When the Blarney hits the windscreen...

May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, and may the sun always shine warm upon your face.

Today we hit the road for the start of our Irish travels. The 23 members of our epic party loaded up our spacious tour bus promptly at 8 a.m. and hit the Dublin traffic, heading out of town while everyone else in the entire country appeared to be heading in... It was slow going for the first half hour or so. I was struck by all the walkers and bike riders. Ireland is a very youth-centric country these days, and for the most part, people in the city tend to use alternate means of transportation. Maybe because the price of gas is so high, or the roads are so narrow, or maybe there's no place to park for the vehicles people do have... but for whatever reason, lots and lots of bicyclists flowing into town at rush hour.

We had a spectacularly sunny day to bless our travels, so the scenery was captivating as we made our way through the city limits and out into the hinterlands. Ireland has a very limited highway system, and even then, the best high speed roadways expand from the typical two lanes to 3 or rarely 4, only on rare stretches. Makes for a fairly fun ride when you're up in the front row like we were today.

Our bus driver, Mr. Martin Hewett, served double duty as the guide, so as we rolled through the countryside he'd swing the mike in front of his face and start offering some background information on that part of the countryside, or maybe a tidbit of historical significance that took place nearby. He is an interesting character. When we first got off the plane in Dublin, we met up with a company driver who was all smiles, full of pleasantries and easy to like. Martin, on the other hand was almost the complete opposite. Very reserved, he was all business all the time. A very good story teller, but none of us could get a good sense of who he was, or what kind of relationship we would be having with this leader of our group for the next four days.

Our group is rather a rather eclectic mix of English speaking people from three continents and the Island of New Zealand. Two sets of honeymooners married on the same day in nearby towns in Florida, didn't know each other at all, and still picked this trip to do their honeymoon. A single guy from New Jersey; single gals, one from Boston and the other from the Philly area; a mid-thirties Hispanic couple from North Carolina; two sisters on break from studies in Australia; a New Zealand mining engineer who works in Indonesia on a much needed break from six months in the jungle; and older couple from Australia traveling around Europe, taking the trip to do a quick hit of Ireland. and finally a REALLY young couple, he from a sheep farm in Australia, she from England, trying to see if their relationship would last past the initial passion of a chance encounter that had lead to a months-long long distance romance. It is an interesting variety of people and stories as we were to find out in the days ahead.

After about two hours of driving, Martin pulled the bus over to the side of the road (remember we're driving on the left side of the road over here?) and gave us a chance to gaze longingly at "The Rock of Cashel," an historic site in the province of Munster, located at Cashel, South Tipperary. According to tradition, it is the site of the conversion of the King of Munster to Christianity by St. Patrick in the 5th Century. In any event, they built a huge castle on the spot and has been seat of power for the region for centuries.

We were probably 3 or 4 miles away as the crow flies, but the sky was crystal clear and you could clearly see the immensity of the place and the reconstruction that was underway to restore it. Our tour did not include a tour of the Castle, but it was interesting to stop and see the place and hear the history of it. After that we loaded up and drove into the town of Cashel for a rest stop and leg stretch. An altogether quaint little Irish town with multi-colored store fronts all packed tightly together, with a small town square and a Murphy's Pub.

From there it was on to the main event of the day, as far as I was concerned: Blarney Castle and the "legendary" Blarney Stone. Apparently the stone is nothing more than a marketing gimmick dreamed up by some Earle of Blarney years and years ago, and has morphed into a "must visit" tourist attraction. My brother, Dave, our advertising whiz, should take note because the place is packed day-in and day-out with tourists from around the world, all eagerly willing to part with 2 Euros apiece to lay on their back 150 feet in the air and kiss a slimy rock. Oh yes, both Laura and I did it. It's been on my Bucket List. Check!

From the castle we walked down the path, over a creek and into the Blarney Wool Store... the real money-maker from most people who come visit. It's billed as the world's largest Irish Shop... which may or may not be true, but it is big and it has LOTS of Irish wool and collectibles. We had lunch in the adjoining pub, then dived in to all the goodies, walking out with a couple of wonderful wool sweaters, scarves and a great driving hat for Kurt. Can't wait to get home to the winter weather... we'll all be roasty-toasty in our Irish finery.

