BLARNEY, Co. Cork - The White House
This B&B is located on a main street within easy walking distance of shops and gas stations with convenience stores. It's probably within reasonable walking distance of Blarney Castle and Blarney Woollen Mill, too.
The B&B is very nice. We had a gorgeous room with coffee and tea making facilities, a huge mirror, hairdryer. The host was terrific. Very chatty and helpful, though he was pretty determined that we should go to Kinsale instead of Cobh. :-) He gave us very explicit directions for getting around Cork traffic, which made it a lot less stressful.
Beautiful breakfast room and excellent food.
About the only part I wasn't so thrilled about was the price, which seemed a bit high for February (65 euro). Also, it had a really steep driveway. Luckily, our "automatic" car saved the day. I would have struggled if I had been driving a standard.
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LAHINCH, Co. Clare - Auburn House
Dutch owner, very plain room, no coffee or tea making, no hairdryer, no TV in room.
One plus here was the phone in the hallway. It was an old payphone set up for Irish pound coins instead of euro, so now it can only be used with a phone card, which was no problem for us. It was nice to not have to make a trip out to a payphone on the street, hoping you would catch someone at home at the right time.
The B&B was a pleasant walking distance from "downtown" Lahinch, along a road overlooking the ocean. The TV room was very dimly lit, making it difficult to see to write (there was no chair or table in our room, either), but they had broadband internet (for a huge price, but still...). Breakfast was nothing special. The price for this place was 50 euro.
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CLIFDEN, Co. Galway - Atlantic View
This was our very favorite stop. Beautiful room with living area - big TV, loveseat, chair, tables, coffee and tea making, hairdryer, huge mirror. The room had views on two sides. It was so nice to be able to spread out and sit somewhere other than on the bed. The bathroom was large and had a wonderful shower (yay, constant hot water!).
The hostess here was very friendly, though she did lecture me a bit about learning more about my geneology. When I mentioned that my mother's family was from Clifden, she said, "When I first saw you, I thought you had a familiar face!" Breakfast was good, and included the aforementioned Panda Two Tone, the yummy chocolate/hazelnut spread.
This was the most expensive stop (68 euro), but well worth it. Oh yeah, and the hilly view was beautiful. I could see smoke rising from houses across the valley, and it struck me that this was a view that my own ancestors had 150 years ago or more.
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BUNRATTY, Co.Limerick - Dunedin Lodge
Monty! Definitely one of the plusses here. The B&B is about eight years old. Our room is rather basic, but has a huge bathroom, hairdryer, TV. No coffee or tea making. The bathroom has a big shower, with plenty of hot water and great water pressure.
The host was full of stories, and told us a lot about the history of the area. We didn't really spend a lot of time here because we drove into Shannon and then had to pack when we got back. Breakfast was great - scrambled eggs and salmon. Instead of being mixed with the eggs, the salmon was sliced "wafer-thin" and placed alongside (so I mixed it in myself). Price of this place was 63 euro.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Friday, February 24, 2006
Flying and Waiting and Flying
We had the car turned in and were at the airport by 9:30 this morning. That gave us plenty of time to check our bags, exchange what was left of our money, pick up some drinks/snacks for the flight, and go through security. They chose to search Chad's carryon, and he fussed like an old man afterward because they "messed everything up' and he had to rearrange it. Then we did a little last-last-minute shopping, turned in my VAT forms, and went through US Customs. Now we are just waiting. I am anxious to see what our seats are like, since we want to be able to watch the movies and not sleep on the way back. Chad was unhappy to find out that we make the little hop to Dublin first before actually leaving. The schedule showed it as a 10-11 hour flight, which it isn't, but it will take that long by the time we land and take off again. Still, we should get in about 4:00 at home, then we are looking at probably close to another four hours - getting bags, going through immigration, waiting for the shuttle to the car, etc. - before we are finally back in Bloomington-Normal.
Interesting happenings in Dublin:
We landed, and the people who were just making the little hop from Shannon to Dublin got off, but no one got on. The pilot made an announcement that we needed to refuel before heading out. OK, that's weird....didn't we just leave Shannon with the intention of making a trans-Atlantic flight? Weren't we fueled already? Time passed, then another announcement: US Customs agents had boarded the plane and wanted to see everyone's passports and customs forms. There was a lot of coming and going of people in various uniforms, then a guy came on with a mirror on a stick. He then proceeded to go through every overhead bin looking for who knows what. People started to board, but we still sat there. Finally, there was an announcement from the pilot that a passenger had been denied boarding, and they were removing his checked bags from the plane. So was the refueling story just a ruse to cover the delay?
We got into Chicago about 30 minutes early, but it was still after 5:00 by the time we were in the car and headed home. The parking lot guy tried to overcharge me, and then was snotty when I produced the receipt showing that I had paid the deposit online. Then in all of the confusion, he ended up undercharging me. Ha! Traffic was horrible (hey, it's Friday rush hour) until almost Joliet but we finally got into B/N at 8:00.
And tomorrow it's back to work!
Interesting happenings in Dublin:
We landed, and the people who were just making the little hop from Shannon to Dublin got off, but no one got on. The pilot made an announcement that we needed to refuel before heading out. OK, that's weird....didn't we just leave Shannon with the intention of making a trans-Atlantic flight? Weren't we fueled already? Time passed, then another announcement: US Customs agents had boarded the plane and wanted to see everyone's passports and customs forms. There was a lot of coming and going of people in various uniforms, then a guy came on with a mirror on a stick. He then proceeded to go through every overhead bin looking for who knows what. People started to board, but we still sat there. Finally, there was an announcement from the pilot that a passenger had been denied boarding, and they were removing his checked bags from the plane. So was the refueling story just a ruse to cover the delay?
