In less than 24 hours we will be flying home. Today is the perfect last day with temperatures in the upper 60s and smiling people no matter which way you look. Lovely.
Yesterday we spent most of the day going around the famed Ring of Kerry. We are calling it the Ring of Fog. We had to get out of the car to read a sign that declared we were looking at the Best View in Ireland. The fog or sea mist as they like to call it here was dense early on in the day.. The terrain was unusual. Lakes and barren hills of brown and black, slate rocks and winding roads. The town of Sneem was lovely. Kenmare was a tidy town and very pretty. We had a very enjoyable lunch in that town as recommended by our landlord. Old ruins were also abudant. Molls Gap to Killarney was exceptionally nice.
We couldn't resist going back to the Courthouse for another music fest. It did not disappoint. The world's champion in small box button accordian was featured. He was just amazing. Before the music ended, the serving of drink was closed but everyone about 50 people wanted more music. Tommy O'Sullivan played guitar and sang, 3 fiddle players and the main man, Damien Milan. Also a woman from the audience got up to sing a very meloncoly tune. The bar was at a hush. Our main friends for the evening were two beautiful girls from Israel and a couple from St. Paul. We also meet Katherine and Mike from the Craic house. All in all a most enjoyable evening of toe tapping. So glad we got a nap in. We haven't been home this late in years.
We are mostly packed and will just finish up our business in town today. Return the library books, say farewell to Ann, John, Michael and Tony. and visit the convent again to see the stained glass windows.
And an enjoyable time was had by all. Farewell from Dingle.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Days Dwindle Down.....
Sunday was an uneventful , lazy day reading half of the newspaper and then we went out in the evening. Our last attendance at the Session held at the Marina Inn. We talked with most of the Musicians we recognize, Eoin, Tommy and Dennis and his wife, Mary Margaret. She will be returning to the states on Tuesday to help with her ill father. We met Ann who plays the flute. She only learned 5 years ago after all of her kids took flute lessons and then abandoned the instrument as soon as they learned how to play. Our dear friend, Katherine was there of course and Michael from The Craic House. Katherine introduced us to a new Dingleman, Kevin. One of the better looking guys on the peninsula. Tommy suggested we go to his new pub on Tuesday night--singers only. We might. Fun night.
Monday was a damp, drizzle laden morning with a chance of clearing so we headed for Kinsale. It was a day of firsts. We spotted our first wombat crossing sign. We did not take any photographs on our way to Kinsale. For the first time we had different opinions of of a town. I loved Kinsale and thought it was charming nestled along the harbor, Bill found it cramped with narrow streets and zero parking. When we finally found a parking spot along the harbor, I took it as a sign. Reluctantly, Bill parked and pulled his hood up against the rain and wind. I quickly found him a bar--The Lord Kinsale Inn--and then I explored. The colors of the shops were amazingly bright, the streets amazingly crooked, the alleyways numerous. Returning to get Bill he told me how much he enjoyed his conversation with Colin, the streetclearner who was on lunch break at the pub. We left, got the car and were driving to get a better vantage point of the harbor before lunch, we did find a good spot for photos. And then the driver of the car, took off out of Town. Another first--no lunch and we were retrancing our drive into Kinsale. Usually we try to take another route back to Dingle. Another first I was disappointed in the drivers behavior. But we did stop to take some photos of ruins, stop at a toy soldier factory--the only one in Ireland--and finally arrived at Inch Beach. We have passed this beach several times and every time it was calm. Not this day. Now we know why surfers flock to this spot. Huge waves accompained by strong wind. We could hardly stand up to take a couple of photographs.
We arrived in Dingle at dinnertime and ate at Murphys. I got the special of the day and surprise, surprise it had 3 ice cream scoops of mashed potatoes, two mashed mounds of squash, green beans and chips. The stuffed roast pork was stuffed with baked apples. Bill stuck with his soup--potato and bacon soup. Home again, home again.
Tuesday was another day without sun. We could not see the bay or the mountains. Going into town we decided to purchase fish and then went back home. After a long nap we were ready to eat and head for the Charthouse Pub. We were so glad we went. It was like attending a concert of Irish music. The pub is newly renovated, cozy and very, very low ceilings. Either everyone who came to the bar is 6 ft. tall or the ceilings are 5 ft high. Lots of head butting. We got the front table and really enjoyed talking with Eoin, listening to Sandra and Tommy, hearing Dennis sing and then another banjo player singer. A good 1 and 1/2 hours of singing. Plus a whistler in the audience. When we left Tommy and Sandra said we would love the music on Thursday and suggested once again that we come back. I think we will.
Today the sun is flirting with the clouds and may emerge soon for longer periods of time. We are headed to the other side of the pennisula today to get a last look at some ruins we failed to see on previous visits.
Exploring Dingle, Lois and Bill
Monday was a damp, drizzle laden morning with a chance of clearing so we headed for Kinsale. It was a day of firsts. We spotted our first wombat crossing sign. We did not take any photographs on our way to Kinsale. For the first time we had different opinions of of a town. I loved Kinsale and thought it was charming nestled along the harbor, Bill found it cramped with narrow streets and zero parking. When we finally found a parking spot along the harbor, I took it as a sign. Reluctantly, Bill parked and pulled his hood up against the rain and wind. I quickly found him a bar--The Lord Kinsale Inn--and then I explored. The colors of the shops were amazingly bright, the streets amazingly crooked, the alleyways numerous. Returning to get Bill he told me how much he enjoyed his conversation with Colin, the streetclearner who was on lunch break at the pub. We left, got the car and were driving to get a better vantage point of the harbor before lunch, we did find a good spot for photos. And then the driver of the car, took off out of Town. Another first--no lunch and we were retrancing our drive into Kinsale. Usually we try to take another route back to Dingle. Another first I was disappointed in the drivers behavior. But we did stop to take some photos of ruins, stop at a toy soldier factory--the only one in Ireland--and finally arrived at Inch Beach. We have passed this beach several times and every time it was calm. Not this day. Now we know why surfers flock to this spot. Huge waves accompained by strong wind. We could hardly stand up to take a couple of photographs.
We arrived in Dingle at dinnertime and ate at Murphys. I got the special of the day and surprise, surprise it had 3 ice cream scoops of mashed potatoes, two mashed mounds of squash, green beans and chips. The stuffed roast pork was stuffed with baked apples. Bill stuck with his soup--potato and bacon soup. Home again, home again.
Tuesday was another day without sun. We could not see the bay or the mountains. Going into town we decided to purchase fish and then went back home. After a long nap we were ready to eat and head for the Charthouse Pub. We were so glad we went. It was like attending a concert of Irish music. The pub is newly renovated, cozy and very, very low ceilings. Either everyone who came to the bar is 6 ft. tall or the ceilings are 5 ft high. Lots of head butting. We got the front table and really enjoyed talking with Eoin, listening to Sandra and Tommy, hearing Dennis sing and then another banjo player singer. A good 1 and 1/2 hours of singing. Plus a whistler in the audience. When we left Tommy and Sandra said we would love the music on Thursday and suggested once again that we come back. I think we will.
Today the sun is flirting with the clouds and may emerge soon for longer periods of time. We are headed to the other side of the pennisula today to get a last look at some ruins we failed to see on previous visits.
