Ireland Pt. 11 - Finale
DAY 11 - DINGLE - TRALEE - LIMERICK - DUBLIN
try saying that 5 times fast....
It's A Long Way To Dublin
True to their words, Barbara and Michael were up at the crack of dawn for us. We had muesli and Michael's awesome bread. Michael drove us to the bus and he helped us with our luggage and even carried and stored them in the bus for us. What a nice guy! Barbara had also packed us bananas and yogourt for the trip. They are really good hosts! I definitely want to come back and stay with them.
So today would be the longest day of travelling ever. There was no direct route from Dingle to Dublin. The closest station to Dingle was in Tralee. The rail ticket to Dublin from Tralee was 60 something euros and wouldn't save us that much time...so we took a bus...again...ahahah. I fell asleep a few times on the way to Limerick. Once we arrived there, we had some time before the bus ride to Dublin. Lucky I can sleep anywhere, so I didn't mind as much... but still...we left Dingle at 715am and arrived in Dublin around 3 something close to 4pm!
We took a cab to Azalea Lodge from there. We were pretty wiped out, so we were happy to be greeted by Bernadette again...happy to smell the nice rooms again and the coma-enticing beds. I'm telling you, the room smells so nice and the beds are too comfy to be true. I would pay a pretty penny to have one of those beds...if I had any left!!
One Last Adventure
We decided to go to Dublin one last time. Heck, why not, seeing that we still had mid-afternoon left. We searched for some last minute gifts and food. We wandered around a lot. What else was there to do? haha. Took pictures of some sights, etc. Talked about how we didn't want to come back and wanted to continue our vacation.
It took us a while to find a good place to eat. Temple Bar, was lively, tourist-rammed and we almost got killed by the Guarda...(their police)...as they sped through on the sidewalk. That was a big sign that we needed to get out of there!
We went to a bookstore. Surprised? Probably not! Found two books on the Blasket Islands. Can't wait to read them. Bought a few other books too. It's a sickness... I can't stay away from them.
We ended up at a nice restaurant, with a really charming cute waiter...who wasn't Irish. He was so cuuuute. After eating we walked around for a bit, to find our bus and headed back. We re-counted the money we had left and packed our knapsacks. I'm actually bringing some money home YEA YEA!
The End of The Road
Our last night was restful. I had a good night of sleep. I really did think I could have gone comatose. Azalea Lodge wins hands down for the nicest smelling rooms and best beds. We had a lovely breakfast and then headed on our way. Bernadette said she loved the butterscotch lollies from Laura Secord. She asked whether US sold them and I told her only in Canada. It seemed like everyone else liked them too. Next time I come back, I'm bringing more of them.
Our flight left and stopped over in Shannon, where we did more shopping. Why not...hahaha I still had money. Yes, I did bring some back. 200 euros in fact. Aren't you proud? Picked up some Irish Whiskey and Irish Coffee. I love the name. Hot Irishman Irish Coffee. kekekeke. Lots of Butler's chocolates to eat too.
When we arrived in Canada, we cleared customs...though I told Pat if they pulled her over, I would ditch her. I felt that the feeling was mutual hahaha. Yes, we made it out...I brought home some goodies and though it's nice to travel, it's also nice to come home. So I'm baaaa-ck in time for my 25th...though I'm bogged down already with stuff I gotta do. I doubt you missed me, since I spammed you with all these long emails!...Just kidding. I hope to get the pictures up eventually, as my computer is still dead and we're replacing it.
So I hope to see you around. I hope you didn't get too bored. Thanks for reading through it! I lied about one thing though...I said this would be the last, but I'm sending one more...because I forgot my book with the stuff I wrote in it. So one more and then you'll be rid of me :)
-Sam
Monday, August 17, 2009
Ireland Pt. 10
Ireland Pt. 10
DAY 10 - DINGLE
Walk Till You Drop
Pat and I had a wonderful breakfast at Milestone B&B, where we are staying. We finally met Barbara, who is just as nice as Michael. Michael booked our tour around the Peninsula with Dennis and his car. We wanted a change from being bus bums... I don't even wanna think about how much time we've spent sitting in buses. Dennis would be picking us up at 3pm, so we had until that time to shop and walk around.
We were really interested in doing the walk to the lighthouse. The path was such, that you could just walk and end where ever you wanted. Well we've become quite the fan of walking around and discovering, so we figured, we'll walk till we're tired and then see what happens. We walked along until we found a beach. The weather was gorgeous! We could either walk on the elevated grass with the stone wall, or we could walk on the beach. We thought it might be faster to walk along the beach so that's what we did.
The beach was nice for the most part, but eventually we got into a really wet and slippery area. It was full of moss and slippery wet rocks and some seaweed stuff that looked like giant grapes which popped when we stepped on them. I did a lot of...ewww...that feels gross, that sounds gross too... we slipped a few times too. We would look up at the elevated grass and wonder whether we should have chosen that path instead, but we couldn't change our minds now.
That area finally cleared up and we were back to normal, rocky beach. We took a lot of nice scenery pics and we had been walking for over an hour. We got to the ruins at the end of the island. We seriously walked a far, far way....all the way to where the islands were divided. We climbed up to the ruins and found another secluded beach on the edge. We also found some rabbit dens! Some people were swimming, but we just went down to see the shore. We decided to head back, as we hadn't shopped around yet and time was running out.
We took the elevated grass way and even walked by some bulls and cows that weren't fenced in. It seems all the owners of the lands figured people would walk along there anyway, so there were areas to get through each person's private property. We did get through a tied up gate though. Made it back to town and a had a delicious lunch in the Dingle Crystal shop/cafe. Yes, in Dingle, there are stores that are half store/half cafe...like a tanner shop/cafe, etc. So random!
On Being Brown
We arrived back at the B&B half an hour before our tour would start. We were surprised to see we had both tanned a little more. I really should have worn my contacts, because I have a bit of the glasses tan going on. It's not overly obvious but oh well. I find it all very amusing. Who goes to Ireland and gets a tan?
What crazy weather is this? It feels like summer, but I'm not complaining. The Irish people themselves are surprised! This time last year, it was busy raining for 8 weeks straight every day. Lucky us! Mind you the weather changes with a flip of a coin...which you'll soon read about!
