I am sitting gingerly, in a rather uncomfortable chair, to relieve my back, which is indicating it would rather be in any other position. And lest you send advice, I have tried standing, bending, stretching and have taken a couple of Turmeric capsules - my strongest pain medicine currently within reach.
I'm enjoying my coffee, well to the extent that one enjoys instant coffee, and watching a Guinness hangover evolve. The party folks had probably too good a time last night with their new Irish friends. I had a leisurely evening alone, reading.
We had brought home leftovers from the lunch in Drogheda, including Braden's Spaghetti Carbonara. When they got home he was ravenous and figured it was just the right thing to have. Unfortunately for him, I had found that it made a might tasty supper last night. They had to settle for the leftover pizza. Too bad.
The drizzle that lasted much of the day drove a lot of folks indoors. My gracious Saturday travel guides, Margaret and Michelle, brought us to Farmleigh. This is the house occupied by visiting dignitaries and once owned by the Guinness family. Apparently it was more occupied by the children and nannies while the parents were away visiting - someone, somewhere and often. The nursery was on the third floor with a balcony overlooking a gorgeous staircase. While the little ones were in residence, as the story goes, a net was placed under the balcony. One would assume to protect the kiddies from a very nasty fall. Not so much! It was to protect staff below from projectiles tossed by those lovely kiddies.
The original house had been subject to additions and renovations and the end result is very nice. There is a fortune in original artwork, chandeliers and furniture. Nice touches like a hidden staircase which is accessed by pressing two books in the "office", no longer function. Below that room, actually a sort of reception centre for those visiting the owner on business occasions, was a cellar. It was converted to a panic room, I believe in the time of the Troubles, lest the problem spread to the South. Good thing it's not needed because the access to the stairs isn't working. Some things just don't get restored. This link should get you to Farmleigh.
farmleigh.ie
From there we went to the Collins' Barracks, which I'd assumed was just military. Not so. It is the National Museum and has many and varied displays which are all very well done. It's near Heuston Station and Phoenix Park and one would never guess what's inside. You pay for parking but museum access is free. We enjoyed soup and a sandwich for lunch in the cafe and then wandered around and up and down staircases for a good couple of hours.
https://www.museum.ie/Home
Back to Maynooth to pick up my car again, I trusted the GPS to get me directly back here to Walsh Rd. It did. Yay. Some directions come up too quickly after a previous command but I did manage to keep a corner of my eye on the screen. I missed my navigators.
They were out and about. A friend of Braden's is a student at Trinity College and got them past the long lineups - and cashier - for a free look at the Long Room and Book of Kells. At some point they had a true full Irish breakfast and seemed to recover nicely from the black pudding. I don't think they'll order it again.
Later in the afternoon they met up with Aoife and Nathan at the Guinness factory, where they toured and sampled and did a bit of shopping. From there, I have no details other than it was a good evening, with lots of liquid refreshments, and they got in late.
Shortly we'll get ready to go out and take a tour of the city and maybe they'll do a bit more shopping. Tonight will be "the grand pack-up" and tomorrow, my navigators will leave and my new chauffeur will arrive. Hopefully the next vehicle won't have so many automatic features - like annoying 'music' when you open the doors, headlight dimmers with a mind of their own, an annoying tire pressure warning when the tires, er, tyres, are just fine.
Internet is not working at the moment so this will get posted somewhat later.
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Friday, October 12, 2018
The awful drive that never happened
The forecast was for extreme wind and rain, especially in coastal areas. We were in Portstewart which was within the "red warning" region but our accommodations were not on the coast.
Yesterday there was a lovely evening and by the time we fell asleep there was no sign of a storm. During the night each of us woke to the sound of rain pounding on the windows and wind howling - and each of us in our own rooms, simply rolled over and fell asleep again. When we got up in the morning it was breezy but bright as we got ready to leave.
Once in the car and underway to Dublin, via Drogheda, the rain started. It never was problematic but it was constant. The wind wasn't much of a factor. I think the West and South coasts got the worst of Storm Callum.
We stopped for lunch in Drogheda and before leaving, I bought a portable wifi hot spot. There is no wifi available in the house we have in Dublin and none of us can give up the Internet addiction. Besides, we have folks we need to be in touch with. It's working like a charm and the data is available until it's used up. I believe the device will work throughout Ireland (for sure) and the UK.
