18 Mar 2018 LEAVING ON A JET PLANE

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert

Well… we are off today on another Grand Circle tour…this time to Ireland. We will be flying to Dublin and starting our tour there. Come join us on our latest adventure. Can’t wait to have ‘a pint of gat’ and perhaps see a leprechaun or two!

19 Mar 2018 Dublin

At Newark we met some Irish folks who were returning to Ireland after seeing the big Apple. They were loaded down with packages that they purchased in the city… Even making a trip to Woodbury Commons to take advantage of the discounts. It’s amazing to me how foreigners know where to get the bargains. The women were delighted in their Michael Kors purchases as well as some watches and clothing. They told us while we are in Ireland, to be sure to sample the baked potatoes…. Filled with butter salt and bacon and also to try the cabbage.

The flight was very nice… The cabin stewards went out of their way to accommodate us… Even going into first class to procure some herbal tea for me. The problem with the flight was that there were no screens for movies… So we really just slept as best as we could and read.

We landed in Dublin and our driver, Alan, met us and took us to the hotel. There is a little snow on the ground since a storm went thru a few days ago and Alan said Ireland hasn’t seen snow since 2010. His kids had never seen it before and were out building snowmen.

He also said that this weekend, being St. Patrick’s day, was very special… Not only because of the holiday… But also because the Irish rugby team beat England in England on the same day. He said the partying was monumental and a great time was had by all the Irish. (He also was amused by the fact that the USA colors their beer green as well as their rivers to honor the saint. He said that won’t be happening here in Ireland)!

A Grand Circle rep met us at the hotel when we arrived at 8 am and told us our room was ready and waiting. She also gave us vouchers for breakfast and we enjoyed some delicious sausages, eggs, fruit, cheese, and some brown pudding which was more like a piece of bread with lots of grains. Our hotel is very nice… With many amenities.

We walked around a bit on our own but it was quite windy so we decided to head back and take the “not recommended to do” nap. We slept for almost two hours… So hope we sleep tonight. It’s always so much better to not succumb… But just try to stay awake. Well that

While watching TV… We saw a commercial for medicine to keep your cows healthy! We are in Dublin… But the countryside isn’t far away.

After a nice shower we got ready to meet up with our fellow travelers for a walking tour of the area.

Our guide Sean is very nice and all the people on the tour met in the lobby to go off on a short jaunt around the area. There are 38 of us… And most of the folks know each other and are traveling together. We spent a few moments introducing ourselves and talking about where we are from… And then we walked out into the beautiful sunny day… Rather unusual for the emerald isle. The wind had died down and it was so pleasant seeing the sights.

After a quick walk… The group of fellow travelers told us they were going to the nearby pub and so we joined them for a Guinness. Wow!!! Nothing like Guinness in Ireland. So smooth and creamy.

We sat around in the pub and got to know each other and shared stories about travel. These folks have travelled a lot with both Grand circle and OAT and told us about some of the trips that Allan and I are planning on taking in the future. They are a fun group and I think we will have a great time with them.

We had a delicious dinner in the hotel and now it’s to bed. Tomorrow we tour Dublin.

20 Mar 2018 Dublin

Well… Just as I feared, I was up most of the night.. but I did finish a book and started a new one so that was good.

Today we did a tour of Dublin… Seeing all the beautiful sites. Many of the buildings in Dublin are very modern and quite interesting and we enjoyed the tour very much.

(But the way… As an aside…The tax rate in Dublin is 23.5%… Which we all gasped at when we heard. However when visitors purchase an item, you ask for a VAT Form and you are entitled to get some of that tax money back).

As we made our way through Dublin, we first passed a famine ship…. An authentic reproduction of a 1840’s Emigrant Vessel, that Irish emigrants boarded to cross the Atlantic to escape the potato famine. The journey was horrific…Many dying along the way due to the close quarters and illness.

We then saw Phoenix park… The largest park in Europe…1750 acres. The president of Ireland has his residence there as well as the US ambassador to Ireland and the representative to the pope. There is a beautiful cross that is known as the papal cross that was erected as a backdrop for the outdoor mass celebrated there by Pope John Paul II in 1979, the first day of his pastoral visit to Ireland. The congregation numbered over one million, equal to Dublin’s population.

The park is beautiful and even more so on this amazingly gorgeous day. We stopped in to the cafe and had a scone and a cappuccino and enjoyed it in the sunshine. By the way…I have a Helly Hanson rain coat that I wore today fortunately since I proceeded to spill half of my coffee over it. The coffee just rolled right off… No worries. I should be good to go when the inevitable rain starts to fall as we travel on.

We then visited the Book of Kells at Trinity college. The book of Kells contains beautifully decorated copy in Latin of the four Gospels. It was produced early in the 9th century by the monks of Iona.

There is an amazing library at the college called the Long Room, which houses around 200,000 of the library’s oldest books. There is a rather complicated system of identifying where to find the books and students come to the library each day to take out books, to peruse them for their research. They must wear special gloves to handle these relics. There are marble busts lining the shelf alcoves and there is a harp on display… The oldest to survive from Ireland and dates back to the fifteenth century. Ireland is the only country that has a musical instrument as the country’s national symbol.