Touring with Dennis
Dennis knows his stuff about the Dingle Peninsula. We drove up Slea Head, to the town of Ventry. We looked at the Dunbeg Fort which is a promotary fort. He showed us the bee hive huts, which are like their form of native tents, but instead are made of piled rocks without mortar. Dennis says that the reason for all the stone barriers, is not to divide land, but to clear the fields. Where there is field, it means that people were moving the rocks. We went to the beach where Ryan's Daughter was filmed on the Coumeenole Strand. He told us about a lake at the top of the mountain which has a stream that flows down to connect to more water at the bottom. We drove over the stream too, and it flows under a rock bridge, which is called the upside down bridge. Dennis took us to Dunmore Head which is the most westerly part of Ireland.
We saw the Blasket Islands from a distance. Pat and I now have a fascination with them, because they are empty now. No one lives there anymore, because it became too hard. The Blaskets had their own culture and stories. In fact, they knew that things were changing so the people of the Blaskets, asked the three best storytellers to collect all the information and write about it. Those three books became best sellers. Since then, more people from the Blaskets have written and they have the highest concentration of writers in Ireland. There is only one remaining survivor of the Blaskets now. Pat and I wrote down the titles to look for.
We were able to see the three sisters, which are three peaks/cliffs. We saw the sleeping giant in the water and the rest of the Blasket Islands. By then the weather started to get cloudy and then the rain began. Unfortunate, because we could have done more, but the weather wasn't cooperating. We drove by Dolores' house...Dolores, the lead singer of The Cranberries. Her home is huge and she has a stable for her horses as well!
It was a nice tour and I hope to visit Dingle again, so that I can see the rest of it. Dingle is a relaxing place to be. The scenery just calms me and makes me relax. I would like to stay here for a week next time. Dennis drove us back. We took a break and then headed back out in the rain. We ate at Global Village Restaurant and the food was excellent. We were going to go out for drinks again, but the thought of trying to find a cab in the rain and still having to pack, as long as the early morning start made us change our minds. We trudged home in the rain.
We had left a note for Barbara and Michael telling them that we would take the 7:15 am bus to Tralee. When we got back the note was under our door. Barbara said that they usually woke up at 6:30 am and they would drive us to town for the bus. They'd also make us breakfast! They are truly good hosts!
The next email will be the last for this trip. Thanks for hanging around so long and reading them!
-Sam
DAY 10 - DINGLE
Walk Till You Drop
Pat and I had a wonderful breakfast at Milestone B&B, where we are staying. We finally met Barbara, who is just as nice as Michael. Michael booked our tour around the Peninsula with Dennis and his car. We wanted a change from being bus bums... I don't even wanna think about how much time we've spent sitting in buses. Dennis would be picking us up at 3pm, so we had until that time to shop and walk around.
We were really interested in doing the walk to the lighthouse. The path was such, that you could just walk and end where ever you wanted. Well we've become quite the fan of walking around and discovering, so we figured, we'll walk till we're tired and then see what happens. We walked along until we found a beach. The weather was gorgeous! We could either walk on the elevated grass with the stone wall, or we could walk on the beach. We thought it might be faster to walk along the beach so that's what we did.
The beach was nice for the most part, but eventually we got into a really wet and slippery area. It was full of moss and slippery wet rocks and some seaweed stuff that looked like giant grapes which popped when we stepped on them. I did a lot of...ewww...that feels gross, that sounds gross too... we slipped a few times too. We would look up at the elevated grass and wonder whether we should have chosen that path instead, but we couldn't change our minds now.
That area finally cleared up and we were back to normal, rocky beach. We took a lot of nice scenery pics and we had been walking for over an hour. We got to the ruins at the end of the island. We seriously walked a far, far way....all the way to where the islands were divided. We climbed up to the ruins and found another secluded beach on the edge. We also found some rabbit dens! Some people were swimming, but we just went down to see the shore. We decided to head back, as we hadn't shopped around yet and time was running out.
We took the elevated grass way and even walked by some bulls and cows that weren't fenced in. It seems all the owners of the lands figured people would walk along there anyway, so there were areas to get through each person's private property. We did get through a tied up gate though. Made it back to town and a had a delicious lunch in the Dingle Crystal shop/cafe. Yes, in Dingle, there are stores that are half store/half cafe...like a tanner shop/cafe, etc. So random!
On Being Brown
We arrived back at the B&B half an hour before our tour would start. We were surprised to see we had both tanned a little more. I really should have worn my contacts, because I have a bit of the glasses tan going on. It's not overly obvious but oh well. I find it all very amusing. Who goes to Ireland and gets a tan?
What crazy weather is this? It feels like summer, but I'm not complaining. The Irish people themselves are surprised! This time last year, it was busy raining for 8 weeks straight every day. Lucky us! Mind you the weather changes with a flip of a coin...which you'll soon read about!
Touring with Dennis
Dennis knows his stuff about the Dingle Peninsula. We drove up Slea Head, to the town of Ventry. We looked at the Dunbeg Fort which is a promotary fort. He showed us the bee hive huts, which are like their form of native tents, but instead are made of piled rocks without mortar. Dennis says that the reason for all the stone barriers, is not to divide land, but to clear the fields. Where there is field, it means that people were moving the rocks. We went to the beach where Ryan's Daughter was filmed on the Coumeenole Strand. He told us about a lake at the top of the mountain which has a stream that flows down to connect to more water at the bottom. We drove over the stream too, and it flows under a rock bridge, which is called the upside down bridge. Dennis took us to Dunmore Head which is the most westerly part of Ireland.
We saw the Blasket Islands from a distance. Pat and I now have a fascination with them, because they are empty now. No one lives there anymore, because it became too hard. The Blaskets had their own culture and stories. In fact, they knew that things were changing so the people of the Blaskets, asked the three best storytellers to collect all the information and write about it. Those three books became best sellers. Since then, more people from the Blaskets have written and they have the highest concentration of writers in Ireland. There is only one remaining survivor of the Blaskets now. Pat and I wrote down the titles to look for.
We were able to see the three sisters, which are three peaks/cliffs. We saw the sleeping giant in the water and the rest of the Blasket Islands. By then the weather started to get cloudy and then the rain began. Unfortunate, because we could have done more, but the weather wasn't cooperating. We drove by Dolores' house...Dolores, the lead singer of The Cranberries. Her home is huge and she has a stable for her horses as well!
It was a nice tour and I hope to visit Dingle again, so that I can see the rest of it. Dingle is a relaxing place to be. The scenery just calms me and makes me relax. I would like to stay here for a week next time. Dennis drove us back. We took a break and then headed back out in the rain. We ate at Global Village Restaurant and the food was excellent. We were going to go out for drinks again, but the thought of trying to find a cab in the rain and still having to pack, as long as the early morning start made us change our minds. We trudged home in the rain.
