Friday, August 30, 2013
End of tour - Galway city
We finished our tour on Thursday. Instead of taking us to Shannon airport to get a bus to Galway they let us stay with the tour & come with them.
So pleased we did because we stopped at Kilfenora - the place of the High Crosses.12th & 13th century churches of the Celts & ancient burial tombs & stone structures.
We went on through the Burren - stony wild lands of vast limestone area of caves, masses of wild flowers. Oliver Cromwell passed through it on way to Galway & didn't appreciate it at all - he killed the soldiers & monks at the castles, stone towers, abbeys & churches as he went - 150 in total.
Galway has part of their stone wall left & medieval streets - VERY busy with tourists; as well as school returned today for the year. 2 big unis here - 27,000 students.
The day before we went to Ennis in County Clare. They are in the final of the hurling competiton this weekend so flags EVERYWHERE - in streets, on houses, shops & pubs. In the afternoon we went out to the Cliffs of Moher - beautiful (we climbed up each side for the view - but sun in wrong position for good phot0s. At night we finished the tour with a medieval banquet at Knapplogh Castle - with the four Kings & Queens (from our tour!) from the 4 Irish provinces. We had mead & wine & 4 course dinner; beautiful harmony singing & Irish dancing.
Today in Galway we did the city bus tour & went through the beautiful St Patricks Cathedral - known for the blacl/grey, brown & white Connemarra marble. It's been cooler & wetter (light showers) amongst the sunshine! today. Then sun out late afternoon!
So pleased we did because we stopped at Kilfenora - the place of the High Crosses.12th & 13th century churches of the Celts & ancient burial tombs & stone structures.
We went on through the Burren - stony wild lands of vast limestone area of caves, masses of wild flowers. Oliver Cromwell passed through it on way to Galway & didn't appreciate it at all - he killed the soldiers & monks at the castles, stone towers, abbeys & churches as he went - 150 in total.
Galway has part of their stone wall left & medieval streets - VERY busy with tourists; as well as school returned today for the year. 2 big unis here - 27,000 students.
The day before we went to Ennis in County Clare. They are in the final of the hurling competiton this weekend so flags EVERYWHERE - in streets, on houses, shops & pubs. In the afternoon we went out to the Cliffs of Moher - beautiful (we climbed up each side for the view - but sun in wrong position for good phot0s. At night we finished the tour with a medieval banquet at Knapplogh Castle - with the four Kings & Queens (from our tour!) from the 4 Irish provinces. We had mead & wine & 4 course dinner; beautiful harmony singing & Irish dancing.
Today in Galway we did the city bus tour & went through the beautiful St Patricks Cathedral - known for the blacl/grey, brown & white Connemarra marble. It's been cooler & wetter (light showers) amongst the sunshine! today. Then sun out late afternoon!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Dingle Peninsular!
Yesterday we left Kinsale & drove the Ring of Kerry to Killarney for lunch & then to Dingle to stay for 2 nights. We travelled the back roads around Cork - through townlands of farms - sheep, cattle, corn & feed crops for animals. They have had an excellent harvest & farmers mostly pleased. There are wild red fuscias & orange (sounds like) mount bresher (montbretia) in full bloom hedges all along the way; hydrangers everywhere too & heather amongst them. We stopped to view the 3 Lough Leanes (lakes) in the National Park.
Our first stop was at Muckross House - built early 1800's - very big house, very well preserved & maintained. Beautiful gardens , all overlooking a lough (loch/lake). Queen Victoria stayed there in 1863. We were taken to the House in a jaunting cart - horse & cart (taking 8). We stopped at the relics of a 11th century abbey destroyed by Oliver Cromwell. It was built of pale grey stone blocks & has a still used cemetery around it. It's in the middle of the forest of Irish oaks, new, horsechestnuts & lennon trees - just beautiful.
Our hotel in Dingle is in the main street - SO narrow, one way only. Every other tiny place in all of these places is a pub where there is traditional singing every night. Most other places restaurants & souvenir shops. Lots of little white Irish cottages; & rows of 2 storey all joined together, many brightly painted. Also lots of individual houses.
Lots of tourists everywhere. 90% of Killarney is tourist driven. The Republic is starting to come good. the EU loaned & granted them money to build new roads, freeways & bridges. Where the money ran out you are back to narrow, single roads. They are under all the decisions of the EU. Some good (the 4.000 Waterford Crystal workers who lost there jobs & received no payouts or pensions owed to them are now going to be reimbursed. However the farmers have so many rules & regulations on what they can & can't do they say it is not worth keeping sheep, chooks, dairy cattle etc because returns just under what it costs to produce goods - which all go to the EU for sale. They are in a bind if to stay in EU - Britain still take their main exports & Republic owes EU so much money (not have to repay for 35 yrs). They are bound / 'governed' by EU regulations - all decided so far away & often no relevance to Ireland.'
The south east here are staunch Republicans, speak Gaelic & furious that QE2 was allowed to visit.
