Time to go home...

Again, I haven't had internet access at my disposal so I haven't been writing lately. We go home tomorrow and I have to say that I am ready. I will post more pictures and write more about the trip after I get home and get some sleep that I am sure I will be craving by the time we get to Sarasota.

Let me just make a quick note about Dublin, where we are ending our trip. It is a wonderful city and I have enjoyed every minute that we've been here. It was the perfect finale. Tom and I have walked and walked and walked and saw the major tourist sites, shopped and spent an incredible evening in a Temple Bar pub last night with some new friends. Now it is time to go pack (how will everything fit into our allowed baggage???). The next time I write I will be in the comfort of my own office, in my own home most likely with my dog at my feet.

Thanks for sharing this journey with me.

When it rains it pours!

This was definitely the rainiest day we had experienced so far and we still didn't let it stop us. We went into Kenmare for lunch and to use the library internet and little did we know we'd be there for several hours. It was quite a happening, the talk of the town. Nobody had seen flooding like it before. It actually was a lot of fun (but I did feel badly for the merchants who had water damage) and our car was safe and we got back to the cottage safely.

The Ring of Kerry

The Stunning Dingle Peninsula

I'm finally connected!

Today is Monday, October 27 and we are now in Cork, on the final leg of the trip. I haven't had good internet connection in quite a while, so I'm not sure where to begin. Maybe with a few photos -- these are of the Beara Peninsula, of County Kerry (I think part of it is County Cork). There are three circle drives to do while in Kerry and this is the least "touristy" and spectacular. But the roads were tough and the driving tiring. I don't the think the pictures do it justice. I am going to post some more photos and then I'll add some text. Enjoy.

A very quick update...

I'm sorry I am not keeping everyone up to date on our adventure, but it is harder not having internet connection in our house. We have two more nights in Kenmare and then on to hotels for the rest of the trip, so it should get better. I have some beautiful photographs to post, partly of the Dingle Peninsula, which I loved.

The weather is terrible today, the worst it has been and we decided to go into town for lunch. By the time we got out, the streets were flooded and I'm not sure we can get back to our house right now. Oh well, I can think of worse places to be stuck.

We had a really interesting conversation last night with a couple of guys from England who are living here now. They have some strong feelings about the United States -- at least one of them did. We talked to them for quite a while and hopefully I will write more about it later, when I have more time. I find talking to people from other parts of the world just fascinating. That's what travel is all about in my opinion.

I have to admit that I am really missing sunshine. Maybe I have a vitamin D deficiency developing. Can it happen that fast? I feel like I haven't been active enough and eating way too much. There are such beautiful areas to walk around here, we just need Mother Nature to cooperate. Enough complaining -- I know how lucky I am to be here, rain or shine.

I have to go check out the flooding and see if we can get out of here or if we need to start building an ark.

NO INTERNET SERVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are in our second house in Kenmare, County Kerry. It is absolutely stunning here (though the weather is still lousy) and the house is beautiful, much nicer than the last one. I guess you do get what you pay for. The only negative is that there is no internet connection in the house. Our host says they only haved dial up and that it takes forever so they don't have it in the cottage. So I am writing this from an internet cafe in the town of Kenmare and since it is cloudy, windy and raining, it's not a bad place to be.

Once we see a little sunshine, we are going to drive the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Penninsula -- hopefully that will happen at some point. In the meantime, we are exploring the town, taking walks, listening to music and having a pint here and there.

I won't be posting on a daily basis (obviously) but just wanted to check in. I took some great photos that I will post when I have my own access again (it takes so long to upload them and I'm cheap and Tom is waiting for me).

We are still enjoying outselves and beautiful Ireland. The people are so friendly.

I just realized that I have not written about Galway. Tom and I both loved it -- we were so ready for a real city by that time. We had a really funny experience. Our concierge recommended a restaurant and we decided to go there, but as it was early, we stopped in their pub for a drink first. We were sitting at the bar (the best place to meet locals or fellow travelers)and a gentleman began talking to us. He was having a whiskey and insisted that I try it (he hadn't taken a sip yet otherwise I would never have done it, being as germ phobic as I am). So I tried it and we became fast friends. To make a long story short, he insisted that we go to a different restaurant and he basically kidnapped us and took us there. It turned out to be a fantastic seafood dinner and it was quite an experience. He had a glass of wine with us, and off he went, apparently back to work!

I'll write more about Galway when I get to post some of the photos.

I think I better sign off now -- lunch is calling.

A Few Photographs

Holy Island

Today was a crisp, sunny day and we hired a guide to take us to Holy Island, just a stones throw from our cottage but needing a boat to get there. Our driver/guide Gerald is a local historian and full of fascinating information. It is thought that the island was originally used as a pagan ritual site, as evidenced by the Bullaun Stones that still exist that were most likely used for mixing ritual herbs and spices. The Catholic church built a monastery there, there were Viking attacks and then the church regained control. There are wonderful ruins of several churches, many gravesites and even cows that graze there. Gerald has a website: www.eastclareheritage.com so if you'd like to know more, check it out. And if you are ever in this area, you have to go to Holy Island.