We had left a note for Barbara and Michael telling them that we would take the 7:15 am bus to Tralee. When we got back the note was under our door. Barbara said that they usually woke up at 6:30 am and they would drive us to town for the bus. They'd also make us breakfast! They are truly good hosts!
The next email will be the last for this trip. Thanks for hanging around so long and reading them!
-Sam
Ireland Pt. 9 - the most exciting night ever!
Ireland Pt. 9 - the most exciting night ever!
DAY 9 - CORK - TRALEE - DINGLE
Journey to Dingle
Yes, the name sounds dinky, but Dingle is awesome! We woke up extremely early, as I mentioned and took a bus from Cork to Tralee. I've taken quite a few pics through a bus window, but hey, they aren't letting us off to do it otherwise!! The ride took quite a bit of time...so much for that 2 1/2 hour theory they seem to have. It's so true that the Irish bus system is extensive, but infrequent. We arrived in Tralee and then had to wait for a bus to Dingle.
The bus ride to Dingle from Tralee was around 1h and 10 minutes or so, which was quite faster, but with all the twists and turns it seemed longer. The way there was beautiful and we passed by different ranges of mountains. We've seen quite a few students here, and let me tell you that their kilts are at a way more decent length than the girls I went to school with at St. Joe's haha.
Best Customer Service EVER in Ireland
Upon arriving in Dingle, Barbara (owner of the B&B we were staying at) told me to call the B&B and Michael (her husband), would meet us in the town. We called and he asked me that he would be there shortly and how could he recognize us. I told him Pat's luggage was purple and mine was blue (Pat keeps telling me it's gray, but I see blue in it...) anyway...just to be sure, I told him I was Filipino and Pat laughed at me. Well, I can say that yes, I've seen some Asians on this trip, but not a whole lot!
Anyway, Michael picked us up and was very apologetic that he only had a two seater. He could drive one of us and the luggage and come for the other, or, one of us could get in the back with the luggage. I chose to sit with the luggage hahaha...reminded me of when I was young and travelling with my cousins. I was just sitting cross legged behind the two front seats. Michael said that they lived 1km from the town, but he drove us around the town to show us the good places to eat and great pubs to visit. Then, he drove us to the B&B. Let me tell you that their B&B is beautiful! The scenery is gorgeous!! I will show you pictures later of my view from our room. Truly beautiful. Once Michael brought up our luggage, he gave us time to rest and then said he'd meet us downstairs to recommend some places for us to visit.
Michael made us tea and coffee and his SUPERAWESOME soda bread. It is the best I've ever tasted! Irish butter is wickedawesome too, if you haven't had it before. After we ate a bit, he gave us a free doublesided map. One was a map of the town with all the great restaurants and pubs highlighted and numbered. The other side was a map of the dingle peninsula, which highlighted all the historic/archaeolgical sites to see. He went through both maps with us and answered our questions. He was so nice and helpful. If you ever go to Dingle, stay at this place! We only paid 35 euros a night and it was well worth it and more.
Michael offered to drive us back to the town, but we decided to walk there ourselves. We took pics of the scenery and I got us on a bit of a detour but we got back to the town. (Turns out later, that the detour would have taken us there anyway, but oh well haha) We shopped around a bit and had a light lunch of clam chowder and bread at John B. Moriarty's , as we were still stuffed from Michael's soda bread. We headed back to rest a bit before venturing down for dinner and music at night.
Goat St. Cafe
Later on, after resting a bit, we decided to check out the Goat St. Cafe, which was high on the list of Michael's recommendations. He saw us on our way out and offered to give us a lift there. His wife Barbara was out golfing and was returning the next day. He dropped us off, taking the detour route I had led us on earlier and we went in. Goat St. Cafe had wonderful food. I decided to spoil myself...why not?...I'm on vacation afterall...so I ordered half a lobster. I took a picture of it. I love good food. Sitting beside us was a couple from South Carolina and they talked to us. We had some good conversations with them while we ate and enjoyed our food. One of the waitresses talked to us as well. She was American, but she just couldn't stay away from Dingle and finally quit her job and moved to Dingle. I can see why she'd be pulled there. It's a seaside town...more geared to tourism now, but it's beautiful and the scenery is incredible.
The Small Bridge
After eating, we went to a pub for music, atmosphere and drinking. Michael recommended Small Bridge...It's actually called something else..it has a Gaelic name, but all I can remember from it is An Drom...... Beag. We bumped into Ralph and Jan again, the American couple who was eating beside us. They've been married for 50 years and have been driving all around Ireland for three weeks. We really got along well with them. Ralph and I agreed that Rick Steve's travel guide is like an Irish Bible (in that it is the best reference to Ireland when travelling as a tourist). We were drinking pints of Murphy's, while Jan and Pat drank Heineken. The traditional music started soon after. A man was playing guitar and the woman played fiddle and flute. Upon looking closer at the man, he looked familiar somehow...GEORGE CLOONEY?!?!?! We swear that he looked very much like George Clooney. And no, we did not ask for his autograph. People from Toronto don't do that...we more like stare...and not say anything to them. Who would have guessed that George Clooney moonlights as a guitar player in the Dingle, when he isn't acting in movies!! I did have the guts to take pictures though...keep an eye out for them!
To Dance with an Irish Man
While we were enjoying the music, a jolly Irish man in I would say in his mid-20s - early 30s walks up to us and asks if any of us could play the accordian behind us. Does Pat not tell him that "she can" pointing at me... she laughs her head off and I give her this look that tells her, the next time she walks near water I'm going to help her take a dip. I laugh and tell him, that I can't. He says, "why the feck not? Play us a song!!" Yes, you can imagine what feck means... He talks really loud and fast - I think most of the time, the rest of them couldn't understand what he was saying. He really tries to convince me to try playing the accordian, but alas, I don't think I could wing it.
He switches to trying to convince Pat to dance with him. "Can ya dance?", he asks her. Pat tells him no and grips her glass of Heinekein. Well the fellow is persistent, as he tries to get one of us to take her glass and then even tries to take it himself. Hahaha...I couldn't stop laughing, nor stop myself from reassuring him that Pat CAN INDEED DANCE!! HAHAHA...an eye for an eye! I couldn't stop laughing! She looked to me for help and I told her that was why I chose the corner seat, so I would be protected by her and Jan. The man finally gave up, as Pat made it obvious, she would not dance. He announced that he would go for a pint and come back to dance.
