Another warm hello from Ireland!

Shame on me, I didn't blog yesterday because I was feeling lazy. Lol. So, I'll cover the past two days. Be warned, they've been GREAT!

So after my first night in Kilkenny, I woke up to room service that cost my €5 (the front desk didn't tell me that the breakfast included in my bill was served downstairs, not in my room. Meh.) Now, the hotel room was fine (though it had no AC), but compared to the posh room in which I'm staying in Galway tonight and last night, it was a Hooverville. Check out some of the photos of my room at the Clayton Hotel Galway!

 It's like sleeping on a cloud. And the floor to ceiling windows let in gorgeous light.

 A chic wardrobe, indeed.

 Look at the shower- no base! So cool.

A beautiful, wholesome breakfast- and so much of it!

So, anyway, before heading to Galway, I enjoyed my time in Kilkenny. I started off the morning by traveling to Dunmore Cave, an underground cave in County Kilkenny in the beautiful countryside. My tour guide was a man named Michael, an elderly Gaelic-speaking gent who travels to Orlando every year to visit his daughter, a woman married to an American man. Michael stays at the Grand Bohemian every year. What a small world, indeed! But anyway, Michael showed me and an elderly couple around the cold, damp caves, for which I had not dressed properly (I wasn't planning to find the cave initially; I happily happened upon it).

Heading down into the cave...

Looking cool and feeling cool

On my way to the cave, I saw a roadside vendor selling juice and strawberries, so I bought some organic apple carrot juice from the sweet girl running the stand. She offered me strawberries to taste, and I raved about their gorgeous flavor so much that she gave me the rest of a bushel as a gift. :) It was such a kind gesture, and I'm glad to have had them, as they served as my lunch that day.

BEST strawberries in the world :) I'm saving the juice for later.

She was as sweet as her strawberries. :)

 Looking a little more refreshed, phew.

 Check out my rental: a blue Ford Fiesta

 A European set, of course. ;)

I loved the drive to and from the cave. The weather was very pleasant, and I was in good spirits. I took time to admire the rolling hills and the vast fields of sheep, cows, and horses.

He was as curious about me as I was about him.

After a delightful day in the caves, I headed to city centre. The streets I'd driven frantically the day before now didn't stress me out so much after a night of light rest. It was nice to see "familiar" streets. Lol I browsed the streets of Kilkenny, and took in the sights of vast cathedrals and Kilkenny Castle. I didn't realize photography was prohibited inside the castle (oops), so feast your eyes on my illegal photos of some of the impressive decor:

Inside the castle ring

Tiny ant people

And in the city centre, my first stop was St. John the Evangelist Cathedral.

 It's like being inside the belly of a whale.

 Kilkenny: City Centre

Of course, chips with salt and vinegar. LOVE THEM!

So after my busy and lovely day in Kilkenny, I was ready to take my two (actually 4) hour drive to my next and current destination: Galway. I had printed my directions before leaving Kilkenny, but as always happens with any great voyage, there were detours and changes in the route (i.e. I got lost). Nonetheless, I had stopped several times to find directions, and had gotten a really great map from a cabby that ended up proving crucial in my navigation later on. I had stopped in a town called Ballyragget having gotten of course and lost, and met two employees at a gas station there named Nicholas and Ashley. They were very friendly and immediately helpful, Nicholas showing a bit of interest in me. He was young, a student, maybe 22, 23, with dirty blonde hair, tall, lovely smile. I liked him immediately. Ashley was just as delightful, offering help with navigation, even printing me google directions from their location to my destination. I was so grateful and got on my way. I had considered going back to chat Nicholas up more or even, if I had felt bolder, ask him to meet me in Galway. But I didn't. This journey is mine to reset the dial, and if I'm honest with myself, I'd only be sad when I realized I couldn't take him home with me to the states, so I drove on... only to get lost again. It of course rained off and on during this drive through tiny sleepy towns and long stretches of countryside. I was so far off track, and after having a hiccuping drunk hang in my car window giving me directions (which did end up helping me later, to his credit), I began to do the impossible: navigate my own way by map. The cabby's map was far superior to that provided by my rental company that I was able to find all of the necessary roads myself and was able to map out the best routes. When I arrived at my hotel with virtually no help since leaving Ballyragget, I felt immensely proud of myself. ACCOMPLISHED. I DID IT!

I finally arrived at my hotel in Galway around 11PM (side note: it doesn't get dark here this time of year until 10:15PM. I was amazed.), and I was tired, but wanted to eat and have a drink, maybe talk to people in the hotel bar; however, EVERYWHERE with food was closed (so early for a Friday night, no?), the hotel bar band was so loud I could hardly think, and after driving around Galway in the mist with no food in my stomach, I resigned to sleep. Actually, I resigned to watching cheeky British TV shows and fell asleep to one of the disgustingly degrading American Pie movies. That was the end of my first night in Galway.