Promptly at 1:30 pm Martin had us hustled back aboard and we pulled out for the remainder of our day's journey to Killarney. It's not quite Christmas yet, but we're spending the next two nights there.

Actually, we'll just miss the famed Christmas season in Killarney, but we did get chance to see a bit of a preview. Our stay for the next two nights is the Killarney Avenue Hotel in the heart of the town. Not the 5-Star hotel the tour advertised, but its' 4-Star baby sister; still a very nice place to stay with decent sized rooms and a nice restaurant. We had about an hour to kill after we checked in, so everyone scattered around town to see the sights before darkness took over, but the one thing we found to be true all over Ireland became evident here: Pretty much everything shuts down at 5 pm except for the restaurants and bars, and the restaurants are pretty much done by 9 pm. So we walked around an empty mall for a few minutes to stretch those road weary limbs, then made our way back to the hotel for a group dinner in the Garden Restaurant and Bar, which was a very tasty traditional Irish fare of beef or lamb, and lots of potatoes! After dinner the youngsters headed off in search of a night life (finding some really bad 80s cover band in the end), while Laura and I wandered around the quiet town for an hour or so, getting a feel for where the shops were should we get the chance later to make use of some free time. Sadly, though the Christmas lights had been strung all along the streets, nothing was lit because the official Christmas season is still a week or so away.

Tomorrow, we head out on a long trip around the Ring of Kerry, reputed to be one of the most picturesque tours in the world. I can't wait!

Mysteries of Dublin City

In Dublin's Fair City
Where the girls are so pretty
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone
As she wheel'd her wheel barrow
Through streets broad and narrow
Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!

Monday morning broke bright and much too early for our jet-lagged bodies. We were scheduled for a free morning before joining our tour group in the afternoon for a bus tour of Dublin, so we decided to do some more exploring on our own.

After a 'brilliant' Irish Breakfast, we again hopped the Green Hop-on, Hop-off bus and headed down to City Center for a couple of hours of meandering through streets bright and fair.

We exited our open-air bus on Suffolk Street and made our way over to the Statue of Molly Malone... the girl famous for selling "cockles and muscles, alive, alive-o!" by day... other things by night... I eagerly posed for a picture, but fought the urge to sample the wares so many others obviously had...

From there we ambled down Grafton Street to the entrance of Trinity College Dublin, one of the oldest universities in Europe. Founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth, its graduates include Jonathan Swift, Bram Stoker (Dracula), Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, and Edmund Burke. The University library houses the famed Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels in Latin created by Celtic Monks around 800 A.D. and widely considered Ireland's finest national treasure. We toyed with the idea of going in to see the Book, but it was something like 20 E to get in, so we passed and just walked aournd the campus proper for a few minutes admiring the cobbled walks and classic architecture.

From the College we made our way down Kildare Street, and then via Molesworth and Dukes Streets back over to Grafton and the heart of a shopping district where the streets were jammed with lunchtime crowds enjoying a rain-free morning.

From Grafton, we cut through St. Stephen's Green, a formerly private park now open to the public, enjoying the walk along the lake, with it's various birds and statues. including 'The Fates,' a gift from the German people to the Irish for their help rebuilding after World War II. Then it was down Leesone Street, and across the remnants of Dublin's Grand canal to the hotel and a quick refresh before picking up the Tour at 1 pm.

Our group met in the lobby promptly at 1. We couldn't tell if any of the people were really part of our group until we walked up and introduced ourselves to the tour guide whom we had happened across earlier in the day. As soon as we moved forward, the ice was apparently broken and all of these people suddenly walked up behind us and signed in. Pretty funny. Our group was 23 strong... All Brits, Aussies, Kiwis and Americans. The best part of it was... we had a big tour bus all to ourselves!

