Goodbye, Ireland!

Dan and I are at the Shannon airport with car returned, boarding passes printed, and bags checked through to (hopefully) Memphis. We left Cody sleeping at the B&B this morning, and both Dan and I got teary-eyed at the thought of leaving the Bear. It seemed very odd to be driving away without him in the back seat! Sean and Catherine, our hosts, took a real shine to Cody, insisting that he have a "lie-in," and told us repeatedly that they would take care of him, getting him "a bite" and taking him to the airport for his late-afternoon flight to Heathrow. We know that he is a Big, Fine Boy and that he will have a great time in the U.K., but we kinda got used to having him around. It's been great to watch him experience new things on this trip. Last night, he popped a few sugar cubes in his pocket and went out to make friends with the horses on the farm, while Dan and I finished our coffee. It was fun seeing him having fun. 

Neither Dan nor I is looking forward to the flight across the Atlantic. Much to our surprise, as Dan mentioned in an earlier posting, the U.S. Airways plane is very dated. The exception, of course, is the redesign of the seating, designed to squeeze as many humans as possible into a space. I get the profits thing, and I know that airlines are trying to be competitive with prices, but damn, people! Just like I think that educational administrators should spend time in the classroom trenches, I think that airline executives should have to fly economy. That would be a prelude to some changes, I think. Note to self: check the type of plane for certain flights before booking, if you can. 

I will be glad to be off of the road, back in our bed, and eating healthier food. (Stop laughing... I'm serious. There's some heavy food over here and pints of cider to be drunk, and who am I to say no?) But I will miss the temps (50s during they day) and the kind people whom we have met. 

And now, it's time to plan our next adventure!

Last day in Ireland

Today was our last day. We did so much; so much remains unseen. 

 We began with Bunratty Castle.  We were a bit wary of its commercialism. After all, it had a flag. Turns out the flag is Irish and Bunratty was pretty cool.

A school group arrived about the same time, so we hightailed it to get ahead of them. Nothing like 30-40 elementary school kids to get you moving!

Cody and I climbed all the towers, making comments about Game of Thrones all the way through. We have had a good time. We also visited the blacksmith and listened to his humor. You have to laugh at a man holding a large hammer and tongs.

They have several thatched homes on the grounds. All were burning peat fires, and we left smelling a bit smoky. Peat burns remarkably well and makes for wonderful embers. Each hut had a basketful in the corner, and there were several stacks of peat bricks outside on the grounds.

This lady was demonstrating how to separate milk from cream, using a very old contraption that the well-off famers might have had. In about five minutes, she removed over a pint of cream from the milk, now skim. She was working hard. This was no casual demonstration to her; she took her work seriously. We were invited to return for butter making in a few hours.

The poorer folks made do with churns like these.

I personally liked this the most. This young lady was playing on a bench. Beautiful instrument.

Ater Bunratty, we drove to Adare, just west of Limerick, then came back to pack. We had to make sure our many purchases would fit. I have a wonderful handmade Irish sweater that I am looking forward to wearing this winter. Let's dispense with the Memphis summer.

For dinner, our hosts directed us to a wonderful country house, B&B, and restaurant, the Carrygerry Country House and Conservatory. Dinner was wonderful, with a beautiful view. 

There were horses on the grounds, sheep and cows grazing across the road, and Irish music playing in the bar. It was a fine ending to a wonderful trip. 

We've hugged Cody goodbye. He will sleep in for the first time tomorrow and go to the airport himself tomorrow afternoon, bound for England.

The boys

Thursday

The good news is that we found our B&B for the next two nights! That was no easy task, since 1) there's no specific address and 2) the road is not on any map. 

Advice: get a freaking GPS. 

Our host from last nite, a man called Barry, provided a lovely breakfast and conversation this morning. We found out that he had run a restaurant in London for 20+ years and retired at 55, planning to travel with his wife, Ann. However, she got sick and they moved to their holiday home in Ireland, where she was from. After she died, he figured he'd turn the place into a B&B. He's a lovely man who hosts a lot of fishermen. Listening to him made me sad for him and glad that we have not put off traveling until retirement (if we ever get to retire!). There's too much that can happen. 

Here's a photo that Cody took of the view from Barry's place:

After breakfast, we started out in Killaloe to investigate Brian Boru, high king of Ireland. Here's the scoop: he drove the Vikings out of Dublin and Limerick and tried to conquer the various Irish tribes to establish a more "European monarchy." He ended up being murdered by either a fleeing Viking or a Viking assassin, depending upon which piece of information you want to believe at the Brian Boru Heritage Centre. They had a video that was so strange and anachronistic, and we decided that they should hire Willy Bearden to make a new one. Anyway, Brian's dreams of a united Ireland died with him because his sons and his grandsons were killed in the battle that preceded Brian's demise. Brian was too old to fight, so he was chillin' in a tent, praying thanks for the victory of his army (I guess), when said Viking dude slated him. Brian took it in the head with an ax. You know that had to hurt. 

