Monday, June 30, 2008

Last Ireland post!


Now we come to the end of our journey. Let’s get some good contemporary Irish music on this final gallery – my favorite Irish boys from a teensy little band called U2. Click here, click slideshows, and enter "ireland5"



On day 9, we visited County Kilkenny and took in some amazing sights. We wandered off the beaten path to explore Kells Priory, an ancient monastic site. You can see from the map in the gallery just how extensive this site was. It took some walking and exploring to reach the site, and again, we were the only ones there (aside from some workers restoring part of the site). We actually started out in the wrong place, started to walk across a field filled with sheep and scattered with sheep byproduct. Afraid of stepping in ick, and also afraid of being attacked by sheep (do sheep attack?), we retreated and drove to the proper entrance of the priory.



Then we headed to nearby Jerpoint Abbey, a very famous landmark near Thomastown. Jerpoint Abbey was constructed in 1180AD, and is still mostly intact, with some beautiful carvings. Luckily, as with much of our trip, we didn’t have to compete with masses of tourists!



Driving through the country was just lovely – hilly, green, curvy and lots of sheep!



We drove into Kilkenny and walked around a bit, but the town was packed and traffic was utterly horrible. We stopped for a smoothie and watched people going about their lives. There was a decent fiddle player performing in a busy alley. In our 20 minutes of sitting, we must have heard “Memories” three times. Must have been a popular tipping song.



Finally, leaving the throngs behind, we headed to our bed and breakfast. Oh. My. Goodness. Ballaghtobin Country House has been in the owner’s family for about 400 years. It was partially destroyed by a fire and rebuilt, but much of the original structure and style remains. And oh, was it lovely. Truly a graceful old house, full of character. The sitting room was full of books! Oh joy! Kevin and I took a stroll around the extensive grounds, taking in the ruined Norman church, huge old trees, lovely gardens and overrun wild growth. Ballaghtobin is still a working farm, and is slowly being restored. We met two lovely old English chaps, friends since childhood and continuing a tradition of vacationing together every year. What else do you discuss with the English but politics and economics? In the library? Over glasses of wine? Oh my, it was fun.



The next day, day 10, was our last day in Ireland. We made our way east to Glendalough (pronounced glen-da-lock). This is the area where St. Kevin wandered in the 6th century seeking serenity and a place for meditation. But his popularity grew and people sought him out, building churches, living quarters and a school. We saw the upper lake, a ruined church, a waterfall, and we also did some hiking. We could tell that tourist season was in full swing in early May – the parking lot for the lower lake and substantial monastic settlement was overflowing!



Leaving St. Kevin behind (but not MY saint Kevin), we drove to Powerscourt Estate, a 13th century castle restored in the 18th and 20th centuries. Now the estate contains 47 acres of landscaped gardens including Japanese gardens, Triton lake, walled gardens and lovely gates. We spent some wonderful time wandering in the sunshine before we had to drive back to Dublin.



We stayed our final, bittersweet night at the Azalea Lounge B&B, a lovely restored Georgian house from 1917. We again enjoyed lovely Dublin food (Dublin has AMAZING food) and prepared to depart. The next morning we returned to the airport and departed.



Ireland was absolutely fantastic, and we WILL be going back someday! What a dream trip!

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Day 7 continued, Day 8, and morning of Day 9...


Day 7: Killarney National Park, continued.


Click here, go to slideshows, and type “ireland4.”


We finished our time in Killarney National Park with a long hike to a place called “meeting of the waters,” where two lakes flowed into one another. It was absolutely peaceful and gorgeous. We encountered only one other person on the trail, a fisherman headed to a famous Salmon fishing bridge in the park. I say park, but it is absolutely gigantic, with miles upon miles (or I should say kilometers) of hiking, lakes, mountains, etc.


We also drove to a scenic overlook where the view… oh my, it was one of the most wonderful things I have ever seen.


After our hike, we stopped at an enchanting little church that we had passed a few times on the road between Killarney and Kenmare, the Derrycunnihy Church.


Then, on DAY 8, we left Kenmare and drove to County Tipperary. Our first stop was a quick jaunt to the well-preserved castle in Cahir (pronounced “care”). Many castles we visited were run down and crumbling, but this one was largely intact, and some rooms were even furnished! We saw stairways, huge rooms, the dungeon, and even got to climb narrow stairways up to the castle turret and outer walls. It was fabulous!


