April 24th :  Dublin, Ireland

Today we pack up early and get to the airport to return the rental car by noon.  Our flight is not until 5:30 so we will have a full day at the airport.  We do get to park ourselves in the lounge courtesy of the Chase Sapphire card so it is a little more tolerable… 4 free drinks each and food 🙂

We aren’t really sure what to expect about our luggage-( Will it fit in the overhead bin? Will we have to check it? What about all our liquids….)  Mike ends up having to toss his shaving liquid and his sunscreen spray; Joanne ends up getting rid of shower gel to make room for after shower hair conditioner that can’t be bought anymore!  This is our first trip on Ryan Air ….

We have really tried to keep things simple for this trip hoping not to have to check any luggage. When we planned we really only had to fly twice the entire 3 months and today is flight (1) Glasgow, Scotland to Dublin, Ireland. Our bags make it on with no issue and 45 minutes after take off we are in Dublin! Easy…

We are able to catch a bus to right outside the hotel (Hotel St George) for 5.20 euro for the two of us. The problem was the bus only accepts coins and we didn’t have enough so Mike had to run into the airport to get some bus cards. With that done we ride the bus and get off steps from the hotel. We usually do not like being in a city but this feels different. The Hotel is right smack in the middle of O’Connell Street in the heart of Dublin… Perfect Location. It is the most expensive place of our entire 3 months, though worth every penny for the location.

We get situated in our (basement) room and then head a few doors down to Murray’s Pub for dinner. We put our names on a wait list but find another couple from the states that is also waiting. They get called and the table is for 4 and they invite us along!  So far so good!  We have some great conversation and order food while waiting for the live music to begin.  What a great night we have!  

May 25, 2023

Dublin

When we wake up we talk about our plan for the day. Joanne had read about a Go City Pass that would allow us free access to most of the attractions we want to do. We order a two day pass for $190  for two people and head out to begin our day. we start off with the EPIC Emigration Museum; a short walk from the hotel. We spent maybe two hours there and it was a great way to begin our “tour”.

After that we walked to the Dublin Castle. At this point it isn’t really a castle anymore but the buildings for the government make up the wall that made up the castle and there are still some towers left of the original castle. 

Next up is The First Church of Christ Cathedral. Now this is an awesome cathedral! So much history!  We scan the audio tour for our phones but unfortunately it wouldn’t work. But the guides gave us free audio tour pieces that we could use!  Pretty awesome stop! 

From there we head over to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. By this point it is very crowded. We get there just in time for a free tour which is great except for  the crowds. 

 

 

Last on our list for the day is the Guinness Storehouse tour. We walk over but at this point Mike’s leg is beginning to bother him. The tour is great but it is (again) very crowded so makes for a lot of standing and waiting for people to move through. The best part of the tour (in Joanne’s opinion) is the pint on the 7th floor with the view!  

Once finished with the tour we begin to head back to the hotel and think we will get a bite to eat on the way. Unfortunately the maps program takes us through some not so good areas and we don’t find anything worthy to stop off at. We drop some things at the hotel and end up back at Murray’s for dinner again. But this is fine!  We sit at the bar, get some chicken wings (delicious) and then order dinner (Mike a burger, Joanne a chicken sandwich) and both are very happy with what we ordered. Second night as good as the first at Murray’s … We head back to the hotel to start a plan for tomorrow: 1) ride the hop on hop off bus included with the city pass to get to the 2) Jameson distillery tour then get the 2:00 coastal tour on the Big Bus tour to head out to 3) Howth and the shoreline.  

May 26, 2023

We hop on the bus and it is GREAT!  We are on the top riding in the sunshine and hearing all about the sites of Dublin. We do look at the time and decide to get off at stop 10 and walk to the distillery instead of riding all the way to stop 23; just to save time hoping to get the 2:00 tour.  Walking along Joanne hits a curb the wrong way and takes a header face first into the curb. Life can change in a moment!

As she lays on the ground checking her bloody mouth to be sure her teeth are all still there, Mike is trying to figure out how to best help her. Two nice people stop to help and encourage him to call an ambulance.  There is a foot patrol officer close by so Mike whistles for him  and he is very helpful, first calling an ambulance, but then deciding he can get us to the hospital faster in his squad car. His partner pulls up and helps get Joanne into the car and it is the beginning of 5 hours in the ER.  There goes the day!  5 hours and 15 stitches later we walk the .5 mile back to the hotel. This could have been a catastrophic moment for us and this Rvolutionary Journey. For awhile we didn’t know if this incident could mean the end of this trip; if Joanne was going to be ok; what if there was any permanent physical or mental issues or what else…  To say we were both concerned was an understatement. First priority was to get Joanne the emergency help she needed. At the ER she had Triage by the on duty nurses and doctors, X-Ray, Bloodwork, and CT Scans. The wound was not good and Mike really felt she needed a plastic surgeon once the tests were done and eliminated some questions. The Doctor on duty concurred and really helped champion a plastic surgeon to the ER. Once the wound was clear the plastic surgeon started his magic and about 1.5 hours later had her repaired. In hindsight he was amazing and we were very lucky! Today she looks great and doesn’t have really any side effects and the scar is barely noticeable.

As we departed Mater Hospital we asked for the bill and to our amazement it was $380 euros. Are you kidding us? All that work in the states would have been well over 10k we believe. In hindsight, our insurance company covered all but $100.00.  Not only did they do a great job in helping Joanne, they were also a bargain for word-class medical help!  We couldn’t be more thankful and appreciative for all the help in Dublin. Thanks from the bottom of our hearts!  In hindsight (many people told us in our Ireland travels) we were at the Best Hospital in the country for a situation like this.

