2,317 kilometers (1,439 miles) driven, 1,849 pictures taken, 15 days of traveling, and 1 happy-to-be-home traveler.
Ireland 2015: Day 15 – Dublin to Boston
Ireland
Ireland 2015: Day 13 – Connemara
Well, the weather miraculously cleared up for one last day in Ireland. My plan today was to visit Connemara, an area west of Galway known for it’s more rugged beauty. Connemara is also one of the areas of Ireland which retains the Irish language; all road signs are in Irish only. I set off relatively early from Galway along the coastal route and stopped first at the Spiddal Craft Village. The village is several individual vendors set up in little shops around a small common area. I didn’t end up buying anything, but it was fun to browse the jewelry, artwork, and other local handcrafts.
Ireland 2015: Day 10 – The Dingle Peninsula
“When life gives you lemons….” Once again, I woke up to cloudy skies and the threat of rain. I determined to make the best of what is becoming a common theme the last few days. I set off from Killarney after breakfast heading toward the Dingle Peninsula. Known as another lesser-visited area, the Dingle Peninsula is the northernmost of the southwest peninsulas heading up the west coast of Ireland. It wasn’t long before I hit Inch Beach. I was determined to put my feet in this side of the Atlantic Ocean, and this seemed like as good a place as any to do it. You might expect the Irish waters to be cold, but compared to Massachusetts, it wasn’t shocking. I met a gentleman walking his dog on the beach and he said this weather is not what summer in Ireland is typically like.
Ireland 2015: Day 9 – Killarney
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.
Ireland 2015: Day 7 – The Beara Peninsula
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.
Ireland 2015: Day 6 – Kinsale to Killarney
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.
Ireland 2015: Day 5 – Kilkenny to Kinsale
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.
Ireland 2015: Day 3 – Dublin to Kilkenny
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.
Ireland 2015: Day 2 – Scholars and Prisoners
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.
Ireland 2015: Day 1 – Jetlagged in Dublin
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”.
Traveling with Laura 