July 27 Dublin, Ireland

This was our last day and it was a good one.  First thing after breakfast at our hotel, the Fitzwilton, some of us met with Jack, a local who gave us an hour's walking tour of Waterford.  He had a very good delivery of the history making it fun.  I loved his comment that the difference between blackmail and leverage is your income bracket. The local bishop used leverage when he commissioned a cathedral but didn't want any stained glass windows. He said that if anyone tried to pay privately for them, he would withdraw the church financing for the project.   For someone of a low income, that tactic might be called blackmail.

Next was an interesting tour of the Waterford Crystal factory.  So much goes into each piece and the training for the cutters and polishes is very intense over several years.  Beautiful but, alas, nothing I need at this point in our lives.

Then we were off to New Ross and a tour of the Dunbrody, a ship built as a cargo ship but then put to use as a passenger transport beginning in 1845 as a "famine ship".    This was a replica but it was very moving to hear about the horrid conditions those poor people endured to get to America or Canada.  Up to eight weeks below decks in the dark with not much to eat but hard tack, 1/2 hour a day on deck if the weather was good, 6 or 8 people in a bunk six feet square and of course no lavatories, just 18 buckets for 313 people.  Many landlords paid passage for their tenants because it was  cheaper to be rid of them and then sell the land or raise cattle instead.

As our last stop before Dublin, we had an early dinner at Catherine Flavio's place.  She is a local chef who runs a cooking school, has a Netflix show, and does dinners for tour groups a few times per week.  We ate in her barn which was very clean and sweetly decorated.  She has a lot of energy and I would have liked to spend more time there.

So now we are in our airport hotel, the Clayton.  Our flight tomorrow isn't until 1:00 pm, but since we go through American Customs and Immigration here,  they want us there 3 hours ahead. No worries, that gives us plenty of time in the morning for a nice breakfast before our last bus ride with Trafalgar Tours to the terminal.

We really enjoyed this tour.  They are very well organized and Liam was a great guide.  Fortunately the group was always prompt and very friendly.  Liam had us move seats every day so you sat near different people and weren't always in the same good or bad seat.  We feel as though we got to see a lot in a short time and didn't have to waste time looking for everything and getting lost.  We had enough free time for shopping, but only once stopped at a recommended place.  The hotels were all very nice - quirky local places that were clean but had real charm.  None were air conditioned, but normally that wouldn't be an issue.  We just happened to hit a warm weather patch.  We also had almost no rain, which was great for us, but not so good for Ireland.

Off to Portland tomorrow for an overnight, then driving home on Sunday.  What a wonderful trip it's been.

July 26 Waterford, Ireland

Our guide, Liam, had us out of the hotel at 7:45 am because we were going to Blarney Castle and he was worried about crowds.  He says the line to kiss the stone can get up to 2 hours.  There are cruise ships in Cork and they always have excursions to Blarney.  Not to worry, we got there in good time and there was only one group of Italians ahead of us.  When they stopped to take photos, a bunch of us went around them and hustled on.  When we got to the actual castle entrance there was no one tbere, so we went on. I hadn't realized that the stone was at the top of the castle, up 127 steps.   And these are tiny circular stone steps that are irregular and poorly lit.  You have to pull up on the rope and metal banister as you go.  Just getting to the top was enough for me so I let Michael do the kissing while I took pictures.  You lay on your back, hang the upper half of your body over the edge with a little help, grab the two rails and put your head back and kiss the bottom (or top from your perspective) stone.  I kept thinking about all the people who have done this before we got there.  The "helper" had a bottle of disinfectant but he didn't use it while we were there.  The trip down is better and you can actually see some of the rooms of the castle.  We had lots of time left so we wandered the grounds. There is a Poison Garden full of, well, poisonous plants including foxglove, juniper, poison ivy and cannabis.  The definition of poisonous is a little loose, I guess.

Next was more driving through the countryside to the village of Youghal (pronounced "yall") for lunch.  We noticed that even the beverage menus list the possible allergans. 

During these longer stretches Liam gives us information on various aspects of Ireland like history, costs of living here (about 50% in taxes including all of them), the education system, etc.  He sometimes plays Irish stories over the PA system which is how we learned that Cinderella is based on an old Irish folktale.

We arrived at our hotel in Waterford late afternoon and we had a bit of a walk around the area before a nice group dinner at the hotel restaurant.  The part of Waterford that we saw was my least favorite we've seen.  It didn't feel dangerous as such, but just a little more uncomfortable than we've experienced.

July 25 Killarney, Ireland

After breakfast, we headed off at 8:00 am for a trip around the Ring of Kerry.  But first was a stop at a very nice gift shop, which was a first for the trip.  They had lovely things and gave everyone a small Irish Coffee while they shopped.  There was even a conveniently located room with comfy sofas for those who weren't shopping.

Then it as was off for The Ring of Kerry, which is a drive in a big loop around the region with spectacular views of the sea, the mountains and the charming villages in the southwestern part of the country.  We made a few comfort and/or photo stops along the way.  At Sneem we stopped for lunch and an opportunity was made to eat in the home of residents, William and Rita.  They were very sweet and very proud to show pictures of the visits made by Maureen O'Hara to their home a few times.  I didn't quite get why she came there, family friends from the old days or something, but it was a real source of pride.  They served sandwiches and home made scones and jam and even a proprietary tea they have made especially for them.  We were invited to have a "snoop around" their home, but I don't think anyone took them up on it.