We got into Chicago about 30 minutes early, but it was still after 5:00 by the time we were in the car and headed home. The parking lot guy tried to overcharge me, and then was snotty when I produced the receipt showing that I had paid the deposit online. Then in all of the confusion, he ended up undercharging me. Ha! Traffic was horrible (hey, it's Friday rush hour) until almost Joliet but we finally got into B/N at 8:00.
And tomorrow it's back to work!
Thursday, February 23, 2006
A little peace, and a little barking.
Our last full day in Ireland.
We were out of the B&B and headed up the Sky Road before 10:00. I thought we would get to a point where we would get a nice view of the Atlantic, but we didn't. Maybe you get that view going the other way? Or on the other side of Clifden? No matter, it was a beautiful drive. We started to get into mountains, and the view just kept getting better and better. We kept stopping to take pictures because it seemed like every corner was prettier than the last. Eventually we came to Connemara National Park, but it wasn't open. We hadn't planned to go there, so it was no big deal. We were constantly amazed at the view. It was clear and cold, and with no trees or walls to block our view, it felt like we could see forever. Absolutely breathtaking! Chad said there had to be a better word than "wow" but that is all he could think of.
At the end of the Sky Road was Kylemore Abbey. It is really impressive. It's in such a peaceful, secluded place. Well, except for the huge parking lot, but it was almost empty. We met a couple from Boston and kind of walked around with them. There is a beautiful, newly restored neo-Gothic chapel that we both really loved. There was soft music playing, and the couple from Boston knelt and prayed. For some reason, I found myself kind of tearing up. After the couple left, Chad said, "I don't know what that was all about," and wiped his eyes. Apparently he had been touched by something, too. We wandered around a bit, admiring the delicate colors of the Connemara marble that was used throughout the chapel. At one point, I was reading some information about the restoration, and I looked over at Chad. He was kneeling at a side altar in front of a stained glass window. I just let him stay there. On the walk back to see the abbey itself, he walked far behind me. When I asked why he was going so slowly, he said he was just thinking. I didn't ask about what.
The abbey itself was interesting, though you only see a small portion of it. The view from the windows was wonderful. It must have been great to see that view every day. We saw a display about the building of the house, and the Benedictine nuns who now use it as a boarding school and home. As we were going back into the entry hall, we heard a student choir practicing. We couldn't see them because the door had a sign that said "private", but we stood there silently and listened until they stopped. It was such a cool thing to come across, it just made the tour that much more special.
After a stop in the gift shop, we headed out again across the top of Connemara and back down toward Galway. In Corr na Mona, we were attacked by a little black dog that came out of nowhere and charged toward the car. It veered off when it was so close to the car that we couldn't see it, and chased us, barking and growling, until we left the little town. We probably deserved it - we weren't supposed to be in Corr na Mona. Somehow (can't imagine it, but it's true) we had missed our turn toward Maum Cross. A few minutes later we realized that we had gone wrong, and we turned around and headed back through Corr na Mona, where we were again attacked and chased by the dog. It was probably the highlight of his week.
That part of Ireland is Irish-speaking, and all of the road signs are in Gaelic - not very comforting if you are lost. But we soon found the turn and headed south. We were still surrounded by mountains, the Twelve Bens, but driving through expansive, treeless plain. The road wound all over through seemingly barren fields. There were sheep everywhere, though, and they were obviously finding something to eat. We could see them way up in impossible spots on the sides of the hills, in ditches, and in the road.
I should have let Chad drive there, since you could see for huge distances, and there were no walls on either side, just the occasional fence, but I didn't think of it. It was truly the middle of nowhere - wild and open, and beautiful, even in February. It reminded me of movies set in the Wild West. We ended up getting to Bunratty at about 4:30. We had about 15 minutes to see the castle before it closed to get ready for the medieval banquet that they hold there at night. So, humming the Amazing Race theme song, we took off running toward the castle. They told us to go straight to the top and work our way back down - but quickly. After our speedy tour of the castle, we took our time visiting the folk park part. That was new to me, since that section of the castle grounds had been closed when I was here in 2001 (again, because of the foot and mouth precautions).
Then we went across the road for a bit of last-minute shopping, and to make some calls to find a place to stay for the night. We ended up at a place called Dunedin Lodge. This one is nice enough, but not fancy, with a big bathroom. The shower may actually be big enough to bend over in. :) There is a huge, 1000-year old lime kiln in the yard that was part of the Bunratty castle grounds, originally. The host told us that they would load tons of limestone into the top, then light fires underneath, heating the stone to red-hot. Then they would pour in water, causing the stone to liquify. They would then use this to stucco their houses, and they would use the lime ash on the fields. He said the kiln had been covered with vines and plants, and they hadn't even realized it was there when they bought the property eight years ago. But because of laws about such things, they are obligated to leave it in place.
The other nice thing about this place is Monty. He is a two-year-old dog that is a real character. Chad ran him around in the yard for awhile before we went to Durty Nelly's for dinner. Durty Nelly's is a pub right next to Bunratty Castle that was established, the sign said, in 1620. Downstairs is a nice restaurant and bar, and upstairs is a more casual dining area. The interesting thing about it is that the whole bar area upstairs is covered in police and fire department patches from the US.
After dinner we got directions to a grocery store in Shannon, where Chad could get some Panda Two Tone spread to take home. Panda Two Tone is a white chocolate and hazelnut striped stuff in a jar, like peanut butter. He had it at the B&B in Clifden and loved it.
And tomorrow we go home. We figured out that it is cheaper to fill the car with gas and get the fuel refund when we turn it in, so we will stop for gas, then head for the airport.
