore you most likely won't find a way to get back up.

Zak, Jenny and Sarah as close as they are going to get to the shore.

Although it doesn't look like a long way to the shore, it is. We keep hoping they will fix the path so you can enjoy the cliffs from the beach.

Sarah and Zak taking a picture at the Lighthouse on the point and marks the end of the walking path on the Cliffs of Dover. They have a nice little tea room also and although we didn't get tea we did share some of their baked goods which were amazing, it was a long walk there and back so we figured we would burn the calories!

Footgolf

Zak playing out of the rough (and on to the green) at the Gatwick Footgolf course. This didn't happen often and didn't effect his final score--he came out on top. Elder and Sister Burkinshaw were 2nd to the last and last, but that was no surprise.

Zak, Jenny and Sarah at hole number one of the Gatwick Footgolf course. It was sprinkling a little when we arrived at 9:00am, opening time, but we had the course all to ourselves so we were okay with a little drizzle.

Zak, Sarah and Jenny looking pleased after finishing 18 holes of footgolf! 

Sarah taking her footgolf "drive" from the blue (womens) tees.

Jenny with her tee-shot headed straight down the fairway.

Elder Burkinshaw (who got a hole-in-one on hole thirteen), Zak, Sarah, Sister Burkinshaw and Jenny for a group selfie.  It was raining when we started but as you can see, sunny when we finished.

Sarah, Zak and Jenny in front of the Pooh Corner gift shop. The One (It is actually Five) Hundred Acre Woods is about 15 miles southeast of the London Temple. Inspiration for many of the Pooh's adventures came from these woods. We didn't have time to go to the Pooh Sticks Bridge, but it was just down the road.

Jenny in front of Hever Castle  the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, the intriguing second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I.

Sarah and Zak in front of Hever Castle getting some shots with the GoPro. We only forgot the GoPro once on our drive around the Ring of Kerry. Luckily it was remembered before we got to far down the road, thankfully it was still sitting on the rock where we left it.

Sarah and Zak in front of Toby Carvery, a very traditional English restaurant that we enjoy.

A delicious dinner of Yorkshire pudding (left), broccoli,  mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, fresh peas and slices of roast beef, roast pork and turkey at Toby Carvery.

Jenny, Sarah and Zak in front of Windsor Palace, the weekend retreat of the Queen and the location of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in May at St. George's chapel. The crowds have died down a little since May. The big news this month is that they are expecting their first baby, the British do love their royalty and it is always great when the news is about happy families.

Jenny, Zak and Sarah in front of the round tower at Windsor Palace.  If the Queen is in residence there, the Royal Standard is flown.  If not, it is the Union Jack that flies.

Harry Potter Studio - London

Sister Burkinshaw in front of one of many quotes on the walls in the walkway leading to the Harry Potter Studio.  We took a little quiz in the car driving to the Studios of "Who Said It: Dieter (Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf) Or Dumbledore?  This was of course Dumbledore, but can you guess this one, "Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right." (answer: Dumbledore says this line to the students at Hogwarts, just after the traumatic death of Cedric and the return of Lord Voldemort.

Sister Burkinshaw in front of the Golden Doors ready for entry into the Studio. They always ask whose birthday it is and that is who is invited to open the door. Jenny didn't quite get her hand up quick enough although her birthday was only a few days away.

Harry Potter's dorm room. These sets were built for the first movie. As the characters grew older and taller they used the same set they just had them curl up for the shots.

Panoramic of Hogwarts Living Room.

Sarah trying out the flying broom. They have several opportunities in the studio to recreate the filming of action scenes.

No visit would be complete without trying out Butterbeer. We purchased an ice cream cone and a drink version, both were not too bad. Jenny enjoying the first bite of the ice cream (which is really just butterscotch ice cream) and Sarah with her butterbeer mustache. If you want the recipe here it is: 

Butterbeer Recipe 

1 cup light or dark brown sugar.

2 tablespoons water.

6 tablespoon butter.

1/2 teaspoon salt.

1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar.

3/4 cup heavy cream divided.

1/2 teaspoon rum extract.

4 bottles (12 oz. bottles) cream soda.

Elder Burkinshaw (had to have his own ice cream cone : - ), Jenny (posting her very impressive instagram story of the Harry Potter Studio) and Sarah. (I guess the matching shirts were because this is a Harry Potter color?  SO CUTE!)

This quote is to prepare you for the end of the Studio tour, which was in and of itself very very impressive. 

Sister Burkinshaw in front of the model of Hogwarts Castle. The design and special effects employed in the Harry Potter films will go down as a benchmark in British filmmaking. This 1:24 scale model, with details taken from the original sets at Alnwick Castle and Durham Cathedral, is the final trump card played at the end of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. It took 86 artists and crew members to construct the first version which was then rebuilt and altered many times for the next seven films. The work was so extensive that if one was to add all the man hours that have gone into building and reworking the model, it would come to over 74 years.

Another Shot of the Hogwart's Castle Model. 

Ireland and Ring of Kerry

One of our first vistas from the car left no doubt why Ireland is called the Emerald Isle!

