Top of the mornin' to ya!

Hello all

Well here we are in the land of the long white.........potato!

We arrived safe and well after a reasonably early flight out of London and touched down at Dublin Airport on a cool yet sunny day - temperature about 11 degrees. A quick bus trip into town and a short walk, back packs strapped on tightly, to Blooms Hotel which is located in Temple Bar - a favourite location for young, trendy and absolutely gorgeous tourists. Nonetheless, they let me in to join Jane only after I had produced my police id, signed an undertaking not to leave the room after dark to ensure the young tourists were not put off by the sight of an old bloke shuffling around and a promise that I would leave Dublin early the next day.

Despite my promises and undertakings, Jane and I did venture out and found our way to St Patricks Cathedral which is an absolutely wonderful piece of architecture - grand and imposing from all angles and worth just looking at to take in its sheer dominance and majesty. From there, we went on to Christchurch Cathedral where, it is rumoured, the body of Strongbow (the warrior, not the cider!) is buried. Again, a magnificent example of medieval building and the most striking feature is that you can just imagine what it was like during the time of the Saxons, the vikings, the Normans and days of Knights (interesting oxymoron what - days of Knights) jousting.

We then made our way to the Dublin Castle and this was truly incredible. The guided tour took us through the various rooms of the Castle which are still used, particularly the Kings Room which is utilised every 7 years for the inauguration of the newly elected (or re-elected as is the current case) President of Ireland. The walls are adorned with the coat of arms of the Presidential Families and this really was a fantastic trip back into history. We then ventured underground to actual sections of the castle that were used to provide the water from the River Poddle which also facilitated servants entry to the castle. They travelled by small punt on the river into an entrance under the castle. From there, they made their way to a small set of steps which provided direct entry into the kitchens and work rooms thereby negating any need to be seen either entering or leaving. I could not do justice to all the works of art nor the interior of the castle by trying to describe it. Thankfully, I took quite a few photos and will post those if any one is interested.

A quick stroll around Dublin saw the day ending in a classical Irish pub to the taste of Guiness, cold and strong, and the lull of an Irish balladeer sharing tales of love, of heartbreak and how he overcame both through the healing powers of Guinness!!

Day 2 began with a tour of the Guinness Storehouse (brewery). Contrary to the view you may be forming, not everything in Ireland involves Guinness - just most things. Anyway, back to the tour. We were given a great explanation of the making of Guiness...."You put de stoof in here, ya give it a shake and mudder of god, it's Guinness!"

The tour was well worth the trip and we then took possession of our arranged hire car. This one was entirely different to the one we got in London from Karma Cars. This is a Peugeot 207 - 5 door hatch. It is a very small car however, it comes complete with an assistant whose principal role it is to try and get me into, and out of, the car each time we need to stop or go anywhere.

We headed out of Dublin about 1pm on Tuesday afternoon bound for Galway which is due west of Dublin on the opposite coast of Ireland. To undertake this journey, motorists are given the option of a Motorway or a Freeway. The difference in these, just like in Oz, is the price you pay and the speed at which you travel. I opted for the Motorway and for the first 100kms, it took me some time to get used to the paint getting sucked off our little hire car by the other vehicles overtaking us as something close to Mach 1. Anyway, it was at the 100km mark that I decided I was going to use all 5 gears that came with the little car so into 3rd I went and before too long, I almost had the baby Peugeot at subsonic speed. Unfortunately, the sound of wind rushing past us meant that Jane and I were unable to communicate at all during the trip without shouting so loudly, our eyes watered. I tried to answer her at one point however, almost ran off the road through loss of vision.

215km's later, we arrived in Galway and found ourselves a B & B that Dad and Gwen recommended to us as a nice clean place that they had stayed at when they were over here. It is about 3km out of Galway proper, on the road to Clifden which is to the North West of Galway. As described by Dad and Gwen, it was lovely and clean, warm and the hosts were most welcoming. A quick unpack, and off the nearest pub for a Guinness and home made vegetable soup together with Roast of the Day (Turkey and Ham) for Rick. Of note was the fact that the Roast came with Carrots, Cauliflower and Broccoli, together with roast potatoes, mashed potatoes and chips. Jane made do with a Steak and vegies washed down with a glass or two of Sauvignon Blanc. The pub was a fantastic little find away from the mainstream however, was particularly busy when we arrived as there was a wake taking place after a funeral earlier in the day for a well known local.

I enquired as to the details to be told that the deceased had been badly burnt. When I asked was it an accident, they looked at me and laughed before telling me that getting burnt often happens during cremations. I laughed too and was struck by the fact that no matter where you go in the world, the good old lines still get used! Jane and I were absolutely transfixed by the conversations surrounding us, the Irish and Gaelic tooing and froing that seemed to be everywhere and the interspersed roars of laughter, slapping on the back, and orders for more Guinness to remember and toast the recently departed. What a great night and we felt no need to go into Galway township so we headed back to our room as Jane's little legs were getting tired from all the sitting in the car and sitting in the pub. When last seen, she was no more than a blur diving into a wonderfully soft and warm bed and bidding me a genuine, albeit sleepy, good night.

Up at 7am this morning for a home cooked breakfast, packed up our goods and chattels and on the road to Dingle (that's a place, not a bodily function, for those who may not be aware). On route, we passed through some lovely little villages and townships and went via the Cliffs of Moher. This is a tourist mecca and everyone who stops here makes the trek to the top of the cliffs to see the cliffs and the sea!

The country side around the south west of Ireland is spectacular. It is lush and vibrant and reminds me of the Canterbury plains in New Zealand. The roads are no more than laneways yet have 100kph speed limits all the way along. Driving in Ireland is not for the faint hearted, particularly when you encounter the frequent blind corners, the hidden driveways and the other tourists who, like Jane and I, have no bloody idea where they are going but are having a great time trying to get there.

We went through towns named Liscannor, Lahinch, Lilltown Malbay, Kilmurry and finally to a place called Killimer where we had to take a ferry across to Tarbert. This was a 20 minute trip costing €18 (that's Euro rather than pounds) and an opportunity to take in the scenery, the pleasantness of the country and reflect on the character and steadfastness of the Irish. I say this because Dublin struck Jane and I as "tired" and "sombre". Temple Bar was a hive of activity, bars and entertainment but some of the surrounding areas were very much working class and the people seem to have a strong resolution about them. We are in Spring here and it is bitterly cold on the coast so we can only imagine what winter here must be like! Nonetheless, the locals seem content with their lot and get on with it.

Speaking of which, I better get on with it too. We continued along the "high speed laneways" into Tralee and the weather started closing in. The local radio station gave the following weather report and I quote it word for word ..... "If you can see the mountains, it's about to start raining. If you can't see the mountains, the rain's already begun". So simple and yet so descriptive! Beats me why we need a weather guy on television talking about all the high pressure, low pressure and other systems coming towards us or going away from us. Perhaps we could learn a lesson from the Irish after all.

340klms away from Galway, we touched down in Dingle. A quick trip up the main street saw us secure accomodation at a lovely B&B called The Lantern. €30 per person, breakfast included, and advice regarding what to see, what to do and where to go thrown at no extra cost.

So dear friends, we are now off to explore the sights of Dingle on foot. It is 5.50pm local time and I hear the calling of that great Irish Poet, Sir Havanotha Guinness, beckoning us.

Please keep your comments coming. Jane and I are enjoying reading your feedback as much as we hope you are enjoying our tales of travel and expressions of adventure.

Love to all and a quick thanks to Brooke Langford - your travel tips have been gold!!

Jane and Rick