Our Irish Adventure

Today started out with a science event that was not viewable in the US. A 93% occluded solar eclipse. Weather conditions were just right where we were on the Galway bay so that we could see it clearly. There was a light fog and hence no damage to our eyes. It took about an hour for it to get up to 93% and it got very creepy with the dark and fog. Zombie time! Other parts of Ireland were too overcast and we have yet to run into anyone else that was fortunate enough to see it. Very lucky for us. It’s going to be about 10 more years before there will be another one in Ireland. Bonus: an Irish lady did our dirty laundry while this was going on, saving us a laundromat trip. After the fog lifted a bit we were on the road.

Since Eric has become a champ at driving, we decided to practice stopping along the way between point A and B. First stop – Burren Chocolates. Unlike other Irish chocolate shops who import the chocolate to make their treats, Burren Chocolates imports the raw cocoa beans and roasts and processes them in house. Can’t get fresher than that! After buying a few treats back on the road.

Next stop – Burren perfumery. A lovely little complex in the middle of the Burren (think alien landscape) where they make soaps and balms and perfumes from scratch. Bought a lovely perfume and some soaps.

Leaving the shop, Eric encountered his most difficult driving to date. Hairpin s-curves down a hill with no guard rails whatsoever on a one track road with two way traffic. Luckily, we only encountered 2 cars. About 15 minutes of very sweaty driving for the driver and passenger.

Next stop – Burren smokehouse where we learned about hot and cold smoking and bought some cold smoked salmon for lunch later.

Arrived at our B&B in Doolin only to find that our host forgot to write down our reservation and had no room. However, his next door neighbor had availability and we were able to go right over and get our room. It turned out to be an even lovelier place with a view of the ocean from our room. Settled in and had our salmon, some bread, cheese and wine with beautiful weather on the deck.

We decided to get to the Cliffs of Moher while the getting was good so we headed over there about 4 o’clock. I was there 12 years ago when the Visitor Center was a double wide trailer and the path to the top was dirt with a cyclone fence. Things have changed a lot since then, a terrific visitors center built into the cliff and a paved and stone fenced path on the north face. Now you can go up the south face as well. However, since the south face path has no rail whatsoever, which made us dizzy and nauseous just thinking about it, we choose the north face. It was a wonderful moment to take someone who I deeply love to one of the most stunning places I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m a happy girl!

Back in Doolin, we walked a mere 3 houses down from our B&B to O’Connor’s pub for dinner and more trad music. After dinner, we were able to snag a table right next to the musicians. There was a fiddle, drum and two banjos. The younger banjo player was really good and when he sang by himself with no instrument, you could have heard a pin drop in a room with 50 people. Really cool experience. Some seventy-five year old guy sitting at the bar also just started busting out an solo with no music and then just went back and sat down at the bar. Cool. Stayed for a few hours drinking Guinness and whiskey and then just walked a few steps home. Don’t think I’ve been that lucky since college.

Another amazing day in Ireland.

 

 

We left Doolin after another healthy breakfast. We bid the cliffs and sea goodbye for the time being, passing near Castle Doonagore, on a rise overlooking the town. It was built nearly 500 years ago, and while all castles belong to the country, this tower castle has been the private summer residence of a family since the 70’s. Cindy was disappointed to hear they can never be leased to anyone else, as she wanted to make it her own summer getaway.

Our destination for the day was Inch Beach, and to get there, we would be taking a car ferry. This saved more than 80 miles of additional driving through the notably un-picturesque Limerick. The drive was fine, with very  nice weather, and we reached Kilrush in good time. The Shannon Ferries took us over to Tarbert in less than half an hour.

Aside from a trip out to see the Statue of Liberty when I was very young, that was the first time I’ve been on the ocean. The trip over cost us €18. I handed the ferryman a ten euro bill and a handful of assorted coins totaling eight euros, which I had counted three times. The man took the change, and asked “Are you sure it’s eight?” I assured him I had counted it more than once, and he just pocketed it and nodded without counting. This was only one of many instances of how the Irish trust people won’t misbehave.

