Cruising with Gary & Annie

12 JULY 2023 – Orkney Islands

The ooo’s and ahhh’s continued as we made our way to the Isle of Skye, taking a different ferry to the mainland and first staying overnight at a half-way point, Fort William (in the shadow of the tallest mountain in all of the UK, Ben Nevis at 4413 feet). We had a lovely view of Loch Linnhe out of our B&B window and got a really good night’s sleep.

The next day we’re very glad we took time to see the nearby “Neptune’s Staircase”—a series of 8 locks through a channel that connects the west coast of Scotland to its east coast, through Loch Ness. We stopped and chatted with some of the boaters locking through. Two large sailboats were heading to Norway, which really blew us away until we looked at a map and realized that Norway is directly east, across the North Sea from the coast of Scotland! We spent nearly an hour hanging out at this Staircase as it brought back so many glorious memories of the 153 locks we went through on America’s Great Loop. AND, after chatting it up with the lock master for awhile, Gary was asked if HE wanted to open the next lock gate! (Duh!) Wish you could have seen him grinning as he pulled the levers and watched the gates to the next lock magically open! See why we’re glad we stopped here?!? 🙂

Glowing from such an unexpected and fun experience, we made our way to the Isle of Skye with great anticipation …another of the Inner Hebrides Islands. Enroute we also found a fun sign we had to photograph in “InverGARRY” and then stopped to see Eilean Donan Castle (one of thousands of castles in Scotland). It was built in the 13^th century (probably as a defensive measure against the Vikings), destroyed in 1719, and left in ruins for 200 years until it was lovingly restored (1912-1932) “to her former glory” by a descendant. We were fascinated by the history of this site and the amazing collection of Scottish paintings and memorabilia. The current descendant owners still live in it part time.

As we got closer to the Isle of Skye and made our way across the Skye bridge toward our B&B outside of Portree, (Skye’s largest town), we found ourselves saying “WOW” around every corner. We were finally experiencing firsthand what we’d seen and read about this amazing place—“one of the most renowned photograph locations in the world because of its rugged landscapes, indented coastline and mountain interiors.” We found Skye to be one of the most interesting places we’ve ever been, with sweeping grasslands, large mulls (some starting right beside the road), dramatic cliffs and crazy rock formations. Some have called it “the most other-worldly place on earth.” AND, we found it almost impossible to capture it well with our cameras.

The next day we drove all the way around the Trotternish Loop in North Skye, hiking to Fairy’s Glen, visiting the Skye Museum of Island Life and getting up close and personal with a Highland “Coo!”

The coastline was filled with every combination of land- and seascape…farmlands and pastures, rocks, waterfalls, cliffs, beaches and phenomenal mountains, including the iconic “Old Man of Storr” rock formation (one from each side, last 2 photos below).

And almost all of this was done on single track roads, which actually are becoming our favorite way to travel. The high number of passing places, the low speed limit and the courtesy extended by almost every driver makes it easy to do what we’re now calling the “S.L.O. Dance Mambo!” It really is a dance—driving a combination of curves and straight-aways, watching for cars (and sometimes buses) coming the other way, with an added element of reknown Skye potholes and sharp edges alongside the roads. Whee! We felt quite accomplished when we’d complete a drive from one place to another, stopping frequently to take photographs. It really was quite fun!

Although we were disappointed to have to cancel our 2-night stay on the Isle of Lewis (ferries were full for more than 2 weeks), the Isle of Skye was the perfect place to stay another 2 nights. Most places were “full for the summer,” but we found a hotel at the entrance to Skye that could accommodate us. As we headed south, we visited some mid-points including the Donvegan Castle & Gardens, once a Viking stronghold and one of the only Highlands fortress to have been continuously occupied by the same family (MacLeod) for over 800 years. The interiors were elegant.

(Sidenote: We’ve learned that the Vikings raided, settled in and for a time controlled much of the North of Scotland and the Western Isles between 800 and 1266.)

It was fun to drive along the landmark Cuillin Hills and explore the southern end of Skye, sometimes called “The Garden of Skye.” Apparently there are times when the rest of the Isle is quite bleak and barren (which we can’t imagine because it was ALL so green due to the rains), but the Garden of Skye (also called the Sleat Peninsula—pronounced “slate”) is green year round because of its many forests, ferns and varied dense natural vegetation. It is not visited as much and most of its roads are also single track. We ended up finding quaint little harbors, villages and rain forests along our favorite “roads less traveled.”

      

AND, as we headed to Kylerhea to find “the otters” and a very small ferry, we added another description, namely, “roads less maintained.” The quantity of ruts and potholes had us laughing most of the time, and high-fiving when master-driver Gary would avoid a bunch of them!  We also were thrilled to find some more waterfalls and enjoyed all the wildflowers as we bounced along! This was a fun way to spend our last day on the Isle of Skye before heading up North.

        

The Isle of Skye is definitely another one of our favorite places!

04 JULY 2023 Fort Williams, Scotland

On one of the wettest days of our Ireland/UK adventure, we made our way from Keswick, England into and around Glasgow (Scotland’s largest city) to the western suburb of Paisley (where Paisley shawls originated). There was lots of traffic and even flashing signs on the motorway warning of standing water. Bless Gary for being so good at driving in all sorts of conditions! We were very glad when we found the lovely old Ashtree House Hotel where we stayed for two nights. What fun it was to be able to order something other than the famous “Irish Breakfast,” which later became the “English Breakfast” and (yes, you guessed it) is also the famous “Scottish Breakfast!” I ordered soft-boiled eggs and we couldn’t help but chuckle as we ate our first breakfast in Scotland!

By this time, our “pet frogs” had returned (Gary’s worse than mine) so we decided to pass up touring Glasgow and take it easy for a couple of days. We did take one afternoon to go on a 2.5-hour cruise of lower Loch Lomond—the largest expanse of water in Great Britain (22.5 miles long and 5 miles across at its widest, nicknamed the Queen of the Lochs). It is quite beautiful and we could see why much of this land is dedicated to large hunting and fishing lodges (built by super-rich tobacco barons in the 19^th & 20^th centuries), as well as the very exclusive Loch Lomond Golf Club (right). We also admired Ben Lomond, one of 282(!) “munros” in Scotland—mountains over 3000 feet. 

On our way from Paisley to Oban (our next stop), we drove along the entire length of Loch Lomond and discovered that the northern part has several small villages and marinas. There are also far more power boats here (very few sailboats)…just the opposite of Lake Windermere in the Lake District. We also stopped at the amazing St. Conan Kirk, built by an unconventional architect who wanted to build it for his mother so she wouldn’t have to travel so far to go to church! A wedding was taking place soon, but we managed to see most of the inside, together with some amazing views of Loch Awe from the garden…a nice break from driving.