We passed the Doors of Dublin, which date all the way back to the 1700’s during the Georgian Dublin time period (1714-1830). The city became more affluent during this time and so did the architecture. Each building had to adhere to strict guidelines and since they looked the same, they were pretty boring. As time went on, the stringent guidelines eased a bit and people started painting the entry doors bright colors as one way to differentiate them. Today the doors are painted colors straight out of a crayola crayon box… And the effect is stunning. Allan and I wandered through the Georgian neighborhood, and I snapped photo after photo of the bursts of color on each door. Some of the transoms above the doors were stained glass and quite ornate as were the beautiful shiny brass knockers.

Allan and I certainly did our 10000 steps as we walked all around Dublin. I bought a beautiful plaid Merino wool scarf with the saying in leather on it “May you live all the days of your life”. A quote by Jonathan Swift.

We walked back to the hotel rather than join the bus and had a pint of Guinness with a delicious Irish soup called coddle. Coddle is a traditional Irish dish usually associated with Dublin and known also as Dublin Coddle. It is comfort food of the highest degree; a hearty stew-like dish made from salty bacon, pork sausages, carrots, and potatoes. It was wonderful.

At night we were treated to dinner at The Old Punchbowl which you can read more about below. I had the traditional Irish dish….clonakilty black pudding with Irish boxty and jam for an appetizer and I had Guinness Irish stew with beef and vegetables over mashed potatoes. Wow!!! Delicious!

With a Guinness and an Irish coffee for dessert it was a wonderful meal. Then we were treated to a performance by young Irish dancers who will be competing next week for a championship. After that musicians came out to sing Irish songs and tell some jokes. It was a lot of fun especially since they sang Galway Bay… The song I love to sing to my grandkids.

Tomorrow it is off to Kilkenny.

The Old Punchbowl – From the restaurants website:.
This famous tavern, once the haunt of notorious highwaymen, was first licenced in 1779 when William Scully, the then landlord, served such patrons as the Fitzwilliams, Barons of Thorncastle and Viscounts of Merrion. The landmark location has seen more than its share of history and tragedy in the 200 years since it first opened its doors.A tranquil November day in 1807 turned to catastrophe as The Prince of Wales’ transport ship was caught in a sudden northeasterly gale as it tried to leave Dublin Bay. In violent seas, it founered on the rocks just south of Booterstown. The Captain escaped with his family and crew, but all 120 soldiers aboard perished. Their bodies washed ashore on Booterstown Strand and their bodies were buried in a quiet graveyard a five minute walk from the pub.

A more modern tragedy unfolded in 1927 just yards west of The Punch Bowl, on Booterstown Avenue, when renowned nationalist Kevin Higgins was assassinated while on his way to Sunday Mass, in reprisal for his part in the Irish Civil War.The Pub’s location was immortalised in the iconic 19th century ballad, ‘The Rocky Road to Dublin’. whose name is reputed to derive from the very Rock Road on which the Punch Bow stands. A century later the world- famous tenor Count John McCormack retired to just a few doors away from the Punch Bowl and is said to have savoured its convivial atmosphere in his final years.

Throughout it all, The Punch Bowl has endured and prospered, providing a haven for travellers

from far and wide. Today, its acclaimed hospitality can be enjoyed thanks to the O’ Rorke family. For the past 20 years Joe, Catherine and their daughters have ensured that visitors from all over the world bask in a cheery authentic welcome and enjoy the finest of fare in warm, traditional surroundings

21 Mar 2018 Dublin to Kilkenny

We started our day very early with a tour at the Guinness Storehouse. Nothing like having a pint at ten in the morning.

The Storehouse is a seven-story museum located in a former brewing factory inside the St. James’s Gate Brewery. We were allowed in before it opened and had our own tour guide who took us through the process of making the beer… From the roasted barley all the way to the pouring room where those who wanted to could learn how to do a Guinness pour with the creamy head.

Allan and I did very well with our pours and we took our pints up to the gravity bar…a bar that overlooks all of Dublin. It was such a beautiful day and the panaramic view was spectacular.

From there we travelled to Kilmacanogue where we ate lunch at the Avoca store, which also sold all kinds of soaps, wines, cheeses, clothing, and many hand crafted items. The items were beautiful but rather pricey.

After lunch, we continued on to Glendalough, where we toured the famous monastery that is there. This early Christian monastic settlement was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century and from this developed the ‘Monastic City’.

The ‘City’ consists of a number of monastic remains, the most impressive being the Round Tower. We also walked to the remains of St. Mary’s Church and the Priest’s House, a 12th Century building.

Then we drove the two hours to Kilkenny through the beautiful countryside. The sheep were grazing on the lea and the sun was shining on the melting snow and the grasslands. It was bucolic and peaceful and made for some fabulous photos.

