Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Day 7-- The Burren Day 8-- Sligo, Donegal, Letterkerry
Sorry for the missing update....we were at a ceile last night!
We finally had a hot Irish breakfast this morning. The sausage was pretty good, but my eggs were runny. I'm not a runny-eggs person. So far this trip the food has been really, really good. We got on the bus and headed north up the Clare coast to an area called the Burren. Most of Ireland is lush green fields, but the Burren is sparce, with a rocky limestone landscape. The word that kept coming to mind when I looked out at the countryside was 'ancient'. It just feels old here. I don't know how to explain it. We stopped several times to take pictures. At the first stop, several of us headed down to the water to take pictures. I have a great one of Lucas, Traci Tokerud's boyfriend, standing right on the very edge taking a picture. It makes my knees weak just to look at it.
We circled around Black Head and skirted Galway Bay before we headed back south. We were going up a stretch of road called the Corkscrew when we met another bus. It was about a half hour of us backing up, them coming toward us, tourists in little cars trying to pass us, tour guides getting off the buses looking to see where we could go to get out of the way, and bus drivers holding their heads in disgust until we finally got to a wider place in the road so that the buses could pass. When they finally went around, all of the passengers on both buses waved, and I swear that there was only about an inch between the two buses. As our driver Dave told me this morning, these Irish roads are not made for buses.
Once at the top of the Corkscrew, we went to a small village named Kilfenora to have lunch at the pub (very good) and tour the local 12th century cathedral ruin. They have 5 early Christian crosses there that were amazing. Our tour guide Bryan has a friend and fellow EF guide Katie that lives in Kilfenora, and she gave us a small tour and invited us to come back for the ceili (pronounced kaylee) that evening. The crosses were amazing and in great shape for being so old.
After Kilfenora we went to Ailwee Cave, stopping at an ancient (4500 years old) burial tomb. Of course I can't think of the name of it right now, but it will come to me. We stopped there for just a few minutes and then went to the caves to tour them. They were neat, but I've heard that Lewis and Clark Caverns are better. Then it was back to our hotel again to eat supper.
After supper we went back to Kilfenora to have an Irish set dance lesson from a National Champion dancer and then to watch the locals dance. Some of our group even participated in the dancing. It was pretty cool. It was in this very old barn, with two long narrow rooms that had open doorways between them. The band set up at one end of the narrower room, and there were sets, four couples to a set, all down the room. We watched old man after old man come into the barn, barely able to walk, but when the music started their legs were moving so fast you couldn't keep up. All of the locals were so nice, and Bryan got a text message from Katie today telling him that the town enjoyed having us there last night. It was one of the coolest things that we've done in Ireland.
I'm going to combine today into this entry also, because today was mostly a driving day. We left Livsoondarna this morning and headed for Letterkerry, by way of Sligo and Donegal. We stopped at Yeats' grave in Sligo, and had lunch in Donegal. We didn't have a lot of time at either place, but Montana did have the front of the bus this morning. Tammy and I rode down in the elevator this morning with Dave the Driver, and he let us on. We giggled the whole way.
We had a total dumb American moment this evening. Everything in Europe is smaller, including the elevators. The one in this hotel is supposed to hold 8 people. Well, we got 5 Americans on it, and the alarm started going off and an electronic voice said, "Overloaded! Overloaded!" Not a good feeling.
Tomorrow we are off for Derry, which is a walled city in Northern Ireland. Our trip is fast coming to a close.
We finally had a hot Irish breakfast this morning. The sausage was pretty good, but my eggs were runny. I'm not a runny-eggs person. So far this trip the food has been really, really good. We got on the bus and headed north up the Clare coast to an area called the Burren. Most of Ireland is lush green fields, but the Burren is sparce, with a rocky limestone landscape. The word that kept coming to mind when I looked out at the countryside was 'ancient'. It just feels old here. I don't know how to explain it. We stopped several times to take pictures. At the first stop, several of us headed down to the water to take pictures. I have a great one of Lucas, Traci Tokerud's boyfriend, standing right on the very edge taking a picture. It makes my knees weak just to look at it.
