I'm finally getting caught up with the blog. I'm actually writing about present day events. We left the guesthouse this morning for some historical sites north of Dublin, the first one being the Hill of Tara.
The Hill of Tara is one of the most sacred sites in Irish history. It's been in use for the past 5,000 years and has been visited by Irish kings for centuries for ceremonial purposes. There is a stone on one of the mounds that is said to have the power to acknowledge the person who is to be the next king of Ireland.
The only problem with our visit to the Hill of Tara was the weather. I commented to the receptionist in the visitor's center that our visit was great except for the howling wind and the pelting rain. We had fun anyway and had a good group picture with our umbrellas in various stages of disarray.
Next, we headed off to the town of Trim. Trim was founded by a Christian priest in the sixth century. Abour five hundred years later, the Normans built a castle known as Trim Castle. You might recognize it as it was the site for the fiming of the movie, Braveheart, starring Mel Gibson. The filmmakers were working on location for six months in 1994. They modified the castle for the movie then removed all the modifications once the filming was done.
We ended up spending about four hours in Trim. We had an excellent tour of the castle which took close to an hour. We did quite a bit of walking around, just taking in the history and beauty of the area.
When we left Trim, we decided to head to the monastic site, Monasterboice, which has three of the largest high crosses in Ireland. One of the crosses, the tallest in the country, is eighteen feet tall. It was carved from stone in the tenth century A.D. and had many Christian themes in the carvings on the cross.
We drove back to Dublin and picked up our laundry which we had done for us while we traveled. After dinner at a nearby restaurant, we headed back to our rooms where I know that some of us watched the Olympics. It was great to see the U.S. women's gymanistics team win the team gold medal and the men's 4 by 200 freestyle relay also win the gold. It was a good night for team USA.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Day 32, July 30, 2012
Last night, we came up with the idea of a "road trip". The forecast was for nice weather on Monday so we made the decision to rent a small van or SUV for two days and see the countryside. That's just what we did.
Today, we headed for the Cliffs of Moher, south of Galway. It was a 3 1/2 hour drive to get there and even longer coming back since we took a "scenic" route. The weather was fair so we were in for a good day of sightseeing.
The Cliffs of Moher are spectacular. They rise over 700 feet over the sea. There is a fence warning people to not go past due to the danger of falling off the cliffs. Dozens of people ignored the warning and hiked up to the top of the cliffs. Fortunately, we didn't see anyone fall but we did see people getting perilously close to the edge. Each year, about 10 people fall to their deaths off the cliffs. We heeded the sign and played it safe.
We were able to see the cliffs from a number of vantage points. If we ever visit again, I would be tempted to take one of the boat rides to view the cliffs from the water. There is an interesting visitors' center built into a hill. They have excellent exhibits and photos of the cliffs. They also have an audiovisual presentation of the cliffs from the perspective of a bird that nests on the cliffs. It was well done.
After a good long stay at the cliffs, we continued our road trip by driving through the Burrens, an area with much historical and botanical significance.
We ate at an excellent restaurant in Athlone, the Olive Grove, which was named the most popular restaurant in West Meath (County). The food was delicious and we enjoyed the view of the River Shannon from our table in the restaurant.
I was the driver, and after a long day, I was pretty tired when we pulled in at about 11 p.m. I was ready for some much needed rest before we embarked on Road Trip, Day 2.
Day 31, July 29, 2012
It looks like I have some catching up to do on this blog. I haven't posted for the past three days. Much has happened and there's lots to tell. Let's start with this day, the 31st day of our visit to Ireland.
We are not going to be too ambitious today. We decided to visit Trinity College and the famous Book of Kells. It's only about a mile from our guesthouse so getting their with local transportation was not a problem. We signed up for a tour of the college. Our tourguide has been a philosophy professor at Trinity College in Dublin for the past 28 years. He has a very dry sense of humor and gave a very interesting presentation. We walked around the Trinity campus and learned that it has over 16,000 students in a variety of disciplines such as law and medicine. It's an old school, dating back to the seventeenth century.
After the tour, we waited in line to see the Book of Kells exhibit and the old library. It was very interesting. The Book of Kells is an elaborately decorated book dating back hundreds of years when the books were printed by hand on vellum, made from animal skins. The pigments used for the various colors came from many parts of the known world.
After seeing the Book of Kells and the old library, we visited the Science Gallery, also at Trinity College. The gallery was showing ideas that futurists came up with to deal with population growth in the world's cities. They have some interesting ideas, such as planting bare areas using balls of dirt and clay that have seeds inside. When it rains, the balls break apart and the seeds germinate.
We also stopped at the National Gallery. Bruce wanted to see an exhibit on the artists and artwork for the Punch Magazine throughout the years. It was a very entertaining exhibit.
At night, we had a delicious dinner at the Clyde Court Hotel Restaurant, not far from our guesthouse. Nancy and I spotted it and it turned out to be a great place to go.
We are not going to be too ambitious today. We decided to visit Trinity College and the famous Book of Kells. It's only about a mile from our guesthouse so getting their with local transportation was not a problem. We signed up for a tour of the college. Our tourguide has been a philosophy professor at Trinity College in Dublin for the past 28 years. He has a very dry sense of humor and gave a very interesting presentation. We walked around the Trinity campus and learned that it has over 16,000 students in a variety of disciplines such as law and medicine. It's an old school, dating back to the seventeenth century.
After the tour, we waited in line to see the Book of Kells exhibit and the old library. It was very interesting. The Book of Kells is an elaborately decorated book dating back hundreds of years when the books were printed by hand on vellum, made from animal skins. The pigments used for the various colors came from many parts of the known world.
After seeing the Book of Kells and the old library, we visited the Science Gallery, also at Trinity College. The gallery was showing ideas that futurists came up with to deal with population growth in the world's cities. They have some interesting ideas, such as planting bare areas using balls of dirt and clay that have seeds inside. When it rains, the balls break apart and the seeds germinate.
We also stopped at the National Gallery. Bruce wanted to see an exhibit on the artists and artwork for the Punch Magazine throughout the years. It was a very entertaining exhibit.
At night, we had a delicious dinner at the Clyde Court Hotel Restaurant, not far from our guesthouse. Nancy and I spotted it and it turned out to be a great place to go.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Day 30, July 28, 2012
This morning, we bid a fond farewell to our faithful rental car. It was a Skota Superb 5-speed diesel, made in the Czech Republic. I can't say enough good things about this car. It had a smooth ride and we made use of the large trunk (boot), which handled all our luggage. The check-in at the Avis rental car return at Dublin Airport couldn't have been easier. I think the car detailing paid off. We were soon on our way back to Dublin.
We're staying this week at the Pembroke Town House. We're within walking distance of many of the major attractions of Dublin, such as Trinity College, the museums, and st. Stephen's Green. Nancy's brother and sister-in-law, Bruce and Caroline, arrived this morning from New York City. We have 3 rooms in the hotel.
While Bruce and Caroline dealt with their jet lag by catching a few hours of sleep, I walked to the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Archaeology. They were both interesting. I was able to catch part of a lecture by the resident geologist at the Museum of Natural Museum about meteorites. He had a number of specimens on display, including the Limerick Meteorite which came to earth in the year 1813. I took a heft of it and later learned it weighed 45 kg, which is over 100 pounds.
At about 3 p.m., the six of us met up at the hotel lobby and took our own walk. We had an afternoon snack and walked to the river Liffey. Nancy and I took the DART train back and the others took a taxi (the taxi was definitely faster). We went out to dinner at the Clyde Court Hotel Restaurant and it turned out to have some of the best food we've had on our trip.
Day 29, July 27,2012
Today, we're visiting the city of Athlone, which is in the very center of Ireland. We boarded a "Viking" boat on the River Shannon, at Athlone Castle. The trip was from the castle to the Monastery of Clonmacnoise, founded in 545 A.D. by St. Ciaran. At the beginning of the tour, the boat entered a lock which lowered the water level about four feet. About an hour later, we reached Clonmacnoise and toured the site for about 90 minutes before returning to athlone on a bus.
One of our goals today was to get our rental car washed and vacuumed. Four weeks of Irish roads and weather put the car under a layer of dirt that would put an Irish bog to shame. We arrived in Drogheda at our B&B around 4 p.m. which keft us plenty of time to get the car washed. It sure looked better once it was cleaned. There was actually a car under all that dirt.
Irish roads have letter designations that determine speed limits. The M roads are the high speed freeways, with a 120 kph speed limit (about 75 mph). The next roads are N roads, with a maximum speed of 100 kph (about 62 mph). R roads are rural roads with a maximum speed of 80 kph (about 50 mph). The lowest designation are L roads, which range in width from narrow to narrower, and have a maximum speed of 60 kph (about 37 mph). We road on all of these types of roads in the past four weeks.
One of our goals today was to get our rental car washed and vacuumed. Four weeks of Irish roads and weather put the car under a layer of dirt that would put an Irish bog to shame. We arrived in Drogheda at our B&B around 4 p.m. which keft us plenty of time to get the car washed. It sure looked better once it was cleaned. There was actually a car under all that dirt.
