Day 4: Big rocks, Cris goes home, Fort

Today we woke up with vim and/or vigor but feeling a bit foot-sore from our previous adventures.  We headed off to the Rock of Cashel which is one of the biggest (pun intended) tourist attractions in Ireland.  It is another gigantic castle on top of a big limestone rock.  We got there just in time for a tour with a funny guy that liked to spin a good yarn.  The castle is gigantic and the architecture is really impressive.  The complex arches and stonework were beyond what I could do with one arm tied behind my back.  Again the view from the top was amazing and you could look down upon Hore Abbey which is where Cris was born and raised.  Halfway through the tour a choir stepped into the main hall of the castle and sang a song which echoed throughout.  There was also a girl playing harp for a while. 

We then walked down the big hill to Hore Abbey which was a lot less touristy due to requiring walking.  It was in the middle of a field where sheep graze and you could just walk anywhere.  It was cool to see how the lowly abbey was down in the sheep fields while the big mighty Rock of Cashel fort was on top of the mountain looking down. 

We tried to see Ormond Castle too which is an old castle with a newer addition to it that is still in pretty good shape, but it was closed for renovations so we could only walk around the perimeter gate. 

Next up was Dunbrody Abbey, another gigantic structure.  It was very similar in structure and layout to St. Canices cathedral so it was pretty easy to imagine what it used to look like.  The best part was that you get a key from an office across the street and then go unlock the Abbey door. so we were the only people in the entire place.  It was quiet and a lovely place to just chill and enjoy the views. 

Just down the street is Duncannon Fort, right on the ocean.  We walked down to the beach and waded in the frigid water to look up at the old fort.  There are some really old sections and other sections that were clearly updated for WW2.  The locals just go park right on the beach and swim right under this gigantic old fort.  It was pretty cool.

We finished the night with a 3 course French meal consisting of liver pate’, duck confit, and crème brule’’’.  Yum-O.

Day 3: Old Stones, cows, older stacked stones, and BEER

We woke up today full of piss and vinegar (the good kind) and headed out for a bunch of old wall circles.  After driving through a bunch of too narrow roads Google told us to stop behind a random field.  There were a couple farmers loading cows into a trailer so we asked them where to go for Rathgall Hillfort and he grunted and pointed down a path pretty much straight through the cowpasture.  We walked a ways until we got to a gate and dumbly stood in front of it talking about climbing over.  The farmer yelled at us to just push the gate and it swung freely open.  Looking like some dumb tourists we continued across this farmer’s field to another gate.  After a few more instructions from the farmer we found a few steps to get over this fence.  So, in the middle of this farmer’s fields surrounded by cows is a gigantic bronze age fort ruin.  Basically, it’s just 4 concentric circles of 6 foot tall rock walls beyond which is a panorama of mountain views.  We were the only ones there walking around on heather laden bog touching these ancient stones.  It was magical.

Next we went to Duckett’s Grove which is a castle that was made in 1745.  It was clearly made by a pretty unique rich dude that had a love affair with old castles.  They made this huge castle and then added a walled garden and then added another walled garden just for kicks.  There were only 2 other people there so we wandered around and enjoyed the enormity of the castle ruins.  There were still some candle and tea shops but otherwise there was barely anything going on there.  It was cool.

Following that we continued south to the Rock of Dunamase which is another castle ruin but this time up much higher.  This one was built back in the 9^th century way on top of a big rock so after a bit of a hike up the views were insane!  You could see the wind rippling miles of grass fields below and plenty of mountains in the distance.  There were some kids playing hide-and-seek around the ruins which was fun to watch.  Cris spent most of her time hugging rocks and talking about the floor plan and what probably occurred in each room.  I listened very well and never rolled my eyes, I also picked up the biggest rock over my head. 