Exploring Dingle, Lois and Bill
Sunday, April 3, 2011
It was a dark and windy night
The last two days were stormy. We came to town to get our food supplies and looked into my favoriate store--Dingle Artsworks. The owner finally recognized me and as she was going on holiday, I made my purchases. She has directed us to many wonderful natural beauty spots not mentioned in the travel books. The male shop helper checked me out and talked for about 15 minutes. If we wanted to see the Irish Navy--that day was the day. When gale force winds are predicted they pull into a Swilly bay. Gale Force winds were predicted. The Irish Navy is comprised of one ship but Bill and I thought it would be interesting so we went over the mountain pass and got to see the ship bouncing in the rough waves. We also got some great photos after the sun came out. So much for sustained gale force winds. That night it was very windy and rainy at our cottage. But in the morning, the most incredible clouds and sunny spots greeted us. Once again we were enthralled by the ever changing landscape and headed up the Slea Head Drive, again.
We believe we were the only people enthralled because we stopped the car whenever we wanted to take photos. We really enjoyed the drive.
Pat and Monte, remember the sheep road over the cliff, I took another photo of that. The sea was rough and I didn't want to get blown over the edge. I wasn't.
We returned home on a one lane road that passes Tony the bartender's house. No traffic again. Now we wanted to see the stained glass windows in the convent because it was very sunny. Before we could get to the convent, the sun disappeared and the rain began. We had to rush into DICK MACK's bar. This pub was once the only shoe store and shoe repair business in town. One side of the shop boasts the bar, the other the shoes and repair equipment. Disarray and dust prevail. The owner, Oliver, is the 2nd generation owner and has been for the last 50 years. What an unusual character. If we closed our eyes, he sounded exactly like Barry Fitzgerald. Prolonged vocalization of each vowel. Very friendly bar. Our next stop was McCarthy's Bar on Goat Street. This bar was highly recommended by the couple from WV who would teach over here each summer. Fortunately they had a cozy fire and a talkative couple near the fireplace. Dave you would have loved this. John Rouney was from Scotland and his finance Alexandria was from Italy. They will be married in September in a small Italian town close to the Alps. The church they will be married in is about 3 centuries old. He will be in full Tartan attire. Interesting couple and delightful to talk with. It was dinner time so off to the Benner Hotel. Bill had another heart attack on a bun and I had a Guinness Beef Pie. Very good food there. Our bar companion was a very intersting man from Dingle who had just returned from Holiday in Italy. I am always amazed and even more so during this conversation, that Bill seems to know everthing. Unbelievable to me. I'm getting a history lesson and these two are chatting away for more than an hour as though the two of them had shared the same experience. The photos he took were a pocket away waiting to be viewed from his digital camera. Each segment of his journey was illustrated with beautiful photographs. Then the place was taken over by guests arriving for a 40th birthday party. The women were dressed very fancy. I got Bill out of there as quickly as possible.
Today we are in town again to get the paper, talk with family on Facebook, and stretch our legs. We will be leaving here on Saturday and feel that we may miss this little sheltered village of Dingle.
We believe we were the only people enthralled because we stopped the car whenever we wanted to take photos. We really enjoyed the drive.
Pat and Monte, remember the sheep road over the cliff, I took another photo of that. The sea was rough and I didn't want to get blown over the edge. I wasn't.
We returned home on a one lane road that passes Tony the bartender's house. No traffic again. Now we wanted to see the stained glass windows in the convent because it was very sunny. Before we could get to the convent, the sun disappeared and the rain began. We had to rush into DICK MACK's bar. This pub was once the only shoe store and shoe repair business in town. One side of the shop boasts the bar, the other the shoes and repair equipment. Disarray and dust prevail. The owner, Oliver, is the 2nd generation owner and has been for the last 50 years. What an unusual character. If we closed our eyes, he sounded exactly like Barry Fitzgerald. Prolonged vocalization of each vowel. Very friendly bar. Our next stop was McCarthy's Bar on Goat Street. This bar was highly recommended by the couple from WV who would teach over here each summer. Fortunately they had a cozy fire and a talkative couple near the fireplace. Dave you would have loved this. John Rouney was from Scotland and his finance Alexandria was from Italy. They will be married in September in a small Italian town close to the Alps. The church they will be married in is about 3 centuries old. He will be in full Tartan attire. Interesting couple and delightful to talk with. It was dinner time so off to the Benner Hotel. Bill had another heart attack on a bun and I had a Guinness Beef Pie. Very good food there. Our bar companion was a very intersting man from Dingle who had just returned from Holiday in Italy. I am always amazed and even more so during this conversation, that Bill seems to know everthing. Unbelievable to me. I'm getting a history lesson and these two are chatting away for more than an hour as though the two of them had shared the same experience. The photos he took were a pocket away waiting to be viewed from his digital camera. Each segment of his journey was illustrated with beautiful photographs. Then the place was taken over by guests arriving for a 40th birthday party. The women were dressed very fancy. I got Bill out of there as quickly as possible.
Today we are in town again to get the paper, talk with family on Facebook, and stretch our legs. We will be leaving here on Saturday and feel that we may miss this little sheltered village of Dingle.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Sad News
We learned yesterday that Bill's older brother John was killed on Wednesday in an automobile accident in Utah on his way to Seattle. The details are sketchy. His service will be in Seattle on April 16th so we will be home for that. We are still in shock and find it hard to comprehend.
This past year we have had more contact by phone and in person than in previous years. John came to Bill's birthday in August and we all had dinner near John's birthday in January at the Scoth n Sirloin.
John was a brillant man who worked most of his life with Boening designing new aircraft. He designed the visual system on the back of seats in the 777. The first to do that. Most of his work was incomprehensible to us.
John was a charmer and was most welcoming and generous with his time if you visited him--which we did. Our favorite experience was when he took us for a little stroll on Mt. Rainier. John kept saying the summit(for non ice climbers) is right around the corner. 5 1/2 hours later we made it to the resting spot. The view, the flowers, ice, snow fields are as vivid today as they were then in 1988. What a wonderful memory and experience.
This past year we have had more contact by phone and in person than in previous years. John came to Bill's birthday in August and we all had dinner near John's birthday in January at the Scoth n Sirloin.
John was a brillant man who worked most of his life with Boening designing new aircraft. He designed the visual system on the back of seats in the 777. The first to do that. Most of his work was incomprehensible to us.
John was a charmer and was most welcoming and generous with his time if you visited him--which we did. Our favorite experience was when he took us for a little stroll on Mt. Rainier. John kept saying the summit(for non ice climbers) is right around the corner. 5 1/2 hours later we made it to the resting spot. The view, the flowers, ice, snow fields are as vivid today as they were then in 1988. What a wonderful memory and experience.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
In Dublin's Fair City...
Our trip to Dublin was first class. The tranportation system is efficient and comfortable. If you pre-book, as we did, an electronic display of your name appears above your seat. In case you are wondering if the rails are used by natives or foreign visitors, our fellow passageners in our section were Fionia Murphy, Donal O'Donovan, Lorna McCan and Brian O'Donahue. The OAP's (Old Age Pensioners--so much for politically correct) may ride the rails and buses for free anywhere in the country. By the time we exited the train at Heusteon we knew we were in Dublin. Guinness distillary was to our left and the first Q line was to our right. We Qed for tickets to the Lucas (lewis) the new high-speed rail system above ground for in-town travelling. Everything was easy . Dublin boasts about 1 million people. I wonder why it doesn't tilt into the Dublin Bay since the country only has 4 million people.
