Day 1 - The Great Scottish Tour

If you want to read this blog from the beginning, start here. You can catch up on past adventures using the navigation at the right.

Minneapolis to Dublin

Another year, another Quinlan's Great Conquest of Europe via Motorcycle - 2019 edition (QGCEvM19). This year’s destination – The High(land)s and Low(land)s of Scotland.

We left Minneapolis, via our favorite airlines – Iceland Air – and enjoyed the comforts the airline provided. We had a few hours’ layover in Reykjavik, and decided to just relax at the airport, instead of trying to go out and see anything on the island. Someday we will actually spend more than 24 hours in Reykjavik!

We were back on the plane soon enough,  

for the short hop to Ireland. Our first glimpse of the island was almost as exciting as last year.

Why did we fly to Ireland, you ask? Well, we had such a great time in Dublin last year, that we just had to go back. That, and Celtic Rider, the outfit we rent our motorcycle through, is located just south of the city.

Being creatures of habit, we stayed again at the Harding Hotel, 

next to Christchurch Cathedral. Unpacked, got cleaned up then headed…downstairs to Darkey Kelly’s Pub.

This was the first, and last, pub we went to in Ireland last year and both felt right at home immediately. We knew this had to be our first, and last,  stop of our trip this year too.  

After Darky’s, we walked about the Temple Bar and Christchurch areas.

Stopped at a few of our favorite pubs like Temple Bar...

...and the Norseman. 

Eventually we needed something to eat and were directed to "the best fish and chips place in Dublin" Leo Burdock’s Fish and Chips.

 We took our food and walked a short distance to St Patrick’s Park to relax and enjoy people watching before heading back to The Harding.

Side note: We probably should note here that since this was our third stay in Dublin (after last year's first two nights in Ireland and the last night before we flew back) we felt like it was our hotel, our city – we weren’t just mere tourists, we were, well, return tourists. People truly treat you differently when you say “yes, we have been here before. Last year, in fact…”

Us - last year in a very hot and dry Ireland