Today, I slept in a little which is a good thing. I went looking for breakfast at a little after 8:30. The sad thing is that the restaurant don't open till 9am or later. After walking around trying to find breakfast, I did find place that opened at 8:00. I had a full Irish breakfast. It consisted of an egg, three sausages, baked beans, chips, two slices of bacon (which over hear tastes like ham), tea, and orange juice. Good thing it didn't have white and black puddings. That was a jumbo lrish breakfast. I ate everything. I guess I was hungry after that early bird dinner :). Tomorrow I'm not leaving the hotel till 9am to look for breakfast. The bus I'm planning to catch isn't till 10:30.
So after breakfast, I stopped by the hotel to grab some granola bars because who knows when lunch will be in the tour and walked around town. Before heading to the tour office, which won't exchange my confirmation email for a ticket until 10:00, tour start at 10:30. I went inside a jewelry store. If anyone knows me, I really can't resist buying jewelry. I saw this Celtic knot necklace on the window and then inside I saw this nice Celtic knot charm bracelet. Don't worry, it was sterling silver so it won't cost the farm. I was going to think about these items and maybe return and get one or both after the tour.
At 10:00, I exchange my ticket, The Dero's Tour for Ring of Kerry for €18 from 10:30 to a little after 17:00. There were a lot of people doing this tour. It was a good tour which frequent enough stops of bathroom and/or food breaks. Our first stop was Killoglin, or outside of it, to the Kerry Bog Museum. This museum is small. It had ponies, wolfhounds, thatched houses, and bogs. It costed €5 and the guide only gave 25 minutes at this stop. I didn't go in so I waited by the cafe with the other people. There were 7 big tour buses in the parking lot. I'm guessing the Ring of Kerry is a must do thing.
The next stop was at a Shepard demonstration. It cost €5 and is worth it. The Shepard showers 12 different species of sheep and then a herding demo with his two border collies. It was unbelievable to watch that the dog can respond to signal, verbal and whistles, to get the sheep moving in the right direction. And each dog learn different signals and commends in a year and a half period. Since sheep have no natural predators in Ireland, the Shepards are not worried about the sheep in far away fields or up in the hills. Since the dogs are closely related to the wolves, the sheep are naturally afraid of the dogs. When the dogs are herding the sheep, the dogs have this hunting instinct stance/body language.
After that, we drove along the coast and stopped Waterville for lunch. I had a hearty vegetable soup. Since we had an hour in the Waterville, we got to take nice coastal pictures and walk along the wall. There is even a life size statue of Charlie Chapin in the town since Chaplin spent a lot of his retirement in Waterville. After lunch, we just made photo stops along the coast. Then we stopped in Sheem for a little bit, and they had a good ice cream place there. I had honeycomb with bits of toffee in it. Good ice cream.
Then we stopped at Moll's Gap, Ladies view in Killarney National Park, and driving through the Park before ending in Killarney.
After the tour, I stopped at the jewelry store before heading back to the hotel. I bought the bracelet. The necklace is from an Irish company and are available everywhere. If I really want the necklace, I can buy it later. On the way back to the hotel, I checked out the menus of the restaurants along the way. I was going to eat attention restaurant a few doors down, the but then I saw the early bird menu for the pub at the hotel. I thought the menu said potato pancakes (boxty) but it said potato cakes. The potato cakes were very nice. They were breaded and pan fried. It came with veggies and salad. I also had a cheesecake for dessert. The menu said lemon but I got like a tiramisu cheesecake instead.
After I went up to the room to shower and am back down at the lobby for wifi and listening to the live Irish music. The wifi is not that great in the room. There are some people here in the lobby. There's right now three tour groups staying at the hotel. The hotel is big enough to house all these people and is right in the heart of town. Other big hotels look expensive around here.
Tomorrow's agenda: Making my way to Waterford and to the Waterford factory
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Day 24: Killarney
Today I woke up at 8:00 to get ready and packed. I took my time with breakfast and getting ready since my bus out of Dingle wasn't until 10:15. At 9:55, I slowly made my way to the bus stop which is just a few minutes away. I waited under the currach, a light boat, since it was raining. I took the bus out of Dingle to Tralee and change to a Cork bus stopping in Killarney. The cost was €15, and the trip took a little over two hours total.
