Guinness Storehouse Photography Conest

If you've been to the Guinness Storehouse, and were smarter than me and took a camera, Guinness would like to see your photos. They are sponsoring a photography contest with some nice prizes awarded monthly. So you have a good chance of winning.
http://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/photocompetition.aspx

Become a Guinness Ambassador

Have you already booked or are you in the process of booking for The Gathering, the year long Irish Homecoming celebration?

James Gate Guinness Brewery, Dublin

 If you are, you're likely planning a trip to the Guinness Brewery in Dublin.  Consider  registering as  a Guinness Ambassador.  Guinness is offering free admission and a free pint to everyone that registers.

http://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/The-Gathering-Signup.aspx

Montreal Canadien's at the Bell Center

 Having not been to a professional hockey game in some years, I really enjoyed the total experience at the Bell Center. 

 The game, the players, the music, the atmosphere, the fans....nothing is like watching a hockey match in person, and in Montreal.   CP Rail is one of the team/arena sponsors and when the Canadians' scored a goal the music started,  lights flashed, and on the first tier marquee a CP Rail Train went around.  The energy from the fans could have lit up the arena.

 Erik Cole scored the first goal in 2013 for the Canadiens, and rookies Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk both scored two points each- and the crowd of course went wild. Gallagher is 20 and Galchenyuk is 18!  

Guinness before the Storehouse

About five years ago we attended a corporate event at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.  We started downstairs with a tour, and being history buffs enjoyed learning about how the Guinness family started the company.

We walked on through looking at the sepia photos of the brewery and Dublin in the 18th century as well as the old brewing equipment.  We learned how technology has improved the process but that they still only use the best barley, hops and yeast and water from the Wicklow Mountains.  Being a logistics guy, DH enjoyed the film on cooperage and how Guinness has been transported around the world for the last two hundred plus years.

We worked our way to the top of the Storehouse and the event at the Gravity Bar were we had 360 degree panoramic views of the Dublin City night sky.  The bartenders gave demonstrations on how to pull a pint and there was of course, traditional Irish music. The food, drink, and Craic  were mighty.

I didn't have a camera that night so I have no photos of us together to share. But I have an old photo of me in a tee-shirt that I bought in Dublin, way before Guinness opened the Storehouse to the public.

If you aren't a fan of stout, Diablo who owns Guinness also owns several other Irish beers and spirits - all available at The Gravity Bar - among them Smithwicks; the non-alcoholic beer - Caliber - which was a favorite of my father in law;  Bushmills - which was my Dad's choice, as well Bailey's.  Still waiting to hear if they are working on a Gluten Free beer.

http://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/Index.aspx

Nothing like a hockey game in Montreal

Tuesday night I had the good fortune of attending a   hockey game at the Bell Center in Montreal, Montreal Canadians vs. Winnepeg Jets,  with some work friends.

Montreal Canadians vs. Winnepeg Jets Jan 29, 2013

Way back, before kids, when we lived in NYC, we used to go pretty regularly to Ranger's games in Madison Square Garden. I think that good tickets back then were less than $20. Something a young couple could afford.  We've been to a few in the thirty years in between but not too often,  and it reminded me how much I enjoyed it, especially when there is a fan base that really knows the sport.  It was hockey in Canada! My friends and I had good seats about thirty rows back from the goal.  I wish I had worn a red coat - I was one of the very few people that wasn't wearing the team colors.

The Montreal fans all in red

Keep Up with the new Northern Ireland

Break those stereotypes you have of Northern Ireland.  Instead put these images into your head - hiking and walking some of the best trails in Europe. Sure the mountains aren't as high as the rest of Europe but they are steep and rocky. You might be the only hikers on the trail and the only ones at the top enjoying the scenery views. 

Slieve Donard in the Mourne  Mountains is te highest peak in Northern Ireland

 Of course, there is always a reward at the bottom - great pubs and good food.  If the only music you have in your head is  traditional Irish - the jigs and reels you hear on St Patrick' Day. Take a listen.

Why Ireland has 40 Shades of Green

Ireland

It is easy to see from this true-color image why Ireland is called the Emerald Isle. Intense green vegetation, primarily grassland, covers most of the country except for the exposed rock on mountaintops. Ireland owes its greenness to moderate temperatures and moist air. The Atlantic Ocean, particularly the warm currents in the North Atlantic Drift, gives the country a more temperate climate than most others at the same latitude.

Moist ocean air also contributes to abundant rainfall. Ireland receives between 750 and 2000 millimeters (29 and 78 inches) of rain per year, with more rain falling in the west and in the mountains. Most of the rain falls in light showers.

This moist climate means plenty of clouds and fog. According to the Irish Meteorological Service, the sky is entirely cloudy more than 50 percent of the time. There are more clouds during the day than at night, and fog is common.

The cloud-free view shown here is extremely rare. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured the image on October 11, 2010, a time of year when Irish weather alternates between rainstorms from the west and cool, dry weather brought by high-pressure systems known as anticyclones.

Credit: NASA/MODIS Rapid Response Team