Naomi and I had a great time in Ireland. The areas we saw were beautiful and each area had something unique to offer. We saw the coast, the city (Dublin), as well as various areas inland. We loved the food, particularly the butter. I know that sounds weird, but their butter was out of this world. When I came home, I checked to see if anyone here carries it, and I see that Wegmans carries it - Wahoo!!!! The ice cream was also terrific, so rich and creamy. The people were very friendly, although we probably saw more tourists then locals, even though we tried to limit ourselves on tourism areas, it's almost impossible to avoid when you are a tourist. We saw a mix of Americans, Germans, Australians, and French.
Traveling on the roads in Ireland was an adventure, however once you've done "The road to Hana" in Maui, every road after that is a piece of cake. Luckily we had a really nice car, a Saab Aero 93 Turbo Diesel. It really held the road well, had a lot of power, climbed mountains without any hesitation, and gave us pretty good gas mileage at about 40mpg. Gas prices were high, as we expected, about 1.30 Euros a liter ~$5.00/gal. Diesel was only a few cents more then petrol.
We did our best to find pubs that played some traditional Irish Music. We were fortunate to see a few, while drinking several pints of Guinness of course. We even did a Musical Pub Crawl one night in Dublin.
It was definitely a fun trip, we only had light rain on one night. A couple of days it was overcast for part of the day, but most of the time it was warm and sunny. We only needed a light jacket, or many times didn't even need a jacket. Previously they had about 60 straight days of rain, so they were happy to have the nice weather.
It was nice to go to another country that spoke English, but they talk pretty darn fast so you do have to pay attention. Their TV was interesting, they had a mix of American, Irish, German and French stations. They carry some of our major shows like "Desparate Housewives", and we even saw a current show of The Weakest Link (done in England still - I believe).
Hope you poke around the Blog some more, and don't forget to check out the Photos!
Thanks for reading!!!
Sláinte!
~~Kevin & Naomi ~~
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
About this Blog
This Blog (our first), was created for several reasons. It was created partly as a means for us to document our vacation for our own benefit and reflection. It was also created to share our experiences with our family and friends. We hope that those who read this Blog, walk away learning at least one tidbit of information they didn't know about Ireland. If money and time were not an issue, we'd be sure to travel much more then we do. It's lovely to experience people and places of all cultures.
We hope you enjoy reading about our trip, and hopefully learn something new.
Sláinte!!!!
~~Kevin & Naomi
We hope you enjoy reading about our trip, and hopefully learn something new.
Sláinte!!!!
~~Kevin & Naomi
Monday, May 19, 2008
Car we drove
.
Saab 93 Aero Turbo Diesel
Specs....
We rented our car from Hertz in Dublin. Originally we ordered a compact car with no air conditioning, but they enticed me to upgrade. They gave me more then 50% off and this car had AC. The fact that it was diesel probably saved us a bit as well. We got over 40mpg, and even though diesel was about 5 cents more per liter, I think it still payed off. It was a great handling car, held the road well, which can be a blessing on the crazy country roads of Ireland. The only down side was the turning radius sucked. We were used to our Honda CRV which can make a very tight turn, but this car felt like a truck when make U turns. It felt like you were driving an 8 cylinder, it was very peppy, you could feel the turbo kick in when passing cars, which can be an adventure over there. The diesel climbed hills and mountains without effort, unlike some gas cars which can strain to get up hills.
All in all, it was a great car to have in Ireland, it reminded me a bit of my Infiniti I30.
Saab 93 Aero Turbo Diesel
- 4cyl
- 1.0 litre, 16 valve
- 180hp
- 40+mpg
We rented our car from Hertz in Dublin. Originally we ordered a compact car with no air conditioning, but they enticed me to upgrade. They gave me more then 50% off and this car had AC. The fact that it was diesel probably saved us a bit as well. We got over 40mpg, and even though diesel was about 5 cents more per liter, I think it still payed off. It was a great handling car, held the road well, which can be a blessing on the crazy country roads of Ireland. The only down side was the turning radius sucked. We were used to our Honda CRV which can make a very tight turn, but this car felt like a truck when make U turns. It felt like you were driving an 8 cylinder, it was very peppy, you could feel the turbo kick in when passing cars, which can be an adventure over there. The diesel climbed hills and mountains without effort, unlike some gas cars which can strain to get up hills.
All in all, it was a great car to have in Ireland, it reminded me a bit of my Infiniti I30.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Places We Stayed
The Ballynahinch Castle
The View from our Room
Name: Ballynahinch Castle
Town: Recess
Type: Castle
Website: Ballynahinch Castle Website
Comments: 4 Star Hotel overlooking a beautiful winding river. It has both a restaurant and a pub called the fishermans pub. You can rent/borrow (not sure) from a selection of fly fishing rods should you want to fish in the area. Our room had a perfect view of the river. According to the guest book, Brad Pitt and George Clooney stayed there shortly before us but then again that might just be a bit of blarney. We ate in the pub, which had some great food. Ironically one of the best parts of the meal was the fresh vegetables of snow peas and carrots. These were the tastiest and freshest vegetables I have ever experienced. I didn't know vegetables could taste this good. Additionally they served small potatoes which were done to perfection, not too soft and not too hard with amazing flavor.
The Gregans Castle Hotel
Sitting Room
Name: Gregans Castle Ballyvaughan
Town: Ballyvaughan, County Clare (near Doolin)
Type: Hotel
Sites: Cliffs of Moher, Oconners Pub (real Irish Music)
Website: Gregans Castle Ballyvaughan Website
Comments: Very pretty hotel with a wonderful view of mountains and fields. It's a place you MUST eat. The food is some of the best I've ever eaten in my life. I've been to many places that can present food well, but too many lack flavor. The chef here does a phenomenal job in both presentation and flavor. Service was well above par. When we asked the manager for information regarding local tourism information and pubs, he didn't hesitate for one second to get on the phone and inquire about several places for us.
The Shelbourne Lodge B&B
Grass Tennis Courts
Name: Shelbourne Lodge
Town: Kenmare
Type: Bed and Breakfast
Sites: Ring of Kerry
Website: Shelbourne Lodge Website
Comments: Very quaint accommodations. The people were by far the friendliest and most accommodating. We ate dinner in town and when we returned I asked for some coffee. Well I received so much more then just coffee. We were sitting in the garden relaxing when they brought us a tray with a coffee pot and some wonderful cake. It was some kind of coffee almond cake with a creamy filling. We felt like we were royalty. It was far beyond our expectations. The breakfast was also one of the better breakfasts we had, so fresh. The service was ultra friendly, a wonderful experience. Kenmare is a cute little town, just a short waling distance, and easy to walk around and see a lot in a very short time.
The Tudor Lodge B& B and our car out front
Name: Tutor Lodge
Town: Glendalough (1+ hrs from Dublin)
Type: Bed and Breakfast
Sites: St. Kevins Monastery, tallest waterfall in Ireland
Website: Tudor Lodge Website
Comments: This was the lowest cost of our stays. The house is lovely, the room is pleasant and comfortable. We did have an issue with the hot water in the sink, which required a special way to turn and lift the handle to get it to work (apparently it needs a new washer or something). Another minor issue we had was the light over the desk. Every time it got a little hot (about 2 minutes) it went off. Apparently the electrician is on call, but being a small town you are at their mercy. Neither was a big issue, especially since the accommodations were the most reasonably priced and included a Full Irish Breakfast. The people were accommodating and courteous, but not quite as much as some of the other places we experienced.
Name: Westin
Town: Dublin
Type: Hotel
Sites: Guinness Brewery, Jameson Distillery (museum only)
Website: Westin - Dublin Website
Comments: Elegant accommodations set in the heart of Dublin, a "lovely" hotel. Due to it's convenient location, it was easy to walk around Dublin and not be far from the hotel.
Name: Sheraton Fota Island and Spa
Town: Fota Island (near Cork)
Type: Hotel
Sites: Last port for the Titanic
Website: Sheraton Fota Island Website
Comments: Only about a year young. Upscale accomodations with a nice LCD TV and speakers in the bathroom. However, when we could not find a volume control for the speakers we called the desk and they were perplexed that there were even speakers in there (hmmmm). The Westin (also a Starwood property) in Dublin had these same speakers with a volume control, but not this one. The next day we found they disconnected the speakers.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Observations
Driving on the Left Hand Side
For the most part, it's common knowledge that the Irish drive on the left hand side. Additionally the wheel is on the right hand side of the car. Driving on the left hand side wasn't all that difficult as one might think. You did have to be conscious of it and remind yourself when turning to stay to the left. The more difficult part was having the steering wheel on the right hand side. We had a relatively large car, and the first few days we were constantly getting very close to the edge of the road. This may not sound bad except for the fact that the side of the road was either hedges, stone walls, or a cliff. Most of the Irish roads have "No Shoulders" - None! We took turns driving and each of us had our "AHHHHH - WATCH OUT!!!!" moments!
Fortunately there weren't many other drivers on the roads we drove, but it was certainly dicey when trying to pass an on coming car. Usually one of us would stop, to let the other one squeeze by.