Oban is a wonderful little harbor town but reminded us of summer traffic on Pacific Coast Highway as we crept along past shops, bars/pubs, guesthouses, hotels and restaurants. We stayed at The Scot, on the edge of all this—a great hotel but without a restaurant, so we had to go out more than we’d hoped, often in the rain. Gary’s cough had gotten worse so he used the National Health Services (NHS) hotline and was seen by a doctor at the local Oban hospital. We were relieved to learn that his chest and lungs were clear, but it will be very nice when his cough gets much better. (By the way, England’s NHS provides free services to tourists as well! Wow!) On a happier note, this is where I finally discovered a drink that I like, Strawberry-Lime Apple Cider!

We’ve now found another “favorite” place…The Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides Islands! (FYI: A mull is a hill or mountain bare of trees.) There were many amazing mulls on Mull! It’s a 45- minute ferry ride from Oban and we spent 2 nights at the very nice Mull Hotel & Spa near the ferry landing at Craigmure. The first day we drove west to the fun little town of Tobermory (the unofficial capital of Mull). We walked around a bit and had a nice lunch at a local pub, stalling until our hotel check-in time (3pm). We got back to the car and had a dead battery. We called Enterprise’s roadside assistance and were told it would be up to 4 hours before someone could assist us…sigh! Actually, because we were so far out in the boonies, we were grateful there was any service at all.  We were very glad to see the “Roadrunner Service” show up after 3.5 hours (with jumper cables) and we finally made it to our hotel for dinner! (All part of the adventure, right?!?) Another curious thing: We kept seeing signs warning us of otters crossing the road. We never did see any. 

The next day it was expected to rain all day, but we knew it was the only day we had to drive to the Isle of Iona—a very sacred place—about 35 miles from our hotel plus a short ferry ride. It took nearly 2 hours to get there because it was frequently raining and we followed a “single track road” (one lane). Fortunately the Scots have cleverly created these roads with frequent pullouts where cars can pass one another (on the left in right photo below), so it’s much easier than those we found in Ireland & England. Once you get how it’s done, it’s really quite a dance and everyone is courteous and careful. Gary got really good at these single tracks! 

The other advantage of having to go very slow is that there is astounding beauty on either side of the road that’s a bit easier to take in. In fact, we both agreed that we have never seen a place that had such a variety of beauty…around each turn would be another amazingly bright mull, or a seascape, or a lake, or a herd of sheep. AND, on the way to Iona we finally saw a small herd of Highland Cows (which the Scots call “coos”).

The Isle of Iona is tiny (1 by 3.5 miles) and just a 10-minute ferry ride from a little town on the SW edge of Mull called Fionnphort. Iona has a rich history as a place of pilgrimage and is regarded as the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. It is the site of an ancient abbey and monastery founded by St. Columba. It is also believed to be the location where the famous Christian manuscript, The Book of Kells, was written (later taken to Kells, Ireland, to avoid its destruction by the Viking raiders, and now on display where we saw it at Trinity College in Dublin). The Abbey was rebuilt in the 20^th Century and now serves a sacred communal community where guests can also stay. It’s a very peaceful place with a phenomenal museum housing some of the sacred remnants, some as old as A.D.563. It was very moving to stand in the sanctuary and among the ancient stone crosses that have been preserved and to imagine the work of the early monks and the prayers that have been said there for so many centuries.

On the way back from Iona, we were treated to even more ooos’ and ahhh’s, with different views of the mountains, lakes and sea. AND, because is had been raining most of the day, the hillsides were covered with waterfalls, some streaming down hundreds of feet, others flowing right next to the road. More magic and a perfect way to end a wonderful soul-nourishing day. 

The morning that we reluctantly left the Isles of Mull and Iona, there was a wonderful sign at the ferry dock. This is the first time we’d seen or heard the term “HASTE YE BACK” and we knew, if we ever returned to Scotland, we would come back to these beautiful Lower Hebrides Isles.

28 JUNE 2023, Paisley, Scotland (west of Glasgow)

English trains are very quiet so it was a real treat to take the train from Tiverton Parkway in Devon, 238 miles north to Leeds (4.5 hours). We stayed around the corner from the train station at a very nice Hilton so we could easily take the next train the following morning from Leeds to Carlisle (“the most beautiful train ride in the UK”), another 137 miles. The train stations were quaint and fun to pass through and it was a delight to once again enjoy the beautiful countryside, with countless pastures filled with sheep and cows, rolling green hills and high mountains in the distance. 

We then rented our third car of the trip and headed to Keswick (pronounced Kezik for some reason), which is at the northern end of The Lake District. Again, it was quieter here than in the heart of the tourist area farther south—a lovely, very walkable town—and we loved the B&B we stayed in (Dorcester House). It was here that we started experiencing intermittent rain almost every day for the rest of our trip, but we knew this was likely so we finally got to use the raingear we brought.

We especially enjoyed spending half a day on Lake Windemere—the largest natural lake in England (10.5 miles long and 1 mile at its widest). What made it even more fun is that we were on a boat—a tour boat, but we always enjoy being on the water! The first 2 hours we cruised down to the south end and back (to about the middle), then stayed on the same boat to cruise up to the north end and back. The west side of the lake was much less populated, with a few large manors and some campgrounds, together with the largest contiguous woodlands in all of England (said to include every tree species that grows in England). The east side was far more populated with lots of marinas and far more sailboats than we expected as well as many classic wooden boats. What a delight it was to spend time on the water and take in the spectacular scenery. 

Are you a fan of Beatrix Potter? I was raised reading her books and so were my two girls, so we loved the Tales of Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, Mrs. Tittlemouse, Benjamin Bunny and others. A lot of Lake District tours were filled when we tried to book them, but alas we found a half-day van tour featuring the world of Beatrix Potter. We first drove to the home where she first visited the Lake District at age 16, a Victorian neo-gothic villa estate called Wray Castle. There was a later family photo there—Beatrix is on the far right.

After that, we got to go inside the beloved home she created for herself—a charming 17^th Century farm house called Hill Top Farm that still contains all of her own personal furnishings, collections and family heirlooms. In both the house and the surrounding gardens, we could see that many of the drawings in her books incorporated features of her home and garden (note the white gate below right, as an example). 

We were disappointed when we got to nearby Hawkshead (where poet William Wordsworth once studied) that the Potter Gallery was closed for repairs, as this is where many of her original drawings were displayed, but we did see some of them in her home. We loved being in her garden where some of the same plants are growing (including Peter Rabbit’s vegetable garden). There was a fun quote near the entrance to her home where plants were climbing up the walls. Here Beatrix Potter wrote: “The flowers love the house, they try to come in. Houseleek grows on the window sills and ledges; wisteria climbs the wall, clematis chokes the spout’s casings…. But nothing more sweet than the old pink cabbage rose, that peeps in at the small-paned windows.”

