Karen Rubin's Ramblings

While on a two week vacation in Ireland & London, I kept track of what we did and my own thoughts in order to help me remember. Two weeks is a long time! I realized other might benefit from my experience, or at least enjoy my photos. This should not serve as the definitive guide to Ireland, just my own wandering trip.

Day 9 – Derry & the Antrim Coast

We were up and about early in Derry. First we walked the Bogside murals. Bogside was the Catholic neighborhood in Derry where Bloody Sunday occurred and the modern Troubles began. Three local artists have commemorated the events with 12 building side murals (you can see them all here). They were moving and a look into a past I have never understood. It was a worthwhile trip into Derry.

From there we headed east along the northern coast of Ireland. We stopped at Dunlace Castle, which is a beautifully restored and maintain castle ruin, one of the best I have seen.

We then went on to the Giant’s Causeway a place that really defies explanation. We walked the cliffs over looking the Causeway for an hour or two, and then descended to seaside. While we were topside, we couldn’t understand why everyone was swarming over this one little outcropping.

As we walked to it along the shore, we realized it was one of the most amazing geological phenomena’s we had ever seen. There are over 38,000 hexagonal towers. They look like they are made from concrete. They are stunning and photos don’t begin to describe it (probably why the guide book didn’t have any photos.)

From there we headed along the coast, stopped into a small town for tea and then went to the rope bridge. If you look at any tourist book of Ireland, it will show the rope bridge. It was a lovely 1km walk to a rocky out cropping with a rope bridge extended well above the surf. It was windy and a little scary, but the views were well worth the 5 pounds.

We then drove into Bally Castle, checked into a lovely B&B and took a nap. Bally Castle was largely ignored by the guidebooks, but we found it to be everything we needed in a quiet town. We went to the Central Pub and had the best dinner in Ireland. It was a surprise to find it out here, but the food was amazing. We started sharing the chicken and sweet corn chowder. I had the sea bass over potatoes with caramelized onions and smushed peas (a new favorite). Jared had a pasta dish. Both were incredible.

We spent some time at the bar, sitting with the locals watching golf. The bartender is headed to Alabama in November to spend a couple of weeks bartending during the football season. We then came back, watched some BBC comedy and went to bed early.  

While on a two week vacation in Ireland & London, I kept track of what we did and my own thoughts in order to help me remember. Two weeks is a long time! I realized other might benefit from my experience, or at least enjoy my photos. This should not serve as the definitive guide to Ireland, just my own wandering trip.

Day 7 – Galway

 Phew, on day 7 we decided we needed a day off and took it! We were supposed to go to the Aran Islands, but once I realized it was a 2-hour trip there, we decided to just spend the day around Galway. I was pretty pleased with myself for being flexible and not getting upset about the “plan” changing. The whole goal of this trip!

We slept in (8:30!) had some breakfast and then walked around the town. It was a beautiful, sunny day. Crystal clean blue skies that I don’t think you see often in Ireland. We looked for a park to settle down in, like we did in Dublin, to read our books, but didn’t find anything great.

So instead we hit up the coffee shops in the main shopping area. We sat outside in the sun, drinking cappuccinos, frilly hot chocolates and tea while we read our books. Ireland has, like America, instituted a no smoking inside rule. Unfortunately, this means the patios and outdoor seating have become the home for all the smokers. I really wanted to be outside, but finally we needed a way to be outside relaxing, where we weren’t surrounded by smokers!

We headed to the beach. I was again grateful to have a car, because it allowed us to go a little further form the city (about 20 minutes) and go to a beach that was all Irish. We spent a couple of hours soaking in the sun, napping, reading our books and watching mothers chase their children around the beach. It was exactly what we needed.

After we headed back to the B&B, I went out on a much-needed run and Jared went to the pub to watch the Ireland football match. We met up after and discussed the next couple of days of our trip, deciding to head for Sligo (Sl-i-go, Sl-e-go…I have no idea) and then on into Donegal and Northern Ireland. (Again, notice all my FLEXIBILITY!) 