After he left, to Pat's relief, the music started again and we continued to enjoy George and his music. A bit later on, Mr. Lord of the Dance returned. This time he decided that I knew how to dance. He took my hand and tried to drag me to the dance floor. Pat just laughed...oh that Pat! I told him I didn't know how to dance and he said that he couldn't fecking either! I told him over and over that I couldn't dance (who knows what kind of moves he'd make trying to dance!...he proudly told us himself that he had been drinking all day long). I told him that I'd like to see him dance. I told him that he could dance and we'd watch him. I found, however, for a milisecond I thought, why the heck not, I'm on vacation and it would be a heck of a story... then I thought about it again and thought no wayyy ahahahah. He eventually gave up, saying he'd drink some more and be back for us. He tried convincing another lady to dance, but she said.."if I didn't have that surgery..." hahaha poor lad just wants to dance with someone...
The Rhubarb Farmer
What an exciting night it had become. That wasn't enough, however, the night was still young...plenty more opportunities to be entertained. We found, as the night went on, that more and more people came and blocked our view. One particular lad was swaying and dancing to the music and would occasionally turn to look at us. Jan was convinced that he was checking us out. The man then started greeting women who walked by him, like he knew them very well. After a while, we realized that he was just hitting on any woman who walked by him. Didn't matter the age, the look, whether she had a guy with her... it was hilarious. The women here, really know how to handle guys like this. They'd kind of just play along and then leave. Soon, we found ourselves, kind of routing for him ahah.
At some point, a lady took his hand and led him outside and then a minute later he came back...ahhhh poor lad. He finally started talking to us. He asked Ralph if they were Americans and Ralph said they were Germans. The man then decided to tell anyone who walked by that we were his German friends. kekeke. He told us he loved Johnny Cash and Ring of Fire. We asked him to sing and he kept singing the same thing. He eventually told us that he was a rhubarb farmer. He grew rhubarb. We were welcome to visit his farm. He continued to try to pick up women, including a German woman who was two times his size and could probably kick a hole into him..hahaha...and she had a boyfriend...the look she gave him was priceless! He continued to volley back and forth from trying to score and talking to us. He asked both Pat and I to come with him and have a good time...right, sure...that was high on my list of things to do. It was pretty entertaining watching him. The night went on and we left...leaving our opportunities to dance with an Irish man and become a rhubarb farmer's wife... We said goodbye to Ralph and Jan and promised to send them pictures of George.
We give this night the award for Most Entertaining Night in Ireland! It was a lot of fun and I think we had not laughed so hard in a long time!
Still searching for my charming Irish man,
Sam
DAY 9 - CORK - TRALEE - DINGLE
Journey to Dingle
Yes, the name sounds dinky, but Dingle is awesome! We woke up extremely early, as I mentioned and took a bus from Cork to Tralee. I've taken quite a few pics through a bus window, but hey, they aren't letting us off to do it otherwise!! The ride took quite a bit of time...so much for that 2 1/2 hour theory they seem to have. It's so true that the Irish bus system is extensive, but infrequent. We arrived in Tralee and then had to wait for a bus to Dingle.
The bus ride to Dingle from Tralee was around 1h and 10 minutes or so, which was quite faster, but with all the twists and turns it seemed longer. The way there was beautiful and we passed by different ranges of mountains. We've seen quite a few students here, and let me tell you that their kilts are at a way more decent length than the girls I went to school with at St. Joe's haha.
Best Customer Service EVER in Ireland
Upon arriving in Dingle, Barbara (owner of the B&B we were staying at) told me to call the B&B and Michael (her husband), would meet us in the town. We called and he asked me that he would be there shortly and how could he recognize us. I told him Pat's luggage was purple and mine was blue (Pat keeps telling me it's gray, but I see blue in it...) anyway...just to be sure, I told him I was Filipino and Pat laughed at me. Well, I can say that yes, I've seen some Asians on this trip, but not a whole lot!
Anyway, Michael picked us up and was very apologetic that he only had a two seater. He could drive one of us and the luggage and come for the other, or, one of us could get in the back with the luggage. I chose to sit with the luggage hahaha...reminded me of when I was young and travelling with my cousins. I was just sitting cross legged behind the two front seats. Michael said that they lived 1km from the town, but he drove us around the town to show us the good places to eat and great pubs to visit. Then, he drove us to the B&B. Let me tell you that their B&B is beautiful! The scenery is gorgeous!! I will show you pictures later of my view from our room. Truly beautiful. Once Michael brought up our luggage, he gave us time to rest and then said he'd meet us downstairs to recommend some places for us to visit.
Michael made us tea and coffee and his SUPERAWESOME soda bread. It is the best I've ever tasted! Irish butter is wickedawesome too, if you haven't had it before. After we ate a bit, he gave us a free doublesided map. One was a map of the town with all the great restaurants and pubs highlighted and numbered. The other side was a map of the dingle peninsula, which highlighted all the historic/archaeolgical sites to see. He went through both maps with us and answered our questions. He was so nice and helpful. If you ever go to Dingle, stay at this place! We only paid 35 euros a night and it was well worth it and more.
Michael offered to drive us back to the town, but we decided to walk there ourselves. We took pics of the scenery and I got us on a bit of a detour but we got back to the town. (Turns out later, that the detour would have taken us there anyway, but oh well haha) We shopped around a bit and had a light lunch of clam chowder and bread at John B. Moriarty's , as we were still stuffed from Michael's soda bread. We headed back to rest a bit before venturing down for dinner and music at night.
Goat St. Cafe
Later on, after resting a bit, we decided to check out the Goat St. Cafe, which was high on the list of Michael's recommendations. He saw us on our way out and offered to give us a lift there. His wife Barbara was out golfing and was returning the next day. He dropped us off, taking the detour route I had led us on earlier and we went in. Goat St. Cafe had wonderful food. I decided to spoil myself...why not?...I'm on vacation afterall...so I ordered half a lobster. I took a picture of it. I love good food. Sitting beside us was a couple from South Carolina and they talked to us. We had some good conversations with them while we ate and enjoyed our food. One of the waitresses talked to us as well. She was American, but she just couldn't stay away from Dingle and finally quit her job and moved to Dingle. I can see why she'd be pulled there. It's a seaside town...more geared to tourism now, but it's beautiful and the scenery is incredible.
