The Last Night :(

Well, our trip has almost ended. And while we're sad to leave, we're extremely excited to see you all again, sleep in our own beds (though these have been comfortable), and drive on the right side of the road!

This morning we drove the Dingle Peninsula. The views were breathtaking --- there really are no words, but I'll try to find a few: awe-inspiring, scary (at some points, there were 500 ft. drop-offs to the rocky Atlantic with no fence), but overall, beautiful. That drive was about 1 hour and a half, including a few picture spots and some pottery and antique stores along the way. After that, we headed off on the long drive to Bunratty/Shannon. It was at least 3 hours, give or take another 15 that we got lost (but quickly found our way back). We stopped in Bunratty, a small historical village that's halfway between Limerick and Shannon. We checked into our last B&B, stopped at the Bunratty Winery so I could get my usual bottle souvenir, stopped at the Bunratty Castle & Folk Village, then headed off for afternoon tea.

We left Bunratty, drove about 15 minutes to Newmarket-on-Fergus, a small, small town. There is a 5-star hotel castle, Dromoland Castle, that has housed the likes of President Bush, the Beatles and the Queen of England. We had "Mrs. White's Afternoon Tea." It was served on white Irish linen, complete with a 3-tier plate stand of finger sandwiches, pastries, fresh scones and clotted cream. The food was great, and we couldn't finish it all. The views were amazing as well, as we had a spot in the corner tower of the castle. As we left, we experienced our first Irish rain shower (finally!!). The joy was short-lived though, as it stopped raining in 15 minutes, hehehe. We drove back, taking a pit stop at the airport so we make sure we don't get lost tomorrow morning (good idea, Nicole). Knowing us, we would probably end up lost and driving around Ireland for the next 2 months! Beautiful as that sounds, we probably couldn't afford the gas! We filled up today for the second time, and our total gas bill for the week $91!!!! And we thought gas was expensive in the US!

Anyway, we leave here tomorrow at 4 am to make sure we're on time to the airport. Our flight is at 6:45 to Dublin, and even though Shannon Airport is tiny, we'd rather sleep an extra hour in the airport than in bed and possibly miss our plane. We should land in Dublin by 7:30, then take a 10:30 plane from there. With the time change, we'll land in Chicago sometime around 12:30, if all goes well.

Well, wish us luck -- we're going to get ready for bed as it is almost 8:00 at night and we want to try for at least 7 hours of sleep to beat the jet lag. Can't wait to see everybody when we get home! We have something ridiculous like 200 pictures, so that should be fun!

Love, Beth & Nicole

Dingle

Well, we're getting ready to leave our B&B in Dingle now. (Thanks for the recommendation Alena & Meghan, it's great!). We'll be driving around the peninsula, then off to Dromoland Castle for afternoon tea! Last night we ended up at the aquarium, then at this little craft shop where a woman handmakes wool and other sweaters. She was extremely nice and friendly, and we definitely did some business with her :)

Then we headed over to John Benny's pub for a traditional dinner and Irish folk music. Dinner was great! Since we're on the Atlantic, the seafood is plentiful. I had the seafood chowder with homemade brown bread, and had cappucino mousse with whiskey cream on top. As required, I enjoyed a Guinness, too. Not my favorite, but I had to do it once before I left! Nic had bacon (ham) loin with colcannon potatoes, then had a chocolate tart with strawberry ice cream for dessert. Plus, we got to hear a three-piece traditional band: flute, guitar and accordian. They were really good!

This morning at breakfast, our sugar packets had Irish jokes on them. They're pretty corny, but we'd thought we'd share them anyway:

Q: What does Ireland have more of than any other country?
A: Irishmen

Q:What's Irish and stays out all night?
A: Patty O'Furniture

Q: Why do so many people live in Ireland?
A: Because the population is always Dublin!

Heehehe, alright, we better go now. It looks like it's finally going to rain today, and we want to get a head start on pictures before it does.

