Aug 21, 2017 - Dublin on our own

After saying goodbye to our group and some new friends we begin to get to know Dublin on our own. We decide to have the hotel launder own clothes primarily because we can't locate a laundermatt anywhere near us. It's raining again and while this dampens our mood we decide to just get out and brave it. It's easy to spot the folks living versus visiting first because the take the rain in stride and secondly they don't have their faces glued to ia map. The bus has been less scary the last two days as we now know to get off at Nassau or Dawson...

Aug 19, 2017 - Dublin and Glasnevin Museum

We start off our day on a tour around the city with our tour guide Michael around O'Connell St. The doors off the apartments are brightly colored. The neighborhoods are typical of larger cities with some exclusive neighborhoods. The city is extradinarily clean. I remember that we had gotten a call from Tom so I quickly calculate the time change and call him from the bus. Oops, I calculated wrong it's 4 AM in New Jersey. I apologize and promise to call later. Knowing we will be in Dublin the next few days on our own I try to remember the...

Aug 18, 2017 - Galway, Kilbeggan and Dublin

Galway ... interesting blend of old and modern. This was a short stop with an archeologist as our tour guide. Might seem boring but he was interesting. He loved to relate history and it's pertainance to now. This medium size town of 70,000 has several connections to Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code and the Knights of the templar. This short stop focused on historical buildings and churches with a few facts on famous pubs. Next week I'm thinking tthe Southern tour stop in Galway will highlight pubs. Hoping next week it won't be raining. Everyone...

Aug 17, 2017 - Westport House & Achill Island

This morning we visit the Westport house and the story of Grace O'Malley one of the true first feminist. She cutting to deceive her father to learn sailing as a woman on any ship was bad luck. Her father relented hence she became the most feared bootlegger of all times. Her father was a generous landlord who used his own money to buy food so the Irish in his area wouldn't die during the famine. The home was nearly sold as the families couldn't keep it up and pay taxes. Recently two investors from Westport have committed over 50 M € to rehab...

Aug 16, 2017 - Donegal, Belleek and trip to Westport

We hear there were no problems at the bonfire only a mess left by partiers. Not sure why but can tell we are alll relieved. Leaving Derry we see the symbol of statue placed for the peace treaty of two men reaching out almost like offering each other a beer but not quite shying bands. Many of the curbs are painted red white and blue which meant we're in an area loyal to the Britain and the Queen. The Ulster flags with the red cross and the crown arent supposed to be flown so the towns have taken to painting the curbs. Heading to Donegal the...

Aug 12, 2017 - Cabra Castle in Kingscourt

After the turmulos trip from the airport to for our first night stay in Kingscourt at the Cabra Castle. We are greeted by the 2 Irish Wolf Hounds lumbering around the grounds looking for a scratch and a bit of food. After finding our rooms up on the wee hill as described by the Manager we take a short walk around the grounds appreciating the golf course and the short walking path. We will share the castle with a wedding party with plants of merriment to go around. We hear toasts and stories from the bridal party. The castle has been listed...

Jul 23, 2017 - Dublin and Home

After visiting the Scottish National Museum, we headed for the airport for our return to Dublin. Unfortunately, the smallish security area was packed and, to complicate matters, most of our carry on bags were flagged for further inspection. The problems primarily were multiple small bags of liquids in one or two suitcases instead of being distributed amongst all of us. This delayed us by 20 minutes or longer and by the time we hiked to the Ryanair gate at the very far end of the terminal (trust Ryanair not to pay for convenient locations),...

Jul 20, 2017 - Airport check-in

We had exactly seventeen steps from the B&B door to the bus stop for the airport, and Bus 16 appeared in about 90 seconds. At the airport, we lined up with our fellow sheep. Just before the ticket counter we had the old fashioned "who packed your bags" questions, followed by tickets and bag check. We then had an Irish bag scan, complete with passport check. I had an item confiscated for maybe the first time: a tiny Swiss Army knife with handy scissor feature. Somehow, it had managed to elude capture when we did our world trip and the four...

Jul 19, 2017 - Things we missed

You can't see it all. We came back to Dublin for a prison tour and Mo's appointment with a genealogy service, and even managed to see the National Archeology Museum. However, Duffy's Circus comes to town after we leave. In Sweden, we had to leave just before Midsummer Day. The Tour de France went though the region we were in, but it was ten days after we left. In Scotland, I had no idea about the Mendelssohn festival on the island of Mull. In Ireland, we missed Galway's international arts festival and the national plowing...

Jul 19, 2017 - Accomodation

Unlike our bicycle tours and our South America trip, this time there have been no camping, no dorm rooms, and minimal shared toilets down the hall. I think except in dire times of low cash we are past the "dorm in a hostel" stage. Our little cube in Singapore may have been the last one. I make all arrangements. A handful were done before we left. The Iona booking was done in mid-May and even then finding a reasonably priced stay on the island was difficult. Our Swedish mountain lodge and Carnac hotel were also done in advance. Mo's friend...

Jul 16, 2017 - Through the Boyne Valley

Friday, July 7 Today we were returning to Dublin Airport to catch an evening Ryanair flight to Edinburgh, Scotland. En route, we stopped to visit the fanous archaeological site of Bru na Boinne in the Boyne Valley north of Dublin and the airport. It is a site of numerous huge grass-covered burial mounds which are some 5000 years old, older than the Pyramids in Egypt. The mounds follow a bend in the Boyne River and offer exceptional views of the surrounding countryside. The parking lot was packed when we arrived at the excellent large and...

Jul 16, 2017 - Retail

We spend considerable time shopping. In our defense, I will point out that 90-95% of that time is food shopping. Groceries are far cheaper than restaurants. Mo seems to buy shoes. Not for fashion, but to make adjustments. In South America, for example, she had packed heavy boots and decided light hikers would be better. In France, her comfy Keen shoes showed their age of a sudden, and blew out. Mo had to shop for replacements. The replacement turned out to be ineffective, so another pair was needed. Mo also loves finding treasures,...