One of the things we were told on this tour was that Beatrix Potter was home-schooled and had a very lonely childhood, with very few friends. So the animals on her family’s farm became her friends. The more she got to know them, the more she wanted to draw them, and that’s how her books began. She especially loved sheep and she also was responsible for reviving several breeds of sheep that would have become extinct in the early 20^th century. (We also discovered Herdwick sheep, originally introduced here by the Vikings, and loved their unusual coloring-below center). 

After enjoying this tour so much, I really want to read more about Beatrix Potter. Not only was she an amazing artist, story teller and lover of animals, but she so loved the beauty and charm of her beloved Lake District that when she died, she bequeathed all of her properties (4000 acres and 14 farms) to England’s National Trust so it would remain unspoiled and available for the public to enjoy forever. Bless Beatrix!! Here are scenes from some of her properties:

We made two other stops around Keswick before heading to Scotland. The first was to The Pencil Museum! In the 1500’s shepherds discovered a high-quality graphite in the nearby hills and used them to mark their sheep. The first pencil factory opened at this Museum’s site in 1832 (now called the Derwent Cumberland Pencil Company), and by 1953, they were making 14,000,000,000 pencils a year, enough to circumnavigate the earth 62 times! Who knew!?! We also got to see “the world’s largest colored pencil,” 26 feet long and weighing 984 pounds! 

We especially liked seeing how pigments are created for colored pencils. If you wonder why the good ones are so expensive, know it is a very scientific and lengthy process to get each color precisely the right texture and hue! And did you know there were pencils created during WWII that hid a secret map and compass inside so soldiers could find their way out if they got caught behind enemy lines? As we’ve said before, we never know what we might learn on these adventures!!!

Our last stop as we left Keswick for Scotland was the Castlerigg Stone Circle, one of the oldest stone circles in England, laid out 5,000 years ago (Neolithic), overlooking a beautiful valley, beneath some of the highest peaks in the Lake District. There are many debates about the purpose of stone circles, often associated with astronomical, solar and lunar events. It is believed that Castlerigg may have been a meeting place where residents engaged in trade and/or religious ceremonies before a ritual exchange of stone axes (found in some of its few excavations). It was a bit misty during our morning visit, which made it all the more mystical…a nice way to say farewell to the stunning Lake District.

22 JUNE 2023, Leeds, England

Continuing our time with dear friends Karyl and Paul, the four of us spent 3 days traveling to and around Cornwall (about 2 hours west), taking in the rugged coastal beauty, the charming small hillside towns (with VERY narrow streets in and between many of them), the rolling hills covered with light green and yellow grasses and often divided by bright green hedges or lush dark green trees. Everywhere we looked, the scenery was breathtaking. We also loved the stone houses, some with thatched roofs.

Our first stop was in the small town of Boscastle in North Cornwall where we had a wonderful “carvery” lunch at a local pub, watched a school fund-raiser’s “Duck Races” and visited the Witchcraft Museum…very interesting. We then went on to our first overnight stop at Tintagel, the mythical birthplace of King Arthur, and a world-wide center for tin mining in the 18^th Century. I loved all the stone walls. We also walked to an amazing hotel called Camelot Castle, with spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and coastline.

Having watched a fabulous movie together called “Fisherman’s Friends” (about a group singing sea shanties who were discovered in Port Isaac and are still quite famous in the UK), we’d hoped to have lunch in Port Isaac, but there were so many tourists we couldn’t even find a parking place. (I guess it must be the beginning of tourist season—this was the first town we’d been in that was so crowded.) So we went on to another delightful fishing village called Padstow that we absolutely loved….fewer people (with many, many dogs!), a working harbor with an old lock, lots of  little shops and pubs on small, twisting streets. Lots of character as well as delicious food at one of Rick Stein’s seafood restaurants (very famous chef in the UK).

From there we drove to our next destination, the funky harbor town of Newlyn and then to nearby Land’s End—the most south-westerly point of Britain’s mainland. It’s become quite a tourist attraction, but we got there late afternoon and there were very few people. We’re told it’s very windy there most of the time, but we enjoyed a gentle sea breeze. It’s pretty amazing to realize that there is only the Atlantic Ocean between Land’s End and New York City (3,147 miles). It is also 874 miles to John O’Groats, the north-eastern-most point in Scotland (where we plan to be in a few weeks!). We’re really glad we were able to experience this part of England…and are so very grateful that Karyl & Paul were willing to plan this whole segment and drive us there.

In Newlyn, we stayed above a bar called The Swordfish Inn right across from the harbor (our window is above the sign, below) and then walked up the hill to a charming restaurant overlooking the harbor (Fisherman’s Arms). Gary enjoyed one of his favorite meals—fresh lobster right out of the bay nearby. They called it a “crawfish.” See for yourself!

       

The next morning we were delayed in leaving because there was a truck blocking our way (above) delivering over 30 kegs of beer to the Inn (plus several cases) and taking back the empties. They deliver this amount every week!

On our way back to Collumpton we enjoyed more of the wonderful rolling hills that became even greener and lusher as we crossed back from County Cornwall to County Devon. We stopped for lunch in the picturesque village of Bickleigh where we were greeted by a beautiful peacock. The town is famous for its 14^th Century bridge over the River Exe. It is here that Paul Simon was inspired to write his famous “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.”

We loved Cornwall, but we were happy to get back “home” to Karyl & Paul’s. We were all a bit weary after our 500+ mile road trip and took good naps. Gary, K & P went off to a church meeting that evening and then had a lively discussion about religion, politics and lots more before retiring. I took time to simply “be” and went to bed early…all part of my self-care!

Our last day, we joined K&P at a monthly meeting of their U3A group (University of the 3^rd Age), “an international movement whose aims are education and stimulation of mainly retired members of the community—those in their third age of life.” It was a delightful crowd and they had an amazing variety of special interest groups. I wonder if there’s anything like this in the USA. I think it started in France, but there are apparently groups over much of the world. Has anyone ever heard of U3A? Their tagline is “learn, laugh, live”…right up my alley! We then had the best dinner of the whole trip at The Olive Well (a 2-block walk)  and then did a brief Solstice Ritual in the bountiful garden before packing and getting ready for the next chapter of this amazing “holiday” (the Brit word for vacation).  On we go taking two days by train to get to England’s Lake District.

22 JUNE 2023, Leeds, England

South West England reminded us a bit of Ireland…lovely, rolling green hills and lots of sheep (in some places). Most of the roads from Oxford to Devon were Motorways (dual carriageways), but the land was flatter and there were very tall shrubs on both sides of the road so we couldn’t see as much scenery. The weather was much warmer (low 80’s—very hot to the Brits) and we even had a few thunderstorms and a bit of hail.