We were out of the B&B and headed up the Sky Road before 10:00. I thought we would get to a point where we would get a nice view of the Atlantic, but we didn't. Maybe you get that view going the other way? Or on the other side of Clifden? No matter, it was a beautiful drive. We started to get into mountains, and the view just kept getting better and better. We kept stopping to take pictures because it seemed like every corner was prettier than the last. Eventually we came to Connemara National Park, but it wasn't open. We hadn't planned to go there, so it was no big deal. We were constantly amazed at the view. It was clear and cold, and with no trees or walls to block our view, it felt like we could see forever. Absolutely breathtaking! Chad said there had to be a better word than "wow" but that is all he could think of.
At the end of the Sky Road was Kylemore Abbey. It is really impressive. It's in such a peaceful, secluded place. Well, except for the huge parking lot, but it was almost empty. We met a couple from Boston and kind of walked around with them. There is a beautiful, newly restored neo-Gothic chapel that we both really loved. There was soft music playing, and the couple from Boston knelt and prayed. For some reason, I found myself kind of tearing up. After the couple left, Chad said, "I don't know what that was all about," and wiped his eyes. Apparently he had been touched by something, too. We wandered around a bit, admiring the delicate colors of the Connemara marble that was used throughout the chapel. At one point, I was reading some information about the restoration, and I looked over at Chad. He was kneeling at a side altar in front of a stained glass window. I just let him stay there. On the walk back to see the abbey itself, he walked far behind me. When I asked why he was going so slowly, he said he was just thinking. I didn't ask about what.
The abbey itself was interesting, though you only see a small portion of it. The view from the windows was wonderful. It must have been great to see that view every day. We saw a display about the building of the house, and the Benedictine nuns who now use it as a boarding school and home. As we were going back into the entry hall, we heard a student choir practicing. We couldn't see them because the door had a sign that said "private", but we stood there silently and listened until they stopped. It was such a cool thing to come across, it just made the tour that much more special.
After a stop in the gift shop, we headed out again across the top of Connemara and back down toward Galway. In Corr na Mona, we were attacked by a little black dog that came out of nowhere and charged toward the car. It veered off when it was so close to the car that we couldn't see it, and chased us, barking and growling, until we left the little town. We probably deserved it - we weren't supposed to be in Corr na Mona. Somehow (can't imagine it, but it's true) we had missed our turn toward Maum Cross. A few minutes later we realized that we had gone wrong, and we turned around and headed back through Corr na Mona, where we were again attacked and chased by the dog. It was probably the highlight of his week.
That part of Ireland is Irish-speaking, and all of the road signs are in Gaelic - not very comforting if you are lost. But we soon found the turn and headed south. We were still surrounded by mountains, the Twelve Bens, but driving through expansive, treeless plain. The road wound all over through seemingly barren fields. There were sheep everywhere, though, and they were obviously finding something to eat. We could see them way up in impossible spots on the sides of the hills, in ditches, and in the road.
I should have let Chad drive there, since you could see for huge distances, and there were no walls on either side, just the occasional fence, but I didn't think of it. It was truly the middle of nowhere - wild and open, and beautiful, even in February. It reminded me of movies set in the Wild West. We ended up getting to Bunratty at about 4:30. We had about 15 minutes to see the castle before it closed to get ready for the medieval banquet that they hold there at night. So, humming the Amazing Race theme song, we took off running toward the castle. They told us to go straight to the top and work our way back down - but quickly. After our speedy tour of the castle, we took our time visiting the folk park part. That was new to me, since that section of the castle grounds had been closed when I was here in 2001 (again, because of the foot and mouth precautions).
Then we went across the road for a bit of last-minute shopping, and to make some calls to find a place to stay for the night. We ended up at a place called Dunedin Lodge. This one is nice enough, but not fancy, with a big bathroom. The shower may actually be big enough to bend over in. :) There is a huge, 1000-year old lime kiln in the yard that was part of the Bunratty castle grounds, originally. The host told us that they would load tons of limestone into the top, then light fires underneath, heating the stone to red-hot. Then they would pour in water, causing the stone to liquify. They would then use this to stucco their houses, and they would use the lime ash on the fields. He said the kiln had been covered with vines and plants, and they hadn't even realized it was there when they bought the property eight years ago. But because of laws about such things, they are obligated to leave it in place.
The other nice thing about this place is Monty. He is a two-year-old dog that is a real character. Chad ran him around in the yard for awhile before we went to Durty Nelly's for dinner. Durty Nelly's is a pub right next to Bunratty Castle that was established, the sign said, in 1620. Downstairs is a nice restaurant and bar, and upstairs is a more casual dining area. The interesting thing about it is that the whole bar area upstairs is covered in police and fire department patches from the US.
After dinner we got directions to a grocery store in Shannon, where Chad could get some Panda Two Tone spread to take home. Panda Two Tone is a white chocolate and hazelnut striped stuff in a jar, like peanut butter. He had it at the B&B in Clifden and loved it.
And tomorrow we go home. We figured out that it is cheaper to fill the car with gas and get the fuel refund when we turn it in, so we will stop for gas, then head for the airport.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Cliffs and Clifden
We made it to Clifden!
This morning after breakfast in Lahinch, we walked back down to the town, and took pictures of the beach, the surf shop (Lahinch is one of the main surfing meccas in Ireland, it turns out), the restaurant where we ate last night, and the town. Along the way, we discovered the answer to our mystery about the music last night. We again saw the sign that said "music nightly" - on the side of the building, where it was hidden in shadow after dark. So we weren't having a joint delusion after all, but it seems it only applies during the tourist season. Gah! Moral of the story: if you go in the off-season, and you want to hear music, you will have to wait for Friday. Most of the pubs we have seen have music only on the weekends in the winter.
Then we took off for the Cliffs of Moher. I couldn't believe how many houses have been built on the Liscannor side of the bay since I was here five years ago! The B&B guy said they are mostly holiday homes, second houses only used part of the year or rented out. Once you get to the Liscannor side, they really block the view of the bay from the road - house after house after house.