The afternoon's agenda called for a bus tour of Dublin, much like we'd been doing on our own for the past day and a half, only this time with a proper guide, which filled in much of the gaps in our tour-bus knowledge. One stop was in an area of town with a large sample of Georgian doors, left over from the gentry influx of the late 1800's. The guide said the doors were painted different colors (reds, blacks, blues, whites, etc.) because all the house fronts were exactly the same and the only way drunken men could find their way home after a night of socializing in the pubs was if the doors were different colors (I suppose an upset wife could really cause some mischief with a quick brush and can of paint...). Another stop was the statue of Oscar Wilde... a favorite native son of Dublin. I'm not really up on his works, but apparently he was the Dean Martin/Will Rogers of his day, and with a very open and uninhibited lifestyle, quite the social rebel.

One of the 'new' areas of town the bus took us to was down by the waterfront which includes the new financial district. Apparently Ireland experienced a huge economic boom in the 90s and early 2000's... with multinational financial organizations setting up shop in Dublin. Lots of neat new architecture mingled with the working river and port areas, making it a very eclectic area to tour. We stopped at the Famine memorial and had a nice discussion of the events and how it effected life in 19th Century Ireland, including the mass exodus of it's residents. The memorial was quite simple and very moving, and definitely one of my favorite experiences so far.

The last event of the bus ride was a tour of Dublin Castle, the location of all 'official' government events. It was rebuilt in the 19th Century after a fire, and reminds me a lot of the French palace at Versailles, which apparently was a huge influence in Georgian England and it's territories. Huge rooms, tall ceilings, and lots of flags and statues. No one lives there anymore, but anytime there's a visiting head of state, that is the place they hold the dinners and reception.

At six, we met down in the lobby of the hotel once again, and boarded our bus for a short drive up into the Hills to the west of Dublin for an Irish dinner and folk music experience at a place called the Merry Poughman. Dinner was lamb or chicken and came with a pint of your choice. Having sampled the Guinness already, I went for Smithwicks, which immediately became my new favorite. As dinner was finishing up, the three owners of the bar came out, and taking up instruments, treated us to a couple sets of Irish folk music. There was plenty of clapping and rousing choruses from an appreciative and well-lubricated audience! To top the evening off, we were treated to Irish step dancing by three girls and a guy, all decked out in costume and tap shoes. They put on quite a show and concluded to a standing ovation by the entire house.

The trip back to our hotel was dark (not many street lights along the winding, hilly roads) and quiet. For many of us, it had been a long day, including trips from half-way around the world. Laura and I probably had the easiest time of it, having arrived a day early, but jet-lag knows no boundaries, so we found our bed with much gratitude and anticipation: tomorrow we head cross-country to Blarney Castle and Kilarney.

Long Night's Journey into Day

Wherever you go and whatever you do,
May the luck of the Irish be there with you.

It has been an exhausting Day(s)!

We left a cool, rather sunny Pittsburgh this afternoon and flew over to Newark, where we caught our flight to Dublin. It was one of those puddle jumpers that has barely room for two seats on each side, but no overhead space, and two propellers. Every bump and airpocket in the sky is immediately transferred to the passengers, so by the time you get to your destination you feel like you've been on a roller coaster. Maybe they ought to advertise it like that... would make the fare seem far more reasonable... like you're actually getting something for your money!

Newark airport was nicer than I thought. It was my first time there, and didn't realize you could sit in the terminal and view the NYC skyline. The clouds cleared up and we had a neat view of both the new 9/11 building and the Empire State building. Made the 4-1/2 hour layover almost bearable.

The flight over was on a Continental 757 which is normally a nice plane, but they've crammed the seats together so much that it is just uncomfortable to be a passenger in. Especially for 6 hours, even with the entertainment system. The human body just isn't designed to be immobile for that long. I have to hand it to the guy next to me in the window seat. He didn't get out of his seat once the entire flight! We flew to Paris on one of these and I've decided if I can, I'm flying across the pond in a 767 or better from now on.

The process through Customs and Immigration was pretty much a non-event!... Much smoother than going to London or Paris. Before we knew it, we were out the double doors and there was a group of CIE tour people huddled together waiting to be whisked away on their tour. Turns out they weren't with our group. We had arrived a day early, so there was just one other guy (John from Boston) in our group, so it was a very easy, empty bus ride into town to our overnight, The Burlington Hotel.