We reached our nephew Brian's house in Reheny in good fashion. We walked from the train and noticed, wider roads, sidewalks and larger homes built closer together. Brian and Dierdre have a lovely home with a backyard and a cul-de-sac road. Perfect for their two young sons, Eli and Harry. Their children are so cute and well-mannered. Only photos can convey the red-haired 41/2 year old Harry and 7 year old Eli. Eli wears a uniform to school, one for PE days and another for the other days of the week. They can walk to everything, including school, shopping, a huge park--St. Ann's and a massive beach on Dublin Bay. It is a terrific setting.
Dierdre came home from work and it looked like she worked on the runway. Her jacket had more high fashion details than my entire wardrobe for my entire life. She is a stunning and smart woman who runs an international business.
It was raining on our second day and so Brian took Harry, and us to Newgrange. It is a neolithic monument that is older than the pyrmids. The experience bordered on the religious. We had a wonderful time. Then we ate lunch at the Abby Tavern in Howth. A roaring fire, stone walls, old weathered wood table and chairs. And a wonderful meal of seafood chowder and mussells. Most of the fish used in Ireland comes from Howth. We enjoyed that a lot. We ate dinner at an Italian restaurant in Raheney--very good. We also visited Dierdre's mother. We packed in a lot of visiting in the days we were there.
More speaking Irish--In dublin everything is GRAND and people are lovely. Dierdre has a lovely girl for our Micheal and wants him to come and stay for a while so he can see if this is the girl for him.
Back in town this morning and loading up on food for the prediction of heavy rains for the net two days. On our way into town we say a horse an rider in full gallop on the Ventry Beach. With the wild sea producing waves at high tide, it was a pleasure to view.
Lois and Bill back in Dingle
We reached our nephew Brian's house in Reheny in good fashion. We walked from the train and noticed, wider roads, sidewalks and larger homes built closer together. Brian and Dierdre have a lovely home with a backyard and a cul-de-sac road. Perfect for their two young sons, Eli and Harry. Their children are so cute and well-mannered. Only photos can convey the red-haired 41/2 year old Harry and 7 year old Eli. Eli wears a uniform to school, one for PE days and another for the other days of the week. They can walk to everything, including school, shopping, a huge park--St. Ann's and a massive beach on Dublin Bay. It is a terrific setting.
Dierdre came home from work and it looked like she worked on the runway. Her jacket had more high fashion details than my entire wardrobe for my entire life. She is a stunning and smart woman who runs an international business.
It was raining on our second day and so Brian took Harry, and us to Newgrange. It is a neolithic monument that is older than the pyrmids. The experience bordered on the religious. We had a wonderful time. Then we ate lunch at the Abby Tavern in Howth. A roaring fire, stone walls, old weathered wood table and chairs. And a wonderful meal of seafood chowder and mussells. Most of the fish used in Ireland comes from Howth. We enjoyed that a lot. We ate dinner at an Italian restaurant in Raheney--very good. We also visited Dierdre's mother. We packed in a lot of visiting in the days we were there.
More speaking Irish--In dublin everything is GRAND and people are lovely. Dierdre has a lovely girl for our Micheal and wants him to come and stay for a while so he can see if this is the girl for him.
Back in town this morning and loading up on food for the prediction of heavy rains for the net two days. On our way into town we say a horse an rider in full gallop on the Ventry Beach. With the wild sea producing waves at high tide, it was a pleasure to view.
Lois and Bill back in Dingle
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Lazy Weekend
The weather continues to delight--high 60s again today. Bill is recovering from his asthma attack and cold.
We will get the paper and stay close to home today. The Irish Times can keep you busy the entire day. It is loaded with long stories reminiscent of the days before television news. It is also a cumbersome paper. It is very difficult to hold the paper with two hands unless you fold it into fourths. But it has wonderfully written news and stories.
We are leaving for Dublin in the morning on the 7:15 a.m. bus to Tralee and then on to Dublin by train. Looking forward to seeing our nephew and his wife,
Joan Garvey told me today that the stone floor on the porch is from the Cliffs of Moher. Thought that was interesting. Excuse me, Lovely.
Lois and Bill on the Dingle
We will get the paper and stay close to home today. The Irish Times can keep you busy the entire day. It is loaded with long stories reminiscent of the days before television news. It is also a cumbersome paper. It is very difficult to hold the paper with two hands unless you fold it into fourths. But it has wonderfully written news and stories.
We are leaving for Dublin in the morning on the 7:15 a.m. bus to Tralee and then on to Dublin by train. Looking forward to seeing our nephew and his wife,
Joan Garvey told me today that the stone floor on the porch is from the Cliffs of Moher. Thought that was interesting. Excuse me, Lovely.
Lois and Bill on the Dingle
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Speaking Irish
The Dingle Peninsula is one of the strongest Irish speaking areas in the country. Bill is now a fluid reader of signs in Gaelic. He now recognizes An Daingean as Dingle Town. Good thing too. Once our GPS mis directed us and Bill got us back on track with his reading ability.
When entering shops, pubs, or other service locations it is common to hear Gaelic spoken. In the short time we are here we will never learn enough to understand or converse. We have learned some examples of Irish non-gaelic speech however.
Rain for example can be called patches of drizzle, a bit more cloud, damp, patches of fog, or even an odd spot of drizzle. I'm sure there are plenty more that we haven't heard.
The word Lovely is used extensively to comment on whatever is said. "We just arrived from Shannon." answer "Lovely" "Could I look at that scarf on the top shelf?" " Lovely: It does make me feel good hearing that all day so I will try to incorporate it into my speech at home.
When greeting a friend, we have noticed that people do not say "How are you?" Instead they say, "How have you been keepin'?"
The Irish can also turn any statement into a question with one word--THEN. examples:
Bill says"I will have a pint of Guinness, please." Tony, our usual bartender, You'll have a pint of Guinness, then?"
Lois "We are going to Dublin on Monday."
Ann "You be going to Dublin on Monday then?"
The cadence and brogue make the speaking flow and almost seems like singing. We are really enjoying our conversations in Irish. Lovely.
When entering shops, pubs, or other service locations it is common to hear Gaelic spoken. In the short time we are here we will never learn enough to understand or converse. We have learned some examples of Irish non-gaelic speech however.
Rain for example can be called patches of drizzle, a bit more cloud, damp, patches of fog, or even an odd spot of drizzle. I'm sure there are plenty more that we haven't heard.
The word Lovely is used extensively to comment on whatever is said. "We just arrived from Shannon." answer "Lovely" "Could I look at that scarf on the top shelf?" " Lovely: It does make me feel good hearing that all day so I will try to incorporate it into my speech at home.
When greeting a friend, we have noticed that people do not say "How are you?" Instead they say, "How have you been keepin'?"
The Irish can also turn any statement into a question with one word--THEN. examples:
Bill says"I will have a pint of Guinness, please." Tony, our usual bartender, You'll have a pint of Guinness, then?"
Lois "We are going to Dublin on Monday."
Ann "You be going to Dublin on Monday then?"
The cadence and brogue make the speaking flow and almost seems like singing. We are really enjoying our conversations in Irish. Lovely.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Catch up Day
The weather has been so beautiful that we want to be out all the time. 65 to 70 degrees for the last 3 days. Everyone is telling us it is very unusual. Pat and I have done a little shopping in Dingle and then we discovered a treasure. Has anyone ever heard of Harry Clarke stained glass windows? Run do not walk to your nearest library and get a book showing his work which now belongs to the Irish nation. It is truly amazing and so different,. It is a religious experience to go into the convent house at St. Mary's Church in Dingle abd walk into the chapel. It is a small chapel with Spanish Oak made into benches along the outer walls and Italian Marble for the altar. There are 6 stained glass windows depicting the major events in the new testament about Jesus. The baptism, little children come to me, sermon on the Mount, etc. When I asked the young guide who showed us the room how often he peeks in when no one is there, he said as often as I can. I think anyone would want to do that. I will go back with Bill before we leave.
