Day 6 - Dublin, Ireland

Good evening!  It's roughly 4:30 PM back home and about 10:30 PM here in Dublin.  We had another great day exploring the sites of Ireland.  

We got up early and drove Northwest to Ashford castle.  The castle was built in 1228 and remains in tact today as a hotel, with a variety of activities; riding, archery, clay pigeon shooting, 18 hole golf course, etc.  

In 1939, the estate was opened as a hotel, which became renowned for the provision of its country pursuits, such as angling and shooting.  And in 1951, the film director John Ford filmed the classic movie, The Quiet Man starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. The grounds of Ashford Castle as well as the nearby town of Cong formed the backdrop for much of the action in the film.

In 1970, the castle underwent a complete restoration and expansion, building an 18 hole golf course and garden.  The castle, once again, underwent a change in ownership in 1985 when a a group of Irish American investors purchased Ashford. The Castle was sold by these investors for €50m. in 2007, and is now in the possession of the Galway-based property investor Gerry Barrett and his family.

In its time the castle has played host to many notable guests, including: John Lennon, George Harrison, King George V of the UK and his wife Queen Mary, Oscar Wilde (whose father Sir William Wilde had an estate adjacent to Ashford), LPGA Golfer Mindy Miller, Ronald Reagan, HRH The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Ted Kennedy, John Wayne, Brad Pitt, Pierce Brosnan, H.S.H. The Prince Rainier III of Monaco and his consort H.S.H. The Princess Grace. 

We had arranged a to go horseback riding along the castle grounds and river, but unfortunately the weather was not cooperating.  It was a heavy rain, so we visited the stables instead to say hello to the horses before making our way to Dublin.  Disappointing, but at least we got to meet the ponies and see the grounds! 

After leaving Ashford, we made the 3 hour trek back to Dublin.  We drove through the country roads and met a few friends....see the picture to the left!  We stopped off for a bit to eat at this cute little restraint called "The Forbes" cafe.  I had one of the best meals ever - homemade roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, carrots and peas.  You could tell that the owner (who was also our server) made this dish with lots of love.  

After checking in, we decided to tour Dublin via the Double Decker bus.  This is the easiest way to see the city and we have a 2 day pass.  We just rode the tour once through before exiting for Temple bar, where we visited Porter's Pub, a 3 level traditional Irish pub with live music...SO FUN!  We stayed here a few hours before venturing down the street for dinner.

Tomorrow we plan to take full advantage of the bus and hop on an off the main spots, including the Jameson Distillery, The Guinness Factory and Storefront, Trinity Church, Dublin Castle, and St Pat's Cathedral.  

Till Tomorrow.  Good night, XOXO

J&J

Day 5 - Galway, Ireland

Today was a non-driving day, very excited!  We spent the day exploring the city centre of Galway.  Galway is a beautiful city, dating back 800 years.  "Galway" means stony river referring to its position to River Corrib.  Galway is also referred to as the 'City of the Tribes.'

We spent the early morning/afternoon walking down Quay Street and the Latin Quarter of Galway.  The streets are lined with shops selling Irish wool and ceramics, pubs, and restaurants.  We stopped for pastry and coffee at Griffin's Bakery, which is very cute bakery just off Quay street.  The bakery is 135 years old  and serves a variety of breakfast pastries, breads, and sausage rolls.   The history is quite facinating, check it out:  http://www.griffinsbakery.com/history.php  

During the later part of the day, we boarded the Corrib princess, which departs from Woodquay for a leisurely Scenic 90 minute cruise on Lough Corrib, the second largest lake in Ireland.  This lake covers 100 square miles.  Known as one of the cleanest lakes in all of Western Europe there are a lot of fisherman interested in catching Trout, Pike and Perch here.  Lough Corrib is connected to Galway City by the River Corrib which flows into the sea at the Eglington canal. This canal was opened in 1848 and this made it possible to sail all the way from Galway Bay up the river Corrib.  In 1954 the canal was closed and the remaining steel bridges were replaced by permanent ones.  The cruise boasts fantastic scenery and an abundance of wildlife. On the east bank you have Menlo Castle. The Castle was originally built as a house by the Coleman family in the 1500's and was taken over by the Blakes in the 1600’s.  There were many historical sites.  In fact, Lough Corrib is said to be one of the largest Archaelogical sites in Galway.  Among the sites, you will also notice the "Mute Swans."  They were originally introduced into Ireland as source of food in the 13th century, but of course it is now illegal to kill them! 