Guinness
...is Good for You (enough said)
"Lovely" & "Brilliant"
The Irish are generally very friendly. A common phrase or response you would hear very often was "Lovely" and on occasion "Brilliant".
Examples...
"Where are you from? - Virginia - Lovely"
"Do you have live music tonight? - Yes we do - Brilliant"
Food
Food in Ireland has apparently changed for the better over the years. We found most of the food to be good to exceptional. We did our best to try as much of a variety of food as possible including various fish, lamb, and beef dishes. Lamb, as you might expect, was always exceptional. Food was not cheap though. Even the pubs, while cheaper then some restaurants, were still a bit pricey.
Bread - Bread was generally fantastic.
Butter - I'm not a huge butter fan, I prefer margarine, but Irish butter is out of this world. So rich and creamy!
Ice Cream - We probably ended up having ice cream half the time. Whether it was served in a restaurant or soft ice cream from a petrol station, it was damn good!
Coffee - The Irish tend to like their coffee on the strong side. I had to take mine with milk and sugar, but once I did that, it was very good.
Irish Coffee - Only had it once while I was there. The few times I've had Irish coffee in the US I didn't like it much. However the Irish Coffee I had in this quaint pub on our last night was excellent. A rich cream on top, rich coffee, and only a hint of Irish Whiskey (not overpowering as they do in the US). The flavors blended very nicely.
Music
We tried to find local music as often as possible. We learned a little bit about traditional Irish Music. The most common instruments are the flute, bodhran, and uilleann pipes (the Irish version of Bag Pipes) - possibly the spoons. Sometimes we would also see a guitar as well.
Danny Boy - "No self respecting Irishman will play Danny Boy"
Traditionally, Irish music is played in the Pubs. A few musicians will gather in a corner booth, sit around a table, and play music for several hours into the night. Traditional Irish music as this is experiencing a huge resurgence. It is quite impressive to see musicians play such challenging difficult music like it was nothing.
We didn't care much for a lot of their current music. They take a LOT of our songs and have someone else sing them (and not for the better) - it was weird. Some of their DJs are quite funny though, and do similar shows like they do over here.
Animals
We saw tons of sheep and cattle as we drove throughout the countryside, it was a lovely site. What we were particularly aware of was how healthy they appeared. Unlike some others we've seen in the US, the livestock just seemed visually very healthy. This might account to why their food is so fresh and tasty.
Homes
Homes in Ireland are not made in the same fashion as they are in the US. They have a cement block frame instead of a wood frame. I imagine with all the rain they get, this method holds up best. It was rare to see a run down home, except for true ruins of course. Maintenance is probably much less for this type of construction as well.
Gaelic
Gaelic is required learning up until the age of 17. All road signs, as well as other signs are in both English and Gaelic. I won't go into the history as I'm no expert, but I will tell you of the most common phrases we saw - mostly in gift shops.
Slàinte! - Cheers!
Cead Mile Failte - A hundred thousand welcomes
Gambling
The Irish seem to be quite big into gambling. Almost every town seemed to have a storefront for the local Bookmaker. The Irish bet on everything from the American Presidential Elections, to what the weather will be this summer.
American Politics
The Irish are quite intrigued with the American political system. They are very up to date on what's going on with our Presidential Election.
In the News
I won't go into details about everything in the news, but will give you the general overall regarding my opinion of current news articles. As an outsider looking in, it appears the news in Ireland is not that different then the news in America. The Irish are facing the same major financial problems, namely high gas prices and falling housing prices. They do have better interest rates both in lending and savings. We also hear a lot about Drunk Driving on TV, in the papers, and on billboards.
TV
Their TV programs were interesting. They had a good mix of Irish, American, British, German, and French TV. They carry some of our major shows like "Desperate Housewives". Naomi noticed that they don't run commercials in between a show, they run them in between shows and they start at odd times like 9:55pm. Most of the shows parallel ours having similar sitcoms, reality shows, talk shows, etc. They even do similar shows like our home makeover type of shows.
Gas Prices
US - $3.50 gal
Ireland- $1.25 liter (~$5.00 gal)
For the most part, it's common knowledge that the Irish drive on the left hand side. Additionally the wheel is on the right hand side of the car. Driving on the left hand side wasn't all that difficult as one might think. You did have to be conscious of it and remind yourself when turning to stay to the left. The more difficult part was having the steering wheel on the right hand side. We had a relatively large car, and the first few days we were constantly getting very close to the edge of the road. This may not sound bad except for the fact that the side of the road was either hedges, stone walls, or a cliff. Most of the Irish roads have "No Shoulders" - None! We took turns driving and each of us had our "AHHHHH - WATCH OUT!!!!" moments!
Fortunately there weren't many other drivers on the roads we drove, but it was certainly dicey when trying to pass an on coming car. Usually one of us would stop, to let the other one squeeze by.
Guinness
...is Good for You (enough said)
"Lovely" & "Brilliant"
The Irish are generally very friendly. A common phrase or response you would hear very often was "Lovely" and on occasion "Brilliant".
Examples...
"Where are you from? - Virginia - Lovely"
"Do you have live music tonight? - Yes we do - Brilliant"
Food
Food in Ireland has apparently changed for the better over the years. We found most of the food to be good to exceptional. We did our best to try as much of a variety of food as possible including various fish, lamb, and beef dishes. Lamb, as you might expect, was always exceptional. Food was not cheap though. Even the pubs, while cheaper then some restaurants, were still a bit pricey.
Bread - Bread was generally fantastic.
Butter - I'm not a huge butter fan, I prefer margarine, but Irish butter is out of this world. So rich and creamy!
Ice Cream - We probably ended up having ice cream half the time. Whether it was served in a restaurant or soft ice cream from a petrol station, it was damn good!
Coffee - The Irish tend to like their coffee on the strong side. I had to take mine with milk and sugar, but once I did that, it was very good.
Irish Coffee - Only had it once while I was there. The few times I've had Irish coffee in the US I didn't like it much. However the Irish Coffee I had in this quaint pub on our last night was excellent. A rich cream on top, rich coffee, and only a hint of Irish Whiskey (not overpowering as they do in the US). The flavors blended very nicely.
Music
We tried to find local music as often as possible. We learned a little bit about traditional Irish Music. The most common instruments are the flute, bodhran, and uilleann pipes (the Irish version of Bag Pipes) - possibly the spoons. Sometimes we would also see a guitar as well.
Danny Boy - "No self respecting Irishman will play Danny Boy"
Traditionally, Irish music is played in the Pubs. A few musicians will gather in a corner booth, sit around a table, and play music for several hours into the night. Traditional Irish music as this is experiencing a huge resurgence. It is quite impressive to see musicians play such challenging difficult music like it was nothing.
We didn't care much for a lot of their current music. They take a LOT of our songs and have someone else sing them (and not for the better) - it was weird. Some of their DJs are quite funny though, and do similar shows like they do over here.
Animals
We saw tons of sheep and cattle as we drove throughout the countryside, it was a lovely site. What we were particularly aware of was how healthy they appeared. Unlike some others we've seen in the US, the livestock just seemed visually very healthy. This might account to why their food is so fresh and tasty.
Homes
Homes in Ireland are not made in the same fashion as they are in the US. They have a cement block frame instead of a wood frame. I imagine with all the rain they get, this method holds up best. It was rare to see a run down home, except for true ruins of course. Maintenance is probably much less for this type of construction as well.
Gaelic
Gaelic is required learning up until the age of 17. All road signs, as well as other signs are in both English and Gaelic. I won't go into the history as I'm no expert, but I will tell you of the most common phrases we saw - mostly in gift shops.
Slàinte! - Cheers!
Cead Mile Failte - A hundred thousand welcomes
Gambling
The Irish seem to be quite big into gambling. Almost every town seemed to have a storefront for the local Bookmaker. The Irish bet on everything from the American Presidential Elections, to what the weather will be this summer.
American Politics
The Irish are quite intrigued with the American political system. They are very up to date on what's going on with our Presidential Election.
In the News
I won't go into details about everything in the news, but will give you the general overall regarding my opinion of current news articles. As an outsider looking in, it appears the news in Ireland is not that different then the news in America. The Irish are facing the same major financial problems, namely high gas prices and falling housing prices. They do have better interest rates both in lending and savings. We also hear a lot about Drunk Driving on TV, in the papers, and on billboards.
TV
Their TV programs were interesting. They had a good mix of Irish, American, British, German, and French TV. They carry some of our major shows like "Desperate Housewives". Naomi noticed that they don't run commercials in between a show, they run them in between shows and they start at odd times like 9:55pm. Most of the shows parallel ours having similar sitcoms, reality shows, talk shows, etc. They even do similar shows like our home makeover type of shows.
Gas Prices
US - $3.50 gal
Ireland- $1.25 liter (~$5.00 gal)
Friday, May 16, 2008
May 16 - Going Home
We left the B&B in the morning to get to the Dublin Airport. Turned in the car. Went to Duty free and bought 3 bottles of Powers Irish Whiskey. Naomi bought some candy, papers, and magazines to use up the last of our Euros. Flight got in a little early. Got through customs swiftly. Arrived home in the midst of rush hour, but it wasn't too bad. Went across the street to get Lacey, but they weren't home, so we went to another neighbors who was watching her the last two days. She opened the door and we took Lacey out of her crate. She immediately went to the door for the basement and stared at it. You see they have a lovely cat that she loves to chase around the house, and they had to keep it downstairs. So Lacey barley greeted us, she was more focused on getting that cat. She does the same thing with squirells and chipmunks. We gathered her things and ordered a pizza (for delivery) and vegged out the rest of the night and watch some stuff we had on the DVR.
