Back to Dublin

Our tour today started right in Kilkenny with the Kilkenny Castle.  'Over the eight centuries of its existence, many additions and alterations were made to the fabric of the building, making Kilkenny Castle today a complex structure."  It was huge and set a top the hill. Fifteen years ago a couple floors were restored to how it looked in the 1800's.  Beautiful.  Then we hit the highway and headed back to Dublin, arriving here around 1:00 PM. Chuck and I took a walk to get a sandwich and enjoy the fantastic sunny day.  Tonight we take a drive around and then have dinner.
Factoids:
*Martina has been a marvelous guide with great energy and enthusiasm.  She generously shared her love of Ireland.  Has a wonderful vocabulary of adjectives: lovely, grand, amazing, beautiful.  Just enough Irish to make it feel authentic: 'bits and bobs (your stuff)', craic (good time), jar (a drink). etc.
*Bobby was a great driver.  Drove that bus in places where I wouldn't want to take a VW.
*Ireland looks pretty prosperous despite a real economic jolt in 2008.  They have had a austerity plan to get themselves out of the 'fix we got in with the Celtic Tiger (living on plastsic pre-2008).'
*Ireland gets 70 inches of rain a year.  We were so lucky to have NO rain while we have been here.
*Ireland is about the size of the state of Maine.
P.S. to above post.  The bus picked us up at 4:45 PM and drove us down to the seashore.  Because it was warm, there were many people swimming, walking along the shore, and enjoying the great outdoors.  At 6:00 PM we arrived at Roly's Bistro for dinner.  OK, I have to tell you what we had to eat because it was great.  We started with red or white wine and a selection of freshly baked breads and butter.  That was followed by a mesculun greens, tomatoes, mozarella and avocado salad (me) and Thai fishcakes (Chuck).  Chuck had Lamb pie and I had grilled salmon.  Potatoes, Broccoli, and Carrots (mashed with honey and cardamon) were passed.  I finished with a pear tart topped with maple walnut ice cream.  Chuck had a strawberry cheesecake sundae.  The creme bruele with a basket of fresh berries looked awfully good.  We walked (waddled) back to the hotel.  A great way to end an Irish adventure.  

Blarney, Waterford, and Kilkenny

Early this morning we left Killarney and headed to the Blarney Castle.  The castle has a lovely setting amid gardens, waterfalls, and paths.  To reach the Blarney Stone, you have to walk up 119 claustrophobic steps, lay down on your backside, hang over the edge, and kiss.  We opted to look up and see the others perform.  Chuck said that he already has the 'gift of gab' and doesn't need any more! Our next stop was the town of Waterford--made famous by Waterford Crystal.  In truth, most Waterford is now made in Slovakia.  However, large crystal trophies are still made in Waterford.  We toured the factory and showroom and observed the intricate proces. There was also a street festival going on so that was fun.  I had a raspberry ripple ice cream and Chuck had a hot dog.  Did a little more shopping and then on to the bus.  When we arrived in Kilkenny, we went directly to Kyteler's Inn.  There we were entertained by Damien Walsh who taught us all to play the Irish Bodhran (drum).  Of course, a little Guiness made us all play much better.  Then we checked into the hotel and had dinner---more fish, much more potatoes and more apple crumble with clotted cream.  Time to go to bed. 

The Ring of Kerry

Left over questions:  the burren is the title given to land where little grows except rock.  Example:  the badlands of South Dakota.  Have we stayed at the same hotel or are we on the move?  We started out in Dublin for two nights and will return to that hotel for our last night.  After Dublin we were at a different hotel for  three nights.  We have been here in Killarney for two nights. Tomorrow night we will be in Kilkenny and then on to Dublin.  We have repacked often.  The Schroeder 'plastic bag' method has stood us in good stead.
Today we did the Ring of Kerry - a 105 mile drive along the peninsula of Kerry.  It was mountainous, but filled with beauty.  We stopped at a thatch cottage small family run restaurant for lunch.  Mostly we just rode and stopped for photo ops or potty stops.  Mid-afternoon half the group took a 3 mile walk through the National Park--lead by a park ranger.  Chuck did that.  The rest of the group came back for shopping or resting.  That would be me.  Early this evening we took the bus about 20 minutes to a small town where we were entertained by Brendon McSomething who sang and played the concertina,  Johnny the Flute, and a Fiddle Player.  We were served a delicious meal with a choice of salmon or Irish (lamb) stew.  Later we had the choice of Irish coffee or Bailey over ice.  A 12 year old girl entertained us with Irish dancing and some from our group also danced.  It was a fantastic evening--a fitting finish to another beautiful day.  