Joanne feels well enough to walk back to the Hotel after being discharged and we end up at “The Parnell Heritage Bar and Grill” for dinner.  It ends up being a great choice as it is not crowded and is quiet- just what we needed after the day.  Feeling disappointed in losing the last day in Dublin with what was going to be an awesome day, we head back to the hotel for some much needed rest.  Tomorrow it is time to pack up, head to the airport to pick up the rental car and head to Kilkenny! We are very thankful we can continue on our Ireland adventure…

May 27th :

Kilkenny, Ireland

We know we can have a slower morning as check out is noon and we can’t check in to Kilkenny until 4 (or there about). We get up, shower, and go down the block to a cafe with outside seating to have breakfast. From there we head back, do our final pack up and check out. The bus stop is around the block so off we go with our luggage.  We are pretty good at consolidating all of our belongings at this point!  The bus is packed so we end up standing for most of the ride to the airport. Once there it doesn’t take long to get the car.  The  ride, once out of the city, is very nice with rolling hills, farms, & farm animals… The ride is about 2.5 hours.  This Airbnb is not what either of us expected but it is what it is!  It is clean and safe and that’s what matters. As we talk about it we are learning from this trip what to look for in Airbnbs and getting a room in someone’s house is probably not something we will do again.  This is the second one recently that we have felt awkward about.  But we greet the owner (Dolores) and get our bags unloaded. Once situated we head into town for some groceries and then look for dinner. Most places have already closed for the day or are no longer serving food. We do find an Italian restaurant (Ill Primo) with outside seating.  We order pizza and Caesar salad. It’s still pretty tough for Joanne to eat anything but we are enjoying being outside with a glass of wine.

Once back to the house we find a nice table outside to sit and have a glass of wine at.  It was a good travel day.  Tomorrow Rock of Cashel and hopefully Tintern Abbey, Kilkenny and anything in between!

May  28, 2023

Kilkenny

Today we get a little later start, thinking Joanne is catching up on some much needed stress rest.  Dolores, our host, has an awesome continental breakfast for us with yogurt and fruit, various breads and croissants. She gives us some ideas of things to do while we are here.  Starting to think this B & B will work out just fine!  We do the drive to Rock of Cashel (pronounced like Castle) and spend some time there. Set on a dramatic outcrop of limestone The Rock of Cashel, is  iconic in its historic significance, pand ossesses the most impressive cluster of medieval buildings in Ireland.

We pay one extra euro for a guided tour and it was def worth it!  We end up leaving a little earlier than we wanted because  we knew we had to try to book a site in July at Sequoia National Park. We get back to the car and get on our devices. Once the time comes around we are still not able to make the transaction. With both of us trying for about 30 minutes, we finally make a call to the reservation system and wait 45 minutes in the que until someone finally answers with this response: ”

“Because of road washouts and mud slides the earliest the Sequoia NP campgrounds will open is Sept 5“.  How disappointing!!  Also disappointing is that we gave up almost two hours of time trying to do this!  But we decide we need to move on and skip the abbey and head to the town of Kilkenny to walk the castle there and get dinner before we head back to the Airbnb.  So glad we did this! 

 

The castle was very good and we really enjoyed Kilkenny. We walked the central area some then found a pub (Kytelers Inn).  We had to wait about 5 minutes for a table but the food was good and the atmosphere good.  All in all we enjoyed our time here!  It was all quiet when we arrived back and Joanne did some reading while Mike worked on the computer; too cold to sit outside.

May 29, 2023

Kilkenny

Another good night sleep and another awesome breakfast by Dolores!  Once we chat for a bit and get a good plan for the day we pack the car and get started.  We drive down to Hook Peninsula to visit the lighthouse there.  What a gorgeous area!  We wander the grounds but decide against a tour of the lighthouse.  Joanne goes out onto the rocks by the beach area some and then we push on. Hook Lighthouse is the oldest, intact, operational lighthouse in the world!

Dolores also mentions a tiny, cute coastal town that is somewhat on the way to Tintern Abbey so we drive that way.  On the way we stop off at Dollar Bay and Booley Bay. Both are down one track, very narrow, windy roads. As we get to the end of the road for Dollar Bay there is barely room to turn around!  But we get some photo’s and get turned around. The area for parking at Booley Bay is larger so no worries there. I am thinking these beaches get very crowded in the summertime.  Very pretty bays.

 

 

Continuing on we drive through Kilgore Quay (pronounced Key) on our way to Wexford. Kilgore Quay is very cute with many homes having Thatched roofs.  It is a fishing village near Kilmore, in County Wexford, Ireland.  It was very busy with tourists and finding a place to park was a challenge so we pushed on. Once parked in Wexford we did struggle with finding a place to eat because it is a Monday!  We ended up at “The Crown” which wasn’t a bad place!  It was fairly quiet and not busy. Sitting next to us was a nice couple on hoIiday with her parents and their son. We had very nice conversation, a nice meal and then headed home thinking tomorrow we move towards Cork!!

 

Tuesday May 30, 2023

Cobh and Bandon

Joanne had read about, and some of our Alberta friends Mitch and Robin’s friends( who live in Ireland) said this is a must visit!  Since it is right on the way, Dolores agrees we should do that route before we arrive at the next Airbnb..  After another exceptional breakfast, we finish packing up, say our good byes to Dolores and head toward Cobb, Ireland,  on our way to Bandon!  Cobh is a town in Ireland, on an island in Cork city’s harbour. It’s known as Titanic’s last port of call in 1912. Also this is where the former “White Star Line”  ticket office was, Titanic’s owners.

