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Stacks and Stones

Friday, September 18th, 2009

We spent the last few days exploring the Iveragh (Ring of Kerry), Beara, and Dingle peninsulas, staying in Killarney, Waterville, Kenmare, and Dingle Town.  The weather has been kind to us, so we’ve been able to do some nice walks and see quite a bit.  I’ve been surpised by how many ancient stone forts there are and my inner archaeologist loves finding them and exploring.  The most impressive were the stone “beehive” huts on Skellig Michael island.  They are perched at the very top of the mountain and are even more impressive after you’ve climbed the 650 steps to see them.  I still have no idea how they built them or even got up there before the steps were made.

We’ve also been enjoying the food and drink here as well.  The beef and Guinness caserole/stew/pie (depending on what the restaurant calls it) has been really good, and even better when washed down with a pint of the “black stuff.”  According to everything we’ve seen, heard, and read here Guinness is good for you.  It has less calories than regular beer, it will give you stregth and energy, help you sleep, and cure a whole list of problems you might have.  I’ve been testing out these stories, but I think I need a little more research.  I’ll get back to you after I’ve had a few more.

Here’s the view from the Skelligs: 

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Posted in Ireland, Travel | 2 Comments »

Better than a glow-in-the-dark compass ring

Sunday, September 13th, 2009

Last fall we used a “tourist map” to navigate around Western Australia. It was one of those glossy colorful brochures that only showed a few main roads and was decorated with drawings of the big attractions and local animals. Needless to say when we took a wrong turn, the cartoon picture of kangaroos driving a convertible didn’t help much to get us back on track. By February, we had a thick detailed road atlas that covered every part of New Zealand, even those with very few roads. Finally, we spent the summer in our Peugeot with a built-in GPS and it spoiled us. Every tiny path through fields and villages was in the database, and it never got upset when we took a detour and it had to recalculate. So, it was a big decision in Ireland whether to go back to old fashioned maps or get a GPS. The rental prices are outrageous, and in the end it turned out to be cheaper to buy one since we’ll be able to use it in England, Portugal, and Spain too. We’ve only had it a few days, but I’m already happy with the decision.

We used the GPS to find our way from Kilkenny to Killarney and great weather followed us. The folks at the B&B called it a “glorious” day, and we thought it was perfect for hiking the Gap of Dunloe. You can decide based on this view:

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Posted in Gear, Ireland, Travel | No Comments »

The blazing Irish sun

Sunday, September 13th, 2009

We arrived in Dublin in the rain. The dreariness and jetlag combined with the reality and complications of being on the road again to bring my spirits down. After a few easy weeks in the US, it was a little tough to face small hotel rooms, figuring out bus routes, and strange foods again. However, the next few days brought beautiful warm sunshine to brighten my mood and provide a great backdrop for seeing the sights. We spent 2 days exploring the city and visited Trinity College, Temple Bar, Christ Church, St. Stephen’s Green, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Spire, and a few pubs. Probably the sight that cheered me up the most was at the Guinness brewery. The view of the city from the Gravity Bar at the top is fantastic, and the taste of a fresh pint of draught is the perfect accompaniment.

We picked up a rental car and headed south to Kilkenny (Come on the cats!). The countryside is just a green as everyone said it would be and our luck the weather held out for another day so that we could see the Castle (picture below), the Black Abbey, and St. Canice’s basking in the sunlight. It’s good to be traveling again.

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Posted in Ireland, Travel | No Comments »

Thanks, Merci, Danke, and Shokran

Monday, September 7th, 2009

We spent our last days in the US doing some particularly American things. In addition to more shopping and eating, we went a football (not futbol) game. Of course no day at the gridiron would be complete without a tailgate, that uniquely American activity that I’ve found difficult to explain to my friends from Europe.

The weather was perfect, the beer was cold, the hoagies were tasty, and the company was great. What more could we have wanted? Well, a win would have been nice, but we were consoled after the game by more friends at a BBQ. It was a great way to end our time here, and I’d like to thank all the friends and family who put us up, took us out, filled us up, and generally made our stay so enjoyable.  Next up: the emerald isle.

Here’s a shot of “the boys” at the stadium.

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Posted in Travel, US | 1 Comment »

Catching Up

Friday, September 4th, 2009

It’s been a while since I’ve written, so I’ll keep this short and just summarize what we’ve been up to. We are still in the US and have been keeping ourselves very busy visiting family and friends, as well as doing a little sightseeing. After Atlanta, we spent some time near Baltimore, enjoying American food (crab cakes and BBQ ribs!), shopping (new hiking shoes!), and reminiscing with my college roommates.

Our way north took us through Gettysburg and we had a very interesting history lesson. We continued our historical tour outside of Boston at the Minuteman NP near Concord and Lexington. After a few days with more friends there, we headed back to Pennsylvania and spent a nice week relaxing and visiting my family, and sampling my favorite foods – Tastykakes, cheesteaks, NY style pizza, Yuengling, and sugar cake. This part of the trip hasn’t been easy on the waistline.

It’s been great to be back to the comforts of the US. There is nothing like it and I realize there are things that I’ve missed, especially English language TV and the food. (Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are better than I remembered). One of the most unique things we’ve seen while we were here is this Cabela’s store. It’s a huge superstore for all things hunting-fishing-camping related, including guns and ammo. It’s certainly not something you could find anywhere else in the world.

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Posted in Travel, US | No Comments »

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