We took a day trip to Killarney which is the site of the national park. There are hundreds of stately B&bs and homes in the area. Very nice but not the charm of Dingle. We toured the Muckross estate, late 19th century furnishings. It was used as a hunting lodge and displays many dozens of red deerskulls with attached antlers. Each hunter had his name, weight of annimal and date carved on the skull. They took their hunting seriously. Louise Heuber(?) one of the owners was a wonderful watercolorist. Many of her pieces are in the British Museum they said. And many are in this house. I thought they were wonderful depicting the surrounding lakes and forest. Pat and I went exploring the grounds before the guided tour and mentioned this during the presentation when asked. We said we really liked the rock garden and were immediately scolded for going to the Rockery--that is for young people we were lucky we diidn't fall climbing up the steps. No one over 20 should do that climb--we informed her that we felt like we were 20. Mary McCarthy was our guide and Pat told her we drink at her family's pub almost every night. Mary liked that and didn't yell at us again. However, we drink at Murphy's not McCarthy's. Oh well, we feel 20 but our minds have aged.
Pat could not resist asking if we wanted to go on a jaunty ride around the gardens and down to the waterfall. Of course we all said yes and after our tour of the house we punished the horse--Suzy. Our driver Robert got in the cart first, then me, Pat, Bill and Monte. As we all sat down Suzy was almost lifted off the ground,
Robert immediately made some adjustments and we were off for an hours ride, We needed to walk up to the falls, and found the rocks and trees along the path were completly covered in moss,. Not like our moss, it was dry and grew on all sides of the tree and limbs.
We got some great photo ops but Robert would only stop at the preferred favoriate stops that the horse knew. It was fun. The hour drive back to Dingle was just right-- Dinnertime and we were hungry. We ate at John Benny's and everyone had a good meal. The area where we were sitting was filled and we all started talking and met a newly married couple from Adilade Australia -if I could only spell. They were a retired couple and then a 6 month married couple from R.I. and two women from Seattle and another family of 3 celebrating mom's 70th birthday. We think it was her son and daughter or her son-in-law and daughter--doesn't matter. Then us. We stayed until the music started at 10 and left. On the way to the car we heard the local pipe band practicing outside. Doesn't that seem late?
The day before leaving, the Meyers wanted to go over Conner Pass. Remember that Mike and Rob? It was a wonderful day with a lot of photo ops. I had never been to Brandon's Point--closest area to Canada on this Penisula--Newfoundland to be exact. It was a very narrow road with sheep to spare and great vistas. And it was also the most heavily traveled. We could not believe all of the cars. There was a couple from the Netherlands and they did not speak English and of couse we could not communicate in their native language so sign language it was. Not too bad if I do say so. We found, can you believe, Murphy's Bar on our way back. Mr. Murphy used to work in Boston and his son lives there now. When Murphy SR.'s father died, he moved back to keep the family business going. The establishment and home are made of such old brick that it looks like stone from the weathering. Been in business since mid 1800's. The view was incredible. The business mostly confinded to summer visitors. The connor pass takes hardy travelers only since some portions are only single car width and it is difficult to see what cars may be coming the other way, Castle Gregory was the next town we visited, another summer tourist area. Nothing was open at all except one pub that did not sell food.
Last meal, thanks Monte and Pat, was at the Bemmer Hotel. More high class than some pubs. Wonderful lamb shank, reduced sauce and mash, pork chops and chicken were eaten in silence. It was good and we were hungry. Then we went to the opening of the new bar in town. We actually recognized the owners. When we walked in the couple from RI had the cat bird seat and they were the official photographers of the event. It is really easy to fit in in Dingle. Bill, unfortunately, had an asthma attack from the varnish and other newly finished bits at the pub. He had a horrible night. When Pat and I were walking around town earlier, we peeked in and thought it might be a HGTV show. Nothings was finished, at 4 but by 8 p.m. it was opened and filled. I suspect that some people are still there trying to release themselves from the newly varnished seats.
We left at 6 a.m. to take the Meyers to Shannon to catch their plane back to Pittsburgh. It was a great week--thanks for sharing our adventure, We got there with plenty of time, we dropped them off and had our breakfast before heading home to Dingle. Now naps will begin. We will have a lazy weekend as we are going to Dublin on Monday and must catch the 7:15 am bus to Tralee to get the train. The train was 22 Euros for both of us. What a bargain.
Pray that this fine spring weather continues.
We took a day trip to Killarney which is the site of the national park. There are hundreds of stately B&bs and homes in the area. Very nice but not the charm of Dingle. We toured the Muckross estate, late 19th century furnishings. It was used as a hunting lodge and displays many dozens of red deerskulls with attached antlers. Each hunter had his name, weight of annimal and date carved on the skull. They took their hunting seriously. Louise Heuber(?) one of the owners was a wonderful watercolorist. Many of her pieces are in the British Museum they said. And many are in this house. I thought they were wonderful depicting the surrounding lakes and forest. Pat and I went exploring the grounds before the guided tour and mentioned this during the presentation when asked. We said we really liked the rock garden and were immediately scolded for going to the Rockery--that is for young people we were lucky we diidn't fall climbing up the steps. No one over 20 should do that climb--we informed her that we felt like we were 20. Mary McCarthy was our guide and Pat told her we drink at her family's pub almost every night. Mary liked that and didn't yell at us again. However, we drink at Murphy's not McCarthy's. Oh well, we feel 20 but our minds have aged.
Pat could not resist asking if we wanted to go on a jaunty ride around the gardens and down to the waterfall. Of course we all said yes and after our tour of the house we punished the horse--Suzy. Our driver Robert got in the cart first, then me, Pat, Bill and Monte. As we all sat down Suzy was almost lifted off the ground,
Robert immediately made some adjustments and we were off for an hours ride, We needed to walk up to the falls, and found the rocks and trees along the path were completly covered in moss,. Not like our moss, it was dry and grew on all sides of the tree and limbs.
We got some great photo ops but Robert would only stop at the preferred favoriate stops that the horse knew. It was fun. The hour drive back to Dingle was just right-- Dinnertime and we were hungry. We ate at John Benny's and everyone had a good meal. The area where we were sitting was filled and we all started talking and met a newly married couple from Adilade Australia -if I could only spell. They were a retired couple and then a 6 month married couple from R.I. and two women from Seattle and another family of 3 celebrating mom's 70th birthday. We think it was her son and daughter or her son-in-law and daughter--doesn't matter. Then us. We stayed until the music started at 10 and left. On the way to the car we heard the local pipe band practicing outside. Doesn't that seem late?
The day before leaving, the Meyers wanted to go over Conner Pass. Remember that Mike and Rob? It was a wonderful day with a lot of photo ops. I had never been to Brandon's Point--closest area to Canada on this Penisula--Newfoundland to be exact. It was a very narrow road with sheep to spare and great vistas. And it was also the most heavily traveled. We could not believe all of the cars. There was a couple from the Netherlands and they did not speak English and of couse we could not communicate in their native language so sign language it was. Not too bad if I do say so. We found, can you believe, Murphy's Bar on our way back. Mr. Murphy used to work in Boston and his son lives there now. When Murphy SR.'s father died, he moved back to keep the family business going. The establishment and home are made of such old brick that it looks like stone from the weathering. Been in business since mid 1800's. The view was incredible. The business mostly confinded to summer visitors. The connor pass takes hardy travelers only since some portions are only single car width and it is difficult to see what cars may be coming the other way, Castle Gregory was the next town we visited, another summer tourist area. Nothing was open at all except one pub that did not sell food.