Saturday I cut the grass since it was knee high. We apparently had a flood of rain, so bad it washed out a nearby road.
Saturday I cut the grass since it was knee high. We apparently had a flood of rain, so bad it washed out a nearby road.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
May 15 - St. Kevin
Our last full day was ahead of us. Always a sad time maybe, but we both agreed that we were ready to go home. We agreed that our trip was neither too short nor too long. As much as you want vacation
to be forever, we were ready to make this our last full day.
As good as the weather had been for us, today seemed to be a particularly exceptional day. We first headed off to St. Kevins Monastery in Glendalough. After touring the remains, we found an ice cream truck and had our last taste of soft ice cream in Ireland. This one was a bit different though in that you could get a few different flavors. I got chocolate, which was vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup somehow twirled into it. We sat and enjoyed our ice cream while taking in the beautiful weather.
From here we proceed onto Powerscourt House & Garden. It was a beautiful place, but really not a lot to see. I was trying to take a nice shot of the fountain, but there were these darned people picnicking on the lawn (which your not supposed to do
). Darn people are always getting in the way. We toured the gardens and also the gift shop (of course). In one area of the gift shop they were selling some fresh scones, so we bought one to share. It was very yummy, so fresh.
After the Gardens, we proceeded onto see the tallest waterfall in Ireland. We were able to drive almost right up to the base of it. I took several photos but then my camera ba
tteries died. I brought 4, and my last one went dead. Perfect timing I guess because it was the last thing I was going to photograph. I could have charged it, but was a bit leary about the power differences, even though we had a converter with us. I still had my little pocket camera, if there was anything I needed to take, and as a very last resort, I had my camera phone.
By this time we were getting hungry so we went to look for a place to eat. We stumbled along this place called Johnny Foxes, which apparently is quite famous (we didn't even know). We both had some cold seafood dishes. The place is loaded with atmosphere. It looks like they decorated it by finding things people were throwing away. A real mishmash of stuff, but it was our kind of place. I wish we had something like that by us.
We found out that they have music every night, so we decided we would go back later that night. We went back to our hotel and packed up all our stuff and various purchases we had made. We rested a bit and headed out back to Johnny Foxes. The place has two parking lots, one small one next to it, and a very large one close by. When we went there to eat, there was hardly anyone there, but that night that lot was full and the other one was partially full. Apparently it's a place for bus tours to stop. When we went in, we saw a separate room where there was an Irish band performing and dozens of people sitting in tables that probably had 30 or more people each. It was full. We decided to sit near where we were earlier and there was another performer there. He was singing some Irish classics on guitar.
It was a perfect place to spend our last night. We had a few pints and listened to the musician. He did a bunch of sing-along songs most anyone would know. He even took some re
quests, which I asked him to sing American Pie. After a few other requests (not sing along songs), he played my request and everyone sang.
We ended the night with an Irish Coffee, which was the best I ever had. I generally don't like Irish Coffee as it has too strong of a whiskey taste, but that's in the US. In Ireland it was purely yummy. Rich cream on top and wonderfully rich coffee with just a hint of whiskey.
It was a good day and night!
to be forever, we were ready to make this our last full day.As good as the weather had been for us, today seemed to be a particularly exceptional day. We first headed off to St. Kevins Monastery in Glendalough. After touring the remains, we found an ice cream truck and had our last taste of soft ice cream in Ireland. This one was a bit different though in that you could get a few different flavors. I got chocolate, which was vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup somehow twirled into it. We sat and enjoyed our ice cream while taking in the beautiful weather.
From here we proceed onto Powerscourt House & Garden. It was a beautiful place, but really not a lot to see. I was trying to take a nice shot of the fountain, but there were these darned people picnicking on the lawn (which your not supposed to do
). Darn people are always getting in the way. We toured the gardens and also the gift shop (of course). In one area of the gift shop they were selling some fresh scones, so we bought one to share. It was very yummy, so fresh.After the Gardens, we proceeded onto see the tallest waterfall in Ireland. We were able to drive almost right up to the base of it. I took several photos but then my camera ba
tteries died. I brought 4, and my last one went dead. Perfect timing I guess because it was the last thing I was going to photograph. I could have charged it, but was a bit leary about the power differences, even though we had a converter with us. I still had my little pocket camera, if there was anything I needed to take, and as a very last resort, I had my camera phone.By this time we were getting hungry so we went to look for a place to eat. We stumbled along this place called Johnny Foxes, which apparently is quite famous (we didn't even know). We both had some cold seafood dishes. The place is loaded with atmosphere. It looks like they decorated it by finding things people were throwing away. A real mishmash of stuff, but it was our kind of place. I wish we had something like that by us.
We found out that they have music every night, so we decided we would go back later that night. We went back to our hotel and packed up all our stuff and various purchases we had made. We rested a bit and headed out back to Johnny Foxes. The place has two parking lots, one small one next to it, and a very large one close by. When we went there to eat, there was hardly anyone there, but that night that lot was full and the other one was partially full. Apparently it's a place for bus tours to stop. When we went in, we saw a separate room where there was an Irish band performing and dozens of people sitting in tables that probably had 30 or more people each. It was full. We decided to sit near where we were earlier and there was another performer there. He was singing some Irish classics on guitar.
It was a perfect place to spend our last night. We had a few pints and listened to the musician. He did a bunch of sing-along songs most anyone would know. He even took some re
quests, which I asked him to sing American Pie. After a few other requests (not sing along songs), he played my request and everyone sang.We ended the night with an Irish Coffee, which was the best I ever had. I generally don't like Irish Coffee as it has too strong of a whiskey taste, but that's in the US. In Ireland it was purely yummy. Rich cream on top and wonderfully rich coffee with just a hint of whiskey.
It was a good day and night!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
May 14 - Waterford
Today we were off to Waterford and then Glendalough. Waterford is both a town and a company. While Waterford, the company, is in town of Wate
rford, we were just there to take a tour of the factory.
The tour was very interesting. You first go to a main building where you purchase your ticket, then proceed to a bus. The bus travels all of about 3 blocks or so to the factory. The first station we saw was where two men were making the first parts of a pitcher. The part we saw was them making a handle. One man heated up the glass and placed it on the partially completed va
se. It was all done in about a minute or two with proficient skill. I have some photos.
From there we went to see other glass being blown into their first rough shapes. A piece can go through many stages, from the rough glass shape through to it's final product. They have a whole section of people etching the many designs into a variety of items.
The final stage we saw was where they do custom etching. There are some really beautiful pieces in this room, and we got to see someone etch a glass up close and personal.
Waterford also makes many of the trophies for various sporting events. Tiger woods has so many, that they gave him a section all his own. The ones on display are exact duplicates of the originals as they make two copies of each trophy for a "just in case" scenario.
Like any good old tour, it ends at the gift shop (of course). Not surprisingly, this is the most expensive gift shop we've ever been in. Neither of us are very interested in expensive (or inexpensive) nik naks, but we agreed if we saw something we thought we could use, we would buy it. Those who know us know we are into wine, so we were particularly interested in the wine glasses. Waterford has various design pa
tterns, but there are some that are only in Ireland and some that are only available directly at the factory. This appealed to Naomi since it made them somewhat more exclusive and different. We found a pattern that we liked a lot, so we purchased a special set that came in a nice box. We also found out that we could get them engraved for free, so we thought why not. Discussing our options, we decided to keep it simple and just put our last name on it. That way we could hand them down to a family member and it would have special meaning.
Then we had this other great deal, free shipping BUT there was a minimum. Don't you know it we were less then 2 Euro short of the minimum and they wouldn't override it. So it was either buy some small item (nothing for 2 Euro I assure you), or purchase something we want. Well after we couldn't find some small item, we decided to get the matching set of water glasses. The only downside is that they do the hotdog/bun gimmick, the one where they number in each set doesn't match. Well we decided to live with the mismatch in number. We could always go back and get more, as Waterford never discontinues an item. Since the engraving was free, we decided to get those engraved as well. Quite an expensive day, and the day wasn't over yet.
We proceed onto Glendaloch where we were staying for the last two days of our trip. We stayed in a quaint B&B called Tudor Lodge. All the places we stayed had a lot of country charm, except for the Starwood hotels which were very nice, but had a hotel feel. The po
ssible exception was the Westin in Dublin, which seemed to have more charm then the other Startwood properties. All were very nice though.
We checked in, dropped our luggage in the room, and went off to dinner. We saw a couple of place in town, and just picked one. Ironically it was right next to where we were going the next day, but we didn't find that out until the next day. Since this was one of the most reasonably priced places, we decided to have appetizers. I had wings (which Naomi lovingly exclaimed "YOUR HAVING WINGS IN IRELAND!!!"). YES! Well they were the best wings I think I've every had. They were super crispy, not greasy, and a lot of flavor. I liked them so much that I was going to go back there the next night just for the wings, but we ended up with other plans.