We circled around Black Head and skirted Galway Bay before we headed back south. We were going up a stretch of road called the Corkscrew when we met another bus. It was about a half hour of us backing up, them coming toward us, tourists in little cars trying to pass us, tour guides getting off the buses looking to see where we could go to get out of the way, and bus drivers holding their heads in disgust until we finally got to a wider place in the road so that the buses could pass. When they finally went around, all of the passengers on both buses waved, and I swear that there was only about an inch between the two buses. As our driver Dave told me this morning, these Irish roads are not made for buses.
Once at the top of the Corkscrew, we went to a small village named Kilfenora to have lunch at the pub (very good) and tour the local 12th century cathedral ruin. They have 5 early Christian crosses there that were amazing. Our tour guide Bryan has a friend and fellow EF guide Katie that lives in Kilfenora, and she gave us a small tour and invited us to come back for the ceili (pronounced kaylee) that evening. The crosses were amazing and in great shape for being so old.
After Kilfenora we went to Ailwee Cave, stopping at an ancient (4500 years old) burial tomb. Of course I can't think of the name of it right now, but it will come to me. We stopped there for just a few minutes and then went to the caves to tour them. They were neat, but I've heard that Lewis and Clark Caverns are better. Then it was back to our hotel again to eat supper.
After supper we went back to Kilfenora to have an Irish set dance lesson from a National Champion dancer and then to watch the locals dance. Some of our group even participated in the dancing. It was pretty cool. It was in this very old barn, with two long narrow rooms that had open doorways between them. The band set up at one end of the narrower room, and there were sets, four couples to a set, all down the room. We watched old man after old man come into the barn, barely able to walk, but when the music started their legs were moving so fast you couldn't keep up. All of the locals were so nice, and Bryan got a text message from Katie today telling him that the town enjoyed having us there last night. It was one of the coolest things that we've done in Ireland.
I'm going to combine today into this entry also, because today was mostly a driving day. We left Livsoondarna this morning and headed for Letterkerry, by way of Sligo and Donegal. We stopped at Yeats' grave in Sligo, and had lunch in Donegal. We didn't have a lot of time at either place, but Montana did have the front of the bus this morning. Tammy and I rode down in the elevator this morning with Dave the Driver, and he let us on. We giggled the whole way.
We had a total dumb American moment this evening. Everything in Europe is smaller, including the elevators. The one in this hotel is supposed to hold 8 people. Well, we got 5 Americans on it, and the alarm started going off and an electronic voice said, "Overloaded! Overloaded!" Not a good feeling.
Tomorrow we are off for Derry, which is a walled city in Northern Ireland. Our trip is fast coming to a close.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Ireland, Day 6-- Bunratty Castle and the Cliffs of Moher
Well, good news! We got Perri into the bar last night. We all ended up at a pub in downtown Killarney, drinking a pint and listening to some music. It was awesome. The old ones walked home around 11pm, and the young ones stayed until about midnight.
This morning I was once again up for the day at 5:30 am. I got ready and then went to find Peggy and Arleen, whose room was on the first floor. I was sitting in the window because it was so hot when I realized that the bus was just outside the room, and our driver was on it. Peggy started teasing about how she should crawl out and hand somebody her luggage so that she didn't have to haul it up the half-flight of stairs up to street level. I turned around, opened the window wide, and climbed out. We were joking and laughing and they took pictures of me climbing back in.
When we went to breakfast, Laurie, Alisa, and Traci were already in there. I walked into the room and they all yelled, "Why are you climbing out of the window?!?" Apparently the dining room overlooked the window that I was climbing out of, so Laurie took a picture of me. Oops.
When we got on the bus, we went to Bunratty Castle, which is a 15 century castle that was restored from 1954 to 1967 by a Lord and Lady Cort. They then donated the castle to Ireland, so it is now a national monument. Our guide was an awesome Irishman named Jack (Sean in Gaelic) who hammed it up big-time. The castle was awesome, but the real neat part was the village that was attached. Think Williamsburg, only in Ireland. We had lunch there, and then headed down the road to the Cliffs of Moher.
The Cliffs of Moher are by far the neatest thing that we have seen. We hiked up and took many, many pictures of both sides of the observatory. There is a tower on one side, and I climbed to the very top to take pictures. I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves.