Irish roads have letter designations that determine speed limits. The M roads are the high speed freeways, with a 120 kph speed limit (about 75 mph). The next roads are N roads, with a maximum speed of 100 kph (about 62 mph). R roads are rural roads with a maximum speed of 80 kph (about 50 mph). The lowest designation are L roads, which range in width from narrow to narrower, and have a maximum speed of 60 kph (about 37 mph). We road on all of these types of roads in the past four weeks.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Day 28, July 26, 2012
I'm looking at the blog day number and see that it's been four weeks since we left for this trip. Time has sure gone by quickly. Some may wonder how we can spend so much time in an area as small as Ireland. I must say, it's not too hard. Ireland is so unique and different that we will only scratch the surface of all it has to offer. We have loved staying in B&B's and meeting so many wonderful people. The B&B owners have been kind, caring and interesting people. They love to talk and share their experiences. I don't think you can really get to know a place unless you have a chance to interact with the people. I think we've been very fortunate in the opportunities we've had so far. If I had it to do again, I don't think I'd do a thing differently from what we've done. it pays to do some advance planning and set up your itinerary. That way, you can make reservations in some of the best B&B's. We used tripadvisor.com to see how other people rated the B&B's in the places we stayed. By booking several months in advance, we were able to get the places that were rated the highest. The prices have been very reasonable too. Most of the places we've stayed have been about 70 to 80 euros per night, which is under 100 U.S. dollars.
Today, we had another beautiful day. Since it was raining when we drove through Connemara two days ago, we decided to drive through it again, but this time in the sunshine. That turned out to be a good idea. We saw it so much better the second time around.
We eventually made our way to the B&B we're staying at tonight, St. Ruth's Farmhouse. It's a wonderful place. Helen, the owner, made us some delicious rhubarb tartlets and served us tea after dinner. She then shared her experiences growing up in Ireland. Her father died young, leaving his wife with five children to raise. They lived in a thatch roofed house and were very poor. They lived on a farm and their mother had to rent out the farmland. She was a good money manager and eventually, she was able to take back all the farm land she had rented out, start a dairy, and put two of the children through college. Helen contracted tuberculosis and spent three years in a TB sanitorium. Her own story was as interesting as that of her mother.
Day 27, July 25, 2012
It's sunny today, a great day for touring. We left our B&B in Westport and headed north. Our first stop was at the town of Newport, where we hoped to get some good pictures of the aqueduct known as the Seven Arches. It has been converted into a pedestrian walkway but the exterior looks the same as it has for many years. We were in luck. The sun was in the perfect position to create striking reflections of the bridge, clouds, and buildings. We got some great pictures, some of which I posted on my Facebook page.
We left Newport and drove onto Achill Island. There were some stunning views, especially from the seaside cliffs. It made for some interesting driving too. I think I can truthfully say that I've experienced about all the types of roads that Ireland has to offer. If I can make it two more days without any mishaps, I will consider my driving in Ireland a success. We turn the car in on Saturday, so on Friday, we plan to have it cleaned inside and out so it won't show much off the wear and tear from four weeks of use.
When we left the island, we headed north again, this time heading for a World Heritage Site known as the Ceide Fields. This is considered to be the largest neolithic site in the world. Fields, fences, houses, and buildings from 5000 years ago were gradua
lly covered with peat through the encroachment of bogs. After 5000 years, the fields were covered to a depth of 5 to 10 feet. When farmers were cutting peat to use as fuel, they discovered the fences and building under the peat. The ancient farmlands under the peat extend for several square miles. It is too costly to uncover all the fields so they have determined the extend of the fields and fences by using metal probes and bamboo sticks to show where objects lie beneath the peat. It was very interesting, to say the least. There were also sheer sea cliffs nearby which were quite appealing.
We made our way back to Westport and went back to the same restaurant we ate at last night, the West Bar. The reason I was so eager to return to that particular bar/restaurant was due to what I learned about their seafood chowder. Their chowder was named the best chowder in 2012 for all of Ireland. This November, it will be entered in the world chowder competition in Boston. I had to try it and I was not disappointed. It was the best chowder that I ever tasted. I think it will win.
After dinner, we dropped George and Grace off at our B&B, and Nancy and I headed off to take a few evening pictures. We drove to the visitor's center and trailhead for Croagh Patrick, a 2500 foot high mountain made famous by St. Patrict. Legend has it that Patrick fasted for 40 days of Lent, climbed the mountain, rang a bell, and drove out all the snakes in Ireland. Every year, on the last Sunday in July, as many as 30,000 people will climb the mountain in honor of St. Patrick. Most of them are Catholics and they will celebrate mass at the church at the top of the mountain. Some will make the trek barefoot. Some will come back down on sretchers. I guess it's quite a sight.
We left Newport and drove onto Achill Island. There were some stunning views, especially from the seaside cliffs. It made for some interesting driving too. I think I can truthfully say that I've experienced about all the types of roads that Ireland has to offer. If I can make it two more days without any mishaps, I will consider my driving in Ireland a success. We turn the car in on Saturday, so on Friday, we plan to have it cleaned inside and out so it won't show much off the wear and tear from four weeks of use.
When we left the island, we headed north again, this time heading for a World Heritage Site known as the Ceide Fields. This is considered to be the largest neolithic site in the world. Fields, fences, houses, and buildings from 5000 years ago were gradua
lly covered with peat through the encroachment of bogs. After 5000 years, the fields were covered to a depth of 5 to 10 feet. When farmers were cutting peat to use as fuel, they discovered the fences and building under the peat. The ancient farmlands under the peat extend for several square miles. It is too costly to uncover all the fields so they have determined the extend of the fields and fences by using metal probes and bamboo sticks to show where objects lie beneath the peat. It was very interesting, to say the least. There were also sheer sea cliffs nearby which were quite appealing.
We made our way back to Westport and went back to the same restaurant we ate at last night, the West Bar. The reason I was so eager to return to that particular bar/restaurant was due to what I learned about their seafood chowder. Their chowder was named the best chowder in 2012 for all of Ireland. This November, it will be entered in the world chowder competition in Boston. I had to try it and I was not disappointed. It was the best chowder that I ever tasted. I think it will win.
After dinner, we dropped George and Grace off at our B&B, and Nancy and I headed off to take a few evening pictures. We drove to the visitor's center and trailhead for Croagh Patrick, a 2500 foot high mountain made famous by St. Patrict. Legend has it that Patrick fasted for 40 days of Lent, climbed the mountain, rang a bell, and drove out all the snakes in Ireland. Every year, on the last Sunday in July, as many as 30,000 people will climb the mountain in honor of St. Patrick. Most of them are Catholics and they will celebrate mass at the church at the top of the mountain. Some will make the trek barefoot. Some will come back down on sretchers. I guess it's quite a sight.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Day 26, July 24, 2012
Today, we caught the noon ferry which took us from Inishmore (Inis Mor, in Gaelic) back to the Irish mainland. It was a rainy day today, which was not unusual. This summer has been the wettest summer since weather records were first recorded in 1910. The same has been true for the UK and much of Europe. If you're there in hot, dry weather in the United States, just know that this part of the world is not sharing the same experience.
We drove through the beautiful Connemara region today which is beautiful even on a rainy day. It's also a good time to see the water flowing down the mountain sides. We stopped at the Connemara National Park visitor center, saw an exhibit and film about thehistory of the area, then took a short hike to see a bog. Bogs have some interesting properties. If something falls in the bog, it will experience very little decay even over a period of hundreds or even thousands of years. Long ago, the inhabitants of the region would pull out tree trunks that had fallen into the bog centuries ago and use them for construction of their houses.
Another interesting place we stopped at on the way was the Kylemore Abbey. This was a beautiful castle-like house that was built in the mid 1800's as a wedding gift. We think that, considering such a beautiful setting in the mountains of Connemara, the gift was well-received.
We arrived in Westport a few minutes before 6 p.m. and checked into our B&B, the Augusta Lodge. We'll be here for two nights and it looks like we'll have an excellent stay.
I'm having a hard time persuading the rest of the family into listening to the Irish music. They don't start the music until 9:30 at night and, by that time, everyone is worn out. One of our hosts told us that there is a saying in Ireland that you don't leave the pub on the same day that you go in. It's not uncommon for the music to continue well after midnight.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Day 25, July 23, 2012
We started off the day with, hands down, the best breakfast we've had in Ireland. We stayed at the Devondell B&B in Galway and Berna, our hostess, pulled out all the stops tempting us with a wide array of food choices (and that was just the "pre" breakfast before she brought in the main course). I loved the Bircher's Meusli, which was her own creation. Wow!
After regretfully pulling ourselves away from the breakfast table, we drove 23 miles to the ferry to the Aran Islands. We chose to visit Inishmore (Inis Mor), the largest of the Islands. We had purchased a special package which included the round trip ferry and rooms in the B&B, Clai Ban. When we arrived, it was raining lightly. It looked like bike rentals might be a little slow today.
We checked into our B&B, had lunch, then went on a wonderful guided tour in a mini-van. The tour guide was from the island and he pointed out many things that would have gone unnoticed.
The highlight of the tour was a visit to Dun Aonghas, a spectacular cliff-top fort that overlooks the sea. The cliffs up to the fort are 300 feet high. You have to be careful not to get too close to the edge --there are no fences, so you need to use caution. The last accident was about seven years ago when a German tourist was looking through his camera and accidently fell off the cliff.