Our Guide has wonderful sense of humour & full of stories of tradition & history - very fair in his delivery.
The beautiful hotel we stayed in at Kinsale is up for sale. The builders/owners went bust in the downturn & left for 'warmer climate with 67 million euros. It's valued now at 21 million &new hopeful buyers, who were being wined & dined the night we were there, expecting to get it for 4 million!
Our first stop was at Muckross House - built early 1800's - very big house, very well preserved & maintained. Beautiful gardens , all overlooking a lough (loch/lake). Queen Victoria stayed there in 1863. We were taken to the House in a jaunting cart - horse & cart (taking 8). We stopped at the relics of a 11th century abbey destroyed by Oliver Cromwell. It was built of pale grey stone blocks & has a still used cemetery around it. It's in the middle of the forest of Irish oaks, new, horsechestnuts & lennon trees - just beautiful.
Our hotel in Dingle is in the main street - SO narrow, one way only. Every other tiny place in all of these places is a pub where there is traditional singing every night. Most other places restaurants & souvenir shops. Lots of little white Irish cottages; & rows of 2 storey all joined together, many brightly painted. Also lots of individual houses.
Lots of tourists everywhere. 90% of Killarney is tourist driven. The Republic is starting to come good. the EU loaned & granted them money to build new roads, freeways & bridges. Where the money ran out you are back to narrow, single roads. They are under all the decisions of the EU. Some good (the 4.000 Waterford Crystal workers who lost there jobs & received no payouts or pensions owed to them are now going to be reimbursed. However the farmers have so many rules & regulations on what they can & can't do they say it is not worth keeping sheep, chooks, dairy cattle etc because returns just under what it costs to produce goods - which all go to the EU for sale. They are in a bind if to stay in EU - Britain still take their main exports & Republic owes EU so much money (not have to repay for 35 yrs). They are bound / 'governed' by EU regulations - all decided so far away & often no relevance to Ireland.'
The south east here are staunch Republicans, speak Gaelic & furious that QE2 was allowed to visit.
Our Guide has wonderful sense of humour & full of stories of tradition & history - very fair in his delivery.
The beautiful hotel we stayed in at Kinsale is up for sale. The builders/owners went bust in the downturn & left for 'warmer climate with 67 million euros. It's valued now at 21 million &new hopeful buyers, who were being wined & dined the night we were there, expecting to get it for 4 million!
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Dublin
The second day was dull & wet - rain often only 'sprinkles' & no one uses umbrellas! We lined up at Book of Kells & Old Library for 30 mins - they let 10 in at a time. 2 pages of Matthew open - exhibition before seeing it explains it all. They think it from the 9th century & Iona community - island off Ireland & Scotland. Illuminate pages of painted (brilliant colours) pictures & Latin writing about four gospels.
Our tour started in afternoon - 39 Americans & us! All very nice! We did city tour & tour of Dublin Castle where Queen's Vice Roy lived & where QE2 'received' when she came to Dublin & Obama family.In Dublin no one takes any notice of the red & green man walk signs - as soon as there are no cars coming everyone crosses the road!
I can't get photo to move !!!!! This is Temple Bar area = VERY expensive. English couple we spoke to paid 13 euro for a sandwich there (A&20!!!!!!) Very narrow streets, people drinking, singing at all the cafes & pubs.
Day 3 - fine, sunny & warm again! we went out (west) to Kildare to the Irish National Horse Stud - beautiful countryside.
In the afternoon we went to Kilmainham Gaol - lined up for 45 mins. Tours every 15 mins.
Been there since early 1800's; it was where the 12 'traitors' who proclaimed the Irish Republic in 1922 were kept & executed by firing squad.At night we went to an Irish banquet (4 course, 400 there!) then wonderful singing, dancing & great comedian.
Had my first Irish ice cream!!!!!
Warren is enjoying the various lagers!
Catching up.................................!!!!
We are sitting in our beautiful hotel room, 4 kms out of Kinsale, on the coast in County Cork looking out over green fields of crops, yellow lined harvested fields and the river that winds it's way back to the town of little white houses!!! The sun is shining at 6.30pm - just beautiful!!!!!
Ireland is WONDERFUL - I love it.
However - I'd better fill in the last few days!!!!
After waiting for 5 hours at Singapore airport we flew for 12 hours to Frankfurt. We enjoyed the complimentary drinks - Warren his scotch & cognac & me my Baileys - even though it was 2am before & after our meal! Another 5 hour wait in Frankfurt before our hour and half flight to Dublin.
We arrived at Dublin airport which seemed very deserted after the other airports we had been in!. We didn't have to fill in any paperwork, the Irish lady said 'welcome to Ireland' & we collected our bags & walked straight through Customs!!!!
We stayed 3 nights at Davenport Hotel, O'Callaghan's Merrion Square. Dublin has numerous Georgian Squares ( 4 blocks of red/pink small brick 3 level houses all joined together around a square of parkland or gardens). Oscar Wilde memorial is in Merrion Sq.
