Monday, May 28, 2012--Belfast to San Antonio via Newark
We had to get up early to have time to eat breakfast before catching the bus to the airport. Unfortunately, there was a huge group of Germans at the hotel who had to be out about the same time we did. When we arrived at the restaurant, we had to sit at a bar because all the tables were taken. Then when it was time to leave our room, we couldn't get the elevator because of so many of the Germans going down to checkout. We tried a stairway, but it led us to a door that said it would set off a fire alarm if we opened it. Finally, we pushed our way through the 12 or so people waiting for the elevator on our floor and found another stairwell that would take us down to the lobby which was crowded with even more Germans. Fortunately, checking out was a fast and easy procedure since we had prepaid for our room.
When we arrived at the airport which is quite small, there was a huge crowd for check-in with United. It was a group of American college students, and instead of forming a line, they were just bunched in a large crowd. Wes and I watched and observed them. It was not an impressive sight. Besides being in a clump rather than a line (and complaining that non-members of the group were moving in among them as openings in the group occurred), they showed immaturity in several ways. It was like they had never learned to THINK, as they asked questions such as, "Are we going to be able to sit together? Which way do I go not that I am checked in?" Then when it was time to board the plane, they completely ignored the fact that boarding was by number placed on their boarding passes and just bunched up again so that no one with a number being called could get up to the gate to enter the plane.
The flight to Newark went much faster than scheduled. We arrived 1 hr., 20 minutes early. And, fortunately, there were no other international arrivals at the time meaning that we went through immigration very fast. The only hitch was that to get to the place where the luggage had to be delivered for connecting flights took us outside of security so that we had to go through screening all over again to get to the concourse for our flights. With our early arrival, we had about 4 hours before Wes' departure and about 5 1/2 hours before mine. A friend had given Wes two passes for the United Club, so it was a perfect time to have them. We went to the club and relaxed having drinks, eating snacks, checking e-mail, reading newspapers, talking, etc.
My flight to San Antonio also went fast. We arrived about 30 minutes before scheduled. The airport was buzzing though with lots of flights that had arrived around the same time of 10:00 p.m. That meant that it was not easy for me to be in a position on the curb for Sue to easily see me when she arrived to pick me up. I searched for cops working to say hello, but I couldn't find any. And because they weren't there, cars had been left at the curb with no one in them, others were standing long times at the curb rather than moving on, etc. Fortunately, Sue got in the wrong lane and ended up in the outer drive for hotel and car rental shuttle buses which made it easy for me to see her and for her to stop for me to load my luggage.
Wes and I both agreed that it was a good trip and that it lasted just about the right amount of time. We weren't rushed, we got to see most of what we wanted to see, and it didn't get repetitive. It was a good 18 days!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Last Day in Belfast
Sunday, May 27, 2012—Belfast
It was a long walking day today. With sunshine and warm temperatures again, we headed out to Belfast Castle which is on a mountainside 3.5 miles (6 km) outside of town in the Cave Hill Country Park. It was a slow uphill climb all the way. The mountain itself can be seen from Belfast and has a rocky portion which is famous for looking like a head with chin, lips, nose, hair, etc. In fact, it is said that Jonathan Swift came up with the idea of the story of Gulliver’s Travels based on his imagination of a man who would have a head the size of the one on the mountain.
Belfast Castle itself was a disappointment. I don’t see why they list it in the tourist guides. The building and the grounds are nice, but it is essentially a place that leases out rooms for parties. We were there before any of the parties began, so we were allowed to wander and look at the rooms. But later, no one would be allowed into the building because of the special events—mostly christening and first communion parties today. One interesting aspect of the gardens was that there is a cat theme. There are 9 ways cats are presented, and visitors are encouraged to find them—a hedge sculpture of a cat, two mosaics of cats, a metal bench with the shape of a cat molded into the bars that form the seat, a metal sculpture, a stone etching, two stone sculptures, and a T.S. Elliot quotation about cats.
Returning to town by foot again, we headed to St. Anne’s Cathedral which we had missed yesterday. We were surprised to see policemen with dogs everywhere apparently looking for bombs in the surrounding area. When we entered the church, however, it was obvious that the effort wasn’t related to a threat but was an effort to secure the premises before a special service honoring a police association.
St. Anne’s itself was different from the other churches we have seen. It was also one of the friendliest we have visited. A gentlemen brought a guide sheet to us, welcomed us, and encouraged us to tour the church by following the recommended path and reading about its special features on the sheet.
After that, we headed across the river to the Titanic Quarter of town. The Titanic was built in Belfast, and everywhere you go in this town there are references to it. The City Hall has a Titanic Garden and Memorial. On the shopping street there are masts referencing ships built here including the Titanic in the most prominent location. The Titanic Quarter is the dockyards area that is being redeveloped with apartments and a new museum that just opened Mar. 31 of this year called The Titanic Museum. Unfortunately, the quarter has not been successful in general. There are several apartment and office buildings that are either empty or sparsely occupied. There is a shopping mall/arena complex that has hardly any occupants. Right now, the museum is very successful with long crowds waiting for appointed times to enter and the gift shop doing fantastic business. My guess is that it will remain of interest but will probably not remain as successful as they expect. For one thing, it is a bit too far out the waterfront for most people to walk. Also, after the locals have made their tour of the museum, it will be left with the tourist trade. This year, tourists are quite interested because of the newness of the museum, the anniversary of the event, and the re-release of the film. Anyway, the information about the exhibits did not sound and look that interesting, especially not interesting enough for us to decide to pay the $22 admission fee each and wait possibly 1-2 hours for our admission time. We took photos of the building, went through the gift shop, and left.
Returning to town, we passed a 301-year-old pub named McHughs that had musicians playing Irish tunes outside. We sat on a bench in the shade and listened for a while.
This is our last day in Belfast. We stopped at the bus station to check the times for the bus to the airport tomorrow. Then we went to our nearby pub to have a final drink. We will order pizza from a nearby shop to eat in the room tonight, since we are tired from our walk (about 9 miles [15 km] total) and we have to pack to be ready for an early departure tomorrow morning.
Busy Day in Belfast
Saturday, May 26, 2012—Belfast
With great weather again, we spent the day exploring three parts of the city. We started downtown by going to the St. George's Market. It was fantastic. There were at least 12 bakery stalls with wonderful goodies!!! But there was much else, too. A couple of musicians played Irish music as everyone shopped. One interesting aspect of the market was the section of stalls selling sports memorabilia. That drew men to the market along with the usual crowd of women.
I took the computer and tried to get online. McDonalds requires a local mobile number where they will text your access code to a local (UK) mobile phone. The problem is that I did not have a local mobile phone number, so I couldn't receive the access code. Starbucks uses a company that requires you to click a link sent via e-mail. The problem there was that I had no Internet connection to allow me to get into my e-mail to find the link! I finally got on line for a short period under and alternative plan at Starbucks (very limited time and only 3 times before you had to enter the code), but the e-mail with the message with the code had not come into my mail yet for some reason. I published my entry I had written earlier. Guess I won’t be online again until I am at home.
From downtown we headed to the Queens Quarter of the city. We explored the Queens University campus and then went to the Ulster Museum, a multi-purpose museum with exhibits related to history, science, art, etc.
The day was beautiful and warm, so everyone was out at the parks. We visited the Botanic Gardens and found a place on the grass among all the sunbathers. We watched people and relaxed in the sun ourselves. To stretch our legs, we went through two tropical houses (one wet and one dry) and then returned to sunbathe further.
Toward the end of the afternoon, we explored the Cathedral Quarter of town. Unfortunately, the cathedral was already closed when we got there. However, the MAC, a contemporary arts center, is located just behind it. We saw all the exhibits there. The best was by Robert Therrien, an American artist, who creates oversized furniture. We stood under a giant table with 4 chairs. Our heads were about even with the seats of the chairs. Another interesting permanent exhibit was a “rainbow” of strings that were installed across the upper level of the high-ceilinged lobby.