I got into Killarney a little after noon, and it was raining but I walked to the hotel anyways. It eventually stopped on the way to the hotel. Yes, I found a hotel cheaper than a b&b but the furnishing is soooo outdated. Check in wasn't until 15:00 so I asked if I could leave my luggage at the hotel. The front desk checked and told me that the room would be ready in 30 minutes so I waited. Once I got into my room I dumped everything and made way out to explore the city and find lunch. I found a cafe serving lite lunch and have lasagna under it. So I ordered the lasagna and it wasn't lite. The piece is almost the size you get at home and is mostly meat served with salad, but at least it was a good price. After that, I just walked around looking for the TI and then the tour place to get my tour ticket for tomorrow. The tour place told me just to get my ticket tomorrow.
Killarney is a very small. It is easy walking around it, and lots of tour buses stop here overnight in their in or out of seeing Blarney Castle. There is also an Outlet Mall here which I'm not going to explore in fear I buy lots of stuff. I just walked up and down a few streets and that was the town. So I went exploring more. I eventually ended in Killarney National Park which is a block away from town hall. I just started walking and following the trail. I did the river walk and then loop back around. I was going to go to the shore but it was very muddy getting there. I did detour to see Ross Castle on my loop but didn't go in.
Overall, it was a nice walk with only about 1 minute of rain around the National Park. I walked over 5km of the trail in about two hours. I took a lot of nature pictures and an elderly gentleman stopped and told me to go to Muckross Garden where they have lots of pictures. Muckross garden is about 3 miles outside of Killarney. It's so weird in Ireland where people just interchange miles and kilometers all the time.
After the walk, I headed back to the hotel and took a shower. Then I went down to the pub, The Danny Mann Pub, which is attached to the hotel. I had their early bird (17:30 to 19:00) special of two courses. I guess they eat dinner here late. I had traditional Irish stew (this time with lamb) and raspberry grateaux for dessert. The place is very busy and had only one real server there. So far that I know, there are two tour bus groups here. Good thing I didn't include breakfast, which is €10, when I booked. I found breakfast cheaper down the street. For a full Irish breakfast, only €6.50 and a smaller size is €5.50.
It's been a not so writing filling day. There is live music down at the pub at 21:00. So, ill probably dropped by and listen for awhile. Other than that, I had a good exercise today.
Tomorrow's agenda: Touring the Ring of Kerry
I got into Killarney a little after noon, and it was raining but I walked to the hotel anyways. It eventually stopped on the way to the hotel. Yes, I found a hotel cheaper than a b&b but the furnishing is soooo outdated. Check in wasn't until 15:00 so I asked if I could leave my luggage at the hotel. The front desk checked and told me that the room would be ready in 30 minutes so I waited. Once I got into my room I dumped everything and made way out to explore the city and find lunch. I found a cafe serving lite lunch and have lasagna under it. So I ordered the lasagna and it wasn't lite. The piece is almost the size you get at home and is mostly meat served with salad, but at least it was a good price. After that, I just walked around looking for the TI and then the tour place to get my tour ticket for tomorrow. The tour place told me just to get my ticket tomorrow.
Killarney is a very small. It is easy walking around it, and lots of tour buses stop here overnight in their in or out of seeing Blarney Castle. There is also an Outlet Mall here which I'm not going to explore in fear I buy lots of stuff. I just walked up and down a few streets and that was the town. So I went exploring more. I eventually ended in Killarney National Park which is a block away from town hall. I just started walking and following the trail. I did the river walk and then loop back around. I was going to go to the shore but it was very muddy getting there. I did detour to see Ross Castle on my loop but didn't go in.
Overall, it was a nice walk with only about 1 minute of rain around the National Park. I walked over 5km of the trail in about two hours. I took a lot of nature pictures and an elderly gentleman stopped and told me to go to Muckross Garden where they have lots of pictures. Muckross garden is about 3 miles outside of Killarney. It's so weird in Ireland where people just interchange miles and kilometers all the time.
After the walk, I headed back to the hotel and took a shower. Then I went down to the pub, The Danny Mann Pub, which is attached to the hotel. I had their early bird (17:30 to 19:00) special of two courses. I guess they eat dinner here late. I had traditional Irish stew (this time with lamb) and raspberry grateaux for dessert. The place is very busy and had only one real server there. So far that I know, there are two tour bus groups here. Good thing I didn't include breakfast, which is €10, when I booked. I found breakfast cheaper down the street. For a full Irish breakfast, only €6.50 and a smaller size is €5.50.