Our hotel is round the corner from Trinity College - the college Queen Elizabeth 1 set up in 1598!!!!
Day 1 - very warm & sunny afternoon! So many people in Dublin (Thurs). Every second person had a map in there hand looking for directions! Very busy, happy atmosphere. We walked Trinity College - 'The Book of Kells' closed until next day!!!!! We visited Temple Bar area; the Liffy River - walked until exhausted.
We went to the pub opposite(The Ginger Man) for dinner - B fish n chips; W - mixed grill!!!!!!
I'll download some photos & continue....................................
Ireland is WONDERFUL - I love it.
However - I'd better fill in the last few days!!!!
After waiting for 5 hours at Singapore airport we flew for 12 hours to Frankfurt. We enjoyed the complimentary drinks - Warren his scotch & cognac & me my Baileys - even though it was 2am before & after our meal! Another 5 hour wait in Frankfurt before our hour and half flight to Dublin.
We arrived at Dublin airport which seemed very deserted after the other airports we had been in!. We didn't have to fill in any paperwork, the Irish lady said 'welcome to Ireland' & we collected our bags & walked straight through Customs!!!!
We stayed 3 nights at Davenport Hotel, O'Callaghan's Merrion Square. Dublin has numerous Georgian Squares ( 4 blocks of red/pink small brick 3 level houses all joined together around a square of parkland or gardens). Oscar Wilde memorial is in Merrion Sq.
Our hotel is round the corner from Trinity College - the college Queen Elizabeth 1 set up in 1598!!!!
Day 1 - very warm & sunny afternoon! So many people in Dublin (Thurs). Every second person had a map in there hand looking for directions! Very busy, happy atmosphere. We walked Trinity College - 'The Book of Kells' closed until next day!!!!! We visited Temple Bar area; the Liffy River - walked until exhausted.
We went to the pub opposite(The Ginger Man) for dinner - B fish n chips; W - mixed grill!!!!!!
I'll download some photos & continue....................................
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Singapore!
We are sitting at the airport (free wi-fi) with 5 hours to kill before out next flight!!! One extreme to the other! We loved our 3 day stopover.- 32 everyone day & So humid!
Day 1 - hop on/hop off bus (walked Orchard Road; visited Raffles Hotel (Warren wouldn't pay $26 for a Singapore Sling!); walked around Flyer (BIG wheel) & pier (British Lion).
Day 2 - caught the cable car to Mt Faber & Sentosa Island - 'Sights of Singapore' - telling the history - wonderful!
Day 3 - Changi Museum & replica Chapel (original at Duntroon) - remembered James Downie (Marcia's uncle/ Warren's mother's brother-in-law) who was here for 3 years. We caught the local bus (an hour & 10 mins each way, $2 each way) & passed through ALL the nationalities & diversity of houses, shops & life in Singapore!
Now off to IRELAND!!!!!!! (via 5 hr stopover in Frankfurt. Flight leaves at 11.05pm!)
Day 1 - hop on/hop off bus (walked Orchard Road; visited Raffles Hotel (Warren wouldn't pay $26 for a Singapore Sling!); walked around Flyer (BIG wheel) & pier (British Lion).
Day 2 - caught the cable car to Mt Faber & Sentosa Island - 'Sights of Singapore' - telling the history - wonderful!
Day 3 - Changi Museum & replica Chapel (original at Duntroon) - remembered James Downie (Marcia's uncle/ Warren's mother's brother-in-law) who was here for 3 years. We caught the local bus (an hour & 10 mins each way, $2 each way) & passed through ALL the nationalities & diversity of houses, shops & life in Singapore!
Now off to IRELAND!!!!!!! (via 5 hr stopover in Frankfurt. Flight leaves at 11.05pm!)
Leaving Sydney!!!
Clare took us to the airport - we left in plenty of time to check in an hour & half before flight took off. We got to within one & half kms & joined the line to get in!!! After moving 10 car spaces in 20 mins I started to get a bit concerned! A km out we pulled up & collected ALL our bags, said goodbye to a surprised Clare & started walking!!! At the check in we joined the LONG line - they pulled us out at 9am (flight 10.20); we checked in & joined the LONG queue at Departures then Customs!!!! We got to the plane at 9.30 - 10 mins to spare!!!!! I think half of Sydney must have been leaving town!!!
The Qantas flight was wonderful - I loved seeing the outback rocks & river formations; then the coastline leaving Australia; then the big & little islands & atolls (sp?); then forested Brunei.
Singapore was a sauna when we walked out of the terminal - 32 degrees!!!!!!
The Qantas flight was wonderful - I loved seeing the outback rocks & river formations; then the coastline leaving Australia; then the big & little islands & atolls (sp?); then forested Brunei.
Singapore was a sauna when we walked out of the terminal - 32 degrees!!!!!!
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