28/04/08

Despite going to bed wihout closing the skylight cutain, we still
awoke nearer 0800 than the 0630 we had hoped. We'd wanted to get up
for an early morning walk but by 0900 the rain had settled in again.
Onward then, to Kylemore Abbey, this was a stately home until the
1920s when it was brought by some Benedictine nuns who were WWI
refugees from Flanders. Kylemore Abbey is quite manificient in its
lakeside setting, though we didn't pay the €12 entry fee to see inside
or the restored walled victorian garden, but enjoyed the peaceful and
serene vista with coffee cake, warm and dry, inside the cofee house.
Onwards then to Westport. Westport is by far the prettist town we have
seen yet and it has a whole slew of awards to support this view. Not
a vacant shop in sight, this place is obviously thriving and is
surprisingly big for such a 'cute' town. The sun came out, so we went
on the 'Old Railway Walk' around Westport and its environs. 2hrs
later, just as we were ready for lunch, it started raining, so we got
on the road again.

Boyle was our next stop, Marea even got to drive some, because most of
the route was brand new road. Daniel is usually much too nervous a
passenger with Marea driving Pat around narrow country roads so she is
most often the navigator (usually sleeping if Tomtom is in use). The
way Marea negotiated a tight corner, bumping over the kerb, causing
the cutlery drawer and pots cupboard to fly open spilling might
permanently assign her to the passenger seat though.

27/04/08

Yesterday (Sunday) was a complete contrast to the beautiful sunshining
Saturday. We woke in our least picturesque camping spot yet. We were
in a back road in the seaside suburb of Salthill but we still managed
a 0900 sleepin and there was grass. Grass is important for late night
'bathroom' visits. In the am we took a walk into Galway city, we took
shelter from the rain in a jewelry shop; Galway produces a famous
Claddagh ring, composed of two hands clasped around a heart with a
crown above it, many Irish still use it as a wedding ring. With this
in mind, Daniel was persuaded to try some rings on. Size 9 was too
small, size 10.5 was too large, size 10 was just right...oh no it's
not, now he can't remove it.... we might have to stop in Vegas on the
way home if he can't get it off. With some help from the sales
assistant the ring was removed and as the rain had now stopped, we
laughing, hightailed it outa there.
Primarily we had gone into Galway to find out the location of a
supermarket and perhaps cheap diesel. After filling up in Waterford at
€1.15 per litre we can't get our heads around paying up to €1.33 so
have been filling up €10 here €20 there on the theory that a lighter
van will be more efficient until we strike gold again. There was no
cheap diesel in Galway.
On the road again, we were looking for Maam and a walk into the
Maumturk Mountains to find St Patrick's Bed. Legend has it that this
is the furthest north that St Patrick came, he stayed one night turned
around and went back south again.
It was pouring with rain so we filled up the water tank from a stream,
found a parking spot, settled in for the night and put our trust in
the Irish weather to clear up for an early morning walk.

26/04/08

We've finally made it to Galway. It is a gorgeous Saturday night and
we are watching a fine sunset, getting ready for a night on the town
and some good craic.
We woke to pouring rain that has turned into one of the nicest days
we've seen here in Ireland. We spent a leisurely day driving around
the Burren and visiting a perfumery, a stone fort and a portal tomb.
Then we went on a wildgoose chase after some Camping Gaz - kids don't
believe everything you read on the internet.
No matter- a cider enjoyed in the late afternoon sun by the Galway
harbour solves everything.

Fwd: 25/04/08

Last night at Macdermott's Pub a couple of musicians played
traditional music on a concertina and banjo. After a Guinness there,
we moved to Mccganns. The musicians played an eclectic mix of of jigs
and ballads. When the next Guinness was gone, I should have liked
another but it was home time for the musicians and us.

The plan had been to stay in Doolin for two nights but, when you carry
your house on your back, so to speak, it makes sense to keep moving.
Galway is today's destination, after we have walked to the cliffs of
Moher and the Burren. After visiting the Cliffs of Moher (which would
have been alot more amazing if we were actually able to go close to
the edge instead of 15 metres back so the camera always got a big shot
of grass in the foreground) we headed for the (seemingly) barren
landscape of the Burren.
2020
Galway will have to wait til tomorrow, we are recovering from keeping
late hours for the last 3 nights and so have parked up in a country
lane in the Burren. We have assured the local Garda we are only here
for the night though so Galway tomorrow here we come.
The Burren is quite like no other place. Its name is an Anglicization
of the Irish word bhoireann (a rocky place) and it is a 300 square km
lunar landscape of limestone or karst. This evening we went for a
short walk along 'Green Road.' Along the way we drank from a holy well
and ventured (with permission) onto private property, sitting for a
while by on the pier of a private lake.
We then had potato salad and black pudding for dinner (time to go
shopping?) washed down with a surprisingly nice bottle of wine that
had been saving from our trip in Slovenia. This wasn't as
inappropriate as you might think, for it was in Slovenia that also saw
what the Irish call turloughs or disappearing lakes. The karst
landscape causes lakes to appear and disappear with changing levels in
the water table.