After judging the Heritage Centre to be unworthy because of its inconsistencies and ridiculous video, we hiked 1.5 k out of the town to the ring fort where they say Brian Boru may have been born or something (don't know who "they" are, but apparently they decide shit like this). Here is a panoramic shot of said ring fort and of the two Murrell boys contemplating it. 

Then it was back to Killaloe to walk around an old church and graveyard. 

We then tried to find and access a castle  with a name that I can neither remember nor pronounce. After driving down several roads, including a gravel one, we saw the castle and one fox but could not get close to either. I think that Dan has photos of the castle from afar. 

I have almost mastered the three point turn, thanks to the gents in the car who can see what's coming, but backing up is an entirely different game. It's quite odd, because everything is backwards from my viewpoint, and it screws with my cognitive orientation. I will be glad to get back to driving on the right side of the road. 

 

Killaloe to Shannon

Our wonderful host, Barry, provided a wonderful breakfast. I also got to meet a regular at his B&B, who flies over from France each month to fish for pike. I got to say about three words en francais and see his last pike, which was about 4 feet long. I was very jealous.

We had time to wander around Killaloe, learning about Brian Boru, the last great High King of Ireland. 

This is the bridge connecting the two towns of Killaloe and Bellina.

There is a canal running alongside the river, apparently for private boats.

On the way to see the Beal Boru, we passed this house and did a little double take. 

The Béal Ború is the site of a fort that was destroyed in 1116. It was over 1000 years old. It had high earthen walls and steep embankments with a deep trench around it. It allowed those inside to monitor any activity on the river Shannon.

Saw this tree on the way. Kinda cool.

These are the fortress remains from outside the ring.

And this is from the top looking at the interior, where modern reenactors apparently built a fire and defended the Shannon, probably while drinking beer, something else that is hundreds of years old.

Cody tries his hand at building his own stone creation. 

On the way back, Cody and Vicki set a new speed walking record. 

This is part of the organ pipes in St. Flannan's Cathedral. 

We always end up in the cemetery. Always. 

This is St. Flannan's Oratory. An oratory is normally a small church for private prayer. 

One finds all kinds of personal items. 

After leaving Killaloe, we headed for a castle we read about. Carrigogunnel Castle is not on the map.We read that it is near Clarina. So we pulled into the gas station in Clarina and asked the young women inside if they knew how we might find it. After much debate, they agreed on an answer. So we headed out onto smaller and smaller roads, until we are on a country road, 2 tracks of gravel. The rental car people are gonna love us. But we find ourselves in front of a closed gate - with the fox Vicki mentioned in her post. The fox leaves, as will we, once we have a picture. From this angle, it looks like an elephant. There is a slight path through briars and on someone else's land, so we decide to try a flanking movement. That is defined as backing down the road until we can turn around, then going back to the last real road and trying another approach. 

It looks much better from this angle, but it is no more accessible than before. It is on someone's land, and we are not welcome. We kind of got shooed away by a guy driving a tractor. 

But we found it and saw it, even if from a distance. That is pretty cool. I'm glad my traveling companions are up for this kind of adventure!

We were not able to find our Shannon B&B nearly as easily. We got directions, but it still took three approaches and finally stopping to ask for directions before we found it. This one was picked in part due to its proximity to the airport. 

We are winding down. Cody, however, still has two weeks to go in England, Scotland, and Wales. I am really very jealous about his planned travels in Scotland and the Isle of Sky. He's going to have a blast, and he is going to have it without us. I can't believe it could possibly be as much fun. Could it?

Inishmore

Yesterday, we finally made it to the Aran Islands. Cody and I were a little worried about the ferry ride, but it turned out to be pleasant, in spite of our expressions. 

We took a small bus around the island, and we had lunch in a nice little cafe. Our driver was a former salmon fisherman, and, like every other Irishman we have met, liked to talk. And while driving on these narrow roads filled with hikers and cyclists, he would occasionally turn completely around to make eye contact. Scary.

The island has a population of about 800, plus cows and seals. Lots of rock fences marking small plots  for farming. The seals don't look much different from the rocks, and they move about as much. 

What the island does have is Dun Aengus, a prehistoric fort dated to around 1100 BC. It is located on a high cliff around 100 meters above the sea. That may not seem a long way looking down the road, but it is a very long way when you look down at the waves crashing on the rocks.

What is amazing is that about a third of the fort has disappeared, falling into the sea. Also amazing is that you can walk right to the cliff's edge, even over the edge if you aren't careful. No fence, no warning, no security guard to tell you not to be stupid. Prime place for the Darwin Awards to be handed out posthumously.

