Sat July 16, 2016

Planning the Ring of Kerry drive is a game of strategy. The road is a circle around some of Ireland's most visited sites. Straight through takes about 3.5 hours but most people take all day. You can go clockwise or counterclockwise. The massive tour buses go counter clockwise and start around half past 8. If you go the other way you avoid dealing with the crowds. But instead you have to deal with passing these enormous tin cans on precariously narrow and winding roads - and they have the right of way so if you don't fit you have to back up. However if you leave early enough from the start  (8:30) you can make it to an additional ring called the Skellig ring by 11:30 that they won't fit on and you never deal with a bus.  That was our plan. Known for dramatic views and quaint towns sprinkled with historic sites we were eagerly anticipating the loop. The weather was Irish - raining with low clouds and did not bode well. We hit the road at 9:10 already behind with a clockwise plan - against the buses and on the cliff side of the crazy narrow roads. We could see practically nothing as we made our way to the first site. 

Our first stop was a ring fort. These forts are found around Ireland and vary in age of last use from 2000 years ago to the 1600s. We got out of the car, dodging mounds of mud to climb a short hill to the site but a kid in a car at the gate asked for a few Euros to enter and given the weather and the fact that we were behind we declined and continued on our way. Instead of great views of the adjoining peninsula we saw clouds. Clouds that we were driving in. Clouds. We were making good time as we drove carefully through the clouds and were hopeful the weather would turn. Soon. Although we had not yet seen a tour bus there were frequent places in the road where there is no way two cars could pass at the same time. Some people just barrel through and expect you to move over. The problem is that the side of the road is often an old stone fence. Immovable. Several time we inched up to each other, folded our mirrors in and crept past. Other times I stopped completely in a small expansion to let them pass. Close calls several times. Think of it as two way traffic at 60 mph in your driveway. Because of the weather we did not make too many stops in the first half of the ring and made it to the Skellig ring before the buses. The Skellig ring is named for an island off the coast, Skellig Michael, where a group of monks founded a monastery by the year 800 and was inhabited by monks yntil about 1200. It is only reachable by boat and is a focal point jutting up out of the sea with impossible angles. On a clear day, the Skellig ring affords many beautiful views out to sea and the island but with the heavy fog, clouds and rain we were seeing this part of Ireland like the natives do most days which is to say, through a veil of clouds. Our guide book frequently said something like ""enjoy brilliant views for the next kilometers", requiring great imaginative abilities. We passed the town of Waterville where Charlie Chaplin lived for many years. We did not see him either. Given our luck with the weather we decided to take a touristy stop at the Skellig Chocolate Factory. Who could resist? Back in the car, we passed a sign reading "best view in Kerry" and drove on, not wanting to invest the 4 euros to see clouds. We passed the quaint town of Portmagee, famous for being one end of the first transatlantic cable, and crossed a bridge into Valentina Island, a tiny island that boasts the finding of some if the earliest tetrapod footprints in the world. While there we began to see glimpses of the Skellig Islands and back tracked to see "the best view in Kerry". The path to the cliff was monitored by a man in a bticket booth. his mannerisms were a bit creepy but he assured us "people have said thet can see everything" followed by a bit of what we interpreted as an evil laugh. On the way to the cliffs we saw replicas of stone behive huts, primitive dwellings in the shape of, you guessed it, bee hives. Further down the path we could make out the outlines of the Skeliig Islands - Skellig Michael and Little Skellig. In a few minutes we were greeted with amazing views and agreed they were probably the best around and were glad to have made the investment. We continued back to over the bridge to Valentia. In a short while the road ended, the only way to the other side was by car ferry. We waited about 5 minutes and drove on to the ferry. Within minutes we were crossing the bay and driving off on the other side. We came to a site where two ancient stone ring forts were located - Cahergal and  Leacanabuaile. They are within walking distance of each other, on two neighboring hills surrounded by farms. These forts were fascinating. They provided us with a glimpse into how the ancient people who lived here protected their land, animals and themselves from looting and plunder. Built between 500 BCE and 300 without mortar. The structures we saw were complete rings 25 feet high, 12 feet thick with stone outlines of a few houses on the interior.  There are many examples of ring forts dotting Ireland and so far we have passed one and explored two. Now its on to On to Dingle and the oddly named Alpine. House.  The town of Dingle is notable for its active fishing port where they smoke their salmon fresh off the boat and the restaurants base their menus in the days catch. We caught a bite after waiting awhile in one of these dock side restaurants, the fish fresh as any. We were treated to a rousing Irish band after dinner where we were not in on any of the local references.  