After dinner we went back to our B&B. On the way, we stopped by a convenience store for some soft ice cream. Well it wasn't very convenient because they had shut down the machine for the night and it wasn't late at all. Apparently it's an arduous process to shut it down and/or start it up so NO Ice cream. So we proceed onto our B&B. It was still very light out and right near where we were staying is a field where some kids (just barley old enough to walk) playing footbal (aka soccer). We sat on a stone fence, opened a Guiness, and watched the game for awhile. After awhile, we went back to the B&B to watch some TV and call it a night.
rford, we were just there to take a tour of the factory.The tour was very interesting. You first go to a main building where you purchase your ticket, then proceed to a bus. The bus travels all of about 3 blocks or so to the factory. The first station we saw was where two men were making the first parts of a pitcher. The part we saw was them making a handle. One man heated up the glass and placed it on the partially completed va
se. It was all done in about a minute or two with proficient skill. I have some photos.From there we went to see other glass being blown into their first rough shapes. A piece can go through many stages, from the rough glass shape through to it's final product. They have a whole section of people etching the many designs into a variety of items.
The final stage we saw was where they do custom etching. There are some really beautiful pieces in this room, and we got to see someone etch a glass up close and personal.
Waterford also makes many of the trophies for various sporting events. Tiger woods has so many, that they gave him a section all his own. The ones on display are exact duplicates of the originals as they make two copies of each trophy for a "just in case" scenario.
Like any good old tour, it ends at the gift shop (of course). Not surprisingly, this is the most expensive gift shop we've ever been in. Neither of us are very interested in expensive (or inexpensive) nik naks, but we agreed if we saw something we thought we could use, we would buy it. Those who know us know we are into wine, so we were particularly interested in the wine glasses. Waterford has various design pa
tterns, but there are some that are only in Ireland and some that are only available directly at the factory. This appealed to Naomi since it made them somewhat more exclusive and different. We found a pattern that we liked a lot, so we purchased a special set that came in a nice box. We also found out that we could get them engraved for free, so we thought why not. Discussing our options, we decided to keep it simple and just put our last name on it. That way we could hand them down to a family member and it would have special meaning.Then we had this other great deal, free shipping BUT there was a minimum. Don't you know it we were less then 2 Euro short of the minimum and they wouldn't override it. So it was either buy some small item (nothing for 2 Euro I assure you), or purchase something we want. Well after we couldn't find some small item, we decided to get the matching set of water glasses. The only downside is that they do the hotdog/bun gimmick, the one where they number in each set doesn't match. Well we decided to live with the mismatch in number. We could always go back and get more, as Waterford never discontinues an item. Since the engraving was free, we decided to get those engraved as well. Quite an expensive day, and the day wasn't over yet.
We proceed onto Glendaloch where we were staying for the last two days of our trip. We stayed in a quaint B&B called Tudor Lodge. All the places we stayed had a lot of country charm, except for the Starwood hotels which were very nice, but had a hotel feel. The po
ssible exception was the Westin in Dublin, which seemed to have more charm then the other Startwood properties. All were very nice though.We checked in, dropped our luggage in the room, and went off to dinner. We saw a couple of place in town, and just picked one. Ironically it was right next to where we were going the next day, but we didn't find that out until the next day. Since this was one of the most reasonably priced places, we decided to have appetizers. I had wings (which Naomi lovingly exclaimed "YOUR HAVING WINGS IN IRELAND!!!"). YES! Well they were the best wings I think I've every had. They were super crispy, not greasy, and a lot of flavor. I liked them so much that I was going to go back there the next night just for the wings, but we ended up with other plans.
After dinner we went back to our B&B. On the way, we stopped by a convenience store for some soft ice cream. Well it wasn't very convenient because they had shut down the machine for the night and it wasn't late at all. Apparently it's an arduous process to shut it down and/or start it up so NO Ice cream. So we proceed onto our B&B. It was still very light out and right near where we were staying is a field where some kids (just barley old enough to walk) playing footbal (aka soccer). We sat on a stone fence, opened a Guiness, and watched the game for awhile. After awhile, we went back to the B&B to watch some TV and call it a night.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
May 13 - Jameson(Middleton)
Today we headed off to the Jameson Distillery in Middleton. We had done the tour in Dublin, but they don't actually make it there, so we decided to act
ually see the distillery. The tour doesn't go through the current distillery, but it does bring you through where it originally started, including the actual buildings. If you've been reading this whole Blog, you'll know that I didn't make the taste testing at the one in Dublin, so I was eager to be part of the tasting here. As soon as our tour guide mentioned it, I quickly raised my hand. Since I was the only one, apparently word didn't get out in Middleton to raise your hand quickly, I was on the 3 men chosen. They pick 3 men and 3 women.
The tasting consisted of 3 Irish Whiskeys (all owned by Jameson or it's parent company), a Scotch Whiskey(the best selling Scotch, according to our guide), and the most popular American Whiskey.
What are the Differences?
- American Whiskey (Jack Daniels) - Is distilled once using only new barrels
- Scotch Whiskey (Johnny Walker Red) - Is distilled twice
- Irish Whiskey (Patty, Jameson, and Powers) - Is distilled three times
There are certainly many more differences, but that's one of the main differences they told
us about. It is apparently law that American Whiskey be made in new barrels only. A law that was designed to keep Coopers (the craftsman that make them) in employment. Irish Whiskey is made in used barrels, much of which come from the US. Guinness is also made using used barrels as well.
ually see the distillery. The tour doesn't go through the current distillery, but it does bring you through where it originally started, including the actual buildings. If you've been reading this whole Blog, you'll know that I didn't make the taste testing at the one in Dublin, so I was eager to be part of the tasting here. As soon as our tour guide mentioned it, I quickly raised my hand. Since I was the only one, apparently word didn't get out in Middleton to raise your hand quickly, I was on the 3 men chosen. They pick 3 men and 3 women.The tasting consisted of 3 Irish Whiskeys (all owned by Jameson or it's parent company), a Scotch Whiskey(the best selling Scotch, according to our guide), and the most popular American Whiskey.
What are the Differences?
- American Whiskey (Jack Daniels) - Is distilled once using only new barrels
- Scotch Whiskey (Johnny Walker Red) - Is distilled twice
- Irish Whiskey (Patty, Jameson, and Powers) - Is distilled three times
There are certainly many more differences, but that's one of the main differences they told
us about. It is apparently law that American Whiskey be made in new barrels only. A law that was designed to keep Coopers (the craftsman that make them) in employment. Irish Whiskey is made in used barrels, much of which come from the US. Guinness is also made using used barrels as well.
Monday, May 12, 2008
May 12 - Rock of Cashell
We left our B&B and headed off to the Rock of Cashell. They had a tour, and the tour guide had a wealth of information to tell about it.
"The place is a historic site in Ireland's province of Munster, located at Cashel, County Tipperary.
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. The majority of buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries. Cashel is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century A.D. The buildings which crown the Rock of Cashel present a mass and outline of great complexity, rivalling other sites in western Europe. The complex has a character of its own, unique and native, and is one of the most remarkable collections of Celtic art and medieval architecture to be found anywhere in Europe."
After spending some time there, we headed off to our hotel in Cobh (pronounced Cove - famous for being the last port for the Titanic). We stayed at the Sheraton on Fota Island. It was a new hotel, only about a year old. We settled in and proceed into the nearest town (Cobh) for dinner. We had the toughest time finding a place to eat. We ended up at a nice restaurant where Naomi had boxty (a potato pancake of sorts) filled with vegetables. Since the place was a little expensive (as we found a lot of places in Ireland were), we decided to forgo having any wine or beer nor any dessert. We found a market in town, where we bought some beer, hard cider and snacks to bring back to the hotel. Since there didn't seem much going on in town, we decided to go back to the hotel and hang out there.
"The place is a historic site in Ireland's province of Munster, located at Cashel, County Tipperary.
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. The majority of buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries. Cashel is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century A.D. The buildings which crown the Rock of Cashel present a mass and outline of great complexity, rivalling other sites in western Europe. The complex has a character of its own, unique and native, and is one of the most remarkable collections of Celtic art and medieval architecture to be found anywhere in Europe."After spending some time there, we headed off to our hotel in Cobh (pronounced Cove - famous for being the last port for the Titanic). We stayed at the Sheraton on Fota Island. It was a new hotel, only about a year old. We settled in and proceed into the nearest town (Cobh) for dinner. We had the toughest time finding a place to eat. We ended up at a nice restaurant where Naomi had boxty (a potato pancake of sorts) filled with vegetables. Since the place was a little expensive (as we found a lot of places in Ireland were), we decided to forgo having any wine or beer nor any dessert. We found a market in town, where we bought some beer, hard cider and snacks to bring back to the hotel. Since there didn't seem much going on in town, we decided to go back to the hotel and hang out there.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
May 11 - Ring of Kerry
Today was a full day of driving. We had heard a lot about the Ring of Kerry and that it was a must see destination. 