Crazily enough this still wasn’t the end of the day.  It’s daylight for almost 19 hours a day so we wear out before the sun does each day.  St. Canice’s Cathedral was up next in the cool little town of Kilkenny.  One cool thing about Ireland is that a lot of the old stuff still is not touristy and you just randomly come across it as you're heading to something in the guidebooks.  We were driving along and saw a sign for Brownshill Dolmen which is an gigantic rock leaning on some other rocks that they used for a tomb thousands of years ago.  It was just chillin' in the middle of a farmers field so we helped hold it up for a while.

Then we kept going down the road and there was a super old cemetery with a pretty sweet view so we stopped again.  We finally made it to St. Canice's Cathedral.  It was a super fancy church with a super tall round tower.  The pictures really don’t do the inside of the church justice, the craftsmanship was amazing.  The church is still used so it was neat to see all the normal things you’d see in a church, but in a structure that is nearly 800 years old.  

Then we went outside to the round tower where I made clucking noises at Cris until she told me that there is no way I’d ever be able to get her to go up to the top.  I went up without her.  Being 6’6” and broad shouldered isn’t great for climbing a structure that was built for underfed, ancient monks but I managed to make it up all 121 steps. 

Next up is Smithwick’s brewery (the W is silent of course).  They had a pretty lame multimedia presentation with moving pictures and whatnot.  Then we got to drink 3 beers which were adequate.  The building was cool and they are super proud of being the oldest brewery in the universe or something. 

Finally, we went to a pub for dinner and got to hear some Trad music.  It was super cool.  The three guys sat down with their instruments and then two waiters came up and poured some tea at the same time.  Then the stepped back together, grabbed cream, and poured it into the tea at the same time.  I guess that’s a tradition, but it was only the start of an amazing performance.  The three guys played guitar, fiddle, and accordion and harmonized vocals at the same time.  That part was amazing, but then two of them went to go get some Guinness and left the lone fiddler to do his thing.  He closed his eyes and belted out the most powerful Irish ballad ever and followed it with a fiddle solo until the others came back with brews.  What a great end to a great day.  

Day two: Russborough house and Glendalough National Park

We started out the day refreshed after tons of sleep. Off we went to Russbourough house, which is a lame name for an amazing 18^th century mansion. It seems like the type of house for Pride and Prejudice, so obviously, I was off in imagination land, and Paul had to constantly keep me from running into people and stuff.

It was an awesome house to tour, and learn cool history and see old furniture. Then we went for a long walk along the gardens and grounds. Naturally, there were sheep on the premise. And old walls. I have a fondness for old walls…if only they could tell me the stories through their lives! Anywho, Paul waited patiently as I reverently touched walls, with both hands on them, eyes closed, and sometimes resting my forehead on them. <3 a="" by="" flummoxed="" having.="" he="" man="" nbsp="" nice="" o:p="" rain="" said="" that="" the="" was="" we="" were="">

After the wonders of Russborough, we went to our first airbnb to check in and drop off our stuff.

Then it was off to Glendalough National Park. On the way there, we took the Wicklow Gap, a pretty scenic route that went high up in the mountains. Naturally, we stopped along the way for amazing photos.

Glendalough was amazing! There’s an ancient Monastic site (aka more reverent wall-loving) as well as some lakes and hiking paths. We stayed there for a long time. Sadly fishing was not allowed.

On the way back, we took Sally Gap scenic route. This way was a bit scarier than Wicklow Gap, but WOW the views were stunning! Even though I was nervous for some parts, since I was right next to a steep cliff and Paul was on day two of crazy-European driving, it was totally worth it for those views! THIS was the way I pictured Ireland in my head.  The Top Gear guys would have added that road to their top 10 I’m sure, it was beautiful and full of curves and not nearly wide enough for two cars.

Random lesson of the day: Even though Argos looks like a weird tiny store with only a counter and 10 used xbox games for sale, if Google says that is where you can buy a fan, trust Google! We walked right past in disbelief, triple checked with Google and went in just to see what was true. Apparently, you go up the counter and tell them what you want, they get it from the store warehouse behind a door, and bring it to you. What a cool way to shop!