The evening was spent having a lovely dinner (Celeraic and thyme soup, which was divine!) and then watching the England football match. The craic wasn’t so wonderful, so we came home and called our parents. We are such good children!

While on a two week vacation in Ireland & London, I kept track of what we did and my own thoughts in order to help me remember. Two weeks is a long time! I realized other might benefit from my experience, or at least enjoy my photos. This should not serve as the definitive guide to Ireland, just my own wandering trip.
 

Day 6 – Dingle, the Cliffs of Moher & Galway

 We headed out of Dingle after another filling breakfast and made our way north. The difference between Irish roads and the roads back home is they are half as wide and twice as fast. (Seriously, think of any normal 2 lane road with traffic in both directions – then make it half as wide and give it a speed limit of 65 miles and hour!) Most of the time we are 25 to 50% slower than the speed limit and if I were driving I would go slower.

The drive out of Dingle was scenic, and this wasn’t the scenic route! We headed back through Tralee, which is a town I would consider spending time in, and caravanned with another car full of Americans. Every stop we made, they were there. It became a running joke.

We took a ferry across the river Shannon, to pass driving through Limerick, which was a nice stop in the drive. Then headed to the Cliffs of Moher. On the way, we passed Doonbeg, Gregg Norman’s $400-a-tee-time gold course. Jared wanted to see it, so we drove down the 2 mile drive way and took a look.

The amazing thing about Irish golf courses is they are wide open. Because they are a long the beach, they have to give pass-throughs to the locals to get to the water. This means, lucky people like us, can get a peak at the course.  I think we will be checking out more courses as we make our way north.

We arrived at the Cliffs around 2. As expected, the place was full of tourist busses and the roads were clogged with tourists who can’t drive. (We were NOT among those that cannot drive, WE even thought they were too slow!)

The Cliffs were over all a disappointment. Due to a number of deaths from people being blown off the cliffs, in 2007 they added high walls and significantly cut down on where you can walk. This limited the view and the experience. I understand that people falling off the cliffs is bad, but I wanted to walk the cliff tops and we weren’t really able to.

Also, the cliffs we saw in Dingle, although not as large, were more picturesque and the whole coast is jaw-dropping cliffs. I’m not sure I would pay for the pleasure to see Moher again.

 From there we had another hour and half drive to Galway. We made it here around 5, found a B&B and crashed for a two-hour nap. The plan had been to go to the Aran Islands tomorrow, but we are both tired from two big days, I think we are just going to relax and enjoy Galway.

We did head out on the town for some more pubs. We stopped into two places, one with a fiddler, a banjo and a guitar that was lively and jumping. The other with an orchestra of fiddlers, guitarists, accordions’ and flutists. By the time we left, there were more than 20 folks playing together. The place wasn’t full, but I think it was the best music I have heard so far.

While on a two week vacation in Ireland & London, I kept track of what we did and my own thoughts in order to help me remember. Two weeks is a long time! I realized other might benefit from my experience, or at least enjoy my photos. This should not serve as the definitive guide to Ireland, just my own wandering trip. 

Day 5 – Dingle

We started the day with a HUGE Irish fry. Eileen is our host and is the most friendly person we have met so far. She calls us the newlyweds and has been taking quite good care of us. She is always available to chat with, and feels very grandmotherly. It’s rather nice.

 Breakfast included cereal, bread with cheese and jam, yogurt, a banana, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage. It was delicious and very filling. We needed it because just after breakfast, we headed up the street to rent bikes and start on a 30 mile bike loop around the peninsula. 

 The ride started through some flat lands with a view of the water. I took photos all the way. We stopped at an old (4000 years old) fort that is failing into the water as the cliffs crumble. I took more photos. We hit some beehive huts (you need to see the photos to understand) I took more photos. It all seemed so lovely.

 Then about 12 miles out, we come around the corner of the single lane road we were biking on and before us are cliffs, a beach, huge waves and blue ocean.

It was stunning. All the previous photos opportunities were nothing compared with this. The sun came out just as we turned the corner and I took another couple hundred photos.

