IRISH ODYSSEY - DAY 9

IRISH ODYSSEY ... DAY 9 ... JULY 05 2012 ...

Another storm last night just after midnight.  Lots of wind, lightning every where, lights blinked, but stayed on, and rain.  We needed the rain, but not the lightning fireworks, thank you.

Lots of humidity today, looks like more rain.  Hope that is all we get.

Watched an old movie on TMC  last night - Yankee Doodle Dandy - with James Cagney.  I had forgotten what a great movie it was.  And how very appropriate for the 4th of July.

Friends from Sardis, Ohio probably coming this evening to spend the night - they are still without electric, live in the country, have a well, no power, no water, etc. etc.  As they are going to the wedding tomorrow night  they might as well come here and get one cool night's sleep.

Friends from Senecaville arriving tomorrow morning.  Hopefully no more storms will make an appearance.

Now for happier things - Day 9 of our odyssey.

This was the day we did the Derry Walk, Dunluce Castle, and the Giant's Causeway.

DERRY WALK...we had a tour guide board the bus with us, and as we slowly drove around Derry he told us about the "troubles", and brought that period of their civil war to life.  We saw the many murals through-out the city depicting that time of their history.

Both the Catholics and Protestants thought they were right.  No one really won.  They reached an agreement, and a truce was signed.  In fact in 2010 a walking bridge across the River Foyle was completed.  Called the Peace Bridge.

After we completed our drive-thru we walked the 'Wall of Derry'.  Now for some history:

 Derry is also known as Londonderry.  It is the second largest city in Northern Ireland, the 4th
largest city on the Island of Ireland.  the old walled city lies on the west bank of the River Foyle.  The city now covers both banks.

Derry has the only remaining completely
intact walled city in Ireland.  The walls were built during the period of 1613 to 1619, withstood attempted invasions from England and Scotland.  The wall stands intact today, we walked the wall, our guide was great, what a wonderful way to spend the morning.

We had started early 8 a.m., so it was only mid-morning when we finished our tour, we re boarded the bus and left Derry for Dunluce Castle and the Giant's Causeway.

Dunluce Castle was built by Richard de Burgh, Second Earl of Ulster.  It is surrounded by steep drops on either side, accessible by bridge connecting it to the mainland.  Built in the 13th century, the castle changed hands many times  Finally in 1690, following the Battle of the Boyne, the castle has stood empty and is gradually deteriorating.

Our final stop was the Giant's Causeway.  This has been declared a World Heritage Site  due to the unique nature of its geology.

Composed of 40,000 (you are reading this right) regular shaped basalt columns packed closely together as if forming a stepping stone pathway, stretching out to sea.  the columns were formed by the cooling and shrinking of molten lava from a volcanic eruption over 60 MILLION years ago.  Most of the columns are hexagonal, but some have 4, 5 6, and even as many as 8 sides.

The tallest coluns are 36 feet in height.  Local legend tells how it was actually the Giant Finn McCool who created the Giant's Causeway to challenge his Scottish rival Benandonner.

Because of their curious shapes, some of the rock features at the Causeway have been given familiar names, Such as the Giant's Gate, the Witch Chair, The Camel, the Organ and so on
Every rock is unique and has it's own story.

From there we returned to Derry for out last night there before checking out in the morning heading to our next adventure.

Hope you are enjoying the odyssey, keep tuned in as my life never slows down.  Take care and God Bless.

IRISH ODYSSEY - DAY 8

IRISH ODYSSEY ... DAY 8 ... JULY 04 2012...

Another hot day.  No rain here, but there was rain in other areas.  Guess we will just dry up and blow away.  Pleasant thought.

Today bossman and I have the place to ourselves.  No cook-out.  No guests.  Just us and the dogs.  But that doesn't mean we will be loafing.

Major house-cleaning to be done today.  Friends from Senecaville Ohio arriving Friday morning to spend the weekend.  Another friend's youngest daughter getting married Friday evening.  Russ (the father of the bride) informed me there would be an 'ARTISTS TABLE' at the reception for all of our artist friends to sit at.  Does that make us special?  Or just weird?

But for now will share Day 8 with you.  Only 4 more to go.

We checked out of our hotel in Galway, and drove north to Castlebar and the Museum of Country Life.  It was interesting, but the best part of all was finding the thatch-roof cottage, showing the three different types of thatching, and the actual work being done.   Next best thing was the big tree where Nancy and I had our picture taken.  I also took pictures of several of the other couples on our tour at the same tree.