Day One: Airplane zombies, Book of Kells, and Guinness

Our trip to Ireland started out a bit more stressful than I would have preferred. I was already nervous about the 1 hour and 40 minute time between flights, but Paul and Google answers assured me that it was JUST the right amount of time. Of course, then we had a plane delay.

I decided not to be nervous about it, because vacations shouldn’t be about stress, yo. But there *was* a moment when they were considering cancelling the flight. Eep. Anywho, we got to Atlanta at 7pm, and our next plane (to Ireland) was supposed to start boarding at 7pm. So we booked it in the airport along with almost everyone else from our first plane.

Fortunately, we made it in time, and the moment I sat in the final plane seat, I was no longer concerned. The flight was even shorter than it was supposed to be – by about an hour – because of good tailwinds. Huzzah! We landed in Ireland, super excited to start our day.

Except that we were pretty darn tired. We had left home at 3pm, and it was difficult to sleep on the plane, since they constantly walk up and down the aisle to give out free booze. It was approx. 3am to our bodies, and we maybe got 2 hours of sleep on the plane. So we were struggling to keep our eyes open.

We learned that driving in Dublin was a bad idea, so we drove to our hotel, which was on the outskirts of the city. Luck was on our side, and they let us check in super early, so we didn’t have to worry about our luggage in the car.

We left the car (which, by the way, Paul drives like a pro despite it being a manual on the wrong side of the car that drives on the wrong side of the road) at the hotel and took the tram into the city. Holy bananas, I wish every city in America had a tram! It was SUPER easy to figure out how to get around Dublin in it.

We went right away to Trinity College to check out the Book of Kells. The problem with the tram, though, was that it was too tempting to sleep. Paul had to practically shake me to keep me awake. I also slapped myself a few times.

There was a tour of Trinity College that went with seeing the Book of Kells. That college has some amazing history. It was cool to hear about all the famous people who went there, and the buildings were so old and SO pretty!

After touring the campus, we went to see the Book of Kells. I’ve been super excited about seeing it. It was super cool, however, there were crowds and no lines or whatever, so the Book was just on a table, under glass, and people just randomly went up and politely pressured others out of their way. So I didn’t get to look at the Book of Kells as much as I would have liked. It was too crazy in there.

Fortunately, the next stop was the rest of the library that holds the Book of Kells. WOW. What an unbelieveably gorgeous library. Paul had to guide me around the crowds, because my eyes were fastened on the books and the ceiling, not where I was walking. I want to own that library. Those books *need* to be read!

After Trinity College, we cancelled our other plans because we were sleep deprived zombies. Of course, we couldn’t cancel our first Guinness beer! We went specifically to Brazen Head pub, the oldest pub in Dublin, from 1193 A.D.!!!! It was really cool. What a perfect place to drink our first Irish Guinness. J

Then we struggled to stay awake for the tram ride back. But we were determined to get on Irish time, so next we went out for dinner. I would like to apologize to Paul again for how cranky I was. Since I’ve never been sleep deprived before, I didn’t know that I get very very grumpy when I need sleep. Oops.

Finally, we stumbled back to our hotel, and fell asleep almost immediately. We slept 12 hours that night, and I didn’t move at all. Bliss.

Random lesson of the day: Tesco is NOT like walmart, despite what people say. Nope, it’s just a crappy and small grocery store with one aisle of swimming stuff and an aisle of toys.  They do have Bourbon crackers which are also not what they should be.

Random lesson of the day part deux: It’s impossible to find plastic cutlery to buy for making our own sandwiches. They don’t like plastic here. Oh, and buy a shopping bag ASAP for groceries.

Why Are We Going to Ireland?

Later this week, Paul and I are excitedly off to a grand 3 week adventure to Ireland! We are super excited for this vacation!

I keep getting asked: "Why did you pick Ireland?" So I thought I would jot down the details.