It's been a not so writing filling day. There is live music down at the pub at 21:00. So, ill probably dropped by and listen for awhile. Other than that, I had a good exercise today.
Tomorrow's agenda: Touring the Ring of Kerry
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Day 23: Navigating around Dingle Peninsula
Today, I got to slept in till 8:00. I went down for breakfast a little after 8:30. Then I hanged out the sitting room of the b&b till almost 10:00. I like the sitting room of the b&b. It has comfortable chairs and loveseats. I left the b&b a little early before the tour began at 10:30. I just walked around the pier area and watch the boats.
Then I headed over to Kirrary b&b where we meet for the tour. There were four people on this tour so that's good. It's the Sciuird (irish for "excursion") Archeology tour. The tour started at 10:30 and ended at 13:00 and cost €20. The guide takes you around the peninsula with picture worthy stops. We also stopped at three archeology sites. It was pretty interesting to see marker stones and beehive huts. the drive to Slea Head and around was very beautiful with the beach and Blasket Island. I'm glad I didn't cycle it because it was pretty windy out today.
After the tour, I went to find lunch. You would probably guess I had fish and chips, or more specifically whiting and chips. The fish was very fresh, and I had to get careful because there were still a few bones in the fillet. Also, first time over here, I had ketchup with my chips. I guess she knew and gave me a little container of ketchup. The restaurant also boasted of having southern Fried chicken but I needed the fish since I'm in a fishing village. Afterwards, I walked around town again and then down to the coastal walk around Dingle Harbour. It was a bit muddy due to the few minutes of rain. The trail wasn't clear. It was through a couple of cow fields and then I decided to just walk along the beach, which was nice, up to the old empty tower and back past the starting point and to the pier. It was very windy out, and Rick Steves was right. It did take me 1.5 hours to walk the path. After all that walking, I reward myself with ice cream. It was good ice cream made locally. I had a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of peanut butter. Yum
After that I'm made my way back to the b&b to relax in the sitting room and just read. What a nice day!
At about 6pm, I went to find some stew. I did find some. I went to one pub since the stew was slightly bit cheaper, but the place was packed. They had live music started at 17:30 and all the tables and bar was full. The music was good when I was in there. So I walked a few doors down and went in. The place was empty because the other place had all the people. I was at John Benny Moriarty's. I heard that they had good music last night and a singer too. So, anyways, I ordered the beef and Guinness stew. It was very good and hearty, lots of meat and hardly any vegetables.
Then, after eating, I made my way back to the b&b. My face was seriously hot and red. I don't know if it was the alcohol or wind burn. Now, I'm back in the sitting room, relaxing. I don't know why people don't come down here. It's great, all for me then.
Tomorrow's agenda: Traveling to Killarney and explore this city
Then I headed over to Kirrary b&b where we meet for the tour. There were four people on this tour so that's good. It's the Sciuird (irish for "excursion") Archeology tour. The tour started at 10:30 and ended at 13:00 and cost €20. The guide takes you around the peninsula with picture worthy stops. We also stopped at three archeology sites. It was pretty interesting to see marker stones and beehive huts. the drive to Slea Head and around was very beautiful with the beach and Blasket Island. I'm glad I didn't cycle it because it was pretty windy out today.
After the tour, I went to find lunch. You would probably guess I had fish and chips, or more specifically whiting and chips. The fish was very fresh, and I had to get careful because there were still a few bones in the fillet. Also, first time over here, I had ketchup with my chips. I guess she knew and gave me a little container of ketchup. The restaurant also boasted of having southern Fried chicken but I needed the fish since I'm in a fishing village. Afterwards, I walked around town again and then down to the coastal walk around Dingle Harbour. It was a bit muddy due to the few minutes of rain. The trail wasn't clear. It was through a couple of cow fields and then I decided to just walk along the beach, which was nice, up to the old empty tower and back past the starting point and to the pier. It was very windy out, and Rick Steves was right. It did take me 1.5 hours to walk the path. After all that walking, I reward myself with ice cream. It was good ice cream made locally. I had a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of peanut butter. Yum
After that I'm made my way back to the b&b to relax in the sitting room and just read. What a nice day!