Our house here is pretty basic. It's for sale and has been recently renovated and painted but the walls are bare and there isn't a mirror within 20 feet of a wall outlet. So - hair drying tomorrow could be tricky. The owner is supposed to show up sometime tomorrow with a mirror we can use. I don't think there is a single bathroom in all of Ireland that has other than a plug for a rasor. We have to use the hair dryers in the bedrooms - and not all have mirrors.
We took a bus into town, after about a 10 minute walk, and explored quite a bit. Each of us has a 3 day bus pass so we don't have to keep looking for change. We will put them to good use in the next couple of days. What we have to find out is where we want to get off when coming back 'home'. Time for some serious searching on the Dublin Bus website.
Luckily it has not rained since we got to Dublin. The same is not supposed to hold true tomorrow but maybe it won't rain all the time. Sunday looks promising.
Sorry there isn't more interesting subject matter today. And it's still an issue to get pictures. I promise to do better on that count once ensconced at Moss Cottage.
Yesterday there was a lovely evening and by the time we fell asleep there was no sign of a storm. During the night each of us woke to the sound of rain pounding on the windows and wind howling - and each of us in our own rooms, simply rolled over and fell asleep again. When we got up in the morning it was breezy but bright as we got ready to leave.
Once in the car and underway to Dublin, via Drogheda, the rain started. It never was problematic but it was constant. The wind wasn't much of a factor. I think the West and South coasts got the worst of Storm Callum.
We stopped for lunch in Drogheda and before leaving, I bought a portable wifi hot spot. There is no wifi available in the house we have in Dublin and none of us can give up the Internet addiction. Besides, we have folks we need to be in touch with. It's working like a charm and the data is available until it's used up. I believe the device will work throughout Ireland (for sure) and the UK.
Our house here is pretty basic. It's for sale and has been recently renovated and painted but the walls are bare and there isn't a mirror within 20 feet of a wall outlet. So - hair drying tomorrow could be tricky. The owner is supposed to show up sometime tomorrow with a mirror we can use. I don't think there is a single bathroom in all of Ireland that has other than a plug for a rasor. We have to use the hair dryers in the bedrooms - and not all have mirrors.
We took a bus into town, after about a 10 minute walk, and explored quite a bit. Each of us has a 3 day bus pass so we don't have to keep looking for change. We will put them to good use in the next couple of days. What we have to find out is where we want to get off when coming back 'home'. Time for some serious searching on the Dublin Bus website.
Luckily it has not rained since we got to Dublin. The same is not supposed to hold true tomorrow but maybe it won't rain all the time. Sunday looks promising.
Sorry there isn't more interesting subject matter today. And it's still an issue to get pictures. I promise to do better on that count once ensconced at Moss Cottage.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Bad storm coming or false alarm?
We are happily back in Portstewart after a good day - with much less walking and much more driving than yesterday.
My phone is either unwilling to let Dropbox pick up the photos or Dropbox is for some reason, irritated with the phone. In any case, I can't seem to get any pictures to the blog. I will post a few on FB.
This is our last day with wifi in the accommodations. Unfortunately we cannot get it at the place in Dublin - the most expensive of all of our digs. Ah well... first world problem.
After a late start today we headed up the Causeway Coastal road to the Giant's Causeway where I dropped Olivia and Braden for their free visit. You don't have to pay to walk to the 'rocks', but you do pay for parking and admission to the visitors' centre. They did take the option to use the shuttle bus to get down and back up. It's one km downhill and of course that exact same route back up.
Leaving them there I headed out in search of a garage to check the tyres. The tyre pressure warning, indicating the left front wheel, has been a nuisance from the start. The tyres (I've adapted to the local spelling) are just fine. Our navigation system menu has lots of other stuff. Although the helpful mechanic never did find out how to turn off that particular warning, it just disappeared.
Apparently this is common on rental cars. I think it's a ploy to get tourists to stop and patronize local garages when there is really no problem at all.
Going back to pick up my travel companions, I stopped at The Nook pub by the Causeway to wait for them. While there I chatted with a couple of wait staff and had a cup of peppermint tea. Once O & B found me there, we headed for Carrickfergus to check out the castle.
The drive was uneventful while using some rather "optional" roads to get there. I did play a bit fast and loose with the GPS directions and we still arrived in the estimated time. It rained much of the way and was drizzling during our tour, but enthusiasm was not dampened. Once we decided that lunch could be postponed no longer, the rain stopped.