After the cruise we walked back to the hotel and relaxed before heading to Martine's Restaurant.  A small restaurant located off Quay street, boasts beautiful 35 aged steaks and a wide variety of wines.  To be honest, living in Chicago has spoiled us, so while the food was good, the winning part of this trip was the atmosphere.  In a small little room, we enjoyed dinner by candlelite and irish lace pillows. 

We finished the night at Daile Pub, listneing to Tom Petty and U2, while drinking a few Guinness!  From what we were told, Guinness helps you sleep! 

Till tomorrow,
XOXO
J&J

Day 4 - Southwest Ireland

Good evening!  It is 11PM here in Galway, Ireland and we are calling it a night. 

We had a fabulous day.  We started our morning off with a visit to Cork's English Market.  We have made the habit of visiting many markets throughout the world, we couldn't miss this one.  When we were in Barcelona last May, we visited their famous "Boqueria."  We loved it so much for its authenticity and wide variety of offerings.  We didn't think any market could top the Boqueria.  However we learned today that Cork's English Market is the oldest of its kind.  The people of Cork have been trading here since 1788, which pre-dates Barcelona by almost 80 years!  This market has survived famine, revolution, wares, fire, and economic decline.  The market offers a variety of exotic fruits,vegetables and meats, dried and fresh flowers, chocolates and fudge, and cheese!  The market has an upper level, which has two cafe's. We ate breakfast at one of the cafe's, the Farmstand Cafe, where we ate fresh farm eggs, oatmeal with Irish cream and honey, and fresh squeezed orange juice.  

After leaving the English Market, we made the 2.5 hour trek up to the Cliffs of Moher.  You can see from the picture on the left, the roads were not very wide.  The picture below it shows you how we felt!    LOL!

The Cliffs of Moher is one of Ireland's most visited natural spots.  The Cliffs rise to 700 feet at the highest point and range for 5 miles over the Atlantic ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare.  The Cliffs of Moher were formed 320 million years ago during a time called the "Upper Carboniferous."  This is a time when the climate was warmer and the area was situated at the mouth of a river.  As the river flowed west it left mud and sand that settled and formed the rock you see today.  It's really amazing to think of how long it took to form this natural beauty!  The Cliffs are also known for hosting seabirds; including Puffins, Kittiwakes, Coughs and Falcons.  Unfortunately we were were not privy to see the Coughs.  They are a rare species of Celtic crow that nest below the sandstone ledge of the Cliffs.  


After the Cliffs, we drove towards Galway.  We went through several small towns, trying to decide where we wanted to stop for an early dinner.  We drove through Lisdoonvarna, which is famous for its month long, September "matchmaking" festival!  "Once a year this sleepy little spa town on the west coast of Ireland awakens to the hum of romance."  Matchmaking is an old tradition here, which for generations gathered families from miles around after their crops had been harvested. This festival has gained international recognition as the largest singles event in the world!  

After driving through the festival, we stopped in New Quay, which is along the N67, at Linnanes.  Linnane's sat right on the bay and after we left, we found out that this pub in this little fishing village has been awarded reviews from food critics from Ireland and abroad!  I can see why.  We snacked on the Mussells Provencale, Seafood Chowder, and Vegetarian Pesto Soup....delicious!  The location is beautiful, the restaurant overlooks New Quay Pier and the waters of an inlet of Galway Bay. When we first arrived the water was low and the flowage was non-existent.  Just as we were leaving, we watched the water flow back into the bay and literally raise the restaurants dock by several feet.  We loved this small little restaurant, it was the perfect place to stop and rest before driving the remaining 30 miles to Galway!


We arrived Galway around 7PM, where we took it easy and enjoyed a glass of wine before heading to bed.          Tomorrow will be a fun and relaxing day, shopping around Galway, enjoying the food, and taking a boat ride along the bay!


Till tomorrow.  XOXOXO
J&J (and J)  =)

Day 3 - Cork, Blarney, Kinsale

Today we started off driving towards Blarney village.  Blarney is about 20 miles north of our hotel.  The village is so cute!  We stopped off for "brekky" at Mackey's Cafe, where we enjoyed the traditional Irish breakfast of baked beans, eggs, potatoes, bacon (ham) and sausage.  We washed it down with an Americano and Cappacino before heading over to Blarney castle, which was a short walk form the cafe.  It was magnificent to see from the road.   