It wasn't long before we came across St Brigid's Well, which is just down the road from the Moher Lodge B&B where we stayed on our first visit. It's still pink (the B&B, I mean, not the well - the well still looks like a phone booth with a nun in it). Further down the road, we came to where I expected to see the Cliffs of Moher parking lot. Instead, there were huge cranes, barricades, and fences. Since April of 2004, it turns out, the Cliffs visitors area has been undergoing a facelift. They have torn out the old parking lot and visitor center (such as it was), and are building a massive, two-level center into the hill. When it is finished it will be almost invisible from the front. They intend to leave the parking area where it is now, across the road. They have erected a temporary building there, too, that houses a gift shop that you can actually turn around in, as well as nice restrooms and a little restaurant.
Chad was blown away by the Cliffs. We were up there a long time, looking, and taking pictures. The new path takes you up to midway between O'Brien's Tower and the corner where you used to turn to get to the tower. We hadn't been able to go up to the tower in 2001 because of the foot and mouth thing, so it was new to me. Chad gave in to the cold, wrapping up in multiple layers, gloves, a hat, and his jacket hood. As I walked back down the hill in front of him, I heard him say, "Now I'm in Ireland!" Apparently, the west meets his expectations of what Ireland would be, better than the city parts. He was also really impressed with the Burren. We drove down the corkscrew road, and into the "moonscape" part, and stopped off in Ballyvaughan, where we had seen the Burren Xposure exhibit in 2001. To my surprise, that exhibit is now closed, but according to the guy in the gift shop, they are knocking down the wall between the shop and the exhibit, and are going to expand their retail space, but also add plasma screens all around that will display the same information that was formerly in the exhibit. We had quite a nice conversation. He had plenty of time, because we were the only ones in the place. He told us about his expansion plans, and how he wants to add staff, but only local people. He thinks it's important for tourists (mainly) to hear Irish accents, not, say, Spanish ones, to keep the "Irish charm". He, too, is dismayed by the overgrowth of the holiday homes.
We continued on through the top of the Burren and through Galway City (actually, kind of around it). Along the way, we stopped repeatedly to take pictures of the gorgeous mountains, and the sheep in the road. At one point I let Chad drive, but that only lasted a couple of minutes. Either he is way braver than I am, or just more trusting - it was just way too scary for me, letting him take the wheel. Yeesh!
An amusing incident happened between Galway and Clifden. Chad had gotten out to take a picture and the car window was down. He reached back in to get the camera, and accidentally bumped the window switch. The window started up automatically, catching his arm at the elbow, and he started yelling, "Stop, stop!" and flapping his arm. I thought he was joking around, pretending that his arm was stuck - but he wasn't kidding. The window was actually continuing to try to go up. I tried to hit the "down" button, but it wouldn't release at first. I had to shut off the car and restart it to lower the window and release him. He could have slid his arm up to where the gap was bigger, but he didn't think of it. I know it's terrible of me, but it was hilarious! "Augh, augh, stop!" It didn't even leave a mark.
W were both thrilled to see the sheep roaming free. I hadn't seen any on our first trip because they were all safely penned in because of the foot and mouth precautions. I mean, we saw them in fields, but not in the roads. Finally, we got to Clifden and started looking for a B&B. The directory listed Sky Road as the address for several of them, so we headed that way to see if we could find one open at this time of year. We pulled off into a driveway to get out of the way of traffic, and found we were at Atlantic View B&B, which was - surprise, surprise! - open. And they had a room for us. And it is gorgeous! We have a family room with a double bed and two twins in a separate alcove, a sitting area with loveseat, chair and TV, and a huge bathroom with one of those delicious instant-hot-water showers.
After we brought our luggage in, we went back to explore Clifden and find something to eat. Clifden is so cute! And the city center streets go around in a one way triangle with angle-in parking - heaven! We walked around and looked at restaurant menus, finally settling on a bar called EJ King's. I had something called beef stroganoff vol-au-vants, which turned out to be beef stroganoff in a puff pastry. Chad had a goodlooking version of nachos - chips, cheese and meat baked in a dish and covered with salsa. I wish we had a bit more time here, since this is where Mom's family is from, but we must press on. We are headed up the Sky Road tomorrow, toward Kylemore Abbey, then we'll head south back to Bunratty. We will be staying near Bunratty tomorrow night, and then on Friday we head home.
This morning after breakfast in Lahinch, we walked back down to the town, and took pictures of the beach, the surf shop (Lahinch is one of the main surfing meccas in Ireland, it turns out), the restaurant where we ate last night, and the town. Along the way, we discovered the answer to our mystery about the music last night. We again saw the sign that said "music nightly" - on the side of the building, where it was hidden in shadow after dark. So we weren't having a joint delusion after all, but it seems it only applies during the tourist season. Gah! Moral of the story: if you go in the off-season, and you want to hear music, you will have to wait for Friday. Most of the pubs we have seen have music only on the weekends in the winter.
Then we took off for the Cliffs of Moher. I couldn't believe how many houses have been built on the Liscannor side of the bay since I was here five years ago! The B&B guy said they are mostly holiday homes, second houses only used part of the year or rented out. Once you get to the Liscannor side, they really block the view of the bay from the road - house after house after house.
It wasn't long before we came across St Brigid's Well, which is just down the road from the Moher Lodge B&B where we stayed on our first visit. It's still pink (the B&B, I mean, not the well - the well still looks like a phone booth with a nun in it). Further down the road, we came to where I expected to see the Cliffs of Moher parking lot. Instead, there were huge cranes, barricades, and fences. Since April of 2004, it turns out, the Cliffs visitors area has been undergoing a facelift. They have torn out the old parking lot and visitor center (such as it was), and are building a massive, two-level center into the hill. When it is finished it will be almost invisible from the front. They intend to leave the parking area where it is now, across the road. They have erected a temporary building there, too, that houses a gift shop that you can actually turn around in, as well as nice restrooms and a little restaurant.