Tonight we are at the Burren Castle Hotel in Livsendoornva. We are staying here for two nights....and it is awesome. We actually had a choice of meal tonight, and now we are off to listen to the live trad music. Tomorrow we are going to the Caves of Ailwee, and tomorrow night we are going to have a chance to learn Irish dances and watch the locals dance. We are very excited about that.
Mom, guess how much that phone call from Dublin cost me!
$41.91. Ouch.
Love you all and miss you much.
Jan and Jen, Molly says hi and she misses you.
This morning I was once again up for the day at 5:30 am. I got ready and then went to find Peggy and Arleen, whose room was on the first floor. I was sitting in the window because it was so hot when I realized that the bus was just outside the room, and our driver was on it. Peggy started teasing about how she should crawl out and hand somebody her luggage so that she didn't have to haul it up the half-flight of stairs up to street level. I turned around, opened the window wide, and climbed out. We were joking and laughing and they took pictures of me climbing back in.
When we went to breakfast, Laurie, Alisa, and Traci were already in there. I walked into the room and they all yelled, "Why are you climbing out of the window?!?" Apparently the dining room overlooked the window that I was climbing out of, so Laurie took a picture of me. Oops.
When we got on the bus, we went to Bunratty Castle, which is a 15 century castle that was restored from 1954 to 1967 by a Lord and Lady Cort. They then donated the castle to Ireland, so it is now a national monument. Our guide was an awesome Irishman named Jack (Sean in Gaelic) who hammed it up big-time. The castle was awesome, but the real neat part was the village that was attached. Think Williamsburg, only in Ireland. We had lunch there, and then headed down the road to the Cliffs of Moher.
The Cliffs of Moher are by far the neatest thing that we have seen. We hiked up and took many, many pictures of both sides of the observatory. There is a tower on one side, and I climbed to the very top to take pictures. I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves.
Tonight we are at the Burren Castle Hotel in Livsendoornva. We are staying here for two nights....and it is awesome. We actually had a choice of meal tonight, and now we are off to listen to the live trad music. Tomorrow we are going to the Caves of Ailwee, and tomorrow night we are going to have a chance to learn Irish dances and watch the locals dance. We are very excited about that.
Mom, guess how much that phone call from Dublin cost me!
$41.91. Ouch.
Love you all and miss you much.
Jan and Jen, Molly says hi and she misses you.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Ireland, Day 5-- The Ring of Kerry
This morning we got up, loaded the bus, and headed for the Ring of Kerry. We spent the entire day there, and ended up in Killarney again at the same place for another night. Last night we sent the young ones (Molly, Traci, Lou, and Lucas)out scouting for hot spots to hear trad music. Meanwhile, the old ones, (Peggy, Tammy, Arlene, Annette, and I) and the REALLY young ones (Perri and Jessie) bought a bottle of Baileys and tried out different candy bars here in Ireland. We had a very relaxing evening, and are pretty sure that the alcohol helped us sleep better, although I was wide awake at 5:30 am.
The Ring of Kerry is a narrow, winding road that encompasses the Kerry Peninsula. It is over 100 km long, and absolutely beautiful. The road is so narrow that if we met any vehicle larger than my little red Neon, somebody would have to stop in the middle of the road. We had lunch at a tiny little village on the sea, which was so small that it didn't have an ATM. We also stopped for ice cream in Sneen.
Coming back down, the road is so winding and narrow that our bus had to drive on the other side to make the corners. This meant that we were careening down the mountain when Andy, our driver, would suddenly slam on the brakes when he met another car. It was quite a ride, but absolutely beautiful and definitely worth the trip.
When we came back, some of us skipped dinner in favor of pub food. Now we are off to sneak Perri into the pub so that we can listen to some trad music.
I forgot my card reader this evening, so no pictures. Hopefully we will have internet access tomorrow in Galway. Bunratty castle tomorrow, and the Cliffs of Moher the day after.
Love you all and miss you much.
Slainte
The Ring of Kerry is a narrow, winding road that encompasses the Kerry Peninsula. It is over 100 km long, and absolutely beautiful. The road is so narrow that if we met any vehicle larger than my little red Neon, somebody would have to stop in the middle of the road. We had lunch at a tiny little village on the sea, which was so small that it didn't have an ATM. We also stopped for ice cream in Sneen.