We bought tickets for a concert at Ulster Hall. It was the Ulster Philharmonic performing with the Belfast Philharmonic Choir and the Belfast Philharmonic Youth Choir. It was an excellent concert in a 150-year-old hall with wonderful acoustics. They did two pieces by John Rutter along with a few other pieces.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Last Stop Belfast
Friday, May 25, 2012—Derry to Belfast Via the Giant’s Causeway
It was transition day back to Belfast which was our first stop and is our last. We bought a 24-hour bus/train pass and caught the train around 11:00 for Coleraine. There, we caught the 12:50 bus to the Giant’s Causeway, a World Heritage Site that is a geological formation of mostly hexagonal stones jutting straight up into the air at varying heights. It is quite unique and interesting. There was no place to leave our luggage which we had with us because of changing locations. It was about 1 km (1/2 mile) from the bus stop down to the seaside where the formation was. People teased us about whether we were going to camp out. I responded that I read it was open 24 hours a day. But taking the luggage allowed us to see the site without having to backtrack or rent a car. Wes and I took turns exploring while the other wandered to see the monument. While I waited, I visited with an Irish man and his cousin who was visiting from Canada.
At 13:00, we caught a bus back to Coleraine and caught the train toward Belfast. Must of our car was reserved for a group from the RNIB--Royal Northern Ireland Blind Association. We ended up sitting facing two men who were members of the blind group of people who had been on an outing for the day. We started talking to them and visited for the rest of the trip. They were both interesting men and had great senses of humor. They go on an outing once a month, and they had fun telling us the name of their group—The Blinkers!! We took their photo and promised to send it to the director of their program.
We had a hard time finding a decent place to stay in Belfast when we searched a few days ago. We finally decided that the Park Inn by Radisson. The hotel site indicated there were no rooms available, but we managed to book it through a booking service. Fortunately, when we arrived tonight, we were in the computer and expected. We heard another man explaining to two women trying to check in that everywhere in town is full for some reason. Thank goodness we didn’t wait longer before trying to find a room. The hotel is very nice, but it has one disadvantage—no free wifi. Like most “better class” hotels, they charge for using the phone, using the internet, etc. And their rates are extravagant--$4.60 per hour for the Internet; $3.00 to $16.00 per minute for phone calls. Therefore, I am writing entries for the blog and will post them when we are near a McDonalds with free wifi.
Note: Not easy getting onto Internet. McDonalds requires a local mobile phone. Got on temporarily at Startbucks. May not be able to get on again. Will write posts for the next two days and post them when I return on Monday night or Tuesday morning.
It was transition day back to Belfast which was our first stop and is our last. We bought a 24-hour bus/train pass and caught the train around 11:00 for Coleraine. There, we caught the 12:50 bus to the Giant’s Causeway, a World Heritage Site that is a geological formation of mostly hexagonal stones jutting straight up into the air at varying heights. It is quite unique and interesting. There was no place to leave our luggage which we had with us because of changing locations. It was about 1 km (1/2 mile) from the bus stop down to the seaside where the formation was. People teased us about whether we were going to camp out. I responded that I read it was open 24 hours a day. But taking the luggage allowed us to see the site without having to backtrack or rent a car. Wes and I took turns exploring while the other wandered to see the monument. While I waited, I visited with an Irish man and his cousin who was visiting from Canada.
At 13:00, we caught a bus back to Coleraine and caught the train toward Belfast. Must of our car was reserved for a group from the RNIB--Royal Northern Ireland Blind Association. We ended up sitting facing two men who were members of the blind group of people who had been on an outing for the day. We started talking to them and visited for the rest of the trip. They were both interesting men and had great senses of humor. They go on an outing once a month, and they had fun telling us the name of their group—The Blinkers!! We took their photo and promised to send it to the director of their program.
We had a hard time finding a decent place to stay in Belfast when we searched a few days ago. We finally decided that the Park Inn by Radisson. The hotel site indicated there were no rooms available, but we managed to book it through a booking service. Fortunately, when we arrived tonight, we were in the computer and expected. We heard another man explaining to two women trying to check in that everywhere in town is full for some reason. Thank goodness we didn’t wait longer before trying to find a room. The hotel is very nice, but it has one disadvantage—no free wifi. Like most “better class” hotels, they charge for using the phone, using the internet, etc. And their rates are extravagant--$4.60 per hour for the Internet; $3.00 to $16.00 per minute for phone calls. Therefore, I am writing entries for the blog and will post them when we are near a McDonalds with free wifi.
Note: Not easy getting onto Internet. McDonalds requires a local mobile phone. Got on temporarily at Startbucks. May not be able to get on again. Will write posts for the next two days and post them when I return on Monday night or Tuesday morning.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wearing Shorts to Explore Derry
Thursday, May 24, 2012--Derry, Northern Ireland
With warm sunshine again today, we went out in our shorts for the day. Many local people were doing the same. There were a LOT of pearl-white legs walking around Derry today.
Our goal was to see several major sites around the city. We started with St. Augustine's Church which is just a block from our B&B. It was impressive. From there, we headed to Austin's Department Store which is the world's oldest department store having operated for 180 years. After a stop at the tourist office to get information we needed, we walked south of town to the Loughs Agency Riverwatch, an aquarium with exhibits representing the local rivers. From there, we continued to the Workhouse Museum where we saw an interesting special exhibit about the military here during WWII, including the local American bases and the interaction between the Americans and the local people. Next, we headed to St. Columb's Park where we sat on the grass and sunbathed with locals who were also there. From there, we toured the Catholic area where there are large murals on the ends of row houses representing events an attitudes from the days of The Troubles. Finally, we explored the local campus of Ulster University which is in a upscale neighborhood where the row houses are similar to the nice townhouses on the East Side of New York City. It was a nice day of exploring and being out in nice weather.
With warm sunshine again today, we went out in our shorts for the day. Many local people were doing the same. There were a LOT of pearl-white legs walking around Derry today.
Our goal was to see several major sites around the city. We started with St. Augustine's Church which is just a block from our B&B. It was impressive. From there, we headed to Austin's Department Store which is the world's oldest department store having operated for 180 years. After a stop at the tourist office to get information we needed, we walked south of town to the Loughs Agency Riverwatch, an aquarium with exhibits representing the local rivers. From there, we continued to the Workhouse Museum where we saw an interesting special exhibit about the military here during WWII, including the local American bases and the interaction between the Americans and the local people. Next, we headed to St. Columb's Park where we sat on the grass and sunbathed with locals who were also there. From there, we toured the Catholic area where there are large murals on the ends of row houses representing events an attitudes from the days of The Troubles. Finally, we explored the local campus of Ulster University which is in a upscale neighborhood where the row houses are similar to the nice townhouses on the East Side of New York City. It was a nice day of exploring and being out in nice weather.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Farewell, Ireland; Hello, Northern Ireland
Wednesday, May 23, 2012--Dublin to Derry
We made a mistake in our planning for today. Because there had been long lines at the auto rental office when we picked up our car, we were worried we would face the same problem returning it today. Also, we knew we needed to be at the bus stop for our bus to Derry by 10:20 or we would have to wait another 3 hours for the next bus. We set the alarm for 6:30 so we could get ready and be at breakfast by 7:15. Everything went very fast after that. It took no time to get to the airport. Checking in the car took only 5 minutes. The shuttle took us to the terminal just a few minutes later. We were at the bus stop for Derry two hours early!! We would have loved sleeping until 8:00 if we had known it would go so easily and fast.
While waiting for the bus, I had conversations with two interesting men. One was a young man who lost his job here in Ireland two years ago and left for work in Australia. He was on his way back home. He talked about living in Australia, about his plans now that he has returned home, etc. He said he is really looking forward to having Christmas here after having missed it for two years. He worked for Sky (Rupert Murdock's TV channel) as an electrician both here and in Australia. He said he would like to go to America for a while, so he may see if Fox (Rupert Murdock's TV channel there) might hire him due to his knowledge of their systems they all use in common.