Chad was blown away by the Cliffs. We were up there a long time, looking, and taking pictures. The new path takes you up to midway between O'Brien's Tower and the corner where you used to turn to get to the tower. We hadn't been able to go up to the tower in 2001 because of the foot and mouth thing, so it was new to me. Chad gave in to the cold, wrapping up in multiple layers, gloves, a hat, and his jacket hood. As I walked back down the hill in front of him, I heard him say, "Now I'm in Ireland!" Apparently, the west meets his expectations of what Ireland would be, better than the city parts. He was also really impressed with the Burren. We drove down the corkscrew road, and into the "moonscape" part, and stopped off in Ballyvaughan, where we had seen the Burren Xposure exhibit in 2001. To my surprise, that exhibit is now closed, but according to the guy in the gift shop, they are knocking down the wall between the shop and the exhibit, and are going to expand their retail space, but also add plasma screens all around that will display the same information that was formerly in the exhibit. We had quite a nice conversation. He had plenty of time, because we were the only ones in the place. He told us about his expansion plans, and how he wants to add staff, but only local people. He thinks it's important for tourists (mainly) to hear Irish accents, not, say, Spanish ones, to keep the "Irish charm". He, too, is dismayed by the overgrowth of the holiday homes.
We continued on through the top of the Burren and through Galway City (actually, kind of around it). Along the way, we stopped repeatedly to take pictures of the gorgeous mountains, and the sheep in the road. At one point I let Chad drive, but that only lasted a couple of minutes. Either he is way braver than I am, or just more trusting - it was just way too scary for me, letting him take the wheel. Yeesh!
An amusing incident happened between Galway and Clifden. Chad had gotten out to take a picture and the car window was down. He reached back in to get the camera, and accidentally bumped the window switch. The window started up automatically, catching his arm at the elbow, and he started yelling, "Stop, stop!" and flapping his arm. I thought he was joking around, pretending that his arm was stuck - but he wasn't kidding. The window was actually continuing to try to go up. I tried to hit the "down" button, but it wouldn't release at first. I had to shut off the car and restart it to lower the window and release him. He could have slid his arm up to where the gap was bigger, but he didn't think of it. I know it's terrible of me, but it was hilarious! "Augh, augh, stop!" It didn't even leave a mark.
W were both thrilled to see the sheep roaming free. I hadn't seen any on our first trip because they were all safely penned in because of the foot and mouth precautions. I mean, we saw them in fields, but not in the roads. Finally, we got to Clifden and started looking for a B&B. The directory listed Sky Road as the address for several of them, so we headed that way to see if we could find one open at this time of year. We pulled off into a driveway to get out of the way of traffic, and found we were at Atlantic View B&B, which was - surprise, surprise! - open. And they had a room for us. And it is gorgeous! We have a family room with a double bed and two twins in a separate alcove, a sitting area with loveseat, chair and TV, and a huge bathroom with one of those delicious instant-hot-water showers.
After we brought our luggage in, we went back to explore Clifden and find something to eat. Clifden is so cute! And the city center streets go around in a one way triangle with angle-in parking - heaven! We walked around and looked at restaurant menus, finally settling on a bar called EJ King's. I had something called beef stroganoff vol-au-vants, which turned out to be beef stroganoff in a puff pastry. Chad had a goodlooking version of nachos - chips, cheese and meat baked in a dish and covered with salsa. I wish we had a bit more time here, since this is where Mom's family is from, but we must press on. We are headed up the Sky Road tomorrow, toward Kylemore Abbey, then we'll head south back to Bunratty. We will be staying near Bunratty tomorrow night, and then on Friday we head home.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
From Cobh to Lahinch
We had a great time today!
Breakfast was at 8:00. It told the woman that I only wanted one piece of bacon. I had experienced Irish bacon before, and thought that it would be moderately gross, and not at all like real bacon. When the host brought the plates, he said the pieces were small, so he gave me two instead - and it was the best Irish bacon I had ever had! Then I wished I had had three. Chad wouldn't try the bacon or the brown bread. I can't say much about the bread, but that bacon was wonderful!
Then we were off to Cobh, following the directions we were given about how to get around Cork. We got slightly turned around a time or two, and stopped at a gas station to see if we were going right. We were, as it turned out, but the guy basically bawled Chad out for not getting directions before we started (which we had). But after the mini-lecture, he came back to the car with a nicely drawn map, so the stop was helpful. Chad was ticked off, though.
It was a short drive and a gorgeous day - sunny and cool. Cobh is actually on an island, and the area approaching it is marshland. There is a wildlife park there (Fota), but it's not open at this time of year. We drove into town past the magnificent cathedral, then snaked our way down to the waterfront. We stopped at a little park from which you could see the last mooring place of the Titanic, then went back up toward the town center to find the Heritage Center. We parked as soon as we found a spot, then walked a few blocks along the waterfront. We could have parked closer, as it turned out, but the place I found was free for two hours. The walk was nice, anyway. There was pretty little park called Kennedy Park which overlooked the water. The Heritage Center itself is in the old train station. Besides the main attraction, an interesting little museum called "The Queenstown Story", there were a couple of little shops and a restaurant, with tables in the skylit waiting area.
The museum was really interesting. It told all about Cobh's sailing history, beginning with prison ships being sent to Australia and people emigrating to escape the Famine, and its history as a base for cruise ships. Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic, and there was a section dedicated to that, too. The Lusitania was sunk not far from Cobh, also. After the museum, we were off to Midleton and the Jameson Distillery. We got to Midleton easily but somehow missed the turn into the place, and had to go back (don't know how that happened). By the time we got there, the next tour was not for almost two hours. It included a whiskey tasting at the end, which wouldn't have been that great an idea with so much driving yet to do, and it cost 8.50 euro, so we just decided to look around the museum displays. With nothing left to do in Midleton, we headed north hoping to get to Doolin tonight. We got a little bit turned around (are you sensing a theme here?) in Limerick, and it was slow going because of traffic. We stopped at a McDonald's to catch our breath before facing the traffic again. Sign at Limerick McDonald's: "The Quarter Pounder - it's no big girl's blouse". What does that mean!?!?