A Nice Laid Back Day

One of the advantages of being gone for a month is that every day does not have to be jam packed with activity and new adventures. And today was one of those days. We woke up to another rainy dreary looking day, had coffee in the cottage, took a ride into a nearby town and checked out the East Clare heritage center which was located in an old Protestant church. It claims to be the oldest consistently used church in all of Great Britain. Of course they only have services there once a month, but I guess that still qualifies them.

We went out to lunch and I finally had Irish stew. I think one time will be enough though it was tasty. I just don't need to have it again. After a nice nap and a load of laundry, it was time to go to my Irish Weight Watcher's meeting. Many of you know that I have been on the WW program since January and haven't exactly been following it to the letter since we are here. I was a bit nervous about going to the meeting, more precisely, being weighed. It wasn't too bad though, I guess all the walking has paid off. It was fun being in a room full of Irish women (they segregate the meetings here) who all have the same challenges and goals as my fellow Sarasota Weight Watchers.

We had a tasty Indian dinner -- it was nice to have some spices for a change and then to a local pub for some delightful music. Now that I've written all of this down, the day does not seem so laid back after all. Maybe tomorrow.

We've decided to leave here a day early so that we can go to Galway for a night. I'm looking forward to that as I will have had enough of the country life for a bit and the city of Galway will be refreshing.

A few things I learned today: taxes on petro went up eight cents a liter after Tuesday's budget. The budget also adds a ten euro departure tax for all of the airports. People traveling on helicopters and Lear jets are exempt from this fee -- go figure. This won't start until January. Madonna's divorce was confirmed and that is very big news here. A bartender told us that the smoking ban and the high price of beer has kept people away from the pubs and I'm sure that is changing the social structure of this society. Until a few years ago, entertainers were exempt from paying any income tax. Now if they make more than 200,000 euros a year, they have to pay tax. Bono moved to Holland.

On that note, I will say good night.

My birthday in Ireland...

I had one of my best birthdays ever today -- I got to spend it with my dear husband in Ireland. Even though yesterday he said he didn't want to do any driving today, guess what, we did. We went to Dromoland Castle and Hotel for lunch. On the way, we passed Quin Abbey, which is the photograph of the ruins that you hopefully can see here. The other photo is the hotel. It is a beautifully restored castle that is now an upscale hotel. Lunch was served in a small room that at one time (about 500 years ago) was a reading room. Lunch was lovely, very relaxing and one of the better meals we've had in a while. The view was spectacular. We had fun conversations with our waiter and with the sales manager that we met after lunch. The subjects of the economy and politics came up, as usual. On one hand, most of the folks here think that Obama is going to win the election, but on the other hand, they don't think that the United States is ready for a president of color. I guess they're covering all the bases.

Oh, I forgot to mention my birthday present: Besides a beautiful necklace, I received a new tire. Yes, we hit a mean pothole and wound up with a tire bubble. It was making me so nervous to drive with that (I kept envisioning us having a blowout, swerving out of control, winding up in the middle of a herd of Irish cows or worse) so Tom decided to calm my nerves and get a new tire. I was able to enjoy the rest of the day.

On the way home from lunch, we stopped at a local pub and had a birthday drink. One of my favorite things to do here has been to talk with the local residents. And there is no better place to do that than in the pubs. The annual budget came out today so that was a big topic of conversation. There was a lot of fear beforehand about what taxes would be raised and how it would affect individuals. I still don't understand much of it, but I did learn that petro, alcohol and cigarette prices are going to go up. This morning they feared that cigarettes would go up by two or more euros a pack and they were relieved to find out that it would only be half a euro. That means that one pack will cost 8.05 euros (almost $10 a pack). Tomorrow there will be a 34 page supplement in the Irish Times explaining in detail how the new budget will affect everyone. It is certainly an interesting time to be here.

When we got back to the cottage, I received a Skype call from both of my kids, actually at the same time and we were all able to talk together. That was a great treat and it was so sweet of them to call on the big day. Tom then made a delicious dinner and here we are, relaxing in front of a roaring fire, sipping some dessert wine.

Thank you to everyone who sent me b-day wishes. I appreciate them all. If you know me, you know that I love birthdays and this one has been no exception. I feel so lucky to be here, with Tom, to have another birthday, and to be able to communicate with all of you. Enjoy every day -- it doesn't make any sense not to.

Sunday and Monday in East County Clare...

We have done a lot of driving in the past two days, or should I say Tom has done a lot of driving. We went to a castle and a folk village called Bunratty. Rick Steves recommended against spending time there but I thought it was worthwhile. It's a bit touristy, but then again, I'm a tourist. The castle was pretty amazing -- lots of stairs going up very narrow spiral staircases. I'm feeling it in my quads today!