The Ring of Kerry is a drive along the rocky coast. On the way, it was a bit overcast and drizzled for about a minute. This was to be the last we saw of any rain (which was almost nothing). By the time we actually made it to our starting point, the sky cleared of rain clouds, but it was a little hazy. We stopped often to take photos, and also found a sheep crossing right in front of us. We think it actually fell from a small hill above the road. The Ring of Kerry is a visual experience, so you'll have to check out my photos to see what it's all about as words won't really describe it.
After driving, we found our B&B. A leprechaun of a man greeted us. What I mean by that is he was just a jolly old Irishman who was pleasant as can be. He couldn't do enough for us. He had a son who competed in the most recent winter Olympics and proudly displayed a photo of him skiing (and awesome shot
by the way-and you know how critical I am of photos).
We settled into our room and proceeded into town for dinner. It was a cute little town in the shape of a triangle, so it was easy to walk around. It seemed half the town was filled with tourist shops. Having stopped at many along the way, we knew what the prices of things were, and found a few bargains.
We walked back to our B&B and decided to sit out in the back yard as it was still light out. Sunset was probably around 10pm. Before heading out, I inquire
d about getting a cup of coffee from a lady in the kitchen. She said she would gladly make some. She brought out a tray with coffee and some delicious cake. It was a really nice touch of hospitality, we were pleasantly surprised at the wonderful presentation and service. We sat outside drinking our coffee, eating our cake, while we reminisced about our vacation thus far. A nice way to end the day.
The Ring of Kerry is a drive along the rocky coast. On the way, it was a bit overcast and drizzled for about a minute. This was to be the last we saw of any rain (which was almost nothing). By the time we actually made it to our starting point, the sky cleared of rain clouds, but it was a little hazy. We stopped often to take photos, and also found a sheep crossing right in front of us. We think it actually fell from a small hill above the road. The Ring of Kerry is a visual experience, so you'll have to check out my photos to see what it's all about as words won't really describe it.After driving, we found our B&B. A leprechaun of a man greeted us. What I mean by that is he was just a jolly old Irishman who was pleasant as can be. He couldn't do enough for us. He had a son who competed in the most recent winter Olympics and proudly displayed a photo of him skiing (and awesome shot
by the way-and you know how critical I am of photos).We settled into our room and proceeded into town for dinner. It was a cute little town in the shape of a triangle, so it was easy to walk around. It seemed half the town was filled with tourist shops. Having stopped at many along the way, we knew what the prices of things were, and found a few bargains.
We walked back to our B&B and decided to sit out in the back yard as it was still light out. Sunset was probably around 10pm. Before heading out, I inquire
d about getting a cup of coffee from a lady in the kitchen. She said she would gladly make some. She brought out a tray with coffee and some delicious cake. It was a really nice touch of hospitality, we were pleasantly surprised at the wonderful presentation and service. We sat outside drinking our coffee, eating our cake, while we reminisced about our vacation thus far. A nice way to end the day.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
May 10 - Cliffs of Moher
We ate breakfast in our hotel. They had quite an assortment of cold selections, and one of my favorites, freshly squeezed orange juice. Since we ha
d been eating big breakfasts up until this point, I decided to try porridge for the first time. It was pretty much as I expected, like old fashioned oatmeal.
Today we decided to head to the Cliffs of Moher. There are two ways to see the cliffs, you can either drive up to them and see them from atop, or you can get on a boat and see them from the water. We asked the hotel manager which was better and he highly recommended the boat. So he called ahead to see the times, and we headed off for the noon departure. We were pretty close, so it only took us a few minutes to get to the docks. Our boat departed promptly and while the cliffs aren't far away, the boat takes about 20 minutes to get to the cliffs. The cliffs are a grand site to see. The boat brought us pretty close and we were able to see hundreds of birds that nest in horizontal lines alone the cliffs. It was a mixture of puffins and seagulls or similar. On the way back, the captain engaged us in some interesting conversation. I think we only got half of his conversation a
s his Irish accent was quite heavy and the Irish talk very fast. He had a great interest in talking about American politics, particularly our Presidential Elections. The Irish seem to be quite intrigued by the goings on in American, particularly when it comes to politics. So much so, that their bookmakers (yes such gambling is legal in Ireland), place odds on the outcome. Anyway, it was fun to talk with one of the locals, particularly one who was so colorful.
We didn't have much planned on this day and just drove around the local town - Doolin. We did the tourist thing and went into some local stores. They had a store for sweaters, one for local music, one for the standard Irish souvenirs, along with a pub. Oddly enough, after talking to the owner of the music store, we learned that the pub, only a few stores away, was the
second pub we were looking for but couldn't find the night before. This pub had a very famous local musician playing that night, lucky we struck up a conversation with the music shop owner, or we probably wouldn't have found this out. Kevin decided to buy a CD of this musician, the only one he produced.
Since we had nothing on the agenda, we decided to hang out around town and see him perform later that night. We went into the pub, had a good pub meal along with the obligatory pint of beer, and waited for the performance to start. The reason we decided to hang out was that we wanted to reserve ourselves a good seat to watch the Irish musicians. We sat, read the paper, talked to a few folks, and waited for them to perform. We got to meet people from all over the world like PA and MI - yes we found a lot of Americans around Ireland. Germans and Australians seemed in numbers as well. The Germans we ran into only spoke limited English, so we tended to speak to Australians a bit more.
Well the music finally started, there were four men. The one we came to see played the flute, the bohdrum, and the spoons. This was much more in line with the traditional Irish music we wanted to see. You see the real traditional musicians sit around a table in the corner of the pub, chat a bit, and play. Traditional Irish music will generally have instruments like the flute, the bohdrum, and the uilleann pipes (the Irish version of the bagpipes). We stayed and listened for several hours. Kevin spoke to the one musician we came to see, and got his autograph on his CD. It was a fun night.
d been eating big breakfasts up until this point, I decided to try porridge for the first time. It was pretty much as I expected, like old fashioned oatmeal.Today we decided to head to the Cliffs of Moher. There are two ways to see the cliffs, you can either drive up to them and see them from atop, or you can get on a boat and see them from the water. We asked the hotel manager which was better and he highly recommended the boat. So he called ahead to see the times, and we headed off for the noon departure. We were pretty close, so it only took us a few minutes to get to the docks. Our boat departed promptly and while the cliffs aren't far away, the boat takes about 20 minutes to get to the cliffs. The cliffs are a grand site to see. The boat brought us pretty close and we were able to see hundreds of birds that nest in horizontal lines alone the cliffs. It was a mixture of puffins and seagulls or similar. On the way back, the captain engaged us in some interesting conversation. I think we only got half of his conversation a
s his Irish accent was quite heavy and the Irish talk very fast. He had a great interest in talking about American politics, particularly our Presidential Elections. The Irish seem to be quite intrigued by the goings on in American, particularly when it comes to politics. So much so, that their bookmakers (yes such gambling is legal in Ireland), place odds on the outcome. Anyway, it was fun to talk with one of the locals, particularly one who was so colorful.We didn't have much planned on this day and just drove around the local town - Doolin. We did the tourist thing and went into some local stores. They had a store for sweaters, one for local music, one for the standard Irish souvenirs, along with a pub. Oddly enough, after talking to the owner of the music store, we learned that the pub, only a few stores away, was the
second pub we were looking for but couldn't find the night before. This pub had a very famous local musician playing that night, lucky we struck up a conversation with the music shop owner, or we probably wouldn't have found this out. Kevin decided to buy a CD of this musician, the only one he produced.Since we had nothing on the agenda, we decided to hang out around town and see him perform later that night. We went into the pub, had a good pub meal along with the obligatory pint of beer, and waited for the performance to start. The reason we decided to hang out was that we wanted to reserve ourselves a good seat to watch the Irish musicians. We sat, read the paper, talked to a few folks, and waited for them to perform. We got to meet people from all over the world like PA and MI - yes we found a lot of Americans around Ireland. Germans and Australians seemed in numbers as well. The Germans we ran into only spoke limited English, so we tended to speak to Australians a bit more.
Well the music finally started, there were four men. The one we came to see played the flute, the bohdrum, and the spoons. This was much more in line with the traditional Irish music we wanted to see. You see the real traditional musicians sit around a table in the corner of the pub, chat a bit, and play. Traditional Irish music will generally have instruments like the flute, the bohdrum, and the uilleann pipes (the Irish version of the bagpipes). We stayed and listened for several hours. Kevin spoke to the one musician we came to see, and got his autograph on his CD. It was a fun night.
Friday, May 9, 2008
May 9 - Aillwee Caves
Friday morning we left the Castle. We headed onto our hotel. Along the way we took a bunch of photos. 
We proceeded onto Aillwee Caves (Aillwee is derived from the Irish Aill Bhuí which means yellow cliff - ironically it was also to be the name of our room that night). The cave was over 1,000 yrs old and had been previously occupied by bears. There were some remains in the cave that showed bears would hibernate there for the winter. Due to hunting, Ireland no longer has any bears.
Also on the site was a small shop where they make cheese and fudge. We sampled some of the cheese and bought a few slices to eat while we waited for the birds of prey show.