It seemed like a long haul out to Ennis and Ennistymon. I stopped for gas in Ennistymon and was going to start calling B&Bs, but the phone box was several blocks away and I didn't want to look for it. So we just kept driving until we got to Lahinch. When we got there, we started checking the B&B book to find one open all year, but before we could find a phone, we found the B&B! It overlooks the water and there was a gorgeous sunset. That's all that's gorgeous about this place, though. The room is absolutely plain, painted a faint yellow everywhere - walls, closet, nightstands, shelf. There is a sprig of some sort of curly reed stuff in a vase on one nightstand, and a mirror on the wall. That's it. Small bathroom with a corner shower. The end. Even the bedding is pale yellow/gold. There is no TV in the room, no tea/coffee facilities (both are in a lounge down the hall). Ah well, it's only one night.
We walked down to town to find a place for dinner. We found a cute little place called The Corner Stone - pub in the front, restaurant in the back. The food was excellent. Chad had beef stew, and I had pan-fried peppered chicken with a really yummy peppery gravy. It came with one of those salads with the funky greens and a huge plate of french fries. Absolutely fantastic meal!
Interesting note: we had originally chosen The Corner Stone because we saw a sign that said "music nightly". We ate fairly late, hung around, had coffee - and no music. Chad eventually went outside to reread the sign, but could find no mention of music anywhere. I knew I had seen it, too, so we were mystified.
Walking back, with no streetlights to get in the way, we had a completely clear view of the winter night sky, and more stars than I had ever seen before in my life. It was absolutely breathtaking! The longer we looked, the more layers of fainter stars we could see. If it hadn't been so cold by then, I would have been tempted to lie in the grass and just stare up for awhile, the silence broken only by the sound of the water. You could never do that in a different part of the year. I imagine that there would be too many people, and too many cars.
Now we are back, just waiting for bedtime. The plan for tomorrow: breakfast, then leave the car here and walk down to town or to the beach to take pictures, then we'll take the coast road to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. Not sure what we are doing after that, but it doesn't look like we will get to Connemara at all. Hmm, maybe we can. Looking at the map, we could do the Cliffs and Burren in the morning, skip Galway Crystal, and head out to Clifden. Then we could come back toward Shannon on Thursday morning, and be at Bunratty by Thursday afternoon. We'll see how far we get, I guess.
Breakfast was at 8:00. It told the woman that I only wanted one piece of bacon. I had experienced Irish bacon before, and thought that it would be moderately gross, and not at all like real bacon. When the host brought the plates, he said the pieces were small, so he gave me two instead - and it was the best Irish bacon I had ever had! Then I wished I had had three. Chad wouldn't try the bacon or the brown bread. I can't say much about the bread, but that bacon was wonderful!
Then we were off to Cobh, following the directions we were given about how to get around Cork. We got slightly turned around a time or two, and stopped at a gas station to see if we were going right. We were, as it turned out, but the guy basically bawled Chad out for not getting directions before we started (which we had). But after the mini-lecture, he came back to the car with a nicely drawn map, so the stop was helpful. Chad was ticked off, though.
It was a short drive and a gorgeous day - sunny and cool. Cobh is actually on an island, and the area approaching it is marshland. There is a wildlife park there (Fota), but it's not open at this time of year. We drove into town past the magnificent cathedral, then snaked our way down to the waterfront. We stopped at a little park from which you could see the last mooring place of the Titanic, then went back up toward the town center to find the Heritage Center. We parked as soon as we found a spot, then walked a few blocks along the waterfront. We could have parked closer, as it turned out, but the place I found was free for two hours. The walk was nice, anyway. There was pretty little park called Kennedy Park which overlooked the water. The Heritage Center itself is in the old train station. Besides the main attraction, an interesting little museum called "The Queenstown Story", there were a couple of little shops and a restaurant, with tables in the skylit waiting area.
The museum was really interesting. It told all about Cobh's sailing history, beginning with prison ships being sent to Australia and people emigrating to escape the Famine, and its history as a base for cruise ships. Cobh was the last port of call for the Titanic, and there was a section dedicated to that, too. The Lusitania was sunk not far from Cobh, also. After the museum, we were off to Midleton and the Jameson Distillery. We got to Midleton easily but somehow missed the turn into the place, and had to go back (don't know how that happened). By the time we got there, the next tour was not for almost two hours. It included a whiskey tasting at the end, which wouldn't have been that great an idea with so much driving yet to do, and it cost 8.50 euro, so we just decided to look around the museum displays. With nothing left to do in Midleton, we headed north hoping to get to Doolin tonight. We got a little bit turned around (are you sensing a theme here?) in Limerick, and it was slow going because of traffic. We stopped at a McDonald's to catch our breath before facing the traffic again. Sign at Limerick McDonald's: "The Quarter Pounder - it's no big girl's blouse". What does that mean!?!?
It seemed like a long haul out to Ennis and Ennistymon. I stopped for gas in Ennistymon and was going to start calling B&Bs, but the phone box was several blocks away and I didn't want to look for it. So we just kept driving until we got to Lahinch. When we got there, we started checking the B&B book to find one open all year, but before we could find a phone, we found the B&B! It overlooks the water and there was a gorgeous sunset. That's all that's gorgeous about this place, though. The room is absolutely plain, painted a faint yellow everywhere - walls, closet, nightstands, shelf. There is a sprig of some sort of curly reed stuff in a vase on one nightstand, and a mirror on the wall. That's it. Small bathroom with a corner shower. The end. Even the bedding is pale yellow/gold. There is no TV in the room, no tea/coffee facilities (both are in a lounge down the hall). Ah well, it's only one night.