Coming back down, the road is so winding and narrow that our bus had to drive on the other side to make the corners. This meant that we were careening down the mountain when Andy, our driver, would suddenly slam on the brakes when he met another car. It was quite a ride, but absolutely beautiful and definitely worth the trip.
When we came back, some of us skipped dinner in favor of pub food. Now we are off to sneak Perri into the pub so that we can listen to some trad music.
I forgot my card reader this evening, so no pictures. Hopefully we will have internet access tomorrow in Galway. Bunratty castle tomorrow, and the Cliffs of Moher the day after.
Love you all and miss you much.
Slainte
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Ireland Day 4-- Blarney and Killarney
We got up this morning and left the Blarney Golf Resort and backtracked toward Cork. Blarney Castle is just minutes from the resort, so we were there in no time. We went into the castle grounds and started walking toward where they told us there was a castle, not seeing anything. Suddenly, we rounded a corner and there it was It's pretty amazing. You can go right up to the top, using the original stairways. These stairways are steep and curve to the right, making it almost impossible for invaders to use their sword arm as they climbed into the castle. We went all the way to the top of the castle and kissed the Blarney Stone. You have to lay on your back, grab onto two railings, and lean way far back into empty space. An old Irishman has a hold of you, but I felt like I was going to slide and keep on sliding. The cool thing about Ireland is that pretty much nothing is closed off to visitors. We looked into the dungeons, caves, climbed on the walls....everything. We also had a memorial service for Bret Wanken and scattered some of his ashes at the Castle. It was very moving.
After we kissed the Blarney Stone, we had a couple of hours to do some major shopping in the Blarney Woolen Mills. Yes, mom, I bought Waterford. I got a nine-inch vase. We are having it shipped home for free. I can't wait for it to get there! We had lunch there, and then hit one more shop before we left town. The two ladies that ran this shop were a kick. They loved us, told us how to pronounce things in Gaelic, and watched for our bus to leave town and waved to us as we left. They told us that they had "just a wee Irish shop".
After we left Blarney, we headed for Killarney. This is a very beautiful town. We have walked into town twice now....once to see a beautiful cathedral and once to use the internet cafe. We are off to see the Ring of Kerry. We are in Killarney one more night and then head up the coast to Galway and the Cliffs of Mohr. We are having a great time, but we are tired. Love and miss you all very much.
After we kissed the Blarney Stone, we had a couple of hours to do some major shopping in the Blarney Woolen Mills. Yes, mom, I bought Waterford. I got a nine-inch vase. We are having it shipped home for free. I can't wait for it to get there! We had lunch there, and then hit one more shop before we left town. The two ladies that ran this shop were a kick. They loved us, told us how to pronounce things in Gaelic, and watched for our bus to leave town and waved to us as we left. They told us that they had "just a wee Irish shop".
After we left Blarney, we headed for Killarney. This is a very beautiful town. We have walked into town twice now....once to see a beautiful cathedral and once to use the internet cafe. We are off to see the Ring of Kerry. We are in Killarney one more night and then head up the coast to Galway and the Cliffs of Mohr. We are having a great time, but we are tired. Love and miss you all very much.
More Pictures from Day 3
Me at the pier that the immigrants used to board the liners. It is very dilapidated.
For some reason this picture WILL NOT post correctly. This is the cathedral above Cobh.
Pictures from Day 3
Peggy and I at the Rock of Cashel.
Killian and his groupies at the INS.
$65,000,000 USD horse.
Killian at the INS.
Traci getting a piggyback ride from Molly at the INS.
Ireland, Day 3-- Irish National Stud, Rock of Cashel, Cobh
Hello! Last night we were at the Blarney Golf resort, and while it is an amazing, beautiful, 4-star resort...there was no internet. So, I'm updating two days here in Killarney.
We left Dublin yesterday morning in dense fog, but it burned off by the time that we got to the Irish National Stud. What a beautiful place. There was also a Japanese Gardens there...not something that I expected to see in Ireland! The grounds were very lush and green, of course, but they were also meticulously maintained. We saw several different studs, including their top stud, Invincible Spirit. Last year they were offered $65,000,000 USD for him, but they felt that wasn't enough money. Crazy. Our guide was a young Irishman named Killian, and most of the girls on the tour were crazy about him.