On this same site, there was a place to see various bird of prey. Most were not in cages, but were in small areas separated by wooden walls. The ones in these areas were tied up by one leg onto a piece of tree limb. It was great to see these birds up close and with no barriers between you and the birds. We had arrived just in time to see a demonstration. The man would first bring out an eagle, tell us some background about the eagle and then let it fly around the area. All the birds he showed us, were trained to stay in the area, but there was nothing to keep them there other then the reward of food. He said it was possible for the birds to fly away, and it had happened in the past. However, they eventually all come back or are found. The last bird they presented was an owl. At the end of the flying demonstration, they let us pet the owl.
After the show, we proceeded onto the hotel. It was somewhat of a fancy place, yet homey at the same time. The grounds overlooked the mountains with a pasture of cows in the distance. Supposedly there was a hotel donkey and pig, but we didn't walk around enough to find them.
Since it was not quite dinner time, we hung out in our room for awhile. This was the only place we didn't have TV so we read some of the papers and
magazines we picked up along the way.
Naomi found a deal, which included dinner and two breakfasts, so we decided to use our dinner option that night. Almost every course was served with foam, no not soap foam, that fancy way they foam up whatever liquid they drizzle on each course. They started the dinner with a shot of a liquid spinach drink. It was interesting, a little salty, it was supposed to cleanse your pallet. In the meantime we munched on the homemade bread that was out of this world. Up until now, we were introduced to some wonderful bread, but nothing topped the bread we had at this place. The meals we had were top notch to say the least. Everything was terrific. We even decided to have dessert, which we generally don't do, but since it was included we decided to try it. Before they served us dessert, they gave us a pre-dessert. It was a white chocolate pudding with mango pure' and coconut topping. Another wonderful experience. For dessert, Naomi had a plate of various cheeses. This concept was first introduced to us in an Italian restaurant in DC and it is one of Naomi's favorites. Ireland's dairy products are simply fantastic. The milk, cheese, and butter are fabulous....so fresh! The cheese ended up coming from that small cheese shop we had visited earlier. I had a selection of various chocolate desserts, it too was yummy.
At this hotel, when you were given a room, you didn't have a room number, you had a room name. Ours was named "????". You were also pre assigned a table in the dining room for your entire stay. We sat next to an elderly couple that was like that older couple on Caddy Shack, the ones who couldn't hit the ball very far, and when they did, it went into the water. Their entire conversation centered around the food they were eating and had a charming way of speaking too each other, a very nice couple though.
This was also our second experience where
our accommodation's had boots in the mud room. These are for their guests so they can walk around the grounds when the ground is wet. However, since it sunny our entire trip, we didn't need to make use of the boots.
After dinner, we went in search of a pub that had live traditional Irish music. Well we found one that was less then 30 minutes away, but it took us about an hour to get there since we made a wrong turn, which isn't hard to do in the country areas of Ireland. The pub we found was a bit small and quite crowded. So crowded that we couldn't sit and watch the players, but they had speakers all about, so we did get to hear them. It was much more of a production though then what we were looking for as they had an entire sound system. Not the quaint experience we really wanted. We had one pint each, listened to the music and headed out, however this time it only took us about 20 minutes to get back. It's soo much faster to get where you're going when you don't get lost.
We proceeded onto Aillwee Caves (Aillwee is derived from the Irish Aill Bhuí which means yellow cliff - ironically it was also to be the name of our room that night). The cave was over 1,000 yrs old and had been previously occupied by bears. There were some remains in the cave that showed bears would hibernate there for the winter. Due to hunting, Ireland no longer has any bears.Also on the site was a small shop where they make cheese and fudge. We sampled some of the cheese and bought a few slices to eat while we waited for the birds of prey show.
On this same site, there was a place to see various bird of prey. Most were not in cages, but were in small areas separated by wooden walls. The ones in these areas were tied up by one leg onto a piece of tree limb. It was great to see these birds up close and with no barriers between you and the birds. We had arrived just in time to see a demonstration. The man would first bring out an eagle, tell us some background about the eagle and then let it fly around the area. All the birds he showed us, were trained to stay in the area, but there was nothing to keep them there other then the reward of food. He said it was possible for the birds to fly away, and it had happened in the past. However, they eventually all come back or are found. The last bird they presented was an owl. At the end of the flying demonstration, they let us pet the owl.
After the show, we proceeded onto the hotel. It was somewhat of a fancy place, yet homey at the same time. The grounds overlooked the mountains with a pasture of cows in the distance. Supposedly there was a hotel donkey and pig, but we didn't walk around enough to find them.
Since it was not quite dinner time, we hung out in our room for awhile. This was the only place we didn't have TV so we read some of the papers and
magazines we picked up along the way.Naomi found a deal, which included dinner and two breakfasts, so we decided to use our dinner option that night. Almost every course was served with foam, no not soap foam, that fancy way they foam up whatever liquid they drizzle on each course. They started the dinner with a shot of a liquid spinach drink. It was interesting, a little salty, it was supposed to cleanse your pallet. In the meantime we munched on the homemade bread that was out of this world. Up until now, we were introduced to some wonderful bread, but nothing topped the bread we had at this place. The meals we had were top notch to say the least. Everything was terrific. We even decided to have dessert, which we generally don't do, but since it was included we decided to try it. Before they served us dessert, they gave us a pre-dessert. It was a white chocolate pudding with mango pure' and coconut topping. Another wonderful experience. For dessert, Naomi had a plate of various cheeses. This concept was first introduced to us in an Italian restaurant in DC and it is one of Naomi's favorites. Ireland's dairy products are simply fantastic. The milk, cheese, and butter are fabulous....so fresh! The cheese ended up coming from that small cheese shop we had visited earlier. I had a selection of various chocolate desserts, it too was yummy.
At this hotel, when you were given a room, you didn't have a room number, you had a room name. Ours was named "????". You were also pre assigned a table in the dining room for your entire stay. We sat next to an elderly couple that was like that older couple on Caddy Shack, the ones who couldn't hit the ball very far, and when they did, it went into the water. Their entire conversation centered around the food they were eating and had a charming way of speaking too each other, a very nice couple though.
This was also our second experience where
our accommodation's had boots in the mud room. These are for their guests so they can walk around the grounds when the ground is wet. However, since it sunny our entire trip, we didn't need to make use of the boots.After dinner, we went in search of a pub that had live traditional Irish music. Well we found one that was less then 30 minutes away, but it took us about an hour to get there since we made a wrong turn, which isn't hard to do in the country areas of Ireland. The pub we found was a bit small and quite crowded. So crowded that we couldn't sit and watch the players, but they had speakers all about, so we did get to hear them. It was much more of a production though then what we were looking for as they had an entire sound system. Not the quaint experience we really wanted. We had one pint each, listened to the music and headed out, however this time it only took us about 20 minutes to get back. It's soo much faster to get where you're going when you don't get lost.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
May 8 - Recess
Left Aflone and headed towards Recess to stay in a Castle. Along the way we took some pictures,
found the Quiet Mans Bridge. There was another couple there from Italy taking pictures of the bridge too. We stopped at a tourist shop which had a variety of tourist stuff like sweaters, Guinness stuff, jewelry, and such. One of the clerks saw my camera and started asking a lot questions about photography. He also showed us some photos he's taken of local folks he knows, including his little baby boy. I picked up a nice rosary for my mother at the shop. The store had a statue and small monument in the parking lot. The monument said "On this site in 1897 nothing happened". By then we were really close to the castle. We walked around the property after checking in. It is on a pretty river. Our room had a great view of the river.
We ate in their Pub because we didn't
want to dress for dinner, and we hoped the pub might be a little less expensive. The food was quite good. They gave us a vegetable side dish of snow peas and carrots. They had to be the freshest tastiest vegetables I have ever had. They also had a dish of small potatos, which were also the freshest, tastiest potatos we have ever had.
It rained lightly that night, but we were in for the night, so it didn't ruin our day. It ended up being the only real rain we saw for our entire trip. The locals were ecstatic about the great weather "we" brought.
found the Quiet Mans Bridge. There was another couple there from Italy taking pictures of the bridge too. We stopped at a tourist shop which had a variety of tourist stuff like sweaters, Guinness stuff, jewelry, and such. One of the clerks saw my camera and started asking a lot questions about photography. He also showed us some photos he's taken of local folks he knows, including his little baby boy. I picked up a nice rosary for my mother at the shop. The store had a statue and small monument in the parking lot. The monument said "On this site in 1897 nothing happened". By then we were really close to the castle. We walked around the property after checking in. It is on a pretty river. Our room had a great view of the river.We ate in their Pub because we didn't
want to dress for dinner, and we hoped the pub might be a little less expensive. The food was quite good. They gave us a vegetable side dish of snow peas and carrots. They had to be the freshest tastiest vegetables I have ever had. They also had a dish of small potatos, which were also the freshest, tastiest potatos we have ever had.It rained lightly that night, but we were in for the night, so it didn't ruin our day. It ended up being the only real rain we saw for our entire trip. The locals were ecstatic about the great weather "we" brought.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
May 7 - Athlone
Left 
the Westin Dublin around 11:30 am this morning. Hertz is not quite at "city Centre" - it's about a 15 minute taxi ride outside of city centre. When we got there, we found that the line was very long, but luckily, Kevin had signed up for the Hertz Gold Club, so we buzzed to the front of the line! As Kevin was getting the car rental secured, I noticed our friends from DC from the musical pub crawl last night. They were heading from Dublin to Kilkenny today - a popular route, as one of the other people in the long Hertz line told me. So I was happy that we were heading to Athlone (county west meath) instead.