As long as I can remember, I have dreamed of travelling Europe. I have college degrees in classics (greek and roman stuff), medieval Europe history, and early modern European history. So yeah, it's kinda my passion. :)

When Paul and I were dating, we would talk a bunch about all the things we wanted to do in Europe someday. We really wanted to go to Europe for our honeymoon, but we got married while we were still poor college students.

So here we are now, 11 years of marriage, and we finally have enough money saved to go to Europe. Woohoo! However, we don't have enough time and money for ALL of Europe (um...yeah, when you have multiple college degrees in European history and literature, you kinda want to see LOTS and LOTS of stuff), so we're going to explore one country at a time.

So why did we choose Ireland?

Choosing Ireland as our first European adventure happened kinda randomly. I have a passion for Europe, however, I have honestly never thought about Ireland before. I have lists and lists of places I want to see in England, Germany, Greece, Italy, France, etc., but I never read anything about Ireland before and it wasn't on my radar of interests.

1. Literature.

Then, one day, I read the book Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1) by Juliet Marillier. It was a fairytale retelling of the Six Swans, and I'm a huge fan of fairytale retellings. The book took place in medieval Ireland. And holy monkeys, the author did an amazing job making the Irish landscape sound magical. She mentioned plenty of historical places in Ireland, too, so I was suddenly for the first time ever interested in Ireland.

I told Paul about the book, and I casually mentioned that 'we should learn more about Ireland' for future Europe visits.

2. Movies and television.

Paul is super awesome and took my casual comment very seriously. It wasn't long before he found some movies and a tv series about Ireland to watch together.

First, we watched The Secret Kells. It's a beautifully illustrated film about the Book of Kells in Ireland. It's a beautiful film and it started making Paul and I even more curious about Ireland.

Next, we watched the TV series Moone Boy about an adolescent Irish boy in the 80s. It's hilarious! And it made us both eager to see the Irish countryside.

Finally, we watched one of Rick Steve's videos about Ireland. It was a GREAT way to see all the awesomeness of Ireland.

More reasons we chose Ireland...

3. They speak/write English.
By this time, we had fallen in love with the beauty and history of Ireland. Since we are very new to flying places, we talked about how we wanted to go somewhere where English was the main language, so that it would be one less thing to worry about. That was another reason we chose Ireland.

4. It's a small island.
Ireland is roughly the size of the lower peninsula of Michigan. We originally thought that seeing a small place for 3 weeks would mean that we would be able to see everything of importance. However, Ireland really is steeped in history and beauty. We have had to cross many things off of our list, which is a bummer. Who knew a small place could have so many amazing places to see?

5. It's mainly countryside.
Paul and I HATE cities. We also don't care for tourist traps, tourists, or crowds. For example, I would LOVE to visit England, however, I know it's quite urban these days, which gives me anxiety just thinking about it.

In Ireland, most of the population lives in Dublin or Belfast. We are avoiding both of those places except for airport days. So yeah, it's lots and lots of countryside and small villages and not as crazy touristy as other countries in Europe can be. You should see the directions to some of our airbnbs! They don't even have addresses and you share the road with sheep and cows. Sigh, the dream, am I right?

6. Not super tall mountains.
I LOVE mountains. That's why we live by the Appalachian mountains. Mountains give me joy. Sadly, if the mountains are too tall, I also get really really bad altitude sickness. Sigh...

Fortunately, Ireland has mountains, but they are roughly the same height as the Appalachian Mountains. Yay! The tallest mountains in the Smokies only give me a slight headache. I can deal with that!

Conclusion
Anywho, these are some of the reasons for why we're going to Ireland. We tried really hard to balance stuff between castles/cathedrals, hikes in national parks, and fishing. It should be a fun adventure, with lots of mild temps and rain! :)

Hopefully, we'll be posting our daily adventures with photos on this blog. Unless we don't have good internet. Or we're tired. Or lost.

Here's to Ireland and our adventure! <3 p="">