The Small Bridge
After eating, we went to a pub for music, atmosphere and drinking. Michael recommended Small Bridge...It's actually called something else..it has a Gaelic name, but all I can remember from it is An Drom...... Beag. We bumped into Ralph and Jan again, the American couple who was eating beside us. They've been married for 50 years and have been driving all around Ireland for three weeks. We really got along well with them. Ralph and I agreed that Rick Steve's travel guide is like an Irish Bible (in that it is the best reference to Ireland when travelling as a tourist). We were drinking pints of Murphy's, while Jan and Pat drank Heineken. The traditional music started soon after. A man was playing guitar and the woman played fiddle and flute. Upon looking closer at the man, he looked familiar somehow...GEORGE CLOONEY?!?!?! We swear that he looked very much like George Clooney. And no, we did not ask for his autograph. People from Toronto don't do that...we more like stare...and not say anything to them. Who would have guessed that George Clooney moonlights as a guitar player in the Dingle, when he isn't acting in movies!! I did have the guts to take pictures though...keep an eye out for them!
To Dance with an Irish Man
While we were enjoying the music, a jolly Irish man in I would say in his mid-20s - early 30s walks up to us and asks if any of us could play the accordian behind us. Does Pat not tell him that "she can" pointing at me... she laughs her head off and I give her this look that tells her, the next time she walks near water I'm going to help her take a dip. I laugh and tell him, that I can't. He says, "why the feck not? Play us a song!!" Yes, you can imagine what feck means... He talks really loud and fast - I think most of the time, the rest of them couldn't understand what he was saying. He really tries to convince me to try playing the accordian, but alas, I don't think I could wing it.
He switches to trying to convince Pat to dance with him. "Can ya dance?", he asks her. Pat tells him no and grips her glass of Heinekein. Well the fellow is persistent, as he tries to get one of us to take her glass and then even tries to take it himself. Hahaha...I couldn't stop laughing, nor stop myself from reassuring him that Pat CAN INDEED DANCE!! HAHAHA...an eye for an eye! I couldn't stop laughing! She looked to me for help and I told her that was why I chose the corner seat, so I would be protected by her and Jan. The man finally gave up, as Pat made it obvious, she would not dance. He announced that he would go for a pint and come back to dance.
After he left, to Pat's relief, the music started again and we continued to enjoy George and his music. A bit later on, Mr. Lord of the Dance returned. This time he decided that I knew how to dance. He took my hand and tried to drag me to the dance floor. Pat just laughed...oh that Pat! I told him I didn't know how to dance and he said that he couldn't fecking either! I told him over and over that I couldn't dance (who knows what kind of moves he'd make trying to dance!...he proudly told us himself that he had been drinking all day long). I told him that I'd like to see him dance. I told him that he could dance and we'd watch him. I found, however, for a milisecond I thought, why the heck not, I'm on vacation and it would be a heck of a story... then I thought about it again and thought no wayyy ahahahah. He eventually gave up, saying he'd drink some more and be back for us. He tried convincing another lady to dance, but she said.."if I didn't have that surgery..." hahaha poor lad just wants to dance with someone...
The Rhubarb Farmer
What an exciting night it had become. That wasn't enough, however, the night was still young...plenty more opportunities to be entertained. We found, as the night went on, that more and more people came and blocked our view. One particular lad was swaying and dancing to the music and would occasionally turn to look at us. Jan was convinced that he was checking us out. The man then started greeting women who walked by him, like he knew them very well. After a while, we realized that he was just hitting on any woman who walked by him. Didn't matter the age, the look, whether she had a guy with her... it was hilarious. The women here, really know how to handle guys like this. They'd kind of just play along and then leave. Soon, we found ourselves, kind of routing for him ahah.
At some point, a lady took his hand and led him outside and then a minute later he came back...ahhhh poor lad. He finally started talking to us. He asked Ralph if they were Americans and Ralph said they were Germans. The man then decided to tell anyone who walked by that we were his German friends. kekeke. He told us he loved Johnny Cash and Ring of Fire. We asked him to sing and he kept singing the same thing. He eventually told us that he was a rhubarb farmer. He grew rhubarb. We were welcome to visit his farm. He continued to try to pick up women, including a German woman who was two times his size and could probably kick a hole into him..hahaha...and she had a boyfriend...the look she gave him was priceless! He continued to volley back and forth from trying to score and talking to us. He asked both Pat and I to come with him and have a good time...right, sure...that was high on my list of things to do. It was pretty entertaining watching him. The night went on and we left...leaving our opportunities to dance with an Irish man and become a rhubarb farmer's wife... We said goodbye to Ralph and Jan and promised to send them pictures of George.
We give this night the award for Most Entertaining Night in Ireland! It was a lot of fun and I think we had not laughed so hard in a long time!
Still searching for my charming Irish man,
Sam
Ireland Pt. 8
Ireland Pt. 8
DAY 8 - CORK (KINSALE & CLONAKILTY)
Touring
First stop on the tour was to Charles Fort to take pictures. Also took pictures of Seven Heads Peninsula. Headed to Kinsale which is high in tourism and geared towards it. (Before I forget to mention, I found my other adapter, so I've been okay with taking pictures..too much in fact!!) Went to a store and the extremely friendly store owner started talking to us about our travels. He said that if we had come in the day before, around the same time, he would have driven us to Tralee, because that's where his father lives. ahhah. People are so helpful! Too bad, we couldn't take him up on the offer...instead we have to take a bus to Tralee and then another to Dingle.
We were able to take take photos of Courtmacsherry Bay and pictures at the old capital of Kinsale. It's really beautiful and what we were hoping to see and do when we came to Ireland - see the beautiful scenery. Visited Clonakilty - hometown of Irish leader and statesman, Michael Collins. Took a picture of his very charming statue, in which he looks like he's either mad or debating. Continued our costal tour through Ardfield and Red Strand, as well as the pretty village of Rathberry.
Drove past the ruins of Castlefreke, seat of the Lords of Carberry. Were able to get out, stretch our legs and do the flash happy camera thing. Ended at Timoleage and the famous ruins of it's Franciscan Abbey. Don told us about two American bombers that landed in the White Bog, instead of France, where they were supposed to be. Their pet mascot monkey, Tojo, was truly loved by the people there as well. Unfortunately poor Tojo died and was given a full military burial, and buried under O'Donovan's bar where an X marks the spot.
Dining by a Waterfall
- After the tour, we ate dinner at a restaurant beside a waterfall. It was called Greene's at it was delicious. I took a few pics to share, which you'll see later. Absolutely fabulous! Pat and I have been surprised to eat so many good meals here (although I've spent a bit more than what I had already budgeted for food, but it all works out in the end b/c I combined it with my liquor budget). To those who have travelled with me, I'm sure you remember my paperclip budgets haha!
Evening Walk
Pat and I love walking around and exploring, so we took a very long walk once we had changed at the B&B. We were able to take some really nice pics of the city. We ended our day very nicely, since we would have to wake up quite early for our bus to Tralee. Paddy woke up early to serve us breakfast, however Jane had caught a flu and wanted to spare us from it. I'll keep in touch with them for sure.
