Happy, Jet Lagged, New Year!

Renee and I had a MUCH better trip from Ireland than we did going to Ireland. Our stay in New Jersey was about two hours, as compared to about 26hours. All of the cranky, nasty people that work in that dysfunctional airport truly deserve each other.

There was some thought that we might not leave Ireland due to the weather. It was rainy, of course, but the wind was wicked. As we waited in the terminal we could see our plane right there in front of us on the other side of the window. The wind was blowing right into the vertical stablizer (the tail) and it was rocking the whole plane back and forth at least two feet. But, I guess we're lucky and they're used to it cause up we went, smooth and true.

On both the Ireland to NJ and NJ to Tampa flights Renee had reserved us Exit Door seats. These seats have two advantages, more legroom (very important for me) and no children are allowed. The only downside is if the door opens up in flight. The extra legroom made a huge difference to me. On the flight out I was sore in my knees and hips.

Again, we thank you for reading of our travels and we wish you and yours all the best in the new year.

Kevin and Renee

We're back in Sarasota USA

Just a quick post to let all our loyal readers know that we made it back from Ireland. It's about 11:30 Florida time, but for us it is 4:30am. It's been a Looooooonnnng day. We'll update in detail tomorrow.

Last Day Eve

Nolan’s B&B, Kilkee, County Clare
Friday, December 29, 2006

Greetings from the country of magical lands, friendly folks and winds up to 140km/hour. Actually that was the wind a bit north of us. I doubt if it gusted past 80km/hr here. So, it was a keep my good hat in the pocket and forget about chip and putt golfing day.

Renee and I went for another fabulous drive, mostly along the coast. It remains spectacular. We went from Kilkee through Kilrush and Killimer then on to Killbill and Killbill part 2. Just kidding about those last two (wanted to see if you’re paying attention).

Kilrush is where we downloaded the blog accounts today. It’s a fair sized little city, bigger than Louisburgh but not as large as Athlone. If that description doesn’t help, and I don’t know how it couldn’t, let me say that Kilrush is smaller than New York City but larger than the back seat of a Porche 911.

In any case, they had an internet café (five Euros an hour) and some real interesting places to eat and a good sized tourist information building. All of which were closed. Why was everything closed? Well, it is Christmas week still, also a lot of these places are seasonal and we got there before 1pm. This is really odd, to us anyway, if you go to a good sized city or village before 1pm, it is seemingly deserted. After 1pm, it suddenly becomes thriving. This even happened in Galway City.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Ireland. If that’s not sad enough, then listen to this. We will get on a plane Sunday that will take us from wondrous Ireland to an airport in New Jersey. Talk about culture shock, Arrrrgggh!

Today was a slow day picture-wise, we took a little under 300 pictures. Oh well, it was raining dark and windy. Of course it was also sunny, clear and warm. The weather does change frequently around here. Quondo, Quondo, Quondo, Quondo…

We’re leaving? Noooo!!!! Tomorrow is our last day? Oh, Noooooo!!!! Renee here, experiencing separation anxiety just thinking about departing Ireland.

I know one of the things I will miss is the friendliness of the people driving on the roads. I’m not kidding. I have grumbled to Kevin about driving through our own neighborhood in Sarasota and NOT getting a return wave of “hello” from 99% of the people. Growing up in rural New Hampshire everyone waved to everyone. Now I don’t mean a big hand-waving greeting, just an acknowledgement as you pass. Well, driving here I have found that 99% of the drivers DO at least give you a finger, and no, I don’t mean THAT finger. Just a raised index finger uncurled from the grip on the steering wheel to acknowledge you in passing. Of course you will get the full raised hand if you do something worthy, such as wait your turn and let oncoming traffic pass before you on a narrow road, etc. It makes me giggle every time.

Tomorrow we will return to the B&B and try to pack everything into the suitcases. Wish us luck, they were full when we arrived. Ha! Happy New Year to all.

Oh, this may very well be our last posting from Ireland. We may find an internet connection at the airport(s) but if not, it's been grand.

This blog is not finished. "Project-Ireland" is the process of moving to Ireland and living in Ireland. So please check us from time to time. Slan.

personal note: Joyce, I tried to e-mail you at your "roses Comcast" address and it bounced back to me. Please e-mail me so that I can get your current address. Don't post it here, just e-mail me.

Nolan’s B&B, Kilkee, County Clare
Thursday, December 28, 2006

Kevin and I played with the donkeys then checked out of the Falls Hotel with just a little hiccup (personal, private joke, notated here for posterity’s record – sorry no details for ya’ll).

Getting lucky again, the winter drive to Kilkee was graced with beautiful sunny weather. Unsure of what to expect once we arrived at our destination, we would be following the coastline of Western Ireland and that was going to be enough. This was, after all, our final three days in this fine country and we have truly been lucky with every place we’ve stayed so far. Nothing could dampen our spirits now.

