Cliffs of Moher - The Burren - Galway

Today was the day to which I was looking most forward. The Cliffs of Moher. The number of books I've read that has Ireland as the back drop...and all of them mention the Cliffs. I was excited to see for myself what all the hubbub was about. And let me tell you, the pictures will not, and cannot, do it justice.

Oh my were they something. The wind was whipping around us at like 40 mph - maybe not but it felt like it. And the crazy ass people who would stand way too close to the edge (they'd climb over the fence to keep you from doing that. Dumb asses).

But first, the crab hats made an appearance today. Finally. Many folks in our tour group kept asking us when they'd come out...and here they are. Wind blown, but happy.

I should back up a bit, but I had to get those photos out immediately. Anyhow, we took off out of Killarney this morning WAY too early. The tour director said the Cliffs would be packed so we wanted to get a good start to get there before the crowds. Though it didn't matter much. The crowds were still there. Soooo many people! Oy vei!

To get there we had to cross the River Shannon. The River Shannon cuts through Ireland and is the longest and widest river in all of Ireland. So to get across it we had to hop on a ferry. Now, we're in a massive motor coach and the ferry looked tiny to me. You decide.

After the Cliffs we drove through a part of Ireland called the Burren. There's a reason, I just can't remember. Other than the landscape really changes to that of mars-esk. The area is covered in limestone. According to wikipedia, "The exact extent of the area referred to as The Burren is not clearly defined. The name is generally applied to the limestone uplands of north western Clare, but the borders vary.". It was crazy to see this landscape.

Ignore all the people. We didn't stop the bus so I couldn't get out to shoot a decent photo. 

Tomorrow we're headed to Connemara to see an abbey, to see the Bog and see what peat is and all that stuff. We're exhausted, but still having fun. Just two more days then we start our long journey home. Hard to believe it's gone by that quickly. Other than I'm in information overload.  It'll take me a couple of days, weeks, months, etc to process everything I've learned. Of course I may not even remember so that will make it quicker.

Ring of Kerry...

Our adventure continues. Today we got in the coach and drove around the Ring of Kerry. It's only called a "ring" because its a circular drive. Many on the bus tried so hard to find another reason for it. But alas, the guide said, no it's just because you drive in one big circle. And drive we did.

Our first stop was in a very small town called Waterview. The only purpose of stopping here was a potty break and to see a statue of Charlie Chaplin. Apparently he married an Irish woman and she was from around these parts.

From there we drove up the west coast. Such beautiful scenery...all of it on the OTHER side of the bus. I swear, my superpower is whatever side of the bus I'm sitting on, the best scenery will be on the other side. Thankfully we stopped every now and then for a photo op.

As we drove I found myself shooting photos of the amazing landscape. I've said it once and I'll say it again...Ireland is soooo GREEN.

We lunched in a little town called Sneem. I would have liked to have wandered through it, but we literally had 45 minutes for a lunch that was already prepared for us.

As you drive through Ireland you see sheep everywhere. On the east side of the island the pastures were way more pasture-y. This side had more rocks in it. All day I would glance out the window and think I see sheep, when in fact they were just rocks. And visa versa. One time we were stopped for traffic and I glanced out the window and saw this beautiful rock...that then moved.

Leaving Sneem at lunch we finished the Ring of Kerry driving through and over the mountains here in Ireland. Now, to us in Seattle these aren't mountains, but they sure were beautiful. We stopped at a lake area that is called Lady's View. Queen Victoria had some summer home around here and this was her and her ladies in waiting's view.

Back in Killarney we had some free time so Janet and I started walking around the city. We stumbled into ( and later stumbled out of) a whiskey bar. Being the good little tourists we were we stopped for a flight of whiskey.

I didn't love all of these in fact only really loved one. Bushmills Single Malt 16 year. Naturally the most expensive bottle.

We then walked a block and realized we should get food in our tummies to soak up that alcohol and so we dove into a little Italian place for beer and bruschetta as an appetizer. Not too much longer after that, and only a couple blocks away, we stopped to have dinner.

This is what I love about Ireland. That bottom plate is Cottage Pie with mashed potatoes. It came with a side of vegetables (broccoli and rutabagas) and a side of chips.

"Why yes, I'll have some potatoes with a side of potatoes please."

But that cottage pie was fan-freakin-tastic.

Tomorrow we leave Killarney headed to Galway. Along the way we'll see the famed Cliffs of Moher (the crab hats may have to come out for that shot).