One thing we have seen here in Ireland is a large number of nice looking young men (late 20s through early 40s) sitting on sidewalks with begging cups. Unemployment is a big problem. And the people on the streets seem sincerely unable to do anything else at the time and quite desperate.
The other man at the airport also had an Australian connection. His parents emigrated to Australia, and he and his 3 siblings were born there. When he was 9 years old, his father got word that his mother was ill in Ireland. He sold the house and moved the family back to Ireland. The man told me about the children at school in Ireland huddling around him and his brother wanting to hear them talk because they sounded so funny. Anyway, he stayed here until he finished school and then moved back to Australia. He has been here for two years because of his mother being ill, but he is heading back to Australia next week and looking forward to seeing his granddaughter who is was just an infant when he left two years ago.
The bus ride was comfortable and took only 3 hours. We had no problems finding the Abbey B&B where we had a reservation. It's in the Bogside area of Derry which is a Catholic district consisting mostly of row houses. The area is known for its murals about The Troubles as the problems between the Protestants and the Catholics (an greatly magnified by the then presence of the British Army) are called.
We've now got WARM weather as well as sunny weather. When we left the B&B to explore the town, we left behind our umbrellas, our pullovers, and our coats. We went out in shirtsleeves and felt perfectly comfortable for the rest of the day.
Derry is a very old city with a complete city wall. We walked the entire distance around the wall reading the historical plaques that tell about events in each area of town near the wall. The sunshine felt great. After that, we explored the inner city within the walls and found a money exchange office to change our leftover Euros for British pounds which are used in Northern Ireland. People were out everywhere. We just wandered looking at the buildings and shops along the way and watching the people.
Because we were up so early this morning, we are both tired. We've returned to the room to relax for the evening. Wes is watching a show I've already seen on Masterpiece Mystery in America. We'll go to bed early.
We made a mistake in our planning for today. Because there had been long lines at the auto rental office when we picked up our car, we were worried we would face the same problem returning it today. Also, we knew we needed to be at the bus stop for our bus to Derry by 10:20 or we would have to wait another 3 hours for the next bus. We set the alarm for 6:30 so we could get ready and be at breakfast by 7:15. Everything went very fast after that. It took no time to get to the airport. Checking in the car took only 5 minutes. The shuttle took us to the terminal just a few minutes later. We were at the bus stop for Derry two hours early!! We would have loved sleeping until 8:00 if we had known it would go so easily and fast.
While waiting for the bus, I had conversations with two interesting men. One was a young man who lost his job here in Ireland two years ago and left for work in Australia. He was on his way back home. He talked about living in Australia, about his plans now that he has returned home, etc. He said he is really looking forward to having Christmas here after having missed it for two years. He worked for Sky (Rupert Murdock's TV channel) as an electrician both here and in Australia. He said he would like to go to America for a while, so he may see if Fox (Rupert Murdock's TV channel there) might hire him due to his knowledge of their systems they all use in common.
One thing we have seen here in Ireland is a large number of nice looking young men (late 20s through early 40s) sitting on sidewalks with begging cups. Unemployment is a big problem. And the people on the streets seem sincerely unable to do anything else at the time and quite desperate.
The other man at the airport also had an Australian connection. His parents emigrated to Australia, and he and his 3 siblings were born there. When he was 9 years old, his father got word that his mother was ill in Ireland. He sold the house and moved the family back to Ireland. The man told me about the children at school in Ireland huddling around him and his brother wanting to hear them talk because they sounded so funny. Anyway, he stayed here until he finished school and then moved back to Australia. He has been here for two years because of his mother being ill, but he is heading back to Australia next week and looking forward to seeing his granddaughter who is was just an infant when he left two years ago.
The bus ride was comfortable and took only 3 hours. We had no problems finding the Abbey B&B where we had a reservation. It's in the Bogside area of Derry which is a Catholic district consisting mostly of row houses. The area is known for its murals about The Troubles as the problems between the Protestants and the Catholics (an greatly magnified by the then presence of the British Army) are called.
We've now got WARM weather as well as sunny weather. When we left the B&B to explore the town, we left behind our umbrellas, our pullovers, and our coats. We went out in shirtsleeves and felt perfectly comfortable for the rest of the day.
Derry is a very old city with a complete city wall. We walked the entire distance around the wall reading the historical plaques that tell about events in each area of town near the wall. The sunshine felt great. After that, we explored the inner city within the walls and found a money exchange office to change our leftover Euros for British pounds which are used in Northern Ireland. People were out everywhere. We just wandered looking at the buildings and shops along the way and watching the people.
Because we were up so early this morning, we are both tired. We've returned to the room to relax for the evening. Wes is watching a show I've already seen on Masterpiece Mystery in America. We'll go to bed early.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Returning to Dublin with Hikes along the Way
Tuesday, May 22, 2012--Sligo to Dublin
Our hotel which I reported as being a bit gaudy served us the best Irish breakfast we have had on the trip. Their black and white puddings (sausages) were more tender and tasty than any others. They had baked beans on the plate. Everything was great. They also had lots of extras--good granola, nice yogurt, three nice cheeses, good brown bread, fresh fruits, etc.
It's time for us to leave Ireland for Northern Ireland. Therefore, today was a driving day to get back to Dublin so we can return the rental car tomorrow and catch the bus to Londonderry. There was drizzle when we got up, but it had stopped by the time we left the hotel. We had clouds most of the day, and it finally cleared off by 4:30 as we entered Dublin.
The first half of our route took us through a very beautiful part of Ireland with green hills and lots of lakes. We called it The Lake District although we have not read anything designating it that way.
We stopped twice for hikes. The first was in Ballinamore where we walked along an old canal. It was a nice, bucolic stroll through the countryside with the canal on one side of us. It was interesting to see the controls for the locks which are self-operated when a person brings a boat up or down the canal. (The boat operators have to have a special card to insert so that just anyone [meaning Wes] can't have fun opening and closing the locks over and over again.)
Our next walk was a long loop trail through the woods and near lakes in Killeshandra. It was 6 km (3.5 miles) long. The best part of it was the beautiful sounds of the songbirds. We couldn't find them in the trees, but they sure did entertain us. There were also many wild flowers with the types of flowers changing along the trail rather than staying the same the whole way.
We arrived at our Metro Hotel Dublin Airport around 4:30 and checked in. The neighborhood is not so great. It is very suburban and open. But it is just 3 minutes from the airport so that we can easily get there to return our car tomorrow before our 10:00 a.m. deadline. We'll catch the bus to Londonderry direct from the airport at 10:20 if all goes well.
Our hotel which I reported as being a bit gaudy served us the best Irish breakfast we have had on the trip. Their black and white puddings (sausages) were more tender and tasty than any others. They had baked beans on the plate. Everything was great. They also had lots of extras--good granola, nice yogurt, three nice cheeses, good brown bread, fresh fruits, etc.
It's time for us to leave Ireland for Northern Ireland. Therefore, today was a driving day to get back to Dublin so we can return the rental car tomorrow and catch the bus to Londonderry. There was drizzle when we got up, but it had stopped by the time we left the hotel. We had clouds most of the day, and it finally cleared off by 4:30 as we entered Dublin.
The first half of our route took us through a very beautiful part of Ireland with green hills and lots of lakes. We called it The Lake District although we have not read anything designating it that way.
We stopped twice for hikes. The first was in Ballinamore where we walked along an old canal. It was a nice, bucolic stroll through the countryside with the canal on one side of us. It was interesting to see the controls for the locks which are self-operated when a person brings a boat up or down the canal. (The boat operators have to have a special card to insert so that just anyone [meaning Wes] can't have fun opening and closing the locks over and over again.)
Our next walk was a long loop trail through the woods and near lakes in Killeshandra. It was 6 km (3.5 miles) long. The best part of it was the beautiful sounds of the songbirds. We couldn't find them in the trees, but they sure did entertain us. There were also many wild flowers with the types of flowers changing along the trail rather than staying the same the whole way.