If you watch the movie, Leap Year, with Amy Adams, you will see scenes that were filmed here in Inishmore. The place is truly beautiful.
After regretfully pulling ourselves away from the breakfast table, we drove 23 miles to the ferry to the Aran Islands. We chose to visit Inishmore (Inis Mor), the largest of the Islands. We had purchased a special package which included the round trip ferry and rooms in the B&B, Clai Ban. When we arrived, it was raining lightly. It looked like bike rentals might be a little slow today.
We checked into our B&B, had lunch, then went on a wonderful guided tour in a mini-van. The tour guide was from the island and he pointed out many things that would have gone unnoticed.
The highlight of the tour was a visit to Dun Aonghas, a spectacular cliff-top fort that overlooks the sea. The cliffs up to the fort are 300 feet high. You have to be careful not to get too close to the edge --there are no fences, so you need to use caution. The last accident was about seven years ago when a German tourist was looking through his camera and accidently fell off the cliff.
If you watch the movie, Leap Year, with Amy Adams, you will see scenes that were filmed here in Inishmore. The place is truly beautiful.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Day 24, July 22, 2012
This morning, we left our excellent B&B at Lough Gur and headed toward our next destination, Galway. We timed our departure so we could attend a worship service at the Ennis Evangelical Church in Ennis, Ireland north of Shannon Airport. We enjoyed rhe service. They sang a lot of songs intermixed with Bible passages.
After church, we ate at a Hillbilly Chicken Restaurant in Ennis before heading for a region known as the Burren. The Burren is a large area in County Clare with limestone outcroppings that cover the landscape. It's been inhabited for thousands of years. There are many tombs, stone forts, and rock walls that were built centuries or even millenia ago. We stopped at an interesting place called the Burren Perfumery where they make their own herbal perfumes, soaps, lotions, and body care products. The Burren is unique in all the flowers and flora it supports. 70% of all the types of flora in Ireland grow here. After our stop at the perfumery, we went and visited a tomb that consists of a large rock slab balanced on four stones. The slab weighs about two tons. It is hard to imagine how people managed to place it on the four stones 5000 years ago. Obviously, they found a way.
We finished the drive into Galway, arriving at our B&B at about 5:30. We used latitude and longitude coordinates keyed into our GPS to find our B&B. It worked like a champ, bringing us right to the front doorstep.
After church, we ate at a Hillbilly Chicken Restaurant in Ennis before heading for a region known as the Burren. The Burren is a large area in County Clare with limestone outcroppings that cover the landscape. It's been inhabited for thousands of years. There are many tombs, stone forts, and rock walls that were built centuries or even millenia ago. We stopped at an interesting place called the Burren Perfumery where they make their own herbal perfumes, soaps, lotions, and body care products. The Burren is unique in all the flowers and flora it supports. 70% of all the types of flora in Ireland grow here. After our stop at the perfumery, we went and visited a tomb that consists of a large rock slab balanced on four stones. The slab weighs about two tons. It is hard to imagine how people managed to place it on the four stones 5000 years ago. Obviously, they found a way.
We finished the drive into Galway, arriving at our B&B at about 5:30. We used latitude and longitude coordinates keyed into our GPS to find our B&B. It worked like a champ, bringing us right to the front doorstep.
Day 23, July 21, 2012
I was just checking on the score of the SF Giants game. It's 3 to 3 in the top of the 11th inning. It's unusual to be able to follow a game in real time since I'm 8 hours different from the west coast and 5 hours from the east coast. It looks like they've been doing well since we've been in Ireland.
Today, we went into downtown Limerick and visited the Hunt Museum, St. Mary's Cathedral, and King George's Castle. Rick Steves, in his guidebooks, bypasses Limerick but we think it's worth a visit. A lot of people fly into Shannon Airport which is just west of Limerick. We didn't visit some of the main tourist attractions in the area such as Adare or Bunratty Castle but we've still had a good time.
In the afternoon, we headed east of Limerick and went on a hike on a national hiking trail called Clare Glen. The trail follows a river with many cascades and small waterfulls. It was a great place to come, and the weather was nice today.
I'm feeling more and more comfortable driving on the opposite side of the road, shifting with my left hand, añd sitting on the opposite side of the car. The unnatural part is driving on roads so narrow that cows have to walk on them single file (I'm kidding, but not by much).
I'm typing using an android tablet with a virtual keyboard that blocks what I'm typing. I can't see what I'm typing until I finish since the virtual keyboard blocks the paragraph I'm working on. It's a bit frustrating. I know I'm making a few typos but it's too hard to fix them. I'll leave it to your imagination to try and figure out what I'm really trying to write.
Today, we went into downtown Limerick and visited the Hunt Museum, St. Mary's Cathedral, and King George's Castle. Rick Steves, in his guidebooks, bypasses Limerick but we think it's worth a visit. A lot of people fly into Shannon Airport which is just west of Limerick. We didn't visit some of the main tourist attractions in the area such as Adare or Bunratty Castle but we've still had a good time.
In the afternoon, we headed east of Limerick and went on a hike on a national hiking trail called Clare Glen. The trail follows a river with many cascades and small waterfulls. It was a great place to come, and the weather was nice today.
I'm feeling more and more comfortable driving on the opposite side of the road, shifting with my left hand, añd sitting on the opposite side of the car. The unnatural part is driving on roads so narrow that cows have to walk on them single file (I'm kidding, but not by much).
I'm typing using an android tablet with a virtual keyboard that blocks what I'm typing. I can't see what I'm typing until I finish since the virtual keyboard blocks the paragraph I'm working on. It's a bit frustrating. I know I'm making a few typos but it's too hard to fix them. I'll leave it to your imagination to try and figure out what I'm really trying to write.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Day 22, July 20, 2012
Today was planned to be a genealogy day. Nancy and Grace were very keen to trace the steps of their Irish ancestors and walk where they walked. In the morning, they were waiting for an email response from the genalogist in Limerick. That response came at 11 a.m. She was able to find the baptismal record for Garrrett Cops in the year 1838.
While the ladies were waiting for that information, George and I went to explore the local area around Lough Gur. We came across the Grange stone circle that is the largest stone circle in Europe. It was used for ceremonial purposes as long as 3000 years ago. We also found a church that was built by one of the Earls of Desmond in the 1500's. It fell into disrepair but was restored in the year 1645.
After the ladies got their preliminary genalogical report, we piled into the car and headed off to the town of Shanagolden, which was the home of Grace and Nancy's Nancy's ancestors. We spent at least two hours in the town, visiting cemetaries and walking the main street of town.
On the way back, we drove through the town of Adare, a very well-known town with many historical sites. We decided that there were too many other people with the same idea of visiting the town so we continued on our way.
We took a short nap then went out to dinner again in the town of Bruff. Bruff is the home of a very famous racehorse, Istabarq. This horse won 21 major races and was largely responsible for making it's owner one of the richest men in Europe. We ate at Clancey's Restaurant which is also know as Istabarq Restaurant. I had a good talk with the owner of the restaurant about horse racing in Ireland. I learned that an owner of a successful racehorse can make 100 million dollars just from stud fees alone.
While the ladies were waiting for that information, George and I went to explore the local area around Lough Gur. We came across the Grange stone circle that is the largest stone circle in Europe. It was used for ceremonial purposes as long as 3000 years ago. We also found a church that was built by one of the Earls of Desmond in the 1500's. It fell into disrepair but was restored in the year 1645.
After the ladies got their preliminary genalogical report, we piled into the car and headed off to the town of Shanagolden, which was the home of Grace and Nancy's Nancy's ancestors. We spent at least two hours in the town, visiting cemetaries and walking the main street of town.
On the way back, we drove through the town of Adare, a very well-known town with many historical sites. We decided that there were too many other people with the same idea of visiting the town so we continued on our way.
We took a short nap then went out to dinner again in the town of Bruff. Bruff is the home of a very famous racehorse, Istabarq. This horse won 21 major races and was largely responsible for making it's owner one of the richest men in Europe. We ate at Clancey's Restaurant which is also know as Istabarq Restaurant. I had a good talk with the owner of the restaurant about horse racing in Ireland. I learned that an owner of a successful racehorse can make 100 million dollars just from stud fees alone.
Day 21, July 19, 2012
Today was a typical day in Ireland...three medieval castles, one Franciscan Abbey, a Knights' Templar Tower, and a beautiful sunset. The weather has improved. After all the rain, it's nice to see the sun.
We left Dingle, drove through Tralee and headed northeast, with the Limerick area as our destination. We stopped in the town of Listowel and were treated to a very nice tour of a castle. The sastle has been restored and is as close as possible to it's original condition. There is even a "murder hole", where muskets could be fired at approaching soldiers and gardaroles, which are the equivalent of indoor toilets.
From there, we drove along the mouth of the Shannon River and stopped in the town of Askeaton, where we saw another castle, a beautiful abbey, and a tower that was used by the Knights Templar. There was also an exhibit dedicated to four citizens of the town who were passengers on the Titanic. Of the four, two survived and two perished.