We are on the highway for most of the drive but as we get closer to Cobh we see how beautiful the landscape is becoming!  As we pull into Cobh we can see how beautiful this little harbor town is.  It is the last stop the Titanic made for people to board before the sinking of the Titanic.   As we first get into town there is a huge church (St. Colman’s Cathedral) with a car park behind it. Though it says free parking, there are machines there to “pay and display” so because we are not sure, we ask someone who is leaving and so they give us their leftover time :-). Once we display our ticket on the dash we head off into town.  It is fairly hilly there so everything requires effort. 

There is a cruise ship in town so undoubtedly more crowded than usual. and it is an absolutely gorgeous day so that adds to the crowds. We wander around then decide to eat before we leave so we don’t have to worry about going back out once settled in our Airbnb.  We see the Titanic Bar and Grill has an outdoor eating area right on the water so that’s what we choose. We both have the seafood chowder which is great!  

On the way back to the car we pass by several pubs with outdoor seating and music going on. Looks like fun so we find a place to sit on the monument overlooking the music and enjoy 30 minutes or so before moving on. So far a great day!

The directions for the Airbnb are a little tricky and the GPS struggles a bit but eventually we find our way to Apple Tree Cottage in Bandon where our host Esther is there to greet us. It is an amazing Airbnb and we get ourselves situated then head outside to enjoy a glass of wine before we lose the sun.  Esther has offered to send us some ideas for things to do in the area for our two days here so we are looking forward to two full days of sightseeing!!

Wednesday May 31, 2023

Bandon (near Cork)

When we awake there is already a message from Esther with ideas for the day. We decide we will spend the day in Kinsare; a historic, harbor town along the south of Ireland.  We plan to visit the James Fort and then do a harbor cruise.  The fort is pretty impressive and because it is not crowded, we are the only two people on the free tour!  We have a gorgeous day for walking the fort (though a bit breezy, so need jackets).  It is still undergoing renovations though you can get a feel for how things were back then.  Once we get our pics and the tour ends we head back into town for the Harbor tour.  Once parked we find the restaurant Dolores had told us about to either make a reservation for dinner or see if one is necessary. Fishy Fishy was crowded for lunch but Gordon (the manager) told us we would not need a reservation for 3:30-4:00 for dinner. Great!

Since we are one of the first people on line for the Harbor Cruise we think the cruise won’t be busy or full. Mistake!  It was full!!  Thankfully we were there early and got nice seats up on the top of the boat.  It was an inexpensive (14 eu pp) for an hour out on the water!  There was commentary about history of the town and the harbor and it was a beautiful way to spend the afternoon!

 

Afterward we headed right over to Fishy Fishy for early dinner. The restaurant is cute, nice and the garden is well protected from the wind. We both had the fish and chips and agreed it was the best we have had on this trip!  Once we finished with dinner we just strolled through the shops and ended up at a grocery store to pick up some wine, yogurts and fruit for breakfast.

Back at the Airbnb we had hoped to sit outside with a glass of wine but, alas,  the sun was already going down and we would have been in the shade so we opted for wine inside so Joanne could work on the journal and Mike could load pics and make an Instagram post.

June 1, 2021

Mizen Head / Sheep’s Head

After talking with John (the Airbnb owner) we decide to spend the day driving Ireland’s “Wild Atlantic Way”.  First stop is  Mizen  Head Lighthouse on the southwestern most peninsula of Ireland. This lighthouse is the last sight anyone emigrating to North America would have seen as they left Ireland (including those on the last voyage of The Titanic).  The drive out along the coast of the peninsula is beautiful and once we get to the lighthouse, the walk over the bridge and onto the lighthouse rock the views are stunning. We had packed a picnic lunch; sandwiches from a deli along the way, and eat at a picnic table overlooking the rocky cliffs where the lighthouse is. All so beautiful.

Once finished there we still had some time so we decide to head out to Sheep’s Head on the western most part of the next peninsula going North. It is a gorgeous day for coastal drives!!  The homes along this peninsula are so gorgeous.  Of course most of the entire day is driven on one track, very narrow roads; but that just adds to the beauty of it.  

 

Again we return to the Airbnb too late to enjoy some sunshine so we are inside with some tea and making a plan for tomorrow- moving on to Killarney and Killarney National Park!

June 2, 2023

Beara Peninsula

Killarney National Park

Esther had a whole plan for us for on our way to Killarney but when we mentioned to John that we might do Ring of Kerry on our way to our next place,  he thought that was a great idea!  We departed around 10:00 and then about halfway to Ring of Kerry we changed our minds and decided to do the Beara Peninsula instead!  What a great idea!  It was absolutely gorgeous!  And got us to our next air bnb in a perfectly good time.  The Ring of Beara is much less traveled, and a bit more remote, but the drive was spectacular.  Awesome views, lots of cows, and some absolutely gorgeous homes along the route.  The road was in great shape and all the drivers are respectful of the narrow, windy roads.

Adrigole is a village on the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, Ireland. It is centered on the junction of the R572 and R574 regional roads.

 

Upon arrival to our next place Joanne is reading the description and directions in. Once Mike gets through the archway he comments on the view; SPECTACULAR!  A view of the lake and mountains in Killarney National Park. The patio out back is awesome to take in the views with a glass of wine. 

Unfortunately we had read this morning that this is bike weekend in Killarney National Park (as in motorcycles) and we can see it is going to be very busy and crazy. We opt out of eating at a restaurant in Killarney and instead head to the local grocery store to get provisions to cook and eat in. Plus with a view like we have who wouldn’t want to eat on the patio!?  We cook up some rice, broccoli, and chicken; pour some wine and enjoy the view!  