In Devon, the home we stayed in is over 100 years old, right on the edge of Collumpton’s village center. The walls are nearly two feet thick so it stays very cool most of the time. There are so many interesting arches, wooden beams and features that add so much character. It is quite charming. And the garden is a world unto its own, with four separate levels of beautiful roses, annuals, perennials and vegetables plus a fish pond, a hot tub and several spaces to simply relax and smell the flowers (one of my favorite things to do!).

Almost everything is within walking distance, which is a very fun lifestyle. We walked to dinner, to the butcher (to finally get some THICK steaks—so far, most steaks have been very thin—even the rib-eyes). We walked to the barber shop, the nail salon and the beautiful Anglican St. Andrew’s Church that serves as the community’s center. Everyone is friendly and there are also lovely pots of flowers. When walking to get my haircut, there was a fishmonger’s truck parked on the sidewalk, selling fish caught that morning.

And the best part of being in Collumpton was being with Karyl Huntley-Sadler and her husband Paul Sadler. I’ve known Karyl since 1995 when she became minister of the Golden Gate Center for Spiritual Living in Corte Madera, CA (10 miles north of San Francisco, in Marin County where I lived for almost 20 years). We became quite close through the years (she with Gary too) until I moved to San Jose, CA to be with Gary. We’d stayed in touch some, but only recently reconnected more deeply. We’d only met Paul a couple of times, but from the very beginning we all found ourselves to be quite compatible. He’s a sweetheart too! Our whole visit was filled with wonderful conversations, yummy food (including Karyl’s homemade trifle, below), much laughter and much love. Paul was a bit under the weather most of the time, yet still we all had such a good time.

While taking it easy, we were able to watch the Trooping of the Colors—an annual UK celebration of the Monarch’s birthday held in June when the weather is best, regardless of the actual birthday date (Queen Elizabeth=April, King Charles=November). It was especially fun to watch this pageant in the UK with someone who was born in the UK (Paul). This year the troops being honored were from Wales, which had more meaning to us since we’d just been there. For the first time in over 35 years, the Monarch (Charles, at age 74) reviewed the troops on horseback, together with his sister Anne, his brother Edward and his son (and heir to the throne) William. Their spouses rode in horse-drawn carriages as did the adorable children of William & Kate, George (9), Charlotte (8) and the very cheeky Louis (5). Watching the precision marching of 1500 soldiers, 400 horses & 300 musicians (many on horseback guiding their horses with their feet!) was quite a treat! Afterward, the Royals watched a fly-by from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Two days after we arrived in Devon, we drove to Glastonbury—a place Gary visited long ago that really moved him. The Abbey was much larger than I expected and has legendary status as the earliest Christian monastic site in Britain and one of the most decorative–originally adorned with lavish sculptures and carvings, paint and gilding, colored glass and floors carpeted with patterned tiles. In its adjacent museum, we read: “…certainly the more grandly constructed a church is the more likely it is to entice the dullest mind to prayer….” It makes me sad to see once-magnificent structures like this stripped of its valuables (under Henry VIII) and in ruins, but it still felt very sacred. I also love that in the 10^th Century one of its great abbots, St. Dunstan, devised the coronation ceremony that is still used today. I was deeply moved at the nearby Chalice Well and its surrounding gardens and water features. There were several places where it was easy to find deep peace and tranquility and that felt really good. Glastonbury has become a place where Christian and pagan beliefs seem to mingle. People come here from all over the world for rituals, personal enrichment and festivals. It’s quite an experience!

The next day we drove to nearby Tiverton and its Great Western Canal where we first had “cream tea” at a charming tea garden (scones with strawberry jam and “clotted cream”—butter the consistency of a hard cream cheese is close to what it is—quite yummy). We then took a 2.5 hour barge ride down a lovely canal that was built in 1814. What made it extra special was being pulled by a huge Shire horse walking along an adjacent towpath—the last of the horse-pulled barges. Would you like a 60-second meditation? Click on the video below, recorded when everyone was asked to be silent for 15 minutes, and simply listen to the sounds of nature (and the clip-clopping of the horse). It was magical!

        

        

Because this part of our Ireland/UK adventure was filled with so many fun and meaningful experiences day after day, we’re breaking our South West England blog into two parts. Besides, it’s about time we gifted you with a shorter blog or two. Most of them have been pretty long, but hopefully you are enjoying them all.

In Part II we’ll talk about our 3 fabulous days in Cornwall. Stay tuned!

15 June 2023, Collumpton, Devon, England
We were surprised that most of the roads between the
Wales border and our first stop in Hereford were barely two
lanes wide. (We’re very glad we’ve had so much practice on
these!) We’ve since discovered that going through most little villages
everywhere we’ve been, the roads are often very narrow
with cars parked half on the curb and half in the road, which
is fine unless there’s a car, truck, tractor (!) or bus coming the other
way. Fortunately, most drivers everywhere are very courteous and
stop or pull over if passing is a bit tight. In fact, on this entire trip
we’ve not seen any reckless drivers or car accidents. Yay!

Hereford is a much bigger city than expected, especially
since it was described in our travel book as “this pretty
market town.” The roads seemed quite complicated to us,
but our GPS helped us twist and turn as we made our way
around. Hereford is dominated by the beautiful Hereford
Cathedral at its center. We had a bite to eat in its café and
then spent over an hour in awe of its massive pillars and
semi-circular arches towering high above, its stunning
stained glass windows and a variety of interesting tombs
inside. We also loved all the nooks and crannies and little chapels.
This “great medieval monument” seems unusually
sturdy. In 1056 Welsh invaders razed the Saxon church that
stood there and a couple of centuries later the Normans
replaced it with an attack-proof version.

The main reason we chose to stay in Hereford for two nights
is because my maiden name is Hereford (pronounced Hare-
a-ferd) and my parents were in touch with a distant cousin
who lived at “Old Sufton” in the suburb of Mordiford. I wrote
ahead to introduce myself (enclosing a 1988 Christmas card my
parents had received from Major Robert Hereford—Bobby–
and his wife). I never got a response but we chose to drive
out to Mordiford to see if we could find the house and
hopefully the next generation of distant cousins. We found
the old house (that has been in the family since Norman
times!) and a very friendly maintenance man there. He sent
us to an even larger house nearby (“Sufton Court”) where
Major James Hereford (age 88, son of Bobby) now resides.
We were told to go to the back door. Unfortunately, no one
answered, which was disappointing, but I left a verbal
message on the “Ring” security network. In viewing both “big
houses on the hill” (below), I tried to imagine all the generations of
Herefords who had lived there for centuries and blessed
them all. I also discovered an article about a large group of
Herefords in the USA who hold reunions in both the States
and in Mordiford and that also claims that anyone with the
last name Hereford is related. I hope to find the USA
Herefords when we return. We also enjoyed a nice lunch at
the nearby Moon Inn and also snooped around the ancient
Mordiford Church where services were held for “Our beloved
Bobby” in 2001. (Side note: Hereford cattle originated in Hereford!)