24/04/08

A little more relaxed day today - we said goodbye to our host and
headed north-west via Limmerick and Ennis, before stopping in Doolin.
Here in Doolin we parked by the sea with a manificient view of the
cliffs of Moher; the public toilet here is sitting on one of the most
pictuesque views in all Ireland. I did some laundry whilst Daniel had
a snooze.
This is a funny little 'town' - or maybe better described as an area
instead of a town as the whole countryside is dotted with holiday
homes and there isn't really a main street. We have found out about
couple of pubs that could be a goer for tonight, especially since they
are reknown for their Irish music sessions. Maybe Marea will get her
violin/fiddle out and show the true Irish in her??

23/04/08

It has now been 10 days since we left the UK and today I had my first
shower - bliss! I'm not knocking baby wipes or washing from a basin
or solar shower bag, but there is something about hot water, free
flowing out of a wall that is just perfect.

Our Servas host was at work today, so we took a day trip to the Rock
of Cashel. Along the way we drove through Tipperary. We just had to
stop for a photo beside the sign "Welcome to Tipperary - you've come a
long way." "Don't rubbish Tipp" was also an amusing sign.

Cashel, a little market town is dwarfed by the spectacular St
Patrick's Abbey that sits high on a rocky outcrop. We took an
interesting tour of the abbey courtesy of Irish Heritage.
About 1230 we found an information board for part of the Tipperary
Way. It showed a walking route along the river to Golden. From the map
scale I (Daniel) estimated the distance to be about 6 km. We'd stop in
Golden for a late lunch, turn around and come back again.
A little bit of bush-wacking and 2 hours 45mins later we arrived in
Golden ( 10km not 6!). We were hungry, thirsty and covered in mud up
to my (Marea's) knees and with only €12, we didn't have enough for
food and beer! We abandoned the return trip along the river, opting
for the more direct 6km walk along the busy main road, Pat, was a
sight for sore eyes, and feet, 4.5 hours after we had left.

22/04/08

1430
We are sitting in the 200 year old Ashe's pub in Camp on the Dingle
Peninsula. There is a smokey open fire and the exposed low ceilings
and stone floor are more typically Irish than the Irish Pub Chain
O'Neil's. We have ordered Irish coffees for we need to warm up after
searching in the rain for Daniel's ancestors in a Castle Gregory
cemetery. We did find one tombstone dated 1866 belonging to the Rev.
Brunskill and his wife.

Today we have driven around the Dingle Peninsula; finally I actually
feel I have seen Ireland. Wild windswept coast, stone walled farms
with green fields and cute little cottages. Our consensus is that this
region is far more picturesque than the Ring of Kerry.

We drove on, scaling Conner's Pass which took us from Dingle over to
Castle Gregory. There were a few nerves as we wound up the road,
passing signs warning vehicles over 2 tonne and wider than 1.8 metres
to turn around immediately!!! We decided that our 3.5 tonne, 2.2
metre wide mean machine would make it - and sure enough, it was too
easy to get to the top. But the big test was down the other side, as
the width limit showed its reason for existing!!! We negotiated
narrow rocky passages without too much drama - but 'twas lucky we
didn't meet another Pat ;-)

Irish Heritage gained us entry to Ionad an Bhlascaoid Mhoir which
tells the story of the now deserted Blascaod island. This island has a
rich history of Irish lore and literacy but was evacuated in 1953 when
its population fell to 20 with no women of marriageable age to
continue the island's dynasty.

2130
We are now in a little village called Fedamore a little way south of
Limerick. We are saying at the Grubb's family home. John and Helen
Grubb are Servas hosts; Servas is an organisation we joined before
leaving the UK. It was set up after WWII to promote friendship between
different countries and cultures. In the 90's Daniel's parents were
Servas hosts so it was a concept of interacting and sharing that we
were familiar with already. We will stay two days with the host family
as guests and join in with their daily life. This evening we went for
an evening walk to some local landmarks, a 4000BC stone circle which
is the largest in Ireland then we climbed a hill which gave us great
views of Lough Guir and the setting sun.