June 3, 2023

Killarney National Park

We had mentioned wanting to drive the Gap of Dunloe to our hosts so Justin got back to us with some tips. The Gap of Dunloe is a narrow mountain pass forged between the MacGillycuddy Reeks and Purple Mountain by glacial flows. The river running through the gap is the Loe River from where the Gap gets its name. The Gap begins at Kate Kearney’s Cottage. The road, narrow in many places, winds through the pass and descends into The Black Valley passing five lakes; Coosaun Lough, Black Lake, Cushnavally Lake, Auger Lake, and Black Lough. We head out early (around 8:30) to begin the drive to Kate Kearney’s Cottage.  It is still pretty quiet on the road with only a few bicyclers and a few cars. We do the entire drive and it takes about two hours.

The drive is amazing and because we went early we avoided some of the heavy crowds.The drive through dropped us in the Black Valley which took us on winding roads for another hour before exiting the park.

By 10:30 we are back in the main area of the park and are able to get a parking spot right near Torc Waterfalls. The walk to the falls is barely anything so it is a quick stop. But we see that a hike around the lower lake can start somewhere around there. So we head off. We first come across the Muckross House and Gardens.  The gardens are nice and the house is impressive but we decide not to tour the house.

From the yard we can access the lake trail. The trail is easy to follow and not too difficult but with Mikes leg just getting on the mend it is probably too much to tackle.  About halfway in he is beginning to struggle with pain.  We know we have to get back to the car park so he just “guts it out”. We do meet up with a man that has purchased a home here (in Dingle) and goes back and forth between his home in North Carolina and Dingle. While walking together he gives us a lot of info about all it takes to move here; including financials, drivers license, purchasing a home…. Interesting but I can’t imagine we would ever consider it.

As we get closer to the car he turns off onto cardiac hill and we continue on to the car (with Mike in much pain).

Once we get to the car we head straight back to the house to relax.  We had planned on eating in again with all the craziness in town from the biker fest. 

Tomorrow we plan to drive the Ring of Kerry and Justin gives us some tips on doing that drive.

Here’s a quick look at all the drives we took on the peninsulas of the Wild Atlantic Way…

June 4, 2023

Killarney

This morning we got started around 10:00.  We can’t imagine the ring of Kerry could be any better than The Beara Peninsula but who knows?  As we begin the drive we pass through the center of Killarney; crazy busy and we are so happy to be leaving town for more peaceful areas!

As we drive the top half of the Ring of Kerry we comment how less impressive it is from the other peninsula drives we have done. But then we take a few outer loop drives that are spectacular;  Valentia Island (and up to GeoKaun  Mountain)and Skellig Ring.  Both were worth the drive all the way to the outer part of the peninsula! 

We drove out onto Vallentia Island and then to the top of the mountain there. Once back we continue onto the Skellig Loop.  It is so spectacular with cliffs and mountains and beaches!  

 

It takes a bit of time for these two excursions so by the time we get to Kenmare for dinner we are tired and starving! As luck would have it, we found a parking spot right away and a table outside at The Coachman’s Hotel near some great outdoor music!  Town is busy and fun and we are happy with our entire day!

Now back to the Airbnb, get some rest to get to Dingle tomorrow!

June 5, 2023

Dingle, Ireland

The earliest we can get into ur Dingle AirBnb is 2:00 and since we left Killarney around 10:00 and it’s not a long drive today we decide to do the entire Dingle Peninsula Drive,  including Slea Head on our way to the AirBnB.  We first come across Inch Beach just as we get onto the peninsula.  The beach area is crazy busy but thinking that is because it is Monday and a Bank Holiday so a lot of people are off and it’s a gorgeous day so why not hit the beach!  We find a parking spot looking down over the beach to sit for a few minutes and people watch!  At this beach you can actually drive onto the beach and park there and many, many people were doing just that!  But we have no interest in those kinds of crowds so we head on. Although the drive is nice, it’s not as nice at The Beara peninsula; that is until we get to Slea Head.

 

This is an outshoot at the very end of the peninsula and here the views and cliffs are awesome.  We park and get out to take some pictures at a few of the pull outs / parking stops but know we are here three days and will most likely come back. We do stop to see the Bee Hive Huts which is pretty interesting.

Since it is a holiday, the crowds at Dunquin Pier were very large,  so we skip a walk there and head to the AirBnb. This Airbnb is conveniently located to downtown Dingle but it is the only one we have reserved that has a loft sleeping arrangement. It will be interesting to see how we make out! Plus Mike hurt his back this morning so that combined with his leg….  Joanne had two Aleve tablets left so he took those and thought we could get some Ibuprofen along the way but no pharmacy open on the Bank Holiday and it is not sold in a regular grocery store!  He’ll live til tomorrow when we can visit a pharmacy.

As we talk with Muirienne, our Airbnb host, we find out that Deb and Tony actually stayed at this same exact place about a week ago!  Since the loft studio was already occupied, they stayed in the house (like a B & B). It was funny talking with Muirienne about this and then later in the evening we had a Skype call with Deb and Tony and we all laughed at it!  What are the chances that we would each pick the same place without talking about it!

Once situated, We went into town and got sandwiches for dinner along with a few other grocery items for our stay here. Muirienne had us pretty well stocked with yogurt, fruit, OJ, eggs, bread and some home baked bread and muffins so we only needed a few items from the store.  We get some relaxing done on the outside table and chairs set up, then head in for bed.  The weather has been glorious so we enjoyed the sunshine for dinner and wine.