We arrived at our Metro Hotel Dublin Airport around 4:30 and checked in. The neighborhood is not so great. It is very suburban and open. But it is just 3 minutes from the airport so that we can easily get there to return our car tomorrow before our 10:00 a.m. deadline. We'll catch the bus to Londonderry direct from the airport at 10:20 if all goes well.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Exploring Passage Graves
Monday, May 21, 2012--Galway to Sligo
It was a real hassle getting out of Galway this morning. They have some of the worst traffic I've ever seen anywhere. Fortunately, after we maneuvered ourselves through a couple of intersections with long lines of traffic to the road we needed for going out of town, we were going OUT. The line of traffic coming into town seemed to continue for a kilometer (1/2 a mile)!
We made two stops on the way to Sligo. Both were places where we explored passage graves, prehistoric (megalithic) burial sites that are mounds with entrance passages. We stopped first at Carrowkeel, a remote, undeveloped site. We had to drive down a one-lane country road for long distance to the base of a mountain to reach it. Then we had to hike 1 km (1/2 a mile) to the top of the mountain. When there, we found three stoney mounds with openings. We were up there all alone (except for lots of sheep and their droppings we had to constantly avoid). There were wonderful views in three directions.
The second stop was at Carrowmore. It's a developed tourist site with a visitor center (and an admission charge which the other place did not have). It has a large rebuilt central passage grave that is surrounded by the ruins of several more. The best part at this site was the almost complete stone circle with a grave in the center--probably all of which was once covered by a mound also.
We arrived in Sligo without a reservation. It's our only stop on the trip (up to and after now) where this is the case. We went to the tourist office, and they listed the possible places for us to stay. The town does not have an abundance of B&Bs like most towns in Ireland. This one is a bit rugged compared to where we have stayed before, but it is convenient and satisfactory. It has lots of horrible red decor--bedspreads, pillows, cushions, etc.--and brass beds. It could easily serve as a bordello.
The tourist office had a wonderful booklet for a walking tour of the city. It included a map and numbered points which are marked with brass plaques set in the sidewalks for each stop. There is at least half a page of information on each stop. We spent about 1 1/2 hours going around town reading about and seeing the sites. Sligo is a very old town with lots of history of ups and downs in its economy. It's the original home of W. B. Yeats, the writer, who is buried nearby. It's also the northern port from where many Irish sailed for America during the 1800s.
Once settled in our B&B
It was a real hassle getting out of Galway this morning. They have some of the worst traffic I've ever seen anywhere. Fortunately, after we maneuvered ourselves through a couple of intersections with long lines of traffic to the road we needed for going out of town, we were going OUT. The line of traffic coming into town seemed to continue for a kilometer (1/2 a mile)!
We made two stops on the way to Sligo. Both were places where we explored passage graves, prehistoric (megalithic) burial sites that are mounds with entrance passages. We stopped first at Carrowkeel, a remote, undeveloped site. We had to drive down a one-lane country road for long distance to the base of a mountain to reach it. Then we had to hike 1 km (1/2 a mile) to the top of the mountain. When there, we found three stoney mounds with openings. We were up there all alone (except for lots of sheep and their droppings we had to constantly avoid). There were wonderful views in three directions.
The second stop was at Carrowmore. It's a developed tourist site with a visitor center (and an admission charge which the other place did not have). It has a large rebuilt central passage grave that is surrounded by the ruins of several more. The best part at this site was the almost complete stone circle with a grave in the center--probably all of which was once covered by a mound also.
We arrived in Sligo without a reservation. It's our only stop on the trip (up to and after now) where this is the case. We went to the tourist office, and they listed the possible places for us to stay. The town does not have an abundance of B&Bs like most towns in Ireland. This one is a bit rugged compared to where we have stayed before, but it is convenient and satisfactory. It has lots of horrible red decor--bedspreads, pillows, cushions, etc.--and brass beds. It could easily serve as a bordello.
The tourist office had a wonderful booklet for a walking tour of the city. It included a map and numbered points which are marked with brass plaques set in the sidewalks for each stop. There is at least half a page of information on each stop. We spent about 1 1/2 hours going around town reading about and seeing the sites. Sligo is a very old town with lots of history of ups and downs in its economy. It's the original home of W. B. Yeats, the writer, who is buried nearby. It's also the northern port from where many Irish sailed for America during the 1800s.
Once settled in our B&B
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Connemara in the Sunshine
Sunday, May 20, 2012--Connemara, Ireland
Our guesthouse has limited parking. When we went to breakfast this morning, there were 10 cars parked in a small area. Our car was blocked in with one on each side of it and a row of cars behind the 3 of us. By the time we were ready to leave for the day, the two cars on one side were gone. Somehow, the owner of the guest house managed to maneuver our car in about 15-20 moves to get it out of our tight space and into the open lane where the two cars had left!
With it being a sunny day (Lucky Lads, again!), we headed along the coast to Spiddal which was not as interesting as we had hoped. From there, though, we headed for our main destination, the Connemara region of Ireland--another rugged, isolated region with mountains and bogs. We stopped at the Connemara National Park where we saw exhibits at the visitor's center and walked a nice trail through the bogs and up the mountains. People were very friendly on the trails with greetings to each other the way people do with strangers in Texas.
Our next stop was Kylemore Abbey. It is a gorgeous house in a beautiful setting with nice gardens. However, there were crowds and long waits for tours. We took photos and headed onward.
Our last stop was the Country Life Museum, a branch of the National Museum of Ireland. It had very interesting displays about the life of people--their clothing, the jobs they did, the chores they did, the difficulties they faced, etc. One interesting panel compared idealized paintings of ordinary people with photographs and descriptions of what their lives were really like. One level of the museum was dedicated to the upper class country people to show the contrast in their lives with those of the peasants. It was interesting to note that Halloween came to America via the Irish who celebrated it, wore masks, and made jack-o-lanterns from turnips in Ireland before immigrating to the U.S. We spent 1 1/2 hours going through the exhibits building and then toured the nice manor house there on the grounds showing how the upper class lived.
Our guesthouse has limited parking. When we went to breakfast this morning, there were 10 cars parked in a small area. Our car was blocked in with one on each side of it and a row of cars behind the 3 of us. By the time we were ready to leave for the day, the two cars on one side were gone. Somehow, the owner of the guest house managed to maneuver our car in about 15-20 moves to get it out of our tight space and into the open lane where the two cars had left!
With it being a sunny day (Lucky Lads, again!), we headed along the coast to Spiddal which was not as interesting as we had hoped. From there, though, we headed for our main destination, the Connemara region of Ireland--another rugged, isolated region with mountains and bogs. We stopped at the Connemara National Park where we saw exhibits at the visitor's center and walked a nice trail through the bogs and up the mountains. People were very friendly on the trails with greetings to each other the way people do with strangers in Texas.
Our next stop was Kylemore Abbey. It is a gorgeous house in a beautiful setting with nice gardens. However, there were crowds and long waits for tours. We took photos and headed onward.
Our last stop was the Country Life Museum, a branch of the National Museum of Ireland. It had very interesting displays about the life of people--their clothing, the jobs they did, the chores they did, the difficulties they faced, etc. One interesting panel compared idealized paintings of ordinary people with photographs and descriptions of what their lives were really like. One level of the museum was dedicated to the upper class country people to show the contrast in their lives with those of the peasants. It was interesting to note that Halloween came to America via the Irish who celebrated it, wore masks, and made jack-o-lanterns from turnips in Ireland before immigrating to the U.S. We spent 1 1/2 hours going through the exhibits building and then toured the nice manor house there on the grounds showing how the upper class lived.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
The Burren
Saturday, May 19, 2012--Killarney to Galway Via The Burren
It was a transition day. Most of the route, we were on major highways moving fast across the island. Around noon, however, we cut westward through The Burren, a rugged, rocky part of Ireland, making several stops.