After our lunch and castle visit in Cahir, we drove about 20 minutes north to our main destination, Cashel. From our B&B window, we could see the biggest attraction in town – the Rock of Cashel, also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick's Rock. This amazing fortress contained many buildings, most of which date from the 12th and 13th centuries. The Rock of Cashel served as the traditional seat of the Kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion, though few remnants if any of the early structures survive (thanks Wikipedia!).


Our B&B, Ladyswell House Cashel, was gorgeous!! The bright yellow door was a great start – the interior was striking, and included a massive library and sitting room. Our room on the second floor contained my absolute favorite feature – a bay window! Not only did the window give us a great view of the street below, but we could also see the Rock of Cashel in the distance, which was lit beautifully at night.


The Rock itself was fascinating – the view of the countryside was unmatched! Unfortunately, it kept pouring during our visit. This wouldn’t be so bad if the ruins actually had a roof! Ah, the charm of Ireland J. It had been perfectly sunny all day, but rain came all of the sudden and continued all night. Luckily my sweet husband rescued me with our umbrella and held it while I snapped a few last photos before admitting precipitation defeat.


From the Rock of Cashel, we could see Hore Abbey (a ruined Cistercian monestary) about 2km away. This is where we headed after checking out on DAY 9. The abbey was, of course, lovely. It provided great views of the Rock of Cashel as well! And Kevin had much fun with the funny entrance gate.


Next, we headed to the Kilkenny area. The last gallery will be online soon!!



A NOTE ABOUT THE GALLERIES





  • Make sure your sound is on! Fun music accompanies each slideshow.


  • If your computer connection is slow, it’s best to the let the slideshow cycle through once before you view it (just walk away for a few minutes). That way the photos are pre-loaded.


  • You can go through the slideshows at your own pace – use the left and right arrow buttons under the photo.


  • Many of these photos are available as signed fine art 11x14 prints for $49 each. Just email me if you are interested in purchasing any. Make it a gallery wrap (printed on canvas, no need for a frame) for $110.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Ireland days 6 & 7


Day 6: On the road from Galway and the Cliffs of Moher to Kenmare, with a stop in Killarney.



Click here, go to slideshows, and type “ireland3.”







Running behind (we had to check in at our next b&b by a certain time), we stopped in Killarney. Again, we only made it as far as the church before it poured. Are you seeing a pattern here? The sound of heavy rain made for a serene experience, embraced by the shelter of the church as we explored. And what a gorgeous church it was! A newer gothic revival church, St. Mary’s Cathedral was built starting in 1842.



From Killarney, we drove through Killarney National Park (WOW), with some absolutely insane curvy roads, until we reached the village of Kenmare. This was my favorite village of our whole trip. It was small, compact, and absolutely charming. Kenmare also was our best pub experience. After listening to live music at the Coachman’s, we headed to Crowley’s bar. This was a tiny bar, and on that night there was a woman, the bartender, and an older couple from Australia (a big football/soccer match accounted for the empty bar). Undaunted, we sat down for a drink and had a nice chat with the Australians (on a three month holiday! What joy!) and the bartender.



On their advice, the next day we headed out to drive the Ring of Beara. This is a route along the Beara Peninsula, partly in County Cork and partly County Kerry. Now, you may have heard of the fantastic Ring of Kerry, which is a must on tourist itineraries for the amazing views of the Irish coastline. Well, the Ring of Beara offers the same rugged, wild, blissful views but with almost none of the tourists and no tour buses. Heeding advice from locals and the Australians alike, we were not disappointed. One of my favorite parts was the village of Eyeries, County Cork. The houses were painted absolutely brilliant colors! The Australian couple asked some villagers why they painted them such bright colors. Did they have guidelines or rules or village ordinances? No, they replied- because that area can be so bleak in the winter, they paint their houses bright colors to brighten their spirits!



Then we spent some time in Killarney National Park. We visited Torc Waterfall, and then headed to Muckross Abbey (a former Franciscan friary founded in 1448). Muckross Abbey was another glorious ruin that we were free to wander on our own. Part of it was under construction and was barricaded, but the accessible parts were lovely!



That night, looking for some music but failing, we headed back to Crowley’s. This night it was packed – but the Australians were there too! We sat down with our new friends and enjoyed a few drinks. Then, when we were about to leave, we were told that the music was about to begin. One lone man pulled out his guiter, sat next to another gentleman, and began singing “Bye, bye miss American pie.…” Ha! Unbelievable. Even more amusing was that at the chorus, the entire bar chimed in. Two Americans, surrounded by Irish, being serenaded by an American classic.



After that, the guitar player went around and played while individuals sang. It was utterly lovely. A wonderful grandfatherly man sang a beautiful traditional irish song, someone sang a lullaby, someone sang Janice Joplin, you get the picture. I almost cried when we had to leave, the experience was so perfect.