From there we continued north to County Sligo and visited the Drumcliffe Churchyard to see the grave of the writer W. B. Yates. 

I love to visit these old cemeteries.  They are so very unique.

Our last stop of the day before checking into our hotel in Derry, Northern Ireland, was the Belleek Pottery Factory.

Our tour took us from the wet clay through the final steps for the finished product.  Of course most of us brought a piece of Belleek Pottery home with us, my purchase was a candy dish.

As Northern Ireland was getting ready to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 60th Jubilee, they were in the process of finishing 60 pottery basket bowls to be given when the Queen arrived.  How neat!

From there we continued to Derry.  It kind of gave me a strange feeling, knowing we were in Northern Ireland, what with all the fighting between the Catholics and Protestants.  They are at peace now, but still, you wondered.

Bob, our driver, told us just to relax, we would not be there if there were any danger, just DO NOT TALK POLITICS OR RELIGION. Needless to say we were very aware of what we were saying.

Everyone in Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, treated us as very special guests.  Bob had told us that if it were not for the tourists (American tourists being the majority), that both Irelands, experiencing hard financial times, would probably sink.  Hence, the 'royal' treatment.

I loved the country, the history, the ruins, the scenery, and the people.  Everywhere we went Nancy and I tried to talk to some of the locals, it was fascinating to compare life styles.

And, so, enough of my rambling for today.  Enjoy your 4th, and the fireworks, stay safe, and God Bless.

IRISH ODYSSEY - DAY 7

IRISH ODYSSEY  ... DAY 7 ... JULY 03 2012

Going to be another hot and humid day.  Kids from Arizona leaving for home today, where did the time go?  Have to take Sam to the vet, she is having trouble with one of her back legs.

Tomorrow is July 4 - the next day (at least it seems like it) will be Labor Day. 

There are severe storm warnings posted for our area for tomorrow.  Sure hope they are wrong.  We need the rain, but not storms.

Been trying to reach my friends in Ohio, but just get a message their voice mail box is not set up, then "good by".  I am thinking they have no electric (they have the cordless phones), as Ohio was hit very hard.  But it is a worry.

Now for more fun things - Day 7 of the trip.

We checked out of our hotel in Killarney, and  our first stop was Cong and the town where John Wayne's film THE QUIET MAN was made.  The town was quaint and beautiful.  We had a walking tour and our guide told many stories of what went on while John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and the other folks were there making the film.

We were shown the spot on the street, where the longest filmed street fight took place, saw where John and Maureen stayed while in town, saw the church and some old ruins.  

From there we drove toward out lunch stop, and while on the way stopped to see the 'Fairy Tree'.  Supposedly fairies live in this particular type of tree, never seen, but they are there.

Travelers, when coming upon a Fairy Tree, will stop and tie a ribbon to the tree for good luck.

Darn, I didn't have a single ribbon with me.  Why would anyone think to pack a ribbon?  Missed out on the good luck again.

After lunch in a quaint little town, we traveled on to Connemara and the Kylemore Abbey.

What a fantastic sight.  What a beautiful setting, and a great photo op.  I took full advantage of this particular afternoon, and the sun was actually shining.  How did that happen?

The Abbey was built at the base of Druchruach Mountain on the north shore of Lough Pollacappul (don't even ask how to pronounce these words) in the heart of the Connemara Mountains.

This Abbey is one of Ireland's most romantic buildings, built in 1867 as a romantic gift.  The Abbey has a history of tragedy, royal visits, gambling debts, a hideaway during Ireland's troubled history, so much more.  Not enough room (or memory) to cover everything.

We arrived in Derry and checked into the City Hotel for the next two nights.  

And, so, another day has ended, one day closer to the end of the odyssey.  I hope you are enjoying your trip along with me, hopefully the electric will be back on for every one later today.  At least that is what the paper says.  But yesterday the paper also said all electric would be restored yesterday.  Go figure.

Well, off to a little of this and a little of that.  Hopefully you will all have electric by the end of the day, stay cool, stay calm, and God Bless. 

IRISH ODYSSEY - DAY 6

IRISH ODYSSEY ... DAY 6 ... JULY 02 2012....

Had more wind last night, but power still on.  Mike and Tammie had to move in with us last night, as they still don't have power, and they are just across the hill from me.  They needed showers, and someplace cool to sleep.  Thank
goodness for the family room and the futon.