Afterwards we walked back to our hotel, past the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) field and settled in for the night hoping for better weather in the morning. 

Friday July 15, 2016

Today, we set off once again for a bit of motoring around a new country. But first a very civilized breakfast at Buswell's. Check out and head out by cab to Hertz. Best price was through AAA. Initially I booked a small SUV but none were available so they gave us a sporty red Audi A4. Automatic. Diesel for better mileage. Steering wheel on right side of car. After about 3 or 4 in/outs I stopped going to the wrong side of the car to get in. Same for looking to the right for oncoming traffic as I make a left turn into the left lane. I think I drove on the wrong side a couple of times but unlike the first time I drove in England at least I was able to get out of the first traffic circle on the first try - "look right go left". I was forewarned about narrow roads and close calls so I went for the full insurance bundle (tires and wheels not covered). Hoping I won't need it. 

   In a blink of an eye we were on our way. First stop, Kilkenny castle. But first, I needed to get onto the highway. No problems merging. Toll was paid automatically. We were really on our way once we were zooming at 120. That's 120 km/hr or 72 mph (multiply km/hr by 0.6 to get mph). The car handled it well. The passengers had other thoughts.

    The castle is located Kilkenny, a medieval town and the castle was built in 1195 or so by Norman invaders. A family known as the Butlers took over in 1381 and retained control until they finally dumped it for 50 pounds in 1967. It has been restored to its state of existence in the Victorian era. It was very interesting but if you've seen one castle you have seen them all. 

     Before leaving Kilkenny we walked briefly in the old part of town and randomly chose a restaurant down a quiet medieval passageway, Petronella. The food was very good.  As we were paying our bill the chatty proprietor shared with us that James Joyce lived in the building for two months. In Ireland, this is the equivalent of "Washington slept here". 

    Back in the car? Back on the wrong side of the road heading for the Brook Lane Hotel in Kenmare. From Kilkenny to Kenmare i begsn to comprehend what was meant when i was told at home the roads in Irrland are narrow and the bushes grow into them. the speed limit frequently topped off at 100 km/hr (100 x 0.6 = 60 mph) on narrow two lane roads. They are bumpy and twisty and 100 is way too fast for them. even at slower speeds it takes full concentration. I must say however I quickly became pretty good at wrong side of the road driving. Except with big buses or 18 wheelers barreling towards me at 100 km/hr. around blind curves. On cliffs. But we made it to Kenmare safely. We walked from our very nice accommodations at The Brook Lane Hotel to dinner a few blocks away.  We were once again treated to live music by a solo act. Dinner was a treat for Alex and Adrian - pizza. It is amazing though how fresh the fish is every day and how abundant salmon and cod are. You could easily have it every day tasting as fresh as if it was just caught. Smoked salmon is a staple of breakfast in Ireland, as it was in Iceland. And the smoking is all done locally. More on that another day.

  The Brook Lane Hotel deserves a few lines here. It was a top notch place. Not listed in our Rick Steve's guide but easily one of our favorite stays. Clean, friendly, convenient. Great breakfast spread included but we were in too much of a hurry to beat the monstrous tour buses out to The Ring of Kerry to enjoy the hot offerings also included. Next time. Another full day. Will sleep well tonight. 

Thursday July 14 2016

Buswell's breakfast, is hosted in an old world dining room with lots of charm. Offering wheatabix, cereals, fruit, muffins, cheeses and (mystery) meats, it is a lively way to start a Dublin day. 

   Today we started at Trinity College, a beautiful historic University founded in 1592 and Ireland's number 1 college. Famous students include Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett. Once on campus we headed directly up the Book of Kells exhibition. The book of Kells is considered one of the finest illuminated manuscripts ever written and was produced around year 800. The exhibit provided insight into the era and techniques and tools

The castle was completed in 1230 following the Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 1100's. It served as England 's seat of command in Ireland until 1922. Not much of the original castle remains but we did see a surviving section containing the powder room or storage room for ammunition. You can guess what happened there as a blaze burned through the castle and reached that room. Although standing in the room with three foot thick walls of stone it is hard to imagine a fire reaching the gun powder without some help. 