During the drive our guide Sean told us some interesting facts about Ireland. Apparently, the Irish really don’t eat corned beef and cabbage. The Irish who fled to NYC during the famine had to live in what were called shanty towns. They were very poor and they lived along side poor Jewish people who came to the US to avoid persecution. The Jewish people bought corned beef because it was a cheap meat and so the Irish followed suit… But it isn’t something the Irish in Ireland eat today.

Also… No one says “Top of the mornin” here in Ireland. That is an American saying. And the same goes for many of the Irish songs we sing around St. Paddy’s day… Like MacNamara’s Band. Sean said he had never heard that song until he went to America.

In Ireland during an election, the campaigning can only last five weeks. Period. And most candidates only campaign for three.

Most people think the Irish eat a lot of lamb given all the sheep that are grazing in the countryside, but actually, lamb is served at Easter and on special occasions. The sheep are raised primarily to produce lambs for exportation and for wool. Pork is popular, and the pigs are raised in a commercial environment and not on farms, so they never get to see the light of day. Chicken is also a mainstay in Irish cuisine as they don’t eat much beef or fish, although fish is becoming more popular in recent years. Years ago under British rule, the Irish were not allowed to fish in the rivers as the landlords claimed ownership of them. After the 1922 independence of Ireland, the laws changed but by then, the Irish just weren’t used to eating fish. Also, the church mandated that the people eat fish on Fridays… So fish became a penitent food in the minds of the religious. When that rule was done away with, it was still difficult to not think of fish as what you needed to eat to repent. All this being said, I had a delicious salmon meal the first night we arrived.

22 Mar 2018 Kilkenny

This morning we left bright and early and drove to the workshop of a man who makes hurling sticks. Hurling is an extremely popular game in Ireland…(and no… hurling doesn’t have anything to do with what you might be doing after too many Guinnesses. Lol)!!!

This man makes each hurling stick by hand in his workshop in his backyard. He finds the wood and planks it himself and then proceeds to cut the shape of the stick. Each stick he creates entirely by hand.

Hurling is a game similar to lacrosse or field hockey but with a much shorter stick that has no webbing. It’s just flat at the end. The ball that is used somewhat resembles a baseball with a cork interior and leather covering. The field or pitch as it is called is about 150 meters long and 80 meters wide. There are fifteen players on each side and they wear no protection except a helmet. The game is played for two thirty minute halves and only stops for a few seconds if there are penalties.

None of the players are paid and except for extremely severe injuries, get little or no medical help. The scoring is one point over the goal (similar to kicking for points in football) and five points for getting the ball past the goalie into the net. The net is about the same height as a soccer net… But not as wide. The game was described to us as the fastest competitive game in the world.

It sounds like a very violent game and the young player who told us all about the game said it is brutal. With a hard ball whizzing around the field at great speeds, when the ball hits a player, he can definitely wind up with a fracture.

Afterwards, we took a walking tour through the quaint town of Kilkenny and then had lunch. The rain held off but as we walked back to the hotel it started to sprinkle.

About thirty of us made reservations for dinner at a beautiful pub called Matt the Miller. I had Fish and chips… Although they weren’t as crispy as I would have liked. The Guinness was good as always. After dinner some of us walked over to another pub called Lanigan’s and listened to some Irish music and watched an Irish dancer perform while we had another round of drinks.

Kilkenny is a beautiful Irish town. Wish we could stay here longer.

23 Mar 2018 Cork

We traveled from Kilkenny to the city of Cork today, stopping en route to visit the Waterford Crystal factory and Cahir Castle. It’s pretty weird driving on the opposite side of the road from what we are used to in the states.

We toured the Waterford Crystal factory and watched how the beautiful Waterford crystal is made… With the etching and the intricate designs. Some of the crystal is etched by hand… One man has been there for forty plus years doing amazing work. Other pieces are measured by machine and then etched by machine. I asked if the handwork was more expensive then the machine pieces and he said they were equivalent in price since it is time consuming to program the machine. The intricacies of those patterns cannot be done by hand. I purchased a few pieces of jewelry that were really quite lovely.

We then travelled to Cahir and had a delicious lunch and a tour of Cahir Castle. The castle is one of the largest castles in Ireland. It was built in 1142 by Conor O’Brien, Prince of Thomond. During the Irish confederate wars, the castle was besieged twice. Cannon balls can still be seen wedged into the sides of the castle.

Oliver Cromwell took over the castle during his quest of Ireland, after sending a threatening letter in 1650 to George Matthew saying leave peacefully and no blood will be shed… But if you stay, prepare for bloodshed. Needless to say…. Cromwell took over the castle. In 1961, the castle reverted to the Irish state when the last descendent died.

The castle tour was very interesting and the castle has been maintained beautifully. The gate that is able to drop in three seconds still works today and had been used in many movies including Braveheart.

For the first time since we’ve been in Ireland, we had a rainy afternoon. We travelled to Cork and went on a rainy walking tour of the town. The town is very modern with many upscale stores and we will have the opportunity to check them out tomorrow.

We are staying in the Kingsley hotel… Fit for a king. Our room is huge as is the bathroom. I love it when they have warming racks for the towels.

We enjoyed a pre-dinner drink in the regal oak bar in the hotel and then enjoyed a delicious dinner of lamb stew and an Irish coffee and then it was off to bed for a busy day tomorrow.