Well, the drive to Kilkee was up hill and down dale, through rolling pastures, then along the coast. As we topped a hill and negotiated another dangerous curve, we could see Kilkee straight ahead. Nestled around the hillside along the horseshoe-shaped Kilkee Bay, with a huge public beach, was this amazing village! We could not have been more surprised, nor more pleased.

We found Nolan’s B&B with the help of a local woman walking down the street. Another great surprise, a fine home and our room is all one could ask for and more. After checking in we took right off for some exploring as the skies were threatening rain.

Wait until you see the pictures! Just incredible views awaited us as we followed the Scenic Loop. And with the darkening skies came the wind . . . . Kevin removed his hat and left it in the car but it wasn’t until our return to town and a stop for lunch that we realized that his hat was no longer in the car. How the****? We were devastated. It’s such a fine hat, and was an even greater buy than we expected, and Kevin looks so darn good in it. I couldn’t see how we were going to replace it.

Kevin’s lunch was typical fare; he ordered the special turkey and ham combination. I soon experienced my first disappointment in this fair land; I ordered the mussels only to have the server return with the bad news: no mussels today. They had gone bad, we later overheard. I settled for a chicken salad sandwich which turned out to be delicious.

During lunch we tried not to suffer too much angst about the lost hat and I decided to retrace our drive along the Scenic Loop when we left. It was only five or six miles of extremely windy terrain and we had only stopped a dozen or so times for photos . . . . I was as hopeful as Kevin was not.

Two or three miles into the drive we were racking our brain when I remembered a spot where we pulled off to photo a stone marker remembering two men who died on April 4, (my birthday) 1982. We had speculated that they may have been lost at sea. Optimistically, I told Kevin that was where we were going to find the hat.

The rain was beginning to sprinkle and there was no sign yet of Kevin’s precious Donegal tweed hat by Gerry Moran (the Hatman of Ireland).

I hadn’t remembered the stone marker being on such a sharp, dangerous curve and I was concentrating on the road for that split second it took to negotiate when Kevin hollered “Stop, I see something!” As I pulled over and Kevin jumped out, sure enough, there it was. Twelve inches in any direction and we would never have seen it. It wasn’t even wet or muddy, not that we would have cared. We were giddy with our good fortune. Huzzah!

We returned to town, toured around the town some more, then stopped at Nolan’s Market (any relation to Ann of our B&B???) and purchased take away for dinner, later, along with other incidentals. The employees could not have been friendlier or more helpful supplying local information. (Kevin here) When we asked if there was live music tonight. The deli counter woman turned to the two younger girls and asked that they find out. One of them walked me toward the door and showed me a schedule of music at a local club. Then, in the rain, she walked me outside (wearing socks and sandals) and pointed to the club. These people are SO kind here. One of the biggest adjustments I’ll have to make, back in the usa, is the people. However, I am sure that our stopover at the NJ Airport will be sure to set me straight.

Tomorrow’s “plans” depend on the weather. If we get a decent period of non-rain, I’d like to go to a Chip and Putt course and do some golfing. What exactly is Chip and Putts relationship to actual golf? If we go tomorrow, I’ll let you know. So stay tuned.

Oh, and we know we’ve fallen behind in our postings. It is just not so easy to find a way to connect to the internet. The more beautiful the countryside, the less likely you are to be able to get on that interweb thing.

Now is the time for us to eat our delicious sandwiches, salads and such. Then it’s coffee for me and a cup of tea for Renee as we watch the telly.

Good Night from Ireland

Kevin and Renee

The "Lah Tee Dah" Hotel

Cliffs of Moher, then Ennistmyon
Dylan Thomas’ Summer House, the “Falls Hotel”
Wednesday, December 28, 2006

Departed Galway City bound for the Cliffs of Moher and a day and night at the famous Falls Hotel. The sun shone brightly, no wind, as cold as an autumn day in New England. Just grand!

Words will not describe the spectacular beauty of the Cliffs. We were graced with a magnificent day, accompanied by the lilt of a man playing his penny whistle as we walked. Worth the trip for this day alone!

We splurged on our one day stay at the 144 room Falls Hotel in Ennistmyon, learning that it was originally the summer house of Dylan Thomas and his wife. It was appropriately named, as the falls raged down the hill from town and the river flowed past the hotel’s meadow. Donkeys grazed in the meadow view from our room.

We took advantage of the indoor swimming pool and their hot tub, but went into town for Chinese take away for our dinner.

The only internet access was one coin-operated portal in the whole place (this really surprised us), and was always occupied when we wished to use it.