A long day in the burrens

Left the hotel early, but still got caught in a serious traffic jam in Galway.  Our first stop was Rathburn farms, a farm that shows tourist the agrarian lifestyle.  Walked through the barn and saw different breeds of sheep, listened to the farmer talk about their operation, watched the border collie  round up the sheep,and  watched the farmer shear a sheep.  The most astounding thing he told us was that they raise the sheep for meat (most exported to France).  It costs as much to shear a sheep as the wool brings--wool is exported to China, because synthetics are more popular with the Irish.  Then we went to the house and his wife served us coffee and fresh scones with clotted cream and jam.  "Twenty six years ago we built on this extra room and started inviting tourist to be our guest.  The income supplemented our farm income.  Now the income allows us to keep our hobby, the farm operation which has been in my husband's family for three generations."  Also toured their thatch roof cottage.  Back on the road through the burrens---the roads were very narrow with other buses or trucks having to put their side mirrors in so the bus could pass.  Finally reached the Cliffs of Moher--three steep mounds of slate.  We climbed up all three and then ate lunch.  Got back in the bus for another hour and then took a ferry across the mouth of the River Shannon.  We then drove another hour.  The fields were larger and more lush than yesterday and fewer rock fences.  Yesterday we saw heather and grouse bushes --not today.  We did see the same hydrangeas in a deep rose color with many, many blooms per bush.  Finally we arrived in Kilarney.  The first thing we did was take a jaunting car ride.  Actually it was a covered cart which held 8 people pulled by Oscar (a 7 year old Freisen) and driven by Dan.  It was a fun hour long ride through a large (25,000 acres) national park.  It was very refreshing.  Back to the hotel and a buffet dinner.  

The Bay of Galway

Chuck and I popped out of bed this morning in Ballina and took a short walk.  It was brisk.  First, we visited the beautiful waterfalls near the hotel, then on down the street and looped through a park.  We were ready for breakfast. One of the breakfast offerings was blood pudding (no thanks!).  We meandered south through the countryside.  We saw small pastures of sheep or cows with fences of stone or hedge.  Stopped at Westport which is a village that has been awarded the 'tidy village' award.  The Super Valu grocery was a small but very complete store where we grabbed a coffee to-go and a brown scone for Chuck and wandered up and down the mainstreet.  We got back on the bus and headed to Kylemore Abbey.  We passed peat fields where blocks of peat had been cut and were drying.  Also drove along the only Fijord in Ireland.  There were summer homes on each side of the seawater fijord, mussel beds below barrels floated in the water and lobster beds below platforms. The Kylemore Abbey was a huge stone castle built in 1867 by Dr. Mitchell Henry as a gift to his wife. The castle was purchased by the Benedictine Community in 1920 and turned into a convent and a boarding school for girls.  The school was closed in 2012.  The public rooms on the first floor were open for touring along with a Gothic church.  However, the highlight was the largest walled Victorian garden in Ireland.  It was spectacular especially with the plump pears and apples hanging on the trees along with ripe vegetables, beautiful flowers, and herbs.  We had a lunch of soup and bread.  Chuck had a savory scone this time.  On our way to Galway, we stopped at factory that processed Connemara Marble.  We were shown examples of all the different colors of marble quarried in the area.  Tonight we are in Connemara on the Bay of Galway.  We can look out our window and see the sea.  Today was simply gorgeous weather--blue skies and shirtsleeve weather.  The natives are in shock.  It is time to sign off.  