Yet another Emerald Isle view from the car.

One of the streets in the city of Kenmare, County Kerry, Ireland. We spent the night in Kenmare and drove clockwise around the Ring as the buses usually start in Killarney and drive counter-clockwise. We figured this would be the best way to avoid them, it worked!

A beautiful shop in Kenmare where we purchased linen Christmas ornaments - a star, a tree and a stocking. These small towns are lovely.

Breakfast at the Brass Lantern Bed and Breakfast when we stayed in Kenmare, our first experience with a Bed and Breakfast (not Marriott's) and it was quite nice.

A delicious Irish, very similar to a British, breakfast of fried eggs, ham, sausage links, mushrooms, bread and black sausage.

The Irish countryside as we drove along the Ring of Kerry, a scenic road around the perimeter of the County Kerry peninsula.  125 miles, which is the length of the Ring of Kerry, may not seem a long distance but even if you drove around the Ring, without stopping or traffic congestion, it takes around 3.5 hours to complete.

Beautiful scene of Irish countryside.  Note in the meadows above the various walls that divide the farmland.  Back in the 1700's, land owned by the wealthy was rented out to many humble farmers in small lots to eke out their existence.  The dividing walls remain today.

Panoramic view of Kenmare bay in the distance.

Kenmare Bay on a foggy, rainy day.

Derrynane beach with it's beautiful clear waters and cottages along the water.

Elder Burkinshaw at Derrynane beach.  It was quite a cold, windy and drizzly morning.

Sister Burkinshaw, Jenny, Sarah and Zak at Derrynane House, which was the vacation home refuge for Daniel O'Connell.  

Sister Burkinshaw with Derrynane House from a distance in the background.

The chapel in Derrynane House.

A portrait of Daniel O'Connell in his office at Derrynane House.

Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847)  is often referred to as The Liberator or The Emancipator and was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century. He campaigned for Catholic emancipation—including the right for Catholics to sit in Parliament which had been denied for over 100 years—and repeal of the Acts of Union of 1801 which combined Ireland with Great Britain to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.  O'Connell's philosophy of non-violent protest have inspired leaders all over the world, including Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) and Martin Luther King (1929–1968). Daniel O'Connell was told by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–1863) "you have done more for your nation than any man since Washington ever did." William Gladstone (1809–1898) described him as "the greatest popular leader the world has ever seen."  William Grenville (1759–1834) wrote that "history will speak of him as one of the most remarkable men that ever lived." 

Today Ireland is an independent nation, predominantly Catholic, while Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and predominantly Protestant.  There are still many advocates of a single and independent Ireland.  With the upcoming Brexit (British exit from the European Union), there is additional pressure for Irish unification but it would be a radical and challenging political and religious change.

Sister Burkinshaw and Jenny with Derrynane House in the background.

Jenny, Zak and Sarah with the Skelling Islands in the distance.  

A close-up of the Skelling Islands, two small, steep, and rocky islands on the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. The final scene of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was shot on Skellig, with additional filming taking place there for the following film in the series, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi". The remains of the Skellig Michael monastery appear in the film, representing an ancient Jedi temple. 

Valentia Island, the most westerly point in Ireland.  The Island has a population of about 665.  It is connected on the south with a bridge near Portmagee and a car ferry to the northeast from Knightstown to Reenard Point to Knightstown, the island's main town.

A panoramic shot of County Kerry Ireland along the Ring of Kerry with Valentia Island in the distance.

Castlemaine Harbor which connects to the North Atlantic Ocean.

Dublin

Zak and Sarah on the beach at Bull Island, north and east of Dublin.

Jenny enjoying the beauties of Bull Island.

An interesting tree sculpture created by renowned artist Tommy Cragg, who created this work in 112 hours.  The details in the fur and feathers of the animals, which include sparrow hawks, hooded crows, herons, owls peeking out from holes, hares, badgers and bears, seem all the more masterful because the work was done not with chisels but a chainsaw.  At the very top, 30+ feet high, lording over the other creatures is a magnificent swan. 

In the Irish National Museum - Archaeology, is the bearded figure of God the Father, wearing a papal tiara.  His outstretched arms once held a figure of the crucified Christ on which rested a dove representing the Holy Ghost.  The portrayals are interesting given the doctrine of the Nicene Creed advocated by Catholic and Protestant churches.  

A masterful display of some of the most unique and tempting donuts we have seen at a shop known as "Off Beat Donuts" in downtown Dublin, Ireland.

More fabulous donuts, so you get the full experience without tasting them.

More donuts still.  We purchased a dozen mixed donuts and then cut them up into pieces so we could sample a little of each one.  The were fantastic!

Dublin street along the River Liffey.

Zak, Sarah and Jenny midway across a bridge on the River Liffey in downtown Dublin.

Jenny "living the dream" in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dublin.

It was a blessing to spend ten days with Jenny, Sarah and Zak as we saw many historic sites, learned a little more about Harry Potter and viewed the beautiful country of Ireland.  We are grateful for the opportunity to continue learning, for as Will Rogers once said, "When you're done learning, you're done."  Fortunately we're not done yet! ;-)

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw