Orange is not just a fruit

Today we had and still have an orange rainfall warning. It's the second highest level of intensity, followed only by red which means, "we hope your Ark is almost ready to launch." 

The original plan was to head south to Cahir, Tipperary and visit the Swiss Cottage and maybe Cahir Castle. The rain was quite steady and the two-hour drive no longer held much appeal, so we, almost literally, set sail for Avondale, Beyond the Trees. Our optimism that the rain would abate by the time we got there was definitely not justified. I mean, there was an orange warning. In fact, it was positively teeming by then. 

We paid our €5 to park, but then once in the parking lot, decided that it was total folly to continue. The high-above-ground boardwalk (Beyond the trees) could well have been closed and indeed should have been. Slippery would not have come close to describing the walking conditions. After availing ourselves of the "amenities" following a quick dash from the car, we took a selfie to prove we'd been there. But we can't say "Done that." And we certainly didn't buy the t-shirt. We were underneath a fairly thick canopy of leaves and the photo doesn't show the conditions accurately.

See the sign - we were there

We still had the map of Wicklow from yesterday's day in the sun and decided that an indoor venue would be best. Wicklow Gaol! It was not very far away and we would be out of the elements. 

Getting there was half the fun. The last part through Wicklow Town was a bit hairy on the narrow, hilly streets. But parking was free for visitors to the Gaol. 

We began with a virtual reality experience which was an overview of the history of the gaol from the early 18th century to the closure of the gaol in 1924. Conditions were horrendous and the crimes were barely misdemeanors in today's terms. Men, women and children were crowded into the same cells. They were maybe big enough for 2 prisoners but often held more than a dozen. There were no "amenities" so one can only imagine the smell and the lack of privacy. Ugh. It was both of our first experiences with virtual reality and both of us found it remarkable. 

The numbered exhibits and monologue that started when you entered a cell - representing the voice of a prisoner who had "lived" there. I'd send a link but I've tried that twice already and neither one worked so I'm giving up on that optional info opportunity. Note that Hallowe'en decorations have been added.

Interior of Wicklow Gaol

We paused our tour to enjoy lunch in the cafe and then completed it afterwards. We were given directions to the nearby library to check the genealogy section. And, the directions came with an additional three hours of free parking.

It was quite the wet walk even though it was nearby. Alas, the genealogist doesn't work on Fridays. We did take the lift to the top floor for a view of the coast. The picture is about as clear as the view. The waves were numerous, high and threatening-looking. We declined the opportunity to walk out onto the balcony to enjoy the fresh air and bucketing downpour.

View from the top floor of Wicklow Library

Then I had the brilliant idea to take the coast road from Wicklow to Arklow. No motorway for us. The excitement of the narrow winding climbing roads that took us out of town should be adventure enough. But not for us. We are not going to be remembered for 100% wise decisions. This was among the worst.

Initially there were large puddles, which later caused rooster tails as we drove through very slowly, and I swear we left a wake. The puddles grew in length and depth. Then we came to a part of the road that looked like Lake Inferior. No way was I going to attempt that, even with fingers crossed. Now THAT was a smart decision. 

I backed up about 100 yards to a turn-off. As we sat at the intersection wondering if that road would lead to Arklow, a car approached from that direction. The driver stopped and with windows down we learned that the road we'd just backed out of, was actually closed at the other end. Not, of course, at the end where we were. But we were assured that the narrow road they'd just left, would lead to Arklow, or more helpfully, the M11.

Fortunately we didn't meet any oncoming traffic because we never saw a single spot to pull over and let another car pass. And it did lead us to the M11. Never was I so pleased to find the motorway.

From there it was a better and safer drive, even with overhead warning signs that this was an orange rainfall alert. 

En route to the cottage, we stopped briefly at the Rocktavern to pick up Laura's guitar which Braden is going to borrow next week. Thank you Laura. And we had another nice visit. 

Now home, fed and relaxing, we are weighing the decision to visit the Byrnes and/or the pub. Maybe we'll tell you our decision tomorrow.

Just wait 5 minutes and the weather will change

The morning looked pretty bleak as we contemplated getting ready to drive to Cahir, in South Tipperary to see the Swiss Cottage. The roads in that area seemed like they could be somewhat flooded from the recent downpours. Parts of Co Cork are underwater with people being rescued from homes and businesses. Yikes!