At about 6pm, I went to find some stew. I did find some. I went to one pub since the stew was slightly bit cheaper, but the place was packed. They had live music started at 17:30 and all the tables and bar was full. The music was good when I was in there. So I walked a few doors down and went in. The place was empty because the other place had all the people. I was at John Benny Moriarty's. I heard that they had good music last night and a singer too. So, anyways, I ordered the beef and Guinness stew. It was very good and hearty, lots of meat and hardly any vegetables.
Then, after eating, I made my way back to the b&b. My face was seriously hot and red. I don't know if it was the alcohol or wind burn. Now, I'm back in the sitting room, relaxing. I don't know why people don't come down here. It's great, all for me then.
Tomorrow's agenda: Traveling to Killarney and explore this city
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Day 22: Traveling day to Dingle
Today is a traveling day and a long one at that. I woke up early by the cyclists. Many left their room at 6am to grab an early breakfast. I got out of bed at 7am and got ready and packed. I had breakfast and left the hotel a little after 8am. I walked down to the bus station and caught the next bus to Eyre Square. I got there are at around 8:20 and the bus ticket office didn't open until 8:30.
After I got my ticket, Galway to Dingle cost €27 and takes three buses, I waited around for the express bus to Limerick. At Limerick, I waited over an hour to grab the bus to Tralee. We had a little hiccup on the way. And elderly man forgot this bus pass and the driver refuse to let him on the bus because the man couldn't pay. Someone wanted to pay for him but he refused and said that someone will pay the bus driver in Tralee. The driver had to call the garda since the man refused to get off the bus. He was the first one on and everyone was waiting. The garda didn't arrive till ten minutes after and the man just went with them when they asked. We were a little late in getting to Tralee. I had about 5 minutes before catching the Dingle bus. The bus ride to Dingle was worth the long trip getting there. Everything is so green and beautiful. We even saw the coast of a while. I was sitting on the wrong side of the bus but I saw it just the same. Hopefully, I can take some pictures on my way back to Tralee.
Once I got into Dingle at a little after 15:00, I made my way to the b&b which was pretty easy, less than 5 minutes from the bus stop. I was thinking of taking a nap but I thought why not go out when everything is open and take a nap after dinner since pubs don't start their jamming session until 21:30. So, I went walking around town, and is a small town, following Rick Steves' walking guide. I saw a lot of restaurants but they didn't open till 17:00 and since Dingle is a fishing village most have fresh fish. So I just walked around, got some little souvenirs and went to the TI. I asked the TI if they had any cycling trails and the person showed me the big loop around the peninsula, about 50km long. The problem was that there are not biking trails and have to use the same roads as cars and those roads are narrow. Then I asked about walking tours or walking to Slead Head because that should be a stop to go when in Dingle. Apparently, it's a long walk and would be on the road. So, I'm thinking of use renting the bike tomorrow and cycling around anyways.
However, this lady behind me overheard and asked about a guided driving tour. There was one available and would cost €20 each with a minimum of two people. The lady asked if I want to do that since she was traveling by herself too. I said OK and now I'll be on a driving tour tomorrow. It's going to be great. After booking, the lady and I started talking, she was from Canada too, by Vancouver Island. Apparently, she has been traveling for 7 months on her year long trip. She's from this program, where she host people from different countries to work a little around the place and she would show them around for free room and board. Apparently, she's now visiting people that visited her. She said that she spent 4 months in India at four different cities. Spent some time in the UK and Ireland and will be going to Spain for a month and then back to Canada starting on the east coast and working her way back home. It sounds so interesting. Maybe I'll look into this program and check it out. She said she will give her contact tomorrow if I'm interested in spending time on the west coast. She's also a message therapist and does a lot of yoga.
After our chat, we left our separate ways each checking different shops but we'll see each other tomorrow. I just browse a few shops and before I know it, it was 17:00 and dinner time. I was very hungry by then since I didn't eat lunch. I went back to the Chinese restaurant, they are in every town so far I've seen, and had some Chinese. I miss Chinese food now. I had sweet and sour pork with plain rice. They cooked it differently. The pork wasn't battered and a little crispy, probably lightly deep fried. It was good, can't tell which I like more...one at home or here.