While waiting for our food to arrive, the bartender/waiter chatted with us and looked into the weather warnings about Storm Callum. The coastal areas are to be hit overnight with strong winds and heavy rains. We'll probably get some of that here but we are not in possession of a sea view and are a mile or so inland.
Tomorrow we plan to leave early for Dublin. Depending on how the driving goes we may be able to make a stop at the site of the Battle of the Boyne to keep our historian happy.
Our place in Dublin will not have wifi. I may be able to supply it via my phone but it will be slow. So - possibly no blog posts and certainly no pictures.
Dublin is a city with the usual and some unusual things to see and do. Braden's friend who is attending Trinity College will give them a tour there on Saturday morning and in the afternoon they will meet Aoife and Nathan to tour the Guinness Storehouse and have an evening on the town.
I am meeting friends for the day. Sunday we'll "do" whatever is left for them to see. Of course, shopping just might come into play there too.
All in all it's been lovely having their company. I shall rejoin my faithful followers when next connected.
My phone is either unwilling to let Dropbox pick up the photos or Dropbox is for some reason, irritated with the phone. In any case, I can't seem to get any pictures to the blog. I will post a few on FB.
This is our last day with wifi in the accommodations. Unfortunately we cannot get it at the place in Dublin - the most expensive of all of our digs. Ah well... first world problem.
After a late start today we headed up the Causeway Coastal road to the Giant's Causeway where I dropped Olivia and Braden for their free visit. You don't have to pay to walk to the 'rocks', but you do pay for parking and admission to the visitors' centre. They did take the option to use the shuttle bus to get down and back up. It's one km downhill and of course that exact same route back up.
Leaving them there I headed out in search of a garage to check the tyres. The tyre pressure warning, indicating the left front wheel, has been a nuisance from the start. The tyres (I've adapted to the local spelling) are just fine. Our navigation system menu has lots of other stuff. Although the helpful mechanic never did find out how to turn off that particular warning, it just disappeared.
Apparently this is common on rental cars. I think it's a ploy to get tourists to stop and patronize local garages when there is really no problem at all.
Going back to pick up my travel companions, I stopped at The Nook pub by the Causeway to wait for them. While there I chatted with a couple of wait staff and had a cup of peppermint tea. Once O & B found me there, we headed for Carrickfergus to check out the castle.
The drive was uneventful while using some rather "optional" roads to get there. I did play a bit fast and loose with the GPS directions and we still arrived in the estimated time. It rained much of the way and was drizzling during our tour, but enthusiasm was not dampened. Once we decided that lunch could be postponed no longer, the rain stopped.
While waiting for our food to arrive, the bartender/waiter chatted with us and looked into the weather warnings about Storm Callum. The coastal areas are to be hit overnight with strong winds and heavy rains. We'll probably get some of that here but we are not in possession of a sea view and are a mile or so inland.
Tomorrow we plan to leave early for Dublin. Depending on how the driving goes we may be able to make a stop at the site of the Battle of the Boyne to keep our historian happy.
Our place in Dublin will not have wifi. I may be able to supply it via my phone but it will be slow. So - possibly no blog posts and certainly no pictures.
Dublin is a city with the usual and some unusual things to see and do. Braden's friend who is attending Trinity College will give them a tour there on Saturday morning and in the afternoon they will meet Aoife and Nathan to tour the Guinness Storehouse and have an evening on the town.
I am meeting friends for the day. Sunday we'll "do" whatever is left for them to see. Of course, shopping just might come into play there too.
All in all it's been lovely having their company. I shall rejoin my faithful followers when next connected.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
I set a new record today
This record may stand for a long time. 16,500 steps today - about 90% of which were downhill or uphill. Somehow they pretty much all felt like they were uphill. But, my feet and knees held up very well so now I'm giving them a break.
My brain is also spent so this will be brief. The photos will upload overnight (hopefully) and when I once again regain consciousness in the morning, I shall try to add them to this post.
We set out before 8:30 for the Dark Hedges. Of course we ended up coming in the back way but it was lovely and there were very few people around.
From there we headed to Glenariff Forest Park where we found the parking lot open, but the visitor centre closed. The pay-and-display machine took only coins and we didn't have enough so we just left the car in the lot and happily, it was not ticketed nor towed or even clamped. Lucky.
We did the Waterfall walk. Starting out going downhill for quite a distance was our first indication of the effort that would be required for the return trip. The waterfalls did not disappoint and we all made it back up to the car more or less in decent shape.
