IRISH ODYSSEY - DAY 4 - PART 2

IRISH ODYSSEY...DAY 4...PART 2...JUNE 30 2011

Well, June is definitely going out with a BANG.  We had one wing-ding of a storm move through last evening, wind gusts over 65 miles per hours, trees and trash down everywhere.  No electric.

If no electric, how am I blogging?  Good question.  Luckily we have a generator, keeps our lights on, can use a tv and computer, water pump works so we can use the bathroom, refrigerator cold.  Nothing big can be used, i.e., the air conditioner and the stove, but at least it is cooler and we can run down to WV - The Highlands - and eat.  WV has electric.  PA does not.  Figures.

Will finish day 4 our of odyssey, which consists of Dingle Bay, Kenmare, Moll's Gap and the Ring of Kerry, ending in Killarney. 

This part of our trip was mostly scenic, with photo stops along the way.  Molls Gap and the Ring of Kerry is a mystical Celtic tourist trail through some of the best scenery in Ireland. 

We stopped in Kenmare for lunch, learned about the Blaskett Islands that were inhabited for a brief period of time, but are now abandoned, and enjoyed the drive on to Killarney, where we checked into the Killarney Plaza Hotel for the next 2 nights.

The trip went by all too fast, tomorrow would be day 5 already. 

Back to reality.  Sounds as if our electric will be off for sometime, every community around us is blacked out.

Try to stay cool, hope for the best, eat out, go to bed early, and God Bless.

IRISH ODYSSEY - DAY 4 PART 1

IRISH ODDYSEY...DAY 4 (PART 1)...JUNE 29 2012...

I am falling behind in my editing, etc.  Dave and Linda still here from Arizona. but not for much longer, so am trying to get as much visiting in as I can.

It is really hot and humid - the humidity kills you - 94 degrees yesterday, supposed to be hotter today.  Everything here is just drying up.  Bossman has been trying to keep the garden watered, but don't know how much longer we can do that.

Can't believe tomorrow is the end of June.  this year is half over.  What happened?

Guess I'll hit some of the high spots of Day 4.

Suitcases out 6 a.m.  Breakfast 7 a.m.  On bus 8 a.m.  Sound familiar?  The next hotel we will be staying at (for 2 nights) is the Killarney Plaza Hotel in Killarney (imagine that) Ireland.

Our first stop of the day was Blarney Castle.  Did I kiss the blarney stone?  You have to be kidding!  I talk enough as it is, sure don't need any help in that department.  Anyway over a hundred slippery stone steps is more than I wanted to tackle.

The castle was awesome.   Built 600 years ago by Cormac MacCarthy.  There are many legends as to why kissing the blarney stone make you eloquent (run off at the mouth in case you didn't already know that).  One legend states that MacCarthy was being sued in court, was advised to kiss a stone on his way, which he did.  Upon arriving at court, he pleaded his case with such great eloquence he won.  Thus kissing the stone brings luck, good fortune, and the ability to out-talk all those around you.

We spent the morning at the castle, walking the beautiful grounds, and shopping at the Blarney Castle shops.  What a fun day.

After lunch we re-boarded the bus, went to our little domestic area in the back, re-arranged our housekeeping to some extent to make room for our purchases, then settled back for the second half of our day. 

And the waiting began, what would we see around the next bend, or the next hill?  Nancy and I have loved every minute of our trip to this point, and can hardly wait to see what is next, but at the same time wish time would slow down.  Our vacation is passing by much too rapidly. 

Try to stay cool today, don't do anything outside if you don't have to, and God Bless.

IRISH ODYSSEY - DAY 3

IRISH ODYSSEY ... DAY 3 ... JUNE 28 2012...

And the rain continued.  It rained sometime every day, most of the time just a drizzle, or just a lot of moisture in the air.  We wore jackets (it was cool) and raincoats (it was wet) every single day. 

Also it stayed daylight until 11 p.m., and was getting daylight at 4 a.m.  But neither the coolness, the wetness, or the lightness interfered with our trip, and the wonderful sights and the fun we had.  I would not hesitate to do this trip again.

And so, it is day 3 of the odyssey.  Suitcases in the hallway at 6 a.m.  Breakfast at 7 a.m.  On the bus at 8 a.m.  Nancy and I always like the back of the bus, guess we are a little strange.  We had seat rotation, but as the bus had empty seats asked Bob if we would be thrown off the tour if we took the back seats every day.  He said go right ahead.

And so, as Nancy phrased it, we "took up housekeeping " in the back, each of us had an entire seat to ourselves.  Way to go!!!

This was the day we visited the Dunbrody Famine Ship (known as the coffin ships) in New Ross, and Waterford Crystal at the House of Wateford in Waterford.  Waterford was along the River Suir, near the city's Viking Triangle.  Bet you can't begin to guess what town we were in!

First we toured the Dunbrody Famine Ship.  It is an exact replica of the actual Dunbrody.  At the time of the potato famine in Ireland during the 1800's, millions of people starved to death, and thousands more boarded the "famine" ships to set sail to America and Canada.

 
As most of the folks were in poor health to begin with, many perished on the voyage, hence the name "coffin ships".  There were a couple of "first class" cabins on board on the upper part of the ship, and in steerage (just one long room, with double bunks lining the walls of the ship) where the poor class were housed.  Not a pretty picture. If you were unlucky enough to get a lower bunk, and the folks in the upper bunk became sea-sick - well you can use your imagination.

