Day Trip to Dublin

We arose before the sun – 4:30 a.m. – in order to catch the 6:30 bus from Galway center to Dublin. We drove to the bus station with practically zero traffic on the streets, and parked in the car park next to the train/bus station. (It was 36 Euros with the Internet discount for the two of us, round trip). We were plenty early. The bus loaded up a little before 6:30 and we were on our way. Unfortunately, the weather looked grim, but we had our portable umbrellas and put on a happy face. As we neared the half way mark of our journey, it started raining quite hard – yuk. But, to our surprise, Dublin greeted us with blue skies and sunshine – a miracle! It turned out to be the nicest weather since our arrival in Ireland.
We found our way to the nearest Hop On-Hop Off tourist bus and yes, hopped on. I had booked the tickets the day before so got a little discount. There were 23 stops and the tickets were good for 24 hours. There was running commentary from the bus driver so even though there was nowhere near enough time to see everything, we did get an overview of the city. We went just a couple of stops and hopped off at Trinity College – Ireland’s oldest university – opened in the 1500’s. Oscar Wilde and other famous individuals attended Trinity. The buildings were architecturally interesting, some original and some added on over the centuries.
Our next stop was the National Museum of Natural History and it was quite interesting with exhibits of pre-historic Ireland – artifacts from as far back at 3000 BC. They also had an excellent exhibit about the Viking era in Ireland. We spent quite a while at this museum.
We debated where to go next and decided that we would go to the Guinness Brewery before we got too tired of walking. It is a MAJOR attraction in Dublin so there were hordes of people and it was not cheap – even with the senior discount, the tickets were 11 Euros each. However, it did include a pint of Guinness at the end of the tour. The tour was self guided and the exhibits were excellent – you do not see the actual brewery – just exhibits and simulations – all very well done, if you don’t mind the hordes of people. The Storehouse is shaped like a pint glass of Guinness so it goes up seven floors. At the very top, The Gravity Bar, you get your “free” pint and a 360 degree view of Dublin.
By this time it was getting well into the afternoon and we were very hungry. We hopped back on the bus and went several stops, enjoying the commentary and the views, to the Temple Bar area (Bar means something like “street”). This took us pretty well along the entire route. There were supposed to be shops and restaurants in this area so we walked a few blocks until we got to Luigi Malone’s Restaurant which looked promising. It was very good – I had beer battered shrimp and chips (French Fries) and John had Lasagna with a salad. Lunch included wine or beer and it was one of the better bargains we’d seen so far – 12.95 Euros including the wine. Since I was with the Shopping Ogre, we didn’t do any shopping.
After lunch we were both feeling a little weary and decided we would try to catch the 5:00 pm bus back to Galway. It was already 4:40 so it was a little iffy considering we were not exactly sure how far the bus station was. Turns out it was quite a distance but we walked fast, found our way and got there in about 10 minutes. We were both pretty pooped, especially after the final sprint to the station. It was easy to doze on the bus home.
When we got close to Galway center, the traffic was at a near standstill. The Galway Races were on this week and there was lots of traffic and partying going on. We finally got to the station and after paying 22 Euros for parking all day, we headed for home, arriving a little before 10:00 pm. We had a great time and were happy to not have used our umbrellas.

Exploring Inishere-Aran Islands

Wouldn’t you know it, cloudy again and actually looking like rain but we have the tickets booked and paid for so off we went at 9:00. John brought an umbrella but then we left it in the car. It was not raining when we set off on the ferry for the approximately one hour ride. However, it was raining lightly when we arrived so we headed to the restaurant that one of the ferry crew members recommended, something like Roary’s. They were just setting up for lunch so we ordered beer and decided on Irish Lamb Stew. It was hot and delicious, perfect for this cool, wet day. By the time we finished, it was raining a little more seriously. We hurried to a little grocery shop across from the pub and found fold-up umbrellas for 4.95 each, a bargain in this situation – we purchased two of them and headed off to see the sights. The Island was really gorgeous with its stone fences, lush greenery and wildflowers everywhere plus a castle (in ruins), church ruins, ancient cemetery, a rusty shipwreck and other picturesque sights. We walked for a very long time – my legs got really tired at the end due to still recovering from back surgery. We arrived back at the ferry dock a little early so had an ice cream cone/bar while we waited. It had stopped raining about the time we got to the shipwreck so that was good. I took a lot of pictures even through the rain and they came out pretty well considering the weather. In some ways the lighting is better than when the sun is blazing. This is a new situation for my photographic endeavors since the sun is nearly always shining in Mexico.