Tuesday June 6, 2023

Dingle, Ireland

Because Mikes leg has been bothering him, and now his back, the first stop for the day is the pharmacy. Luckily there are several in town.  Once he gets his Ibuprofen and some topical creams for his leg and back we end up at a different pharmacy to get some Bio Oil for Joanne’s lip. It is healing very well but several people have mentioned this Bio Oil for helping the scar heal well.  We want a small enough one that will make it in the carry-on when we fly home so have to go to a different pharmacy.  Once we have the pharmacy stuff taken care of we head off to find a coastal walk Joanne found and read about. It’s only about three miles with not much elevation so should be good for stretching our legs and not riding in the car all day!  The Ballydavid Coastal Walk turned out to be a perfect pick for the day. It takes you along the cliffs of the Dingle Peninsula of County Kerry. The walk runs for about 5km heading north along a section of the Dingle Way, a circular waymarked footpath running through the area. BallyDavid coastal walk turns out to be perfect!  We start off and it is peaceful with absolutely gorgeous views of the cliffs and ocean, along with some cows and sheep!  We pass a few people but for the most part the trail is very quiet. Once back into town, there is a cute bar / cafe with a front porch overlooking the ocean. Since it is only noon we get two Diet Cokes and sit out on the porch. There are plenty of people having a nice cold beer but we still have the bulk of the day ahead of us!

 

 

Once we leave the area we decide to drive the Conor Pass. Muirienne had spoken about how beautiful the views are and we should be able to see a lot.  So we head out to Conor Pass and Brendan Point.  It is all very remote (though a “town” or two along the way). Hard to believe people live so nicely so far out in these remote areas.  Some of the homes are absolutely beautiful.

Once we finish it is close to dinner time so we head into town to eat at The Fish Box recommended by Deb and Tony.  We get a great parking spot but as luck would have it The Fish Box is closed on Tuesday’s!  We end up at John Benny’s Pub right along the waterfront.  We probably would not recommend it for the food though drinks on the waterfront would be fine there.  

After dinner we wander around town but then head home to enjoy another glass of wine outside at the Airbnb because it’s another beautiful day!!

Wednesday June 7, 2023

Dingle

This is our last day in dingle and we are hoping to get the last of what we want to do accomplished.  We first head out to walk down to Dunquin Pier.  Deb and Tony did get there for sunset one of the nights they were here but the sun isn’t setting until about 10:00 and Joanne just can’t stay up that long!  But the walk down the long, windy path to the bottom where the pier actually is, is pretty awesome!  Tucked into a Little rock wall is a small rock with a puffin painted on it!  Some people were gathering to take the ferry over to Blasket Island, but we didn’t feel that we needed to do this. Instead after we finished at the pier we drove over to the Blasket information Center; a museum all about the Blasket Island and the people that inhabited the island for so long. This was a very interesting exhibit and took about two hours to do. Once finished there we hiked the loop hike around the museum which was mostly along the coast.  What we enjoyed most about the day is that it was all in a very close proximity to one another so little driving!

 

 

By the time we finished the walk it was about 4:00 and so we headed in to town and back to The Fish Box for dinner!  The people working here (and owners) were all very, very nice and it was great chattering with them.  The food (we got the “sharing box” which was kind of like the fried fish platter at Bill’s Seafood in Westbrook CT) was all very good. We shared a bowl of the Fish Chowder which was awesome!

After the dinner we walked down the street and visited the Dingle Pub for beverages, music and Irish dancing. Very Fun and the dancer was actually a World Champion Irish Dancer who just happened to own the pub…

Driving back to the AirBnb we reflect on our time spent on Dingle.  We truly enjoyed it here. We have taken some hikes and we came across people walking “The Dingle Way” from Tralee all the way around the peninsula on a distinct path.  They did it through a tour group so their luggage all got transported from one accommodation to the next while they walked it!  Some walked 15 miles each day while others walked 10 and got picked up and driven the rest of the way. This sounded very interesting to both of us (although these people had glorious weather and one can never count on that!)

An awesome stay in Dingle!!

Thursday June 7, 2023

Our next AirBnB is in Milltown Malbay which has us crossing the Shannon Ferry. Shannon Ferries will take you and your vehicle on a 20 minute journey across the estuary linking Clare to Kerry. The ferry leaves Killimer (Clare) every hour on the hour and Tarbert (Kerry) every hour on the half hour.

Because we have a lot of time we decide to drive down to Loop Head lighthouse after we get across the bay.  Unfortunately the lighthouse is closed but we get a chance to walk around and get some pictures. 

As we pull in to the air bnb, Fiona gets us situated in a beautiful, 2 bedroom cottage. We love it as soon as we see it!  The view out the front windows is awesome with pastures and horse farms, cows grazing and sheep (doing what sheep do!).  We get the lay of the land and head out for dinner.  As we are getting into the car to head out we are distracted by some yelling across the street. We realize there is some kind of scuffle going on between some men at the house across the street!  At first we wonder what we should do but then decide we are just passing through and decide not to get involved.  First stop is Super Valu to pick up a few groceries. Once there we decide to get sandwiches for dinner and eat at the air bnb.  It feels good to just have a night in and relax.  A quiet evening at home feels very good!

We figure out a plan for tomorrow after talking with Fiona and Mike makes a post while Joanne reads for a bit!  We are both so happy to have several different rooms to pick from to relax in!  Though there is no cooking appliances (no “hob” or oven).

