We had a great vacation and even though sitting on a bus isn't exciting or comfortable for two weeks, you do get to see a lot of the beautiful island.I met my father and grandmother at JFK and together we flew to Dublin. FYI for those of you who have parents of a certain age, when traveling internationally, mark them as handicapped because you breeze through customs and baggage!!!
My family and I flew to Ireland a few days before our "official" tour began which was on Saint Patrick's Day and of course it was crazy. We stayed at the O'Callaghan Davenport which is just a few feet from Merrion Square and a few blocks from Trinity University. Perfect location for wondering around the city. Also, whomever said that Irish food is bland and boiled, well they lied. It's that simple. We had wonderful food at all the pubs. We even found an Italian restaurant a few blocks from Grafton Street and the food was outstanding. I ate more curry in Ireland in two weeks than I have in VA over the past year:)
We spent St. Patricks Day at the Gingerman Pub and downed a Guinness, which is a must! I'm not a fan of the beer but again, it is a must.
Sunday we took the hop on-hop off bus around the city and visited St. Patrick's Cathedral. What an amazing place. I love the hop on-hop off bus because you get to choose which stops to get out at and how to get there when you want to walk.
Monday we took a day trip to Belfast. It's staggering how different the two cities are from each other. While Dublin is more metropolitian (downtown), Belfast is an industrial town and you can tell it is still recovering from "the troubles". Yes, "troubles", that is what all the tour guides and people in Ireland call it. It's like comparing Washington DC to Pittsburg. We drove through Drogheda (draw-hawda) and stopped at the Catherdral that contains Oliver Plunkett's severed head.
There is no border between the two Irelands. You will never see a sign stating you are leaving the Republic of Ireland. There are a few ways to tell you are no longer in the Repbulic (southern Ireland): The road signs are now in English only (southern Ireland gives both English and Irish) and the yellow line disappears and becomes a white line. Also, the speed limit changes from Kilometers to Miles Per Hour.
The highlights for me:
Belfast – Our visit St. Peter's Church in Drogheda, which is famous for the embalmed head of Archbishop St. Oliver Plunkett. Monasterboice is the Monastery of St. Buithe – it’s a 5th-century Christian site with some of the country's best high crosses
Cabra Castle - I stayed in the "cottages" and not the castle. I admit to being bummed and doing a bit of wining until I saw my room. I shut up immediately. It was huge!!! I ended up calling it the "Mistress Quarters" and twirled around my room then jumped up and down like a three year old.
Limerick - Taking a shot of Irish whiskey is not my idea of fun but I did the shot and my face said it all. The best part was our hotel location which was directly across from King Johns Castle and walking distance to a great pub.
Cliffs of Moher - need I say more. You can't believe the views from the cliff.
Killarney - Our carriage ride through Killarney National Park. Unbelievably beautiful.
Ring of Kerry - While beautiful it was the bus ride from hell. Ring of Kerry should be called Ring Your Guts Out by Bus.
Blarney Castle - Hiking up a stone spiral staircase gripping a rope for balance. The view from the top was amazing and no I didn't kiss the stone but I did get down for the photo op!
Waterford - I was disappointed with the sites but seeing how the crystal pieces are made was worth the trip. We also watched the workers cut the crystal.
Kilkenny - Catherine Church of St. Canince, the intact round tower and celtic crosses that date back to the 6th century. They are so old you can't read the dates anymore.
I've already blogged about our itinerary so you can read my previous blog about our official tour locations but nothing in writing can explain the lush country side, the colors, textures, ruins, and the food. You will just have to view all the pictures I posted.
Our Tour Routes:
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