The grounds are meticulously landscaped with roses, hydrangeas, and several other varieties of flowers.  The grounds which are over a thousand acres are equipped with a lake, the castle, the Blarney house, stables, several different types of gardens, and a 2 mile wooded walking trail.  We first explored the castle, which is very cool....we were able to see the old rooms, kitchen, living room, and dining room before heading up to kiss the famous blarney stone. 

Tradition holds that those who kiss the Blarney Stone will be endowed with the gift of eloquence - "the gift of the gab", as the locals call it.  After a quick kiss we ventured down the spiral stone staircase to the "murder room".  This is located directly above the lobby.  When the royals would have unwelcome guests they would poor hot oil or scalding water ..... now we know why the kitchen was located in the upper levels of the castle!

Once we left the castle we toured through the Blarney House.  The family still lives here and opens it up to the public to view for 5 euro.  The original home burnt down, but equipped with underground tunnels the family survived.  The tunnels went all the way to a pond, where legend has it a military ghost visits during the full moon!  (scary)  The home is full of antiques, the oldest being a hutch from the early 1700's.

After leaving the house, we visited the gardens and stables....I think any horse would feel like a king in these stables.  They were all equipped with their own sink and nice, concrete floors. 

We decided to leave Blarney and head towards Kinsale. This is one of Irelands most historic and attractive locations.  You can see hundreds of fishing boats in the harbor, along with mackerel and herring skimming the water for some treats. The town is surrounded by a wall built in the 12th century.  Today Kinsale is best known for it's food....our kind of town.  So we decided to grab a Guinness at Armada pub before venturing to the next for some good Irish pub food!!

Tonight we plan on visiting An Spailpin Fanach, which has live Irish music every night.  We will give you all the details tomorrow and post pics...also, apologizies for any spelling errors (I'm typing fast, Jeff and Jean are ready to go)!


Cheers,
J&J

Day 2 - Cashel, Waterford, & Cork

Today we drove the beautiful back roads from Dublin to Cork and made a few stops along the way.  Our first stop was in Cashel which is a quant little town southwest of Dublin.  This town is famous for the historical Rock of Cashel, originally known as the seat of the High King of Munster.  Most of the architecture you see today is from the 12th and 13th century, which was a gift from the church.  St Patricks cross is also evident here at the Rock, which sits up on the top of the hill and overlooks the beautiful Irish pasture.

After leaving the rock we ate brunch at cute pub down the street where we enjoyed a nice lentil and asparagus soup awith homeade Irish soda bread and a bacon and cheese croissant. 

Back on the road we headed towards Waterford. Unfortunately, the original owners sold out a few years back so the original factory and visitor center is no longer open.  Fortunately for Jeff and I we had the opportunity to see this back in 2005.  Due to the recent change in ownership, the new visitor center is located in the city center of Waterford.  While it was definitley state of the art, it lacked the original charm of the old factory.  However, the crystal was still as beautiful and we got to see a lot of pieces we would not otherwise see in the states. 

Once we left Waterford we drove the copper coast towards cork.  We had the great fortune to stop in Dungarven.  Dungarven is a small seaside village.  It's exactly what you'd imagine when thinking about past times in Ireland.  Founded by the Normans in the 1100's, the town's history began before the last ice age!  We stopped in for a quick rest and snack at "The Anchor." We met a darling older couple, married 53 years!  They were insistent on helping Jean find her birth parents!  After a nice chat with them, we were on our way to Cork, which was about 35 miles straight west.    

We arrived cork around 8:30, so we decided to eat dinner at the hotel.  Our hotel is really beautiful, actually rather new compared to the rest of the country.  Built in the 1920's and restored in the late 90's it is quintessential Ireland.  The hotel was originally owned by the Musgrave family, which is the now the largest private group in Ireland.  The hotel is now owned by the Scally family and they have done a wonderful job restoring the hotel.  After we checked in, we had a lovely dinner at the hotel's restaurant, The Orchid. 

After another long day and lots of driving, we called it a night.  We are excited for a little less driving over the next few days and to visiting a few new spots tomorrow:  Blarney and Kinsale. 

Till tomorrow.

J&J