The building is adjacent to State House rooms used for official business and State functions. We toured those as well, with a guide who spoke so fast it seemed he had an appointment to be somewhere else. The stately state rooms included a throne room for a visit by King George and were lavish. You get the sense through the history telling though that the Irish really don't care for the British government too much. 

For dinner and entertainment we headed back to our favorite pub - Gogarty's. this time however we were downstairs. The musicians were excellent instrumentalists and unlike the night before they did not yak it up or joke around. With a flute, guitar, violin, accordion and sometimes hand held drum they created a full sound and played for a few hours without a break. I have no I idea what traditional Irish music is but we are slowly learning and it is a really nice way to end the day. 

Wednesday July 13, 2016

Goodbye Iceland and hello Ireland! 

    After inching our way through customs and immigration we hopped in a taxi and off we went. As we were getting into the cab, the driver asked me to sit in front. No problem, except I forgot that the passenger side is on the other side of the car. Our driver was a chatty, pleasant Irishman. Until I asked about the impact of Uber in Ireland. He is no fan... As we drove the 40 min into the city he provided lively color commentary. He told us about Gaelic football and the recent Beyonce concert, pubs to visit and how to navigate out of the city when we rent a car in a few days. He pointed out interesting sites and before we knew it we pulled up to Buswell's, our home for two nights. "The asylum is right next door." After a pregnant pause he smiled and told us "the asylum" is how they refer to the parliament building. Cute. 

      Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland with a population of 1.2 million people. There is a river running through it and its sits on a bay facing east towards England. Founded in the year 980 or so as a Viking town, it has a rich and long history. We explored this history some on our first day. 

      After checking in at Bus-well's we dodged the raindrops to visit the Archaeological Museum across the street. Buswell's has been a hotel since the 1880s and has old world charm with updated furnishings. It was a great find and incredibly well located for our needs.

     Although Dublin dates its origins to the 900s, there have been people living in Ireland since before Neolithic times. Tracing Ireland's history from these times, the Archaeological Museum has a nice collection of artifacts punctuating important milestones in the land's history. From stone tools to fine jewelry. Bog bodies with highly preserved textiles to hollowed out tree boats. Armor and weapons to gold and amber. Doing the museum first laid a good foundation for understanding the history of Ireland as well as sites and events we will experience over the next week.    

    Located next door to the Parliament House, we saw a small group of protestors standing in the rain on entering. They were gone by the time we crossed the street back to our hotel for a consultation with Rick Steves. Rick sent us to Wagamama for dinner. Wagamama is a noodle restaurant with something for everyone and it did not disappoint. Next time you are in Dublin it would be worth a stop if you didn't want fish and chips or a heavy meal. From there, we meandered into the Temple Bar area, known for its pubs with traditional Irish music. Not knowing one from the other but armed with a list of recommendations from our hotel, we hesitantly made our way up the stairs to Gogarty's where we joined a small group in the back of the small pub watching a foursome sing and play guitar, mandolin, and bass nearby. Guinness on tap, Irish coffee and the lively band made for great entertainment. It didn't take long for us to find seats smack in front of the band. Almost too close for comfort. After a bit a few people started dancing - we thought they might be drunk but as Adrian observed, they weren't drunk, they were Israeli! They played and played  without taking a  break. We slipped out of our front row seats, purchased their CD and walked back to Buswell's.  Exhausted but looking forward to the rest of the week in Ireland. 

Tuesday July 12

Last day in Iceland. We slowed down today. Slept relatively late and enjoyed a nice Keflivik Hotel breakfast. Packed up our laundry for a spin at the Cafe Laundromat in the capital city of Reykjavik. But first I gassed up the car using a discount card given to me at the rental agency. I saved 25 cents! 