On our way to Oxford (having picked up a brochure at the Cathedral), we stopped just north of Gloucester to enjoy the amazing Nature in Art Museum & Art Gallery where all of the art was inspired by nature. Most of this extraordinary collection was housed in a beautifully restored Georgian mansion and the informal gardens were filled with some very
creative, often whimsical sculptures. We had such a good time and had a delicious bowl of soup in the café.

Our hotel was about 10 miles south of Oxford’s city center.
That was a surprise, but it turned out to be much quieter.
To get to the HopOn/HopOff bus downtown, we first drove
for 25 minutes to a Park & Ride then rode a bus for another
25 minutes to get to the big red tour bus. This gave us an
opportunity to see many of the 44 small colleges that make
up Oxford University—the oldest university in the English-
speaking world (nine centuries of continuous existence) and
a world-leading center of learning, teaching and research. It
is quite the thriving metropolis. We rode on the bus with a
philosophy professor who teaches graduate students at
Christ Church College (founded in 1546) who pointed out
that we could identify everyone taking finals that week
because they were in their “full academic dress” of black and
white. It was very warm that day, so we doubt they were very
comfortable, but probably highly proud to be part of this
centuries-old tradition.

Oxford is a much larger city than we expected with lots of
beautiful old buildings combined with some that are more
modern additions to the University. We could probably have
spent several days here, seeing the insides of some of the
beautiful museums, libraries and chapels. The one place we
did stop was Britain’s first public museum, the Ashmolean
Museum of Art & Archaeology (founded in 1683) where we
had lunch on its rooftop then spent several hours in awe of
many of its exhibits and treasures including the Alfred Jewel
AD871-899 (below). The world-famous collections of the
Ashmolean (named after someone name Ashmole who
donated many artifacts) range from Egyptian mummies to
contemporary art, telling human stories across cultures and
across time. We’ve never seen such a large collection of such things as
fine porcelain, silver, coins, medallions and pocket watches, and
we especially enjoyed the Impressionists’ exhibit.

Unfortunately, Gary’s rooftop lunch did not agree with him at
all and he spent most of that night dealing with awful food
poisoning. Not fun! We asked for a late checkout and the
hotel (Courtyard by Marriott) couldn’t have been nicer. And
bless Gary…he was quite the trooper. We were due in
Devon in South West England that afternoon to stay with
dear friends for 10 days, and he was determined to drive.
We broke the 2.5-hour trip in half, stopping in the beautiful
city of Bristol on the way. Gary was able to take a “power
nap” for about a half hour and then we finally made it to
Devon (town of Collumpton) around 4pm. Thankfully, this
whole day of driving was on the “Motorway”—a beautiful
divided highway (“dual carriageway”)—that made the drive
much easier. No narrow roads all day long! Occasionally
there were chevron markings on the road accompanied by a
reminder sign to “Check Your Distance” and stay two
chevrons apart. Most drivers seemed to ignore them, but we
thought that was a good idea. We also loved some of the
tudor homes we saw along the way.

And boy, were we glad to find such a warm welcome and
cozy, inviting home to collapse and relax in for a few days
before playing tourist again. (We also added another 644
miles on our second rental car, so we’re up to 5857 miles!)
Gary then slept about 15 hours practically non-stop and
we’re happy to report that within 24 hours he was feeling
100% better! Yay!

We’re very excited to be (a) taking a break from driving, (b)
spending time and catching up with these dear friends, and
(c) visiting places like Glastonbury, Cornwall and Land’s End
with these wonderful people. So that’s what you’ll get to hear
about next.
Meanwhile, we hope the summer months ahead bring you
much joy and fun. Thanks again for being with us!

10 June 2023, Oxford, England

As we bid Ireland farewell, we took an early ferry from Dublin to Holyhead on Angelsey Island in North Wales…67 miles across the St. Charles Channel between the Celtic and Irish Seas. It took about 2.5 hours (on a power catamaran called the Dublin Swift) and was a very easy crossing, with very smooth waters. We then picked up a rental car (much nicer than the first one) and made our way to the small town of Caernarfon (Kuh-NARvon), home of Caernarfon Castle, a fortress palace on the banks of the River Seiont—“one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages.” The investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) took place here in 1969.

For the first time on this whole trip, the hotel we were booked to stay in for 4 nights was totally unacceptable. After some inquiries, we got the last room available nearby for the first night and, for the following three, at the very nice Celtic Royal Hotel a few blocks away. The town is very old; some parts of it charming; some a bit run down. AND, it was very walkable and a very convenient place to stay for various side trips we took.

The first day we drove up north through more luscious green hills and dales to the town of Conwy and then on to a huge seawall at Colwyn Bay where the waters of the Irish Sea and Liverpool Bay were a deep, dark blue. Had we continued east, we would have ended up in Liverpool! There was an unusual sculpture of a cormorant that I  photographed because I liked the design…and then Gary suggested I go back and look at it more carefully. Its belly was filled with plastic bottles. Quite a poignant message!!!

Both of us were still bothered a bit by our “pet frogs,” so we chose to spend the rest of the day taking it easy (and starting to finally get some of our blogs put together to post). We’d signed up for a boat tour the next day to see the puffins on Puffin Island (atop the northeast corner of Anglesey), but alas the winds were too high and that tour was canceled. So we walked around town a bit and along the walls of the Castle and finally found a café that did NOT serve Irish/English breakfasts. What a delight it was to order and eat Eggs Benedict!!!

Our last day in the area was a real treat. Many weeks ago we bought tickets for the Snowden Railway 1896 Steam Train up Mt. Snowden in Snowdonia National Park–(the highest mountain in Wales & England at 1085 meters—3559 feet) and ”one of the most beautiful train rides in the world.” We weren’t able to go all the way to the summit (repairs being done to the tracks), but went three-quarters of the way up, to Clogwyn station at 2556 feet. The views were vast and stunning (and very hard to capture in photographs).

As you can see, there were no trees anywhere on the higher mountains, but they were quite green and on the lower half there were hundreds of sheep (and many lambs) grazing over the hillsides. (A baby walked onto the tracks in front of us and her mama quickly nudged her to safety!)

We could also see the huge slate quarry at Dinorwic—“one of the greatest quarries in the world” (lower right, above), so afterwards we took time to visit the nearby National Slate Museum, which was far more interesting than we thought it would be. We learned the history of slate quarrying in Wales, which in its prime employed more than 30,000 people—when factories and houses were built during the Industrial Revolution, all needing slate roofs. We watched a live demonstration of shale being split, from very thick to extremely thin. The craftsman was a 6^th generation quarry worker who’d been at it for 39 years! The restored quarry compound also housed “the biggest water wheel in all of the UK”—a 50’ in diameter suspension waterwheel built in 1870 that provided power for all of the quarry operations until 1925. It was huge and also hard to capture, but Gary did a great job. Watch his video below!

