Home Again. . . .Almost

Just landed in Newark, NJ about 11:30 a.m. after a 6 hour flight from Shannon, Ireland.  It was sooooo much better than the trip over because we actually got the Economy Plus seats we paid extra for (to get more legroom).   And, I got to watch both "American Hustle" and "Gravity", both terrific movies.  Started watching "Anchorman 2" and found it just like the first one, a collection of skits patched together that didn't do much for me. 

Said goodbye to the kids and now sitting for 3 1/2 hours or so while we wait for our Columbus connection  to get us in about 5:30 p.m.  I thought this might be a good time to reflect (briefly for those who actually read this far) about what this trip was like for us . . . in no particular order of priority of course!

First, it was great to be with friends - Ray and Mary Lee, and
Connie Melton - and family - Aaron, Melissa, Chloe, Jeff, Leigh, and briefly niece Becky and husband Stewart.  The group got along famously from the moment we left until we touched down, and I fulfilled my promise of doing something special for the family in the year of my 25th. anniversary to Cheryl. 

Hopefully it created some lifelong memories for everyone - I know it did for me.   We've now been to China, Egypt, Russia, and now England and Ireland with Ray and Mary Lee, and we intend to keep adding to the list.

Second, seeing Jenny happy and getting married was pretty darned wonderful, too.  We got to see Anthony on his home turf, and meet his wonderful parents and extended family.   They all made us feel at home and offered such warm hospitality that I meant what I said as my father's toast - the Americans (at least those of us on this trip), truly love the Brits.   And, a huge thanks, in particular, to the wonderful Simon and Maggie Bath.   We can't wait to show you our little slice of Americana sometime soon.

Third, the Beatles.   Nothing more needs to be said.   To see and touch the DNA of their lives in Liverpool meant the world to me.   I can distinctly remember hiding in the stairwell to the bedroom I shared with my late brother Dave about age 6 or 7 as he spun their latest 45 on the turntable, and thinking how much I loved rock and roll - Beatles rock and roll - even before I could adequately express it.   And, it and they have stayed with me all of this time.   What a wonderful experience that I know I'll never forget, including standing among the sweaty masses in the Cavern Club.  It just doesn't get much better than that.

Fourth, the country of Ireland is beautiful and, as Ray Urban says, so are its best asset - its people.   Although I might have liked a little less bouncing around on the bus, this is a magnificent country with a history second to none, and people as charming as any I've ever met.  Like so many other places we've visited, I'd love to go back but first have to get through the others on the bucket list - Africa, the American National Parks out west, Scotland, and the list goes on and on and on.   Hopefully we can do many more of these with traveling partners Ray and Mary Lee because they are an absolute pleasure to travel with, and perhaps even coax Connie Melton to come along.

Finally, just breaking up the monotony we face in our day to day lives was a gift from God.   Cheryl and I see each other so often for brief moments in passing, and it was so great to be able to spend time with her not worrying about what is for dinner, who gets the groceries, or whose turn it is to walk our new girl, Gracie Lou Freebush Mace.   So, 25 years down (as of September 23), and a prayer for 25 more.

That's it for this blog boy, so until we meet again, perhaps next year from the plains of Tanzania.  And, allow me to end with the well known Irish blessing . . . .

"May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And the rain fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand”

Dreamland in Dromoland

Chloe, wearing the new wool poncho that Mims bought her,
says "time to go" Uncle Jeff!

Our last day in Ireland was a full day beginning at 9:00 a.m. in Killarney.  John, the bellman at The Royal Killarney, greeted me as the first from our group to venture downstairs about 7:00 a.m..   While being incredibly pleasant, he was equally hard to understand and spoke the fastest English I've ever heard on this planet.  At first I thought he was speaking in Gaelic because I could understand very little, but once I learned to grasp every third or fourth word, I got the intention of his dialogue.  "Coffee?" was one of the words I could make out so I nodded in assent and he brought me the perfect cup of strong Irish coffee to start my day.