Kevin's nerves were a little on edge with the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car and driving on the left side of the road. He did a great job, except for one point when I thought he was going to take out the rear view mirror on my side of the car. It's definitely an experience to try something different when you've been doing it a certain way for the best part of 3 decades!! With the guidance of Jillian (our GPS), we headed out of town. But not without a stop for a quick lunch - which consisted of a sandwich from a gas station quickie mart and some water. (As you know, we are trying to save money on food.)
After a quick bite, we headed on the perimeter road towards Dublin Airp
ort and turned off towards Galway. After driving about fourty minutes, we were detoured off the main highway - found out that it's under construction. Funny though, it appeared on the map from Frommers!
We tried to drive to Clonmacnoise on our way to Athlone. As we turned off the main road toward the site, we learned that THAT road is closed and under construction as well. We ended up on a gravel road, and even had to slow for a dog that wanted to greet us and wondered where we were going as we drove away and didn't stop to pet him.
Finally arriving in Athlone, we couldn't seem to find the Sheraton. Being a relatively new hotel (it just opened in April), I guess it wasn't on the GPS system. We drove all around town and finally stumbled on to it. It's a pretty nice hotel, but it's still under construction - Some of the sleeping rooms are not ready and the Club Lounge was still being completed when we poked our heads in there.
After we checked in and dropped our stuff in our room, we walked around a little bit. Saw Athlone Castle and the oldest pub in Ireland - Sean's Pub. Actually, I had read somewhere that it is the third oldest pub in Ireland, but according to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the oldest. Who am I to argue with Guinness?
We went back to the hotel to drop Kevin's camera off and to find some suggestions for dinner. The front desk staff recommended Le Chateau. The building was a church at one time that is now a restaurant. When we got there, we noticed that they had an early bird special for 20 euros for a three course meal. Who could pass up such a deal?!!
After dinner, we decided to go into Sean's Pub for a pint (or two or three...). We arrived there around 7:00pm and wondered when the music would start. Not fifteen minutes after we got there and order our first pints, but four guys who were sitting towards the rear of the bar made their way to the front table and took out their instruments.
One musician played a flute and tin whistle (though not at the same time), the others played drum, guitar and mandolin. Between smoke breaks, Guinness breaks and conversation breaks, they played for at least three hours.
Around 10:00pm, the pub started getting really crowded, and yes, this was Wednesday night! We wondered what pubs would be like on the weekends! I was starting to get somewhat claustrophobic, so we decided to leave. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow with the drive to Galway. And we're staying at the Ballynahinch Castle. That should be an adventure.
the Westin Dublin around 11:30 am this morning. Hertz is not quite at "city Centre" - it's about a 15 minute taxi ride outside of city centre. When we got there, we found that the line was very long, but luckily, Kevin had signed up for the Hertz Gold Club, so we buzzed to the front of the line! As Kevin was getting the car rental secured, I noticed our friends from DC from the musical pub crawl last night. They were heading from Dublin to Kilkenny today - a popular route, as one of the other people in the long Hertz line told me. So I was happy that we were heading to Athlone (county west meath) instead.Kevin's nerves were a little on edge with the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car and driving on the left side of the road. He did a great job, except for one point when I thought he was going to take out the rear view mirror on my side of the car. It's definitely an experience to try something different when you've been doing it a certain way for the best part of 3 decades!! With the guidance of Jillian (our GPS), we headed out of town. But not without a stop for a quick lunch - which consisted of a sandwich from a gas station quickie mart and some water. (As you know, we are trying to save money on food.)
After a quick bite, we headed on the perimeter road towards Dublin Airp
ort and turned off towards Galway. After driving about fourty minutes, we were detoured off the main highway - found out that it's under construction. Funny though, it appeared on the map from Frommers!We tried to drive to Clonmacnoise on our way to Athlone. As we turned off the main road toward the site, we learned that THAT road is closed and under construction as well. We ended up on a gravel road, and even had to slow for a dog that wanted to greet us and wondered where we were going as we drove away and didn't stop to pet him.
Finally arriving in Athlone, we couldn't seem to find the Sheraton. Being a relatively new hotel (it just opened in April), I guess it wasn't on the GPS system. We drove all around town and finally stumbled on to it. It's a pretty nice hotel, but it's still under construction - Some of the sleeping rooms are not ready and the Club Lounge was still being completed when we poked our heads in there.
After we checked in and dropped our stuff in our room, we walked around a little bit. Saw Athlone Castle and the oldest pub in Ireland - Sean's Pub. Actually, I had read somewhere that it is the third oldest pub in Ireland, but according to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the oldest. Who am I to argue with Guinness?
We went back to the hotel to drop Kevin's camera off and to find some suggestions for dinner. The front desk staff recommended Le Chateau. The building was a church at one time that is now a restaurant. When we got there, we noticed that they had an early bird special for 20 euros for a three course meal. Who could pass up such a deal?!!
After dinner, we decided to go into Sean's Pub for a pint (or two or three...). We arrived there around 7:00pm and wondered when the music would start. Not fifteen minutes after we got there and order our first pints, but four guys who were sitting towards the rear of the bar made their way to the front table and took out their instruments.
One musician played a flute and tin whistle (though not at the same time), the others played drum, guitar and mandolin. Between smoke breaks, Guinness breaks and conversation breaks, they played for at least three hours.
Around 10:00pm, the pub started getting really crowded, and yes, this was Wednesday night! We wondered what pubs would be like on the weekends! I was starting to get somewhat claustrophobic, so we decided to leave. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow with the drive to Galway. And we're staying at the Ballynahinch Castle. That should be an adventure.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
May 6 - Dublin
Today we grabbed a light breakfast. We went to a place small chain called Obriens. We had a light bite and headed out for day 2 on the bus. Today was our day to go to the Jameson Distillery. Jameson was a couple of blocks for the bus stop. We lucked out as the next tour went was to only start in a few minutes. In the beginning of the tour, the tour guide asks for 3 female and 3 male taste testers. Well I guess my imitation of Horshack (from "Welcome Back Kotter") was enthusiastic enough, because I wasn't picked.
We went through the tour and then received our choice of a shot of Jameson, Jameson and Cranberry, Jameson and Ginger ale, or Jameson
and lemon I think. After grabbing our drinks, we gathered around the taste testers who tasted 6 different whiskeys, including the most popular Scotch (Johnny Walker Red), and a couple of other Irish Whiskeys.We went back to the hotel, rested for a short time, then headed out for an early dinner at a local pub. We both had a delicious meal. Whoever said Irish food is bland, hasn't been to Ireland lately. While we ate our dinner, we listened to some live Irish music. It was a little loud, since they also had speakers throughout the pub. After dinner, we walked around a bit, then went back to this same pub to start a Musical Pub Crawl. For 12 Euro (10 for Students), a couple of musicians lead you through the streets of Dublin to various pubs while playing traditional Irish Music and giving you some history behind it all.
We went 3 pubs in all. After it was over a few of us decided to try one more pub
. One of the folks, Megan (from Australia), was familiar with Dublin and brought use to an Australian Pub, The Woolshed Baa & Grill, not far away. When we arrived, she ordered a pitcher of rum (or so we all thought). The bartender took a pitcher and started to fill it with rum. All our eyes bugged out when we saw this and asked Megan what the heck she ordered and she said a pitcher of rum. Why not just get the whole bottle we thought. Well it turned out she actually ordered a pitcher of Rum & Coke (Whew!). She introduced us to an Australian Rum called Bundaberg Rum. It is definitely worth trying it you get the chance. The rest of us ordered a variety of pints.There were 6 of us a the table. Two college grads from Kentucky
- Shannon was here name and I don't remember his - we'll just call him "Kentucky" - a recent graduate from UK (University of Kentucky that is) in Electrical Engineering, Luke from Ohio, Megan from Australia (a horse expert), and the two of us. It was a fun group, Kentucky had loads of Kentucky "Redneck" stories, the more he drank, the more stories he had. If you can imagine a redneck story, I think Kentucky told it. Shannon just sat there and smiled as he rambled on, however she didn't have such stories to tell. It was an entertaining evening and a fun group.
Monday, May 5, 2008
May 5 - Dublin
Arrived in Dublin on Aer Lingus at 6:45 am Monday morning. The flight was due to arrive at 7:20 - we must have had a good tail wind. After we got our bags at the baggage carousel - not a long wait - not as long as a wait for bags at Dulles!! We decided to ask about the best way to get to downtown Dublin. Someone at the airport information desk told us that there is a bus that stops only two blocks away from the hotel for 7 euro per person. Well, that was much better than the 35 plus euro it would have been for a taxi. Luckily, the bus was there when we got outside and left within a matter of just a few minutes.