Friday June 8, 2023

Milltown Malbay

Today is an iffy day so we do pack our rain jackets.  It’s the first day in a long time that is not bright and sunny for the entire day!  We head to Killkee Cliffs (as per Fiona our Host) which is very close by.  As we park we see this is going to be very nice!  There is a paved path along the cliffs (which are very impressive) until we get very far along, then it is walking a grassy path (easy to follow).  When all is said and done the walk is about 4 miles.  We treat ourselves to an ice cream cone at the cafe near the parking lot.

After hiking the morning at Kilkee Cliffs we next head to the famous “Cliffs of Mohr”.  The Cliffs of Mohr are a destination spot for tourists from around the world. We usually don’t enjoy large crowds so we decided to visit the  Southern (less visited area of the Cliffs to avoid the Crowds,).  This proved to be an excellent choice. We find a a quiet street with a few other cars parallel parked near a fairly new sports center.  We ask a tour guide parked there if it’s OK to park there and how far the walk is to the cliffs. He assures us we can park there and it is about a mile walk to the area where the cliffs are. Once there we can walk as much of the cliffs as we want.  So we are game!  We walk up the street and see a $5.00 car park closer to the cliffs on a farmers property.  Many people have parked here.  The total walk up to the cliffs is not difficult and when we get up to the cliffs are happy to find hardly any people there!  On the way back down we stop to talk with an older farmer walking among his cows. This was the way to visit the Legendary “Cliffs of Mohr”…

Happy for our day we get back to the car and drive the rest of the way to the small town of  Doolin, Ireland. W enjoy some drinks on an outside patio called Fritz’s Pub before walking down the street to another pub (Gus O’Connors Pub) for dinner.  OK food but our day has been great!  We see that there is a Folk Festival going on so know it will be crowded in town for the next few days. We were lucky tonight to get easy parking on the street and not have to walk very far!

We still have one more day in Milltown Malbay so what to do??  We talked about doing a boat ride over to Aran Islands so we would be able to see the Cliffs of Moher from the water, but the weather isn’t cooperating and doing this in the rain doesn’t appeal to either one of us.  Joanne had also read the reviews of the ferry company with several unfavorable so on to the alternative plan.

Always nice to do a drive on a crappy day so off we go and explore the Burren National Park!  We find a scenic drive through the park with some stops along the way.  First stop is at the visitor center.  The woman working there gives us a map and highlights some of the stops she thinks we would enjoy.  Off we go!

Burren National Park covers 1,800 hectares in the southeastern corner of the Burren in County Clare. It draws its name from the Irish boíreann, or rocky place and it is fitting for this unique landscape. One of the most visited places in Burren National Park is the famous “Poulnabrone or Portal Tome” location. It is the oldest dated megalithic monument in Ireland.

It takes most of the day and although the Burren (rocky part) is a little boring, we enjoy the drive along the coast.  We end up in Ennistomon for dinner and wander some at first before we find a good place for dinner. While we were wandering we saw a T-shirt in a shop with a saying we had seen on signs along the roads for some time,  so we go in to ask the sales clerk what it meant by the words “Match Making Donkey Farm”. 

  The clerk explained it to us- it has two separate meanings:  Match Making because the owner is a match maker in the area!  People come to him (especially farmers that live way out and have really no way to meet people) to find a partner.  And he also has a donkey farm!  OK- now that that puzzle is solved we can find a dinner place!  We do find a great place that has seating down by a river and actually has some pretty good pizza!  We enjoy the views of the river while eating but then head home to prepare for tomorrow’s travel day!

Sunday June 11, 2023

Salthill/Galway

Today we are pretty excited to be heading to Galway, as not only have we heard great things about the city, but we plan to meet up with our college/Connecticut friends Gretchen and Dana there!  The drive over is not long and we know we will arrive before check in time; but most places have been generous with allowing us to check in early.  We do message Ann (the host) but have not heard back so eventually we just park outside the house and walk down to and along the Salthill Promanade; a wide sidewalk along the Galway Bay.  It is a beautiful day and feels so good to be near water and taking a nice walk.  Salthill is right outside Galway and we will be able to walk into the city as well as walk to this cute, seaside town!  It looks like a great place to stay for a few days!

Once we hear from Ann (she was at church!) we get back to the house and she gets us settled. At first Joanne is a little disappointed.  She usually does not like to stay in a room in someone’s house (even with an en-suite bath) and this house seems older and in need of some repairs.  We get to our room and the view of the backyard gardens is super nice so that helps a little.  We get settled then Ann gives us info on how to walk into Galway. It’s a very easy walk and we see where we need to be tomorrow for the guided walking tour (The Spanish Arch).  Then we wander the pedestrian area (Latin Quarter) and because it is already late we find a pub to relax in to people watch!  We select The King’s Head where we wait a few minutes for an outside table to get drinks and people watch!  While there we remember that many of our daughters college friends did study abroad here and often told us about their time here and frequenting “The Kings Head Pub”. We text Cait’s good friend Slyne for a few minutes which is fun…

After awhile we are hungry and know there will be an important Hurling game on the TV inside. We get some great seats and order food as we watch the game (Limerick vs Killarney). We have never seen a Hurling game so ask people sitting around us about some of the rules of the game. We have a great afternoon / evening then head home.  The nice thing we have noticed in all of our time over here so far is that it stays light so late!  So even when walking home at 9:30-10:00 it is still pretty light out!  