At 3 p.m., we arrived in Limerick and met with a genealogist regarding Nancy and Grace's ancestors. She is working on finding baptismal and marriage records of several of the ancestors from the Limerick area.
After this meeting, we continued on to our B&B, called the Desmond Lodge, which is located next to a very historic lake called Lough Gur. There is eveidence of human habitation in the area for the past 6000 years. We went to the visitor center and took a hike which gave us some nice views of the lake.
We went out to dinner at the Old Bakehouse Restaurant in Bruff. The food was excellent. After dinner, we were treated to a gorgeous sunset.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Day 20, July 18, 2012
Time is passing quickly. We're now at the half-way point of our trip. It won't be long before we'll be leaving the cool, moist weather of Ireland and returning to the hot, dry weather of Northern California.
The fog finally lifted so we thought we'd have another go at the Dingle Peninsula. It was raining lightly but at least the visibility was better. We now have another road hazard to add to our list on Irish roads -- cattle. A whole herd of them marched past our car just like they owned the place (they probably do, at least more than I do). We drove to the west end of the peninsula where we could see the westernmost spot in Europe.
We completed the circuit on the Dingle Peninsula and decided to head to the city of Tralee which is the county seat of County Kerry. We took some pictures of one of the oldest operating windmills in the world which was built in 1800.
Next, we visited the Kerry County Museum in Tralee which had some interesting exhibits on Irish history. The city park was next to the museum and it is widely known for it's rose gardens. I also happened upon a photo shoot for publicity photos of candidates for the title of "The Rose of Tralee". They've had a big festival in August since the 1950's where they select one young lady to be the "Rose of Tralee". It's quite an honor because this young lady acts as an ambassador for Ireland and meets heads of state from other countries. There are 32 candidates, included some from other countries such as the United States.
When we returned to Dingle, we decided to splurge by indulging in a 3-course dinner at "Half the Door" restaurant. It was great and I'm still full hours later.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Day 19, July 17, 2012
Alright, already! What's with this weather?! Today was not only rainy, it was foggy too. We were hoping the fog would lift but, unfortunately, it didn't the entire day. We are at one of the most beautiful spots in all of Ireland, the Dingle Peninsula, and can't see anything. We are staying here three nights so hopefully the weather and the visibility will improve.
We waited until late in the morning hoping the fog would lift. When it didn't, we set off anyways making our way from Dingle. We stopped at a pottery shop and admired but didn't buy. From there, we went to the Dunbeg Stone Fort. It looked very much like the Staige Stone Fort we had seen yesterday on the Kerry Peninsula but was smaller. It also had earthen ramparts for defence and was much closer to the ocean than the other fort. It also was built about 2500 years ago during the Bronze Age.
Yesterday, we drove on narrow roads further than any previous day. Today, we also had narrow roads. Between the fog, blind corners, walls and bushes on both sides, cyclists, hikers, tour buses, and other cars, it made for some interesting driving. I'm happy to have driven over 2,000 kilometers in Ireland on some of the narrowest roads imaginable without a mishap so far. I'm hoping that trend continues.
We found a nice indoor activity at the west end of the Dingle Peninsula at the Blascaod Center. Here, we learned about people who lived on the Great Blasket Island which is a few miles off the coast. This hardy group of people had lived on the island for hundreds of years until their numbers declined and they finally left the island in 1952. They had a very interesting story to tell about life on this small and rugged island.
By this time, the weather had not improved so we decided to head back to Dingle. We took a long nap, went out to dinner, then came back to our B&B for a friendly game of "Hand and Foot", a card game our family enjoys. That was about the extent of our day. We're hoping for better weather tomorrow. It's ironic that where we live in California, the weather has been extremely hot and dry, while here it's been cool and wet. I'm sure the people here would take cool weather over scorching hot weather any day.
We waited until late in the morning hoping the fog would lift. When it didn't, we set off anyways making our way from Dingle. We stopped at a pottery shop and admired but didn't buy. From there, we went to the Dunbeg Stone Fort. It looked very much like the Staige Stone Fort we had seen yesterday on the Kerry Peninsula but was smaller. It also had earthen ramparts for defence and was much closer to the ocean than the other fort. It also was built about 2500 years ago during the Bronze Age.
Yesterday, we drove on narrow roads further than any previous day. Today, we also had narrow roads. Between the fog, blind corners, walls and bushes on both sides, cyclists, hikers, tour buses, and other cars, it made for some interesting driving. I'm happy to have driven over 2,000 kilometers in Ireland on some of the narrowest roads imaginable without a mishap so far. I'm hoping that trend continues.
We found a nice indoor activity at the west end of the Dingle Peninsula at the Blascaod Center. Here, we learned about people who lived on the Great Blasket Island which is a few miles off the coast. This hardy group of people had lived on the island for hundreds of years until their numbers declined and they finally left the island in 1952. They had a very interesting story to tell about life on this small and rugged island.
By this time, the weather had not improved so we decided to head back to Dingle. We took a long nap, went out to dinner, then came back to our B&B for a friendly game of "Hand and Foot", a card game our family enjoys. That was about the extent of our day. We're hoping for better weather tomorrow. It's ironic that where we live in California, the weather has been extremely hot and dry, while here it's been cool and wet. I'm sure the people here would take cool weather over scorching hot weather any day.
Day 18, July 16, 2012
I went to do my blog tonight and realized that I hadn't done one for yesterday. Shame on me! Well, here goes.
We left Kenmare on somewhat of a gray day and headed around the "Ring of Kerry" in a clockwise direction. The tourist books all recommend that you travel in a counter-clockwise direction but, not wanting to be conformists, and also not wanting to repeat a part of the route we had already done, we decided to go in this direction.
Our first stop was in the town of Sneem at something that sounded interesting to us, the Kerry Geopark Center. We learned a little about the rocks and geology of the are and, more importantly, we learned that there are dinosaur tracks in the rock on the Island of Valentia which was a sidetrip we could easily add to our trip today.
At Castlecove, we headed inland a few kilometers and came to the Staige Stone Fort, a fort the largest of it's size in the area, that was built about 2500 years ago. It made me wonder who they were protecting themselves from. The history of Ireland is quite fascinating.
From there, we continued west along the Ring of Kerry route until we came to the far west end of the Kerry Peninsula and started a round called the "Ring of Skelligs". There seem to be a lot of rings around here. We drove across a bridge separating the mainland from the Valentia Island. Our quest for dinosaur tracks had begun. We asked about the tracks at "The Skellig Experience Center". If the weather had been better, we may have taken a boat to the Skelligs which are rocky islands off the coast of Ireland where Skellig Michael, a monastic settlement dating to about the fifth century, was founded.
In spite of the somewhat inclement weather, we could still find our dinosaur tracks. On the way, we tried to drive to a well where St. Brendan had baptized people around 500 A.D. I learned that this is the same man who reportedly sailed across the Atlantic and discovered America long before Leif Ericson or Christopher Columbus. This was the first road in Ireland we failed to navigate. It was too rutted and wet to hazard driving on it so we turned around and headed back in search of the dinosaur tracks.
Success! We found the tracks. They were described as being tracks made by a tetrapod, which means "four feet". This lizardlike creature walked across the mud many years ago. The mud solidified to form rock and the tracks remain. They are described as being the earliest "in situ" tracks made by a vertebrate in the world. That's pretty impressive. I have a picture of the tracks on my Facebook page.
By this time, we needed to make our own tracks and get to our B&B on the Dingle Peninsula in the town of Dingle. We arrived shortly before 6 p.m. and checked in. Our rooms have the best view of the harbor and town. Too bad the weather is not cooperating. We're glad we are here for a long time because we can afford to have some rainy days.
We left Kenmare on somewhat of a gray day and headed around the "Ring of Kerry" in a clockwise direction. The tourist books all recommend that you travel in a counter-clockwise direction but, not wanting to be conformists, and also not wanting to repeat a part of the route we had already done, we decided to go in this direction.
Our first stop was in the town of Sneem at something that sounded interesting to us, the Kerry Geopark Center. We learned a little about the rocks and geology of the are and, more importantly, we learned that there are dinosaur tracks in the rock on the Island of Valentia which was a sidetrip we could easily add to our trip today.
At Castlecove, we headed inland a few kilometers and came to the Staige Stone Fort, a fort the largest of it's size in the area, that was built about 2500 years ago. It made me wonder who they were protecting themselves from. The history of Ireland is quite fascinating.
From there, we continued west along the Ring of Kerry route until we came to the far west end of the Kerry Peninsula and started a round called the "Ring of Skelligs". There seem to be a lot of rings around here. We drove across a bridge separating the mainland from the Valentia Island. Our quest for dinosaur tracks had begun. We asked about the tracks at "The Skellig Experience Center". If the weather had been better, we may have taken a boat to the Skelligs which are rocky islands off the coast of Ireland where Skellig Michael, a monastic settlement dating to about the fifth century, was founded.
In spite of the somewhat inclement weather, we could still find our dinosaur tracks. On the way, we tried to drive to a well where St. Brendan had baptized people around 500 A.D. I learned that this is the same man who reportedly sailed across the Atlantic and discovered America long before Leif Ericson or Christopher Columbus. This was the first road in Ireland we failed to navigate. It was too rutted and wet to hazard driving on it so we turned around and headed back in search of the dinosaur tracks.