Dingle

My friend P told me if I had a chance to go to Dingle I should. And so we did. And let me tell you, it was worth it. The scenery and landscape on the West side of the Island is very much what you think Ireland coastline would be. Lush, severe and beautiful.

The little town of Dingle is very quaint and full of tourist.  Our guide was telling us today that most the shops in Dingle close from Nov - Feb because there aren't very many tourist that come through. Those are some hard times I bet.

Dingle has the wonderful Dolphin who has lived in their waters for over 30 years, Fungi. We didn't see him today out in the water, but the locals assured us he was there. They have tours that go out specifically to meet Fungi. Crazy. Luigi met Fungi today too. 

I also got to meet an ass today.

As I mentioned, the countryside around Dingle was just gorgeous. The greens are so green. I keep thinking that it's as lush as Washington, and yet its a different kind of lush.

We took this scenic route called the Slea Head Drive. It goes out along the coast and the drop off from the road is, well, let's just say you'd have a bad day if you made one wrong step.

We spent a lot of time on the bus today and my butt was getting tired of sitting. Still, the scenery was gorgeous and I just can't get enough of the green, lush landscape.

We got back a bit later than planned and we were starvings. So we walked down to this little pub called Murphy's.  I ordered the Beef and Guinness stew...and oh boy was that a treat. So rich and delicious. They served it on top of a big scoop of mashed potatoes. Why have I not eaten stew with mashed potatoes ... ever?

But the best part of dinner was Janet's meal. She ordered the Beef Stroganoff. Now we've all had beef stroganoff and we all know that it has beef, mushrooms, and sour cream in it. Maybe onions even. Her's had bell peppers and...wait for it...PICKLES. Dill Pickles. Crazies thing ever.

And just for fun, let me share photos of the other things I ate today.

Fish and chips at some restaurant that Grand Circle set up for us to eat at. It was good. In fact, it was one of the few fish and chips I've had there in which they didn't have the skin on the fish. Who does that? Gross. The last couple of times I've had fish and chips they leave the skin on the fish. Ick.

Murphy's Ice Cream is a big deal here. We had it once before in Dublin and decided today seemed like as good as time as any to have another cup. I had Malted Chocolate both times and it's delicious.

In Dingle I got a wee bit chilled so I decided to pop into a restaurant and get a hot chocolate. They asked, what I thought was, do I want whipped cream. Naturally I said yes. It came out with whipped cream AND marshmallows. Where has THAT been all my life? I really have lived a sheltered life.

Tomorrow we head out to drive around the Ring of Kerry. More landscapes. More beautiful scenery. We'll have time in the after noon to actually see Killarney. We've seen almost nothing of it. I did spy a pub called Mustang Sally's. Might have to check that out.

Blarney Castle - Sheep - Killarney

So here I sit in Killarney thinking about the day we had. What a busy busy day.

We left Cork bright and early and headed to the Blarney Castle.  The whole way there I debated whether I was going to climb the 127 steps to the top or not. Truthfully I wasn't sure I could make it.

Once there Janet and I were #3 and #4 in the entrance. We booked it to the castle. A good walk from the entrance. And before I had time to even consider it I was climbing. And climbing and climbing.

Now, just the climbing is bad enough. But worse is it's a circular staircase made for a small child. I am neither small nor a child. It got tight in there. I was joking about having to send for some Kerry butter to get me out of there.

Alas, we made it. Huffing and puffing I was on the top of the Blarney Castle. I had absolutely no desire at all to kiss that stone. First off, whomever told me they wipe it down after every kiss is a big fat liar. And second of all, the position you have to get into...no way jose.

After the fearful climb down - felt like forever - we wondered the grounds. They were spectacular. Just beautiful.

Back in the coach, we headed to Killarney. Killarney is in the county of Kerry and the landscape has changed every so slightly. Lush and green still, but a bit more mountainous.

After lunch we got to do the one thing I had been waiting the entire trip to do. Witness a sheep dog in action. We stopped at a local farm who's shepherd talked to us about the sheep, the cows of the area, the grass, the dogs, etc. He had such a thick accent that I could barely understand him. As we were standing waiting, he released the sheep who took off into the field. The dog, Rose was her name, stood by him patiently. With one nod of his head, she bolted after those sheep. And I mean bolted. She was so fast I couldn't catch her on the camera. And before long, those sheep were right back at the gate with us. She paced around them and they stood completely still. If any of them made the slightest move she moved with it.

BTW, the sheep are all marked a certain color to denote being his sheep. The shepherds in the area all share the mountains and the sheep roam freely during the summer months. In order to know who's are who's they mark them with a colored dye.