After leaving the INS, we headed south to the Rock of Cashel. Cashel is a town that has a huge medieval castle overlooking it. The castle is in very good shape and built on a large rock, hence the name. :) Some members of our tour went into the castle, but I followed the rules and did not go in. We had lunch in a gorgeous little cafe above a gift shop. The sandwiches were delicious.
After lunch we headed down the road to Cobh, formerly known as Queenstown. It is an amazing little town which is right on the southern tip of Ireland, and where most of the immigrants left Ireland starting during the Famine (1841) and ending in 1970. This town was Titanic's last port of call, so you can imagine how exciting it was for me. It is also right near where the Lusitania was sunk. All of the survivors of the Lusitania were brought to Queenstown. The Heritage Center is very well done, with information about the millions of immigrants that left Ireland and the different ships that carried them across the pond. After the Heritage Center, we walked to the original pier that served the liners such as the Titanic and the Luisitania. Very, very cool. Our guide told us about a cathedral that is in Cobh and told some people that they would be able to walk to it if they didn't want to go to the Heritage center. I looked up the hill and saw a church spire and thought, "Well, that's nice, but I can see lots of churches." I didn't realize until we went to find the pier that what I thought was a cathedral was actually just a small church, and the cathedral was a HUGE, amazing building overlooking the harbor and town. I wish that I would have been able to go see it. Next time I'm in Cobh I am going.
After we left Cobh, we headed up the road, through Cork and Limerack to the Blarney Golf Resort, where we spent the night. We had a suite of rooms there, with a kitchen, living room, balcony, two bedrooms, and a bathtub. Peggy and Arlene had an electric shower in their room. I should have tried it, because I had never heard of an electric shower before.
We left Dublin yesterday morning in dense fog, but it burned off by the time that we got to the Irish National Stud. What a beautiful place. There was also a Japanese Gardens there...not something that I expected to see in Ireland! The grounds were very lush and green, of course, but they were also meticulously maintained. We saw several different studs, including their top stud, Invincible Spirit. Last year they were offered $65,000,000 USD for him, but they felt that wasn't enough money. Crazy. Our guide was a young Irishman named Killian, and most of the girls on the tour were crazy about him.
After leaving the INS, we headed south to the Rock of Cashel. Cashel is a town that has a huge medieval castle overlooking it. The castle is in very good shape and built on a large rock, hence the name. :) Some members of our tour went into the castle, but I followed the rules and did not go in. We had lunch in a gorgeous little cafe above a gift shop. The sandwiches were delicious.
After lunch we headed down the road to Cobh, formerly known as Queenstown. It is an amazing little town which is right on the southern tip of Ireland, and where most of the immigrants left Ireland starting during the Famine (1841) and ending in 1970. This town was Titanic's last port of call, so you can imagine how exciting it was for me. It is also right near where the Lusitania was sunk. All of the survivors of the Lusitania were brought to Queenstown. The Heritage Center is very well done, with information about the millions of immigrants that left Ireland and the different ships that carried them across the pond. After the Heritage Center, we walked to the original pier that served the liners such as the Titanic and the Luisitania. Very, very cool. Our guide told us about a cathedral that is in Cobh and told some people that they would be able to walk to it if they didn't want to go to the Heritage center. I looked up the hill and saw a church spire and thought, "Well, that's nice, but I can see lots of churches." I didn't realize until we went to find the pier that what I thought was a cathedral was actually just a small church, and the cathedral was a HUGE, amazing building overlooking the harbor and town. I wish that I would have been able to go see it. Next time I'm in Cobh I am going.
After we left Cobh, we headed up the road, through Cork and Limerack to the Blarney Golf Resort, where we spent the night. We had a suite of rooms there, with a kitchen, living room, balcony, two bedrooms, and a bathtub. Peggy and Arlene had an electric shower in their room. I should have tried it, because I had never heard of an electric shower before.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Dublin
Just a random picture of downtown Dublin. The architecture is pretty amazing.
Molly and I at St. Patrick's Cathedral. We are supposed to be paying attention to the guide. She was telling us about Thomas (?) Meagher, who was an Irishman who was a territorial governor of Montana. Meagher County is named after him. When we got to St. Patrick's, she was asking where everyone was from. People were saying Florida, Missouri, etc. Laurie said Montana, and Sally looked up quickly and said, "Really? Montana?" See! We're famous wherever we go!