En route towards the north, we stopped in Ballycastle for lunch and later wandered around the ruins of a friary. The name will come to me later. The builders/owners/conquerors were the same folks who later occupied Dunluce.
From there we headed towards the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. At a cost of 8 GBP per person to cross the bridge, we just got two tickets and I walked to and from and watched the younger set struggle across and back in the howling wind.
We drove past the Giant's Causeway and visited Dunluce Castle instead. It's by far the biggest castle ruins we've explored and it was a good stop to put the finishing touches on the day's step count. Almost.
Having decided to eat out, we eventually figured out how to use my Irish phone to call a local Northern Ireland number. There are no roaming charges but simply dialing the number isn't enough. It's not an intuitive process but good old Google came to the rescue, with only a small hiccup before a taxi was summoned.
Parking is abysmal and scarce so we rode in style to Ramores in Portrush and had a nice dinner in one of their five co-located restaurants: The Wine Bar. Taxis were lined up outside so getting one to take us "home" was easy. Nothing is cheap but it was easy.
Now settled for the night, at almost 9:30, we've decided to get a late start tomorrow. I'm not sure how Storm Callum will affect us. Fortunately we are no longer on the West Coast so it could be wet and windy but not likely problematic.
Fatigue has overcome me at this point so I'll say good-night for now.
My brain is also spent so this will be brief. The photos will upload overnight (hopefully) and when I once again regain consciousness in the morning, I shall try to add them to this post.
We set out before 8:30 for the Dark Hedges. Of course we ended up coming in the back way but it was lovely and there were very few people around.
From there we headed to Glenariff Forest Park where we found the parking lot open, but the visitor centre closed. The pay-and-display machine took only coins and we didn't have enough so we just left the car in the lot and happily, it was not ticketed nor towed or even clamped. Lucky.
We did the Waterfall walk. Starting out going downhill for quite a distance was our first indication of the effort that would be required for the return trip. The waterfalls did not disappoint and we all made it back up to the car more or less in decent shape.
En route towards the north, we stopped in Ballycastle for lunch and later wandered around the ruins of a friary. The name will come to me later. The builders/owners/conquerors were the same folks who later occupied Dunluce.
From there we headed towards the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. At a cost of 8 GBP per person to cross the bridge, we just got two tickets and I walked to and from and watched the younger set struggle across and back in the howling wind.
We drove past the Giant's Causeway and visited Dunluce Castle instead. It's by far the biggest castle ruins we've explored and it was a good stop to put the finishing touches on the day's step count. Almost.
Having decided to eat out, we eventually figured out how to use my Irish phone to call a local Northern Ireland number. There are no roaming charges but simply dialing the number isn't enough. It's not an intuitive process but good old Google came to the rescue, with only a small hiccup before a taxi was summoned.
Parking is abysmal and scarce so we rode in style to Ramores in Portrush and had a nice dinner in one of their five co-located restaurants: The Wine Bar. Taxis were lined up outside so getting one to take us "home" was easy. Nothing is cheap but it was easy.
Now settled for the night, at almost 9:30, we've decided to get a late start tomorrow. I'm not sure how Storm Callum will affect us. Fortunately we are no longer on the West Coast so it could be wet and windy but not likely problematic.
Fatigue has overcome me at this point so I'll say good-night for now.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
If this is Tuesday we must be on the road
Apologies for the mixed fonts in the last post. I have no idea how that happened. It all looked the same when I was typing.
Today we left about an hour later than planned. Our host, Maire, dropped in to say hello. What a lovely generous woman with offers of future hospitality in Galway and Dingle! She is a real chatterbox, but it was worth our while to talk with her.
Originally from the Dingle, her first language was Irish. In fact, she used to teach Irish. I'm not sure what she does now other than manage two adjacent apartments as Airbnb accommodations.
We finally "set sail" about 10 and pointed the car north. Braden managed the GPS settings which brought us to Donegal. Although we passed a sign for Donegal Castle we decided to carry on and find some lunch around 1:30 in the town of Donegal. We ended up at the Olde Castle Bar and restaurant.
They served disgusting coffee, but the food was good. What a bustling place. It must be very old. The rooms lead from one to the other and it has all sorts of interesting architectural features. There was even a wee thatched roof in a corner right beside our table.