Next, I’ll have a few more photos from Killarney National Park that wouldn’t fit in gallery 3. Then, on to central Ireland!








Friday, June 13, 2008

Ireland days 4, 5 & 6: Or, I am in love with this place


More updates! Day 4, 5 & 6 photos are here! Click here, go to Slideshows, and enter the password “ireland2.”



These photos chronicle our journey from little Clifden to Galway, with a detour in Oughterard. We had planned to walk around in Oughterard, but only made it as far as the church before it started pouring. Admitting defeat, we headed to Galway. Devondell Guest House is where our favorite hostess, the charming Berna, met us with tea and a huge assortment of wonderful snacks by a roaring fire. Berna also cooked absolutely amazing breakfasts. We adore her! As I mentioned in my previous post, Galway was fantastic, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there (too short, of course!)



After leaving Galway, on the advice of several knowledgeable people, we detoured to the Cliffs of Moher (phonetically: More). Apparently every self-respecting tourist goes here to admire the sheer 700 foot drop from meadow to the Atlantic! It was absolutely gorgeous – definitely overrun with tourists, but that’s what we were too! It was an incredible view, worth exploring for longer. But alas, we had to be off!



Next installment… on to Killarney!!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Ireland on the brain.

Here are some of my reflections from our (too) short time there:


GREEN.


Yes, Ireland is very green. Surprisingly, there was also a lot of yellow bushes blooming everywhere, purple mountains, and various gorgeous blues. But lots of green, due to the following:


RAIN.


It is also true that it rains a TON. As you will see in the photos, they sky was frequently gray! Actually I stitched together this great panoramic shot of the Galway sky… blue in one corner, storm clouds in the other! It would pour for 20 minutes, then the blue sky would return for an hour. If you foolishly thought the weather had passed and ventured out, you would likely get caught in another rainstorm! The difference between Ireland and Michigan is that there it rains in spurts and everyone can go back to their business, while here it is grey and rainy for days on end.


OLD.


Many of my photos are of old and ancient Ireland. Actually, Ireland is very vibrant and young, especially in larger cities. However, it’s difficult to whip out your camera in the middle of massive (and fast-moving) crowds of people to showcase modernity in Ireland. It is, however, a marvelous and sometimes crazy blend of old and new.


GUINNESS.


Yes, dear husband Kevin did try Guinness in Ireland. He had to. He didn’t like it in the states, but our taxi driver, a fourth generation Dubliner, convinced Kevin that he must just try it while in Ireland. Try it he did, and a fan of Guinness was born. I, however, continue to despise the taste of beer, but I bravely tried and loved Magner’s Irish Cider (Bulmer’s in the states). Strongbow is good, but definitely not equal.


COLD.


Yes, I am wearing coats, hats, and sweaters much of the time. Ireland is chilly in spring!


DUBLIN.


Stumbling off of our plane at 8am (Ireland time), 1 am our time, with almost no sleep… that was our introduction to Dublin! We had some wonderful wanderings around the city, with wonderful food (so many fantastic vegetarian options!! Woohoo!!) and beautiful sights. Dublin is young, vibrant, and ever in motion.


CLIFDEN/CONNEMARA.


On day 3 we drove to the ancient monastic site of Clonmacnoise. It was perfect and sunny and warm. We headed to the Connemara region, to our B&B in Clifden. Connemara is wild and stunningly beautiful, containing the tallest mountain range in Ireland. Our B&B was in the country a bit, and was an absolutely gorgeous restored home.


GALWAY.


Ah, Galway. One of my favorite places in Ireland. It is the music and culture capital of western Ireland. This is where we experienced our first craic – we went to Crane Bar, where two musicians were hired to play. By the end of our time there, 13 musicians were playing together – fiddles, guitars, banjos, flutes, an accordion… it was absolutely heavenly. Galway is just a beautiful city, and we found a great sweater shop there too!


More stories and photos to come!!

I'm back!!

After an extremely busy few months, I am back to blogging! After Ireland, I was in Boston for a weeklong seminar, then in Lansing for a training event with my company. Then I was just trying to catch up after so much time away! And pictures are here!! I finally have something to show for our lovely trip to Ireland. Since I had so much trouble narrowing them down, and since I know friends and family want to see oodles of pictures, I will be putting them in galleries every few days so as not to be too overwhelming.


Days 1-3 are now ready! Go to “Slideshows” and type “ireland1” and click submit.


Stay tuned for more galleries and snippets!

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