24 Mar 2018 Cork

Today after breakfast we went on a walking tour in Cobh (pronounced “cove”). A local historian gave an interesting lecture into Cobh’s history.

Cobh was a very active port years ago and many Irish emigrated from its harbor to the United States. This was the last place the Titanic dropped anchor before heading across the Atlantic on her tragic journey in 1912. The historian told us some stories of the people who sadly lost their lives… But also stories of people who, by a stroke of luck, avoided the terrible fate. One such man was Frank Brown.

From Wikipedia….”In April 1912 he received a present from his uncle: a ticket for the maiden voyage of RMS Titanic from Southampton, England to Queenstown, Ireland, via Cherbourg, France. He travelled to Southampton via Liverpool and London, boarding the Titanic on the afternoon of 10 April 1912. He was booked in cabin no. A37 on the Promenade Deck. Browne took dozens of photographs of life aboard Titanic on that day and the next morning; he shot pictures of the gymnasium, the Marconi room, the first-class dining saloon, his own cabin, and of passengers enjoying walks on the Promenade and Boat decks. He captured the last known images of many crew and passengers, including Captain Edward J. Smith, gymnasium manager T.W. McCawley, engineer William Parr, Major Archibald Butt, and numerous third-class passengers whose names are unknown.During his voyage on the Titanic, Browne was befriended by an American millionaire couple who were seated at his table in the liner’s first-class dining saloon. They offered to pay his way to New York and back in return for Browne spending the voyage to New York in their company. Browne telegraphed his superior requesting permission, but the reply was an unambiguous “GET OFF THAT SHIP – PROVINCIAL”.

Browne left the Titanic when she docked in Queenstown and returned to Dublin to continue his theological studies. When the news of the ship’s sinking reached him, he realised that his photos would be of great interest, and he negotiated their sale to various newspapers and news cartels. They appeared in publications around the world. Browne retained the negatives”.

We also saw the tribute to the victims of the RMS Lusitania at a quayside memorial and saw a statue of Anne Moore, who left on a boat from Cobh harbor and was the first person to pass through Ellis island. Interestingly, a man ahead of her would have been first, but seeing a lady behind him, he said…Ladies first… And Anne therefore walked off…a celebrity. She was given a gold coin and quite a fanfare took place upon her arrival. I’m sure the man was not happy he had been so gallant.

From there we visited the magnificent Colman Cathedral in Cobh with it’s beautiful carrilion bells. The cathedral contains the only church carillon which, with 49 bells, is one of the largest carillons in Europe.

We went to a home hosted lunch and meet a lovely couple…Kay and Joe who served us ham, potatoes, cabbage, and turnips with apple crumble and custard for dessert. We had the opportunity to talk with them and they told us about their life and about their children. Joe goes to the tennis club every night for a few belts of Paddy’s whiskey. Joe and Kay don’t go to the local pub as all the young kids go there now… And the music is too loud. It’s customery to bring a small gift for the host and hostess and we brought some delicious Josh Early chocolates from our hometown of Bethlehem.

I did some more shopping… Which is pretty rare for me. I bought a beautiful Irish woolen plaid jacket… Similar to a poncho…with a matching hat.

We came back to the hotel and will grab a bite to eat and a pint. It was a gloriously sunny warm day. Very unusual for Ireland!

25 Mar 2018 Killarney

Our day dawned warm and sunny and we were off to the Blarney Castle. It is a great time of year to be in Ireland since the weather isn’t too bad and there are hardly any tourists. The daffodils are in full bloom and many places have planted beautiful spring flowers all over. Sunny days in Ireland are rare

indeed and we have had more than our fair share on this vacation. (Although I think our luck will end starting tomorrow as rain is predicted). We were the first visitors of the day to the Blarney Stone… So no waiting line.

The climb up to the Blarney Stone was definitely out of my comfort zone. Very narrow and very winding staircase… And there was a rope that you coukd use to pull yourself up along the way, which believe me, you needed since you were going practically vertically up the staircase. There are 127 steps to get up to the stone. We were all exhausted when we reached the top.

You have to lie down on a mat and hold onto two bars on either side in order to get ready to take the plunge. Then a man helps you to go all the way backwards to kiss the stone. I had all I could do not to pull out my antiseptic wipes to clean the stone before I bussed it… But alas, I kissed it… Devil may care! Allan didn’t want to do it but everyone talked him into it so he kissed it too. Now we both have the gift of gab! Heaven help us and everyone else who is around us.

We took a lovely walk around the lake at the castle and then stopped into the largest store in Ireland that sells Irish handicrafts etc. And if course we had to buy Irish Aran sweaters in Merino wool. Could I knit them myself? Probably… But these are already hand knit and beautiful so we purchased them.

We had lunch and then we were off to watch a sheep herding demonstration by a local farmer and his dog. It was so much fun to watch the dog keep the sheep in line. The dog nips at their legs and the farmer was constantly yelling at him to behave. At one point, the

dog leapt over the fence and back again in a show-off display. The lambs have predators… Primarily the mink, the crows, and the fox. The mink are prevalent and are adept at biting the juggler of a lamb as it sleeps… Thus killing it. The crows can peck out the eyes of a lamb and soon it dies, and the fox will kill as well. Mother nature and survival of the fittest.