Once finished we stepped outside and found ourselves at Donegal Castle. There was a tour group lined up so we followed them through the door that said "Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday". We wondered had we lost part of our week. However, we paid the entry fee and enjoyed the tour very much. The castle was built in the 14th century, if memory serves, was turned over to an English family, after being stolen from the O'Connells who had built it, in 1611. They added a manor house on one side. It fell into ruin after the late 1700s. Restoration in the 1990s has made it an interesting place to visit. The repairs used the original manner of building.
From there we headed to Portstewart - where we are now. We adjusted the route from our original plan and in retaliation, our GPS took us on a merry detour on every possible small road that cut maybe 100 yards off the route on the highway. The scenery was spectacular even on a cloudy day, but since it had stopped raining around noon we still enjoyed some wonderful views. I'm not sure what altitude we reached but my ears popped.
For the last stretch, our faithful navigational device allowed us to resume use of the main road. It was smooth sailing right to the door of the wonderful home we are occupying. We each have our own room and share a nice bathroom with a large walk-in shower. The kitchen is great - so well supplied with every little thing you could need. Our hosts provided homemade cookies, chips and a bottle of wine. I can assure you that we are not letting that hospitality go to waste.
Once again Olivia made our supper after a short trip to the Supervalu. The supply of desserts and all sorts of sweets is delighting Olivia. The Irish all over the country do like their sweets. There is even REAL coffee here so we needn't settle for instant at breakfast tomorrow.
With the forecast promising sun, we plan an early departure for the Dark Hedges, followed by a few other Game of Thrones destinations. It doesn't look like we'll see the sun again before Sunday but you just never know. The weather changes here faster than you can change your mind. We seem to get dry sunny days when we want them the most so we're not complaining.
Today's pictures from Donegal Castle have not yet uploaded so I'm afraid there are no illustrations at the moment. Just wait until tomorrow which could be a bonus picture day!
Today we left about an hour later than planned. Our host, Maire, dropped in to say hello. What a lovely generous woman with offers of future hospitality in Galway and Dingle! She is a real chatterbox, but it was worth our while to talk with her.
Originally from the Dingle, her first language was Irish. In fact, she used to teach Irish. I'm not sure what she does now other than manage two adjacent apartments as Airbnb accommodations.
We finally "set sail" about 10 and pointed the car north. Braden managed the GPS settings which brought us to Donegal. Although we passed a sign for Donegal Castle we decided to carry on and find some lunch around 1:30 in the town of Donegal. We ended up at the Olde Castle Bar and restaurant.
They served disgusting coffee, but the food was good. What a bustling place. It must be very old. The rooms lead from one to the other and it has all sorts of interesting architectural features. There was even a wee thatched roof in a corner right beside our table.
Once finished we stepped outside and found ourselves at Donegal Castle. There was a tour group lined up so we followed them through the door that said "Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday". We wondered had we lost part of our week. However, we paid the entry fee and enjoyed the tour very much. The castle was built in the 14th century, if memory serves, was turned over to an English family, after being stolen from the O'Connells who had built it, in 1611. They added a manor house on one side. It fell into ruin after the late 1700s. Restoration in the 1990s has made it an interesting place to visit. The repairs used the original manner of building.
From there we headed to Portstewart - where we are now. We adjusted the route from our original plan and in retaliation, our GPS took us on a merry detour on every possible small road that cut maybe 100 yards off the route on the highway. The scenery was spectacular even on a cloudy day, but since it had stopped raining around noon we still enjoyed some wonderful views. I'm not sure what altitude we reached but my ears popped.
For the last stretch, our faithful navigational device allowed us to resume use of the main road. It was smooth sailing right to the door of the wonderful home we are occupying. We each have our own room and share a nice bathroom with a large walk-in shower. The kitchen is great - so well supplied with every little thing you could need. Our hosts provided homemade cookies, chips and a bottle of wine. I can assure you that we are not letting that hospitality go to waste.
Once again Olivia made our supper after a short trip to the Supervalu. The supply of desserts and all sorts of sweets is delighting Olivia. The Irish all over the country do like their sweets. There is even REAL coffee here so we needn't settle for instant at breakfast tomorrow.
With the forecast promising sun, we plan an early departure for the Dark Hedges, followed by a few other Game of Thrones destinations. It doesn't look like we'll see the sun again before Sunday but you just never know. The weather changes here faster than you can change your mind. We seem to get dry sunny days when we want them the most so we're not complaining.