One of the highlights of this area is the Cliffs of Moher, a long stretch of coast lined with high cliffs. It's a popular spot for visitors. What made the area even better is that May is a month for small patches of wildflowers growing in pockets of soil among the stones. Also interesting here is that there are far more buildings with thatched roofs. We had seen only about 3 buildings so far in all of Ireland with such roofs, but today we saw many ranging from pubs to old houses to new houses. Today was also special for all the old convertible roadsters we saw on the highways with their tops down. Apparently people who have kept and restored these old cars take them out into the countryside on weekends. We were lucky again with the weather--cloudy with the sun occasionally peeking out. The roadster drivers and passengers must have been cold, even wearing their caps and heavy jackets, since the temperature was only about 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees F).
We stopped in several small towns to explore them. Doolin was a cute, small coastal town which supposed have the most authentic Irish music in its local pubs. We stood among the wildflowers on the rocky coast there and watched a dolphin playing in the water. Lisdoonvarna claims to be the matchmaker capital of Europe with its annual festival for lonely hearts in September. Ballyvaughan is another coastal town that serves as the unofficial jumping off point for The Burren.
We encountered a mess when we arrived at Galway. We had carefully figured out an exit and route that would bring us right to our hotel. But we hit a construction zone and detours. The city is removing all its traffic circles and installing street lights. We finally got into downtown only to hit heavy traffic that was having to move into one lane because of construction. Eventually, we got near our hotel and had to just hope we were on the right street, since streets are seldom named on signs here. Sure enough, we finally arrived at Amber Lodge. It's a good location which is only a 5-minute walk from the center of town. However, parking is very limited, and the rooms are too small. We hardly have room to open our suitcases, and the entire bathroom is about 2 feet by 5 feet (2/3 m x 1 2/3 m)! The wifi signal is good, however. We've had problems at other places with weak signals and/or too much traffic over the connection.
We walked downtown to explore. I was surprised by the city. My guidebook talks about it being a trendy and lively city. It is lively with LOTS of people out, but I they looked more ordinary than trendy. Actually, many looked like leftover hippies. And the physical appearance of the city is rather dumpy. Hardly any of the businesses downtown have had any kind of updating in 50-60 years. There's lots of peeling paint and old-fashioned looking storefronts. We will go back down later tonight to see if we can hear any nice music.
It was a transition day. Most of the route, we were on major highways moving fast across the island. Around noon, however, we cut westward through The Burren, a rugged, rocky part of Ireland, making several stops.
One of the highlights of this area is the Cliffs of Moher, a long stretch of coast lined with high cliffs. It's a popular spot for visitors. What made the area even better is that May is a month for small patches of wildflowers growing in pockets of soil among the stones. Also interesting here is that there are far more buildings with thatched roofs. We had seen only about 3 buildings so far in all of Ireland with such roofs, but today we saw many ranging from pubs to old houses to new houses. Today was also special for all the old convertible roadsters we saw on the highways with their tops down. Apparently people who have kept and restored these old cars take them out into the countryside on weekends. We were lucky again with the weather--cloudy with the sun occasionally peeking out. The roadster drivers and passengers must have been cold, even wearing their caps and heavy jackets, since the temperature was only about 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees F).
We stopped in several small towns to explore them. Doolin was a cute, small coastal town which supposed have the most authentic Irish music in its local pubs. We stood among the wildflowers on the rocky coast there and watched a dolphin playing in the water. Lisdoonvarna claims to be the matchmaker capital of Europe with its annual festival for lonely hearts in September. Ballyvaughan is another coastal town that serves as the unofficial jumping off point for The Burren.
We encountered a mess when we arrived at Galway. We had carefully figured out an exit and route that would bring us right to our hotel. But we hit a construction zone and detours. The city is removing all its traffic circles and installing street lights. We finally got into downtown only to hit heavy traffic that was having to move into one lane because of construction. Eventually, we got near our hotel and had to just hope we were on the right street, since streets are seldom named on signs here. Sure enough, we finally arrived at Amber Lodge. It's a good location which is only a 5-minute walk from the center of town. However, parking is very limited, and the rooms are too small. We hardly have room to open our suitcases, and the entire bathroom is about 2 feet by 5 feet (2/3 m x 1 2/3 m)! The wifi signal is good, however. We've had problems at other places with weak signals and/or too much traffic over the connection.
We walked downtown to explore. I was surprised by the city. My guidebook talks about it being a trendy and lively city. It is lively with LOTS of people out, but I they looked more ordinary than trendy. Actually, many looked like leftover hippies. And the physical appearance of the city is rather dumpy. Hardly any of the businesses downtown have had any kind of updating in 50-60 years. There's lots of peeling paint and old-fashioned looking storefronts. We will go back down later tonight to see if we can hear any nice music.
Friday, May 18, 2012
The Dingle Peninsula
Friday, May 18, 2012--Dingle and Its Peninsula
It was another day for exploring the rugged mountains and coastline of Ireland. This time, it was the Dingle Peninsula north of where we were yesterday. We drove another 215 km (135 miles) twisting and winding along the coast and through the mountains. Again, we were "Lucky Lads" with the weather vacillating between cloudy and the sun peeking out. A little rain finally occurred, but it was late in the day as we were driving back to Killarney. By the time we were home, we were able to continue walking around town without worrying about umbrellas. In fact, our umbrellas have been out only twice on the trip so far--for about 5 minutes in Belfast on the first day and about 1 minute in Dublin.
Dingle is another small, quaint town with very colorful buildings. It is known for two things: 1) It's abundance of live Irish music at its pubs, and 2) Its friendly dolphin Fungie. We spent time exploring the town, but we spent most of our time touring the countryside. Along the way, we stopped at the most beautiful sight we have seen so far in all of Ireland. It happens to be the beach area that served as the location for the film Ryan's Daughter. Conor Pass on the Dingle Peninsula was the most dramatic we have crossed here so far, too--very narrow with wonderful views.
Tomorrow, we leave this area and head to Galway. It will be a long day of driving.
It was another day for exploring the rugged mountains and coastline of Ireland. This time, it was the Dingle Peninsula north of where we were yesterday. We drove another 215 km (135 miles) twisting and winding along the coast and through the mountains. Again, we were "Lucky Lads" with the weather vacillating between cloudy and the sun peeking out. A little rain finally occurred, but it was late in the day as we were driving back to Killarney. By the time we were home, we were able to continue walking around town without worrying about umbrellas. In fact, our umbrellas have been out only twice on the trip so far--for about 5 minutes in Belfast on the first day and about 1 minute in Dublin.
Dingle is another small, quaint town with very colorful buildings. It is known for two things: 1) It's abundance of live Irish music at its pubs, and 2) Its friendly dolphin Fungie. We spent time exploring the town, but we spent most of our time touring the countryside. Along the way, we stopped at the most beautiful sight we have seen so far in all of Ireland. It happens to be the beach area that served as the location for the film Ryan's Daughter. Conor Pass on the Dingle Peninsula was the most dramatic we have crossed here so far, too--very narrow with wonderful views.
Tomorrow, we leave this area and head to Galway. It will be a long day of driving.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The Ring of Kerry
Thursday, May 17, 2012--Killarney and Area
Although cloudy, it was still not raining today. We headed out to drive the Ring of Kerry, the most popular loop road in Ireland. It covers a rugged peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean. Before we could drive it, though, we had to fill the gas tank. Three-fourths of a tank of gas cost $72 US!!
The drive could be called the Big Sur equivalent of Ireland. The roadway is narrow and twists and winds along the coast with mountains in the interior. Along it are many small towns and villages. It took us 8 hours to complete the trip, including a stop at the nearby Killarney National Park to hike the Blue Pond Trail.
The highlight of our day was a visit to the Killegy Celtic Cross which can be seen from the roadway, but is visited by only a few people. We had been wanting to see an old Celtic cross since seeing some large, beautiful ones in the museum in Dublin last weekend. Wes got a glimpse of one on a hilltop. We circled trying to find access and couldn't. Then we stopped at a shop. The owner allowed us to park in her lot and gave us walking directions that had us climb over two special hikers' gates. When we got there, we found so much more than the huge cross. It was a wooded circle that had many old graves and an old chapel ruin. The ground was covered in thick green grass and a carpet of small, blue flowers. The story behind it all made it even better. The chapel was built especially for a private burial service of a man who insisted that his four sons carry the body up by torchlight and start the service at midnight. Wes had said just a few days earlier that he would like to be cremated. But he changed his mind and said he wants to be buried at midnight at that cemetery with the nice Celtic cross. I told him he needed to start being nicer to people, since he would need 3 more people besides me to carry his body up to the top of the hill and bury it!