A wedding and reception was taking place during our visit, (seems this is thee place for such events), and the hotel, which is HUGE, was beautifully decorated for Christmas in addition to all of the antiques and gorgeous ceilings. What a spot! And I haven’t even mentioned their River Spa and all the luxurious things offered there.

Kevin and I took a record 512 photos between us today! Ireland Now!

Happy St. Stephen's Day !

Hello out there! Kevin here, still in Galway City.

St. Stephen's day is the day that follows Christmas. It is a holiday in its' own right as we are finding out. This means that, just as on Christmas, everything is closed. Hmmmm.

All is still well here. We went for a short ride down to the Salthill section of Galway City this morning. There were breathtaking sea views and hills with horses dotting them. Also, right on the bay in one of the best locations, was a mobile home park, with palm trees. Yes, I am serious.

Tonight's our last night in this wonderful city. Next it's on to "The Falls" in Ennistimon, in County Clare. It appears to be QUITE a nice hotel, with a pool and most importantly, Steam Baths. Oh Boy Oh Boy!

Renee here, hoping everyone had a blessed Christmas celebration. We're thinking of each of you and wishing you the best.

Kevin and Renee

Christmas Eve in Galway City, Ireland

Just a quick note from the Internet Cafe while we're shopping in Galway City, wishing you and yours the very Merriest Christmas holiday.

Aloha to everyone. Slan, Kevin & Renee

Another day inside a beautiful painting.

Wednesday 20, December 2006

Another day inside a beautiful painting. The scenery we saw today rivaled that of paintings hanging on the wall of the finest museums.
We took over 500 pictures today. Out of that number, probably 100 are absolutely amazing. The best part is that we stayed “local” today. By local I mean within Louisburgh, where we have been staying since Saturday.

We were at amazing beaches with sweeping vistas of rock, sea and sky with either Clare Island or Crough Padrick (Ireland’s Holiest mountain) hanging in the background and endless fields dotted with sheep, cows, horses and or donkeys off to the side.

We also spent time in “downtown” Louisburgh. It is a small to medium sized village that is growing. We chatted with Brigid, the Auctioneer’s (Real Estate Agent) assistant, the grocer, the girls at the Louisburgh 74 café and their children and Renee popped into the surf shop to say hello to Sarah, who works there. I’m sure there were others too.

So far, this looks like it would be a wonderful place to live. Today we spent a fair amount of time going through the Auctioneer’s list and driving up to the houses for sale. We’ll follow up on one or two tomorrow.

The weather was nicer today. No fog, no rain, just wind, sun and darkness. The sun sets around 4pm here. The skies were quite beautiful today, dotted with clouds large and small.

Today’s list of animals we saw include donkeys, pheasants, cows, horses, sheep (of course) goats, cats and dogs. This includes the two sneaky dogs in Louisburgh that slid their noses under a solid wood fence so they could growl at us and confuse us at to where the hell that noise came from. It was funny, you had to be there.

We continue to enjoy everything about Ireland. It is also very nice to be taking a break from the terrors and frustrations of watching CNN, the network news and reading the paper. News from America is scant. The biggest story that has come through recently was the death of the man (Hannah or Barbera) who was the animator for the Flintsones and other fine cartoons. That actually got a LOT of coverage here.

It is a different world here and that’s a good thing. Christmas is five days away, but, in my opinion, it is a lot more low key than it is in the US. The Irish newspapers, radio and television stations do have ads for Christmas merchandise and sales, but nowhere near as much as ours. The holiday decorations in the towns are there, but simpler, some have an open Christian theme and others not.

I hope that all of your holiday planning and parties are going well and we look forward to being with you next year.

Kevin and Renee

Monday AND Tuesday

Monday, December 18, 2006

Cottage #9

Bunowen, Louisburgh, County Mayo

Ice on windshield this A.M., (0 degrees overnight).

We were warm and toasty all night with the heaters, and the fire embers were still hot at breakfast.

And what a grand breakfast it was . . . . Cheerios with sliced bananas, orange juice, tea and coffee, and toasted “brown fruit bread” with Irish Connacht Gold butter and bitter orange marmalade from France.

Sanoe (low, pervasive fog) rolled into the village as we ate, obscuring all vision, hung around for one hour, and lifted as we headed off in the rental car for more adventures.

First stop, the Granuile Information Centre, which we can see from our cottage window across the hilly pastures and curve in the winding road. Kitty O’Malley in attendance, and just as Irish as her name. She answered all my questions: Where’s Roonagh Pier for the Clare Island Ferry? She produced a map worthy of purchase and we sprang for the 1.5 euro. It was the best! Where’s the nearest horse/equestrian center? (Drommindoo) How many schools in town? (elementary through college) Internet access in the library (limited hours and days). The center offers a video of the area, for free.