We checked into our hotel… The Killarney towers and went off for a wonderful jaunty ride…a horse drawn carriage ride through the park. Our horse was named Elvis… But no blue suede shoes on him. Our driver had at one time obviously kissed the Blarney Stone because he certainly had the gift of gab. We were provided with heavy woolen blankets that we tucked around our legs and we were nice and toasty as we went on the beautiful drive.

We had dinner and then we listened to a local Irishman tell us of his life in Ireland in the fifties and sixties…a very interesting story. While we listened, we drank Poitín… Pronounced potcheen… a traditional Irish distilled beverage which is about 90 proof. I actually thought my esophagus was on fire after a mere few sips. That stuff is potent!!!

Early day tomorrow so it’s off to bed.

IRELAND

25 Mar 2018

5:30 pm

Killarney

Portmagee

Our day dawned warm and sunny and we were off to the Blarney Castle. It is a great time of year to be in Ireland since the weather isn’t too bad and there are hardly any tourists. The daffodils are in full bloom and many places have planted beautiful spring flowers all over. Sunny days in Ireland are rare

indeed and we have had more than our fair share on this vacation. (Although I think our luck will end starting tomorrow as rain is predicted). We were the first visitors of the day to the Blarney Stone… So no waiting line.

The climb up to the Blarney Stone was definitely out of my comfort zone. Very narrow and very winding staircase… And there was a rope that you coukd use to pull yourself up along the way, which believe me, you needed since you were going practically vertically up the staircase. There are 127 steps to get up to the stone. We were all exhausted when we reached the top.

You have to lie down on a mat and hold onto two bars on either side in order to get ready to take the plunge. Then a man helps you to go all the way backwards to kiss the stone. I had all I could do not to pull out my antiseptic wipes to clean the stone before I bussed it… But alas, I kissed it… Devil may care! Allan didn’t want to do it but everyone talked him into it so he kissed it too. Now we both have the gift of gab! Heaven help us and everyone else who is around us.

We took a lovely walk around the lake at the castle and then stopped into the largest store in Ireland that sells Irish handicrafts etc. And if course we had to buy Irish Aran sweaters in Merino wool. Could I knit them myself? Probably… But these are already hand knit and beautiful so we purchased them.

We had lunch and then we were off to watch a sheep herding demonstration by a local farmer and his dog. It was so much fun to watch the dog keep the sheep in line. The dog nips at their legs and the farmer was constantly yelling at him to behave. At one point, the

dog leapt over the fence and back again in a show-off display. The lambs have predators… Primarily the mink, the crows, and the fox. The mink are prevalent and are adept at biting the juggler of a lamb as it sleeps… Thus killing it. The crows can peck out the eyes of a lamb and soon it dies, and the fox will kill as well. Mother nature and survival of the fittest.

We checked into our hotel… The Killarney towers and went off for a wonderful jaunty ride…a horse drawn carriage ride through the park. Our horse was named Elvis… But no blue suede shoes on him. Our driver had at one time obviously kissed the Blarney Stone because he certainly had the gift of gab. We were provided with heavy woolen blankets that we tucked around our legs and we were nice and toasty as we went on the beautiful drive.

We had dinner and then we listened to a local Irishman tell us of his life in Ireland in the fifties and sixties…a very interesting story. While we listened, we drank Poitín… Pronounced potcheen… a traditional Irish distilled beverage which is about 90 proof. I actually thought my esophagus was on fire after a mere few sips. That stuff is potent!!!

Early day tomorrow so it’s off to bed.

26 Mar 2018 Dingle Peninsula

Our first stop this morning was to the Kerry County museum where we saw an elaborate exhibit about Sir Roger Casement’s landing at Banna Strand on Good Friday 1916. This was a pivotal event that led up to the rebellion that broke out in Dublin a few days later.

We also saw an exhibit about the IRELAND

history of Kerry… From the first settlers dating back to 5000 BC all the way thru WW II.

Another interesting exhibit was about Tom Crean who went on three expeditions to Antarctica. He served in WW I and retired from the Navy in 1920.

The museum also had an amazing exhibit featuring an authentic reconstruction of Tralee in the year 1450, showing what life was like in a medieval market town… Complete with sounds and smells of the period.

Then it was off to the Dingle peninsula where we had a lunch of fish and chips. The fish was very good… But not crispy like we have in the states. We did put lots of malt vinegar on it and it was quite good.

There is a statue of a dolphin named Fungie…a famed dolphin in the Dingle harbor. Fungie is a wild Bottlenose dolphin, no one is quite sure of his age but he has been in the harbor for nearly 32 years. Our guide told us Fungie has a lifespan of between 40 and 50 years. He follows the boats out of the harbor everyday like clockwork… And there is a tour company that guarantees you will see Fungie… And if not… You will get your money back for the tour.