We then chatted about the noise outside the hotel last night.  There was some kind of big motorcar race held annually in Killarney this weekend, and John told me (in a few words I could decipher) that it was "horrible", and "teenagers" that accompanied the drivers were a "nightmare".  Indeed, they were outside on the streets drinking and partying until the wee hours of the morning, and racing the engines of their pretend race cars.  Cheryl and I had our window open to cool the room down (and where do these Irish hotel rooms hide the thermostats?) so we heard some of it but eventually drifted off to sleep.

We bid adieu to Killarney about 9:15 after Cheryl and Mary Lee had to make one last mad dash to a jewelers around the corner for that "necklace to die for".  Fortunately for those of us paying the bill, they were closed and not open until 9:30, so back they came and off we went toward Adare, the Village of the Welcomes (as all of Ireland seems), a drive north about 60 miles into Limerick County, Ireland.  Adare was founded in the 12th. century, and we particularly enjoyed the visit to The Trinitarian Priory, the only one of its kind in all of Ireland and built in the 13th. century. 

This order of friars was founded in France, following the Holy-Land Crusades, with the main purpose of raising ransom money in order to rescue Christian captives taken by the Moors, during the crusade wars.  The church was simply beautiful and the stained glass windows stunning.  The quietness of the sanctuary was comforting but soon we had to leave as Tom, our driver, had us on a tight time schedule.

Lunch was the next order of priority because we certainly weren't getting enough food on this trip!  We stopped at Dillon's, Carrowkeel East, Inagh, Ireland.   The owner (Carmel and Pat) greeted us warmly, and most of us had yet one more sampling of the lovely fish and chips.  And, she ended the meal by bringing Chloe a "surprise" which was a beautiful dish of ice cream, none of which was chocolate (Chloe's favorite), so it got devoured by the rest of the table and back on the bus we went.

The Cliffs of Moher were the last stop for the day. Standing 702 feet from the Atlantic Ocean at their highest point they stretch for 5 miles along the Atlantic coast of County Clare. On a clear day one can see the Aran Islands and Galway Bay. O'Brien's Tower stands near the highest point and has served as a viewing point for visitors for hundreds of years.  Certainly this was a fabulous way to end the trip as it is one of the most popular destinations in Ireland, seeing over 1 million visitors per year.

From here, we had yet one more nice thing to do . . . check into our hotel which was, in actuality, a castle and a 5-star hotel.  While the present building was completed in 1835, its origins date back to the late 15th. or early 16th. century.  Some of the many famous people who have stayed here include George W. Bush (he asked if he was in Scotland!), Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicholson, Johnny Cash, Bono, and John Travolta.  A lovely dinner (I had bangers and mash) with Ray and Mary Lee, Aaron, Melissa, Chloe, and Cheryl concluded our evening.

An early bedtime awaits us because we have to leave the hotel at 5:45 a.m. to be at Shannon Airport where we go through Emigration and Customs here instead of when we land at Newark.  If all goes well, we'll be home in Columbus by about 5 p.m. and we all know, as Dorothy in Oz told us "there's no place like home".   One more closing post reflecting on our trip in the next day or so, and that's it . . . .

A Long and Winding Road

 

Friday brought us another easy day of activities, as we left the hotel about 10:00 a.m. and headed almost due west for one of the three peninsulas jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean on the far west side of Ireland - Dingle.  An initial stop at the "family friendly" Moriarty's store on the way was a treat because we were greeted with a young man carrying very hot Irish coffees for those who wanted to partake at 10:30 a.m., and it was excellent.  Nothing like buttering up the Americans to spend those dollars and, of course, money changed hands for a few trinkets including a beautiful Irish Christmas ornament for a tree (a custom of ours when we journey pretty much anywhere!).

On we went for the drive of about 45 miles to Dingle.  There were times when we were on very high cliffs overlooking the ocean and looking straight down to the water many, many feet below.   There were other times when we were on roads so narrow that either the bus or oncoming car had to stop and back up to a place like a driveway at a house in order to allow one to pass before the other could move!  