Success! We found the tracks. They were described as being tracks made by a tetrapod, which means "four feet". This lizardlike creature walked across the mud many years ago. The mud solidified to form rock and the tracks remain. They are described as being the earliest "in situ" tracks made by a vertebrate in the world. That's pretty impressive. I have a picture of the tracks on my Facebook page.
By this time, we needed to make our own tracks and get to our B&B on the Dingle Peninsula in the town of Dingle. We arrived shortly before 6 p.m. and checked in. Our rooms have the best view of the harbor and town. Too bad the weather is not cooperating. We're glad we are here for a long time because we can afford to have some rainy days.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Day 17, July 15, 2012
This morning, we left the Kinsale area and headed toward Killarney National Park. Our GPS used some creative routing and took us on roads that made me glad there was no one coming in the opposite direction.
Our first stop was at the Muckross House which was built by the Herbert famiy around 1848. Mr. Herbert was a member of Parliament and fairly well-to-do. He received word that Queen Victoria would be visiting Muckross House in six years (I guess they believed in advance planning back then). He made elaborate preparations which included the construction of specially made furniture and the weaving of fine curtains. He was hoping that the queen would bestow a title on him or give him a large sum of money. The queen and Prince Albert arrived in August of 1861 along with an entourage of 100 servants. The visit lasted two days. No title or money was given to Mr. Herbert even though he had spent a huge sum of money in preparation of the visit. He soon hit on hard financial times and was forced to sell Muckross House. Eventually it was given to Ireland and it was restored and opened to the public.
While visited some falls in the area, we were asked if we would like to take a horse and buggy ride (locally known as a "jaunting car"). The asking price was surprisingly reasonable so we decided to go. The trip lasted close to an hour and we had the best time.
Our B&B tonight is in the town of Kenmare, which is on the famous "Ring of Kerry" route. We had a nice dinner then took a walk to see an old bridge constructed hundreds of years ago known as "Cromwell's Bridge" (although it had nothing to do with Oliver Cromwell). We continued our walk and found a large stone circle that was constructed about 3000 years ago, possibly by the Druids.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Day 16, July 14, 2012
Today, we're visiting the town of Kinsale on the south coast of Ireland. We had an excellent "Heritage Walk" led by Dermot Ryan through the streets of Kinsale. Mr. Ryan has been leading tours for the past 40 years. His tour is the number one rated activity in Kinsale by tripadvisor.com. He showed us an 800 year old church as well as a building that Charles and John Wesley, the founders of the Methodist Church, preached from. He also showed us where a man lived who was the real Robinson Crusoe, the inspiration for the book by Daniel Defoe.
After the tour, we headed for Fota Island near Cork, to the Fota Wildlife Park. I am a zoo lover so this was a "must see" place for me. My wife, Nancy, always lets me have my zoo fix wherever we travel. It didn't disappoint. There are even animals such as wallabies that are allowed to walk freely in the park amongst the people who visit.
After returning to our B&B for a nap, we went out to eat at "The Pink Elephant" Restaurant. It's along the coast away from any towns but seemed to be very popular. The restaurant was pink, the staff people wore pink, and we noticed that many of the patrons also were wearing pink. I think I'll pass on wearing pink, thank you very much. (The food was good, as was the view from the restaurant).
Day 15, July 13, 2012
Ireland does not seem to have a dry summer climate like we have in California - quite the contrary in fact. This year, they've had the wettest June in over 100 years. July doesn't seem to be too much different, though we've had some very nice weather. The past couple of days have been rainy.
Today, we're starting out from Waterford and visited the Hook's Head lighthouse. It is reportedly the oldest operational lighthouse in the world. It was constructed around 1210 A.D., which makes it over 800 years old. The walls are 4 meters thick which is over 12 feet.
We discovered that both couples had failed to return their room keys at the B&B we stayed at last night near Waterford. Luckily, it wasn't out of our way to return them and the manager of the B&B seemed very relieved to get them back. We'll try not to do that again.
Breakfasts at B&B's in Ireland are remarkably similar. Most of them serve an "Irish Breakfast" that invariably consists of ham, link sausages, a fried egg, a slightly stewed tomato, and black and white "pudding". The pudding is not all all like the pudding that we have in the U.S. In fact, it's not liquid or even semi-solid. It's more like sausage patties. I'm not sure what's in black or white pudding, but I think it's a lot like hotdogs -- you don't ask.
From Waterford, we headed west toward the city of Cork, although we didn't actually go into Cork. We stopped along the way at Cobh (pronounced like Cove). Cobh was the last port of call on the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. We went to a multi-media presention called 'The Queenstown Story" which told about the emigration of Irish people in the 1800's during perids of famine caused by the failure of potato crops. There were also exhibits about the Titanic as well as the Lusitaania, a British passenger ship that was sunk by a German submarine in 1915. This incident was a prime cause of the U.S. becoming involved in WW1.
Tonight, we're staying near the town of Kinsale. Kinsale is well known for a couple of things. It was the site of the Battle of Kinsale in 1601, in which the great Spanish Armada suffered major losses as did the Irish who lost 1200 men in the battle. The English fared far better, only losing about seven men. The British ship, the Lusitania, was sunk just off the the coast from Kinsale in 1915.
Today, we're starting out from Waterford and visited the Hook's Head lighthouse. It is reportedly the oldest operational lighthouse in the world. It was constructed around 1210 A.D., which makes it over 800 years old. The walls are 4 meters thick which is over 12 feet.
We discovered that both couples had failed to return their room keys at the B&B we stayed at last night near Waterford. Luckily, it wasn't out of our way to return them and the manager of the B&B seemed very relieved to get them back. We'll try not to do that again.
Breakfasts at B&B's in Ireland are remarkably similar. Most of them serve an "Irish Breakfast" that invariably consists of ham, link sausages, a fried egg, a slightly stewed tomato, and black and white "pudding". The pudding is not all all like the pudding that we have in the U.S. In fact, it's not liquid or even semi-solid. It's more like sausage patties. I'm not sure what's in black or white pudding, but I think it's a lot like hotdogs -- you don't ask.
From Waterford, we headed west toward the city of Cork, although we didn't actually go into Cork. We stopped along the way at Cobh (pronounced like Cove). Cobh was the last port of call on the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. We went to a multi-media presention called 'The Queenstown Story" which told about the emigration of Irish people in the 1800's during perids of famine caused by the failure of potato crops. There were also exhibits about the Titanic as well as the Lusitaania, a British passenger ship that was sunk by a German submarine in 1915. This incident was a prime cause of the U.S. becoming involved in WW1.
Tonight, we're staying near the town of Kinsale. Kinsale is well known for a couple of things. It was the site of the Battle of Kinsale in 1601, in which the great Spanish Armada suffered major losses as did the Irish who lost 1200 men in the battle. The English fared far better, only losing about seven men. The British ship, the Lusitania, was sunk just off the the coast from Kinsale in 1915.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Day 14, July 12, 2012
I want to thank all of you who have been faithfully reading my blog. I'm using a Toshiba Android tablet to do all the postings so I'm hoping that once I have access to a computer, I'll be able to add some pictures. In the meantime, if you are my friend on Facebook or would like to be, you can see the many pictures that I've posted during the trip across Ireland. My name is Tom Phillips and I'm from Redwood Valley, California in case you're interested.
Today has been a rainy day. Ireland has quite a few rainy days but this one one has been particularly rainy. Nevertheless, it didn't dampen our spirits and we were able to find a couple of activities that worked out well. We had a bit of a break in the weather and were able to see the castle at Cahir (pronounced 'care') which is remarkably well preserved. In fact, we're told tht it is the most intact castle in Ireland.
We all have Heritage cards that we purchased in Dublin that allow us free access to many historic sites throughout Ireland. We've already covered our initial costs and plan to use the cards for many other sites.
We made our way into Waterford to the famous Waterford Crystal factory for a tour. The company was purchased by an American firm and was reorganized and reopened for tours in 2010. It still produces some of the finest crystal pieces in the world. We got to see some of the pieces that they are making for the 2012 Olympics in London this month. They have one man who is said to be the greatest glass engraver in the world. We saw him working on a piece that he has been working on for the past 7 weeks. As you might expect, it will be a very costly item.
Today has been a rainy day. Ireland has quite a few rainy days but this one one has been particularly rainy. Nevertheless, it didn't dampen our spirits and we were able to find a couple of activities that worked out well. We had a bit of a break in the weather and were able to see the castle at Cahir (pronounced 'care') which is remarkably well preserved. In fact, we're told tht it is the most intact castle in Ireland.
We all have Heritage cards that we purchased in Dublin that allow us free access to many historic sites throughout Ireland. We've already covered our initial costs and plan to use the cards for many other sites.
We made our way into Waterford to the famous Waterford Crystal factory for a tour. The company was purchased by an American firm and was reorganized and reopened for tours in 2010. It still produces some of the finest crystal pieces in the world. We got to see some of the pieces that they are making for the 2012 Olympics in London this month. They have one man who is said to be the greatest glass engraver in the world. We saw him working on a piece that he has been working on for the past 7 weeks. As you might expect, it will be a very costly item.
