This post is very late. The trip was September 6 to the 21st. I was trying to write about it and that is when I discovered the fatal crash! While I have lost all past posts, I have somehow been able to start anew. Don’t ask me how, it is a miracle to me and I can’t figure out how things appear after I try to do it so many times and I fail. Then I get up the next day and everything I was trying to do appears. Since the last crash started because I had too many linked videos and stored pictures, I am omitting the YouTube songs I was posting with each story. I am pretty sure no one was listening to them anyway. Let me know if you agree or disagree in the comments.
I went to visit Laura and her family in September. I was going to help out with school pick up and childcare, a favorite task of mine. Since the trip would be over two weeks, in the middle Jerry came and the two of us went to Ireland for six days. It was the first time for each of us going there.
We decided to take a train tours since we would not have transportation. We picked up and ended the tour in Dublin. You can start or end the tour at any train station they serve. You stay with a group that has sub-groups. For instance, our tour stayed with a tour that was beginning their 10-day tour ending in Belfast. When we came back to Dublin they did too and then flew on to Belfast. They have a wide selection of tours and you pick based on what you like to visit. In our case, we picked based on the number of days Ernie could stay with the dog sitter and what day the tour left from Dublin, Thursday.
Dublin is a very manageable city and the airport is about 20 minutes by cab to the town. I found a hotel across the street from the train station which was very good since we needed to be at the station at 6:30 am. I was able to convince Jerry to travel light since we would be managing luggage on and off the train and to our hotel rooms. I took a backpack and a very small carry on. This proved to be a hinderance as I collected yarn and knitted goods to bring home. 😊
The first day we took the train down to Cork seeing horse farms and remaining castles on the way. We then went to Blarney Castle but did not kiss the stone. The line was about a two hour wait to get to the stone up a spiral staircase where you waited inside. A bit claustrophobic for me and then the germs that must be on that stone from everyone kissing it! And we only had two hours in total for the stop, and I think I already have the gift of gab, and of course I was hungry and wanted to eat. We spent our time wandering around the beautiful gardens and seeing interesting trees. We also had a nice lunch and strolled the shops.
We then went to Cobh and saw where the Titanic left from and the Heritage Museum which was very interesting. We also visited a cathedral in Cobh.
Then we drove to Killarney where we stayed for two nights. Killarney was fabulous. It is such a lively town with open air bars with music spilling out of them. I loved just walking on the streets. Dinner was on our own there for two nights and we found good food. The other thing about Killarney it is where my sister in law’s family came from. The Murphy name was displayed on bars, restaurants, shops and B & Bs.
The next day we were on the bus and went to see a sheep dog trainer who demonstrated how the dog herds the sheep. It was very funny how the dog never took his eye off the sheep and even when he was not supposed to move them, he did. He did not want to leave them alone!
Then we drove the Ring of Kerry and stopped several times for pictures of the country side. We also made a stop at the east side of the Atlantic Ocean. Funny to think when we are on the east coast of the US it is the west side of the Atlantic Ocean. I would have liked to dip my feet in but there was no time. Then we went to the National Park which was beautiful and stopped again for more pictures. Aside from the sheep dog demonstration this day we were on the bus quite a bit with little stopping except in tiny villages for shopping. I am not a shopper so was a bit bored. It was my least favorite day of the tour. That night there was an outing to an Irish Dance show. Considering my love of the Gardiner Brothers, I would have liked to go but I was exhausted! This trip was non stop and you are up very early for breakfast and back pretty late in the day. By time you have dinner it is past 8pm, stop at some music and it is way past my bedtime.
The third day we went to Limerick, Bunratty Castle, the Cliffs of Moher and Galway. We drove a lot this day. I learned Bunratty Castle was fought over by the blood thirsty O’Brien clan and the less blood thirsty Mac Namara’s. I do know a blood thirsty O’Brien personally and she never gave off that impression. The O’Brien’s won out eventually.