We had an uneventful trip back home and snacked on cheese and Guinness for supper. Maybe the weather will be better tomorrow - or maybe it won't.

Trip to Country Museum - Castlebar

Today we decided to drive to Castlebar in Mayo County – north of Galway. The overall distance was not great but the roads were again narrow, winding and scenic. The first part of the trip was over roads we had traveled on the Connemara Loop but then we headed into new territory to the north. Once again the weather was pretty overcast but it was not raining. We pulled over along the way and ate our picnic lunch. We found our way to Castlebar and looked for the National Heritage Museum of Country Living, which was our destination for today’s trip. We saw no signs so finally asked an old fellow on the street and he told us it was about 3 miles out of town. We did find it then but it was more like 4 or 5 miles. The museum is situated in a beautiful park and old mansion. A couple of rooms in the mansion were open to viewing but the exhibits were in a separate new building built for that purpose. There were four floors of exhibits on country life in Ireland from about 1850 onwards. They also had an interesting video presentation. While in the museum we noticed that it started pouring outside – the first hard rain we’ve experienced since our arrival in Ireland. However, it didn’t last long and by the time we were ready to leave, it had stopped.
We took a slightly different route home and enjoyed some new scenery.

Walking in Galway Center

It’s a good thing we did the Cliffs trip yesterday because today the weather is not as good. We decided to take the bus into downtown and do a walking stroll through town. Galway center is not all that big and very easy to walk with a large pedestrian area and a walk along the Corrib River and through the medieval streets. We first visited the Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas which was built around 1320 on the site of an earlier chapel. It was added to and modified over the centuries but still has many of the original features. It is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland still in constant use.
From there we walked along the river to the Galway Cathedral. This cathedral is very modern having been built in the 1960’s. It is a magnificent church and we spent quite a while looking around inside and watching a video presentation about the building of the cathedral which was interesting and informative. While we were inside, someone was practicing on the organ – probably the organist who was scheduled to play a concert that evening, so we were quite pleased to hear some of the work. The organ was built in Liverpool and consists of 2000 pipes ranging from 6 inches to 21 feet. It sounded heavenly and music filled this very large cathedral.
After walking everywhere, we stopped for fish and chips at McDonaghs – recommended by our hosts. I had salmon and John had cod – both were outstanding – and filling. We headed for home.

The Cliffs of Moher

My plan was to get an early start to the Cliffs of Moher. Well, that didn’t quite happen. We were on the road at 9:45 a.m. Armed with a print out with directions from Google Maps we headed for the Cliffs. Driving through/around Galway City was a bit tricky because of all the roundabouts. We did pretty well, though, with only one wrong exit which we quickly discovered and got turned around.

The Cliffs of Moher, (pronounced “more”), are located in County Clare, southeast of Galway. The actual distance from Barna is not very far – maybe 60 miles – but it is very slow going because of driving through the city and then the really narrow roads. Interestingly enough, the speed limit on these roads is 100 km/hr (about 62 mph) but we could not imagine going that fast. Most of the time we drove 60 kph (35 mph) and it seemed a lot faster – especially to the passenger. There are quite a few tour buses heading to the Cliffs and they took up more than their lane. I had to close my eyes whenever we met one – fortunately, John kept his eyes open.. There are NO shoulders on these roads – very scary.

We passed through many quaint towns, lush green fields, sea views, castles in ruin and the unique burren landscape. Our drive took us along the south shore of Galway Bay and then down the coast of the Atlantic Ocean to the Cliffs. Just before arriving at the Cliffs we stopped for a brief look close up at the burren. This unique area is covered with limestone rocks of varying shapes and sizes, some with holes in them, varying amount of greenery in between the rocks and many species of wildflowers. In fact 75% of the plants in Ireland are represented in the Burren. The footing over the rocky areas is pretty tricky so we didn’t do a lot of walking there.