Monday - west out of Dublin

Last night was our Welcome Dinner.  We had three choices of starters, entree and dessert.  I had salmon on a bed of spinach for entree and Bailey''s Irish Whiskey cheesecake.  Very good.
This morning we left Dublin and meandered westward through Ireland.  We stopped in a small market town for coffee, banking, and potty.  Before lunch we stopped in Stroketown to see an old manor house dating from 1740.  It had its original furnishings and was inhabited until 1981 by the original family and its descendants.  The way the English Lord lived was a stark contrast to the way the Irish workers who worked for them lived in their hovels. In 1850 of the manor, The Lord of the manner was murdered  -small wonder.    A museum dedicated to the Potato Famine was also on the grounds.  To understand Ireland, you really have to understand the famine and also the emigration that followed.  We went on down the road and to a lunch cruise on the Shannon River.  We are staying in Ballina tonight in County Mayo in the Northwest corner of Ireland---near Northern Ireland. Chuck had a Guiness tonight (for CD).  Had a spectacular dinner with pureed harvest vegetable soup, salmon with all kinds of vegetables (including roasted and mashed potatoes), and ice cream with raspberry drizzle in a meringue.  Although we did very little physical, we are still jet lagged and tired.    

Sunday in Dublin

Wow, the world looks better after a good night's sleep.  It is a beautiful day with sun, a blue sky, and cool temps.  After the breakfast buffett, we met Martina and started on our tour.  Visited St. Pat's Cathedral which is huge and very old.  It is not a Catholic Cathedral (news to me).  Also visited Trinity College where the Book of Kells is kept.  The Book of Kells is the four books of the Gospel which was copied and illustrated by monks on the Isle of Ione, Scotland starting in the 9th century.  We saw a page of script and a page of illustrations. By then it was noon.  We were turned lose.  Chuck and I hit a coffee shop for coffee, a panini (tomato, mozarella, and pesto), and a Belgian chocolate/carmel/shortbread (to die for).  We then walked back to the hotel --probably 40 minutes.  It is a fine and colorful day to walk in Dublin.  Today is the day of a huge hurling match in the stadium (82,000 seats). Fans on the way to the stadium are dressed in the colors of their team.  Tipperary (amber and black colors) and Killarney (green and white colors) are big competitors and are battling it out. Hurling players are dressed like soccer players with helmets.  They play with a hockey-like stick with a wider paddle and a small leather covered ball.  It is similar to field hockey, but they don't roll the ball.  Now if the announcer were speaking in English instead of Gaelic, I could tell you even more.  Tonight our whole group (37) has dinner together.  Will report on that tomorrow.  

Dublin, Ireland

We are off on another adventure.  Larry and Nancy delivered us to the Holiday Inn at 4 PM where we met our group from Lindstrom Travel.  Our bus ride to O'Hare was slow due to construction.  Left O'Hare at 8:00 PM for our flight to Dublin.  We got off to a bumpy start when we both ended up with middle seats.  Could have been worse--what if we missed the plane??  Had strong tail winds so the trip only took 6 and a half hours. Our first impressions were very green country, beautiful flowers, and friendly people.  After sitting up to sleep, getting far too little sleep, and far too little coffee, we both felt sleepy and weary.  Our hotel rooms were not ready so we had a cup of coffee and a croissant, met our guide, and headed for the Hop On and Off Bus.  The bus goes around Dublin and stops at 23 tourist attractions (mostly historical or alcoholic).  You can hop on or off at any time.  There was a huge line at both the Guiness brewery and the Jameson former distillery.  We passed on that.  Walked back to the hotel from last stop (half hour walk), but it felt good.  After checking in and a brief nap, and a shower, we checked the internet.  We were saddened to learn that Laura's father-in-law had died.  --a very sad time for their family.  Went out to find a place to eat.  Found Roly's Bistro.  Chuck had Fish and Chips and I had Fish pie (3 kinds of fish in chive sauce, covered with browned potatoes) delicious!  Back to the hotel and a good night's sleep.