Plan B - so let's drive to Blessington which is north of here. Off we went in the falling mist hoping that the weather would improve. Google gave us a fairly main route to follow, since I declined a turn onto a very narrow road that it suggested. The farther we drove the better the weather and the better the roads. Take that Ms Google. A destination can be reached over roads with centre lines. Our route took us through Tullow, on to Baltinglass where we spared a brief glance at the ruined abbey.

We drove past Russborough House into Blessington and then turned around and drove back. We'd have lunch later. The tour didn't disappoint. One can only marvel at what wealth can buy. 

George, our guide, showing us the Russborough House Library
The owners were enjoying an evening of reading when attacked by three robbers who also beat them up before absconding with a few valuable paintings. The paintings were later found.

The link will show you more than we could with photos. Well OK, I confess, I have not mastered the easy way to insert photos. I hope the link remains intact. Yesterday's link did not survive the posting.

Returning to Blessington we had lunch at the Greenway Cafe. Satisfactory. Then dropped into the tourist office for some suggestions as to where to travel next. I don't think the lady working there has passed her tourism exams, if there even is such a thing. However, she made a reference in passing to driving around the Blessington lakes which is what we chose. She seemed keen on having us drive over the Sally Gap. Heather had never been but I've driven that route a few times. It was not the warning that there could be sheep on the road that kept us from taking that advice. We've seen what's on the other side and have travelled the roads from Glendalough to Shillelagh a couple of times, not just on this trip. So - enjoy your own gap, Sally.

The sun was shining and it got quite warm, maybe 18C, and was a glorious afternoon. The views were spectacular and were enjoyed by eye, not the camera lens. Scenery sometimes leaves something to be desired in photos when it's spectacular viewed "live." In other words, sorry, except for one to come, there are no views of the beautiful countryside. Besides, there was no place to pull over to take pictures.

The circum-drivigation of the Blessington Lakes was on lovely narrow roads. They were the kind I've mentioned before, too narrow to warrant a centre line. These were also twistier and hillier than most, and that's saying something. I certainly did my share of shifting gears. And I made sure that if there was an oncoming vehicle that I did the Canadian thing, and pulled as far to the left as I could to let them by. There were times the hedges were very close. These are not hedges as known in Canada. These are about a soft as a stone wall so coming into direct contact is not recommended. At the end of this route was the village of Hollywood. And yes, there is a large sign on the hillside.

Not knowing quite where to look for the sign, we stopped in front of a school where a few people were chatting. Before we were even close we were welcomed by Seamas O'Brien, who I think is one of the teachers. He pointed out the aforementioned sign on the hillside. We had fortuitously stopped where there was an excellent view. We just hadn't noticed.

And there it is 

Hollywood is a charming village, truly a Tidy Town. We stopped in to see the stained glass windows in the church, and wandered a bit until we saw the Fiddler on the Roof. 

And there he is

The Hollywood Tourist Office

The last rose of summer

The sun was shining and with Bunclody less than an hour away, we decided to try to get there in time for a drive part way up Mt Leinster. The idea was good. The weather situation, by the time we arrived was not. Clouds were so low there was no view of the mountain at all. So we stopped at SuperValu to pick up a couple of things for dinner. 

Now, having consumed said items, we're relaxing a little before heading to visit Ann and Tom at the Rocktavern. Not a pub. Just the place where they live. We'll catch up with their side of the family and still make it an early night. Swiss Cottage awaits us on the morrow.

Ms Google - directions please; OK, have it your way

PICTURES - finally figured out how to access the photos and eventually got some inserted into this text. 

When we woke up this morning I thought of humming "the weather outside is frightful" but staying home now that I feel well again, was not going to happen. We would go somewhere. This country is known for so many wonderful sights and activities, about 90% of which are outdoors. Not the best choice for today. And we had wasted enough time already.

The actual weather was nowhere near as bad as predicted so we opted to go to the Maritime Museum at Arklow and learn a bit about the fishing and boating of that area. It goes back hundreds of years. We are outside the village of Shillelagh in Co Wicklow, a good distance from the sea, and although I had a general idea of how to get to Arklow on the coast, our first major outing was going to enlist Ms Google, navigator supreme, of highways and mostly by-ways. Today - we had both. 