The concentration on her face was so amazing.You could almost see her thinking. Towards the end of the demonstration he had released the sheep and kept her tied up for a bit while he talked to us. Then he wanted her to bring them in. She took off. Only she was going after the wrong sheep. She must have been easily a football field length away, if not slightly more. He yelled her name "ROSE" and pointed with his cane in the other director. That darn dog stopped in her tracks and ran in the other direction after the sheep he was pointing at A FOOTBALL FIELD LENGTH AWAY! I was just amazed.

Oh and it rained the entire time we were outside watching this. Most folks stayed on the bus, but not me man. I had to be out in the downpour attempting to get photos.

As we entered Killarney, we were dropped off for a jaunting ride. Basically a horse and carriage ride, through the national park here. It was just beaufitul. The flora and fauna here is amazing. They say anything will grow in Ireland because the temperature stays the same year round. And based on the forest I believe it. We saw red deer on our trip and they acted as if they didn't care at all we were there.

This is George - our horse

Finally made it to the hotel and I was just exhausted. Janet stepped out for a quick walk and I took a quick nap.

Tomorrow we head to Dingle and apparently see some of the prettiest land in all of Ireland.

Cork - Cobh (pronounced Cove) - Home lunch

Today was our first full day in the Cork area. Cork itself is just another big city. Nothing overly interesting to see in the city itself. The highlight of my day in the city was finding a Starbucks that looked like this.

Janet and two other gals from this trip wanted to go into the Art museum and I really did not. So I told them to go on ahead and I'll sit in Starbucks and have a cup of coffee.  Little did I know Starbucks would be so cool looking.

But let me back up a bit. This morning we hopped on the coach again and headed to a small port town called Cobh (pronounced "cove". I learned today the Gaelic language doesn't have the letter 'v' in their language. But a "bh" or an "mh" makes the sound of a v. Who knew? 4 million Gaelic speaking people on the Emerald Isle that's who.)

Ahem. Anyhow, what's so special about Cobh? Well, it's a charming little fishing village, but more importantly it is the last stop the Titantic made before it's fateful trip. We had a somewhat famous historian about the Titantic give us a walking tour around some of the memorials and provide us the "truth" about the Titantic. It was fascinating to hear. I sat and wondered about the people who got off the boat on that day since Cobh was their stop. Or the worker guy who got too drunk in a pub and didn't make it back on the boat before it sailed. Those peoples lives were forever changed by one decision they made. Crazy, isn't it?

Now I've officially seen the last place the Titantic stopped AND the cemetery in Canada that most of the lost souls was buried in.

The other thing about Cobh is that the Lisuatania was torpedoed just outside the harbor. They have this fantastic memorial statue for it. The angle is standing on a sword to denote peace. And the two men below were two fishermen who spent HOURS picking up survivors in the water and bringing them into shore.

We had some free time when Michael, the tour guide, was finished with us so Janet and I decided to walk up to the St. Colman's Cathedral. And by walk UP I mean this massive, very steep hill.  As we were walking up and I was hyperventilating because of all the exercise I wondered why I was doing this. But then when we got to the top and we saw how MASSIVE this building was, it was totally worth it. I should also mention as we were walking up this hill, as we crested the top the wind was blowing so hard that it blew Janet's glasses off the top of her head.

After the tour we got to do something that I wasn't even sure what it was when we signed up. The company, Grand Circle, does these Home Hosted Lunches where we go and have a lunch prepared by an Irish family and we learn about their lives.  We were hosted today by a wonderful woman named Joan. She fixed the most fantastic meal I've had. We started with a salad that was an end all be all salad. Followed by the most scrumptious Cottage Pie I've had. But the dessert! That was what put it over the edge. She fixed a Bailey's Cheesecake...Let me just tell you...I was so tempted to pick up my plate and lick it. It was so freaking good that I'm sure I'll dream about it for years.

Back in Cork we decided to walk around a bit more, but really, there isn't much to see in Cork itself. So we found a nice little pub with heated benches outside and stopped in to have a beer and a whiskey.

Later in the evening, the Hurling Championship game was on and since we all learned about hurling we went down to watch the game. It's a violent, brutal game, but so fun to watch.

Tomorrow it's off to the Blarney Castle. I won't be kissing the Blarney stone - gross - but I do plan on going up to the top of the castle...it's 127 steps so I hope I can make it.