Day 13, July 11, 2012
We reluctantly left our excellent B&B, the Lawcus Farm, but not before seeing the new B&B Mark is working on just above the one we stayed in. He has. been working on it for 2 yers and the craftsmanship is amazing. It has concrete, steel, and rock walls that are two feet thick. It truly is more like a castle than a house. If you're ever in the Kilkenny area, I encourage you stay with Mark and Anne-Marie at their B&B
Our next stop was the Rock of Cashel, one of the most historic spots in all of Ireland. It was the home of the kings of southern Ireland (Munster) since at least the fourth century. St. Patrick baptized one of the kings of Munster in about 400 A.D. Patrick unknowingly stuck the sharp end of his staff through the king's foot during the baptism. The king thought it was part of the ceremony so he stoically kept silent. At the beginning of the twelfth century, there were two groups both after the Rock of Cashel. The king who had possession of it deeded it over to the church in 1101 A.D. and that solved the problem .
We stayed at the Rockside B&B at the base of the Rock of Cashel. At 9 p.m., we went to an excellent musical and dance show at the Bru Boru Cultural Center in Cashel. The group sang and danced for about an hour, then we moved to a different room and had a more informal gathering with the group members. They asked for volunteers to share a song, dance, or poem so I gave them a rendition of "The Math Class Blues", a song I wrote for my students. It went over well and the musicians were able to play along before I even made it through the first line. This group has performed for the President of the United States and many other foreign dignitaries.
Our next stop was the Rock of Cashel, one of the most historic spots in all of Ireland. It was the home of the kings of southern Ireland (Munster) since at least the fourth century. St. Patrick baptized one of the kings of Munster in about 400 A.D. Patrick unknowingly stuck the sharp end of his staff through the king's foot during the baptism. The king thought it was part of the ceremony so he stoically kept silent. At the beginning of the twelfth century, there were two groups both after the Rock of Cashel. The king who had possession of it deeded it over to the church in 1101 A.D. and that solved the problem .
We stayed at the Rockside B&B at the base of the Rock of Cashel. At 9 p.m., we went to an excellent musical and dance show at the Bru Boru Cultural Center in Cashel. The group sang and danced for about an hour, then we moved to a different room and had a more informal gathering with the group members. They asked for volunteers to share a song, dance, or poem so I gave them a rendition of "The Math Class Blues", a song I wrote for my students. It went over well and the musicians were able to play along before I even made it through the first line. This group has performed for the President of the United States and many other foreign dignitaries.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Day 12, July 10, 2012
Today marks our second day in the Kilkenny area. We're staying at the Lacus Farm B&B, which is a great place to stay. In addition to the beauty of the area, the owners, Anne-Marie and Mark, go out of their way to be hospitable. In addition to making us a nice breakfast, Anne-Marie washed and dried our clothes.
After breakfast, we set out for the Dunmore Cave, north of Kilkenny. The cave has some interesting history. In the year 987, a group of Vikings attacked communities in the area and killed 1,000 people. Many people took refuge in the cave. The Vikings followed them in and took many out as slaves. Some of the women and children remained hidden in the cave. The Vikings lit a huge bonfire which consumed the oxygen in the cave and the women and children perished.
After a nice tour of the cave (with the oxygen level back to normal), we went to Kilkenny Castle for a tour. It's amazing how old these places are. The castle was around long before the United States was established.
By this time, Nancy, George and Grace were getting a bit tired so I dropped them off at the B&B for a napand did some touring on my own. I stopped in at the Mt. Juliet golf course which was designed by Jack Nicklaus. It's a gorgeous course way out in the middle of nowhere but there seemed to be plenty of people around. Next, I visited the Jerpoint Abbey, which has been around since 1180 A.D. It too has a lot of interesting history. I was able to get in on aone hour tour. I continued my touring around by visiting the Kilree tower and cross.
I was starting to feel guilty about doing all this touring on my won, so I went back to the B&B, picked up the gang, and we went into town for dinner at a Chinese Restaurant. It was very good, But have you ever gone to a Chinese Restaurant where you actually eat all the food instead of taking some out? I guess we worked up an appetite. After dinner, I showedeveryone the golf course then went and explored some more ruins known as the Kell Priory.
After breakfast, we set out for the Dunmore Cave, north of Kilkenny. The cave has some interesting history. In the year 987, a group of Vikings attacked communities in the area and killed 1,000 people. Many people took refuge in the cave. The Vikings followed them in and took many out as slaves. Some of the women and children remained hidden in the cave. The Vikings lit a huge bonfire which consumed the oxygen in the cave and the women and children perished.
After a nice tour of the cave (with the oxygen level back to normal), we went to Kilkenny Castle for a tour. It's amazing how old these places are. The castle was around long before the United States was established.
By this time, Nancy, George and Grace were getting a bit tired so I dropped them off at the B&B for a napand did some touring on my own. I stopped in at the Mt. Juliet golf course which was designed by Jack Nicklaus. It's a gorgeous course way out in the middle of nowhere but there seemed to be plenty of people around. Next, I visited the Jerpoint Abbey, which has been around since 1180 A.D. It too has a lot of interesting history. I was able to get in on aone hour tour. I continued my touring around by visiting the Kilree tower and cross.
I was starting to feel guilty about doing all this touring on my won, so I went back to the B&B, picked up the gang, and we went into town for dinner at a Chinese Restaurant. It was very good, But have you ever gone to a Chinese Restaurant where you actually eat all the food instead of taking some out? I guess we worked up an appetite. After dinner, I showedeveryone the golf course then went and explored some more ruins known as the Kell Priory.
Day 11, July 9, 2011
Today, we'll be leaving Dublin for a few weeks and touring around Ireland in a clockwise direction. We started the morning with another delicious breakfast buffet at the Clontarf Castle Hotel then headed into downtown Dublin to visit the National Library. My mother-in-law is doing genealogical research on her ancestry so this was a good place to start her search. While she and Nancy were in the library, my father-in-law George and I went to the National Gallery. We had planned to go in the national museum but it is closed on Mondays. Nevertheless, we had a good visit in the gallery and saw a lot of great artwork.
In the afternoon, we drove to Powerscourt Gardens south of Dublin. They are spectacular gardens that we were very impressed with. From there, we went to Glendalough, which was an early Christian settlement founded by St. Kevin in the sixth century. It's amazing to realize that there are artifacts and ruins that are that old.
Following a drive through the Wicklow Mountains, we arrived at our B&B in Stoneyford, near Kilkenny. The B&B is on a farm is a beautiful pastoral setting. We'll be staying here for two days and touring in the area. I'll be posting some picture on my Facebook page in case you'd like to see them.
Day 10, July 8, 2012
I think I'm getting the knack for driving in city traffic in Ireland, having driven in both Belfast and Dublin. As fun as that sounds...driving a manual transmission car, shifting with the left hand, sitting on the opposite side of the car, driving on the opposite side of the road, dodging taxis, cars parked into the traffic lanes, and big city buses...I think I'm ready for some driving in the countryside.
After eating a hearty breakfast buffet at our castle hotel, we took a trip to downtown Dublin and a visit to St. Stephen's Green Park. After a walk around the park, we drove to a church that our friend Stuart recommended to us, the Grosvenor Road Baptist Church. We were warmly received and enjoyed the service.
By this time, it was lunchtime. We stopped at the store and bought some lunch supplies so we could make our lunch. We may do that since it can be expensive to eat out all the time. For the next three weeks, we'll be staying at B&B's every day so our breakfasts will be provided.
After lunch, we went to Dublin Castle where we were able to sign up for a tour. Dublin Castle has been on this site for hundreds of years. The Vikings controlled it for over 300 years and the English for over 700 years until the independence of Ireland in 1922. Now, it's the seat of government for the Republic of Ireland. The tour was very informative. During the tour, we were surprised to meet up with our friends, Paul and Becky, whom we had spent the past week with on the bike ride. It was purely coincidental that we met since we had said our goodbyes two days ago in Northen Ireland. Small world!
We went back to our hotel for a nap then ending coming back to the same parking lot while we ate at a Mongolian Barbeque. I can see I'm going to have to do some serious bike riding when I get home to work off some of these Irish calories.
After eating a hearty breakfast buffet at our castle hotel, we took a trip to downtown Dublin and a visit to St. Stephen's Green Park. After a walk around the park, we drove to a church that our friend Stuart recommended to us, the Grosvenor Road Baptist Church. We were warmly received and enjoyed the service.
By this time, it was lunchtime. We stopped at the store and bought some lunch supplies so we could make our lunch. We may do that since it can be expensive to eat out all the time. For the next three weeks, we'll be staying at B&B's every day so our breakfasts will be provided.
After lunch, we went to Dublin Castle where we were able to sign up for a tour. Dublin Castle has been on this site for hundreds of years. The Vikings controlled it for over 300 years and the English for over 700 years until the independence of Ireland in 1922. Now, it's the seat of government for the Republic of Ireland. The tour was very informative. During the tour, we were surprised to meet up with our friends, Paul and Becky, whom we had spent the past week with on the bike ride. It was purely coincidental that we met since we had said our goodbyes two days ago in Northen Ireland. Small world!