Today's pictures from Donegal Castle have not yet uploaded so I'm afraid there are no illustrations at the moment. Just wait until tomorrow which could be a bonus picture day!
Before I forget to tell you
I forgot yesterday to describe the clock tower on St Nicholas Church in Galway. The narration on the trolley tour pointed out to us that only three of the four sides of the tower have clock faces.
The fourth side faces towards The Claddagh. That is the area from which the Claddagh ring originated. It was also home to the poor. The blank side of the church tower was constructed that way so that the poor would not know the time of day. What an uncharitable message from a church. Ugh!
Another restriction on the poor folks, was that the men were mostly fishermen. The "powers that be" determined not to let them improve their lot. A law was passed so that the men could not take up any other occupation than fishing. Having seen the rough waters of Galway Bay it must have been a very hard and dangerous way to make a living.
The women sold the fish that they caught.
Monday, October 8, 2018
10,351 - ta da
In case you are wondering, the number above refers to the number of steps recorded today by the pedometer in my phone. My feet are saying "is that all?". It's not quite a record but good enough for a pair of often-sore feet. We really did pound the pavement all day long.
Today's retelling is not quite in chronological order - but I'm too tired to copy and paste. Sorry folks. The photos are at the end of the blog so you can skip directly there and not read my verbal meanderings.
The Airbnb we currently call home, is a bit out of the centre of the city but we managed to be exactly on time to catch the bus into Eyre Square - centre of town. The trip takes about 10 minutes. Driving takes that long for the "getting lost and re-found" portion, plus actual travel time. Beside parking is a nightmare. For a small city, the traffic is atrocious in rush hour.
Mostly we meandered along the pedestrian streets, listening to a few buskers, making conversation with one of them who was wearing a Conor McDavid Oilers jersey. He had picked it up when visiting Edmonton not too long ago.
There are numerous shops flogging all sorts of things, notably Aran sweaters and other items, woollen wear of all descriptions, Claddagh rings, typical souvenirs found all over Ireland and almost surely made in China. We visited the tiny Claddagh ring 'museum' behind the jewellery shop.
The Hall of the Red Earl was interesting. It is hundreds of years old but excavations in the 90s discovered the outlines of several things including a forge. It is well done with glass around the excavation and signs telling about it. There was a group of school kids visiting and we listened to some of what the guide was describing. Replicas of some of the finds were on display. One can only guess that the originals are safely stored or maybe in the museum - that is always closed on Mondays. This is my second stop in Galway - on a Monday.
The architecture of Galway varies from the very old to the fairly new. St Nicholas Church was built in 1320 and will celebrate 700 years soon. As we wandered around inside this Church of Ireland, we could hear a few choir members practising. The choirmaster is a very picky individual. Apparently Christopher Columbus worshipped here in 1477 - or so says the sign.
Just outside the church is Lynch's window which seemed more like a stone archway or part of a wall. Magistrate Lynch sentenced his son to hang for murder although he could have commuted the sentence. He did not want it to seem like his offspring was above the law. After the sentence was carried out, the senior Lynch was despondent and lived as a recluse. This was the origin of "lynching" - or so said the tour narrative. There was a driver on our tourist trolley, but the descriptions of what we were passing were recordings. I do wish that the accompanying music had been turned down a bit more when the narrative began.
Our tour was on a little trolley train and took about 45 minutes. There were a couple of stops where folks took advantage of the hop-on-hop-off privilege. There's a stop at Salthill along the promenade in front of the aquarium. Just at that point the grey and blustery day turned wet, so we stayed on board for the return trip to near the Spanish Arch.
The sea, or rather Galway Bay, was rather turbulent today. OK - the waves were really big and the wind was very strong. I don't know if the ferries were operating to the Aran Islands but even so we would not have been interested in being tossed about - to say nothing of other potential consequences of such an adventure. Alas, another visit to Galway has not included a trip to any Inis.
Today's forecast said rain would start around 2 pm. It was about an hour late but we didn't complain.
I think we covered all of the interesting streets and alleys, including a longish stop at Charlie Byrne's bookstore. Braden decided he really had to have a copy of Joyce's Ulysses but Olivia and I didn't buy anything. That shop is quite amazing - one room leads to another then another then ... I found a book that was about blacksmiths in Leinster and there was a reference to the Rocktavern and Tom Byrne. We had tea there last week. Tom is not a blacksmith but lives near the location of something. Now if I had a memory, I'd be sure to tell you what that something was. Sigh! There was a photo of an old forge with a horshoe-shaped doorway in Craanford or Monaseed. Both are near Rocktavern and I shall be on a mission to find that forge very soon. I think I know just the guide I need.