Last meal, thanks Monte and Pat, was at the Bemmer Hotel. More high class than some pubs. Wonderful lamb shank, reduced sauce and mash, pork chops and chicken were eaten in silence. It was good and we were hungry. Then we went to the opening of the new bar in town. We actually recognized the owners. When we walked in the couple from RI had the cat bird seat and they were the official photographers of the event. It is really easy to fit in in Dingle. Bill, unfortunately, had an asthma attack from the varnish and other newly finished bits at the pub. He had a horrible night. When Pat and I were walking around town earlier, we peeked in and thought it might be a HGTV show. Nothings was finished, at 4 but by 8 p.m. it was opened and filled. I suspect that some people are still there trying to release themselves from the newly varnished seats.
We left at 6 a.m. to take the Meyers to Shannon to catch their plane back to Pittsburgh. It was a great week--thanks for sharing our adventure, We got there with plenty of time, we dropped them off and had our breakfast before heading home to Dingle. Now naps will begin. We will have a lazy weekend as we are going to Dublin on Monday and must catch the 7:15 am bus to Tralee to get the train. The train was 22 Euros for both of us. What a bargain.
Pray that this fine spring weather continues.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Inch Beach and Slea Head Drive
Yesterday in the drizzle or damp weather we drove about 30 miles to Inch Beach. It is the biggest and best beach in the West of Ireland. In the States if one was approaching a major tourist area, one would find signs, food establishments and motels. Here, we turned a corner and went down a hill of a grade of 10 degrees and there was the beach on our right. It is approximately 10 K long and the tide was out and the beach was about 400 meters wide. The overcast day made it look monochromatic from the mountains to the water, Dramatic. People in Dingle have told us they teach their children to drive on the beach. I do not understand that because the roads here are about 10 feet wide so learning to drive on that beach seems like a waste of time.'
Today was warm and sunny and we went around the Slea Head drive. Monte and Pat loved it as much as we did. Not one bus the entire day which surprised us. At one turn, overlooking the 3 sisters we stopped and an Irish couple who were walking talked with us. The husband is a tour guide and he gave some off-the beaten path places to visit on the road. No words do this drive justice. When I post photos then you will see, especially today's trip.
Cooking freshly caught Dingle fish for dinner., Bye for now.
Today was warm and sunny and we went around the Slea Head drive. Monte and Pat loved it as much as we did. Not one bus the entire day which surprised us. At one turn, overlooking the 3 sisters we stopped and an Irish couple who were walking talked with us. The husband is a tour guide and he gave some off-the beaten path places to visit on the road. No words do this drive justice. When I post photos then you will see, especially today's trip.
Cooking freshly caught Dingle fish for dinner., Bye for now.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Meet and Greet
Last night we arrived at the Marina Inn one hour to the start of the session. We sat at the bar, had dinner and by the time it started we couldn't move. The Inn was packed. Everyone had to get their drinks by standing next to us. There is a group of 47 professionals from the Mid-west who will play at one of the other bars tonight. We met an ex-military man who played in the session. He and his wife have lived here for a year but missing thier children,, they will return home soon. We met the couple staying at the Garvey's B&B, they were from San Diego. And of course many from Dingle. It was a fun evening.
Our friends are more adventurous than us, they walked along the narrow road then along the cliff. They got great photos of the Ocean and the rocky cliffs. It was foggy most of yesterday. But today we are heading out exploring some of back roads.
Our friends are more adventurous than us, they walked along the narrow road then along the cliff. They got great photos of the Ocean and the rocky cliffs. It was foggy most of yesterday. But today we are heading out exploring some of back roads.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Dreaming The Quiet Man
Outstanding evening at the capacity crowd Phoenix Theater for the Dingle Film Festival showing. The standing room only crowd of 300 or so welcomed Marureen O'hara with great cheers. Before her introduction, there was a 5 min montage of her films. The background music was Irish reels and jigs. Before long the entire audience was clapping in rhythm with the music. Maureen then walked out and looked fabulous. You would certainly recognize her. She was suppose to talk for 5 minutes or so and completely took over the interview and talked for 45 minutes. The hosts had to shut her down because of the party that was being planned after the movie. She was great and her voice was as pure and strong as we remember from the movies. It was a fun night and the movie was interesting. We did not go to the after party as it was nearing midnight. We had a pint and drove back to the house and didn't get to bed until 2 a.m. I do not know how Maureen at 90 keeps these hours. She did stay for the movie and the party.
We had dinner at the Benner Hotel before the show. Good food. We also shared a pint with a couple from West Virginia (Dick and Kathy) who had flown over with the Meyers. We will meet up again with them at the session tonight., .
Pat and I went into some of my favorite shops yesterday afternoon. The folks are getting used to me coming in, looking things over and then not buying anything. There is one local artist who has captured in watercolor the feel of the Peninsula. I just can't make up my mind which one to buy. I may have to get more than one.
All the meals have been good. Bill and Pat enjoyed a seafood chowder filled with crabs and fish. Bill started to lick the bowl but I held him back. We were told of the secret parking place behind Murphy's a few days ago in case we ever needed it, Last night we needed it and it was perfect. Huge DO NOT ENTER, PRIVATE PROERTY and various gaelic signs plus fences surrounded our parking area. Tony, the bartender said it was the perfect spot for the car but we had to leave the keys with him. He was only joking.
Starting our day now in the mist.
We had dinner at the Benner Hotel before the show. Good food. We also shared a pint with a couple from West Virginia (Dick and Kathy) who had flown over with the Meyers. We will meet up again with them at the session tonight., .
Pat and I went into some of my favorite shops yesterday afternoon. The folks are getting used to me coming in, looking things over and then not buying anything. There is one local artist who has captured in watercolor the feel of the Peninsula. I just can't make up my mind which one to buy. I may have to get more than one.
All the meals have been good. Bill and Pat enjoyed a seafood chowder filled with crabs and fish. Bill started to lick the bowl but I held him back. We were told of the secret parking place behind Murphy's a few days ago in case we ever needed it, Last night we needed it and it was perfect. Huge DO NOT ENTER, PRIVATE PROERTY and various gaelic signs plus fences surrounded our parking area. Tony, the bartender said it was the perfect spot for the car but we had to leave the keys with him. He was only joking.
Starting our day now in the mist.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Friends Arrived
We picked up our friends in Shannon yesterday around 4:30 p.m. They had to fly to Paris first, wait 8 hours and finally got here, They were tired but stayed awake until we got back to Dingle. Today was suppose to be sunny and warm but it isn't. Still a beautiful view though.
St. Patrick's Day parade was really fun. It seemed that the entire town appeared on the streets about 5 minutes before the parade started. The grandstand was still being hammered together about 15 minutes before the start. Dingle prides itself on having the first celebration of the day in Ireland when the pipe band takes to the streets AT 6 A.M.
Children representing what ever organization you can think of would march with painted faces followed by every know business riding in a marked car. The landscaping business was towing a cart filled with the latest model of lawnmowers. There was an MC who made humourous comments about each of the groups walking or riding by the grandstand. Everyone was in a cheerful mood and clapped and cheered to excess. The women's soccor club walked with their children. That may have been the largest group of the entire parade. We actually knew 2 marchers and several viewers.
