Day 14 Tuesday, April 23rd Waterford, Ireland

 We had already moored at Belview mooring when we woke to a fine sunny day.  We breakfasted and took the provided shuttle bus for the 30 minute journey to Waterford.  The major attraction for us was the crystal glass works which we had been warned were now modified since their heyday.  We were dropped in the 

Reginald's Tower

centre of the city and made our way along to Reginalds Tower on the river front and with Viking connections.  Pictures were taken of the tower, a Viking boat 

a Viking?

and someone becoming a Viking in a cut-out.  We carried on around the corner and found the glass centre.  We had a coffee in the nice coffee shop and managed to book onto a tour of the glassworks a few minutes later.  In the meantime we looked at some of the fantastic pieces of glasswork which 

glassware example

glassware 

lovely clock

they have produced - the skill involved is certainly amazing.  

We were called for the tour and began the story of each glass piece individually produced in the factory.  It began with the raw materials which were 

mould for helmet

blowing & shaping

cutting & engraving

blended and then fused together to become molten in the furnace.  We saw the artisan then take some of this molten glass to blow and mould into shape.  They use beechwood to act as primary moulders and this has a limited lifespan.  Once in chosen shape the item is allowed to cool to room temperature before every dimension is then checked thoroughly to ensure it meets specification and the edges are ground to give perfect feel to the glass.   It is then passed onto another department for being cut and engraved to finish 

9/11 glass simulation

item.  The apprenticeship and 

a spaceman

training required for each of these skills is remarkable and we felt privileged to see these skills in action before our eyes.  We ended up at the showroom where items were available for sale (a lot of their work is done to order) but Christine did not see anything she needed!

street art

inside the cathedral

After leaving the glassworks we wandered through the city 

a Viking family

and stopped to tour the Church of Ireland Cathedral which was quite small for a cathedral but had some attractive design and decor.   We did not linger long and went out looking at shops 

inside the cathedral

and absorbing the vibes of the centre.  Our impression was overall quite an attractive place in a good geographical location but did need some updating/investment.  We found our way back to the pickup site and then came back to the Maud.

We regrouped, eventually had dinner and later went to a presentation on the next port- the Isles of Scilly.  Nothing too controversial was said and generally complimentary on what to expect.  We then worked our plan of action and returned to our cabin.

South Hook lighthouse

The ship was now on the move and 

full moon reflection

we were called to the top deck to see the South hook lighthouse and witness the magnificent full moon.















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