Second stop, the only surf shop I’ve seen out this way. Store clerk, Sarah, (father’s Irish, she’s Australian, been here 4 yrs.) very friendly and informative. Shop owner has just ordered the first paddle in the area and a very long, long board. They’re excited with anticipation. Can go all the way to Clare Island in good weather with a paddle. Need 5 mil. wetsuit year round. Carrowinisky Beach where locals surf.

Magnificent views of coast, Clare Island, mountains, and everything in between on drive to Roonagh. Saw two beautiful, fat pheasants in the pasture as driving by.

Missed ferry so decided to climb Croagh Padraig, Clough Patrick. All shops closed, restrooms open.

“Famine Ship” sculpture across road from entrance to car park for climb.

Returned to Louisburgh for lunch. 1:30 P.M., looking forward to the 74. Closed. To the grocery store. Tried Durkan’s Gala. Sandwiches (made to spec), potato salad, Coke, Pringles, sparkling apple juice (YUK!), and a bag of mini-mincemeat pies. PICNIC!!!! On the beach. Drove towards Silver Strand (Tallahbawn Beach) but when reached Cross Strand, didn’t need to go any farther. Beautiful Atlantic Beach views and Croagh Patrick. Postman, single man, Surfers (man and woman), young couple, woman with cane walking her dog.

Home back over the Bunowen River as sun dropped, 4:30 P.M. Opened the Dutch door for sunset.

“Saw Doctors” on laptop.

Turned on heat 5 P.M. Washed my hair in giant tub. Too early for a fire.

Shepherd’s Pie with buttered fruit bread for dinner, at home.

481 photos taken today.

Going watch movie now, “Six Degrees of Separation,” bought last week.

Another glorious day!

==================================================================

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Cottage #9

Bunowen, Louisburgh, County Mayo

Frog and Mice, I heard Kevin say from the kitchen. Fog and Ice, was what he actually said. The Sanoe rolled in to stay all day, today. 5 P.M. now and we’ve been home since half 4. It’s STILL mighty foggy, plus now dark. At least it did not rain today. It’s not too cold now, and the house will be toasty soon, as Kevin’s making the turf fire now.

When we left the cottage at 10 A.M. it was too foggy to enjoy the ferry, plus did not want to spend seven hours on Clare Island. So instead, we drove to Silver Strand, called Thallabawn (really!). A huge stretch of beach greeted us over the rise in the road. What a spot!!!! Now I can say I’ve been in the Atlantic Ocean off Ireland. Actually took a boot full of it with me!

I was crossing a series of deep tidal pools and stepped on what I thought was another rock in the water. It was really an old black bait bucket that crumbled under my step, filling my right muck boot to the ankle. Was BRRRRRR cold, too. No permanent damage done and once back in the car my pants leg and boot dried out quickly. I drove with a bare right foot for the rest of the day, putting on my boot without a sock when we stopped.

Then we took a fabulous drive to Leenuan (Leeane). On the N59, turned onto the 344, around Killary Harbour, past Lough Inagh, along DooLough Pass, around the Twelve Pins. Could not see 100 yards in any direction, too bad, too, the Sheefry Hills on one side, Mweelrea Mountains on the other. (Was clearer on the return drive.)

On the Connemara circle we saw lots of sheep by the roadside, bogs of peat all around, some great waterside properties: Delphi Cottages, salmon fisheries, adventure centers, Ballynahinch Castle, and beautiful homes.

Back on the N59, we drove on to Recess, where we stopped for lunch (fish and chips for both us). The Craft shop and show room for the special Connemara marble were closed for the winter. Our young server girl told me Cousin Kevin Joyce’s BMW was parked in front his house and he may be home. We decided not to bother him. We took photos and then traveled on toward Clifden, turning around at the end of the Derryclare Lough, in time to drive “home” to Louisburgh before nightfall. We’ll go directly to Clifden another day.

Another fabulous day, and mince meat pie for dessert later.

We're In Galway City !

Hello out there. Renee and I arrived in Galway City late this afternoon. We had to drive through some of the, if not THE, most spectacular scenery in Ireland to get here, but what the heck, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Right now I am in the Hotel Ibis lobby, on the outskirts of Galway City. I'm sending this on a coin operated computer. This is the first one of these gadgets I've encountered. But it's better than nothing. It costs aboout 9 cents a minute.

We had intended to go to Galway City proper tonight, but decided to stay in, eat food, take hot showers and watch European TV instead. This is a vacation after all.

Tomorrow when we do go to the City, we'll download the last few days adventures. We have been writing them every day, we just can't seem to find a place to download them.

So, I hope this finds all well and in good Christmas cheer.

We'll be "talking" to you tomorrow.

Kevin and Renee