Gotta go again - sorry the emails are getting shorter. Dingle is awesome!
-Sam
DAY 8 - CORK (KINSALE & CLONAKILTY)
Touring
First stop on the tour was to Charles Fort to take pictures. Also took pictures of Seven Heads Peninsula. Headed to Kinsale which is high in tourism and geared towards it. (Before I forget to mention, I found my other adapter, so I've been okay with taking pictures..too much in fact!!) Went to a store and the extremely friendly store owner started talking to us about our travels. He said that if we had come in the day before, around the same time, he would have driven us to Tralee, because that's where his father lives. ahhah. People are so helpful! Too bad, we couldn't take him up on the offer...instead we have to take a bus to Tralee and then another to Dingle.
We were able to take take photos of Courtmacsherry Bay and pictures at the old capital of Kinsale. It's really beautiful and what we were hoping to see and do when we came to Ireland - see the beautiful scenery. Visited Clonakilty - hometown of Irish leader and statesman, Michael Collins. Took a picture of his very charming statue, in which he looks like he's either mad or debating. Continued our costal tour through Ardfield and Red Strand, as well as the pretty village of Rathberry.
Drove past the ruins of Castlefreke, seat of the Lords of Carberry. Were able to get out, stretch our legs and do the flash happy camera thing. Ended at Timoleage and the famous ruins of it's Franciscan Abbey. Don told us about two American bombers that landed in the White Bog, instead of France, where they were supposed to be. Their pet mascot monkey, Tojo, was truly loved by the people there as well. Unfortunately poor Tojo died and was given a full military burial, and buried under O'Donovan's bar where an X marks the spot.
Dining by a Waterfall
- After the tour, we ate dinner at a restaurant beside a waterfall. It was called Greene's at it was delicious. I took a few pics to share, which you'll see later. Absolutely fabulous! Pat and I have been surprised to eat so many good meals here (although I've spent a bit more than what I had already budgeted for food, but it all works out in the end b/c I combined it with my liquor budget). To those who have travelled with me, I'm sure you remember my paperclip budgets haha!
Evening Walk
Pat and I love walking around and exploring, so we took a very long walk once we had changed at the B&B. We were able to take some really nice pics of the city. We ended our day very nicely, since we would have to wake up quite early for our bus to Tralee. Paddy woke up early to serve us breakfast, however Jane had caught a flu and wanted to spare us from it. I'll keep in touch with them for sure.
Gotta go again - sorry the emails are getting shorter. Dingle is awesome!
-Sam
Ireland Pt. 7
Ireland Pt. 7
the adventures continue...
DAY 7 - MAY 15 - CORK (KENMARE, KILLARNEY & MACROOM)
I had a nice chat with Jane and Paddy yesterday. They offered to let me use their internet and phone for free. How nice! So I tried calling home, but no luck, so I left a pretty long msg.
We had scrambled eggs inthe morning and left early for our tour to Kenmare and Killarney, which are part of the Ring of Kerry. Our guide's name is Don O'Brien. He gave us some history about Cork City and it's buildings. Drove through macroom and when we first got off the bus, it was to take pictures at a Druid's circle. Our next stop was Ladys View for scenery pics of the Killarney Lakes. We went to Kenmare and shopped in the little stores instead of focusing on the sites...not enough time. Bouth an amazing coronation chicken wrap which I ate on the bus.
Muckross Estate, Killarney
Next we went to Killarney National Park which is gorgeous. The purple mountains were beautiful! We went to Muckross Abbey, instead of the estate. What a good choice, b/c it was awesome. On the way there, a young man came by on his horse and cart and gave us a free ride to the abbey. SCORE! It was fun and his horse was really well trained. The abbey had a mysterious feel too it and I was glad we were able to see it. On our way back to the main area, we walked by some army people training.
We made it to the gift shop before we left. Drove to Killarney City Centre. Pat and I walked around the town . We drove through some other towns as well...can't remember all of them. Were dropped off at the city centre at around 5:30pm. We window shopped for a while before having dinner at Pembroke Hotel's restaurant. Food was delicious and the price was great, as it was an early bird special. Walked around and stumbled on Debenham's dept. store sale. Bought a shirt and watch. Walked up the hill back to the B&B - quite a workout! Jane and Paddy lent me their cordless phone to call home...which I did at 5:30am in the morning the next day.
Tomorrow's tour is very busy, so I'll send it in the next installment. Places to go and not enough time. At this moment, we are in the Dingle Peninsula...very western point of southern Ireland. Will update later..
Until the next adventure!
- Sam
the adventures continue...
DAY 7 - MAY 15 - CORK (KENMARE, KILLARNEY & MACROOM)
I had a nice chat with Jane and Paddy yesterday. They offered to let me use their internet and phone for free. How nice! So I tried calling home, but no luck, so I left a pretty long msg.
We had scrambled eggs inthe morning and left early for our tour to Kenmare and Killarney, which are part of the Ring of Kerry. Our guide's name is Don O'Brien. He gave us some history about Cork City and it's buildings. Drove through macroom and when we first got off the bus, it was to take pictures at a Druid's circle. Our next stop was Ladys View for scenery pics of the Killarney Lakes. We went to Kenmare and shopped in the little stores instead of focusing on the sites...not enough time. Bouth an amazing coronation chicken wrap which I ate on the bus.
Muckross Estate, Killarney
Next we went to Killarney National Park which is gorgeous. The purple mountains were beautiful! We went to Muckross Abbey, instead of the estate. What a good choice, b/c it was awesome. On the way there, a young man came by on his horse and cart and gave us a free ride to the abbey. SCORE! It was fun and his horse was really well trained. The abbey had a mysterious feel too it and I was glad we were able to see it. On our way back to the main area, we walked by some army people training.
We made it to the gift shop before we left. Drove to Killarney City Centre. Pat and I walked around the town . We drove through some other towns as well...can't remember all of them. Were dropped off at the city centre at around 5:30pm. We window shopped for a while before having dinner at Pembroke Hotel's restaurant. Food was delicious and the price was great, as it was an early bird special. Walked around and stumbled on Debenham's dept. store sale. Bought a shirt and watch. Walked up the hill back to the B&B - quite a workout! Jane and Paddy lent me their cordless phone to call home...which I did at 5:30am in the morning the next day.
Tomorrow's tour is very busy, so I'll send it in the next installment. Places to go and not enough time. At this moment, we are in the Dingle Peninsula...very western point of southern Ireland. Will update later..
Until the next adventure!