By mid-afternoon Braden was suffering Guinness withdrawal and we popped in to Fibber Magee's for the cure. While he enjoyed his brew, apparently better than at some other 'dispensaries', I checked out the ladies' room. I thought I heard a cubicle door close - but there was nobody there. While drying my hands, I felt someone go behind me and touch my shoulder. There was nobody there. Hmmmm - I opted not to ask the publican if they had ghosts. I'd rather not know.
Once the rain got a bit more intense we hustled off to McDonagh's for fish and chips. They are reportedly the best in Ireland. Well, the fish was very tasty but they had the worst chips ever.
The rain was still nasty so we took a taxi back "home" where we are in for the evening. Perhaps it was the traffic but our cab fare was 5 Euros more than Braden had paid when returning from their night out from very near the same spot. Hmmm.
Today also, the lightbulb finally lit in my brain. I took the SIM card from my Irish phone and put it into my 'regular' smartphone. Works like a charm. Duh! Now I won't accidentally turn it off when trying to answer a call. The only obstacle to be surmounted now is entering my Irish contacts into this device. Ah well, we have time to kill tonight while the laundry is swirling about in the machine.
With help from the supplier of our dash cam, I think I have it re-formatted and ready to roll. Who would have guessed that on this Mac I had to format it to MS DOS? The Mac format didn't work. Tomorrow I will put it to the test. We shall have either 5 hours of footage or 5 hours of nothing. That will be our longest day of driving. We will make stops - but the forecast isn't good so they will probably be brief bio-breaks. Subsequent days on the north coast hold the promise of some sunshine. Lets hope that's right. There's nothing better than visiting the Dark Hedges on a sunny day.
It's a different country up there and we will temporarily put away the Euros and bring out the Pounds. There's no obvious border and that's a bit of an issue for Brexit. Northern Ireland is part of the UK. The future of crossing back and forth to the Republic is a bit of a sticky wicket right now.
Our accommodations here are very nice. I have a lovely big bed plus a single one for good measure, in my room, and O&B are sharing a room with twin beds and an en suite bathroom. My bathroom is a few steps from my door.
The guestbook is the entrance hall wall(s). A bucket of pens and markers sits just waiting for us to write on it. Will come up with something shortly. It really is nice having an entire place to ourselves. The thought of being squashed into one hotel room, which would have cost much more, is simply frightening. Lots of space to spread out and everyone gets along and we do make some of our own meals.
Today's retelling is not quite in chronological order - but I'm too tired to copy and paste. Sorry folks. The photos are at the end of the blog so you can skip directly there and not read my verbal meanderings.
The Airbnb we currently call home, is a bit out of the centre of the city but we managed to be exactly on time to catch the bus into Eyre Square - centre of town. The trip takes about 10 minutes. Driving takes that long for the "getting lost and re-found" portion, plus actual travel time. Beside parking is a nightmare. For a small city, the traffic is atrocious in rush hour.
Mostly we meandered along the pedestrian streets, listening to a few buskers, making conversation with one of them who was wearing a Conor McDavid Oilers jersey. He had picked it up when visiting Edmonton not too long ago.
There are numerous shops flogging all sorts of things, notably Aran sweaters and other items, woollen wear of all descriptions, Claddagh rings, typical souvenirs found all over Ireland and almost surely made in China. We visited the tiny Claddagh ring 'museum' behind the jewellery shop.
The Hall of the Red Earl was interesting. It is hundreds of years old but excavations in the 90s discovered the outlines of several things including a forge. It is well done with glass around the excavation and signs telling about it. There was a group of school kids visiting and we listened to some of what the guide was describing. Replicas of some of the finds were on display. One can only guess that the originals are safely stored or maybe in the museum - that is always closed on Mondays. This is my second stop in Galway - on a Monday.
The architecture of Galway varies from the very old to the fairly new. St Nicholas Church was built in 1320 and will celebrate 700 years soon. As we wandered around inside this Church of Ireland, we could hear a few choir members practising. The choirmaster is a very picky individual. Apparently Christopher Columbus worshipped here in 1477 - or so says the sign.