After dinner, I walked past the b&b to see if I could find the trail that leads to where the famous dolphin hangs out. I found it but didn't go on it since it would take about 1.5 to 2 hours to walk the loop. I just returned to the b&b for a little nap. I was going to go to a pub and listen to some traditional irish music. I left at 21:00 and went to O'flaherty's. They have good music as recommended by rick Steves and the b&b. I got there a little early and only a few people were there. The music didn't start until 22:00 and that's when the place got busy. I just sat at the the bar with my coke and then orange juice and just listened. It was very good music, three musicians just playing away. There weren't a lot of tourists hanging around. I think they went to a different pub. I was going to go one other one and was quite a bit farther down the street. At 23:00, I just left and headed back to the b&b.
Tomorrow's agenda: Touring about Dingle peninsula
After I got my ticket, Galway to Dingle cost €27 and takes three buses, I waited around for the express bus to Limerick. At Limerick, I waited over an hour to grab the bus to Tralee. We had a little hiccup on the way. And elderly man forgot this bus pass and the driver refuse to let him on the bus because the man couldn't pay. Someone wanted to pay for him but he refused and said that someone will pay the bus driver in Tralee. The driver had to call the garda since the man refused to get off the bus. He was the first one on and everyone was waiting. The garda didn't arrive till ten minutes after and the man just went with them when they asked. We were a little late in getting to Tralee. I had about 5 minutes before catching the Dingle bus. The bus ride to Dingle was worth the long trip getting there. Everything is so green and beautiful. We even saw the coast of a while. I was sitting on the wrong side of the bus but I saw it just the same. Hopefully, I can take some pictures on my way back to Tralee.
Once I got into Dingle at a little after 15:00, I made my way to the b&b which was pretty easy, less than 5 minutes from the bus stop. I was thinking of taking a nap but I thought why not go out when everything is open and take a nap after dinner since pubs don't start their jamming session until 21:30. So, I went walking around town, and is a small town, following Rick Steves' walking guide. I saw a lot of restaurants but they didn't open till 17:00 and since Dingle is a fishing village most have fresh fish. So I just walked around, got some little souvenirs and went to the TI. I asked the TI if they had any cycling trails and the person showed me the big loop around the peninsula, about 50km long. The problem was that there are not biking trails and have to use the same roads as cars and those roads are narrow. Then I asked about walking tours or walking to Slead Head because that should be a stop to go when in Dingle. Apparently, it's a long walk and would be on the road. So, I'm thinking of use renting the bike tomorrow and cycling around anyways.
However, this lady behind me overheard and asked about a guided driving tour. There was one available and would cost €20 each with a minimum of two people. The lady asked if I want to do that since she was traveling by herself too. I said OK and now I'll be on a driving tour tomorrow. It's going to be great. After booking, the lady and I started talking, she was from Canada too, by Vancouver Island. Apparently, she has been traveling for 7 months on her year long trip. She's from this program, where she host people from different countries to work a little around the place and she would show them around for free room and board. Apparently, she's now visiting people that visited her. She said that she spent 4 months in India at four different cities. Spent some time in the UK and Ireland and will be going to Spain for a month and then back to Canada starting on the east coast and working her way back home. It sounds so interesting. Maybe I'll look into this program and check it out. She said she will give her contact tomorrow if I'm interested in spending time on the west coast. She's also a message therapist and does a lot of yoga.
After our chat, we left our separate ways each checking different shops but we'll see each other tomorrow. I just browse a few shops and before I know it, it was 17:00 and dinner time. I was very hungry by then since I didn't eat lunch. I went back to the Chinese restaurant, they are in every town so far I've seen, and had some Chinese. I miss Chinese food now. I had sweet and sour pork with plain rice. They cooked it differently. The pork wasn't battered and a little crispy, probably lightly deep fried. It was good, can't tell which I like more...one at home or here.
After dinner, I walked past the b&b to see if I could find the trail that leads to where the famous dolphin hangs out. I found it but didn't go on it since it would take about 1.5 to 2 hours to walk the loop. I just returned to the b&b for a little nap. I was going to go to a pub and listen to some traditional irish music. I left at 21:00 and went to O'flaherty's. They have good music as recommended by rick Steves and the b&b. I got there a little early and only a few people were there. The music didn't start until 22:00 and that's when the place got busy. I just sat at the the bar with my coke and then orange juice and just listened. It was very good music, three musicians just playing away. There weren't a lot of tourists hanging around. I think they went to a different pub. I was going to go one other one and was quite a bit farther down the street. At 23:00, I just left and headed back to the b&b.