Being it was only 8 o'clock by the time we arrived, we were surprised our room was available... but it was nice to be able to put our suitcases some place instead of just hanging out in the lobby till mid-day, which is what we've done in the past. Instead we stowed our gear and then went down for our first Irish Breakfast: Typical fare of a buffet consisting of scrambled or fried eggs, think bacon, a variety of sausages, Heinz baked beans, fried potatoes, or porridge if you desire. (This would be standard fare no matter where we went throughout Ireland.)

At around 11:30 we hopped on a city bus hop-on, hop-off service (passes came with the tour). It was on double decker buses that were open on top, with bus drivers who acted as tour guides taking you around the different parts of the city. I think there were something like 25 different stops, and round trip took about an hour and a half, but gave you a pretty good of Dublin.

At this point we had to make a decision: where to spend the remaining part of our day. The buses stopped running around 5, and we wanted to get back to the hotel without too long of a walk. We had vouchers for either the Jameson's or Guinness factory tour, but the Jameson's factory seemed a bit far from the action, so we settled on Guinness, do the tour, and then see how much time we had left.

The bus dropped us off just outside the gate to the factory. It is no longer the place where Guinness is actually brewed, but more like a Disney museum informational tour. Very elaborate displays describing the history of the factory and the various steps in the brewing process. You slowly climb higher and higher into the factory until you eventually make your way up to the 9th or 10th floor into a "Gravity Bar," a round, glass-walled enclosed bar overlooking Dublin and the surrounding country side. We had another great day of weather, so we could see for miles in all directions! We also had a voucher for a free pint of the good stuff, which we were more than happy to watch them pour and sample! I have to say, that Guinness DOES taste different over in Ireland. It probably has much to do with the water used in the brewing process, but it is definitely a smoother, silkier taste, one I could easily get used to!

After our beer, it was back on the bus, and another trip around Dublin listening to another bus driver's viewpoint on Dublin's history and highlights. Unfortunately, the bus circuit didn't go all the way back to the hotel, so we found ourselves with about a 20 minute walk through the streets of Dublin from the closest stop, which, on a clear Irish afternoon was fairly pleasant for late November.

It was pretty much dark by the time we stumbled back into the hotel, and we came to the realization that our bodies were just beat! We'd been up for 30+ hours and were really feeling the effects of a long day's travel. Tomorrow we had another day to explore Dublin City, so after an Irish coffee before a warm Lobby fireplace, we called it a night and gratefully found our nice, comfortable bed.

Mighty Good Craic!

We're headed to Ireland!

Due to scheduling conflicts and typical family summer chaos, there was no true 25th wedding celebration this past July when we hit the big milestone. Laura and I discussed the fact that since there was only two days allowed for our honeymoon by a not-so-people-oriented Squadron Commander back in the day, that we could just celebrate the 25th Anniversary in much the same manner: a trip to IKEA or Costco, maybe, or an overnighter to the Motel 6 in Zanesville, OH... (wonder if the shaking bed still costs a quarter??)

Thankfully, fate had other ideas!

Last Spring, Jill decided her college experience wouldn't be complete without a Semester Abroad, and took it upon herself to investigate the process, visit the Study Abroad Office on campus, get all the info and make her applications. Her first choice, St. Andrews in Scotland fell through when it filled up before she got her paperwork in, but the Study Abroad folks came through and found a program in Ireland that seemed to fit the bill: A semester at the University of Limerick. Personally, I thought Ireland would be a great experience, and I have been just a BIT jealous at her good fortune...who wouldn't love to spend four months in a college town in the heart of Eire?

So.... After we went through the craziness of packing her up and sending her off via jet plane on the very day a Nor'easter clobbers the East Coast (Laura routed her through Chicago, missing all that madness!), we sat down over a cup of coffee and realized that since she was there, and we had never been, going to visit her was a great way of killing two birds with one rock: We get to go see her an stave off any homesickness, PLUS we can take a couple of days just to ourselves and get that 25th Anniversary trip in after all!

After agreeing on a time frame, I contacted a local travel agent (Liberty Travel) and had them set us up for a 6 day tour then three extra days just hanging around Limerick/Shannon area so we can visit with Jill around Thanksgiving when most other kids in the US are home with their families. I think we found a pretty good plan, and though it's not comprehensive, it should be a lot of fun! Our five day tour is called, "A Taste of Ireland."

