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.
 

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.