    Off to our first stop - the Blue Lagoon. This exotic sounding place is a geothermal pool where people go all through the year to dip in the warm mysterious turquoise mineral rich water and cover themselves with silica mud. The water temperature is near 100F. We arrived in the morning but were turned away - next available time was at 9 pm (open past midnight. Remember it never gets dark.) We're flexible. Headed off to Reyjkavik for a day in the city. Cafe Laundromat first stop. The rest of the day we just meandered the central streets of Reykjavik which has a population of 130,000 out of the country's total of 350,000 inhabitants, is a clean city with an abundance tourists and easy to get around. It is a major airline hub and despite its northern latitude, remains busy all year round. After dinner we headed back out to The Blue Lagoon. 

  It's an odd site - set in an isolated part of the countryside, within a moonscape lava field stretching for miles and then there is a large geothermal power plant spewing steam abutting the most visited attraction in Iceland - The Blue Lagoon. A very clever person decided to merge the warm water from the geothermal process with the Icelandic culture of relaxing in the hot spring fed pools and saunas.

       There is an almost ritual like preparation required to enter the Blue Lagoon to keep it clean. Shower before entering. No street shoes allowed in the licker room or Lagoon area. 

      The lagoon area itself was quiet with a New Age music feel but no music. The air temp was in the 50s and water around 100F. Steam rises from the blue green translucent water. It is quite tranquil but the presence of the power plant just down the road is incongruent. There is also construction going on - adding a luxury hotel. Apparently people visit The Blue Lagoon all year round. Along the edge of the pool sits a small kiosk with buckets of silica mud to wipe on your face purported to be healthy for your skin. People float around the pool surrounded by huge lava stones with silica gel masks. The scene looks a little like a zombie movie pool party. But it's not really a pool party. The tone is hushed. We were all surprised by the relaxing and enjoyable ambience and were glad to have experienced it. There was a casualty however. It turns out that waterproof iPhone cases are not necessarily water proof. Alex can give you the details, 

    After a couple hours in the moon pool we headed back to our hotel to pack up and try to sleep a bit before our early morning flight out. Our flight was delayed about 90 minutes giving us time for breakfast and a chance to reach REM sleep. 

    Our journey through Iceland brought us to volcanoes, glaciers cliffs and puffins. Wow! 

Photos 7/11

Monday,

July 11, 2016

No rain today! A reportable event. By the way, in case you were wondering there is no tipping in Iceland which only partially makes up for the jaw dropping prices. There are not many what you might call "restaurants" in the countryside. Most gas stations take the place of fast food joints with hamburgers  and other fast food type items. A piece of grilled fish lying around in a warming tray will set you back about $35.  This is not fine dining. in fact, given that the fish Re jumping into boats around here, the price of fish is outrageous. Literally, highway robbery. 

 Today was spent on Westman Island and what a day it was. We filled up on Icelandic breakfast and headed out for a hike. Having been given directions and a map at the front desk, off we went. Scene 1: looking out our hotel windows we see two hulking volcanoes a stone's throw away. Scene 2: plan a hike to see puffins.  

Scene 3: tell front desk about Scene 2 and get directions to include puffins and volcano all in one. "Do you like hiking?" Front desk asks. "Sure!" I answer.  "Great hike for you" front desk says. He adds, "a little steep". Scene 4: we walk 20 minutes around the harbor to get to the trail head. Scene 5: the hiking crew mutinies. Scene 6: camera scans up from beginning of trail towards the trail above. Camera scans faces of hikers, aghast at site above. Scene 7: ladders up steep mountain. Hikers realize we wouldn't even be hiking the volcano. Scene 8: Everyone wonders what Dad was thinking. Scene 9: alternate hike to other side of island. Scene 10: Puffins!!! Scene 11: Board  boat for tour of cliffs and caves around island with hopes of seeing whales. Scene 12: puffins! caves! no whales. Scene 13: hike back to volcano Eldfell through lava field that buried houses and streets in 1973. Up the black and red lava stone trail to the rim to see the caldera. No steam but evidence of massive explosion. Scene 14: hike down. Scene 15: back on ferry, heading back to main island. Scene 16: try to get into one of the few recommended places to eat between ferry and hotel. Door locked. Scene 17: Lock was broken and they let us in! Scene 18: at hotel. Mix up in room. Finally get in to high tech room with computer, colored LED lights and a shared lounge with people that have no concept that other people don't want to hear them at 1:30 am. Adrian saves the day - calls front desk to complain and it quiets down. In the morning: best Icelandic breakfast of the trip. Scene 19: Sun rising at 3:00 AM.