Four days in one location really helped clear up our persistent “frogs,” and gave us just the energy we needed to drive through Mid Wales and discover some very special places. First we stopped in the town of Portmierion, in the Welsh County of Penrhyndeudraeth. (I just had to share that name with you ‘cause every time Gary & I would see one of its signs we would giggle trying to pronounce it…and we never did figure it out!). This charming seaside resort was built by Welsh architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis (1883-1978) “to show how a beautiful site could be developed without spoiling it.” His motto was: “Cherish the past, adorn the present, construct for the future.” Some of the balconies were shaped by the contour of the rocks they were built on. It was quite enchanting!

Stopping in the small town of Llanbrynmair for bottles of cold water, “Pauline,” the charming host of a small hotel, suggested we take the “scenic mountain shortcut” to our next destination. The “lovely little lake” she mentioned was one of the most beautiful we’ve ever seen, Llyn Clywedon, pictured below. AND, whilst there, we chatted with a sweet little man from Dublin. When we told him how much we loved the people in Ireland, he said with that familiar twinkle in his eye, “Ah, yes, we’ve been through quite a lot over the years, and now we really are quite happy with ourselves!”

We stayed two nights at a lovely Mid Wales B&B in Llandrindod Wells (Greylands Guest House) so that we could visit the nearby Elan Valley. I had discovered it doing our trip research and “gifted” Gary with an entire day to go wherever he wanted, at his pace (and me tagging along) to explore, photograph and simply enjoy the beauty of this amazing feat of engineering: 70 square miles of dams, reservoirs and rugged Welsh landscapes with an abundance of picturesque scenery. And what made it even more interesting is that most of it was built in the Victorian Age. We also discovered the little “Nantgwyllt Chapel of Ease,” (isn’t that a great name?!?) built close to the uppermost dam, to replace the original that was drowned out to make way for this major water project. We also saw lots more sheep, many of them on the road, so that kept me happy! I even gathered a few tufts of wool from a nearby fence! 

As we made our way out of Mid Wales and headed toward England, we continued to take in the beauty of the rugged, rolling hills and valleys, the green, green fields and the amazing variety of trees that cover the Welsh landscape. We also loved how many houses are adorned with gorgeous pots of bright flowers. To us, Wales also seemed like a very happy place with very friendly, welcoming people. We heard Welsh spoken quite often and never did figure out how to pronounce most words, but it was fun to listen to it. All the street and directional signs were in both Welsh & English. Over almost every doorway was the sign “Croeso—Welcome.” We learned one Welsh word we could really relate to, on a sign in a gift shop that said, “Keep Calm and CWTCH.” CWTCH means cuddle…one of our most favorite things to do!  🙂 🙂

   

We hope you’ll join us in England! Cheerio!

2 June 2023, last night, back in Dublin

On the way from County Donegal (Ardara) to Derry
(originally known as Londonderry), we crossed over the
border into Northern Ireland (The North) and visited the
Ulster American Folk Park where we learned even more
about the Irish people in early times. There was an original
and typical Irish home—one room about 10×10 with a
fireplace at one end where a family of 9 people had lived
(below). Can you imagine sharing that small a space with 9
other people to live, eat and sleep together? They also had a
replica of one of the ships that was used for the Irish
emigrating to America…it seemed quite sturdy, with small
wooden bunks. There happened to be a Blue Grass Festival
going on that was fun to listen to as we walked around.

By the time we got to Derry, both of us were feeling a bit under the weather (with “pet frogs” in our throats) so we opted to simply rest and not tour the town. One of my distant relatives was born there in 1705, but was one of the early emigrants who lived most of his life in Maine.

The next day, on our way to Belfast, we’re very glad we took a detour to see The Giants Causeway on the north coast of Northern Ireland. It was pretty fascinating to see the 4000 basalt, hexagon-shaped columns going down to the deep blue North Atlantic sea on another beautiful day! These columns were formed during a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago. Legend says the Causeway is the remains of a bridge built between Ireland and Scotland (about 128 miles across the sea) by mythical Finn McCool. There were over 1600 people visiting while we were there, which made
picture-taking a little challenging, but we’re glad it wasn’t a “busy” day when up to 10,000 people visit!

We stayed near City Centre in Belfast—a very nice Holiday
Inn with excellent food and service. We finally got Gary’s
laptop fixed (at the only Apple store in all of Ireland!) and
walked around a bit. The energy felt very different here and
everything except the big hotels (and an old parliament
building, below) looked pretty shabby. Several people
suggested we take the “Black Cab Tour” of Belfast so we
did, with a native Irish Catholic driver who made it clear to us that
the wars here were not about religion, but about the Irish
(who are mostly Catholic) vs. the British (who are mostly
Protestant). There’s still a huge 2-mile long wall between
these two neighborhoods. They call it “The Peace Wall,”
(below) built by the British in 1969 “to reduce The Troubles”
and keep the Irish safe from the gangs and criminals. We
both added our messages of peace. The gates are locked
from 7pm to 5am and it all felt very weird to us. Hatred
seemed to prevail and, frankly, we were both happy to get
out of this area.. We had a nice meal at a restaurant downtown
called Granny Annie’s (so of course we had to go there!) and
spent the rest of the day relaxing before we started the next
chapter of our trip. (Side note: We never did see any sort of
border or signs between Ireland and the North. The only way
we could tell we were in the North is that the signs were no
longer in English and Gaelic, just English.)

We have so many happy memories of Ireland and are
pleased that we chose to spend most of our time in “The
South,” the Republic of Ireland, where joy and love seem to
prevail. We loved the sign over the exit at the Dublin Airport
that greeted us when we arrived: “Bring on the Good Times!”

As we reflect on our stay here, it will be easy to remember all
the “Good Times!” We’ll of course remember the Irish people
and their genuine delight in welcoming visitors. Almost all of
Ireland is green, green, green. The southern part was flatter
and parcels of land were mostly smaller, usually separated
by stone walls. As we drove westward, there were more
mountains and lakes but still lots of lush green fields,
sometimes filled with cows, but mostly sheep. (We wonder if
there are more sheep in Ireland than people!)

The west coast (The Wild Atlantic Way) was more rugged
and rocky, with way more hills and valleys. As we worked
our way to the northwest, there were more trees and actual
forests (and some clear-cutting), the fields were often larger
and the population a bit denser. There were still lots of open
spaces, but often less distance between houses. And when
we got to The North, the fields were more often divided by
hedges than stone walls. In fact, we’ve noticed several
books written about these hedges, many apparently planted
in medieval times.