One thing we saw a lot of was sheep, pretty much on any possible plot of land whether flat or on cliffs.  Raised primarily for their meat, the wool is certainly plentiful and, as a result, not a real cash crop for the farmers.   But, sheep are everywhere in this part of Ireland.

Another very interesting thing we saw were "Beehive Houses" which were occupied by Druids as far back as 2000 BC!   The land was mountainous with the high cliffs I mentioned - one wonders what in the world they would do to survive.  Tom remarked that the area was very forbidding in the winter months and there were very few houses in this part of the trip.  Some nearby islands had inhabitants on them dating back centuries, as well, until the Irish government finally said "no more" in the 1960s and moved them all off and back to the mainland.   Even on a day like today which was cool (probably about 50 degrees F) and windy, you could get a sense that, although beautiful and magnificent, this was not a place one would have an easy time in living.

Initially we went through Dingle and on to Slea (pronounced Slay) Head, a promontory in the westernmost part of the Dingle Peninsula, located in the barony of Corca Dhuibhne in southwest County Kerry, Ireland.  About halfway around, we were at the westernmost point in all Europe - Slea Head itself - which was marked by a beautiful marble crucifixion scene. 

Our driver, Tom, remarked that most who take this route do so in a clockwise manner because of the narrow roads and most (but not all) did.  That made for some interesting perspectives as we were occasionally right on the very edge of some massive cliffs - not good for this American who, admittedly, isn't great with heights.  But, again like yesterday, I survived.   And around the circular roadway we went, back to Dingle for lunch.

John Benny's was the pub we had lunch in and it was fairly typical great food and wonderful service from the Irish who are always eager to please.   Cheryl had her first fish and chips of the trip and I had "fish pie" which was a delicious casserole of fresh caught fish baked in a broth, covered with something like pie crust.  Aaron, Melissa, Chloe, Ray, and Mary Lee also joined us and their food looked every bit as inviting.

From there, it was back on the bus where Jeff and Leigh joined us, carrying a sack of Irish cheeses from a local shop.  It felt like it had a brick in it; that is about how much it weighed.  I'm guessing they're planning on taking some of it home and they felt great when Tom, the driver, remarked he had never visited that shop but had heard a lot of great things about it.

A bouncy ride back to our hotel in Killarney over about a 90 minute period.  I was feeling tired so I took about an hour nap and am down in the lobby (where the Internet connection actually works) to compose this missive about our adventures today.   Tomorrow (Saturday) is our last day in Ireland and there's a full day planned including Limerick, the magnificent Cliffs of Moher, and some other sites I'm sure will be equally memorable. 

I do want to say that this is really one beautiful country.   Everything is incredibly green which Tom, our driver, attributes to the underlying and plentiful limestone (which acts as fertilizer) mixed with abundant rain.   The people are lovely and incredibly eager to please.  The fact that they speak English (or something close to it that one can decipher readily enough) is an added plus.  This is certainly a trip we'll remember for a long, long time.

Romancing the Blarney Stone

The view of downtown Cork from our hotel room
at the beautiful Hayfield Manor

Thursday was a day of relative relaxation, with all of us in a super good mood after our fabulous overnight at Hayfield Manor in Cork, quite possibly the finest hotel I’ve ever stayed in . .  . not only was the room large and decorated beautifully, but also the staff was genuinely concerned that you had anything and everything you could possibly want.  After dinner we joined Aaron, Melissa, and Chloe as they luxuriated in the indoor, heated pool that was truly fit for a Hollywood mogul - elegance and class everywhere you look and everything you touched.  We were excited to hear that our hotel for tonight was the Hayfield Manor’s “sister hotel”.

A short drive from Cork we journeyed to Cobh (pronounced Cove) which is the seaport of Cork, and made famous for a couple reasons.  First, it was the port of departure for Irish emigrating to America or other foreign lands in hope of a better life.  And, second, it served as the departure point for the Titanic, and we know how that ended.   Finally, it was only about 25 miles off the coast from this point that the Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine and lost nearly 1,100 lives, many of them American, and brought the United States into World War I (although it was later shown that the Lusitania was, in fact, carrying heavy arms as well as a lot of men, women, and children).