We got off the bus at Trinity College and once we were headed in the right direction, we found the Westin Dublin. We checked in but our room was not ready yet - it was only about 8:30am. We checked our bags with the hotel and proceeded outside to find some breakfast. Apparently, Aer Lingus does not serve breakfast in the back of the plane! Well, after realizing that Monday May 5 is a bank holiday in Dublin, and we couldn't find any place that was open for breakfast, we headed to McDonald's - even Burger King was closed.
We found out that Mc Donald's has a section of their "restaurant" called the Mc Cafe. And they make A GREAT latte!! Kevin said that it was the best coffee that he's had in a long time. After breakfast, we headed down Grafton Street to look around a bit to find that NOTHING was open before 10:00am. Not only did the bank holiday affect this, but most retail establishments did not open until then. One of the tours we
had decided to take was a hop-on, hop-off bus tour. We walked by a bus sitting idle, and the female bus driver was very friendly and told us about all the benefits of the tour. She told us that not only was the tour flexible with timing (the ticket was good for 24 hours, but that was not strictly enforced), but we could get discounts on other tours that we would take, like Guinness and Jameson. So we decided that we would start the tour around noon.
We headed back to the hotel hoping that our room would be ready. We were both so exhausted - Kevin only slept a little bit on the plane, and I didn't sleep at all. Unfortunately, our room wasn't ready, so we sat in the lobby of the hotel. After about an hour, our room was finally ready, so we went to our room to take a nap. Actually, I think we both passed out.
When we woke up, we headed out to the tour bus. We decided that the two main things we wanted to see was the Guinness Brew
ery and he Jameson Distillery. Since we could do the bus tour over two days, we did Guinness on the first day, and Jameson on the second day. The Guinness Brewery is a self guided tour, in which you go through displays and some short videos while moving up several stories in the building. When we were almost at the top, there was a station there in which someone from the Brewery shows you how to pour the Perfect Pint. Kevin
poured the perfect pint and then received a certificate stating so. From there we went up to the very top floor which has a 360 view of Dublin. Kevin took a few photos, and we both sat for awhile enjoying our Guinness Draughts.
After Guinness, we got back on the bus and rode it through Phonenix Park, the largest park - you can fit Central Park in it 2.5 times. It was late in the day and the park was really crowded, especially since it was a bank holiday. It appears that it was the first day of nice weather that Dublin had had in a long long time.
We got off the bus at Trinity College and once we were headed in the right direction, we found the Westin Dublin. We checked in but our room was not ready yet - it was only about 8:30am. We checked our bags with the hotel and proceeded outside to find some breakfast. Apparently, Aer Lingus does not serve breakfast in the back of the plane! Well, after realizing that Monday May 5 is a bank holiday in Dublin, and we couldn't find any place that was open for breakfast, we headed to McDonald's - even Burger King was closed.
We found out that Mc Donald's has a section of their "restaurant" called the Mc Cafe. And they make A GREAT latte!! Kevin said that it was the best coffee that he's had in a long time. After breakfast, we headed down Grafton Street to look around a bit to find that NOTHING was open before 10:00am. Not only did the bank holiday affect this, but most retail establishments did not open until then. One of the tours we
had decided to take was a hop-on, hop-off bus tour. We walked by a bus sitting idle, and the female bus driver was very friendly and told us about all the benefits of the tour. She told us that not only was the tour flexible with timing (the ticket was good for 24 hours, but that was not strictly enforced), but we could get discounts on other tours that we would take, like Guinness and Jameson. So we decided that we would start the tour around noon.We headed back to the hotel hoping that our room would be ready. We were both so exhausted - Kevin only slept a little bit on the plane, and I didn't sleep at all. Unfortunately, our room wasn't ready, so we sat in the lobby of the hotel. After about an hour, our room was finally ready, so we went to our room to take a nap. Actually, I think we both passed out.
When we woke up, we headed out to the tour bus. We decided that the two main things we wanted to see was the Guinness Brew
ery and he Jameson Distillery. Since we could do the bus tour over two days, we did Guinness on the first day, and Jameson on the second day. The Guinness Brewery is a self guided tour, in which you go through displays and some short videos while moving up several stories in the building. When we were almost at the top, there was a station there in which someone from the Brewery shows you how to pour the Perfect Pint. Kevin
poured the perfect pint and then received a certificate stating so. From there we went up to the very top floor which has a 360 view of Dublin. Kevin took a few photos, and we both sat for awhile enjoying our Guinness Draughts.After Guinness, we got back on the bus and rode it through Phonenix Park, the largest park - you can fit Central Park in it 2.5 times. It was late in the day and the park was really crowded, especially since it was a bank holiday. It appears that it was the first day of nice weather that Dublin had had in a long long time.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
May 4 - Our Flight
Our flight was to leave out of Washington Dulles Airport just a little after 7pm on May 4, 2008 out of the B Terminal. Now I'm not new to flying, but it has been several years since I've flown on an international flight. Having flown regularly in the past, I knew of the advantages of an airlines private lounge. Since I haven't flown in such a long time, nor with any regularity, I could not take advantage of any lounge. However through some investigation, I did find out that as an American Express Platinum card holder, you could get into several lounges. Sounds good on the surface, but the downside is that this card costs $450 - ouch! So I decided to investigate this a little further and discovered that you can get an American Express Platinum Card through other financial institutions for about $99 instead. Now granted this version of the card does not hold unlimited access to these lounges, and does not carry all of the same benefits, but it does carry quite a bit of the same advantages. One of the advantages is access to airline lounges, albeit with grave limitations (only 3 free visits), but it's something.
After several months of mulling over the advantages vs. the costs I decided to apply for it and was promptly approved. Normally I would not pay for a credit card, but I figured if we were going to travel internationally, we would do it in relative style. I don't know if it was the only lounge available, or the only lounge that took this "priority Pass" as it was called, was Northwest Airlines. We entered the lounge and noticed no one was attending the desk, so we swiftly entered the room without the need to register.
We spent about an hour or so in the lounge drinking a couple of complimentary cocktails along with some cheese and crackers while looking out onto the tarmac watching the funny bus thingy they have at the Dulles Airport.
It was getting close to boarding time so we left the lounge and went to the gate, which was only a few gates away. After a short wait, we promptly boarded or plane, which was only half full. As luck would have it, on a plane that was half full, we got the annoying front seat couple. That's right, the kind that can't sit still, the kind that think they are in private room and can't keep their hands off each other. Now I'm no prude by any means, but when I can't eat my meal, can't type on my laptop because my tray is bouncing around like we're hitting some massive turbulence, well then it bothers me.
We did receive a hot meal, chicken or beef. I had the chicken and Naomi had the beef. Nothing to rave about. Funny thing, the lights went out, and the audio for the movie just started. Hmmm maybe this is the flight for the blind, hence why it was only half full. Oh finally someone said something because they started the movie again - this time WITH the video. The movie is "The Bucket List" (nice flick but a little sad).
OH check this out, the annoying couple in front of us has a complaint that my computer is making noise (how did they even noticPublish Poste). I didn't hear anything since I was listening to music (and then the movie), but it wasn't my computer making the noise, it was my cell phone. No I don't have it on really, it's in Airplane Mode - NO signal, but since it's a PDA as well, it's still useful for other things. The noise was just a calendar reminder.
When we landed we found out that the couple in front of us were newlyweds - didn't notice if they went to the toilet at the same time though, maybe I was a asleep. ;-)
After several months of mulling over the advantages vs. the costs I decided to apply for it and was promptly approved. Normally I would not pay for a credit card, but I figured if we were going to travel internationally, we would do it in relative style. I don't know if it was the only lounge available, or the only lounge that took this "priority Pass" as it was called, was Northwest Airlines. We entered the lounge and noticed no one was attending the desk, so we swiftly entered the room without the need to register.
We spent about an hour or so in the lounge drinking a couple of complimentary cocktails along with some cheese and crackers while looking out onto the tarmac watching the funny bus thingy they have at the Dulles Airport.
It was getting close to boarding time so we left the lounge and went to the gate, which was only a few gates away. After a short wait, we promptly boarded or plane, which was only half full. As luck would have it, on a plane that was half full, we got the annoying front seat couple. That's right, the kind that can't sit still, the kind that think they are in private room and can't keep their hands off each other. Now I'm no prude by any means, but when I can't eat my meal, can't type on my laptop because my tray is bouncing around like we're hitting some massive turbulence, well then it bothers me.
We did receive a hot meal, chicken or beef. I had the chicken and Naomi had the beef. Nothing to rave about. Funny thing, the lights went out, and the audio for the movie just started. Hmmm maybe this is the flight for the blind, hence why it was only half full. Oh finally someone said something because they started the movie again - this time WITH the video. The movie is "The Bucket List" (nice flick but a little sad).
OH check this out, the annoying couple in front of us has a complaint that my computer is making noise (how did they even noticPublish Poste). I didn't hear anything since I was listening to music (and then the movie), but it wasn't my computer making the noise, it was my cell phone. No I don't have it on really, it's in Airplane Mode - NO signal, but since it's a PDA as well, it's still useful for other things. The noise was just a calendar reminder.
When we landed we found out that the couple in front of us were newlyweds - didn't notice if they went to the toilet at the same time though, maybe I was a asleep. ;-)
Saturday, May 3, 2008
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