After my DELIGHTFUL breakfast today in the hotel's posh restaurant, I had intended to head out promptly thereafter. Instead, I fell asleep and didn't leave until about 2 or 3 PM. I headed to a local library I'd found down the road on my late night food hunt, and browsed some books. (To visit a library in a foreign country has long been on my list of things to do in life!).

It's funny to think that people here look at travel books for my home with longing the way I look at theirs.

The day began very windy, cold, and misty, which is what I had expected from the forecasts I'd seen before leaving the states, so I was grateful for my orange winter coat.

Because I had napped longer than expected, I changed my goal of visiting a beautiful garden about an hour away and instead opted to head to Galway City Centre to see what's what. There, I first happened upon Galway Cathedral and then headed to Galway University. Can I just say: wow. My college campus is not nearly as charming as this.

 Galway Cathedral

How do they get any learning done? Look at this courtyard!

I then headed away from college into the shopping district. Just a series of shots that I loved:

 A really great busker was playing behind that woman's head.

 Oscar Wilde, you're looking dapper.

I found a great vegetarian-friendly restaurant and stopped for lunch.

Now, here, shortly after taking these photos, a guy came in and sat at the bar beside me. His name was Marcus, a 44-year old South African who's been hosteling through Ireland for the past year and couple months. He was also a vegetarian and somewhat of a kindred spirit. I enjoy my solo trips around the town, but it was nice to have a conversation and make a friend. We later walked around the city and got him set up in a hostel for the night. The guy at the counter in the hostel, a Dubliner named Clive, was really friendly. We started talking about the local theatre scene, and he told me about how he had grown up on film sets because his dad was a set painter. He'd met Sean Connery when he was a young boy in the 70s, and his dad also did work on All Dogs Go to Heaven. :) Loved that tidbit, and loved talking with Clive.

A sign hanging in the hostel

After Marcus got changed and settled in, we headed out for a drink. On the way there, we found some great street affirmations!

 I look scared. Or constipated.

 My first pint in Ireland!

 I still look scared.

After a long and fun day, I dropped Marcus off at his hostel and headed to my hotel. In true form, I got lost, but knew I had to rely on my wits to get my home. I didn't bother digging in my bag for my map, and found my way SOLELY on memory. I got home just after 11:30PM, and was again so grateful and proud of how far I've come in only three days in Ireland.

PHEW! I've posted a lot tonight, luckily a sign that I've had a great trip so far. I know that more greatness is to come. I'm hoping to wake up in time to head to the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands, maybe picking up Marcus along the way. Afterward, I'll be keen to head on another long journey to Killarney for the next two days. I'll then head back to Dublin, where I'll spend my last night of this trip in Ireland. Stay tuned for more to come... :)

Hello from the Emerald Isle!

My first day in Ireland has come to a close! It's been fascinating and stressful all at the same time, and I've learned a LOT. Here was my day:

I spent about 15 hours in airports and on planes, and finally landed in Ireland around 8AM local time (3AM EST). My flight to Newark was terrible, but the flight from Newark to Dublin was excellent. I met friendly people on the flight, which was a tip for what I could expect upon landing.

 I pack like a boss. No checked bags for me!

I picked up my rental car and realized I did NOT want the stress of managing the Irish roads in a European vehicle while simultaneously having to manage a manual transmission, so I upgraded to an automatic for a fee. SUCH a better idea! Lol

So I set off on my first day in Dublin with the thought of popping into a local pottery studio, which I could then pick up on my way home. Instead, I GOT DESPERATELY LOST. Here's the thing about Ireland: it's old world. Despite its modernity, even in Dublin, streets aren't marked as they are in the US. There's no "take a left onto Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, take a left at the light", etc. Instead, it's "go through three roundabouts, take a left, go under two bridges"... and so forth. Truly, the only signs I recall seeing are for roundabouts giving vague indications as to which town or city one direction of the roundabout might take one. I drove from Dublin to far off counties, to Dublin, to other far off counties, and racked up more tolls than I care to account. I was so helplessly lost for so long and it began to really get my goose; however, everyone I asked for directions was so accommodating and understanding, and incredibly generous with their kindness and help. For instance, I pulled off into a bar in a town called Ballyfermot and was giving directions by the charming young bartender named Allen. Allen was tall with a shaved head, stocky and broad-chested. I even struck up a conversation with the elderly gentleman sitting at the bar drinking the most beautifully crafted pint of Guinness I'd ever seen. I asked Allen how long you have to let the Guinness settle before heading it off, and he said it depended; sometimes, ten minutes, sometime just three. I guess the Guinness will tell you when it's ready. Lol Anyway, Allen's directions got me out of Ballyfermot and back in the vicinity of Dublin, after which I quickly got myself lost again. Lol

Somewhere around Ballyfermot. I thought these complexes were cute.

