Waterford ... a brief stop

Waterford is a small town in Southern Ireland that is primarily famous for two things; Waterford crystal and a very old Guinness brewery.  Because the port is so small, we had to tender in for a visit.  On the way in, the waves were a little choppy making for an adventurous boat ride.

John and Gail did not have any tours this day and chose to simply walk about the town and see the sights.  The first prominent building we came across was a large tower built by the Vikings  in the year 1003. It is a very impressive structure and is still in use as a museum. Next, of course, was the Waterford Crystal factory.  The crystal pieces in the showroom were incredible. John was most impressed by a crystal football helmet and Gail a crystal globe of the Earth.  Since both pieces were over 8,000 Euros, we passed on the purchase. 

Viking Tower

The town is one of the oldest in Ireland, dating back to the Viking invasions.  Waterford is very hilly and the streets go every which way so it is hard to navigate.  We did manage to find a shopping mall (surprise) that was open on Sunday and John bought himself a couple of shirts.  After that Gail noticed an authentic looking Irish pub, so we went in for some lunch.  We had some of the best fish and chips we have ever had.  The fish was freshly caught, very large with a very thin beer batter.  This was accompanied, of course, with beer: Guinness for John and Smithwicks for Gail. 

Street in Waterford

 

 

 

John in front of Irish bar

Gail and her Smithwicks

Waterford Cathedral

We then headed back to take a tender back to the ship and rest for the remainder of the day. The next day we both had extensive tours of the Dorset area.