- Sam
Ireland Pt. 6
Ireland Pt. 6
DAY 5...continued
Dinner & Music
Talked to Rhoda about making calls and met her chocolate lab, Lottie - very affectionate, playful and chewed on my shoe. She also brought me one of her chew toys. Dinner was wonderful. I ate deep fried Galway prawns, steak with side of mashed potatoes and veggies. Wexford strawberries and ice cream. (Forgot to mention that the night before I had a exotic fruits in a baby pineapple with banana ice-cream..yumyum) After dinner went to the bar for more music and had an AMAZING Irish coffee! Soooo good! Cheers to Barb :)
One of the same musicians and another guy were playing. They were hilarious in between songs. Much centered on the fact that no one was brave enough to sit in the seats right in front of them haha. Asked if any Canadians were present. Asked us from where. Joked that everytime someone asks where in Canada, ppl always say Toronto. Also joked about the wonderful weather and people getting heatstroke. He said that a whole generation of Irish children have never seen the sun...what's that big ball of light in the sky? haahha
We laughed so much because they just kept cracking jokes. We headed back to pack for the next day's departure.
DAY 6 - MAY 14 - KILKENNY - CORK
BREAKFAST ON THE GO
Rhoda gave us the choice of having omelettes in the morning so I had a ham and cheese and Pat had spinach and feta. They were really delicious. Rhoda called us a taxi and we took a bus from the station to Cork city centre. The bus which was supposed to be..guess...another 2 1/2 hours was longer haaha. We took a cab to the B&B after inquiring about some tours...cabbie got lost, but we arrived. Jane had set up two single rooms for us, as we had given her short notice about booking the extra day. It's very comfy and relaxing here. They are really nice.
We went downstairs and the sidewalks are really wide. The River Lee goes through the city and we actually saw some interesting characters here...bits of Parkdale in fact on the less busy streets hahaha. We hit the tourism office, got some souvenirs and found out more about some good day tours. We decided to take the tour going to Kenmare and Killarney. They are two stops on the Ring of Kerry. It would take longer for us to do it justice, so some is better than none. I'll update you on that tour tomorrow. We're pretty drained from the tour and we have another one tomorrow. Cork city is good as a hub to go to other places in Cork county.
Relatively short update huh? Tomorrow will probably be longer because we did a lot today. The trip from Kerry back to Dublin, is going to be killer long...gotta turn on the narco for sure...
Lator Gators,
Sam
DAY 5...continued
Dinner & Music
Talked to Rhoda about making calls and met her chocolate lab, Lottie - very affectionate, playful and chewed on my shoe. She also brought me one of her chew toys. Dinner was wonderful. I ate deep fried Galway prawns, steak with side of mashed potatoes and veggies. Wexford strawberries and ice cream. (Forgot to mention that the night before I had a exotic fruits in a baby pineapple with banana ice-cream..yumyum) After dinner went to the bar for more music and had an AMAZING Irish coffee! Soooo good! Cheers to Barb :)
One of the same musicians and another guy were playing. They were hilarious in between songs. Much centered on the fact that no one was brave enough to sit in the seats right in front of them haha. Asked if any Canadians were present. Asked us from where. Joked that everytime someone asks where in Canada, ppl always say Toronto. Also joked about the wonderful weather and people getting heatstroke. He said that a whole generation of Irish children have never seen the sun...what's that big ball of light in the sky? haahha
We laughed so much because they just kept cracking jokes. We headed back to pack for the next day's departure.
DAY 6 - MAY 14 - KILKENNY - CORK
BREAKFAST ON THE GO
Rhoda gave us the choice of having omelettes in the morning so I had a ham and cheese and Pat had spinach and feta. They were really delicious. Rhoda called us a taxi and we took a bus from the station to Cork city centre. The bus which was supposed to be..guess...another 2 1/2 hours was longer haaha. We took a cab to the B&B after inquiring about some tours...cabbie got lost, but we arrived. Jane had set up two single rooms for us, as we had given her short notice about booking the extra day. It's very comfy and relaxing here. They are really nice.
We went downstairs and the sidewalks are really wide. The River Lee goes through the city and we actually saw some interesting characters here...bits of Parkdale in fact on the less busy streets hahaha. We hit the tourism office, got some souvenirs and found out more about some good day tours. We decided to take the tour going to Kenmare and Killarney. They are two stops on the Ring of Kerry. It would take longer for us to do it justice, so some is better than none. I'll update you on that tour tomorrow. We're pretty drained from the tour and we have another one tomorrow. Cork city is good as a hub to go to other places in Cork county.
Relatively short update huh? Tomorrow will probably be longer because we did a lot today. The trip from Kerry back to Dublin, is going to be killer long...gotta turn on the narco for sure...
Lator Gators,
Sam
Ireland Pt. 5
Ireland Pt. 5
DAY 4 - WICKLOW - KILKENNY
On The Road to Kilkenny
Ate breakfast at 8:30 a.m. - full Irish breakfast - a bit on the greasy side, but I DID try a bit of blood sausage...there's always one thing I have to try that's new... Caught what was supposed to be the 9:05 am bus, which came at 9:30 am. Bus driver took us through a different route, so I was able to see the Wicklow Mountains and Roundwood, driving by. Got to Dublin at 10 something, close to 11am. We bought tickets to Kilkenny. Had to pay 20c for public washroom. Getting on the bus was a bit confusing as they said gate 6, but the bus said 7 to Clonmel. the info lady had said 2 1/2 hour ride, but it was more like 3 hours...oh well... I almost got us off at the wrong stop, b/c I kept seeing the word Kilkenny on the businesses and Castlecomer Rd (which is part of the address where we are staying). We still find it confusing that they have a cities with the same name as the counties. We tried to verify with the driver who wasn't superhelpful. We got to Kilkenny city centre fine and took an 8 min cab ride to Rosquil House.
Rosquil House
Rhoda greeted us and she is soooo nice! She showed us to our room, where we scored two kingsize beds and a very nice washroom with a bathtub/sower. She gave us the Kilkenny guide which we used the entire time we were here and coupons. She also told us about a walking tour and where to hear live music. Looked up transportation to Cork for us. After settling in, we went in search for the tourist office and food.
Kilkenny
Decided to go to Cafe Sol for food and atmosphere was amazing. We are around 20min walk from the City Centre. Kilkenny looks very much like a small European town with small shops. We ate our food and I also had a freshly baked scone that was to die for. We went to Mocha - a specialty chocolate, candy, coffee and tea shop. Went to an Irish craft shop, where the owner offered to tell us places that were worth seeing.