We went back to our hotel for a nap then ending coming back to the same parking lot while we ate at a Mongolian Barbeque. I can see I'm going to have to do some serious bike riding when I get home to work off some of these Irish calories.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Day 9, July 7, 2012
Well, the bike ride is over but our trip is still in it's infancy. We stayed in Drogheda last night, which is near Newgrange, Knowth, and the Bru na Boinne visitor center. It also happened to be close to the Dublin Airport, which was handy since we needed to go there today and "collect" our parents, George and Grace, who flew from San Francisco to Dublin via Toronto. In Ireland, you don't pick someone up at the airport -- you "collect" them. ( I should start my own collection agency).
After we took care of a few housekeeping details at the airport, we loaded up the rental car and headed back to see the Bru na Boinne sites. Wow, are they ever impressive. They are massive in size and represent a whole lot of effort at their time of construction. We had guided tours at Knowth and Newgrange. These sites were way more than big piles of dirt. They had interior passageways and chambers that were strategically aligned so they could mark the summer and winter solstices and well as the spring and fall equinoxes. We learned that they were constructed even before the pryamids and were in use for thousands of years by neolithic groups, groups during the Iron Age, the early Christian church, and by the Normans during the Middle Ages. This is considered the top historic site in Ireland and I can certainly see why.
From there, we headed back toward Dublin and the Clontarf Castle Hotel where we'll be spending two nights. There has been a castle on the site since the 1300's. The old castle fell into disrepair so they had to demolish it and bulld a new one in the early 1800's. They have since converted into a very nice hotel that is very popular with wedding parties. In fact, there was a wedding party tonight and I can still hear people talking and laughing. That's it for now. I will bid you farewell.
After we took care of a few housekeeping details at the airport, we loaded up the rental car and headed back to see the Bru na Boinne sites. Wow, are they ever impressive. They are massive in size and represent a whole lot of effort at their time of construction. We had guided tours at Knowth and Newgrange. These sites were way more than big piles of dirt. They had interior passageways and chambers that were strategically aligned so they could mark the summer and winter solstices and well as the spring and fall equinoxes. We learned that they were constructed even before the pryamids and were in use for thousands of years by neolithic groups, groups during the Iron Age, the early Christian church, and by the Normans during the Middle Ages. This is considered the top historic site in Ireland and I can certainly see why.
From there, we headed back toward Dublin and the Clontarf Castle Hotel where we'll be spending two nights. There has been a castle on the site since the 1300's. The old castle fell into disrepair so they had to demolish it and bulld a new one in the early 1800's. They have since converted into a very nice hotel that is very popular with wedding parties. In fact, there was a wedding party tonight and I can still hear people talking and laughing. That's it for now. I will bid you farewell.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Day 8, July 6, 2012
Today marked the last day of our epic five day cycling journey across Ireland. It was with a tinge of sadness that I bid farewell to my cycling friends, Paul and Stuart, and Paul's wife, Becky. In the past five days, we rode approximately 270 miles and climbed about 16,000 feet of vertical rise. We had a short ride today since we wanted to act as tourists. We left our B&B in Port Stewart and rode toward the town of Bushmills. Along the way, we stopped at the Dunluce Castle. It's been around since the 14th century and, by the looks of it, I'd say it's seen better days. (It's still pretty impressive though). We then met up as a group and toured the Bushmills Distillery. It's the oldest distillery in the world. I believe it's been in operation for over 400 years. We had a nice lunch at the distillery and then made our way to the Giant's Causeway, which was just a couple of miles away.
The Giant's Causeway is the top tourist attraction in Northern Ireland. We did a walking tour and got to see hundreds of basaltic columns of various heights. It was truly an impressive sight. Paul and Becky had already seen the Giant's Causeway, so they stayed back and repacked the car with two bikes and all our luggage. That took some doing. We had to partially disassemble the bikes in order to transport them in the car.
We left the Giant's Causeway and drove to the Belfast City Airport where Paul and Becky picked up their rental car. We drove both rental cars to the home of our friends, John and Maisie Duncan, where we unpacked the car and said our final farewells. At this point, you're probably wondering what happened to the third bike and rider. Stuart lives in Northern Ireland not far from the Duncans. He decided to ride a bit further then have his wife drive up and pick him up.
Nancy and I drove to a B&B in Drogheda, Ireland (pronounced Drock-a-duh). We plan to pick up Nancy's parents, George and Grace, at the Dublin Airport in the morning.
The Giant's Causeway is the top tourist attraction in Northern Ireland. We did a walking tour and got to see hundreds of basaltic columns of various heights. It was truly an impressive sight. Paul and Becky had already seen the Giant's Causeway, so they stayed back and repacked the car with two bikes and all our luggage. That took some doing. We had to partially disassemble the bikes in order to transport them in the car.
We left the Giant's Causeway and drove to the Belfast City Airport where Paul and Becky picked up their rental car. We drove both rental cars to the home of our friends, John and Maisie Duncan, where we unpacked the car and said our final farewells. At this point, you're probably wondering what happened to the third bike and rider. Stuart lives in Northern Ireland not far from the Duncans. He decided to ride a bit further then have his wife drive up and pick him up.
Nancy and I drove to a B&B in Drogheda, Ireland (pronounced Drock-a-duh). We plan to pick up Nancy's parents, George and Grace, at the Dublin Airport in the morning.
Day 7, July 5, 2012
I'm catching up with my blog. We left Roddy's house and cycled into Rathmullen, about 3 miles away, to catch the 9:40 ferry. The weather was beautiful today and we had an exciting day ahead of us. Our goal was to cycle the Inishowen Peninsula and visit Malin Head which is the northernmost point in Ireland. We arrived at Malin Head in the late afternoon then cycled to Greencastle, hoping to catch the 7 pm ferry across Lough Foyle to Magilligan Point in Northern Ireland. We made it to the ferry with time to spare. on the other side, we still had about 19 miles to go to get to our destination of Port Stewart. Paul and I contined the ride and Stuart rode in the car with Nancy and Becky. It was a long day of riding. We went 89 miles and climbed 4000 feet. We arrived at our B&B at 9 pm. It was hard at that time of night to find a restaurant to serve us but we ended up going to an all-you-can-eat buffet. That was just what the doctor ordered after a long day of riding.
Day 6, July 4, 2012
I'm back - sorry for the delay. We didn't have internet at the house we stayed at last night so I'm writing two blogs today. This is the fourth of July but there are no fireworks, picnic, or parades. I'll just have to settle for beautiful scenery and good fellowship in a foreign land. It doesn't seem foreign. Everyone has treated us extremely well. People here love to have conversations.
We left our B&B in Falcarragh and headed out in the rain. The forecast was for clearing by afternoon and that's exactly what happened. By afternoon the sun was coming out and we soon dried out. One of our key destinations today was Fanad Head, where we found a white lighthouse and beautiful scenery. We continued around the peninsula and ended up in Rathmullen, Ireland. Stuart, our rider from Northern Ireland, has a friend, Roddy, who loaned us the use of his house for the night. It's on a golf course and was a wonderful place to stay. We went into Rathmullen and found a restaurant that overlooked Lough Swilly, the body of water we'll be crossing tomorrow by ferry.
We left our B&B in Falcarragh and headed out in the rain. The forecast was for clearing by afternoon and that's exactly what happened. By afternoon the sun was coming out and we soon dried out. One of our key destinations today was Fanad Head, where we found a white lighthouse and beautiful scenery. We continued around the peninsula and ended up in Rathmullen, Ireland. Stuart, our rider from Northern Ireland, has a friend, Roddy, who loaned us the use of his house for the night. It's on a golf course and was a wonderful place to stay. We went into Rathmullen and found a restaurant that overlooked Lough Swilly, the body of water we'll be crossing tomorrow by ferry.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Day 5, July 3, 2012
I forgot to tell you that the suitcase that was missing after our flight to ireland was waiting for me on Sunday night when we arrived in Donegal. That's good because it had all my cycling gear in it. Sorry to keep you in suspense all this time.
The ride today was a few miles shorter than yesterday's ride with less climbing. Yesterday's ride had 5000 feet of climb compared to 3500 feet today. We saw a lot of beautiful scenery and more sheep. I've been seeing so many sheep the past two days, when I lay down in bed at night, I start counting them (not really but it makes a good story).
We were able to start the ride much earlier than yesterday (9:30 compard to 11:30 yesterday). The sky was overcast but it really didn't rain the entire day. We took it easy, making quite a few stops along the way. There are a lot of places out in the countryside when they cut peat and dry it out. It's then used as a heating fuel. They've been using it for fuel for hundreds if not thousands of years. Other things of note that we passed by today were many fences constructed entirely of stacked rocks and a building with a thick thatched roof.
We checked into our B&B shortly after 5, got cleaned up, then came back into town for dinner. Dinners in Ireland are very leisurely. There's absolutely no rush. That's good because it gives us time to have a good conversation.
After dinner back at our B&B, Nancy and I came to thensitting room with the internet router so I could write our blog. We were soon joined by the owner of the B&B who is a retired teacher. He spoke with us for at least an hour and gave us a book about the history of the school in Ireland he attended as a child. He speaks Gaelic as well as English. It was a treat for us to hear his stories. Nancy shared that her mother is half Irish. Her maiden name is Grace McNiff. Our host shared that the name McNiff is very esteemed in County Donegal because a McNiff started Gaelic football which is wildly popular in these parts of Ireland.