We walked down to town to find a place for dinner. We found a cute little place called The Corner Stone - pub in the front, restaurant in the back. The food was excellent. Chad had beef stew, and I had pan-fried peppered chicken with a really yummy peppery gravy. It came with one of those salads with the funky greens and a huge plate of french fries. Absolutely fantastic meal!
Interesting note: we had originally chosen The Corner Stone because we saw a sign that said "music nightly". We ate fairly late, hung around, had coffee - and no music. Chad eventually went outside to reread the sign, but could find no mention of music anywhere. I knew I had seen it, too, so we were mystified.
Walking back, with no streetlights to get in the way, we had a completely clear view of the winter night sky, and more stars than I had ever seen before in my life. It was absolutely breathtaking! The longer we looked, the more layers of fainter stars we could see. If it hadn't been so cold by then, I would have been tempted to lie in the grass and just stare up for awhile, the silence broken only by the sound of the water. You could never do that in a different part of the year. I imagine that there would be too many people, and too many cars.
Now we are back, just waiting for bedtime. The plan for tomorrow: breakfast, then leave the car here and walk down to town or to the beach to take pictures, then we'll take the coast road to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. Not sure what we are doing after that, but it doesn't look like we will get to Connemara at all. Hmm, maybe we can. Looking at the map, we could do the Cliffs and Burren in the morning, skip Galway Crystal, and head out to Clifden. Then we could come back toward Shannon on Thursday morning, and be at Bunratty by Thursday afternoon. We'll see how far we get, I guess.
Monday, February 20, 2006
Donkeys and all that Blarney
Day 1 has been successfully accomplished (well, I guess it's really Day 2)!
Chad was really nervous yesterday when we were driving up to Chicago. I wasn't impressed with the parking lot. For one thing, it was supposed to be valet parking - nope. It was a small, tight, self-park with no indoor option. And he told me to keep my keys (!?). No whacko shuttle driver, like my last trip, no problems with checking in or anything else.
Our takeoff was a little delayed, and it seemed like we taxied forever. I told Chad maybe that's why our tickets were so cheap - we were driving. We started to build up speed, then abruptly stopped. The pilot explained that they had cleared him for takeoff, then changed their minds. I can hear them in the tower now, "Flight 1124, you are cleared for takeoff - psyche! Just kidding!"
I slept pretty well on the plane. Chad didn't sleep at all. The chick on the other side of me had the attention span of a toddler and was constantly shuffling around, usually hitting me in the process. We couldn't even see the TV screen, but that didn't really matter since I was trying to sleep. I hope our seats are better situated on the way back.
We were in our car and on the road by about 10:00. The car is an automatic, kind of. I mean, it is automatic, but can also be driven manually (but there's no clutch). It's an Opal Corsa.
The first place we stopped was the Donkey Sanctuary. Chad was a bit freaked out about driving on the other side of the road, particularly the roundabout issue. Didn't matter much, since I was the one driving and I have done this before. To get to the Donkey Sanctuary, we had to drive aways out into the country at Buttevant, till we turned at the 13th century castle ruin at Liscarroll (3rd largest 13th century castle in Ireland). We had driven past the castle at Bunratty (but didn't stop) so Chad had already seen an impressive castle, but here we were right next to one! :-)
The Donkey Sanctuary was really neat. They take in abused or abandoned donkeys and give them a loving home for the rest of their lives. If they receive two together they never split them up because donkeys form strong social bonds. If they arrive alone, they match them up with a buddy. It's a really nice place with a good mission. The girl running the gift shop is from Boston - her husband is from here. The sanctuary is free to visit, but they do gratefully accept donations.
The light was so weird today. At the sanctuary, the position of the sun seemed like it was late afternoon, but it was only 12:30. We looked at the donkeys, petting those that wanted to be petted. Some seemed like they wanted to be near us but didn't really want to be touched. The wind was a bit bitter, but we took a little trail up to a lookout that overlooked the castle and the whole valley. Really pretty! Some donkeys there are fostered out to families. They only send them out in pairs, and a welfare officer checks on them at intervals. The sanctuary also serves as a resource for people who want to own donkeys or want to know about their care. We each bought a fridge magnet and left a donation.
Then we went on toward Blarney. We made one small directional misstep (we weren't lost, we knew what we had done wrong and fixed it as soon as we could) and were temporarily headed for Tralee instead of Cork. When we got to Blarney, we sorted of lucked into the parking lot of the Woollen Mill. It was a little confusing. The main street of Blarney village is torn up because they are replacing a water main or something. The "Christy's Pub" section of the Woollen Mill now has a roof over the outdoor area, so it didn't look right at first.
We walked across to the castle. Chad wanted to explored Badger Cave, so we walked down there first. He got partway in, and I gasped, and said, "Badger!" (though there wasn't one). Chad almost bolted, then realized I was joking and said, "Don't be doing that. You know I have a problem with small animals!" Of course, I know - that's why I said it. :-)
Then we climbed to the top of the castle and kissed the stone. Chad wasn't sure he really wanted to do it, once he saw from the ground just how far up it was. Unlike the first time (April) there was no crowd and it was easy to climb around and explore wherever we wanted. After the castle, we walked down to the Rock Close, a beautiful area away from the castle, along the creek. We hadn't done that before because by the time we were done waiting in line, it was misting and getting nasty. Today, though, it was beautiful. Crocuses and daffodils are blooming, and the grass is green and thick. The wind was cold, though.
After the castle, we bought a few little things at the Woollen Mill, then walked into the village to have a very late lunch at O'Connell's Muskerry Arms. I had something called "warm Mexican chicken salad", which was described as "Cajun grilled....with a Cajun dressing". Umm, has anyone told them that Cajuns are French and Mexicans are, well, Mexican? Anyway, it was good. After we were done eating, I decided I was just too tired to face driving to Cork, so we went back to the car and got the B&B book, and found a nice one right here. It's called The White House. At first they said they didn't have a twin room, then decided we could use a family room instead - a double bed and two twins.
