Athlone

After a bright start from Northampton we headed towards Holyhead for a ferry crossing to the Emerald Isle. Sadly, we arrived in Dublin just as rush hour began and with a map that was about 10 years old or, perhaps of more significance about as detailed as a picture of the moon, we saw more of the capital than a) we intended to and b) we wanted to. There were a couple of estates we drove through where you hoped that the lights wouldn't stay on red for too long.
Thankfully it wasn't too long before we found our way to, and ourselves on, the motorway heading West to our first overnight stop. The motorway was high quality and devoid of the levels of traffic we 'all too soon' re-familiarised ourselves with back in England. In fact, it was pleasurable and a joy to be driving in such conditions. Not too long before we arrived in Athlone and a very friendly welcome to our overnight accommodation. In fact, considering that one of the first things we asked about upon arrival was the location of a couple of well-known pubs, rather than use the hotel bar, we were treated with the welcome seen by the other two important visitors to Ireland, namely Mr Obama and Mrs Windsor.

The first pub we visited was Sean's Bar and it was everything the foreign visitor to Ireland might expect and hope for - sawdust on the floor (without the spit), peat smoking in the open fireplace, the warmest of welcomes and the coolest, most velvet pint of the Black Stuff I've tasted since the last time David was in Dublin, or the Coach & Horses, off Covent Garden. Helen still says it was the best pint of Guinness she had during our trip to Ireland (including a certain factory at St James' Gate!). Our next (and final) stop on the early evening pub crawl of Athlone was to Gertie Browne's, another interesting pub, but without the same number of clientèle, just a little less atmospheric than our first pub - but a lovely drop of Arthur's finest nonetheless.