Our drive then took us to Listowel, then onto Tralee, and finally to Inch Beach, after a brief diversion eastward. The vistas there are amazing. We found Sammy’s, a restaurant owned and operated by the same fellow who had built our B&B, Inch Beach Guest House.

The beach was littered with surfers, despite the chill wind and very cold waters of the Atlantic. The sign on a nearby surfing shop said it offered the cheapest surfing rentals “in the world”.  But a wetsuit and board for €5? I daresay their claim is true. We checked into the house, which offered a wonderful beach view.

Then we headed down to the beach where we parked our car alongside many others. Doffing our footgear, we picked up some shells and the frigid waves washed up the sands, and over our feet. We had set down our shoes near the car, but when I went to fetch them, I barely managed to grab them before the water  swept them down the beach – a sure sign the tide was coming in. Cindy suggested we depart before our little Skoda was washed away as well.

We had dinner at Sammy’s beachside restaurant, where I had fish and chips and Cindy had a remarkably delicious seafood pasta of salmon, mussels and shrimp. It was the best seafood pasta I’ve ever tasted. We watched the sunset fade over oceans and mountains, and later read at the guest house as we were lulled to sleep by the sound of ocean waves crashing gently. I could really get used to that.

Left Inch Beach early in the morning after a pleasant breakfast overlooking the beach one more time. The drive was a quick and easy 45 minutes to our next destination, Killarney the heart of county Kerry. Although our check-in was not until three, we stowed our car for the day at the hotel and were picked up for our tour of the Gap of Dunloe in Killarney National Park. We took a tour bus a few miles to the start of Gap, Kate Kearney’s Cottage. Kate was reputed to be so beautiful that men came from around the world to compete for her hand in marriage. However, she pledged she would only marry a Kerry man. Which she did….five times. She was planning to marry her 6th husband when she died at 104!

It was here where we started part one of our journey, a horse and trap ride through two mountains along 5 lakes.

Normally these traps hold four passengers and a driver but we were able to have one to ourselves. Off we went with our horse Rog and driver Mike.

For five miles and an hour and a half we wound through the mountains past some stunning scenery. We ended at Lord Byron’s cottage where we had a light lunch before heading out on a twelve person boat through three lakes.

Only a bit chilly at times but worth it for the views.

Ended that leg of the tour at Ross castle before being picked up and dropped off at the hotel. It was a lovely hotel with cozy fires in the common areas and beautifully decorated. Another great room, this time with a view of the mountains.

We took a short walk to the bustling downtown to the bookstore and little shops. Eventually, we stopped at Salvador’s and got a very non-Irish pizza which chorizo, ham, onions and olives. It was quite different than US pizza and quite tasty. A pleasant stroll home and then a nightcap by the fire after an interesting Irish bartender who talked about one of his favorite American football teams, the Detroit Lions! The guy knew his stuff. Very weird.

 

The drive from Killarney was favorable as usual, despite there having been a spot of rain earlier that morning. We have been very fortunate in respect to weather throughout our trip.

Arriving in Kinsale, we found our way to Main Street through the winding and picturesque – if mildly unnerving – lanes. After a bit of shopping and directions from a produce vendor, we somehow managed to find our accommodations, the Old Presbytery. By happenstance, there was a cancellation just that day, leaving the somewhat better room above ours available. The owners, Philip and Noreen, upgraded us into this suite at no cost.

The room had a sun room, and marvelous rooftop balcony with a splendid view. Given the fair weather, we sat on the balcony chairs and read for a quite bit, taking in the scene.

We toured the downtown of Kinsale, and fell in love with it. The narrow, winding roads, despite being dreadful for driving, were charming to walk along. They had no end of quaint, compact shops. We enjoyed a lunch at the Old Bank Cafe, and stopped in a few other places. Up the way from our B&B, really only fifty yards or so, is Desmond Castle. Built around 1500, it’s been restored and is now home to the International Museum of Wine.