Although cloudy, it was still not raining today. We headed out to drive the Ring of Kerry, the most popular loop road in Ireland. It covers a rugged peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean. Before we could drive it, though, we had to fill the gas tank. Three-fourths of a tank of gas cost $72 US!!
The drive could be called the Big Sur equivalent of Ireland. The roadway is narrow and twists and winds along the coast with mountains in the interior. Along it are many small towns and villages. It took us 8 hours to complete the trip, including a stop at the nearby Killarney National Park to hike the Blue Pond Trail.
The highlight of our day was a visit to the Killegy Celtic Cross which can be seen from the roadway, but is visited by only a few people. We had been wanting to see an old Celtic cross since seeing some large, beautiful ones in the museum in Dublin last weekend. Wes got a glimpse of one on a hilltop. We circled trying to find access and couldn't. Then we stopped at a shop. The owner allowed us to park in her lot and gave us walking directions that had us climb over two special hikers' gates. When we got there, we found so much more than the huge cross. It was a wooded circle that had many old graves and an old chapel ruin. The ground was covered in thick green grass and a carpet of small, blue flowers. The story behind it all made it even better. The chapel was built especially for a private burial service of a man who insisted that his four sons carry the body up by torchlight and start the service at midnight. Wes had said just a few days earlier that he would like to be cremated. But he changed his mind and said he wants to be buried at midnight at that cemetery with the nice Celtic cross. I told him he needed to start being nicer to people, since he would need 3 more people besides me to carry his body up to the top of the hill and bury it!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Along the Coast and through the Mountains
Wednesday, May 16, 2012--Cork to Kinsale to Kenmare to Killarney
We were "Lucky Lads" again today with sunny weather as we transitioned and made interesting stops along the way. First, we left Cork for the nearby seaside town of Kinsale. It's a beautiful place with quaint shops set around a bay with a peninsula jutting out into it. We parked the car and walked the streets. There was a morning market with deliciously tempting cheeses, pastries, breads, honeys, etc., for sale. We explored the back areas, walked along the seaside, walked out of the peninsula to see the small village at its tip, etc. It's a delightful place that is known for its number of quality restaurants with Fishy Fishy (homepage link) being the best known and most recommended one.
We continued driving along the coast. Then we cut up through the mountains as we headed for our next stop of Kenmare about 3 hours away. The roadway was twisting and narrow. Kenmare is another tourist town which is a hub for tourism to the Ring of Kerry. Due to rooms there were so expensive and to Killarney being a more central location for the area, we made it a stop on our travels rather than a place to stay overnight. Like in Kinsale, we spent about 1 1/2 to 2 hours exploring the town. It has very nice architecture. It also was having a Wednesday market which included flea market type stalls along with the food stalls. Its Holy Cross Church is one of the best ones we have visited so far in the trip, especially for its nice woodwork on the ceiling.
We passed more mountains and came through forests on our way from Kenmare to our destination of Killarney. Our hotel, the Arbutus, is right downtown, so it was difficult to find it and to determine where to park. But that means we don't have long walks to get to the center like we had in Cork. Most cities in Ireland require parking permits to be on their streets and/or have high parking rates unless you park in public lots further from town. The bigger the city, the further it is necessary to walk. Our hotel here has a free lot about 200 meters (200 yards) away. And when we walk out our front door, we are on one of the 3 main shopping streets in town.
It was 6 p.m. when we got settled in the room, so all we did was explore downtown a bit and get a quick bite to eat. We were too tired from the all-day driving trip to do more. But we have 3 nights here so that we can explore the area before moving onward. That will give us plenty of time to get to know the town well in addition to the area.
We were "Lucky Lads" again today with sunny weather as we transitioned and made interesting stops along the way. First, we left Cork for the nearby seaside town of Kinsale. It's a beautiful place with quaint shops set around a bay with a peninsula jutting out into it. We parked the car and walked the streets. There was a morning market with deliciously tempting cheeses, pastries, breads, honeys, etc., for sale. We explored the back areas, walked along the seaside, walked out of the peninsula to see the small village at its tip, etc. It's a delightful place that is known for its number of quality restaurants with Fishy Fishy (homepage link) being the best known and most recommended one.
We continued driving along the coast. Then we cut up through the mountains as we headed for our next stop of Kenmare about 3 hours away. The roadway was twisting and narrow. Kenmare is another tourist town which is a hub for tourism to the Ring of Kerry. Due to rooms there were so expensive and to Killarney being a more central location for the area, we made it a stop on our travels rather than a place to stay overnight. Like in Kinsale, we spent about 1 1/2 to 2 hours exploring the town. It has very nice architecture. It also was having a Wednesday market which included flea market type stalls along with the food stalls. Its Holy Cross Church is one of the best ones we have visited so far in the trip, especially for its nice woodwork on the ceiling.
We passed more mountains and came through forests on our way from Kenmare to our destination of Killarney. Our hotel, the Arbutus, is right downtown, so it was difficult to find it and to determine where to park. But that means we don't have long walks to get to the center like we had in Cork. Most cities in Ireland require parking permits to be on their streets and/or have high parking rates unless you park in public lots further from town. The bigger the city, the further it is necessary to walk. Our hotel here has a free lot about 200 meters (200 yards) away. And when we walk out our front door, we are on one of the 3 main shopping streets in town.
It was 6 p.m. when we got settled in the room, so all we did was explore downtown a bit and get a quick bite to eat. We were too tired from the all-day driving trip to do more. But we have 3 nights here so that we can explore the area before moving onward. That will give us plenty of time to get to know the town well in addition to the area.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
A Full Day in Cork
May 15, 2012—Cork , Ireland
The place we are staying serves a fullIrish breakfast. It was a lot of food,
especially meat. It had only one egg,
but it had two slices of fried ham, two sausages, a piece of black sausage
(blood sausage), a piece of white sausage (no blood), hashbrowns, grilled
tomato, toast, butter, jams, tea, and orange juice. In addition, there was a buffet of smoked
salmon, fruits (prunes, grapefruit, mixed fresh fruit), cereals (5 kinds
including a wonderful granola with nuts and dried bananas and a “molded”
granola in a bar shape), and various breads. We were stuffed afterward.
This was a day to thoroughly explore Cork Cork City Museum
From there, we headed to the University College Cork. On the way there, a woman
pushing her child in a stroller that allowed him to pretend he was pedaling a
bicycle started talking to us and guiding us.
Her accent sounded as if she had grown up lower class. She has managed, however, to put three
students through degrees at the university mainly due to the facts that costs
are low (about $2000 per year) and that they could live at home and go to
school without the expense of housing or food beyond what she was already
spending on them. She was nice and quite
funny. One of the things she said to us
was, “You lucky lads, we hardly ever see sunshine!”
The university has a very nice quadrangle
formed by nice stone buildings, an interesting old observatory, a fantastic
student center with outdoor space, and a very nice modern art gallery. The students are taking final exams, so many
were free to relax and enjoy the feel of the sunshine on their bodies.
When we left the university, we headed
downtown for the rest of the day. We
visited several churches, went through the English Market which is a great food
market, toured the Crawford Gallery which is the local art museum, went to a
commercial art gallery, found the Cork Opera House and the Everyman PalaceTheater, sat in the sunshine beside the river, listened to musicians performing
on the street, etc.