We went to the beach, played in the water, biked a little further and stopped for lunch over looking the next valley.

The whole bike was quaint, and beautiful, and also a bit exhausting. (I might have thrown a bit of a temper tantrum around mile 24….) 

We came back to the B&B, rested up, and went out for another night on the town. The highlight of my evening was my first Bailey’s Coffee. Creamy, rich, strong, it was heavenly. Unfortunately, I was too pooped to enjoy it for long. We headed to bed early.  

While on a two week vacation in Ireland & London, I kept track of what we did and my own thoughts in order to help me remember. Two weeks is a long time! I realized other might benefit from my experience, or at least enjoy my photos. This should not serve as the definitive guide to Ireland, just my own wandering trip. 

Day 4 – Ballybunion and Dingle

We were up before the sun this morning in order for Jared to make his 7:15 tee time at Ballybunion. Mr. Seanor (the proprietor of the Seanor House, we never actually got his name) made us a full Irish Fry. It was quite delicious and we went off having slept our best night of sleep since getting here (it was quiet) and with our bellies full.

We arrived at the course before almost any of the workers. The sun was just coming over the horizon and the sky was pink. Jared got his clubs, but not his caddie because no caddies had arrived yet. We headed out on the first tee and didn’t see another soul until we were well past the 7^th. It was cold, but lovely.

Jared played well, beating his goal of under 100. There were a couple of rough holes in the middle, but he birdied the 18^th, which made his day.  Overall the course was a beautiful example of man taming the natural Irish seaside. I don’t think the photos do it justice.

From there we headed into town, picked up some fresh, warm baguettes, cheese and fruit and had a picnic over looking the Atlantic. We followed the road out of town and south on towards Tralee and Dingle.

My guidebook told me that just after Tralee (which looked like a very cool town,) you have a choice. Take the narrow, faster route to Dingle or the narrow and breathtaking route. We chose the narrow and breathtaking route over the Conor Pass and it was well worth it. The views were amazing, the road was a single lane in parts and there were two short but enjoyable hikes on the way up.

The first hike was on the way up with amazing views back in to Tralee. The book said “Look for the waterfall, then scramble up some rocks to a glacier filled lake.” We came around, what looked like the last corner, and sure enough there was a small waterfall with rocks behind it. We climbed up, enjoying the view down the whole way, and found a lake that was clear and all ours. It was very peaceful and quite.

 On the way back down the car I told Jared that I enjoy this day so much more than being in Dublin. I just love natural wonders more than man made.

We then drove a little further, up a windy, cliff-side one-lane road where Jared had to do some amazing maneuvering to get the car past those coming the other way. At the top of the pass, there was a parking lot and small climb up to look down in to Dingle, all the way to the Ring of Kerry.

The drive from there was short to downtown Dingle. We parked, walked to a couple B&B’s before we found Eileen Collins Kirrary B&B. It has a garden where we are currently relaxing with our feet up. We are planning on spending two nights here. I can’t wait.

 Later that night….We had dinner at the James G. Ashe Pub, recommended to us by the Rick Steve’s Guidebook (which I can’t live without.) He said that their Beef & Guinness stew was amazing, and with that recommendation, I needed to go there to try it out. The food was good, hearty and warm. We sat next to a nice American couple, visiting Ireland and Scotland for a number of weeks – we chatted for most of dinner about Ireland, what we had seen and where we were going.

 Then Jared and I headed out to the pubs. We did 3 different pubs, all with traditional music. The first had two gentlemen playing the guitar singing folk songs. They were funny, but when I learned there were no Irish in the house (except for them) I wanted something more authentic.

We headed up the street, to a dark bar with some more men on guitars. That was fine, but Jared was certain the craic was at a place we had passed earlier. We went headed back to The Dingle Pub, where there was 1 man and a guitar singing ballads. I thought Jared was crazy, but after 5 minutes we were treated to the publicans son doing traditional Irish step dance. It turns out he is an Irish national champion, and believed by all to be the next world champion. He was amazing. He danced 3 dances and we were awe struck.

