OUR main stop today was in the Irish city of Waterford.
Those who like a crystal vase or goblet will know the settlement well, as this is the place that's been home to the famous Waterford Crystal factory since 1783.
Two brothers started the company and they chose the location because it had a good port to distribute their creations to the world and was surrounded by forests that would provide wood the feed the hungry furnaces.
There were two short periods when there was no crystal production in Waterford, between 1851 and 1947 when a crippling tax was put on luxury goods and for a few months in 2009 and 2101 when the company went belly up.
The residents feared the town would die when the factory closed in 2009, because the business bought so many tourists to the spot, so there was a collective sign of relief when an American firm bought the operation and opened a new workshop right in Waterford.
Only a fraction of the workforce was re-employed to make the ''trophy pieces'' that are today created in the Waterford plant, and now these craftsmen work their trade while bus loads of tourists file past.
And these men - they were all men today - are real artisans and train for eight years before becoming qualified crystal makers who can blow the glasses, vases and bowls before carving the iconic patterns into the beautiful vessels.
When I cast my eye over this trip's itinerary before departing Australia the tour of the Waterford factory didn't jump out as being a potential highlight, but it turns out the visit to the plant was an hour well spent.
The tour was very well done, with a guide leading visitors past a collection of stations, and we got to see every stage in the process of creating the bespoke pieces.
Here are a couple of pictures that will show you the process, from blowing and turning the crystal to engraving the pattens on the pieces.