We stopped in at an extremely quaint pub called the Tap Tavern, operated by Brian O’Neill and his mother Mary. Having done some research, Cindy read about a 16th-century Norman well that had been discovered just behind the pub in 1999. We both checked it out and there it was, behind a short rail fence, with steps leading down eight feet or so. They had found bones and some curious carvings in the well, upon discovery. It was almost bizarre to realize that present-day pub was the site where Normans drew water, more than five centuries ago.

We enjoyed a Beamish and a Murphy stout, and as we sat there, it felt as though the patrons who entered were members of Brian and Mary’s extended family. The entire place was as big as a living room, and couldn’t hold more than fifteen people comfortably. They were charming and gracious folk.

Dinner was at Jim Edwards, just two streets over from the Tap Tavern. There, we finally talked to a server and confirmed that as a rule servers never ask you if you’re done.  You always tell them you’re ready for the check. Sitting and enjoying conversation with your dinner companion is the priority here, whereas turning tables is more important at home.

It was another excellent day in Ireland, and the enchanting Kinsale.

 

 

We woke up sad to be leaving Kinsale today, it is such a lovely little seaside village. Our feelings continued after a lovely breakfast – yogurt and homemade granola and dried fruit for both of us, a blue cheese and bacon omelette for me and Eggs Benedict and bacon for Eric. Also, this B&B has a wonderful commercial grade coffee machine and Philip taught Eric how to use it so we’ve had the best coffee on the trip here. After breakfast we took one more stroll down the hill to walk around the village, down to the marina and back, sadly, back to the room to pack up.

As we packed we talked about how much we loved it here and didn’t want to leave… and then we decided we weren’t going to! We hemmed and hawed a bit but then while I was checking about cancellation for our next accomodation, Eric went to check with our host to see if we could stay another night in our beautiful suite or any other room they might have. Success! We could keep our same room one more night. Our luck held when Eric called to cancel our other room. On such short notice we figured we’d have to pay for the room but the gracious woman said no problem and said she’d even give us our deposit back! Irish people are so nice. So we had one more day here, even though for two people who like plans and rules we felt a little giddy for awhile for being so spontaneous.

We set about another walk through the village, stopping here and there with a much more relaxed feeling.  Back to the B&B, we set off in our little car to visit Charles Fort which is about 2 miles out of town on a peninsula on the Atlantic. This fort was built in the 17th century and is star shaped. It was an important staging site for many important battles and conflicts including World War I when it housed as many as 6,000 people inside and outside its walls.

Also if you look down the coast you can see the lighthouse atop the Old Head of Kinsale peninsula. It was just 11 miles off the head that the Lusitainia was sank by a German submarine in 1915. Many of those are buried here in Kinsale in one of two church cemetaries.

After exploring the fort for awhile, we headed down towards town on a very scary hairpin turn road to the Bulman Pub which we were told by several people to visit. Eric had fish and chips and I had a goat cheese tart with pesto, sundried tomatoes and eggplant. We enjoyed the atmosphere so much we decied to come back for our evening meal. After a bit of a lie down, we had afternoon wine and cheese in the dining room  and set off for our third walk of the day. At eight, we called for a cab and we were back off to the Bulman. The road was even more scary in the dark. I finally had fish and chips (I’d been focusing on salmon and seafood thus far) and Eric had a pint and a creme brulee, being not that hungry. We sat at the bar this time and were well attended by the young barman Tyrone who tried to help us with the Irish Times crossword puzzle (impossible!) and told us about how fresh the fish and seafood is. The Bulman is one of two restaurants in town that gets their catch right off the boat in the morning and brings it to the restaurant, because of their high self-inspection standards. Others have to have their catch inspected before it comes to the restaurant.