While on a two week vacation in Ireland & London, I kept track of what we did and my own thoughts in order to help me remember. Two weeks is a long time! I realized other might benefit from my experience, or at least enjoy my photos. This should not serve as the definitive guide to Ireland, just my own wandering trip. 

Day 3 – Ballybunion, Ireland

The nights from our Dublin hotel continued to be eventful, we were both awake at 5:30 listening to two chaps singing  “Oh When The Saints, Go Marching In” as they danced down the street. Jared spent much of the ride out of Dublin thinking about what he should have hollered back, rather than stay in bed.

I went for a run first thing in the morning. It was fun to see the city waking up for a workday. I went past St. Stephens (which was still locked up) down Grafton and then along the river. On my way back, St. Stephens was open and I ran with the locals around the park.

We headed out around 9:30. Renting the car was no problem. Driving out of Dublin was easier than expected. Jared was a pro. We got on the new Motorway, which they recently (within the last couple of month) opened, and were feeling really good about the driving…until someone came down the Motor way at 120 km/hr going the WRONG WAY! The Motorway is like a US interstate. It was terrifying. We talked with an Irish woman about it later in the day and she said it’s hard for the Irish to get used to the highways.

It also wasn’t completed. So we frequently had to get off, go on the smaller local roads, until the motorway picked up. All in all, I was impressed with how well the roads were labeled, especially after all I have read about how hard the driving is here.

The roundabouts (rotaries) aren’t bad at all. They are very well labeled and going the wrong direction in a roundabout is easier than handling a normal T intersection, where we can’t help but look the wrong way.

We got to Ballybunion around 1:30, and were in awe of the beach and the cliffs. Seeing the other side of the Atlantic was a breath taking moment. We stopped in one of the local pubs, had a bite to eat (I got the potato leek soup which was great, Jared had a chicken cajun sandwich) and then headed up the street to the Seanor B&B where we got a beautiful room for the night.

We then went out to the Ballybunion course, so Jared could be sure we knew where it was for tomorrow. It’s stunning. They have a walkway through to the beach and we wandered around some and got excited for tomorrow. We stopped at the clubhouse and had a drink and spent 45 minutes in the pro shop picking out the PERFECT hat for Jared.

Tonight we went to a restaurant in downtown Ballybunion, which is a sleepy off-season beach resort town.  It is a Monday, but town was very quiet and so we came home early to get some sleep.

Tomorrow we are up for a traditional Irish fry at 6AM! I can’t wait. 

While on a two week vacation in Ireland & London, I kept track of what we did and my own thoughts in order to help me remember. Two weeks is a long time! I realized other might benefit from my experience, or at least enjoy my photos. This should not serve as the definitive guide to Ireland, just my own wandering trip. 

Day 2 – Dublin, Ireland

We headed out around 8:30 and walked down to the Bad Ass Café in the Temple Bar area. Jared got his first Irish Fry. There was a lot of meat (sausage and Irish bacon, which is more like slabs of ham,) a very runny egg and some baked beans.  I had an omelet, which I split with Jared in exchange for his runny egg.

 We then walked to Trinity College, and had a tour from a current student. It was great! The tour ended at the Trinity Library, which houses the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells was written some time before A.D. 806 on vellum or calfskin. In the end, it was just a book surrounded by lots of people. A very pretty book, one of “the best examples of Dark Age literature,” but a still just a book. The Long Hall, a long library above the Book of Kells exhibit, was amazing. No photos allowed. It’s the largest library in all of Europe and is beautifully done filled with old books and busts of dead people. We were behind a large tour bus, but I think seeing the Long Hall was worth it.

 Then we walked across the city to the Guinness Storehouse. Their new museum was amazing. Built in the old factory, they redid the entire place 3 or 4 years ago. It was interesting without being boring. Not too much text and nice short videos explaining how they make beer. At the end, we enjoyed our complimentary Guinness on the top of the Storehouse in the Sky Bar which has the best view over looking Dublin.