Streetlight on the streets of Dublin. This is outside somehting like the National Art Museum or Opera House or something equally important.
Ivy growing on the Georgian houses that we saw yesterday. Pretty amazing!
Dublin, Day 2
I must be still tired....I can't think of any pithy titles for these posts.
Today started VERY early for Tammy and I. We woke up at 3 am, got up at 5:30 am, and were downstairs by 6:30 am. We had a great continental breakfast, and then headed into the city center for a guided tour of Dublin. We saw many different medieval churches and some really great Georgian houses. The Georgian houses all have different color doors....really brightly painted doors. We got lots of pictures of them, but unfortunately I can't post them until I get onto a different computer. We took a tour of St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was amazing. It had a door that separated the Fitzgerald's and the Butler's when they were having a fight in 1492. Kind of puts how young America is into perspective, doesn't it? We finished our guided tours with a visit to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. The Long Room (library) was pretty amazing. I bought a poster of the Long Room and one of the Book of Kells there.
After Trinity College, we were on our own for the rest of the day. Several of us had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, because Peggy wanted to get a shot glass. From now on, though, we will be eating in pubs and sandwich shots. My lunch of a bacon cheeseburger cost over $35. No more.
We split up after lunch because some people wanted to shop (Tammy and Arlene) and some of us (Peggy, Perri, and me) wanted to go to Dublin Castle. I am soooo glad that we went to Dublin Castle. It was amazing. The original castle burned in the 18th century, and this is a Georgian mansion built on the same site. The original castle had a tower in each corner, and one survived the fire. The last part of tour included the Powder Tower, which was discovered within the past 20 years when workers started to excavate under a building. They discovered the walls of the tower, the original city walls, and the servants entrance into the castle. Under the ruined tower was the remains of a Viking wall. The Viking wall used a mixture of ox blood, horse hair, and egg for the morter. Ick. We met back at a statue of Molly Malone (the Tart with the Cart) at 6:30 this evening, and went to Citi for a supper of fish and chips. Yes, Mom, you can bet how much I liked that. After dinner, us old fogies came back to the hotel, while the young ones stayed downtown to listen to some Irish music and see some Irish dances. I was much, much too tired to stay downtown. We came back and are going to share a bottle of wine and a Harp's and then go to bed. We all tried Guinness last night, but it's pretty bitter. I think that it is an acquired taste.
It rained off and on today, sometimes very heavily. Nobody here seems to be bothered by the rain. They just open their umbrellas and go on their way.
Tomorrow we are headed for Cork. We will be stopping at the National Stud Farm.
Love you all and miss you.
Today started VERY early for Tammy and I. We woke up at 3 am, got up at 5:30 am, and were downstairs by 6:30 am. We had a great continental breakfast, and then headed into the city center for a guided tour of Dublin. We saw many different medieval churches and some really great Georgian houses. The Georgian houses all have different color doors....really brightly painted doors. We got lots of pictures of them, but unfortunately I can't post them until I get onto a different computer. We took a tour of St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was amazing. It had a door that separated the Fitzgerald's and the Butler's when they were having a fight in 1492. Kind of puts how young America is into perspective, doesn't it? We finished our guided tours with a visit to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. The Long Room (library) was pretty amazing. I bought a poster of the Long Room and one of the Book of Kells there.
After Trinity College, we were on our own for the rest of the day. Several of us had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, because Peggy wanted to get a shot glass. From now on, though, we will be eating in pubs and sandwich shots. My lunch of a bacon cheeseburger cost over $35. No more.
We split up after lunch because some people wanted to shop (Tammy and Arlene) and some of us (Peggy, Perri, and me) wanted to go to Dublin Castle. I am soooo glad that we went to Dublin Castle. It was amazing. The original castle burned in the 18th century, and this is a Georgian mansion built on the same site. The original castle had a tower in each corner, and one survived the fire. The last part of tour included the Powder Tower, which was discovered within the past 20 years when workers started to excavate under a building. They discovered the walls of the tower, the original city walls, and the servants entrance into the castle. Under the ruined tower was the remains of a Viking wall. The Viking wall used a mixture of ox blood, horse hair, and egg for the morter. Ick. We met back at a statue of Molly Malone (the Tart with the Cart) at 6:30 this evening, and went to Citi for a supper of fish and chips. Yes, Mom, you can bet how much I liked that. After dinner, us old fogies came back to the hotel, while the young ones stayed downtown to listen to some Irish music and see some Irish dances. I was much, much too tired to stay downtown. We came back and are going to share a bottle of wine and a Harp's and then go to bed. We all tried Guinness last night, but it's pretty bitter. I think that it is an acquired taste.