During the tour we had the privilege of hearing "first-hand from one of the steerage passengers" about the conditions in steerage.  She was dressed as a woman would be dressed in the 1800's, with her "baby" in her arms and told us about the conditions, the food, the smell,  and the at-sea burials.

Secondly we had a well dressed, very snooty, upper-class woman who told us about her "hardship" being in a first class cabin, and "how difficult it was" when they opened the hatches to steerage, and she had to put up with the smell.

From there we had lunch, and our odd couple were still unpacking their sandwiches and fruit while the rest of us bought our lunches. 

Next stop was the House of Waterford, where we got the grand tour, watching them heating and blowing the glass, placing it in the molds, the entire process of glass making to the finished product and the showroom.

I was fortunate as about 100 years ago I was employed by Brockway Glass, in their office, in the  training department and while there I learned a lot about glass-making.

We ended our tour in the show-room, and I sure didn't get close to any of the glass.  The prices were way out of my reach.  No, I didn't bring any Waterford Glass home with me.

From there we arrived in Cork City and checked into our hotel, The River Lee.  I had some free time, so went walking, taking pictures.  One of the best places were on the grounds of the local college, and the homes near-by.  What a wonderful, fascinating day.

The above are of the Riverlee Hotel.  The next will be some of the views of Cork.

And finally some taken on the campus of the college.

Nancy went shopping.  She shopped everywhere we stopped.  She did a lot of her Christmas shopping on the trip.  Her suit cases were packed to the gills with shopping.  She had the reputation with our group of being a "Master Shopper".  Whenever she was missing, I was asked if she was shopping again.  The answer was always "YES".

Supper was at 7, the meal usually lasted at least an hour, then we retired.  As we would only be one night at the River Lee, it would be suitcases out at 6 a.m. in the morning, we called it a day.

And so day 3 came to an end - 9 more to go.  Seemed like a lot, but they flew by. 

Now the trip is just a memory.  But a good memory.  I hope you are enjoying travling the odyssey with me, hopefully someday you will have an odyssey of your own and God Bless.

IRISH ODYSSEY - DAY 2

IRISH ODYSSEY...DAY 2...JUNE 27 2012...

We were finding out that we would be up most mornings at 6 a.m., or there-abouts.  Breakfast was always at 7 a.m., but it took us time to get ourselves put together.  The older you get, the longer it takes. 

Breakfasts in Ireland were a hoot.  All were buffet style, the food was really good, lots of it.  But --- we were served BAKED BEANS every single morning, along with grilled tomatoes, in addition to all the buns and rolls and bacon, and eggs, and sliced salami or some such thing, toast, porridge (which was really realy good) juice, tea, coffee, and other stuff that I can't even remember.  But baked Beans?????

We had a wonderful group of folks on the bus, really enjoyed every one of them.  But there is always that one person, or one couple.  We had the couple.

They were an older  couple, lots of fun to talk with, very considerate, and, from our conversations, very well traveled.  Been everywhere, done that, seen this.  You know what I mean.

They carried an endless supply of small plastic zip-lock bags with them.  Every morning after they had eaten their breakfast, he went back through the line, filling his plate with buns, meat, cheese, and fresh fruit (apples, bananas, etc.).  Upon returning to the table he made sandwiches for him and his wife.  Put them in the plastic bags.  Put the bags in his back pack (the tour company had supplied us all with back packs prior to the trip) and away they went.  The first day the rest of us just looked at each other.  What on earth???

Lunch time.  In the small restaurant (lunches were on us, the only meal on the trip that was not paid for by the tour) they sit down, didn't matter which one of our group they sat with, opened their zip-lock bags and removed their lunch.  They did purchase their drinks.  This was an every day occurrence.  One restaurant did confront him indicating that he could not do that, he agreed with them, and kept on
 eating.

Just when you think you have seen everything!

But I am rambling again.  This was the day we visited the Megalithic Tombs in the morning, then in the evening had our dinner at Abbey Tavern.  Here is History Lesson  #?, well whatever number.

Before touring the tombs we visited the Boyne Valley Visitor Center, where we learned the history of the stone age people who created these tombs, along with what many things would have looked like in their time.

Then on to the tombs.  The Great Mound was built over 5000 years ago.  It has 18 smaller satelite mounds around it.  This was in Knowth, in the county of Meath. 

These Stone Age  people were also the first known farmers in Ireland.  When the tombs were discovered, they found the remains of over 200 people.  From the site of these tombs we could see the Boyne River, for which the valley is named.  The Celtic or Old Irish spelling of the Boyne is 'bru na Boinne'.

The afternoon was free, then we re-boarded the bus for our trip to Abbey Tavern.

This is an old world Pub, with original stone walls, flag stone floor, turf (peat) fires in the fireplaces.  Abbey Tavern hosts the original 'Traditional Irish Night' which features trditional Irish music, consisting of song and dance.  Prior to the entertainment we had a typical 4 course Irish dinner, including Irish Coffee.  Nancy got hooked on Irish Coffee, and she does not drink alcoholic beverages.  But she just loved her coffee.

It was late (the entertainment did not end until after 10 p.m.) when we returned to our hotel. 

We had to be up, have out bags outside in the hallway the next morning by 6 a.m.  Breakfast at 7a.m., then back on to the bus for our next adventure, and a new hotel in a different area.

I hope you are enjoying our adventure.  Wish for rain, as we are desperately dry, and God Bless. 

ps:  either I am really dumb, or the computer is really smart.  would not do the pictures as I indicated I wanted them done.  bear with me, please.