The Crawford Gallery was a rather strange
collection of artwork (amateur to professional to weird) located in a building
that had one of the most unusual configurations of any museum I’ve ever visited—a
hodgepodge of rooms in odd configurations and arrangements. One of the best features was a piece of public
art outside—a contemporary cow sculpture upside down in an artificial tree.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Leaving Dublin for the Countryside and Cork
Monday, May 14, 2012—Dublin
to Kilkenny to Instioge to Cork
The Dublin
This has been the easiest time I’ve had of
driving on the left and with standard transmission (which I used to have in all
my cars, but which I haven’t had now for at least 15 years). We left the airport without my making any
mistakes such as accidentally pulling out into the wrong lane. Our direction was south of Dublin
although the airport was north of Dublin
Our first stop was the medieval city of Killkenny
From there, things got difficult. Smaller roadways are not necessarily well
marked. We studied our map and tried to
follow it, but several times we got on wrong roads or never found the right
roads as we tried to get to the small village of Instioge
Eventually, we did get to Instioge. It is a beautiful small village nestled in
the green hills beside a wide and pretty river.
We walked the streets of the town taking photos. We went down to the riverside. We went into one of the churches and into the
churchyard of the other.
We had planned to make another stop at
Lismore, but we had trouble finding the route and also realized time was
running short for the day. We headed,
instead, toward Cork
Our room isn’t as nice as the one in Dublin Dublin
We walked from the hotel to the downtownarea of Cork (about 30 minutes one way) just to do some exploring before it got
dark. So far, Cork Ireland and
to its being a university city
Tomorrow, we will explore the city more and
then will get out and visit some smaller places nearby.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Last Day in Dublin
Sunday, May 13, 2012—Dublin , Ireland
We’ve been lucky again today. This is our third day to have sunshine. They had rain for a month before we
arrived. We had a couple of short
showers on Friday when we ducked inside for a few minutes. Otherwise, it has been mostly sunny with
occasional clouds. Today, however, was
quite windy.
Our hotel is in the embassy district. We explored the neighborhood this morning
when we went out, including the small village of Ballsbridge
Our goal was the Museum of Modern Art
From there, we crossed the Liffey River
to the Barracks Museum of Decorative Arts, a part of the National Museum US
and never mentioned the Alamo .
On the way back to the hotel, we went by
the Customs House, the Convention Center with its angled glass container front,
and a new theater on the waterfront where musicals are performed.
We spent the night planning for tomorrow—how
we will get to the airport to pick up our rental car and where will visit on
the way to Cork
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Full Day of Activities in Dublin
Saturday, May 12, 2012--Dublin, Ireland
Thanks to the melatonin we took last night, we were able to sleep about 12 hours last night so that today we were rather fresh. There was a point when I heard neighbors playing their TV and talking. When I looked at my watch, I was upset to see that it was 2:15. I guess they had been out drinking at the pubs during the evening. Fortunately, I got back to sleep after inserting my ear plugs.
We were out for 9 hours today. First we stopped at Merrion Square, a beautiful small park filled with flowers, sculptures, and trees. We saw a bust of Michael Collins, one of the leaders of the Irish Revolution. We saw stands of some of the last tulips of the season. And we found the interesting statue of Oscar Wilde there--interesting because it is rather dandy with color incorporated into the statue. Near the statue were columns with some of his wittier statements.
Next, we toured the Natural History Museum which was a surprise. The interior is like such museums were 100 years ago with everything arranged in cases in a large, tall hall. It was like walking back in time. More amazing, though, was the quality of their exhibits. The animals were so fresh and natural looking. Furs were fluffy. Everything seemed so natural looking. Also, it was interesting that there were often baby versions along with the adults. Often, too, there was a skeleton beside an adult for contrast.
From there, we went to the National Gallery. Only two sections were open, but they contained the best of their collections. It was nice to see that the art was well preserved and clean and bright.
Our next stop was the Archeology Museum. It had lots of items that have been found mostly in bogs over time--gold items, bronze items, sacrificed people, manuscripts, etc.
We made a quick stop at the National Library to see an exhibit on Yeats.
Much of the day was gone by then. We wandered through a shopping area toward the Dublin Castle where we toured the Chester Beatty Libary which my guidebook names as the top museum to visit in town. It is a collection of illuminated manuscripts. They were fantastic. And after touring the museum, we relaxed in the sunshine at an oval park in front of the library along with many other people.
We were hungry then, and our guidebook had recommended a place for fish and chips just around the corner. We walked there and found a long line of local people even at 4:30 p.m. We bought a huge portion of cod and chips which came wrapped in paper. We took it to benches at the nearby City Hall and ate it.
To close out the day, we walked by the Jameson Distillery. It was too late in the day for a tour. We walked through another shopping area teaming with people. We stopped at the General Post Office which was the site of a major battle during the war for Irish freedom and still has bullet holes in the columns out front. We found the Ha' Penny Bridge and walked across it. We wandered through the Temple Bar district which is the entertainment district for Dublin. From there, we returned to the room tired from 9 hours of walking and exploring.
Thanks to the melatonin we took last night, we were able to sleep about 12 hours last night so that today we were rather fresh. There was a point when I heard neighbors playing their TV and talking. When I looked at my watch, I was upset to see that it was 2:15. I guess they had been out drinking at the pubs during the evening. Fortunately, I got back to sleep after inserting my ear plugs.
We were out for 9 hours today. First we stopped at Merrion Square, a beautiful small park filled with flowers, sculptures, and trees. We saw a bust of Michael Collins, one of the leaders of the Irish Revolution. We saw stands of some of the last tulips of the season. And we found the interesting statue of Oscar Wilde there--interesting because it is rather dandy with color incorporated into the statue. Near the statue were columns with some of his wittier statements.
Next, we toured the Natural History Museum which was a surprise. The interior is like such museums were 100 years ago with everything arranged in cases in a large, tall hall. It was like walking back in time. More amazing, though, was the quality of their exhibits. The animals were so fresh and natural looking. Furs were fluffy. Everything seemed so natural looking. Also, it was interesting that there were often baby versions along with the adults. Often, too, there was a skeleton beside an adult for contrast.
From there, we went to the National Gallery. Only two sections were open, but they contained the best of their collections. It was nice to see that the art was well preserved and clean and bright.
Our next stop was the Archeology Museum. It had lots of items that have been found mostly in bogs over time--gold items, bronze items, sacrificed people, manuscripts, etc.
We made a quick stop at the National Library to see an exhibit on Yeats.
Much of the day was gone by then. We wandered through a shopping area toward the Dublin Castle where we toured the Chester Beatty Libary which my guidebook names as the top museum to visit in town. It is a collection of illuminated manuscripts. They were fantastic. And after touring the museum, we relaxed in the sunshine at an oval park in front of the library along with many other people.
We were hungry then, and our guidebook had recommended a place for fish and chips just around the corner. We walked there and found a long line of local people even at 4:30 p.m. We bought a huge portion of cod and chips which came wrapped in paper. We took it to benches at the nearby City Hall and ate it.
To close out the day, we walked by the Jameson Distillery. It was too late in the day for a tour. We walked through another shopping area teaming with people. We stopped at the General Post Office which was the site of a major battle during the war for Irish freedom and still has bullet holes in the columns out front. We found the Ha' Penny Bridge and walked across it. We wandered through the Temple Bar district which is the entertainment district for Dublin. From there, we returned to the room tired from 9 hours of walking and exploring.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Tired!!!!I k
Thursday-Friday, May 10-11, 2012
The delay at the airport yesterday was due to high winds in Newark rather than the rain in San Antonio. When winds get beyond a certain velocity, they must spread out the arrivals of planes more than normal. We were waiting for the word that we could land once we had flown there. It finally came about 2:30--a whole hour before it had originally been expected. That relieved me, because I knew it meant I would have plenty of time for my connection in Newark. And, sure enough, we arrived at 7:45 p.m. with the Belfast plane not scheduled to take off until 9:05.
Tired of sitting and concerned about Wes' flight, I walked to his gate. His flight was expected at 8:20 which would only give him 45 minutes to catch the Belfast plane. Because the gate was all the way across the terminal, I was worried about catching the flight myself, so I headed back to the Belfast gate without waiting for him. On the way, I ran into him. He had arrived on an earlier flight about the time that I arrived. They had changed his flight from Houston to an earlier one out of fear that he might not make the connection.