PS - Becca, I had porridge with Bailey's for breakfast. I know you'd appreciate that! :)

Killarney to Dingle :)

Hey everyone, thanks for leaving comments :)

Nic and I have had the best day yet! We left the B&B this morning and headed to the Muckross House, a castle-like mansion built in the 1860's. It was amazing! It's on the grounds of the Killarney National Park, a 25,000 km park. It's huge! There are jaunting carts (google this, trust me, they're cool) available to rent. We had a little old Irish man named Robert drive us around the park. It was about 40 minutes, and included a 15 minute break to hike up one of the hills to the Torc Waterfall, a 100 ft. waterfall off of one of Killarney's mountains. It was spectacular! Robert was so funny, singing in Gaelic and in brogue the whole way, pointing out trees, monuments, trails and more. The horse, Susie, was getting into a bit of mischief, but she was pretty good! We left there for some light shopping, then got in the car for the 1.5 hour drive to Dingle. We opted to take the longer route, since the roads were less narrow. Good choice!!! I can't imagine what the coastal roads were like, as these were difficult enough! All in all, not too bad, and the scenery is breathtaking. It's 4:15 here, and we're heading out to the aquarium, the marina, and the craft shop. We decided not to horseback ride since we took the jaunting cart, and believe that was a wise decision! Tomorrow we might take a boat ride out to see Fungi, the Dingle Dolphin. A little touristy, but it might be fun! Then we'll drive around the peninsula, probably an hour or so, then up towards Shannon. Tomorrow's our last full day :( It seems like we just got settled! Anyway, most shops close here at 5, so we better head out! Talk to you later!

PS - Mom, so sorry we stole the sunshine!!! No sign of rain yet!!!!!!!!!! Apparently the Irish believe they're having a heat wave, hehhehehe!

Quick Note :)

Just realized that we never mentioned anything about the weather. It hasn't rained one drop since our plane landed. It sprinkled as we got off the plane, and that has been it. It's been consistently between 60-75 degrees everyday and mostly sunny!! Who would have thought we'd come home with tans?!?!?

Also, please feel free to leave us comments!! Let us know what you want to know more about (food, travels, locals, shopping, etc.). It's very depressing that we've had 0 comments in 2 days!!!! :(

We're revised a bit of our plan for tomorrow. We're going shopping (what else?) and visiting the Muckross House at Killarney National Park. Then we're off to Dingle, about a 1 hour drive or so. We might go horseback riding, but it's fairly expensive (isn't everything with the price of the dollar?!?), so we might nix that. We'll see - I'm trying to be flexible, which we all know is quite a feat for me! ;)

- Beth & Nicole

Kilkenny, Cashel & Killarney

Hey everyone! I wrote the previous post last night, but didn't have access to the internet. But, faithful to my word, we're trying to keep in touch. Today has been quite the day, and we were extremely glad to finally get to the B&B this evening (it's 6:15 now). The minute I found out we had wireless internet, I think I spent 5 minutes praying!!! It's amazing how strange it is to be without a cell phone, computer, internet, or even my GPS system, which I really wish worked in Ireland (more about that later...).

This morning we had breakfast at the Carriglea B&B in Kilkenny. Our host Josephine and her husband Tom are extremely friendly. Her breakfast was delicious!!! I had a mushroom omelette with shaved parmesan on top. I also had a bit of yogurt and fresh fruit. Nic had yogurt, pancakes and bacon. She quickly learned that pancakes and bacon are not what we Americans consider pancakes and bacon to be. Thankfully omelettes translate in every language! Her pancakes tasted more like french toast, with an egg-like coating. The bacon is more like slice of ham. Now, that sounds great, right? Well, just the toast impressed Nicole. It was served on a toast rack (google image it if you don't know what one is). Nic was so in love that she almost purchased a toast rack today at the store. What a character, this one! :)

After that, we headed out of town and out to Cashel, about a one hour drive. The drive wasn't terrible, and we only got lost a bit, so we're improving. Thankfully, some friendly local helped us get back on course. We arrive in Cashel around noon and began touring the Rock of Cashel. It was absolutely breathtaking!!! It's basically a ruined Cathedral. There's a small chapel that contains the only surviving frescos in Ireland. We walked in and ended up with a tour group of an older women's choir. A little awkward, but we hung towards the back and listened to their tour guide. At the end, they randomly bust out singing, but then we realized it was a hymn. It was beautiful. They sang in harmony, and it echoed throughout the stone walls of the chapel. It added a very mystical and majestic quality to the whole experience. We also got to see the original St. Patrick's Cross. We have lots of pictures of this. Still attempting to figure out how to get them on here, but I really don't want to spend that much time on the computer when I'm only in Ireland for a limited time.