The stone walls built 160 years ago by women and children
trying to live through the Potato Famine

Between 1848 and 1950, 2.5 million Irish people emigrated to the US from Cobh directly (out of a total of 6 million during that period).   In the early years, conditions were so deplorable they called these boats "coffin ships" because you were as likely to die from malnutrition or disease on the transfer as you were to make it to America. 

The Potato Famine from 1845 to 1848 was particularly bad, as men, women and children massed in the area, trying desperately to escape.  Sympathetic landowners put many women and children to work by building high stone walls to shield their property, providing for a day's work a bowl of soup and one shilling for the very hard work.   Irish Americans in Boston actually raised $150,000 to provide food, clothing, and the like for their starving brethren in Cobh, and sent it on relief ship "The USS Jamestown".

Many families held an "American Wake" for their departing husbands and sons. Much like an actual wake to honor the dead, it was basically a wake-in-advance since they didn't know if the person leaving would ever live to make it to America.  And today, we climb on a plane, complain about the cramped conditions, and get off in another country in a matter of hours. 

Additional notoriety for Cobh came as the departure point for the Titanic on April 11, 1912, and we all know how that ended - as we used to sing as children - kerplunk it sunk, cha cha cha.  But one thing less remembered or romanticized in movies was the sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 1915.  Torpedoed by a German submarine, 1,198 passengers died, and 700 were rescued.  More than 100 bodies washed up on the shore of Cobh.  Whether the Germans mistook it for a "Q-ship" (heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into vulnerable surface attacks) or actually carried weapons of war was debated for many years, the sinking caused a storm of protest.  It was the spark that caused America to enter the war in 1917 and bring World War I to an eventual conclusion (and once again the Americans rescued Europe).

From Cobh we moved on to Blarney, Ireland for - you guessed it - seeing the world famous Blarney Stone which is said to impart the gift of gab (or as the Irish call it "the gift of eloquence").  Up an incredibly steep, winding set of about 100 stone stairs some of us trudged to the top of the Blarney Castle.  I must admit being more than a little concerned about my life although there were handrails to hold on to, and periodically you could step out to flat spaces which were originally rooms in the castle build in the 15th. century.  Some of my family raced ahead unconcerned (Aaron, Melissa, Chloe, and even Cheryl!) while I moved onward and upward in my quest to kiss the Blarney Stone.

Finally, at the top!  The "stone" is actually embedded into the castle wall, so to kiss it one has to lie on their back and extend themselves out over open space, protected by a couple iron bars, while the guide boosts you out and holds on to you to prevent you from falling to a certain death (or so it seemed in my mind). 

Not sure the picture here captures my terror adequately, but my eyes were as big as saucers and I have to say I was terrified, even if only for a minute.  But kiss the damn stone I did so hopefully I get eloquence from that adventure for the rest of my life.   Later that evening, Chloe was talking my leg off so I definitely think it impacted her and I'll leave it to her parents to determine if it was a positive one!

The grounds of the Blarney Castle also contained the Blarney Woollen Mills, so my recovery from the near death experience involved me following Cheryl and Mary Lee inside to peruse what were, admittedly, a fabulous display of Irish goods.   Cheryl bought a little something for herself as well as a few gifts, so back on the bus toward our hotel for the evening, what I earlier referred to as the sister hotel of the fabulous Hayfield Manor.

I often use the expression "beggars can't be choosers", and I think it applied here.  While the Royal Kilarney in Kilarney, Ireland was indeed nice, it might be a 6 on a scale of 10 where the prior night's sister hotel, the Hayfield Manor, is a 10+.  At any rate, I slept like a proverbial log and didn't dream of falling from the top of Blarney Castle so it was another day concluded in the beautiful Emerald Isle.

Tomorrow (Friday) is largely a bus tour of beautiful Dingle overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  We were offered the more tourist-travelled Ring of Kerry or its sister peninsula, Dingle, and chose the latter.   I'll let you know upon the next posting if it was wise decision.