Went back to Rosquil House to freshen up . Went out for live music at Langton's. Music was wonderful and I had a pint of Smithwicks...cheers to Singapore Nancy. Music ended at 10pm. We left a bit later, did more planning and slept.
DAY 5 - KILKENNY
Great Brekkie
Woke up for a breakfast and was impressed by the wonderful spread. Selection of fresh fruits, cereals and juices. Cooked breakfast was also available and individual pots of tea and coffee. Rhoda offered us a wonderful change from the Irish breakfast. I had an open-faced potato omelette. We set out into town for a walking tour. Passed a number of little shops, cafes and pubs.
Marble City
Kilkenny is also known as the Marble City, which we learned on the tour. At the the thostle, which served as a marketplace and town hall, there was a cage that was hung overhead. Troublemakers would be locked in the cage and passerbys would give the cage a whirl. Poor troublemakers...ahhaha...too bad that's still not in practice!
A number of windows were blocked from the inside b/c there was a tax on windows. That's where they got the expression, "tax the daylights out of someone" or something to that extent. There was an old statue made of marble and it had the likeness of an Egyptian. Our tour guide told us that there are many Egyptian influences in Ireland. He also mentioned that some of the boats in Ireland are exactly like the ones on the Nile. We went to a number of historical sites, which you'll see in our pictures. Went to a butter slip, where people got deals on eggs and butter. We ended at Black Abbey and the Rothe gardens. We looked around for things to buy and get food. Upon closer inspection, there wasn't a lot of things, we were particularly interested in.
Tanning by a Castle
Had a light lunch at River Court restaurant, which was along the River Nore and had a beautiful view of Kilkenny Castle. I was surprisingl hot and sunny. We both tanned a bit. A tan in Ireland - who would have thought? People keep saying that the weather has been unusually nice. After lunch we wandered around Kilkenny Castle grounds. Took a tour of the castle and saw spectacular views from the windows, but weren't allowed to have our cameras with us. We saw tiny beds, beautiful portraits, some original furniture and a book case that had a wave in the glass. Went to Kilkenny Design Centre and saw some really nice stuff. Most were pricey, but really nice. There was a basketweavers exhibition which was really interseting and astoundingly intricate. Visted the butler's garden. Went back to rest.
Will tell you about the rest of the night and trip to Cork city centre, in the next email. This place is definitely one to be used as a base to go to other places. Lots of interesting characters here too.
Until the next one,
-Sam
DAY 4 - WICKLOW - KILKENNY
On The Road to Kilkenny
Ate breakfast at 8:30 a.m. - full Irish breakfast - a bit on the greasy side, but I DID try a bit of blood sausage...there's always one thing I have to try that's new... Caught what was supposed to be the 9:05 am bus, which came at 9:30 am. Bus driver took us through a different route, so I was able to see the Wicklow Mountains and Roundwood, driving by. Got to Dublin at 10 something, close to 11am. We bought tickets to Kilkenny. Had to pay 20c for public washroom. Getting on the bus was a bit confusing as they said gate 6, but the bus said 7 to Clonmel. the info lady had said 2 1/2 hour ride, but it was more like 3 hours...oh well... I almost got us off at the wrong stop, b/c I kept seeing the word Kilkenny on the businesses and Castlecomer Rd (which is part of the address where we are staying). We still find it confusing that they have a cities with the same name as the counties. We tried to verify with the driver who wasn't superhelpful. We got to Kilkenny city centre fine and took an 8 min cab ride to Rosquil House.
Rosquil House
Rhoda greeted us and she is soooo nice! She showed us to our room, where we scored two kingsize beds and a very nice washroom with a bathtub/sower. She gave us the Kilkenny guide which we used the entire time we were here and coupons. She also told us about a walking tour and where to hear live music. Looked up transportation to Cork for us. After settling in, we went in search for the tourist office and food.
Kilkenny
Decided to go to Cafe Sol for food and atmosphere was amazing. We are around 20min walk from the City Centre. Kilkenny looks very much like a small European town with small shops. We ate our food and I also had a freshly baked scone that was to die for. We went to Mocha - a specialty chocolate, candy, coffee and tea shop. Went to an Irish craft shop, where the owner offered to tell us places that were worth seeing.
Went back to Rosquil House to freshen up . Went out for live music at Langton's. Music was wonderful and I had a pint of Smithwicks...cheers to Singapore Nancy. Music ended at 10pm. We left a bit later, did more planning and slept.
DAY 5 - KILKENNY
Great Brekkie
Woke up for a breakfast and was impressed by the wonderful spread. Selection of fresh fruits, cereals and juices. Cooked breakfast was also available and individual pots of tea and coffee. Rhoda offered us a wonderful change from the Irish breakfast. I had an open-faced potato omelette. We set out into town for a walking tour. Passed a number of little shops, cafes and pubs.
Marble City
Kilkenny is also known as the Marble City, which we learned on the tour. At the the thostle, which served as a marketplace and town hall, there was a cage that was hung overhead. Troublemakers would be locked in the cage and passerbys would give the cage a whirl. Poor troublemakers...ahhaha...too bad that's still not in practice!
A number of windows were blocked from the inside b/c there was a tax on windows. That's where they got the expression, "tax the daylights out of someone" or something to that extent. There was an old statue made of marble and it had the likeness of an Egyptian. Our tour guide told us that there are many Egyptian influences in Ireland. He also mentioned that some of the boats in Ireland are exactly like the ones on the Nile. We went to a number of historical sites, which you'll see in our pictures. Went to a butter slip, where people got deals on eggs and butter. We ended at Black Abbey and the Rothe gardens. We looked around for things to buy and get food. Upon closer inspection, there wasn't a lot of things, we were particularly interested in.
Tanning by a Castle
Had a light lunch at River Court restaurant, which was along the River Nore and had a beautiful view of Kilkenny Castle. I was surprisingl hot and sunny. We both tanned a bit. A tan in Ireland - who would have thought? People keep saying that the weather has been unusually nice. After lunch we wandered around Kilkenny Castle grounds. Took a tour of the castle and saw spectacular views from the windows, but weren't allowed to have our cameras with us. We saw tiny beds, beautiful portraits, some original furniture and a book case that had a wave in the glass. Went to Kilkenny Design Centre and saw some really nice stuff. Most were pricey, but really nice. There was a basketweavers exhibition which was really interseting and astoundingly intricate. Visted the butler's garden. Went back to rest.
Will tell you about the rest of the night and trip to Cork city centre, in the next email. This place is definitely one to be used as a base to go to other places. Lots of interesting characters here too.
Until the next one,
-Sam
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