 

It’s an easy walk  back to our AirBnb in Salthill and when we get into the house Joanne makes some tea in the shared kitchen and we settle in the lounge area. Paula (Ann’s daughter) joins us and we chat for quite a while.  Sadly her dad (Ann’s husband) passed away just three months ago and they are trying to move on and get through each day.  Finally we head off to bed knowing Ann will be serving breakfast at 8:30 in the common dining room!

Monday June 12, 2023

Galway

We plan to meet our college/Connecticut friends Gretchen and Dana around 5:30 for dinner near their hotel (Paula (Our Host)  recommends The Park House for dinner).  We are doing a guided walking tour today of Galway while Gretchen & Dana (and the couple they are traveling with) are doing the hop on hop off bus tour. 

Before departing for our Tour we are served breakfast by Ann and meet several other guests, with one couple visiting from Canada (tent camping except for this stop for the month).  We may be full-time Rvers/Campers but they are at a different level… They tell us about some of their experiences and we exchange some stories.

There is also a woman from Japan traveling by herself (she left her kids and husband at home) so she can have a relaxing “me time” vacation.  This part of sharing of an AirBnb shared house we both enjoy; sharing stories and meeting new people.  Ann serves up a fantastic breakfast with tea, scrambled eggs, fresh croissants, toast, fruit, yogurt…. She is the ultimate host! Once we finish breakfast and we touch base with Gretchen and Dana, we head out to get to the walking tour on time. Again we have an awesome, sunny day and look forward to spending it in Galway.

The walking tour is OK. It starts at a place called Spanish Arch. The Spanish Arch was built in 1584 but is an extension of the 12th century Norman -built town wall, which stretched from Martin’s Tower to the riverbank.

The stops our tour includes are great but the guide is pretty socially awkward and it makes the tour not as enjoyable.  When we got to the part of the tour that is at the Eyre Square Joanne gets a text from Gretchen that they are doing a light lunch in Salthill but we will still plan to meet at 5:30 at Park House restaurant. Joanne texts back that it’s funny that they are in touring to Salthill now while we are right outside their hotel!  Gretchen then says they are currently right outside their hotel on the bus so we look up and begin waving. Mike whistles and Gretchen jumps off the bus for a quick hug before we continue on our ways to meet up later! 

Once the tour is over we have a few more things we want to see so using Google maps we get walking directions to the Galway Cathedral and to the university (which we wanted to see because many of Caitlin’s college friends went there for their travel abroad experience).  We enjoy both and then decide to get some sandwiches at a local store and sit by the river for a picnic lunch.  A lovely afternoon stroll along the river then a quick nap over near the Spanish Arch.  We are just really enjoying the sunshine and warmth.

Around 4:00 we head over toward the restaurant and find O’Connell’s Pub where there is an awesome beer garden in the back.  We are enjoying a beverage and Joanne texts Gretchen (as it is across the street from their hotel) in case they are ready early and want to join us. Gretchen does while Dana is still getting a shower for dinner. 

Next we all meet up (along with Gretchen and Dana’s friends) for dinner at The Park House Restaurant.  We enjoy a great meal and have many laughs catching up and getting to know their friends.  We know once dinner ends that it will be a long time before we see them again :-(. We finally walk back to Salthill around 11:30- but it stays light so late there that we didn’t have to worry about finding our way!

Tuesday June 13, 2023 

Last day in Galway…

While we really enjoyed Galway we had not been able to get over to drive Skye Road, The Cleggan Loop, drive/ hike through Connemara National Park and see the Kylemore Abbey.  Today we decide to do the road trip out to do those things.  The two drives are very cool and along the way we find the area between the mainland and Ormey Island is at low tide so we can get a quick walk over to the island before the tide comes in!  We do watch as a family with young kids does the same thing but they do not get back to the mainland in time, the tide comes in filling the area and they must wait until the next low tide😳

Omey Island (Irish: Iomaí, meaning “resting place”) is a tidal island situated near Claddaghduff on the western edge of Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. From the mainland the island is almost hidden. It is possible to drive or walk across a large sandy strand to the island by following the arrowed signs. At high tide, the water is deep enough to cover a car.

All in all a great day and time in Galway area!  Tomorrow we head out to Donegal!

Wednesday June 14, 2023

Donegal

When we first planned this trip we had not planned to do Belfast and Northern Ireland but after talking with Deb and Tony and hearing their plans, Mike looked at our plan and decided to change it up a bit in order to include Northern Ireland.  That meant he had to cancel a few Airbnb’s and arrange for new ones. 

 The Airbnb we landed at today is super nice! That said, it is out in the middle of nowhere!  But sheep everywhere!  As we pull up Margaret (the host) is relaxing in a zero gravity chair on the patio. We can tell immediately we will love this place!  She greets us and shows us around. She is a delight to chat with and gives us info about the area.  We decided to stay in this area because it is close to Slieve League; more cliffs!  But tonight we are just going to relax and enjoy the view, the sheep and the peace. 

We had already decided we would eat in tonight and had stopped on the way in for groceries. Margaret also left us some homemade shortbread cookies and some Guinness bread (along with some other basics).  The set up of the cottage is awesome with everything we could want (hob, oven, great work space, and washer). We get started on washing some clothes first thing as they will need to hang on the outside line to dry.  This will work out great as we may be able to do enough laundry to get us home :-). We listen to the sheep and look out over the pastures, mountains, and the sea in the distance.  Just beautiful!  As we are nearing the end of our trip we are staying less nights at each place and unfortunately we are only here for two nights.