Tomorrow's agenda: Touring about Dingle peninsula
Friday, April 20, 2012
Day 21: Heading out to the Burrens
Today was a nice day with lots of sun and little rain. It does rain particularly every day in Ireland all year round. I slept in a bit and had breakfast at 8:30 after I made my way slowly downtown. I wanted to see what buses to take tomorrow for Dingle. I went in the coach station first thinking they are for all buses, but it housed mostly tour and private buses so I exchanged my Burden tour ticket first. The tour didn't start until 10:00 so I had time to find the other station which was a block away. The person gave me a timetable of the buses and some possible connections (3 buses) to my destination. You can't buy a ticket until the day of travels. I'm leaving Galway a little earlier than expected in case I miss the other connections I will have options. I have to eat breakfast early and figure out if I should take the bus or taxi down to the station. I'll figure it out tomorrow in how busy breakfast is. So far, three tour buses of people have checked in. One for Trafalgar and I think the others are part of a charity event. There's a cycling charity event from Galway to Dublin tomorrow.
I digress. So this morning while I was waiting to the tour to begin. I met another single female traveler from Michigan. She said she haven't met anyone girls doing a trip by herself. We got to talking. I thought we were going to be on the same tour but we weren't. I was on the Burden tour and she was doing the Connemera tour. I wished I had time to do the Connemera tour.
(Another tour bus just pulled up. Good thing this hotel is big. Now I feel bad for having two beds.)
So anyways, we had a little rough start. There were only 5 people on this tour but we were waiting for the other tour (McCools) to get in. They were running late so the tour guide/driver said he would meet them. So another 18 people joined the tour. Then the guide got a called and said there were two people at the station but the other guide, probably for the Connemera tour, drove them out to meet the bus. So, there were 7 Lally people and 18 McCools. On the first stop, the guide gave the Lally people options. Go to the farm and learn about farming in the Burrens with the McCool or go to the Aillwee Caves. I did the farm and it costed €6. The Caves cost the same. I figure I might see caves in Mexico so I rather just hike the Burrens and have some home baking at the end.
The Burren Wild guided walk was not that wild. The farm we were on is a working farm with lots of livestock. The guide for the farm gave us a great hike up the Burrens. We didn't go to the very top, but we did hikes great distant. He was very informative of the area and even showed us a faerie tree. Everyone was excited about the puppy (well about a year old) that was following us. Afterwards, we headed down for some home baking. It was past noon and was a little hungry. Unfortunately, the infamous apple pie was sold out. I had the rhubarb cinnamon cheesecake (€4.50) and it was delicious. After our treat, we waited for the the bus to come back to pick us up. We then headed to the Cliffs of Moher. On our way, we past through Lisdoonvarna renowned for its matchmaking festival that takes place in Sept. People come from all over for it...there is also an oyster festival in the next town over during sept too that have more people coming. Yes, maybe I'm heading back to Ireland in Sept. :)
We got to the cliffs at about 13:30 and had an hour to look around. I went to the north side first to look at the south cliffs. They were spectacular and so beautiful. I even saw the Aran Island when looking on the other side on top of the cliff. I had some time so I walked on be south side. I like the South cliffs better. The path stopped at the first cliff but people hopped over the barrier and continued walking. The south cliff weren't fenced off and people were getting close to the edge. I hopped over the barrier walk up about 5 meters took some pics and went back. I think people are crazy. I walked back down and just had a few moments to myself enjoy the birds, the water, and the cliffs. I tried not looking up at the crazy people. With about 15 minutes left I went to the gift shop. The visitor building is built inside the rocks. It was suppose to cost €20 million to build it but instead it cost €31.5 million. The tour guide pointed this out and I agreed, it looked like the teletubby house with windows and doors on the side of a grassy hill.