The movies Ryan’s Daughter and Star Wars were both filmed on the Dingle peninsula and we saw the home where Robert Mitchum, the star of Ryan’s daughter, lived during filming. Our guide said Mitchum frequented the area pubs and was always drunk… Showing up on the set with black eyes from pub brawls.

Then we drove along the cliffs overlooking the water. It was a hair raising drive…Roads narrow and windy with a big drop to the sea. It was raining a little but we were lucky in that it wasn’t fogged over so we were able to see the coastline which was beautiful.

Then it was back to the hotel for dinner, a pint, and an Irish coffee. I love Ireland!

IRELAND

27 Mar 2018 Killarney. Ring of Kerry

I meant to mention yesterday that the Kerry museum opened just for our tour group so we had the entire museum to ourselves. This is one of the many advantages of going with Grand Circle tours.

Today we found out that two couples that are on this tour… (They are traveling with 28 other people from Indiana) will be on our river cruise along the Seine that we are taking in July. It’s a small world! One of the wives that will be with us speaks fluent French so I’m sure she will be helpful as we travel along.

We passed a few graveyards yesterday and our guide told us that a cemetery stands alone but a graveyard is always connected to a church. I never knew that.

This morning we did a tour of the Ring of Kerry, a drive that “traces the coastline of the Iveragh Peninsula and offers breathtaking IRELAND

views”. That was the description of our tour… And they weren’t kidding about the breathtaking views!

The first town along the route was Killorglin, where an elegant eight- arched bridge crosses the River Laune.

Also in Killorglin the Puck Fair takes place every year in August. A group of people go up in the mountains and catch a wild goat. The goat is brought back to town and crowned “King Puck”. Once the goat is crowned, the three day festivities can begin. The pubs stay open late and the village goes into party mode.

The “King” is then put into a small cage and raised on a high stand for three days, and on the 3rd day of the fair, he is brought down to be led back to his mountain home. Before that happens however, he has a gold button inserted in his ear so that he is can be identified and not caught again in the years to come. This way, a new King is crowned each year.

We entered the beautiful area of Waterville, a magnificent beach area with gorgeous views and where Charlie Chaplin made his second home for many years. There is a statue of Chaplin there and we all rubbed his nose… Which apparently brings you good luck.

This village once had a “Charlie Chaplin look alike contest” and Charlie was to be one of the judges. He backed out at the last minute… But actually, he registered for the contest under a fake name, unbeknownst to the villagers. He came in third in the contest! Pretty funny!!

On the return to Killarney, the route took us through the picturesque village of Sneem, where we had lunch, and then saw the Ladies

View, a picturesque area on the ring of Kerry, named after Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting who visited there for a picnic lunch one day.

The day was sunny again… Very windy in the ring of Kerry, but a fabulous day for touring. The weather in Ireland is usually rainy and so we have been very lucky indeed to have the amazing weather we have enjoyed so far on our trip.

When we returned, we had some ice cream from a concession called Murphy’s and then we went to dinner. I ordered Thai chicken and it was pretty awful. It came in a cream sauce. The other day we had what was billed as a margarita pizza… But was in fact… Just plain old cheese pizza. Ireland doesn’t do ethnic food very well I’ve decided.

Tomorrow we head out to Galway.

IRELAND

28 Mar 2018 Galway

Some facts about Ireland:

Ireland has a little over six million people in population and tourism is very important. The majority of the tourists come from Britain…with the US tourists coming in second.

Ireland is getting away from fossil fuel and trying to go towards wind power. Right now about 35% of their power comes from gas… With some peat, hydroelectricity, and coal making up the difference.

Interesting fact about how Irish coffee came about. Apparently, Charles Blair, a pilot and husband of the Irish actress Maureen O’ Hara, was piloting a plane that had to make an emergency landing in Ireland. The passengers were cold and tired and Blair decided to have a local pub offer them coffee to get warm and added some Irish whiskey to it… And thus became the first drink known now as irish coffee!

The houses in Ireland are not made of wood but are constructed with concrete blocks… Two layers with insulation between them. Most of the roofs are either tile (in older homes) and slate found in the newer ones. Irish homes do not have basements.

After breakfast, we boarded our bus for a day of touring and travel to Galway. Every day, we change seats in the bus… Always moving up two seats. Today, Allan and I had the first seat behind our driver, so we enjoyed seeing where we were going as we drove along.

We took a ferry across the River Shannon and drove along the coast of County Clare to visit the majestic Cliffs of Moher. The day has dawned sunny and fairly warm…a perfect day to visit the cliffs. Usually, the cliffs are either fogged in… Or it is raining and they can’t be seen. We had the best possible day for perfect viewing.

You really have to be in good shape on these Grand Circle tours as there is a lot of walking and lots of times, it can be strenuous. Allan and I walked all the way to the top of one side to view the cliffs and then we walked up the other side… Through the mud and rocks since we crossed over to the area that was not part of the park itself. It was very windy but the views were spectacular.