After the parade we went to Murphys for lunch. The special of the day was bacon and cabbage. It was really boiled ham, savory cabbage, mashed turnips, broccoli, and 3 ice cream scoops of mashed potatoes. Bill and I shared the plate and still didn't finish it.He actually ate and enjoyed the turnips. Our new friends Michael Griffin and his pal John were there all dressed up fior the day. Live shamrocks were pinned to lapels on many people. We met a young married couple from Dublin, Jillian and Eion (owen) and shared some pints with them. This is really a family day with the pub filled with young families eating their meal. The earthquake in Japan continues to dominate the news here. You would not know that American existed.
Today we head for town to show the Meyers and then go to the Dingle Film Festival and meet Maureen O'Hara. Still enjoying our relaxed life style.
St. Patrick's Day parade was really fun. It seemed that the entire town appeared on the streets about 5 minutes before the parade started. The grandstand was still being hammered together about 15 minutes before the start. Dingle prides itself on having the first celebration of the day in Ireland when the pipe band takes to the streets AT 6 A.M.
Children representing what ever organization you can think of would march with painted faces followed by every know business riding in a marked car. The landscaping business was towing a cart filled with the latest model of lawnmowers. There was an MC who made humourous comments about each of the groups walking or riding by the grandstand. Everyone was in a cheerful mood and clapped and cheered to excess. The women's soccor club walked with their children. That may have been the largest group of the entire parade. We actually knew 2 marchers and several viewers.
After the parade we went to Murphys for lunch. The special of the day was bacon and cabbage. It was really boiled ham, savory cabbage, mashed turnips, broccoli, and 3 ice cream scoops of mashed potatoes. Bill and I shared the plate and still didn't finish it.He actually ate and enjoyed the turnips. Our new friends Michael Griffin and his pal John were there all dressed up fior the day. Live shamrocks were pinned to lapels on many people. We met a young married couple from Dublin, Jillian and Eion (owen) and shared some pints with them. This is really a family day with the pub filled with young families eating their meal. The earthquake in Japan continues to dominate the news here. You would not know that American existed.
Today we head for town to show the Meyers and then go to the Dingle Film Festival and meet Maureen O'Hara. Still enjoying our relaxed life style.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Happy Patrick's Day.
A joyful sunny morning it was until we stopped to fill up the car. 33 liters cost 50 Euro, American translation 10 gallons of gas for $65.00. We are charging the fill-ups. Contacted Brian and we will go there the week of the 27th. Wonder if we can handle Dublin after being here?
YESTERDAY we took another drive to Balleydavid. It is so pretty out there and we found a short-cut. We stopped for a pint and found that the restaurant/pub was the site for a business meeting. About 40 people looked at us like we were police raiding the place. I wonder what kind of meeting it really was? The sheep were more receptive. They would come to the gate to see who we were.
After a few pints in Murphy's, when we returned to Dingle, I went in search of the Dingle Film Festival premier event--Dreaming the Quiet Man. Maureen O'Hara, all 90 years of her, will introduce the film on Saturday night. We got some of the last tickets. Now to find the theater.
Bill made friends with some retired farmers and he is anxious to share a pint with them again before the main event in town--the parade.
When we came out the library yesterday, ( we have read a book or 2 already) there were 3 girls sitting on the bottom step. Bill asked if they had school today and they smiled and said no, they would be in both parades. Told us a little about school, boys and girls are separated, and what they would wear in the parade. When we walked to the car, Bill said, See, it is just like the 50's here--they talked to strangers, go alone to and from school and seem very carefree. And it is true.
We decided to buy lamb chops for dinner. They were delicous. Very mild. It took 10 minutes to cook them and an hour to figure out how to use the broiler--called upper oven without fan on the front of the wall oven. And do not forget to turn on the switch that turns it on located on the stove top.
Time for that pint and to pick out our viewing spot. HAPPY Day to all.
YESTERDAY we took another drive to Balleydavid. It is so pretty out there and we found a short-cut. We stopped for a pint and found that the restaurant/pub was the site for a business meeting. About 40 people looked at us like we were police raiding the place. I wonder what kind of meeting it really was? The sheep were more receptive. They would come to the gate to see who we were.
After a few pints in Murphy's, when we returned to Dingle, I went in search of the Dingle Film Festival premier event--Dreaming the Quiet Man. Maureen O'Hara, all 90 years of her, will introduce the film on Saturday night. We got some of the last tickets. Now to find the theater.
Bill made friends with some retired farmers and he is anxious to share a pint with them again before the main event in town--the parade.
When we came out the library yesterday, ( we have read a book or 2 already) there were 3 girls sitting on the bottom step. Bill asked if they had school today and they smiled and said no, they would be in both parades. Told us a little about school, boys and girls are separated, and what they would wear in the parade. When we walked to the car, Bill said, See, it is just like the 50's here--they talked to strangers, go alone to and from school and seem very carefree. And it is true.
We decided to buy lamb chops for dinner. They were delicous. Very mild. It took 10 minutes to cook them and an hour to figure out how to use the broiler--called upper oven without fan on the front of the wall oven. And do not forget to turn on the switch that turns it on located on the stove top.
Time for that pint and to pick out our viewing spot. HAPPY Day to all.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
A Sunny Day in Dingle
Two sunny days in a row--yeah! Yesterday we did a short walk, about three streets around Dingle. We popped into the Bakery, Dingle Crystal, the Weavers shoppe, Foxy Johns (warmest building in town) and the bank. But the best find was the Dingle Library. We walked into the warm building and asked if we could borrow books. Of course, the woman said, just fill out these cards. All they wanted was our name, local address and signature. We both got books,. It was a lovely day.
We ate a fresh scone and microwave popcorn for lunch and then finished off our leftovers for dinner, Did laundry but after 1 and 1/2 hours running, I got out the manual and proceeded to turn the knob to rince, drain and spin. The drying was about the same. This morning we had trouble with the heat and had to ask the Garveys for help with that and I also asked about the washing machine. "OH, that's how long it takes on that setting," Joan said.
She showed me a setting that only takes 45 minutes. We met Mr. Garvey, Tom, today. He was just going to milk their 36 cows but he came to the cottage to help us. If a coin gets stuck again we should, put another coin behind it and shove it in with a knife. Very clear directions. Tom looks like a dairy farmer. I'll try to get a photo of him. Very Irish looking,
We followed a bus half way around the Slea Head Drive and got some good photos. We stopped at a pottery barn, gallery(closed) and golf course(closed). At one stop we talked with two bikers from Romania who have gone 20,000K since last November and will finish their journey in September. They have just finished university. One is an engineer and the other a tour guide. I cannot ever imagine doing that but they hope to write a book about their adventure.
We took a shortcut back to Dingle and headed straight to this Internet cafe to get some news from America. Nothing on the TV but 3 channels and 5 minutes of news at 7,9 and 10. Where is CNN when you need it.
Bye for now.
I
We ate a fresh scone and microwave popcorn for lunch and then finished off our leftovers for dinner, Did laundry but after 1 and 1/2 hours running, I got out the manual and proceeded to turn the knob to rince, drain and spin. The drying was about the same. This morning we had trouble with the heat and had to ask the Garveys for help with that and I also asked about the washing machine. "OH, that's how long it takes on that setting," Joan said.