Our 'hotel' is filling up fast.  Dogs don't know what to think, so they are staying glued to me.  Can't move without two dogs.  Sitting at the computer, 2 dogs.

Mike and Tammie had gone on our church's mission trip to Joplin MO a few weeks ago and they brought with them last night the book they had purchased about the tornado, pictures they had taken and a DVD made during the  storm.  Even seeing the storm and the damage, you still cannot imagine what those poor folks went through.  And we complained because we were without electric for 24 hours.  Doesn't say much for us, does it.

Now, on another happier note, will share Day 6 with you.  Vacation fast winding down.

Day 6 was our only really bad day.  It poured and poured until late afternoon.  We visited the Flying Boat Museum in the morning, which was inside.  We were in the town of Foynes.

The Boeing 314 was a long range flying boat.  It
was one of the largest aircraft of the time.  12 were built for Pan Aerican World airways.  Mrs Franklin D Roosevelt christened the Yankee Clipper on March 3 1939.  For you who don't know your history, Eleanor Roosevelt was President Franklin D Roosevelt's wife.

There was a 14 seater dining room, with linen tablecloths, crystal glass and a full waiter service.  About 300 pounds of food would be loaded for transatlantic flights, with all the food prepared by two stewards.  Passengers would find their shoes cleaned and polished over night, and each passenger had a bed to sleep in during the flight.  There were also private restrooms.

The Foynes Flying Boats were in service unti 1946.

The next stop was Bunratty Castle.  It was still pouring so except for a couple of quick pics of the outside, we were not able to tour the castle grounds and castle.  This was the only thing on our agenda that got rained out.  There was a really neat restaurant next to the castle called Durty Nelly's.

The Bunratty Castle site was originally a Viking Trading Camp in 970.  That is correct - 970.  The first castle was built in 1250. It was rebuilt in 1425.  In 1954 the castle was restored and is now a national monument, and in 1960 opened as a visitor center and hotel.

Finally we visited the Cliffs of Mohr.  The rain had finally stopped.  the cliffs are one of Ireland's top visitor attractions.  They are 214 meters high (however high that is) and range 8 kilometers over the Atlantic Ocean.  From the cliffs the Aran Islands and Galway Bay can be seen.

From there we continued our trip to Galway and checked into the Salthill Hotel in Galway, our home for the next two nights.

And so, another day, has passed, time is  flying by, all too fast.

Hopefully more electric will be restored for you folks that are still in the dark.  In the meantime, try to stay cool, and God Bless.

IRISH ODYSSEY - DAY 5

IRISH ODYSSEY... DAY 5 ... JULY 01 2012.....

First things first.  Our electric came on about 6:30 last evening.  It has blinked a couple of times since then, but we have power!  I find it hard to believe that there are over 3 million people without power, and that Ohio and West Virginia have declared an emergency.  It was one massive storm that moved through our area.

Today I will talk about day 5.  We left our hotel in Killarney and toured the scenic Dingle Peninsula, viewing mountains, beaches, rocky headlands.  Later in the day we arrived in Dunquin at the Blasket Island Centre to learn about the off-shore Blasket Islands.

Now uninhabited, the Islands were once home to a small community, cut off from the rest of
Ireland by the two miles of sea forming the Blasket Sound.

All supplies were carried by boat.  Sometimes the inhabitants were marooned for weeks at a time, especially in the stormy winter months.  They maintained their own school, church, and life-style.

Gradually the younger Islanders made their way to the mainland and eventually in 1953 the last remaining islanders left the Great Blasket Island.

The Islands were a Gaelic-speaking community, settling on the island in the early 1900's.  Many of the Islanders wrote, and had published, books pertaining to life on the Great Blasket.

There is evidence of prehistoric dwellings on Great Blaskett, but the village was built on the side of the island facing the mainland.  The little houses huddle against the hillside for shelter, with their gable walls facing the sea.

Apart from a couple of the houses being maintained for use by summer visitors, all the houses have now fallen into ruins.

Upon leaving Dunquin, we returned to Killarny for out last night there.  In the morning it would be off for another adventure.  What a trip.

So much history.  So much hardship.  So much determination.  And we just touched the tip of the iceberg.

I have some neighbor friends that are going to tour Scotland and Ireland with the same travel agency that we were with, and will be anxious to compare notes on their trip.

Well, about time for Church.  It has been so long since I have been there that I may not have my seat.  Or else will have to sign the visitors log.

Have a great day and God Bless.