It rained off and on today, sometimes very heavily. Nobody here seems to be bothered by the rain. They just open their umbrellas and go on their way.
Tomorrow we are headed for Cork. We will be stopping at the National Stud Farm.
Love you all and miss you.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Dublin, Day 1
We made it! We are here in Dublin, just finished breakfast and waiting to go on a guided tour of the city. Lots of history here....famous bridges and cathedrals and what-not.
We left Great Falls two hours late because of weather, which meant that we were probably going to miss our connection to London. The steward on our flight to Denver was assuring us that they were going to hold the plane for us, but that we needed to run when we got to Denver. We arrived at gate 94 and sprinted through the airport to gate 36, only to have the jerk at the gate tell us that we were too late. The plane was still there, but they weren't going to let us on. Miracles happened, though, and the plane pulled away from the concourse, and then came back to get us! Amazing. We missed our connection in London, but Aer Lingus got us all on the next flight, so we made it to Dublin.
We were greeted at the airport by our tour guide and promptly taken to a pub called Portabello's to meet up with the rest of our group. There are four other groups traveling with us. We ate a delicious meal at the pub and were taken to our hotel. The hotel is on the outskirts of Dublin, but Brian, our tour guide, said that tonight after supper we can stay in the city and he will show us where to catch a bus back to the hotel. We also have the entire afternoon free, so we are trying to figure out where exactly we want to go.
We are going to get to go to Cobh, formerly Queenstown, which was the port where most of the immigrants left Ireland for America. It is also the place where the Luisitania survivors were taken when their ship sank. I'm excited about that.
The weather here has been scattered showers. Dubliner's don't seem to be bothered by the rain. They just go on about their business. It is very muggy and humid here. The hotel doesn't have air conditioning, and the window only opens about 4 inches. We were up early this morning, (5:30) and came down to the lobby because it was so uncomfortable upstairs.
I am paying for internet, and am just about out of time, so I'm going to end here. Remember, if you don't have a blogger account and leave a comment, please leave your name so I know who it is.
Love you all and miss you loads.
We left Great Falls two hours late because of weather, which meant that we were probably going to miss our connection to London. The steward on our flight to Denver was assuring us that they were going to hold the plane for us, but that we needed to run when we got to Denver. We arrived at gate 94 and sprinted through the airport to gate 36, only to have the jerk at the gate tell us that we were too late. The plane was still there, but they weren't going to let us on. Miracles happened, though, and the plane pulled away from the concourse, and then came back to get us! Amazing. We missed our connection in London, but Aer Lingus got us all on the next flight, so we made it to Dublin.
We were greeted at the airport by our tour guide and promptly taken to a pub called Portabello's to meet up with the rest of our group. There are four other groups traveling with us. We ate a delicious meal at the pub and were taken to our hotel. The hotel is on the outskirts of Dublin, but Brian, our tour guide, said that tonight after supper we can stay in the city and he will show us where to catch a bus back to the hotel. We also have the entire afternoon free, so we are trying to figure out where exactly we want to go.
We are going to get to go to Cobh, formerly Queenstown, which was the port where most of the immigrants left Ireland for America. It is also the place where the Luisitania survivors were taken when their ship sank. I'm excited about that.
The weather here has been scattered showers. Dubliner's don't seem to be bothered by the rain. They just go on about their business. It is very muggy and humid here. The hotel doesn't have air conditioning, and the window only opens about 4 inches. We were up early this morning, (5:30) and came down to the lobby because it was so uncomfortable upstairs.
I am paying for internet, and am just about out of time, so I'm going to end here. Remember, if you don't have a blogger account and leave a comment, please leave your name so I know who it is.
Love you all and miss you loads.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
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