The ride today was a few miles shorter than yesterday's ride with less climbing. Yesterday's ride had 5000 feet of climb compared to 3500 feet today. We saw a lot of beautiful scenery and more sheep. I've been seeing so many sheep the past two days, when I lay down in bed at night, I start counting them (not really but it makes a good story).
We were able to start the ride much earlier than yesterday (9:30 compard to 11:30 yesterday). The sky was overcast but it really didn't rain the entire day. We took it easy, making quite a few stops along the way. There are a lot of places out in the countryside when they cut peat and dry it out. It's then used as a heating fuel. They've been using it for fuel for hundreds if not thousands of years. Other things of note that we passed by today were many fences constructed entirely of stacked rocks and a building with a thick thatched roof.
We checked into our B&B shortly after 5, got cleaned up, then came back into town for dinner. Dinners in Ireland are very leisurely. There's absolutely no rush. That's good because it gives us time to have a good conversation.
After dinner back at our B&B, Nancy and I came to thensitting room with the internet router so I could write our blog. We were soon joined by the owner of the B&B who is a retired teacher. He spoke with us for at least an hour and gave us a book about the history of the school in Ireland he attended as a child. He speaks Gaelic as well as English. It was a treat for us to hear his stories. Nancy shared that her mother is half Irish. Her maiden name is Grace McNiff. Our host shared that the name McNiff is very esteemed in County Donegal because a McNiff started Gaelic football which is wildly popular in these parts of Ireland.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Day 4, July 2, 2012
I'm having trouble posting pictures so I may post some in Facebook until I figure out how to get the pictures posted in this blog.
Today was on first day of cycling. It looked like the weather was going to be rainy, but it there were fair skies throughout much of the day. We had an excellent breakfast at our B&B. After breakfast, we had a lot to do to get everyting packed up and our bikes prepped for riding. We didn't even start riding until after 11:30 in the morning. (We hope to get an earlier start tomorrow.
We left Donegal Town and headed for the fishing town of Killybegs. The weather was improving rapidly and we saw a lot of blue sky. We continued along the coast and then headed for the Slieve League, which are high cliffs that go down to the ocean. They are the second highest sea cliffs in Europe. The road up to the viewing point was very steep in places. Some of the road grades were around 20% slopes, so it made for some tough pedaling.
We saw sheep everywhere. You could see them on practically every hillside. A lot of times, the sheep would be on the road. At one place there was a flock of about twenty sheep in the road. Pagl, my fellow rider, whistled and the sheep started to run for all they were worth down the road. He continued to whistle and eventually they sprinted off to the sides of the road.
The scenery was beautiful today. Ireland is very green this time of year due to the amount of rain they receive.
We did a lot of hill climbing today. We ended up riding 58 miles but in tose miles we climbed a total of 5000 feet. We've got more climbing tomorrow so I need to get some rest soon. I did get a kick out of one of the road signs I saw. It read "Traffic Calming, 400 meters". I had visions of all the drivers at that point switching their radios to the classical music station and serenely listening.
On the last ten miles of the ride, we had to go over a mountain pass. It was lightly raining and the road was getting slippery. The road was extremely steep on the backside of the pass with hairpin turns. As I went around one of the turns, my tire slipped and I fell in the road. Fortunately, I wasn't going very fast but I do have some road rash to show for the experience.
We checked into our B&B, got cleaned up, the went out for a nice dinner in the town of Adara. That's all for now. Thanks for reading my blog.
Today was on first day of cycling. It looked like the weather was going to be rainy, but it there were fair skies throughout much of the day. We had an excellent breakfast at our B&B. After breakfast, we had a lot to do to get everyting packed up and our bikes prepped for riding. We didn't even start riding until after 11:30 in the morning. (We hope to get an earlier start tomorrow.
We left Donegal Town and headed for the fishing town of Killybegs. The weather was improving rapidly and we saw a lot of blue sky. We continued along the coast and then headed for the Slieve League, which are high cliffs that go down to the ocean. They are the second highest sea cliffs in Europe. The road up to the viewing point was very steep in places. Some of the road grades were around 20% slopes, so it made for some tough pedaling.
We saw sheep everywhere. You could see them on practically every hillside. A lot of times, the sheep would be on the road. At one place there was a flock of about twenty sheep in the road. Pagl, my fellow rider, whistled and the sheep started to run for all they were worth down the road. He continued to whistle and eventually they sprinted off to the sides of the road.
The scenery was beautiful today. Ireland is very green this time of year due to the amount of rain they receive.
We did a lot of hill climbing today. We ended up riding 58 miles but in tose miles we climbed a total of 5000 feet. We've got more climbing tomorrow so I need to get some rest soon. I did get a kick out of one of the road signs I saw. It read "Traffic Calming, 400 meters". I had visions of all the drivers at that point switching their radios to the classical music station and serenely listening.
On the last ten miles of the ride, we had to go over a mountain pass. It was lightly raining and the road was getting slippery. The road was extremely steep on the backside of the pass with hairpin turns. As I went around one of the turns, my tire slipped and I fell in the road. Fortunately, I wasn't going very fast but I do have some road rash to show for the experience.
We checked into our B&B, got cleaned up, the went out for a nice dinner in the town of Adara. That's all for now. Thanks for reading my blog.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Day 3, July 1
Now I know why we take long vacations -- the days already seem to be going by too quickly. We woke up after a much needed night's sleep and had a delicious Irish breakfast served by our hosts, the Duncans. We then went to the Ballynahinch Baptist Church with the Duncans and were greeted warmly by the church members. Nancy and I loved the church and the service. It's reat to be able to go to church in a foreign country and feel so welcomed and so at home and with such a spirit of worship.
After church, we had a long afternoon of preparing for the transport of two bikes and four people to Donegal, a two and a half hour drive. Our friend Stuart had left his bike rack for us to use but it didn't work on our car. We then drove into Belfast and tried to find a rack at a sporting goods shop, but we were unsuccessful there too. We ended up partially disassembling the bikes and packing them in the truck of our car, a Skoda Superb made in the Czech Republic. It was an interesting job of packing since we also had to pack all our luggage and squeeze four people into the car. I think we pulled it off nicely.
Near Belfast, we ate at a restaurant and I had an enormous bowl of Irish stew. Nancy and I both figured we were eating enough for dinner too. But when we got to our B&B in Donegal, the five of us (four in our car plus Stuart, who had cycled the last 60 miles to get here) had a wonderful three course meal. I'm hoping for lots of hills on the bike ride tomorrow so I can work some of these calories off. (The food was delicious though so it was worth it.)
After church, we had a long afternoon of preparing for the transport of two bikes and four people to Donegal, a two and a half hour drive. Our friend Stuart had left his bike rack for us to use but it didn't work on our car. We then drove into Belfast and tried to find a rack at a sporting goods shop, but we were unsuccessful there too. We ended up partially disassembling the bikes and packing them in the truck of our car, a Skoda Superb made in the Czech Republic. It was an interesting job of packing since we also had to pack all our luggage and squeeze four people into the car. I think we pulled it off nicely.
Near Belfast, we ate at a restaurant and I had an enormous bowl of Irish stew. Nancy and I both figured we were eating enough for dinner too. But when we got to our B&B in Donegal, the five of us (four in our car plus Stuart, who had cycled the last 60 miles to get here) had a wonderful three course meal. I'm hoping for lots of hills on the bike ride tomorrow so I can work some of these calories off. (The food was delicious though so it was worth it.)
Day 2, June 30, 2012
Days 1 and 2 kind of melded in together. It seemed like one big day and, judging by the amount of sleep we got (or didn't get) during this time, it really was one big day. We arrived in Dublin on Saturday afternoon about 1 pm. We had been scheduled to arrive at about 9:30 a.m. but we were just glad to have made the flight. Unfortunately for us, our big suitcase with all my cycling gear didn't make the flight. The plan is for the suitcase to arrive in Dublin on Sunday, catch a flight to Donegal, in northwestern Ireland, then be driven by car to the B&B we'll be staying at on Sunday night. I'm just hoping the airline can pull that off. If they do, I'll be grateful.
We got our rental car, a Stoda, which is made in the Czech Republic, and drove up to the home of our hosts for the evening, John & Maisie Duncan, who live in Ballynahinch in the County Down south of Belfast. Since our GPS was in the affore mentioned suitcase, we traveled by the seat of our pants and ended taking the "scenic route". We made it to the Duncans' at around 5 p.m. and were treated to a wonderful BBQ along with about 17 of their friends in the ministry. John is the area director for Youth for Christ in Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa. We had a great time socializing but we had to cut our visits short since we had to pick up my fellow cyclist, Paul Luedtke, and his wife< Becky, at the downtown airport in Belfast at 9 p.m. Their plane got in about 20 minutes late and, just like us, were missing a suitcase. We went back to the Duncans' and the party was still in full swing. It was still light at 10:30 p.m. That's pretty amazing, since where I live in California, it's dark by 9 p.m.. We finally retired for some much needed rest and look forward to our continued adventures tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)