Tyrone told us in the summertime the Bulman staff can go fishing and bring their own catch and be paid in free pints of beer. A fair trade for a day’s work for an Irish guy! Tyrone called us a cab when we were ready to go. I was glad it was full dark and I had a pint to calm my nerves for the ride down the hill. All and all, an unexpected day well spent.

We woke for our second morning in Kinsale, having slept ill for different reasons. Cindy was dwelling on things we needed to do to prepare for departure, while I displayed questionable judgment in consuming a quantity of delectable jelly beans from the local candy shop, Aunty Nellies Sweet Shop. That much sugar, after nine o’clock at night, did not sit well with my tum.

But the morning was pleasant, cloudy but not yet rainy, though it threatened. We walked about, and happened to see Mary O’Neill, from the Tap Tavern on our walk. She was so very nice, and a lovely old lady. Cindy also spotted Mike, our server from the Bulman, and she remarked on how we were already feeling like locals. We visited the local farmers market, made a few purchases, and finally – after joking about staying yet another day – packed up and headed off. Philip saw us off, and a more pleasant host would be hard to find. We would recommend the Old Presbytery to anyone fortunate enough to be visiting Kinsale.

It began to rain but driving was fine. I found my way to the appropriate roadways and highways, thanks to Cindy’s navigation. While the Garmin was helpful sometimes, we ignored it when we thought best. We reached Cashel by midday. Getting into town, we found once more it was by far more challenging to navigate the final quarter kilometer of a leg than the whole rest of it. We went round and round some streets in Cashel, with the ruins looming overhead, yet the Garmin and our senses couldn’t find the way up. Finally, we did, after patently dismissing our electronic guide.

After a steep climb up a road, we were at the Rock of Cashel. Despite the rain and biting wind, it was a remarkable ruin, and was undergoing extensive renovation. While I had painted it from a photo, I had no idea it was essentially nestled next to the village on one side. The views inside were just as remarkable.

But the cold had the best of me, and we headed off for Leixlip. The way there was wet but uneventful, save for the gradually increasing density of traffic, as we were entering the western end of the Dublin metro area. Reaching the downtown of Leixlip (the name derives from the Old Norse term for salmon leap), we located the Court Yard Hotel. We found the place to be very satisfactory.

Cindy upgraded us to the Executive Suite for a small price, and the amenities are excellent. After we settled in, we explored a walking path behind the hotel, which lies along a river. We saw a ruined tower of small stature across the bank, and through the trees, a large castle. This turned out to be the current residence of Desmond Guiness, of the Guiness family. The hotel man at the desk, a very nice German fellow, told us it was not unusual for Desmond to invite people in for a personal tour, if we poked around the front gate in the morning. Alas, we will not be able to avail ourselves of Desmond’s courtesy.

We enjoyed our last dinner in Ireland in the hotel’s restaurant, grateful that we have been so fortunate. I am personally grateful for all of Cindy’s meticulous planning, while she is glad I was willing and at least marginally capable of driving the whole way. (To be honest, I’m wondering if I’ll have any hiccups in adjusting back to American driving!) After dinner, we spent a great deal of time laying out all of the things we needed to pack, dividing them between our suitcases, and making final preparations for our trip home. In the morning, we will drive to the airport, turn in our faithful little Skoda, and fly out of Dublin at 11:30 a.m., bound for Boston.

After the preparations were done, we enjoyed a relaxing soak in the jacuzzi on the balcony, after which Cindy nodded off, and I finished our last entry in our grand adventure. So here I am, caught up to the present moment, at last. At dinner, Cindy asked me what my favorite part of the trip was. I told her that was impossible to say, given the scope of all the wonderful things we had seen and done.

But now, I realize it isn’t that difficult. I know what my favorite part was.

It’s the same as the answer I gave her when she asked me a question long ago, during her exhaustive planning. She wanted to know what I wanted to do on our vacation. I told her I wanted only two things – to be in Ireland, and to be with her. That was my favorite part of the trip.