Just before returning to our hotel in Killarney we stopped for a tour of Muckross House and Gardens - a little like Highclere Castle, the actual house of Downton Abbey.  One of their claims to fame is that in 1861 Queen Victoria spent two nights.  She travelled with about 100 people and even her own bed.  The owners spent a fortune in preparations in expectation that they would be given titles and be reimbursed for expenses.  Unfortunately, Prince Albert died a few months later and Victoria went into a deep depression meaning the reimbursements and titles never came through.

Back in Killarney we visited the public gardens across the street from the hotel and had dinner in town.

July 24. Killarney, Ireland

This morning we had a little driving tour of Limerick before heading off to the Cliffs of Moher.  They are quite dramatic and beautiful. Next up was the ferry to Kerry and then a trip into our base for two nights, Killarney.  The scenery was beautiful, what I think of when I think of Irish countryside - rolling hills with stone walls, lots of cows and sheep and lovely country houses scattered about.  Our hotel here, the International, is another old one with creaky, uneven floors and a quaint layout that has you going up stairs and down stairs and around corners with wonderful little nooks tucked here and there.  Weve been happy with the hotel selection and this one is particularly nice since it is right in the heart of town.  We wandered a bit before having a gin & tonic and dinner here in the hotel.  Fortunately the weather has cooled down so it's quite comfortable.

Our guide, Liam, is very good. He has a great sense of humor.  He's been sharing some of the Irish sayings and superstitions.  For example, if you see seven white horses in a day, you will be married (or still married) at the end of the year.  If you see a magpie, point it out to another person, or if you are alone,  say "Good Day, Mr. Magpie" or you'll have bad luck.  And my favorite, when you see an ambulance, touch your collar or you'll die of a fever.  One stretch of the motorway we drove along was supposed to go straight through a legendary leprechaun tree, but the neighbors objected.  After the Irish workers refused to cut if down, English workers were brought in, but they also refused to cut it down after hearing the story.  Finally workers were found, but the machines wouldn't start on the scheduled day, so the company gave up and went around the tree.

July 23 Limerick, Ireland

After a warm night, we put our luggage out at 6:45 am and went to breakfast. We were on the road at 8:00 am and headed for Galway on the highway.  It was a 2 hour drive through rolling hillsides that  started out pretty brown due to the drought, but got greener as we drove West.  We had a couple of hours in Galway, a cute town that had a nice pedestrian  shopping street.  We picked up a few souvenirs and had lunch at a pub outside to people watch. A BLT for me and seafood chowder for Michael which we swapped halfway through.

Then it was off towards Limerick with a stop at Bunratty Castle & Folk Park.  We had a guide for the castle and then wandered the grounds.  Every menu here lists 14 possible allergens and then each item shows the corresponding numbers.  I didn't know there were celery and mustard allergies.

Our hotel for the night is a lovely old one called Castle Oaks House Hotel outside of Limerick.  We're on the 2nd floor, which is actually the 3rd since Ground is the bottom floor. Our room is in the back overlooking the grounds and has 3 beds.

This evening we went to a Medieval Castle Banquet which sounded a little hokey, but turned out to be great fun.  And we discovered that mead (a honey wine) is very good!

One of our travelers is having a kidney stone attack so skipped the afternoon activities and went to the doctor with help from the hotel and our guide.  Apparently they took him to the hospital overnight for observation. He's had these before so knows what to expect.  Yikes!

July 22 Dublin, Ireland

An early morning again to catch our 7:50 am flight to Dublin. Upon arrival we found the Trafalgar rep who directed us where to meet her at 11:00 for the transfer to our hotel, the Ballsbridge. While waiting we had a coffee and breakfast sandwich. We were a little dismayed to learn there are 49 of us on this tour. I wasn't expecting such a large group.  Again the hotel room fairy was smiling on us because ours was one of only a few that was ready when we got here before lunch. After dropping our bags, we had lunch in the hotel bar/restaurant - very good fish and chips. Then we wandered the area a while before back to the hotel to join the group for a short city tour.  Drove by a lot of stuff, but no time to go in. Interesting to learn that here in the capital of the Republic of Ireland, which is 80% Catholic, there is no Catholic cathedral, but there are two Protestant cathedrals.

Then it was off to a restaurant called Nancy Hands. The story is that the owner was a bit of a loose woman and would serve more than just a pint if you were willing to pay.  Had a nice appetizer sampler, small order of fish and chips (again!) and a little lamb stew, then a sampler of desserts, all of which were very good.  Most of the group got in today so it was back to the hotel for an early night.  Dublin is a very nice city, clean and orderly with very patient drivers.  Again the weather was quite warm and they are in a drought so water is being rationed.  None of our hotels will be air conditioned so I hope it cools down soon.  There are flowers everywhere and we keep seeing butterfly bushes growing wild and huge all over, even out of the chimneys!  Our bush was coddled, but gave up after 2 years...sigh.