Just outside the church is Lynch's window which seemed more like a stone archway or part of a wall. Magistrate Lynch sentenced his son to hang for murder although he could have commuted the sentence. He did not want it to seem like his offspring was above the law. After the sentence was carried out, the senior Lynch was despondent and lived as a recluse. This was the origin of "lynching" - or so said the tour narrative. There was a driver on our tourist trolley, but the descriptions of what we were passing were recordings. I do wish that the accompanying music had been turned down a bit more when the narrative began.
Our tour was on a little trolley train and took about 45 minutes. There were a couple of stops where folks took advantage of the hop-on-hop-off privilege. There's a stop at Salthill along the promenade in front of the aquarium. Just at that point the grey and blustery day turned wet, so we stayed on board for the return trip to near the Spanish Arch.
The sea, or rather Galway Bay, was rather turbulent today. OK - the waves were really big and the wind was very strong. I don't know if the ferries were operating to the Aran Islands but even so we would not have been interested in being tossed about - to say nothing of other potential consequences of such an adventure. Alas, another visit to Galway has not included a trip to any Inis.
Today's forecast said rain would start around 2 pm. It was about an hour late but we didn't complain.
I think we covered all of the interesting streets and alleys, including a longish stop at Charlie Byrne's bookstore. Braden decided he really had to have a copy of Joyce's Ulysses but Olivia and I didn't buy anything. That shop is quite amazing - one room leads to another then another then ... I found a book that was about blacksmiths in Leinster and there was a reference to the Rocktavern and Tom Byrne. We had tea there last week. Tom is not a blacksmith but lives near the location of something. Now if I had a memory, I'd be sure to tell you what that something was. Sigh! There was a photo of an old forge with a horshoe-shaped doorway in Craanford or Monaseed. Both are near Rocktavern and I shall be on a mission to find that forge very soon. I think I know just the guide I need.
By mid-afternoon Braden was suffering Guinness withdrawal and we popped in to Fibber Magee's for the cure. While he enjoyed his brew, apparently better than at some other 'dispensaries', I checked out the ladies' room. I thought I heard a cubicle door close - but there was nobody there. While drying my hands, I felt someone go behind me and touch my shoulder. There was nobody there. Hmmmm - I opted not to ask the publican if they had ghosts. I'd rather not know.
Once the rain got a bit more intense we hustled off to McDonagh's for fish and chips. They are reportedly the best in Ireland. Well, the fish was very tasty but they had the worst chips ever.
The rain was still nasty so we took a taxi back "home" where we are in for the evening. Perhaps it was the traffic but our cab fare was 5 Euros more than Braden had paid when returning from their night out from very near the same spot. Hmmm.
Today also, the lightbulb finally lit in my brain. I took the SIM card from my Irish phone and put it into my 'regular' smartphone. Works like a charm. Duh! Now I won't accidentally turn it off when trying to answer a call. The only obstacle to be surmounted now is entering my Irish contacts into this device. Ah well, we have time to kill tonight while the laundry is swirling about in the machine.
With help from the supplier of our dash cam, I think I have it re-formatted and ready to roll. Who would have guessed that on this Mac I had to format it to MS DOS? The Mac format didn't work. Tomorrow I will put it to the test. We shall have either 5 hours of footage or 5 hours of nothing. That will be our longest day of driving. We will make stops - but the forecast isn't good so they will probably be brief bio-breaks. Subsequent days on the north coast hold the promise of some sunshine. Lets hope that's right. There's nothing better than visiting the Dark Hedges on a sunny day.
It's a different country up there and we will temporarily put away the Euros and bring out the Pounds. There's no obvious border and that's a bit of an issue for Brexit. Northern Ireland is part of the UK. The future of crossing back and forth to the Republic is a bit of a sticky wicket right now.
Our accommodations here are very nice. I have a lovely big bed plus a single one for good measure, in my room, and O&B are sharing a room with twin beds and an en suite bathroom. My bathroom is a few steps from my door.
The guestbook is the entrance hall wall(s). A bucket of pens and markers sits just waiting for us to write on it. Will come up with something shortly. It really is nice having an entire place to ourselves. The thought of being squashed into one hotel room, which would have cost much more, is simply frightening. Lots of space to spread out and everyone gets along and we do make some of our own meals.
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| Where we dined on great fish and lousy chips |
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| back view of the Spanish arch and city wall |
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| The window display does match the name |
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| The Hall of the Red Earl |
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| Interior showing pipe organ in St Nicholas Church of Ireland |
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| What would it be without a castle - Lynch's castle |
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