Day 1: Overnight Flight to Dublin
Depart your North American gateway city and travel through the night to Dublin.

Day 2: Dublin Independent Tour
Arrive at Dublin Airport, go through immigration formalities and pick up your baggage. Go your hotel, located near the Georgian area in central Dublin. In the afternoon use your independent open-top bus tour voucher with a Guinness or Jameson visit and tasting - these features are valid for 24 hours.

Day 3: Dublin Tour & Burlington Cabaret
Enjoy a free morning in Dublin for further sightseeing with the included vouchers. At 2:00 pm all participants join a local guide for a tour of ancient and modern Dublin. Drive through the main streets to see historic buildings such as Trinity College, where the Book of Kells is housed; the evocative figures of the Famine Memorial; and rows of Georgian houses with gaily-colored doorways. Stop at Dublin Castle for a guided tour through the elegant State Apartments, which are filled with elaborate Waterford Crystal chandeliers and portraits of prominent Irish leaders. Return to your hotel for a get-together with your tour group and a welcome drink. In the evening enjoy a great dinner of Irish specialties, which is followed by a show of traditional Irish songs and intricate step-dancing, right in your hotel at the Burlington Cabaret. (B, D)

Day 4: Blarney Castle & Killarney
Depart Dublin and travel through the center of Ireland, which has many mixed farms. Stop to view the stately church ruins atop the Rock of Cashel, rising high above the surrounding plain. Continue your drive south and, just a few miles outside Cork, visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence.” Also visit the Blarney Woollen Mills where you can find quality Irish-made goods of all types, conveniently displayed under one roof. Drive through Macroom, built around a fine castle, and into County Kerry where the scenery becomes more mountainous. Arrive in Killarney, picturesquely set beside lakes with Ireland's highest mountains, the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, forming a backdrop. Check in to your hotel and relax before dinner. After your meal you may like to take a stroll through the compact town center and explore Killarney's famous singing pubs. (B, D)

Day 5: Ring of Kerry & Skellig Experience
Today embark on Ireland's most popular scenic drive of 100 miles - the Ring of Kerry. This winding route reveals breathtaking sights of the Macgillycuddy's Reeks as well as coastal views of beaches and cliffs. As you travel along, there will be plenty of stops for photos at the best vantage points. Stop at Kells to meet a local farmer, Brendan Ferris, for a taste of farm life with a sheepdog demonstration of herding flocks and see different breeds of sheep. Drive through the village of Cahirciveen and cross to Valencia Island by bridge. Visit the Skellig Experience to learn about the nearby rocky islands where early Christian monks lived in austere conditions and today they form a thriving bird sanctuary. Stop to walk around Sneem, where brightly-painted houses are grouped around a central green. Pause at Moll's Gap for a view of the Three Lakes of Killarney with the town in the distance. Return to Killarney and enjoy a fine dinner in your hotel once again. (B, D)

Day 6: Cliffs of Moher & Bunratty Castle
Leave Killarney and drive north to Tarbert for a 20-minute ferry ride across the wide River Shannon Estuary. Your tour continues along the Clare coast to the Cliffs of Moher, a spectacular wall of limestone that reaches to almost 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Drive past Lahinch golf links, one of Ireland's most famous, and through the marketing town of Ennis to Bunratty. Check in to Bunratty Castle Hotel, which is located very close to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. In the evening head to Bunratty Castle for a memorable experience in a wonderful setting with good food and entertainment. Take your place in the Great Hall for a medieval-style feast of excellent dishes and plenty of wine. During and after the meal the lords and ladies will serenade you with song and harp music, evocative of the Middle Ages. (B, D)

Day 7: Shannon
Take a group transfer to arrive at nearby Shannon Airport where you pick up a rental for the next three days of touring in and around Southwest Ireland!

Day 10: Shannon Departure
Travel back to reality via Shannon Airport.

The Hotels where we're scheduled to stay look pretty inviting:

• Burlington Hotel, Dublin (2 nights)
• Killarney Towers Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
• Bunratty Castle Hotel, Bunratty (1 night)

All in all, it sounds like a lot of fun, and something we've both wanted to do for a long time. Now it's time to start packing!