She showed me a setting that only takes 45 minutes. We met Mr. Garvey, Tom, today. He was just going to milk their 36 cows but he came to the cottage to help us. If a coin gets stuck again we should, put another coin behind it and shove it in with a knife. Very clear directions. Tom looks like a dairy farmer. I'll try to get a photo of him. Very Irish looking,
We followed a bus half way around the Slea Head Drive and got some good photos. We stopped at a pottery barn, gallery(closed) and golf course(closed). At one stop we talked with two bikers from Romania who have gone 20,000K since last November and will finish their journey in September. They have just finished university. One is an engineer and the other a tour guide. I cannot ever imagine doing that but they hope to write a book about their adventure.
We took a shortcut back to Dingle and headed straight to this Internet cafe to get some news from America. Nothing on the TV but 3 channels and 5 minutes of news at 7,9 and 10. Where is CNN when you need it.
Bye for now.
I
Monday, March 14, 2011
There 's A Session Here Tonight
There was a music session last night with about 15 musicians. Fiddles, guitars, flutes, bagpipes and several singers. This was the first of the spring season and the bar at the Marianer was packed. We had the good fortune of sitting next to ex-pat from Mass. who is returning to USA on Thursday. She gave us all kinds of great information on shopping, touring and must visit pubs. Foxy John's is one of her favorites. It is a hardware store and pub. Of course we will visit that before leaving. They do not have chainsaws and axes out in plain sight. We also met a couple from Kingston, Ontario who brought their 19 year old daughter to Ireland as she requested. They are here for 10 days and they take her to cities that may have sessions. There daughter played with the other fiddlers last night. We met people from Wisc., Holland and of course Dingleites. It was a fun evening. We'll go again next Sunday.
Now we are headed to town to get money, food and snoop around. The view again is majestic and most of the snow is gone from the mountain tops.
Now we are headed to town to get money, food and snoop around. The view again is majestic and most of the snow is gone from the mountain tops.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Top 'O The Morning
Our flight to Shannon was delayed but uneventful. We left JFK in rainstorm and arrived in Shannon in a misty rain. Getting the car was easy. Monte and Pat the trunk is big enough for your bag--any size. Bill is driving as though the left hand side is normal. The roads we used were not highways but the speed was always marked 100 K. At one point Bill said, Didn't St Patrick drive the snakes from Ireland? The signs posted for the curves ahead of us looked like ugly remains of long, long snakes.
Tralee was the only town we needed to go through and if not for the GPS we decided to rent, we would probably still be there. The cottage is as advertised except it is painted lavender on the bottom half, not white as it looked in photos. The cottage is quaint except for the furnishings. Small rooms, HARD sofa and chairs, fireplace for coal, interesting archways. We knew we would pay for heat but we didn't realize we would pay with Euros as you use it. Strange. We now conserve. Will this last when we return to the states?
We have checked out the supermarket--a misnomer. I think we may lose weight if we cook our meals at home. Choice is not as varied as in US. Only 3 bars so far. Murphy's--a revist from 1996,Marina Inn, the owner would not speak English to us, we had an interpreter from England, and Paidi O Se's. O Se is the closest to our cottage and the warmest. A huge coal fire greeted us as did the owner. We meet and talked with Michael, a regular, who leaves at half 2 most days,
It is beautiful right now looking down on the beach and water. The clouds are letting the sun shine through. Oh, there was some unusual snow activity on Connor Pass last night. Ouch!!
No sports here except for Rugby. Must look on computer to see the Big East scores.
We have met Joan Garvey, not her husband. So much like Deirdre's mom, Marie, it is scary. Very helpful. In fact we are using her wifi hook-up now. All shopkeepers and bartenders speak Gaelic. Sometimes we are the only ones speaking English. That seems strange. Music tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at the Mariana Inn. We will be there.
Tralee was the only town we needed to go through and if not for the GPS we decided to rent, we would probably still be there. The cottage is as advertised except it is painted lavender on the bottom half, not white as it looked in photos. The cottage is quaint except for the furnishings. Small rooms, HARD sofa and chairs, fireplace for coal, interesting archways. We knew we would pay for heat but we didn't realize we would pay with Euros as you use it. Strange. We now conserve. Will this last when we return to the states?
We have checked out the supermarket--a misnomer. I think we may lose weight if we cook our meals at home. Choice is not as varied as in US. Only 3 bars so far. Murphy's--a revist from 1996,Marina Inn, the owner would not speak English to us, we had an interpreter from England, and Paidi O Se's. O Se is the closest to our cottage and the warmest. A huge coal fire greeted us as did the owner. We meet and talked with Michael, a regular, who leaves at half 2 most days,
It is beautiful right now looking down on the beach and water. The clouds are letting the sun shine through. Oh, there was some unusual snow activity on Connor Pass last night. Ouch!!
No sports here except for Rugby. Must look on computer to see the Big East scores.
We have met Joan Garvey, not her husband. So much like Deirdre's mom, Marie, it is scary. Very helpful. In fact we are using her wifi hook-up now. All shopkeepers and bartenders speak Gaelic. Sometimes we are the only ones speaking English. That seems strange. Music tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at the Mariana Inn. We will be there.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Our bags are packed and we're ready to go
We have planned this trip for months, now on the evening before our departure, there is nothing to do but wait. Syracuse has experienced some wild fluctuating weather for the last three days and I am hoping there are no surprises in store for tomorrow. Rich will take us to the airport around 2 o'clock.
I've visited all of my doctors--everthing is just fine. I ran into one of my favoriate nurses, Juli, and when I told her of our vacation plans, she said, "Oh, Erin go Bragh-less." That's why she is one of my favoriates, she always makes me smile.
I will miss seeing our children, grandchildren(sorry we'll miss your pit band performance Justin) and friends who are now returning home from the south. We have been homebound by choice since December, and I'm loving the coziness of our home. Thank goodness our boarders will take good care of the house while we are gone.
Our parents would be so surprised to learn that we are making this trip. My parents went to Bermuda, Detroit, Washington, DC, Atlantic City (in it's hey day)Florida, Cuba, and visited relatives in the northeast. Most of the travel was done before they had three children. Bill's parents traveled out West a number of times, Mexico, Texas, Florida,Washington State, Georgia and Hawaii. None of them ever went to Europe.
My dad taveled extensively in the Pacific while he was in the Navy during World War II. But he never talked about it. I know he was in Hawaii, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa but have no details. Some postcards he mailed home for Easter or Christmas had almost everything blacked out so the receiver wouldn't know the date or location. How things have changed. Now we know where the troops are and what they are doing but most of us want them home. A friend was telling me that when her grandson was in the Army in Iraq, he would use Skype to keep an eye on his baby daughter in the states, while his wife ran outside to get the mail.
Next post from the old sod.
I've visited all of my doctors--everthing is just fine. I ran into one of my favoriate nurses, Juli, and when I told her of our vacation plans, she said, "Oh, Erin go Bragh-less." That's why she is one of my favoriates, she always makes me smile.
I will miss seeing our children, grandchildren(sorry we'll miss your pit band performance Justin) and friends who are now returning home from the south. We have been homebound by choice since December, and I'm loving the coziness of our home. Thank goodness our boarders will take good care of the house while we are gone.
Our parents would be so surprised to learn that we are making this trip. My parents went to Bermuda, Detroit, Washington, DC, Atlantic City (in it's hey day)Florida, Cuba, and visited relatives in the northeast. Most of the travel was done before they had three children. Bill's parents traveled out West a number of times, Mexico, Texas, Florida,Washington State, Georgia and Hawaii. None of them ever went to Europe.