Tomorrow, the host will show us a way to get to Cobh without going through Cork, then Chad wants to go to the Jameson's Distillery at Midleton. Then we'll head back north, just seeing how far we can get by stopping time. We'll see what happens.
Chad was really nervous yesterday when we were driving up to Chicago. I wasn't impressed with the parking lot. For one thing, it was supposed to be valet parking - nope. It was a small, tight, self-park with no indoor option. And he told me to keep my keys (!?). No whacko shuttle driver, like my last trip, no problems with checking in or anything else.
Our takeoff was a little delayed, and it seemed like we taxied forever. I told Chad maybe that's why our tickets were so cheap - we were driving. We started to build up speed, then abruptly stopped. The pilot explained that they had cleared him for takeoff, then changed their minds. I can hear them in the tower now, "Flight 1124, you are cleared for takeoff - psyche! Just kidding!"
I slept pretty well on the plane. Chad didn't sleep at all. The chick on the other side of me had the attention span of a toddler and was constantly shuffling around, usually hitting me in the process. We couldn't even see the TV screen, but that didn't really matter since I was trying to sleep. I hope our seats are better situated on the way back.
We were in our car and on the road by about 10:00. The car is an automatic, kind of. I mean, it is automatic, but can also be driven manually (but there's no clutch). It's an Opal Corsa.
The first place we stopped was the Donkey Sanctuary. Chad was a bit freaked out about driving on the other side of the road, particularly the roundabout issue. Didn't matter much, since I was the one driving and I have done this before. To get to the Donkey Sanctuary, we had to drive aways out into the country at Buttevant, till we turned at the 13th century castle ruin at Liscarroll (3rd largest 13th century castle in Ireland). We had driven past the castle at Bunratty (but didn't stop) so Chad had already seen an impressive castle, but here we were right next to one! :-)
The Donkey Sanctuary was really neat. They take in abused or abandoned donkeys and give them a loving home for the rest of their lives. If they receive two together they never split them up because donkeys form strong social bonds. If they arrive alone, they match them up with a buddy. It's a really nice place with a good mission. The girl running the gift shop is from Boston - her husband is from here. The sanctuary is free to visit, but they do gratefully accept donations.
The light was so weird today. At the sanctuary, the position of the sun seemed like it was late afternoon, but it was only 12:30. We looked at the donkeys, petting those that wanted to be petted. Some seemed like they wanted to be near us but didn't really want to be touched. The wind was a bit bitter, but we took a little trail up to a lookout that overlooked the castle and the whole valley. Really pretty! Some donkeys there are fostered out to families. They only send them out in pairs, and a welfare officer checks on them at intervals. The sanctuary also serves as a resource for people who want to own donkeys or want to know about their care. We each bought a fridge magnet and left a donation.
Then we went on toward Blarney. We made one small directional misstep (we weren't lost, we knew what we had done wrong and fixed it as soon as we could) and were temporarily headed for Tralee instead of Cork. When we got to Blarney, we sorted of lucked into the parking lot of the Woollen Mill. It was a little confusing. The main street of Blarney village is torn up because they are replacing a water main or something. The "Christy's Pub" section of the Woollen Mill now has a roof over the outdoor area, so it didn't look right at first.
We walked across to the castle. Chad wanted to explored Badger Cave, so we walked down there first. He got partway in, and I gasped, and said, "Badger!" (though there wasn't one). Chad almost bolted, then realized I was joking and said, "Don't be doing that. You know I have a problem with small animals!" Of course, I know - that's why I said it. :-)
Then we climbed to the top of the castle and kissed the stone. Chad wasn't sure he really wanted to do it, once he saw from the ground just how far up it was. Unlike the first time (April) there was no crowd and it was easy to climb around and explore wherever we wanted. After the castle, we walked down to the Rock Close, a beautiful area away from the castle, along the creek. We hadn't done that before because by the time we were done waiting in line, it was misting and getting nasty. Today, though, it was beautiful. Crocuses and daffodils are blooming, and the grass is green and thick. The wind was cold, though.
After the castle, we bought a few little things at the Woollen Mill, then walked into the village to have a very late lunch at O'Connell's Muskerry Arms. I had something called "warm Mexican chicken salad", which was described as "Cajun grilled....with a Cajun dressing". Umm, has anyone told them that Cajuns are French and Mexicans are, well, Mexican? Anyway, it was good. After we were done eating, I decided I was just too tired to face driving to Cork, so we went back to the car and got the B&B book, and found a nice one right here. It's called The White House. At first they said they didn't have a twin room, then decided we could use a family room instead - a double bed and two twins.
Tomorrow, the host will show us a way to get to Cobh without going through Cork, then Chad wants to go to the Jameson's Distillery at Midleton. Then we'll head back north, just seeing how far we can get by stopping time. We'll see what happens.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Two - count 'em - two!
Yep, it's official - I have two ear infections. When I told the doctor that I had to fly on Sunday, he added a prednisone pack to my antibiotic. I still have almost three days to heal before flying.
I have so much to do yet to get ready. I think I will have to get things ready to go, then clean until I run out of time. It's hard to undo weeks of neglect in a few hours (and, as I said, I have been working about 75 hours/week between the two jobs right now). Some things, like laundry, just have to get done so we can go. Dusting isn't in the same category
I have so much to do yet to get ready. I think I will have to get things ready to go, then clean until I run out of time. It's hard to undo weeks of neglect in a few hours (and, as I said, I have been working about 75 hours/week between the two jobs right now). Some things, like laundry, just have to get done so we can go. Dusting isn't in the same category
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