Our whole time in Ireland was sunny except for this day. When we were at the Cliffs of Moher it was so windy I thought I would be swept over the edge. It was so cold and rainy Jerry opted not to climb to the view point and I went alone. Eventually I did have to go back because I was completely drenched though every layer down to my skin. I even had on a waterproof Ha! Ha! raincoat. Even so it was still a spectacular view and there was a small nature center with exhibits I enjoyed. Then we drove to Galway to spend the night. We were so cold and wet we dried off and decided not to leave the hotel since it was still raining. The hotel was a mecca for hen parties. We saw at least 8 brides and their friends celebrating. After dinner we went up to our room and collapsed. We had one more day left on the organized tour and we both were thinking we were ready for it to end. Not because we weren’t having fun, but because we were ready to rest!
The last day we were up at 6:30 am for the bus! Insulting! We drove through Connemara and stopped in a little village where I finally found Irish wool yarn. I stocked up enough for a heavy sweater and maybe some hats. It was a 20-minute bathroom break but I was able to score 100 Euros worth of yarn and even matched dye lots! From there we went to Kylemore Abbey that was first built as a wedding gift for his wife. She died after about 20 years of marriage and the man lost interest in the property. It was sold several times and when no one wanted it anymore the Catholic Church took it over and created a school for girls and a home for the nuns. Currently it is a retreat center and some nuns still live there and provide spiritual retreats. Part of it was made into a beautiful hotel. The main house is still kept as a museum and many famous people visited there.
We then drove along the beach and saw black rock formations that reminded me of the Crater of the Moon National Park in Idaho we had visited. Then we drove back to Galway to board the 6 pm train to Dublin that arrived at 7:30 pm. We did not arrive and get to our room until about 8:30 pm. The next day we were on our own!
After eating breakfast at 9 am an unheard-of time on this trip, we set out to explore Dublin. We walked to Trinity College and walked around a bit, and then on to the Epic Museum that was devoted to the Irish emigrants. The museum was very well done and I read every plaque. Jerry met me outside where he was drinking coffee. After eating some lunch, we boarded the Hop On – Hop Off bus that was part of the tour package and rode around the city. We saw all the sites and had a nice dinner and then packed, I did have some difficulty and the next day Jerry went home to Ernie and I went back to London for after school pick up.
The next day I took the train to Richmond and spent the day. I had seen a very nice knit shop on my trip there in June but pick up time was coming so I needed to get back to Tooting quickly and could not stop. I went to the shop and had a very nice time speaking to the owner. I purchased some beautiful yarn from Scotland for a sweater I have been knitting on our South Carolina trip which is almost done. This is the town where Ted Lasso is filmed and I saw the pub on the June trip as well but did not have time to stop. I ate at the pub but when I went in there was no place to sit. The server told me the front part of the pub is sit where you want but no tables were free. I saw a woman who was sitting by herself and asked if I could join her. She said she was just leaving and I could have the table. To claim the table, I put my shopping bag down from Knit With Me. When she saw it, she asked me if I had yarn in it and when I said yes, she wanted to see it. While she was admiring my yarn, she told me she was going to a huge yarn event the following week in the UK called Yarndale. I finally had to say, I would love to speak with you but I have to be back for school dismissal let me order my lunch and we can chat. And that is what we did. She was from Australia and came for a week to go to several shops and the event. Then she told me she had stopped in to eat there since she was a fan of Ted Lasso. I was able to share with her where she could buy show items and the door front, they use for Ted’s apartment. It was like we knew each other for years! When I mentioned all of this to Laura how I wanted to go to Yarndale next year she suggested I plan my trip to see them then as well. I spoke to my knitting friend from the UK and she attended this year and invited me to stay with her during the festival, so it would seem I am going. What a wonderful two weeks it was.
If I was going to post a video to go with this, it would either be the Gardiner Brothers dancing or a clip from Ted Lasso.