We walked from there to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We stopped on the way and had fruit and pretzels in the sun. The cathedral was a disappointment compares to some of the others I have seen. Small and cluttered. I was glad we went, just so I could realize that how amazing the cathedrals in Germany really were.

 We walked from there back to Merion Park and sat in the sun. Napped and read our books. It was amazing, after walking all day it was a treat. Merion Park is the smaller of two parks near our hotel. The guidebook said it was a good place to see “couple snookering on sunny days” so we went and added to the charm.

We changed at our hotel and went over to the Winding Stair Café for dinner. It was lovely. Organic, farm grown, on top of a bookstore. We had an amazing dinner.  We didn’t have a reservation, but they managed to get us in and out in an hour and fifteen minutes, without making it seem rushed.  It was a best meal we have had since coming to Dublin.

 On our way back to the hotel, we split a banana & nutella crepe and stopped in for some craic (fun, good times, pronounced crack) at a pub with a real session going on. The Dubliners, a band located out of a small bar near St. Stephens Green, have been playing together for 40 years! There were all white haired old men, but really put together a good tune.

 We didn’t stay out long as we drive to Ballybunion tomorrow and we have been told it can take anywhere from 4-8 hours. 

While on a two week vacation in Ireland & London, I kept track of what we did and my own thoughts in order to help me remember. Two weeks is a long time! I realized other might benefit from my experience, or at least enjoy my photos. This should not serve as the definitive guide to Ireland, just my own wandering trip. 

Day 1 – Dublin, Ireland

Our trip to Ireland really started after we had landed and were on the Air Coach bus from the airport into Dublin. We dropped at the stop per the hotel instructions and asked the driver for directions. He told us to go the opposite direction of our hotel and we wandered around for about 20 minutes before we figured it out. Everyone said directions in Ireland were generally fun!

 On our way to hunt down our hotel, we walked through St. Stephens Green. I knew right away that it was a park I could spend more time exploring it if we had the time.  The sun was shining and the park was filled with couples and children running around. It made me excited to start exploring.

 The hotel, the Fitzwilliam Townhouse, is just outside the main city and not too expensive, but close enough so we can walk everywhere. The room is clean, although it is a 5-floor walk up. We showered up and headed back out. We walked down to Grafton Street, the main shopping street (think Newbury if you are from Boston) and wandered amid the crowds down to the tourist center. We picked up some driving maps (great) and the Heritage Island Explorer Touring Guide (waste of money) and then headed to Temple Bar.

 Temple Bar is as touristy as everyone says. We stopped at a very large, noisy pub and had our first pints of Guinness among the other tourists. My first impression is that it is lighter and more bubbly that Guinness at home. We moved on from that pub, and found a place with the Manchester United football game on. It wasn’t as crowded, but they served food. We had a bowl of vegetable soup and some bruchette that was amazing. It might have been that we were starving, but our first food in Ireland beat all expectations.

 We had underestimated the temperature and were chilly at this point, so we walked back to the hotel and picked up our jackets. Back out, we hit up James Toners, a definitive Irish Pub filled with Irish! I learned that cider is the way to go and we enjoyed yet another pint. We would have stayed there, but the only food was cans of Pringles.

 We headed across the street to Foleys for dinner. Foleys was exactly what we needed. Quiet, cozy and comfortable. Jared got another pint, and I realized they way to go is glasses (half the size of a pint) if you are planning to hop from pub to pub. Dinner again beat all expectations of “Irish food”. I had an Indian Chicken Pie that was spiced perfectly and served with a mango chutney and a salad. Jared ordered his first fish and chips with came with “mushy peas”. We were both skeptical, but they turned out to be the best part of his dinner! They were fresh peas, served up like mashed potatoes. There must have been cream added because they were scrumptious.

 We landed back at home around 11, had some tea and hit the sack. The room has no AC, which I knew when I booked it. I didn’t think it would be a problem, because it’s in the 60s.  The room was fine with the window opens, but it was certainly loud on the street. I am looking forward to the country quiet after the city.