Then we traveled along a scenic coastal road to discover another natural Irish wonder, the Burren. Its name is derived from a Gaelic word meaning “stony place,” and it is like no other place in Ireland. Instead of peat bogs and pastures that we see all over the countryside, , we found a surreal moonscape full of huge limestone crags. We clamoured over them… Making sure we didn’t lose our footing. We walked all the way to the beautiful water’s edge and enjoyed the view. By the way… So glad I had the cortisone injection in my knee before I left. With all the activities we’ve done… Up and down hills… My knee feels great!!

Across the Burren we could see the Aran islands where the Aran sweaters are knitted. The sweaters always have stitches that are indigenous to a particular family. Our guide told us that when he was a boy, there was a tragedy in his family when three of his cousins who were brothers drowned while fishing. He said that years ago, people were never taught how to swim. This was because when you were in a boat fishing and went overboard, the Aran sweaters that everyone wore for warmth as well as the heavy clothing they wore to keep warm, would pull you down under like a stone… And quickly. If you swam, the inevitable would be prolonged and horrific. Better to die as soon as possible. Sadly, many times the bodies wouldn’t be found for weeks and they would be unrecognizable. However, the Aran sweaters with their unique stitch for a family, could be the only identifying factor. Very sad. Now of course things are very different and safety wear is worn and people are taught how to swim. Our guide Sean is a very interesting man and tells us many stories like this about his life as a young boy in Ireland. His family was poor and didn’t have electricity in their home until the early 1970’s.

IRELAND

We arrived in Galway and took a short orientation walk with our tour guide and then had dinner in Maxwell’s! It was delicious. I had chicken liver pate, pork belly with applesauce and mashed potato… And chocolate mousse for dessert.

Our hotel, the G, is very upscale and has large and spacious rooms for the guests. We arrived to two delicious cupcakes on our table and at night we found chocolates on our pillows. Designed by world renowned milliner and Galway native, Philip Treacy, the g Hotel looks classy and the bar areas are beautifully decorated. The chandelier in the lobby is breathtaking.

We had an Irish coffee in one of the bar areas and then off to bed.

Interesting note: We passed through a town called Lisdoonvarna, which was famous for its music and festivals. Although the music festival was discontinued in the 1980s, Lisdoonvarna still hosts its annual matchmaking festival each September. Apparently people come from all over the world to find their soul mate and about 15-20 marriages take place. No statistics on whether or not they last!

29 Mar 2018 Galway

What a day! We had just showered and the fire alarm went off all throughout the hotel. What could it be?? Oh wait…I SET IT OFF!!

I couldn’t regulate the shower and it just spewed out very hot water. I could barely stand the water on my skin it was so hot. So I did the best I could… Wrapped the towel around me and went out to tell Allan about the scalding hot water issue. Seconds later… The fire alarm went off because of all the hot steam! Everyone in the hotel heard the alarm. Yikes!!

The desk guy came up to make sure we were not on fire. Of course thank goodness we weren’t… because he didn’t arrive until fifteen minutes after Allan called the desk to tell them about the alarm. We told him about the hot water problem. (Also… Our towel rack that was supposed to be heated didn’t work either). They said they would fix all while we were out touring.

When we came back from our day, we checked our room and nothing has been fixed. Allan went down to complain and Sean our tour guide was there. Between Sean and the consierge, they decided we should be upgraded for the inconvenience.

WOW!!!!!! We have a suite… Corner room with a view of Galway bay…Shower for two… Huge tub… Bidet, Couch… King bed…AND… Another room with dining table, fireplace, coffee pot with pods, another couch, and another bathroom. WOWSER!!!! We will certainly enjoy the next two nights. Our bathroom is almost as big as the room we vacated!!!!

Anyway… On to our day. We took an optional tour through the Connemara region of Galway. This is a desolate region in Galway… With an absolutely beautiful landscape. Most of the area is bogland, with sheep grazing, mountains in the background, rivers trickling through, rugged hills, and beauty everywhere you look. As you near the coast, sandy beaches and blue waters can be seen.

In Connemara, we viisited the former Gothic mansion of Mitchell Henry, now the home of Benedictine nuns and better known as Kylemore Abbey. Mr. Henry was a doctor, industry tycoon, politician, and pioneer. He built his mansion from wild scrub to a place of beauty. He built his castle out in the wilderness out of love for his wife. They had nine children, but sadly, his wife died of dysentery while on the Nile, at the age of 45.

We walked to the Victorian gardens…a good mile hike. The gardens were beautiful with many flowers blooming as well as herbs. We also toured the head gardener’s home back in the day and then went to the Henry’s mansion. It was quite lovely and the furniture was beautiful. We also visited the Gothic church that Mr. Henry built like a small cathedral in memory of his wife. He was heartbroken after her death and built the church to honor her memory.