 

Some folks won't even get close. Others get on their stomachs and inch forward to the edge - which would be what I did, once I secured my camera. It is absolutely amazing. The surf is breaking 100 meters under you - stunningly beautiful, and I have no photo that begins to show how incredible it was. Here is what I do have:

See? No perspective. Bad in life, bad in this photo. A seagull locked eyes with me about 25 feet out. You know the birds are wondering what all these animals are doing up there on this rock.

This is one of the walls, which is clearly marked as something not to climb on. So this guy does it anyway. No comments on nationality. 

This is an attempt at a panoramic over the edge. This one is a true 180.

This is one of half of the fort - on the land side.

This is the other half, on the cliff side.

That is the coolest thing I have seen on the trip. If my ride had not been coming down the hill in 15 minutes, I might have stayed up there for the rest of the tour.

We also visited the Seven Churches, dating back to the 8th century.

There was, of course, shopping, and Cody got an Irish sweater. While there are still those making the famous Aran sweaters on the islands, there are no longer any sheep, so the raw materials now come from the mainland. 

Once back on dry land, we grabbed dinner again in Lisdoonvarna and sped toward Killaloe. This is our latest B&B - yet another success for Vicki.

The view from his back porch:

Killaloe and its sister town Ballina are on each side of the Shannnon. Gorgeous views and apparently good pike fishing.

Tuesday and Wednesday

Note: these photos are all Dan's, stolen with permission. :)

Tuesday definitely made up for Monday's disappointments. Our adventures entailed a lot of driving, but Dan made it without gasping, pulling his arm in from a not-opened window (when the shrubbery was a little close) or having a heart attack when I passed other vehicles. Cody, on the other hand, was chill in the backseat, except for when I was going round curves faster than he cared for. 

We covered lots of territory in windy, sometimes rainy, weather. We started with shopping, spending time in a store managed by Mrs. Doubtfire. She was very kind and patient. We then headed to Doolin Cave, which was a much better experience than the other cave. We actually had to wear hardhats, which came in handy because some of the passages are low and you will hit your head. Here, Cody and I model the hard hats for you:

In this cave, we saw an 8-meter tall stalactite. That's like 24 feet long in American. It was huge. This stalactite beat the hell out of the pitiful lttle things that we saw in the "Alaweeny Cave," as Cody now calls it. I'm stealing of of Dan's photos to show you:

As in the previously mentioned cave, the guide turned out all of the lights so that we could see nothing. Not surprisingly, we could see nothing. However, I imagine what it must have been like for the two cavers who discovered this cave, crawling belly-first into this pitch-black cavern and shining their flashlights on this puppy. Me, I would have been scared shitless because this thing is really, really big and it hangs from the ceiling like a big ghosty banshee thing. Of course, it doesn't blow in the wind like a banshee would, but there's no wind in this cavern so why would it blow? It would just hang there, waiting to scare some poor innocent souls who had just crawled on their bellies through a never-before-discovered cave. I would also be scared that it would fall, because it weighs 5.5 tons. How does it stay up there? Nature has some serious crazy glue. 

So after that adventure, we walked around the area, looking at the flora and fauna. 

We were also trying to avoid some of the other tourists (not pictured...) Damned foreigners; they talk too loudly and drive too slowly. We had already had our fill of them at the B&B, where a foursome enjoyed bothering others at breakfast with things such as makings farting noises with their hands. And these people were older than we were. GEEZus. 

So then, we tooled around until we found old stuff to see. This included some old churches, the Dysert O'Dea castle, and abandoned houses. 

Churches. This one is in Ennis, a medieval town with streets the size of those you'd find in a medieval town. It has been taken over by the OPW (the national group that takes care of old shit) and turned into a museum/heritage site. 

This is the old altar area. 

This is outside of the church, where some of the graveyard is. In many of the churches we've seen, there have been headstones inside as well. 

You'll see here that there are gravestones in the ground. Most aren't legible. 

More church stuff from somewhere else (maybe Quinn?):

And here are some photos from the castle of Dysert O'Dea. Many of the castles here were built up rather than out, as they seem to be in other parts of Europe. 

On the way home, we ran into (not literally) these lovelies being taken home for the evening. 

And the, we took a drive along the road above Doolin.

Cody and Dan want to buy this to renovate:

The view would be great, but I'm not sure that renovation would really be feasible...

On Wednesday, the weather cleared enough for us to board a ferry to the Aran Islands. Dan is going to post about that, but here's a photo of us getting ready to sail the Atlantic:

There were some serious swells when we were going out and coming in, but the Murrells and their stomachs survived without incident. :)