There are no main roads between here and Arklow, but the ones we used were, um, un-main to say the least. We went via Coolboy, Coolafancy, and Bally something (the sign was missing some letters). The roads were twisty and undulating and the views are probably magnificent. Those visible through the rain and clouds were quite lovely. It wasn't until we were virtually in the town, my trust in Ms Google was justified. This time.

Accustomed as we are in Ottawa and Toronto to construction delays and detours, we were made to feel right at home in Arklow. Barely into the town there were traffic delays due to construction, or maybe just large machinery parked awkwardly along the road. But Ms Google guided us over the 19-arch stone bridge, around the roundabout and along the quay to the parking lot of the Bridgewater Shopping Mall. Perfect. The Aldi store was in front of us, the Maritime Museum was about 50 metres away, and the mall was welcoming us. And we had a view of most of the 19 arches.

Heather and the 19-Arch Bridge in Arklow

We spent a short while in the museum and were the only visitors. In fact, despite the museum being open 7 days a week, we were the only visitors in 3 days, according to the guest book. I'd never before seen model sailing ships fashioned from chicken or turkey bones. And we learned that Arklow was previously the site of a very large explosives factory (not any more), and is also the site of a huge pottery factory. If memory serves they manufacture Noritake dishes, and other brands which are quite lovely. I have yet to make the connection to "maritime" but probably they are shipped out by sea.

In one corner of the museum, pictured just below, was an outfit I briefly considered swiping to deal with the outdoors. It even came with matching hat. But, my better angel convinced me to rely on my own rain jacket.

In the mall I added two long-sleeved t-shirts and a bright fuschia cardigan to the extremely limited wardrobe with which I'm already bored. Travelling light might not be for me after all.

Then, our next destination was called up – Powerscourt Waterfall. This time Ms Google realized that we were quite near the motorway and after traffic slowdowns due to construction, on the way out of Arklow, we found ourselves headed north on the M11. Blending the twisting roads too narrow to paint a centre line and the multi-lane divided highway provided needed variety in the driving experience.

The rain was little more than a mist when we reached our second destination, so we parked and headed down the trail. We were not disappointed. Because of all the recent rain, there was a good amount of H2O flowing down the mountain into a lovely stream. Here are a few views I thought you'd like. I take no responsibility for my hair, that's the fault of the rain and mist. 

The Irish are wonderful and want everyone to feel at home and feel comfortable using all available facilities. They do go above and beyond for those who might not know quite how to use an amenity. For example, this sign was on the inside of the cubicle door in the ladies' room. We didn't check out the men's, but one would imagine they were not left out.

Suitably relieved, we headed back to the suburbs of Shillelagh. It would have been nice to try to navigate based on my own experience of the routes from there to here, but wiser heads prevailed. Google - ready to roll again? With only a brief foray on the the M11, we were soon on the roads I've come to know and love and get lost on. But – we did NOT get lost this time. There's a first time for everything. Me getting successfully from here to there with fewer than 3 "diversions" is something of a legend, a true one. OK, it's something of a family joke. Nobody's perfect.

Despite having sufficient petrol to get "home," the tank was running low and we might have heavier rain tomorrow, so we kept our eyes peeled for a gas station, oops petrol station, with an overhang so I didn't have to stand in the downpour to pump the fuel. Returning via Carnew, well not the most direct route, we found to my delight that the petrol price had dropped quite a bit from yesterday and I happily filled the tank at Candy's.

We are now back at the cottage and immediately upon entry we hit "boost" twice to turn the heat on for two hours. As long as we remember to keep boosting, it's quite cosy. 

I just took a look across the living room and to my surprise, there are sawdust logs and some kindling and firestarter. Thank you John, our landlord. He said that obviously being Canadian, we know how to build fires. Stop laughing. We are going to try. If successful, I'll send a photo. It would cosy-up the living room. 

Well, there was a problem of water pressure and we summoned John, who sorted it out. It seems that this is something that needs frequent intervention to get rid of air in the pipes. He'll repeat the process on Friday when we are out and about. Hopefully that also sorts out the quick jolts from hot to cold and back to hot water. Keeps one alert in the shower. 

Time to nag Virgin Mobile again about the instructions to unlock my phone. Heather has been using the SIM card in her phone but I'm going to need it and it's been a struggle. One more attempt this evening and if they don't send the instructions they promised I guess the best I can do is scream. Stay tuned.