We arrived at the Cliffs and parked in the lot and paid the “facility fee”. There was a small visitor’s center but the main attraction was the cliffs. They were magnificent – a series of several cliffs towering over the Atlantic – 600 feet high. There were walks in both direction with stairs to get to the top to view the cliffs. The weather varied even while we were there from partly sunny to rain. After seeing all there was to be seen (except the shops which I was not allowed to visit), we headed back towards Galway.

At the town of Kinvarra nearly Galway, we stopped for lunch at Moran’s Oyster House on the Weir – recommended by my friend Thea whose parents had a cottage there for years. What a fabulous lunch! I had garlic broiled missels which were the best I have ever tasted – so very fresh. John had beer battered fried prawns and they were also delicious. We accompanied our meal with a half pint of Guinness. We sat outside with a view of the weir – a very pleasant late lunch and ending to a wonderful day in Ireland. The rest of the drive home was not bad and we got through all the roundabouts in fine style.

Drive to Clifden

Window Box in Clifden

Clifden Centre

Countryside in Clifden

Monday morning we awoke to more overcast and light rain. We were used to it by now and decided to take a drive up to Clifden in Connemara County about an hour and a half drive west-northwest of Barna. It sounds farther than it really is - the two lane narrow roads require a very slow pace. However, this allows one to savor the scenery.

Clifden is located right on the Atlantic Ocean and is quite charming with shops and restaurants and pleasant walks. We strolled through the central area and stopped for a light lunch. Clifden is a center of Connemara pony activities but unfortunately, the big show is in August, after we are gone. I did, however, notice a little tack store on and had a look at Irish tack and accessories - mostly for children and ponies. Another claim to fame for Clifden is that Marconi started his the first commercial transatlantic wireless service here.

The rain became a little more serious so we decided to head for home. The drive through the countryside is just so beautiful - even in the rain. Close to home we stopped at a Craft's center and browsed the few shops. Had a nice chat with a bored shopkeeper who talked about the Galway Races coming up next week.

Silver Strand and Salthill Beaches

Silver Strand Beach, Galway Co.

More Silver Strand Beach

Swimmers at Salthill Beach

View from Salthill Promenade

The weather on the weekend was quite nice so we visited two nearby beaches, Silver Stand which is only two miles from the house and the Salthill area between Barna and Galway City. We walked around both areas and enjoyed people watching and the beautiful coastal views. We dined at a local Italian restaurant, Mulberry's, where we enjoyed wonderful ravioli stuffed with seafood and a creamy sauce. This restuarant is just a block or so from the house.

Driving the Connemara Loop

Our adventure today was driving the Connemara Loop. It is not so far from here but the roads are very narrow and slow so it took most of the day. The weather was the usual - overcast with the addition of mist/rain on and off. However, the scenery was spectacular - isn't that what Ireland is about? So, I took pictures which turned out rather well even under the less than perfect conditions. It was very green, lots of sheep dotting the hills (and highways), beaches, lakes and tiny villages. We stopped in a little village called Tully Cross for lunch and chatted with an elderly Irish couple there on holiday from Dublin. She said I should not miss the Galway Races coming up while we are here. People come from all over Ireland for these races - which are over jumps. I will definitely plan to go on one of the days (it lasts for a week). John can come along if he wishes. Here are a few pictures from today's drive. If you wish to see more go to my Picasa web albums.

Spiddal

The overcast continues but we went on a short trip today to the nearby village of Spiddal. We went in the car and John brushed up on his driving on the "wrong" side of the road skills. Spiddal is a very small village but quite picturesque. There were a few interesting-looking restaurants but we'll come back another day to eat there. Today we just walked down the main street and then a block over to the sea. The views there were beautiful in spite of the less than perfect weather. View of the Sea at Low Tide in Spiddal

We drove back to Barna and took the street by our house to see where it went. It was a narrow blacktop that headed north through the countryside. There were some nice homes, cottages and fields and I spotted some lovely Connemara pony mares with foals at their sides. Naturally we had to stop for pictures.

Connemara Mare with Foal

We made another run to the grocery store to buy supplies for dinner. I had a chat with the fish monger who informed us that the area is fished out so the salmon we bought yesterday and the trout we bought today were farmed. Both, however, were absolutely fresh and delicious (as well as expensive).