The picture above left is the castle and to the right of that is their walled garden. We're having a little difficulty with the camera, but it has been cloudy and overcast, so most of the lighting is accurate. The picture on the bottom is Portumna castle. There wasn't much to see inside but it was interesting nonetheless. But the grounds were impressive -- must cost them quite a bit for the upkeep. They had a big "kitchen garden," something most households had years ago in order to grow needed fruits and vegetables and be self sustaining. Today, this garden grows organic produce and they sell it at a weekly farmers market.

We haven't had the best of luck in picking good restaurants in the past few days. I know Ireland doesn't have the best reputation for gourmet cuisine, but I wasn't ready for the limited choice of food we've been finding. I think it will be better when we get to Dublin, but that's a couple of weeks away. So what we've been doing since we're in the house is eating lunch on the road and cooking our own dinner. It's fun to go to the grocery store, of which there are many, including some large supermarkets. There are similarties to our stores but a lot of differences too. The Irish are really big on pork products and the grocery stores have large sections devoted to ham (bacon), pork chops, and other related meats. Lots and lots of beef too. But they also have beautiful produce departments, bakeries and just about everything else, including lots of candy choices. I don't think they use nitrates in their processed meats -- at least I hope that's the reason they look so anemic.

I'm sure some readers might not find this discussion of grocery stores interesting, but it is one of our favorite things to do when we travel to other countries. It really teaches you a lot about the similarities and differences in our cultures. Here's another example: we are so concerned with hygiene and security and here they leave their fresh baked goods, unwrapped, sitting on shelves available to everyone.

I think tomorrow is going to be more relaxed and will not include as much driving. If the weather cooperates, we are going to take a walk in a nearby park and figure out what to do with the next few days.

I hope everyone had a better day today than all of those crazy days last week. We have a tiny little t.v. in this house (with no remote control) so we're not watching quite as much news and I like that. I hear what I need to hear and the rest will wait.

Time to relax....

We had a fun morning at the Ennis farmers' market. The picture above shows one of the stands that had beautiful olives, hummus varieties, cheeses and more. After loading up with yummy looking goodies and stopping at the big grocery store, we checked out of our hotel and headed for our first house in Mountshannon. We made it with no problems (Tom is really getting the hang of this driving thing). The middle photo (if this works right) is the view from our house and the other picture is of Lough Derg, a stunning lake that is about a quarter of a mile away. Our host, James, is very nice and the cottage is just right. I am looking forward to relaxing for a week, taking some day trips in the area and hearing about Tom's future rounds of golf that hopefully the weather will allow him to play.

By the way, today was actually sunny and almost dry. Tomorrow is supposed to be the same but then they say more rain is on the way. I think that is just how it is going to be. I don't even care any more. I'm happy to be here and am looking forward to the next week. I may even make it to a Weight Watcher's meeting.

I've heard from a few of you and I can't tell you how much I appreciate the e-mails and the blog comments. I'm glad you are enjoying this blog and I hope you continue to do so. I may not be writing every day as I think this next week is going to be fairly low key but most likely I'll jot something down or at least post some photographs.

I have a little travel tip, especially if you are winging it like we are for parts of this trip. Make sure to keep the name and phone number of the hotels or b&b's you are staying in. It will help if you realize several days later that you might have left something somewhere. Yes, I am speaking from experience. I left one of my "jumpers" (sweaters -- actually a hoodie) and a hat in the hotel in Gort. With a little digging, I was able to figure it out and they have them and I'm figuring out how to get them back. I guess I haven't been as cold lately, otherwise I would have realized this earlier. Oh well.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Enjoying Ennis, County Clare

We enjoyed our first full day in Ennis. This is a great town and if you ever find yourself in County Clare, make sure you spend some time here. The weather was terrible -- worse than yesterday but we took a walk anyway and wound up at the public library for a few hours. It looked just like a library you'd find at home -- school groups, Halloween decorations and all. We had a delicious pub lunch and then back to the hotel for a rest. We spent the evening at our new favorite pub, Brograns, had dinner there, watched what I guess was an important Rugby match and then listened to some traditional Irish music.

It was a low key, damp day but I truly enjoyed it. There is a farmers market tomorrow that we are looking forward to. The plan is to load up on fresh vegies and other local gastronomical delights and then head to Mountshannon, where we will experience our first house rental. I've been hearing and reading great things about that area and if the weather clears up somewhat, I think it is going to be a fantastic week. OK, even if it continues to rain, I know we'll have a wonderful time anyway. It is only about 30 minutes from Ennis (if we don't get lost) so I am pretty sure we'll be back here.

By the way, if you don't have Skype, you should get it, especially if you travel or have friends in other countries. I've been able to stay in touch with my kids and it is so much fun to be able to see them while I'm talking to them. I hope they feel the same.

Happy birthday to my friends Debby and Cindy. I love you both.