The flight to Belfast wasn't too bad. I watched a film from Brazil (Os 3), ate dinner, and slept off and on for 3-4 hours. It's only about 5 1/2 hours from New York to Belfast. Once we arrived, everything went fast. The airport in Belfast is about the size of the one in Corpus Christi. We were out of there and on a bus to town fast. Then we got a train ticket to Dublin just 5 minutes before the next train was leaving. That got us here at 1:30 p.m. There was sunshine with clouds in a distance. We walked to our hotel to pass time and keep ourselves awake.
The room is very nice and confortable. I showered to help wake me up. Then we went back into town to wander and explore with no specific goals in mind today. We walked by Trinity College and through it. We walked down the pedestrian shopping street. We wandered through the Temple Bar area. Occasionally we had to step inside or under an awning while awaiting the passage of showers. One such shower included some tiny bits of hail.
Exhausted and tired, we didn't want to eat much. We stopped at a Spar market and bought some salami, bread, raspberry jam, and some cola. ` We will snack on that tonight. I brought some melatonin for us to take to help us sleep through the night so we will be rested to really start our tour of Dublin tomorrow.
The delay at the airport yesterday was due to high winds in Newark rather than the rain in San Antonio. When winds get beyond a certain velocity, they must spread out the arrivals of planes more than normal. We were waiting for the word that we could land once we had flown there. It finally came about 2:30--a whole hour before it had originally been expected. That relieved me, because I knew it meant I would have plenty of time for my connection in Newark. And, sure enough, we arrived at 7:45 p.m. with the Belfast plane not scheduled to take off until 9:05.
Tired of sitting and concerned about Wes' flight, I walked to his gate. His flight was expected at 8:20 which would only give him 45 minutes to catch the Belfast plane. Because the gate was all the way across the terminal, I was worried about catching the flight myself, so I headed back to the Belfast gate without waiting for him. On the way, I ran into him. He had arrived on an earlier flight about the time that I arrived. They had changed his flight from Houston to an earlier one out of fear that he might not make the connection.
The flight to Belfast wasn't too bad. I watched a film from Brazil (Os 3), ate dinner, and slept off and on for 3-4 hours. It's only about 5 1/2 hours from New York to Belfast. Once we arrived, everything went fast. The airport in Belfast is about the size of the one in Corpus Christi. We were out of there and on a bus to town fast. Then we got a train ticket to Dublin just 5 minutes before the next train was leaving. That got us here at 1:30 p.m. There was sunshine with clouds in a distance. We walked to our hotel to pass time and keep ourselves awake.
The room is very nice and confortable. I showered to help wake me up. Then we went back into town to wander and explore with no specific goals in mind today. We walked by Trinity College and through it. We walked down the pedestrian shopping street. We wandered through the Temple Bar area. Occasionally we had to step inside or under an awning while awaiting the passage of showers. One such shower included some tiny bits of hail.
Exhausted and tired, we didn't want to eat much. We stopped at a Spar market and bought some salami, bread, raspberry jam, and some cola. ` We will snack on that tonight. I brought some melatonin for us to take to help us sleep through the night so we will be rested to really start our tour of Dublin tomorrow.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Rain Delay for Me
Thursday, May 10, 2012--San Antonio
We are having thunderstorms in San Antonio. They weren't supposed to start until around 4:00 p.m., but they started around 9:00 a.m. There is also a system of storms in the Newark area. Because of the storms, there is a flight delay for my San Antonio to Newark segment. As of right now, it is scheduled to depart at 3:14 rather than 1:56. Fortunately, there is some padding in my schedule. Presently, they expect us to arrive in Newark at 8:20 which would give me 50 minutes to make my connection for my 9:30 flight from there to Belfast. United has sent two e-mails with time updates; fortunately that latest one moved the departure time up by 15 minutes. I've checked the flights for Wes, and his seem to be okay. He wrote me yesterday saying that he was ill in the morning with diarrhea and vomiting. I haven't heard from him since, so I guess it was just a momentary bout of illness. I hope so; I would hate to think that I haven't heard because it became severe with hospitalization and the inability to reach me.
We are having thunderstorms in San Antonio. They weren't supposed to start until around 4:00 p.m., but they started around 9:00 a.m. There is also a system of storms in the Newark area. Because of the storms, there is a flight delay for my San Antonio to Newark segment. As of right now, it is scheduled to depart at 3:14 rather than 1:56. Fortunately, there is some padding in my schedule. Presently, they expect us to arrive in Newark at 8:20 which would give me 50 minutes to make my connection for my 9:30 flight from there to Belfast. United has sent two e-mails with time updates; fortunately that latest one moved the departure time up by 15 minutes. I've checked the flights for Wes, and his seem to be okay. He wrote me yesterday saying that he was ill in the morning with diarrhea and vomiting. I haven't heard from him since, so I guess it was just a momentary bout of illness. I hope so; I would hate to think that I haven't heard because it became severe with hospitalization and the inability to reach me.
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Itinerary for Trip to Ireland
Wes, my close friend and former colleague at the university in Corpus Christi, will be traveling with me. He and I are departing for Belfast on Thursday, May 10, and will spend 2 1/2 weeks visiting both Northern Ireland and Ireland. There are few details for our trip since we are hoping to be flexible as we explore the island, but a general itinerary is in place with a few room reservations. These plans were made with consideration of area sites that we could drive to visit from each location. The specific places to stay were often chosen because of the availability of twin-bedded rooms; in Ireland it is common for guest accommodations to have only a double bed which can feel small and uncomfortable. It took hours to search for places with twin beds! Here is the itinerary followed by the two books I am taking to read on this short trip:
May 10--Wes departs from Corpus Christi while I depart from San Antonio. We both end up on the same flight from Newark to Belfast that evening.
May 11--Arrival in Belfast. Airport Express Bus 300 to Europa Center. Take Enterprise train from Belfast Central to Dublin. Sandymount Hotel (3 nights)
May 14--Pick up car from Budget Rental. Drive to Cork. Belvedere Lodge (2 nights)
May 16--Drive to Kilarney. Arbutus Hotel (3 nights)
May 19--Drive to Galway. Amber Lodge (2 nights)
May 21--Drive to Sligo (1 night) No hotel selection yet
May 22--Drive to Dublin (1 nights) Hotel in airport area, but no selection yet
May 23--Return rental car. Take Goldline Bus 274 from Dublin Airport to Londonderry (2 nights) No hotel selection yet.
May 25--Take train to Belfast (3 nights) No hotel selected yet Rent a car either May 26 or 27 for day trip along northern coast of Northern Ireland
May 28--Take Airport Express Bus 200 to Belfast Airport. Return to Texas.
Books I'm taking to read on this trip:
Freedom: A Novel by Jonathan Franzen
Fieldwork: A Novel by Mischa Berlinski
May 10--Wes departs from Corpus Christi while I depart from San Antonio. We both end up on the same flight from Newark to Belfast that evening.
May 11--Arrival in Belfast. Airport Express Bus 300 to Europa Center. Take Enterprise train from Belfast Central to Dublin. Sandymount Hotel (3 nights)
May 14--Pick up car from Budget Rental. Drive to Cork. Belvedere Lodge (2 nights)
May 16--Drive to Kilarney. Arbutus Hotel (3 nights)
May 19--Drive to Galway. Amber Lodge (2 nights)
May 21--Drive to Sligo (1 night) No hotel selection yet
May 22--Drive to Dublin (1 nights) Hotel in airport area, but no selection yet
May 23--Return rental car. Take Goldline Bus 274 from Dublin Airport to Londonderry (2 nights) No hotel selection yet.
May 25--Take train to Belfast (3 nights) No hotel selected yet Rent a car either May 26 or 27 for day trip along northern coast of Northern Ireland
May 28--Take Airport Express Bus 200 to Belfast Airport. Return to Texas.
Books I'm taking to read on this trip:
Freedom: A Novel by Jonathan Franzen
Fieldwork: A Novel by Mischa Berlinski
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