We mentioned the roads early on. We still need to be very
mindful of driving on the LEFT (and sometimes we still start
to get in on the wrong side of the car—the driver’s seat is on
the RIGHT!). As you can see below, some roads are VERY narrow, some medium (most somewhere in between) and some wide. As the days go by the driving is less stressful…
most of the time. Even on the narrowest roads, however,
there were lots of walkers and signs to remind us to be
cautious. We would not have chosen to walk on most of the
roads!

As is often the case, everywhere we went there was beauty. We came across a stone in one lovely garden with a quote from William Shakespeare: “The Earth has music for those who listen.” Yes, indeed! And we especially enjoyed the beauty of the springtime flowers scattered almost everywhere we went. We had never seen the yellow flowers in the photo on the left, called “Gorse.” But they were plentiful alongside many roads and even as hedges dividing various plots of land.

We haven’t said much about the food on this trip (except the yummy desserts). Frankly, we didn’t enjoy much of the “pub” food (except the hard ciders!) and found most pubs to be very small and very noisy. When first introduced to “a full Irish Breakfast” at Bewley’s in Dublin, we were pretty intrigued. There were scrambled and fried eggs, ham/bacon & sausage, slow-roasted mushrooms and tomatoes, hash brown wedges and brown Irish soda bread, together with little rounds of white and black pudding. We didn’t care much for the puddings, but the rest was okay. And I really liked the brown Irish soda bread. Except that at EVERY SINGLE BREAKFAST in Ireland and Northern Ireland (for 30 days straight) we were SERVED EXACTLY THE SAME THING–sometimes minus the puddings–even at the B&B’s.

Dry cereals were often available as well as “porridge,” together with fruit juice, yogurt and fruit (sometimes fresh, mostly canned). Breakfast was often included in our hotel fare, so we just accepted it. But, at this point, we’d be fine if we never saw or ate another “full Irish Breakfast!”

One of the other things we’ll remember from our memorable times in Ireland is the colorful buildings in nearly every town, large and small, and often colorful murals as well. With the skies a bit “duller” the first three weeks of our trip, it occurred to us that perhaps color is used to cheer people up. In many places, the front doors were brightly painted as well. Any photos we took here could have been taken anywhere we went in the Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland…not so much.

We are very thankful that we chose to spend a whole month in Ireland. When we turned in our rental car back in Dublin and the Hertz guy checked out our mileage he said, “Is there any place in Ireland you didn’t go?!?” In 30 days we drove 5213 miles…all on the LEFT side of the road. Wheeeee! 🙂 🙂

We now head to Wales and parts of England. Hopefully, now that both our computers are working again, we can begin to post more regularly. It’s nice to have. you traveling along with us.

Here’s one more Irish Blessing:

May you have love that never ends,
Lots of money, and lots of friends.
Health be yours, whatever you do,
And may God send many blessings to you.

P.S. For some reason, we had lots of challenges putting this blog together. Our apologies if the spacing is off, etc. Having become a “recovering perfectionist,” we’re just going to go ahead and publish this. And hopefully when we hit the “Publish” button, two Download boxes below will disappear. If not, oh well! (And by the way, the practice of “Oh-Well-ness” can be very helpful!) Cheers!

28 May 2023 – Ardara, County Donegal

We then were off to Galway via “The Burren” (the place of stone)—a very barren land of limestone slabs and cliffs, in stark contrast to the lush green hills and valleys so common to Ireland. (Note the contrast in center photo below—with the gray Burren cliffs above the green.) AND, we managed to find some lovely little wildflowers tucked in among the cement-like stones.

We found the Burren Aillwee Birds of Prey Center enroute, arriving just in time to see a raptor demonstration, first with a Harris Hawk named Juan (flying, center above and perched on my gloved hand below!) and then with a white barn owl. We learned a lot about raptors. Hawks rely totally on their super-keen “tubular” eyesight to hunt their prey; owls rely totally on their super-keen hearing (they can hear a mouse’s heartbeat!!!).

We spent two nights at Flannery’s Hotel in Gallway (the hotel with the best service thus far), and once again took a Hop-on/Hop-off bus to see the sights and learn more about the history of the Galway area. Galway is the midway point of The Wild Atlantic Way (a route 1600 miles long from County Cork in the south to County Donegal in the north). Its Sand Hill Promenade (“The Prom”) is quite popular as is its Diving Tower, Galway Cathedral (below) and Eyre Square where JFK once spoke. Because the weather in Ireland is often a bit “dull,” the tour bus driver shared something we’ll often remember: “If you can see the hills, it’s a grand day!” It was a bit chilly, but we could see the hills! And a grand day it was!

Galway is also the home of the Claddagh {pronounced clad-uh)—an enchanting symbol with 2 hands (symbolizing friendship) holding a heart (love) beneath a crown (loyalty). This is where we were also introduced to 2 scrumptious desserts—one called Toffee Sticky Pudding (left) and the other called “The Eton Mess”—a mixture of berries, custard and chopped meringues topped with ice cream! Gary thought these were a bit too sweet…me? Double Yum!!!

On departure day our left front tire was flat. After calls to Hertz “roadside assistance” and a local mechanic, Gary was able to inflate the tire long enough to get us to a “tyre” shop where “Martin” removed a nail and patched it perfectly for a whole 20 euro. Then off we went toward Westport through the gorgeous Connemara region, admiring its stunning mountains and lakes (and several sheep in the road), to Kylemore Abbey, gifted to Benedictine nuns in the 1920’s. What a beautiful place in an equally beautiful setting that felt very sacred and nourishing.

And then our car wouldn’t start….our key fob would not connect. Hertz “roadside assistance” never called back, but I fiddled with the key fob buttons while Gary went back to the Abbey and, bingo, the car started and we’ve had no trouble with it since. Fairies? Angels? Nuns? Who knows. We were just glad to be able to get to our next stop, at a delightful B&B called Lurgan House in the coastal town of Westport, County Mayo. This was the perfect place to take a much-needed break from driving (and car troubles). We were surrounded by beautiful gardens, could watch sheep (and baby lambs) from the front window, and the breakfasts were the best we’d had so far. Gary found a computer guy who could hopefully help him set a new password but we soon discovered that the security system for the new laptops is way too good, so now we have to wait until we can get into an Apple store in Belfast to solve his computer issues. Oh well!

One of the highlights of our Westport stay was a cruise of Crew’s Bay and its 365 islands, including an island once owned by the Maharishi in the 70’s and another by John Lennon & Yoko Ono (left below)—a perfectly beautiful out of the way place to find peace and respite from the crowds. Most of the islands are not inhabited but farmers boat their sheep there in summer for grazing. We also enjoyed seeing harbor seals (center) and hearing stories about “Croagh Patrick,” (right), said to have been the mountain where St. Patrick spent 40 days and 40 nights in 441 AD. Annual pilgrimages bring followers here and many people climb this 2510’ mountain barefoot! (We just never know what we’re going to learn on these trips!!!)

