Can we just talk about Irish dairy for a minute? Every single dairy product I’ve had on this trip has been so creamy and fresh! The cream, the butter, the ice cream… so good! On my mental shopping list for the day I get home, I’ve already added Irish butter and cheese. I’m probably thinking about dairy tonight because (a) I’m hungry and (b) I had the world’s best soft serve ice cream cone this afternoon.
Another cloudy/rainy/foggy Irish day. I got an early start so that I could beat the masses and tour buses on the Ring of Kerry. I wish I could say I loved it. Maybe it was the solitude and beauty I experienced “off the beaten path” the last couple of days. Maybe the weather was to blame. Either way, it wasn’t my favorite day of vacation.
But there were some bright spots to the otherwise dreary day. I spent about an hour and a half exploring Ballycarbery Castle and the two nearby stone forts. The castle dates to the 1500s and stands high in a field overlooking the river Fertha. You can look into the first floor rooms, but the fun (at least for me) was climbing up the narrow stone steps at the back and exploring the rooms above the main floor. The fact that these old ruins are just sitting there and that you can just drive up and start exploring continues to amaze me!
Off the beaten path. That is exactly how I would describe the last two days in Ireland. Mizen Head, Sheep’s Head, and the Beara Peninsula are three of the lesser-traveled peninsulas in southern Ireland. The tour buses can’t easily get to many of the places in these areas, so there are far fewer people. Just my type of day! I stopped at Muckross Abbey in Killarney before heading to the Beara Peninsula. I plan to spend the day in Killarney National Park on Friday, but the Abbey is a short walk from the main road and I decided to check it out. I was there before 9AM and had the place almost to myself. The friary dates to 1445 and is well preserved. I can’t say that my visit turned me into a history buff, but I wandered around in awe of the building and tried to imagine the friars who lived there walking through these same doorways and arches. You can actually climb the winding stone staircases up into the tower and around the vaulted cloister.
Today was the day I decided I love Ireland. Not that I didn’t enjoy the first few days of the trip. I did. But today was filled with countless “I can’t believe this is real” moments. It was that awesome.
Today started off gray and rainy. As in, pouring rain. Yesterday, I had seen a sign for the “Kilkenny-Cashel Scenic Drive”, and since Cashel was my first stop for the day, I decided to give it a try. Good thing the route was well-signed! Between the narrow roads, rain, fog, and oncoming cars, it was a bit of a white-knuckle drive! When I got to Cashel, my only planned stop was at the Rock of Cashel. The Rock of Cashel was the seat of the kings of Munster for several hundred years before being donated to the church in 1101 AD. In 1749 the roof was removed, and the ruins have been an attraction to visitors ever since. It was interesting to walk around inside the old cathedral with the rain coming down, but I was even more impressed by the cemetery outside, with its views of the surrounding countryside. In 1930, they made a register of those who would be able to be buried in the churchyard. Only those living could be recorded in the register (no would-be children or grandchildren). There are only 5 people left on the register to be buried, all in their 80s now. I’m sure a sunny day would have made for a better visit, but somehow the rain and clouds added to the atmosphere.
I now understand why they tell you to dress in layers in Ireland. You can go from enjoying a sunny day to a downpour in 10 minutes’ time! This morning was a mix of sun and clouds (now I sound like a weatherman!), and I started my day with a hotel breakfast before heading to Kilkenny Castle. I did some reading up on scrambled eggs because everywhere I’ve been in Europe, the eggs are very moist and gooey, not at all like what we’re used to in the U.S. It turns out, while we normally make our eggs by mixing them with milk and then cooking until they are dry; here they put the milk and butter in the pan, add the eggs, and cook just until they’re set. I’m not a fan. Fortunately, croissants also seem to be staples of an Irish breakfast, so I’m not going hungry! I met two nice couples from Virginia at breakfast this morning, who asked me to pull up a chair and discuss vacations with them. They were just finishing a 12 day trip very similar to mine, but in reverse. They were able to share some of their favorite places and experiences, and I took plenty of mental notes!
Today started with a trip back to Dublin Airport to pick up a rental car for the rest of the trip. There were red, white, and blue balloons everywhere, including in arches over the doorways. Pretty impressive! I finally got the car, a Volkswagen Jetta (my only requirements were automatic and a/c; no small feat – or price tag – in Ireland), and discovered that it runs on diesel. Add that as another first for me! Having driven for a week on the left in England back in April, I wasn’t nearly as nervous or apprehensive this time. I should mention that my nervousness this time stems more from the low mileage – only 19 km! – on the car than the driving. I’m afraid of getting any little scratch on it. They actually have pictures taken of it just before I picked it up. Hertz’s NeverLost system seems to spend more time “searching for a GPS signal” than it actually does navigating, but I managed to make it to all my intended stops for the day.
After sleeping for almost 11 hours last night, I woke up to the sun reflecting directly into my face off the wall mirror in my hotel room this morning. It was time to get up and explore Dublin some more! My first stop of the day was Trinity College. My walking tour was slightly delayed, as we had to wait for John Boehner’s entourage to clear out. The tour
was fascinating. Would you believe that for a €3,000 registration fee per year, a student from any country in the European Union can attend Trinity College? Another interesting thing I learned was about the scholarship program. At the end of their freshman year, students can choose to sit for an examination. Those who score first honors (70% or higher) become Trinity College Scholars. This includes free tuition, room, board, etc. for the duration of their bachelor’s degrees, plus an additional 5 years to complete a Ph.D. if they choose. Only about 65 to 70 scholarships are awarded per year (out of 17,000 students). The library at Trinity College is most known for holding the Book of Kells. While this was interesting to see, the mobs of people surrounding it made it nearly impossible to get a close look. The library is also a legal deposit library for Ireland and the U.K., meaning that Trinity College has a copy of every book published in Britain, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland (a total of about 4.5 million books!). My photos don’t do the Long Room justice, but this 360 degree panorama certainly gives an idea of the space.
This is going to be a short but sweet blog post because I am seriously ready to fall asleep (at 7:15PM!). At 5:00 yesterday afternoon (east coast time), I indulged in a burrito from Chipotle. I figured that would be my dinner before heading to the airport, and hopefully I could ignore the food on the plane and try to get some sleep. If you know me, you know I’m generally in the “early to bed, early to rise” category. So I figured by 9:30 or 10:00, I’d be dozing in my seat. Nope. The food cart came rolling by around 10:30 and I was ready to eat! Turns out, I could have easily passed on the vegetarian pasta and Pepperidge Farm cookies, but once I had it, it would have been rude not to eat it, right? Sleep came in the form of a 2 hour or so nap after “dinner”.
Vacation is finally here! In a few hours, I’ll be hopping on a plane to Dublin, Ireland to add another stamp to my passport. Ireland has always been on my bucket list, and I knew it would require longer than our week-long school year vacations. In my initial planning, I had expected the trip to be about 10 days, but as I kept researching areas I wanted to visit, I ended up settling on 14 days. After spending two days in Dublin to rest and sightsee, I will be heading to Kilkenny, Kinsale, Killarney, Dingle, Doolin, and Galway before returning to Boston on July 15th. I can’t say that I am looking forward to any area more than another, but I have visions of Killarney National Park and the southwest coast as being my favorites. Being a music lover, I have high hopes of enjoying evenings in the local pub listening to “trad” sessions and mingling with the locals.
Traveling with Laura 