Tomorrow is also the sheep dog exploration series. I cannot wait to meet me some sheep dogs...and maybe a few sheep. I may or may not try to smuggle one home. The dog, not the sheep.

Waterford - Cahir - Cork

Hard to believe we're already in Cork. The days are flying by and I'll be home before I know it! Booo.

This morning we left Kilkenny headed to Cork. Along the way we stopped at Waterford and Cahir.

Waterford is what you think it is, the home of Waterford crystal. I'm not a huge crystal fan - just something else to break - but to see how they made it - by hand I might add - and the process they go through is amazing. Super interesting and informative. I didn't think the place we were going was where they actually manufactured it, but it was. And the mass majority of what they do is by hand. There is some automation, but mostly it's by hand. We had a great tour through the factory and then had about 45 minutes to wander around Waterford.

After we headed to the town of Cahir (pronounced Care). We had a bite to eat at this little place called the Lava Rock. I had a chicken finger sandwich that was to die for. Not only was it HUGE, but I found myself eating the sandwich keeping the lettuce, tomato and cucumber on it. Odd for me. But the combination of that, some garlic aoili and some balsamic glaze on the chicken was to....die...for.

After lunch and a potty break, we toured the Cahir Castle. The castle is strategically placed on a hill above the Suir river - which I found swans and white geese in. Its made of limestone and was built sometime in the 12th century. Even typing that I'm amazed it's still standing. It wasn't nearly as big as I thought it'd be.

Tomorrow we're heading to Cobh (pronounced Cove) and then a lunch with an Irish family. Little did we know that it's expected to bring some small gift as a token of thank you. So Janet and I headed out after dinner tonight to a local grocery store.  The wind was blowing so hard...and the rain was coming down sideways. At one point Janet said, "I was just passed by a leaf." Crazy.

While in the grocery store we looked around to see what they sell. Always fun to see inside a grocery store in a foreign country. We found these chips called Bacon Streaks. Don't' believe me?

Kilkenny (June 8)

Wow. Kilkenny might be my new favorite place in Ireland. Such a wonderful little town (24K people here). It's branded itself as a medieval town and they have the castle and other old buildings to back it up.

We started our day with a hurling demonstration. And, no, I don't mean a hang over tossing your cookies kinda of hurling. Instead hurling the sport. It's the national sport of Kilkenny and Ireland-ish. But the Kilkenny folk are VERY in to it.

We hopped on the coach and went out to a local man who makes hurling sticks, aka "the hurl" as we were informed. We had one guy telling us all about the game (I learned a lot today) and the other lad who makes the hurls showing us how they're made. Talk about manual labor. Making them by hand is a dying trade apparently and his children aren't interested in making them so once he's done, it'll be it for his family business (he was like 3 rd generation hurl maker).

From there we came back to the hotel for a pit stop before our walk about of this medieval city. Our Program guide took us all through the Medieval Mile as they call it. In the hour and 15 minutes it took to walk it we had sun, rain, torrential downpour, rain, wind, sun, rain, downpour, sun, wind, rain, etc. My goodness the weather changes fast here.

Highlights of what we saw:
1. St. Canice's Cathedral and Round Tower. Built in the 13th century. One of only two medieval roundtowers in Ireland that can be climbed - which we did not do. 128 stairs up...no thanks. Plus the tower was relatively narrow and I'm not a fan of confined places. I tried to talk Janet into it and she declined.

2. The Black Abbey - Founded in 1225 by the Earl of Pembroke for the Dominican Friars. The Abbey had some fantastic stained glass windows in it. The cool thing, or a bit creepy, depending on how you view it, is there was this row of monumental slabs and stone coffins dating back to the middle ages. It's called the Black Abbey because the Friars word black robes.

3. St. Mary's Cathedral - It's tower is HUGE...it's 186 feet tall and cut from limestone. It was built between 1843 and 1857.

4. Kilkenny Castle - The castle is from the 12th century and is extensive. This is where the Butler Family lived - they're one of Ireland's famous families who were ... they were Marquesses and Dukes of Ormonde.

5. Whiskey & Beer. I'm a big fan of tasting beer of the region you're visiting. Here is no different. Smithwick's (pronounced Smith-icks no W pronunciation) and Kilkenny are the two popular ones here and brewed here too. Go figure.  We also partook in a new whisky today. Janet tried a peat whiskey and it was list tasting a camp fire. I tried Bushmill's 10 Yr and OH. My. God. was it good.

Tomorrow we leave Kilkenny behind and head to Cork. Stopping at Waterford and the Cahir Castle along the way.