From Westport we stopped at the “National Museum of Ireland–Country Life”…a fascinating depiction of traditional life of Ireland’s poor who relied on their hard work, skills, the land and each other to survive. We then spent two days at the Clayton Hotel in Sligo—our least favorite stay so far. It looked quite “regal” on the outside. It was built in 1845 as a mental hospital, renovated as a hotel in 2007 and we don’t think much has been done to it since. The walls were too thin (with very noisy neighbors both nights), the food was awful, and we were happy to leave after 2 nights. We DID get to see the nearby Carrowmore Megalithic (Old Stone) Cemetery (complete with cows and bunnies) with 30 of 60 surviving passage tombs and stone circles some dating back to 3700-2900 BC—the New Stone Age. That is OLD!!!

Happy to be on our way to County Donegal, we first went to “Atlantic Sheepdogs” to watch a sheepdog demonstration with last year’s National Champion Moe—a purebred Border Collie (“border” of England and Scotland; “collie” means useful). It was amazing. The owner (another “Martin”) talked a lot about sheep farming in the area and then had Moe bring a herd of 9 sheep up from a pasture, put them through several moves and even herded them through a series of gates with perfect turns and guidance. AND, all of this is done naturally because it’s in the dog’s DNA!! They were born to play with sheep, and the only “training” Moe got was cues from a high-pitched whistle—especially useful when dogs are bringing sheep down off the nearby tabletop mountain (Benbulbin) in “Yeats Country.” Martin is a sheep breeder and allowed us to hold 2-week old lambs. So fun!

Gary was feeling a bit under the weather so we decided to take it easy at our next stop, the wonderful Bayview Country House B&B in the little town of Ardara in County Donegal—and our last stop in the Republic of Ireland. This was another perfect place to take it easy and stay local for a couple of days. Great breakfasts, friendly people, beautiful gardens, convenient to town. We took two short trips and found countryside unlike any we’ve seen before….one to beautiful beaches with unusual colored sand and waters; the other to Assaranca Waterfall through lovely country hills and dales (and lots more sheep!). We also experienced our first sunset, right outside our window at 9:30pm, with our little Dacia (Rumanian) car in the foreground. (By the way, the nights were much shorter up here: sunset was around 9:45pm and sunrise around 4:45am!).

During our stay in this northernmost county of Ireland, we’ve met several people from “The North” (Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom) and they have given us some wonderful travel tips about their country. So on we go tomorrow to The North.
In the meantime, here’s one more Irish Blessing we’d like to share with you:

MAY THE LEPRECHAUNS DANCE OVER YOUR BED
AND BRING YOU SWEET DREAMS!      🙂 🙂

25 May 2023 – Doolin, County Clare
We usually have 4-5 hours between check-out time and
checking in time at our next destination, so I always do some
research to see if there are things of interest we might look
at along the way. That’s how we discovered the FOTA
Wildlife Park. We saw an adorable baby giraffe that was just
4 weeks old, an amazing Great White Pelican over 4 feet tall
and a clever way to exercise and feed the cheetahs—the meat was hooked to a fast-moving rope and pulley about 15 feet off the ground so they had to chase after it.

It was suggested that we stop in the charming town of Cobh
before going on to Cork. We ate at the Titanic Bar & Grill in
the old terminal where the last 123 passengers boarded the
Titanic. We also discovered that Cork has the deepest
natural harbor in the world. We stayed at the Imperial Hotel
in downtown Cork and it was quite elegant, hosting many
celebrities including Charles Dickens, JFK and Grace Kelley.
It also had the nicest breakfast we’ve had so far, with a “bird
cage” filled with pastries, yogurt and fresh fruit
accompanying our eggs and sausage.

We are great fans of Kerrygold Irish Butter so of course we
had to stop at The Butter Museum. We happened to catch
and join a tour for students from Brigham Young University,
got to watch butter being made by hand and even got to
taste it on my favorite brown Irish Soda Bread. Yum! Then
off we went from Cork to Killarney.

We took a day off to get laundry done and give Gary a break
from driving, because the following day we did the 111-mile
loop called The Ring of Kerry we’d read so much about, with
several little side trips to beaches, forts, castles and the
fascinating Skellig Ring. We passed through Waterville
where Charlie Chaplin spent many years, and then drove
through Killarney National Park with its beautiful lakes and
mountains. A very scenic day…and lots of driving, so, with a
quick stop at Ross Castle, we were glad to get back to the
Hotel Killarney that evening.

We then drove to one of our favorite stops so far, the little
seaside town of Doolin. For the first time, we stayed in a
local B&B and we couldn’t have felt more welcome. We had
to backtrack a bit that first night to take part in a wonderful
Medieval Dinner at Bunratty Castle. The food was delicious
(4 courses called “removes”) and the only utensil we had
was a knife. So we sipped potato soup from the bowl, ate
spareribs with our fingers, stabbed the chicken and
vegetables with our knife and finally were given a spoon to
eat a tasty apple dessert while listening to superb, costumed
singers accompanied by a Celtic harp and fiddle (video below). We had a
really good time!

We slept in a bit the next day (as we often do), but we got
moving more quickly when we discovered we could take a
boat tour to see the renown Cliffs of Moher. They tower
some 702 feet above the wild Atlantic Ocean below. The
“weather fairies” have been very good to us most of this trip
and the day we chose to go was no exception. (The day
before the mist was so thick that one could not see them
from the top or the bottom.) The tide was coming in so we went through
some large swells and found we still have our “boaters’
legs!” We spent over a half hour hearing about the Cliffs
(formed 319 million years ago) and the various seabirds that
nest there (over 30,000 pairs), including fulmars, falcons,
choughs, ravens and puffins (which hadn’t arrived yet).

At the boat tour ticket office we picked up a brochure about a
“Music House Concert” and got the last tickets for that night.
We listened to 2 locals who’d been playing their fiddle and
flute together for over 50 years and told many stories about
the importance of traditional Irish music. It played a huge
role in the survival of the poor Irish countrymen. Their music
brought everyone together and they often danced all night
long. I later Googled the name of the man’s house we were
in…Christy Barry…and only then discovered he is “a
legendary Irish flute player” who spent many years in New
York, Chicago and Los Angeles, establishing the original
Irish music there. He’s been back in his native Doolin for
many years and has helped Doolin become a “mini-New
Orleans,” attracting musicians from all over the world to
come sit in on sessions. He is also quite a master at playing
the spoons (click on video below)! What a delightful evening it was!

The joy and humor from that evening in Christy Barry’s home
and the heart-warming hospitality we felt during our entire
stay in Doolin was very contagious and we are still carrying it
with us.
In closing, here’s another favorite Irish blessing:
May the roof above us never fall in,
And may the friends gathered below it never fall out.
Thanks again for traveling along with us!