So last week I was in Dublin for a business trip - my first visit to Ireland.
One thing I was keen to see was the Viking ship currently sitting in the courtyard of the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin (above), particularly as its not coming up the Thames to visit London.
This is the Sea Stallion and I previously blogged the TV program of its voyage from Denmark to Dublin.
And very impressive it was too!
When you got close there was a lovely warm wood smell:
The hull seemed very thin to cross such a wild sea full of traffic:
Maybe it was just as well they had this bit of 21st century technology - a radar:
This was the old technology that kept failing - the rope connecting the rudder to the hull repeatedly wore through:
It was a good start to the just-over-a-day in Dublin - more to come!