After seeing the sights at Kylemore, we boarded a boat in Killary, and cruised a charming fjord. We had a delicious lunch while on board. Our lunch included a taste of mussels that were harvested right in the fjord. The unpolluted waters of the IRELAND

fjord are perfect for mussel farming. There are a series of buoys floating on the surface. Hundreds of ropes are attached to the buoys to which the mussels attach themselves as they develop. Most of the mussels harvested are shipped to Spain. They were tender and delicious. I also had tomato soup, salad, and chicken entree with an Irish coffee. Allan’s meal was a seafood soup and seafood shepherds pie… Both chock full of fresh seafood. Then we went to the upper deck to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

On our return to our hotel, we traveled through the Inagh Valley to the coast, where we saw the deserted village of Clough Na Mara. This was the place where the Irish died of starvation during the 1845- 55 potato famine. After it was over, not one Irish family could be found in the area. We could see some of the famine homes still standing. They are only shells of homes, but are not torn down, but stand next to new homes, as a reminder of the hardship that took place. There are also miles and miles of stone walls that are still standing.

Our bus driver let a few of us off in town and Allan and I walked around a bit and then walked back to the hotel… Which took over a half hour. We had a quick bite to eat and we are now relaxing in our SUITE!!! From fire alarm to pampering… What a day it has been! AND… It was another beautifully sunny day even though the weather report called for rain. We really have had the luck of the Irish with us this whole vacation!

IRELAND

30 Mar 2018 Galway

Today again… No rain! Amazing. Sean keeps saying his mother’s Holy water kept the thunderclouds away.

As we passed Galway Bay… Sean played the song Galway Bay and I told him I sing that song to my grandkids at bedtime. He said he heard me singing along with the IRELAND

30 Mar 2018

3:30 pm

Galway

Galway

Today again… No rain! Amazing. Sean keeps saying his mother’s Holy water kept the thunderclouds away.

As we passed Galway Bay… Sean played the song Galway Bay and I told him I sing that song to my grandkids at bedtime. He said he heard me singing along with the Isong on the bus and said I had a lovely voice. Awwwwww…

We visited the beautiful Galway Cathedral today. Much of the money for the construction of the cathedral came from the US… Mainly from Boston and also from the Kennedy family. Construction was finished in 1965 and was consecrated by Cardinal Cushing who lit the sanctuary candle and gave the sermon at its first Mass.

The cathedral is not impressive from the outside with its granite stone, but inside, the cathedral is magnificent. Most of the church… Altar, altar rail, floor, etc. was made from Connemara marble that is indigenous to the area. The stained glass rose window was exquisite as was the altar.

After seeing the cathedral we walked the promenade in Salthill along Galway bay. Legend has it that if you kick the wall at the end of the walk… It will bring you good luck. So of course we all lined up to do just that.

People were swimming in the freezing water in Galway Bay. Sean said people are swimming there every day all year long no matter the temperature. They must be members of the polar bear club. We couldn’t believe their stamina.

We then toured the Connemara marble factory and saw the beautiful jewelry that is made from the million year old stone. The marble comes in black, rose, white, and green and is very pretty.

Afterwards Sean told us about turf (peat) cutting. When he was a boy in the sixties, every farm house in addition to the farm acreage, had about two acres of bogland which was about twenty feet deep. Sean remembers his dad saying… usually in the spring..”tomorrow you won’t be going to school”. Usually that was cause for he and his siblings to be joyous, until they realized they would be turf cutting.

They would get up early in the morning and walk four miles to their bog. His father would cut the “bricks” with a special tool and his mother, his siblings, and Sean himself would lay the bricks in a pyramid style to dry. This could take two weeks or more for complete drying. They would then rent a farmer with a tractor and take the dried bricks to their cottage for storage. The bricks would be fuel to heat their home for a year. This happened every spring and the bog would be large enough to serve the generations to come.

The bog is still there but they no longer need to cut it since the homes are centrally heated now.

Sean also told us about leprechauns and fairies. There are good fairies and bad fairies and they fight under the hawthorn trees. You should never touch a hawthorn tree or cut it down as you will then have bad luck for the rest of your days. Sean said it is all fun and fancy… But no one in his family would ever touch a hawthorn tree. He also said that the fairies get paid in gold by leprechauns… Who are actually very nasty little people. I loved listening to Sean’s childhood stories. They had no electricity when he was little and depended on the fireplace and paraffin lamps for heat and light.

We came back to our hotel suite and had lunch in a place similar to Johnny Rockets. I had a delicious chocolate malt with my burger. Yum!

We rested up in our beautiful room and then went down for a glass of wine and off to the farewell dinner. It was very good and we all said our goodbyes. We leave the hotel tomorrow around 8:45 for our flight out of Shannon airport.

It was a wonderful trip. Ireland is a beautiful country and the people are friendly. The countryside is breathtaking and its history is both horrific and victorious. We will remember this trip for a long time to come.

Sián abhaile.

I wrote a poem to give to Sean. He was an amazing tour guide!

There once was a tour guide named Sean
On the Emerald Isle he was born He taught us so much About Ireland and such
A beautiful country where the sheep are shorn.

He imparted so much history to us (Usually while we rode on the bus) We learned about famine houses Famous Irishmen and their spouses And Sean did it… Never making a fuss.

So we just want to say Sean made our trip
From Dublin, to Kilkenny, to the Killary fjord ship

A vacation so wonderful
(His mom’s holy water made it un- thunderable
Everything from start to finish BLUE CHIP!