Thursday June 15, 2023

Donegal

This morning we wake to sheep bleating right outside our bedroom window!  Joanne makes a cup of tea for herself and heads outside to “talk” to the sheep and breathe the fresh air.  This place is just so peaceful!  Once we have breakfast (and do more laundry) we head out to Slieve League to walk along the cliffs.  All of the roads in this area are one track roads, though they are in much better shape than those in Scotland and Wales, and they are not crowded at all.  We find the car park and get started. Joanne is a bit worried about Mike’s knee but he is all in.  The hike begins on paved roadway and is quite steep.  But we grind it out and get to where it is just beautiful scenery.  Once we get around the corner and up a bit there is another parking spot (not sure what you do to park here) where there are a few kiosks for lobster rolls, coffee and some crafts.  We pass those and head up the hiking path. Again, it is a bit of an incline but the views are amazing. It is a great hike and we enjoy chatting with another couple also hiking.  We get some pics then head down.  We are blessed with an awesome, sunny day! 

When we finish we head to a pub many have been talking about (The Rusty Mackerel).  We thought maybe we would eat dinner here but it is very early so we just enjoy a beer to celebrate the hike (and our time in Ireland) and decide to find another place to eat.  We are sad to say goodbye to this most beautiful area!

Friday June 16, 2023

Northern Ireland

The last of our days here in Ireland will be in Northern Ireland trying to fit in Giant’s Causeway, Belfast, Gobbins Cliff, and the suspension bridge (though Joanne isn’t too high on the cliff walk or the bridge!).  We stop at Giant’s Causeway on our way to the next air bnb.  Unfortunately some of the attractions have become huge touristy places and this is one of them. We get to the car park and it is costly to park so we had passed a free car park in the town before that runs a free shuttle to the visitor center.  We drive back out to park there. After getting parked and using the rest rooms we find that the shuttle no longer runs (and hasn’t for four years!)!!  Back up to the touristy car park!!  What a run around!  But we get situated, make our way through the crowds and begin the cliff walk. We decided on doing the red trail (blue is the easiest, shortest, and yellow is about 14 KM). This works out just great as hardly anyone is on the trail and it is the highest walk along the cliffs with the best views.  The walk is fairly easy and we take about two hours to finish the walk before we head over to our accommodation.

Once again we find this place to be amazing with more beautiful views!  We pour some wine and sit on the back patio enjoying the last of few days we have left!  Cows grazing and beautiful views of the ocean.  The cottage is fairly large and very comfortable.

 

Saturday June 17, 2023

Unfortunately we awake to rain this morning so although the suspension bridge is only a short distance away (our host says we could walk to it) we choose not to brave it thinking it might be slippery (and Joanne is soooo disappointed!) so we venture out to Belfast and The Titanic Museum on our way to our next air bnb.

We get tickets to go in then get to tour the Nomadic before going in to the Titanic Museum.  The self guided tour takes about two hours (mostly because it is Saturday and raining!) but it is well done and interesting. Many times I think we have seen so many movies of the Titanic that we forget that it truly happened so it is very moving toward the end to see the names of the people (and little bios about them) that perished in the sinking.

Once we are finished with the museum we head over to the cottage. As we pull up Joanne is in heaven!  Chickens wandering all over, sheep bleating in a pasture right next to the cottage and cows in an adjacent pasture!  This AirBnB cottage is fairly new and is beautiful and very well organized.  Unfortunately it is not good enough weather to sit outside.  We head into town and find some dinner at a local pub called “The Hillside”. The meal was typical pub food. The most memorable thing from “the Hillside” was meeting a gentlemen from Northern Ireland enjoying a Pint at a table next to us. As usual we shared some background stories. Mike had been working on website blogpost sand had been having some issues with this website and serendipitously the person we were enjoying conversation with was a WordPress expert. After t our talking with our new friend Jonny from Northern Ireland, he gave us his card and said send him an email and he may be able to help. That chance connection has turned out to be such a fortuitous  moment for Mike has he has reached out to Jonny many times since with questions and help with the website.  Lesson: ” You never know when just the right chance acquaintance makes an appearance in your respective Journey…” Thank You Jonny for all your help!!!

Tomorrow is our last day in Ireland 🙁

 

Sunday June 18, 2023

Dublin

We are actually glad to be returning to Dublin so we can finish a few things we missed out on because of Joanne’s unfortunate fall.  So on our way to the Air BnB studio we had wanted to stop at The Jameson Distillery for the tour (we were literally only a few steps away when Joanne fell). The tour is well done and we get to enjoy a drink at the end.  Mike most certainly enjoyed it more than Joanne but life is all about give and take!! 

After we finish at Jameson’s we walk over to the famous Temple Bar; another thing we had on our list of things to do on the day of Joanne’s fall.  We are fortunate enough to get a table in front of the band and are able to relax,  get some food and enjoy a few drinks to celebrate our time in Ireland. This was a perfect way to spend our last night in Ireland!

Once finished there we head back to the car and drive to the studio so we are closer to the airport. We gas up on the way and then begin our final packing for the long flight home!!

What fun these past three months have been. So many different kinds of experiences. We started with cruising and seeing the Panama Canal, our 1st Transatlantic Cruise, enjoying two weeks with Deb and Tony, sightseeing in Cotswold’s and walking town to town, the MINI Cooper tour, all of Wales and the castles, all the sheep, and hiking at the National Parks,  Scotland and more castles and hikes, and then Ireland- so beautiful, welcoming, and fun.  We met some awesome people and stayed in some beautiful cottages. We hiked some amazing cliff walks and ate, drank, and experienced so many pubs with the locals. We heard some very fun and lively Irish music and watched some high-energy Irish dancing. 

This was definitely a trip of a lifetime which we know will be forever remembered on our continuing “Revolutionary Journey”…..