After Cashel, we began the long ride to Killarney. According to our directions, it was at least 2.5 hours. We managed to get 3/4 of the way there without getting lost. Then, and I admit this one, I had copied the wrong directions from the website to the B&B. It wasn't terrible, as we got to drive around the mountains and part of Killarney National Park, and found our way eventually. This B&B is nice, and about a 10 minute walk from the center of town. We're about to head out for the evening and grab something to eat, but obviously thought we would take advantage of the internet access! We'll probably post again tonight or tomorrow morning, since we're not sure about the internet at the B&B tomorrow. Anyway, I'm pretty sure your eyes are getting tired, so we'll let you go!

- Beth & Nicole

Onward to Kilkenny - The Journey Really Begins

Holy Cow, has this been a day! We left the hotel and took a taxi to the car rental place in the city. I kid you not, the first words as we walked in were, “Are you Ms. Brennan? There’s been a slight problem with your car. Can you drive manual?”

What I wanted to say was, “Are you kidding me? I can barely drive automatic!” What I said was something along the lines of no as terror flashed through my eyes. So he called up the airport location to see if they had an automatic car. They did, but they said they only had a 7 passenger vehicle. Are you kidding me?!? You want me to drive the narrow roads of Ireland in a Hummer-like vehicle???? It was either that or learn stick, so we took the big car. They drove us to the airport where we went to get the car. It turns out it’s what we Americans would consider a mid-size SUV, like the size of a Ford Expedition or something. Not too bad, but it does stop your heart a bit on the narrow streets. So Nic and I went to get in the car. I went to start it. Nothing. I turned to Nicole and said, “Okay, I may have my moments, but I’m smart enough to start a car.” Apparently not. So after seeing that they had overcharged me as well, I went back to the office. The chick behind the desk came out to show me, and had me drive her around the parking lot. Between all the questions and tips from people about driving, not one person mentioned that you have to put your foot on the brake when starting the car. Why? Because it will go in reverse, like a manual! Plus, you have to use the handbrake. The what? I know, crazy. Don’t even get me started on the shifter. The car, when you start it, is in neutral. When you park it, park it in neutral. To drive, push the shifter to the left to get A1. As you drive, it shows you the gears. To reverse, push the shifter to the right and down. If, by the chance I decide I want to risk our life, I can drive manual, too! Just simply push the shifter up. IT’S THAT SIMPLE, folks (insert sarcasm here). Once around the parking lot and I had the hang of it. Besides the whole operating the car, driving’s really not that difficult. The turns took a bit to get used to, but weren’t bad. It’s pretty easy as long as you follow the car in front of you. Anyway, the drive to Kilkenny was really pretty. We had a bit of trouble finding the B&B, but I swear to you the directions were wrong, it wasn’t the users fault! With a little common sense and some divine intervention, we ended up a block from it, then saw the street sign. Happiest moment of my life. The owners here are really nice. They gave us some great recommendations for dinner. We ended up at the Marble City Bar. Nic had the lamb stew, I had the Guinness and Beef Pie. Both were excellent. We wandered around downtown Kilkenny, the Kilkenny Castle grounds and the Kilkenny Design/Craft Center. We found some great shops, though we didn’t buy much. I think we’re going to head to a pottery place tomorrow. It’s right outside the city and offers tours, demonstrations, shopping, and more. A little more time in Kilkenny, then we’re off to a 1 hour ride to Cashel. We’ll see the Rock of Cashel and the Cashel Heritage grounds, then we’re off to Killarney for the night. That’s a crazy long drive, almost 4 hours, I think. We’ll see. We’re out for the night. It’s 7:30, but it’s as sunny as noon. Hopefully we’ll get to meet some of the others staying here and chat before we go to bed for the night.
- Beth

Okay, We're Really Leaving Now...

We just successfully finished sightseeing in Dublin and made it back to our hotel room around 11:30. We went to Trinity College and saw the Book of Kells and Long Hall. It was amazing!! Unfortunately you can't take pictures in there, but I think Nic picked up a load of postcards instead! Then we headed over to St. Patrick's. It seems to be a running theme here, but we were a *wee* bit lost again...going a few blocks out of our way. But, we made it there, said a prayer for Kate's son, took a few pictures, bought a post card, then headed to Dublin Castle. We decided not to go inside, because really, we're going to at least 3 more castles in the next day. We walked over to the Queen of Tarts, and had breakfast there. We had walked past in the morning and it was closed, and we feared it was because of the bank holiday, but fortunately, they were just opening late! We had breakfast and grabbed 2 tarts to go, that we'll enjoy later on.