I later ended up back in Dublin, finally so tired and stressed that I just wanted to get to my hotel in Kilkenny, about an hour and a half away, Again, I had no way of navigating myself in the right direction, so I stopped in the town centre of Dublin, to which I cannot WAIT to return! Dublin is so exciting. :) Anyway, I parked and paid a meter in euros, thinking I had bought myself 14 minutes. How silly of me. I put more money in the meter, seeing that it had bought me 14:11. Wait.... these are minutes. That's the time. *head smack* Lol, lesson learned. So, I had parked my car outside of the Francis Street Exchange, owned by a man named Brian. Brian is a thin man with mousy brown hair, roughly in his late 40s/early 50s. He saw how stressed I was and said with a beautiful Irish accent "Well, first off, sit down and relax. Would you like a cup of tea? You don't need to be stressed". He took time to ask me about where I was coming from, even googling my destination to try to help. He drew me an extensive map, and was a very gracious host to an unexpected guest. He then called his friend Paul from a shop across the street, an antique store which Paul owned. Paul was a little taller than Allen, also bald-headed, and had a friendly personality. He said he also has an antique shop in Boston, so if I ever make my way up to Boston, I'll be sure to look up his shop. Anyway, Brian said he'd get in his van and drive me to the right highway, but since he was working, he convinced Paul to take me an easier way since I was having such trouble finding the right routes on my borderline useless map. Brian hugged me and said "don't worry, he'll get you out. See you next week". Paul lead me in his work van, which he also graciously did. And thankfully so, because I'd have NEVER found my way on my own!!! Lol I was so touched by their kindness, and said I'd stop by again when I return to Dublin next week. :)

Paul led me to the highway, and off I went toward Kilkenny. The drive was long and scenic, but I was so tired, I had to eat lollipops and blast music to keep myself awake.

 The picture doesn't do it justice- beautiful country.

I finally arrived in Kilkenny in the early evening and stopped off to buy myself some dinner, and to ask for directions. I found a cute little shop and got some DELICIOUS mushroom soup with brown bread, which was so good with butter. I didn't get to actually eat my soup until getting settled in my hotel room MUCH later in the night, but that's another story... we're getting to that part. So I bought a 5 liter bottle of water and got directions from the teller, named Catherine (locally pronounced "Catrin" with the lovely Irish "T"). Her accent was very thick, but she gave me directions I understood (or so I thought) and drew me a little map. So, I followed that, and successfully got myself lost AGAIN.

Allen's and Catherine's directions. Circles and lines!

At this point, I've been up for more than 24 hours, I'm tired, and unfresh, and getting bummed out that this is so hard, so I keep trying to figure it out, going back the ways I came, finding other wrong routes and just compounding problems. I end up asking two more store clerks, each giving me similar responses to those that Catherine had given me, only to become more baffled and irritable that I can't seem to make this work. I pull off into a neighborhood and into a neighborhood. I pull into a driveway to turn around, and the lady of the house, who was cleaning the windows, sees me and comes out. She was elderly, warm, and friendly, like a loving grandmother. She had a kind smile and a small stature. She thought I'd been meeting the neighbors and got the wrong house, but was so reassuring when I told her of my plight and gave me directions, again, similar to all the directions I'd been given before. Her husband came around from the backyard, where he'd been doing some yard work. They agreed it'd be best if her husband, Rob, drove to the hotel while I followed behind him, and they offered this so kindly. In America, if you pull into someone's driveway, you're more likely to get the stink eye than you are to get a voluntary escort. I can say already, in just a few brief encounters: I love the people of Ireland. They're so loving and friendly. I had picked up some wine gums at a local shop and had offered some to Rob and his wife, and she was so sweet as she ate one of the orange gems. They expected nothing in return, and were just lifesaving for me. Rob wished me a good trip and departed.

 The view from my room at Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny

 I love you, Wine Gums! So deliciously European!

So here I am in my hotel after a long nap and a shower watching European news and Irish programs. It's now about a quarter after 3AM and I'm finally, for the first time on the trip, relaxing.

I'm spending so many of these. Blargh.

 

 Finally got to eat it, and it was so delicious! Mmm :)

I get up early tomorrow to check out at noon, and head through Kilkenny city centre to explore. As I was lost through the city before being guided by Rob, I'd see some of the gorgeous shops and cafes and cannot WAIT to spend some time there tomorrow.

Had to pass under this one-lane bridge. It's as scary as it sounds.

 Then, I head NW to Galway for the next two days. The path to Galway from Kilkenny is far and scattered, so wish me well that I find my way without trouble. I continue to be surprised by the beauty of the country and its people, so I hope for continued new discoveries and life-living!

Also, take a look at this beautiful broach I found in Brian's shop! It only cost €10, and it's like it was made for me, sitting in a little box in a cabinet in a shop in a country across the pond, waiting patiently for me to come and find it. How lovely I shall feel every time I wear it. :)

I shall have to give him a proper Irish name... Féirín, which is Gaelic for "gift".

It's pronounced FAIR-een.

 Alright, that's all the blogging for now. I have to get some rest and get up early in the morning. Wish me well, friends, and the same to you also.