My dad taveled extensively in the Pacific while he was in the Navy during World War II. But he never talked about it. I know he was in Hawaii, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa but have no details. Some postcards he mailed home for Easter or Christmas had almost everything blacked out so the receiver wouldn't know the date or location. How things have changed. Now we know where the troops are and what they are doing but most of us want them home. A friend was telling me that when her grandson was in the Army in Iraq, he would use Skype to keep an eye on his baby daughter in the states, while his wife ran outside to get the mail.
Next post from the old sod.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!
Bill woke me up this morning. "Honey, it's snowing," he yelled from downstairs in a tone that signaled it was the day before Christmas and we were youngsters expecting sleds from Santa. I turned the TV to the WeatherChannel to confirm his sighting and saw one of the recognizable members of the team, Mike Sidell, standing on a street coner in downtown Syracuse. This is not going to be a good snow, I thought quickly.
Mike announced with a sparkle of glee in his voice that for the population, Syracuse was the snowiest spot in the nation and had already exceeded 160 inches of snow this season. What to expect--5 to 13 inches today? I am not gleeful.
Our boys and grandchildren are expected here for a spaghetti dinner around 5 o'clock this afternoon. Can we keep the driveway free of snow, will the roads be cleared for travel, will it turn to ice, will the wind blow, should we change the time? After Wednesday, I will not even think about snow.
The temperature on the Dingle Peninsula averages 47 degrees this time of year. Certainly, we shall experience rain. We have never seen the Irish carry umbrellas, in fact,when we were in Dublin one year, most people didn't even wear a raincoat. My cousin Sandra was told that anything other than a moonsoon is considered "spritzing."
All of our clothes are clean, now I need to pack. We have decided to go with two small bags since we have rented a house with a washer and dryer. We have also rented a compact car--Ford Focus or similar is printed on our rental agreement.
Getting excited once again.
Mike announced with a sparkle of glee in his voice that for the population, Syracuse was the snowiest spot in the nation and had already exceeded 160 inches of snow this season. What to expect--5 to 13 inches today? I am not gleeful.
Our boys and grandchildren are expected here for a spaghetti dinner around 5 o'clock this afternoon. Can we keep the driveway free of snow, will the roads be cleared for travel, will it turn to ice, will the wind blow, should we change the time? After Wednesday, I will not even think about snow.
The temperature on the Dingle Peninsula averages 47 degrees this time of year. Certainly, we shall experience rain. We have never seen the Irish carry umbrellas, in fact,when we were in Dublin one year, most people didn't even wear a raincoat. My cousin Sandra was told that anything other than a moonsoon is considered "spritzing."
All of our clothes are clean, now I need to pack. We have decided to go with two small bags since we have rented a house with a washer and dryer. We have also rented a compact car--Ford Focus or similar is printed on our rental agreement.
Getting excited once again.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
They Are Coming
After viewing our spacious Irish Cottage on line, our friends Pat and Monte Meyer have decided to join us for a week of our month-long vacation. We have known them since our college days at SU. We used to know how to have fun together, if we can only remember. Anyone else want to join us?
Thanks everyone for your good wishes for our trip.
Thanks everyone for your good wishes for our trip.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Before our Journey--some history
In 1997 our family (minus son Richard) made our first trans-Atlantic flight to Ireland. We were attending our nephew Brian's wedding to a beautiful Irish colleen, Deirdre Megan. We always say she looks like Nicole Kidman. The entire affair, a high-tea at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, wedding in Howth with reception and after-party at a castle was of a celebrity caliber. Lovely. The food was wonderful and plentiful. Wedding festivities last a long time in Ireland we discovered. I remember my sister Linda didn't want to be the first person to leave her son and daughter-in-law's wedding but luckily someone else left at 3 a.m. so we finally got to leave before falling asleep. Brian's groomsmen, all boyhood friends from Plymouth Meeting PA looked dashing in their top hats and waist coats. It was magical.
As a family of four we continued our first magical tour of Ireland. We rented a car and drove to Waterford where we developed two outstanding memories. The first was the tour of the Waterford factory and the smashing of the crystal. If a piece of crystal wasn't perfect and trust me you needed a magnifying glass to see the defect, the piece was thrown into an open cage. The accompanying gasp from the wandering visitors upon hearing the smash was almost as audible as the crystal breaking into small pieces. The second memory was Hot Nuts. During the early evening we stopped at a pub to try the Guiness and asked for some snak food to eat with our drink We still do not know what Hot Nuts are but we ate so many cups of these addictive nuts that we almost couldn't afford dinner that evening. Addicitive, pricey and wonderful. As you can see it doesn't take too much to strike our fancy.
We continued our tour of Ireland-- Adare,Tralee, Galway, Cliffs of Moher, Connomorra, and the Dingle Peninsula. All wonderful but especially Dingle. While we were there we stayed at a bed and breakfast on Connor Pass. The view of Dingle city and the harbour with the stone fences framing the narrow roads, protecting the sheep and emphasizing the green grass was breath taking. We fell in love with the Dingle Peninsula.
In 2005, during a bus tour of Ireland we retuned ever so briefly to Dingle. The day was brillant. Even our bus driver Paddy (no kidding) said it was an exceptional day. We reluctantly retuned to the bus at the appointed time and promised ourselves we would return to Dingle someday without any time restrictions.
So in one week Bill and I will fly to Shannon then drive to Ventry,Ireland on the Dingle Peninsula. We will be staying at http://www.garveysholidaycottage.com/. A three bedroom cottage, modern (by Irish standards) with central heat, a peet fireplace and WIFI a driveway away from us. We will be within walking distance to a beach, a pub (surprise, surprise), a shop and many archaeological sites. We are driving distance from Dingle town--6 miles away. We hope to immerse ourslves in the activities and culture. One more week to D Day. Dingle, Dingle, Dingle.
As a family of four we continued our first magical tour of Ireland. We rented a car and drove to Waterford where we developed two outstanding memories. The first was the tour of the Waterford factory and the smashing of the crystal. If a piece of crystal wasn't perfect and trust me you needed a magnifying glass to see the defect, the piece was thrown into an open cage. The accompanying gasp from the wandering visitors upon hearing the smash was almost as audible as the crystal breaking into small pieces. The second memory was Hot Nuts. During the early evening we stopped at a pub to try the Guiness and asked for some snak food to eat with our drink We still do not know what Hot Nuts are but we ate so many cups of these addictive nuts that we almost couldn't afford dinner that evening. Addicitive, pricey and wonderful. As you can see it doesn't take too much to strike our fancy.
We continued our tour of Ireland-- Adare,Tralee, Galway, Cliffs of Moher, Connomorra, and the Dingle Peninsula. All wonderful but especially Dingle. While we were there we stayed at a bed and breakfast on Connor Pass. The view of Dingle city and the harbour with the stone fences framing the narrow roads, protecting the sheep and emphasizing the green grass was breath taking. We fell in love with the Dingle Peninsula.
In 2005, during a bus tour of Ireland we retuned ever so briefly to Dingle. The day was brillant. Even our bus driver Paddy (no kidding) said it was an exceptional day. We reluctantly retuned to the bus at the appointed time and promised ourselves we would return to Dingle someday without any time restrictions.
So in one week Bill and I will fly to Shannon then drive to Ventry,Ireland on the Dingle Peninsula. We will be staying at http://www.garveysholidaycottage.com/. A three bedroom cottage, modern (by Irish standards) with central heat, a peet fireplace and WIFI a driveway away from us. We will be within walking distance to a beach, a pub (surprise, surprise), a shop and many archaeological sites. We are driving distance from Dingle town--6 miles away. We hope to immerse ourslves in the activities and culture. One more week to D Day. Dingle, Dingle, Dingle.
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