Tina & Rob’s excellent adventure

Delft is an 800 year old town divided by lovely canals. It is the home of the famous Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer (Girl w/ the Pearl Earring), hand painted Delft Blue China, and the Technological University of Delft (and last but not least, the Birthplace of Rob)

We are having a nice visit with Rob’s parents. They are spoiling us! Love Mom’s home cookin’! Especially the coffee!

We spent one evening at the The Hague Jazz Festival. Got to see one of our favorite bands Level 42 with special guest Billy Cobham on drums, and the”Toots” Thielemans Jazz Quartet. Toots is an 86 year old Harmonica player from Belgium; he was amazing!

And the results are:The Pheasant Inn (not pictured) Welshpool Wales voted The Coldest Pub – owner too cheap to pay for heat

Patrick Powers Pub Clarecastle Ireland voted Coziest Pub Proud owner is John, Patrick’s grandson

Reynolds Pub Roosky Ireland Voted Best Publican- Owner Peter Reynolds surely has the gift of gab

Gertie Browne’s Athlone Ireland Est. 1849 Voted Most Authentic– also home of Jimmy, the pub’s oldest customer there is even an oil painting of him over the fireplace!

J.J. Hough’s Banagher Ireland Voted Best Live Irish Music-Avg age of musicians 75 + , also known for its college dorm room decor

Murphy’s Pub Sneem Ireland- Winner for Best Old Car Show and Sing-Along Pub

The King’s Head LLandudno Wales – Voted Best for Local Gossip

Ireland is so diverse in its beauty, we had no idea! And the weather? Sunny, clear and warm…Amazing!

The town of Killarney is really a great stop, and our favorite. It has a National Park on the outskirts of town, for hiking and nature walks. Easy access to the Ring of Kerry, and tons of pubs and shops for in-town entertainment.

Our time in Ireland has sadly come to an end, and we hated to see Gary and Lynne go back to the States; we had such a great time with them. They are threatening to join us again somewhere else, we hope they do!

Next stop: Holland

A leisurely life along the Shannon includes taking in the beautiful sights, visiting the small villages & towns, and of course, fishing. Thank God Gary finally caught “the big one!”

Everywhere you look are picturesque farm houses and pastures, horses, sheep, & cows. Swans, herons & cormorants along the water’s edge add to the serenity.

And, Oh Yeah, tons of Germans, although they really don’t add to the serenity!

We are having a blast on our river cruise. The weather is fantastic, company is great and the river is beautiful. If Gary could only catch a fish life would be perfect! We have three more days left of fun and frivolity so we will be posting more pictures. Internet access has been tricky, we are currently in the lobby of the “Shannon Key West” a Best Western in Roosky Ireland. This is the first opportunity to get a Wifi signal without paying for it ( I am Dutch after all).

Our first stop after picking up Gary & Lynne was to the cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs are really impressive in person, situated on the west coast of Ireland.  We had great weather & no crowds!