Before I left work, my boss gave me a scavenger hunt that I must accomplish before coming home. One of them was a picture of a tart from Queen of Tarts, as that was one of Kate's (from work, not Kate Meade) haunts when she lived here. I also needed to get a picture with a media pack from work. Since I didn't pack one, I have a picture of my business card visiting the Book of Kells. I was also instructed to bring home a leprechaun for one of the guy's at work, and goofy souvenirs for the team as well. I have 2 more pictures I need to take for the scavenger hunt, then I'm complete :)

Kate & Farah, if you're reading this, get back to work! And Farah, tell Everett I said hello!

Leaving Dublin...

So yesterday, promptly after signing off, we broke Travelers Rule #1: Never take a nap during the day. But we were so tired, we took a 2 hour nap and then decided just to walk around the Temple Bar area and grab a snack. So overall, it was a pretty low key night since we were just exhausted. It's almost 8:30 in the morning here, and we're dressed and ready to head out to do the sightseeing we avoided yesterday. We're going to try to grab breakfast, but it seems like the Queen of Tarts is closed because it's a bank holiday. I checked our sights to see if they are open, and their websites "claim" they are, so cross your fingers for us! (Not that it mattered if you did or not, because we'll be finished before you even wake up!). Then, we come back here and check out at 12, and pick up the rental car. We have about a 2 hour drive to Kilkenny, where we're staying next. I'm not quite sure if we'll have internet access for the next few days, but we'll try post soon!

- Beth & Nicole

Dublin So Far...

Nicole & I just arrived in Dublin. It's 12:30 our time, 6:30 yours. Our flight was a bunch of trouble! We were supposed to board the plane and take off at 9:05. We didn't begin boarding until 9:15 at least. Then, there was a safety/mechanical thing that they had to check out. Apparently that gave some lady the heebie-jeebies, and she decided she wanted to get off the plane. So at this point, it's almost 10:15, and they need to open the baggage hold and find her luggage and take it off. UGH! We didn't actually take off until after 11 PM, then they decided to serve dinner at 11:30. Really? So Nic slept better than I did, but we both were up with 2 more hours left of the flight. It felt like the longest flight ever!!! We could not wait to get off the plane. Once we landed, they rolled the stairs up to plane and we had to walk outside, which was kinda cool. Then off to immigration, where the officer told us not "to get into any trouble," heehee. It was fairly easy to get our luggage and grab our bus to the city. We got off at what I thought was the wrong spot, but it turned out to be the right one. We didn't actually figure that out until we walked 4 blocks, crossed the Liffey River, walked 2 blocks, crossed back over, walk another 2 blocks, then realized we were right all along and had to walk those 8 blocks backward to the hotel. I thought Nic was going to run me over with her suitcase! But, all is well and we're both feeling pretty good. We're resting up a bit, taking showers and changing clothes, then off to grab some lunch/early dinner before beginning our sightseeing (or what we have left after this morning's excursion!). We're headed to Trinity College, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin Castle and St. Patrick's Cathedral before calling it a night. We're not really sure what we'll do tomorrow morning, so I guess we'll just play it by ear! Will post later tonight (and hopefully with some pictures!)

- Beth

Philadelphia

So I wrote this in Philly, but I couldn't get to the internet, so here are our thoughts fresh from the airport:


Philadelphia: Three words - Coolest. Pilot. Ever. During the flight he gave a whole spiel about the make and model of the plane, why it only got .5 miles a gallon, and how the gas bill for the plane was $15,000. Holy Cow. And, as we left the plane, he gave each of us a Boeing 737 Trading Card with his name on it. I’m guessing he’s looking for good reviews or something. Anywho, we landed 10 minutes early in Philadelphia. We grabbed a slice of pizza and headed to our gate, and stopped to take a picture with a replica Liberty Bell made out of Legos. Oh, and PS, this place has Rocky stuff everywhere! T-shirts, movie posters, you name it. Well, we should be boarding in a few minutes!!! Off to Ireland!

Failte! (Welcome!)

Hey everybody! Nicole & I decided to start this blog as a way to let you all know what we're doing and what we're up to while in Ireland! While I can't guarantee we'll post daily, we'll do our best to keep everyone updated! Here's a brief itinerary of our trip:

• Saturday - Fly


• Sunday - Dublin


• Monday - Dublin/Kilkenny


• Tuesday - Kilkenny/Cashel/Killarney


• Wednesday - Killarney/Dingle


• Thursday - Dingle/Bunratty/Shannon


• Friday - Chicago!

Hopefully I can figure out how to make this work so we can post pictures, too! Be sure to leave us comments :)