Things are looking up ... and down

 My recovery from the attack of diverticulitis is well underway. A good dose of antibiotics seems to be doing the trick. And now that I'm feeling like going out and doing things the weather has turned absolutely foul. It's cold (feeling just above freezing with the wind) and wet (a test for our rain jackets). 

Leaving Wexford Hospital after round two of our surprise "inspection" of the health care system, we headed to Bunclody and picked up a few "soft" foods at Aldi and then proceeded into town to enjoy a bowl of soup and some white soda bread. We were too late to have brown bread as it was all gone by that time. 

We detoured to visit Mary Harte at Carnew and found her to be in good spirits. Some things never change and we were encouraged to have tea and brown bread and some small scones she had made. Our appetites  could never keep up with her encouragement to eat. 

For supper we ate up a few leftovers but it wasn't enough to call it dinner. Then spent the evening reading and on the computers. I caught up with the conference duties of registrar for the genealogy conference I'm not attending. Heather caught up with a task from work and with some reading.

I also managed, I hope, to find out how to unlock my phone. I'm to expect instructions from my carrier, VirginMobile, and the local SIM card should finally work. As of now, no instructions have arrived. Sigh. My priorities don't always mesh with the priorities of business.

The weather outside is frightful and inside it's not yet delightful. The heating seems to be mostly off until we push the "boost" button which turns it on for an hour, or two if you push twice. It would be nice to control it by a timer. Otherwise, the cottage is quite fine. I've emerged from under the duvet and pushed that button twice so it will shortly be quite pleasant. The heat doesn't actually make it to the bathroom. The hot water is always available but it's a case of grabbing that towel quickly after a shower.

Today there was no specific plan because of the rain, but it's not as bad as it could be so we'll head to Arklow after breakfast, probably visit the Maritime Museum, and have a view of the 19 arch stone bridge. There is a lovely shopping mall that will almost certainly provide some lunch options. Maybe from there we can go to Powerscourt. Given the amount of rain, the waterfall is likely to be quite spectacular. 

The long range weather forecast is pretty bleak. Our trek with alpacas was postponed until Saturday afternoon because of the wet. We have high hopes of a couple of hours without precipitation and maybe, just maybe a little ray of sunshine. Creativity in the selection of where to go and what to do, will certainly be needed. Plans for the Beyond the Trees experience have been put on hold for now.

Hopeful at all times that it will be clear enough to take a picture of something, that hasn't yet happened. I'm not holding back on the photos. There are none, well maybe one I can dig up of the view out our back door.

Where have I been for a couple of days

This is going to be a short post. I was rather unwell after arrival but after a couple of days, am on the way to getting sorted out. No need to go into details and no, not food poisoning like last year. Nothing that dramatic.

Sunday was a day to forget, aside from the kindness of family. Today, Monday, was an improvement. I've had wonderful help from the Byrnes. It would have been awful without them. Thank you so much Jim, Mary and Ann.

Our Victorian tea was cancelled because I was not up to the drive to Arklow. Sleep has eluded me so it wouldn't have been safe to have me on the road. I managed a 2-hour nap this afternoon and then drove to Aldi in Bunclody to pick up some things for dinner. We dined on seasoned Hake (a white fish), with potatoes (this is Ireland), and green beans with a fresh side salad. And the obligatory piece of brown soda bread. 

We haven't seen or done anything to photograph. But you can see our digs at this link: 

the Old White Cottage

Our cottage is lovely, and very well equipped despite the warnings from the rental agency. There was even a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and a box of Cadbury chocolates waiting for us. The wine has yet to be opened. I can't say the same for the chocolates. But they are milk chocolate and not so appealing to me. Heather is not as fussy about her chocolate.

The landlord is great. Now if he could just fix the shower. It is NOT as it appears in the pictures. There is a rainshower head that produces a slow drip. And there is a handheld one that is strong enough but there's no place to hang it high enough to use both hands to lather and rinse one's hair or body. We will make the suggestion of some sort of holder to improve the experience. I wish it were as pictured.

We do have a bonus heated towel rack which is quite wonderful. There is no heater in the bathroom and the overnight temps are around freezing. That room adapts to the exterior temperature. Ugh. It's still chilly in the daytime. We got up to 11C today in the sunshine, but it wasn't warm at all. The bathroom remained somewhat cooler than that. But we've had no rain yet.