Barna, County Galway, Ireland

Miriam, Denis, Jeannie & John

Denis & Miriam's home is located in a suburb of Galway City - about six miles from the city center. It is quite large and very comfortable. We were delighted to meet our gracious hosts and enjoyed the day with them, although we did have to crash for a few hours to make up for losing sleep on the trip over. They took us to a nearby pub/restaurant for dinner where we sampled a pint of Guinness stout for the first time. I have to say that we both enjoyed it very much. It lacks the carbonation of beer and goes down quite easily.

Denis & Miriam's Home

Our hosts left very early the next morning for their long journey to Mexico. We spent the first day just relaxing at the house while adjusting to the time difference.

On our second day we ventured into Galway City by local bus - just a short trip. We wandered around the central district, visited the Tourist Center, walked the pedestrian area and toured the museum of local history, which was quite interesting.

Hopefully the weather will improve and we'll have a little more sunshine. We are pretty spoiled weather-wise having lived in sunny San Miguel for nine years. There is a lot of scenery to be seen so we'll have to get on with it, sunshine or not.

Our Visit with Kathy & Don

We arrived at Don & Kathy's charming home in New Hampshire and retired early after our exhausting day of air travel. The next day after a refreshing night's sleep we were ready for some sightseeing. Don & Kathy took us for a drive up the Maine coast. The scenery was beautiful - white sand beaches, forests of green trees and rocky coasts all the way up to Kennebunkport - where we pulled over by Walker Point and observed President Bush's grand home. We could only speculate if he was there or not but we could see that someone was playing tennis.

Bush Home at Walker Point, Kennebunkport, ME

I had announced that I wanted to eat a lot of lobster while in New Hampshire so our first lobster experience was a stop for lunch at Saunder's Restaurant where we sat outside with a lovely view and indulged in Lobster Rolls. This is a common item on menus everywhere and consists of a chunks of lobster in a mayo sauce - kind of a lobster salad - on a type of hot dog bun. In this case it was served with potato chips and the lobster was delicious.

We made a stop at the beautiful Wellington by the Sea Resort, where Don had once worked as head of maintenance. What a beautiful place! We walked through the marina and enjoyed the gardens and gazing out to sea.

Wellington-by-the-Sea Resort

On down the road we made another stop at the Ice Box for home made ice cream - yummy! We drove through Kennebunkport and then headed for home. The trip back was much faster as we did not drive along the coast. It was a very enjoyable day.

The next day was Don's birthday and we decided to stay around the house and relax. Kathy made a couple of salads and bought lobsters at the market for dinner. She had them steamed at the market and they came home ready to eat. Wow - what a feast!


On Friday we hit the road again for more sightseeing, this time to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Along the way we stopped for our picnic lunch of fabulous lobster rolls which Kathy had made from the leftovers of our feast. They were the best! The weather was a bit overcast but we enjoyed seeing more of NH and the beautiful mountains and forests.

Saturday it was time to pack up for our departure to Ireland. Our flight was scheduled for 7:00 pm so we had the whole day to get there. We made a stop at Costco and had lunch at Kelly's again where I enjoyed a heaping plate full of fried scallops and John had another roast beef sandwich. We were stuffed but figured we probably would not get much edible food on the plane.

Our Aer Lingus flight from Boston Logan Airport left a little early. They actually served dinner that was not too bad. I found it difficult to get comfortable enough to sleep but John dozed off for quite a long time. We arrived in Shannon early - about 5:30 a.m. Irish time. Our home exchange host, Denis, was at the airport to meet us and take us to Barna for the start of our exchange.

Introduction

Our home exchangers for this trip are Miriam and Denis who live in Barna, a suburb of Galway, Ireland. We have been in touch with them for many months working out the details of our exchange and travel plans. The only slight hitch was my back problem in January of this year which was resolved with successful back surgery in February.

I found an excellent air fare on Aer Lingus from Boston to Shannon so that we could visit my cousins in New Hampshire for a few days on the way to Ireland. We were able to get one ticket with frequent flyer miles from Leon to Boston and another decent fare on another airline. Consequently, John and I flew on different airlines to Boston. The ugly part was that we had a shuttle pick up at 3:00 a.m. for our 6:30 and 6:50 a.m. departures. I arrived on time in Boston at 4:00 p.m. but John's last flight was delayed and he didn't arrive until 6:30 p.m. But, Don and Kathy were there to meet me and we had a nice catch-up visit while waiting for John.