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.