Now we've been fed and are spending a quiet evening of reading before turning in by 9. We have to depart early for an appointment in Wexford. Then we'll choose a wonder of Wexford to explore and take pictures. The scenery is gorgeous no matter where you look but we've no pictures to prove it yet.

Slan

A few glitches but now at Dublin airport

I got to the Ottawa airport early which was a good thing, because my flight to Toronto was an hour late leaving. Was I a little anxious? You could say that and be correct. That gave me a generous 15 minutes to tote my backpack and carry-on from the D gates where we landed to the E gates from which the Dublin flight would depart. In the alphabet, D is next to E. In Terminal one at Pearson airport, it is about 1.5 km away. My 75 minute transfer time was now 15 minutes. Obviously I made the connection and didn't have to wait a single second to board. Can't remember the last time I moved that fast for so long, but needs must.

The trans-Atlantic flight was on time and very smooth. The food was good but I wasn't hungry enough to eat it all. I was really sleepy and hoped to crash for a few hours. I had a great seat and a nice helpful and quiet seat-mate who had heaved my carry-on into the overhead bin. 

After eating about 1/3 of my dinner I settled down to sleep. Hah! That sleepy feeling had gone. In the end I got a solid 30 minutes on which I will shortly have to drive around the trickiest roundabout in Ireland, or anywhere I suppose – on the left side of the road with a manual transmission. That is still to come. I have high hopes that the shuttle to the rental cars will already have bypassed it and we can head south to Wicklow/Wexford directly after getting our vehicle.

Bizarrely, making the rental car reservation was awful. Here's the short version. Online I was about to click to confirm the booking when the Hertz message said "sorry, no cars." So I went old school and used the phone. I had to book two back-to-back 2-week rentals. And those will take me to Nov 11. I'm leaving on the 14th. But I've been assured I can have this vehicle for 28 days without having to drive all the way back to the airport to say "Hi" and drive back. Whew! The helpful agent also said if I phone them before the 11th they can probably extend it for two days. I'm planning to overnight near the airport for an early departure when it's time to go home.

And being of a certain age, I had to provide a letter from my doctor saying I'm fit to drive (nobody asks me that at home), and one from the insurance company saying I hadn't had an at-fault accident for 5 years. Their letter said the interval had been 12 years, when I first started using that insurance company. Ta-da. And the doctor conceded that I was medically fit.

So, now I'm enjoying, well consuming, an egg sandwich and a large latte. The wait for the latte was longer than I'd slept on the plane. At least I found a little table where I've taken up temporary residence. 

And then there's the phone. My iPhone 14 is barely two weeks into its relationship with me. When I bought it and got it set up with Virgin Mobile, the salesman was very helpful. Or, I thought so at the time. I made if very clear that I would be travelling to this magical green land and needed it unlocked. He assured me that it was. IT ISN'T. When I got the SIM card here at the airport it was rejected because the phone is locked. I have to contact Virgin, which is closed right now, to get the code to unlock it. It's not an instantaneous process. I have to wait for approval. Can you read my lips? Best not to.

Now I'm pinning my hopes on Heather's phone being unlocked so that we'll have a local phone. In fact, because we'll be together pretty much 24/7, we can manage with just one. We really need one to use maps to get where we want to go. You have heard about my accidental visits to places not on my planned routes, haven't you? Some of those detours were Google getting even for some supposed transgression on my part. Some were entirely of my own doing, OK, MOST were of my own doing. 

So, I shall sign off for now and wait for Heather. Surely the rest of the day will go better. I have an hour to wait but can't find a spot to lie down for a snooze. 

Getting ready

Occupying this space you will soon find a description of how my travelling day went and what adventures I got up to. Ireland is my destination - where else? I'm trusting Air Canada for the transportation to and from Dublin. Their record is unblemished to date. Well, for getting me to and from in any case. I live in hope of a tasty meal. That particular record leaves room for improvement. 

The plan to travel with only a backpack and carry-on suitcase looks like it will work out. I shall probably be so bored with the clothes I'm bringing that I'll toss them out or donate them and have room to bring home more chocolate. Butler's chocolate and Lily O'Briens you are hereby on notice that I shall be shopping at the airport when it's time to fly home. Make sure to have sufficient inventory on hand. My preference is for dark chocolate but I do include milk chocolate for friends whose tastes vary from mine. I was going to say "whose tastes are less sophisticated than mine" but that would be rude.