After the Cliffs, we made our way down to Doolin at have lupper (at 15:00). I had chicken curry and rice. The curry was a bit different but good all the same. After the meal, we took to the costal road down and back to Dunguaire Castle. We didn't stop this morning because the tide was down and no water surrounding it. By the afternoon, the tide had come in and it looked nice. The castle wasn't open (only opened during the summer) so we just took pictures and walked around it. The was an actual path around the outside wall of the castle. The castle is not that big. We arrived back in Galway at around 17:30. I decided to walk around the pedestrian area of the city centre. There was lots of people and shops. I stopped and got some gelato. I can't really compare the taste with the ones in Calgary. It was good. I had cherry mania which has pieces of chocolate and cherries in it.
After walking around, I can't buy anything since my big spending spree yesterday, I decided to head back to the hotel. My legs were a bit tired after all that walking especially up to the Burrens and the Cliffs. I threw my stuff into my room and made my way down to the lobby of the much needed internet time. For Dinner, I just had a bowl of French onion soup and a fruit pudding with orange custard for dessert. The fruit pudding fast oddly like fruitcake with too much raisin. I was going to go for a lemon cheesecake but I had cheesecake earlier. Yep, today was strange eating day. I have to retire early in order to wake up early for tomorrow to pack and have breakfast before trying to catch my bus.
Tomorrow's agenda: Travel day to Dingle
I digress. So this morning while I was waiting to the tour to begin. I met another single female traveler from Michigan. She said she haven't met anyone girls doing a trip by herself. We got to talking. I thought we were going to be on the same tour but we weren't. I was on the Burden tour and she was doing the Connemera tour. I wished I had time to do the Connemera tour.
(Another tour bus just pulled up. Good thing this hotel is big. Now I feel bad for having two beds.)
So anyways, we had a little rough start. There were only 5 people on this tour but we were waiting for the other tour (McCools) to get in. They were running late so the tour guide/driver said he would meet them. So another 18 people joined the tour. Then the guide got a called and said there were two people at the station but the other guide, probably for the Connemera tour, drove them out to meet the bus. So, there were 7 Lally people and 18 McCools. On the first stop, the guide gave the Lally people options. Go to the farm and learn about farming in the Burrens with the McCool or go to the Aillwee Caves. I did the farm and it costed €6. The Caves cost the same. I figure I might see caves in Mexico so I rather just hike the Burrens and have some home baking at the end.
The Burren Wild guided walk was not that wild. The farm we were on is a working farm with lots of livestock. The guide for the farm gave us a great hike up the Burrens. We didn't go to the very top, but we did hikes great distant. He was very informative of the area and even showed us a faerie tree. Everyone was excited about the puppy (well about a year old) that was following us. Afterwards, we headed down for some home baking. It was past noon and was a little hungry. Unfortunately, the infamous apple pie was sold out. I had the rhubarb cinnamon cheesecake (€4.50) and it was delicious. After our treat, we waited for the the bus to come back to pick us up. We then headed to the Cliffs of Moher. On our way, we past through Lisdoonvarna renowned for its matchmaking festival that takes place in Sept. People come from all over for it...there is also an oyster festival in the next town over during sept too that have more people coming. Yes, maybe I'm heading back to Ireland in Sept. :)
We got to the cliffs at about 13:30 and had an hour to look around. I went to the north side first to look at the south cliffs. They were spectacular and so beautiful. I even saw the Aran Island when looking on the other side on top of the cliff. I had some time so I walked on be south side. I like the South cliffs better. The path stopped at the first cliff but people hopped over the barrier and continued walking. The south cliff weren't fenced off and people were getting close to the edge. I hopped over the barrier walk up about 5 meters took some pics and went back. I think people are crazy. I walked back down and just had a few moments to myself enjoy the birds, the water, and the cliffs. I tried not looking up at the crazy people. With about 15 minutes left I went to the gift shop. The visitor building is built inside the rocks. It was suppose to cost €20 million to build it but instead it cost €31.5 million. The tour guide pointed this out and I agreed, it looked like the teletubby house with windows and doors on the side of a grassy hill.
After the Cliffs, we made our way down to Doolin at have lupper (at 15:00). I had chicken curry and rice. The curry was a bit different but good all the same. After the meal, we took to the costal road down and back to Dunguaire Castle. We didn't stop this morning because the tide was down and no water surrounding it. By the afternoon, the tide had come in and it looked nice. The castle wasn't open (only opened during the summer) so we just took pictures and walked around it. The was an actual path around the outside wall of the castle. The castle is not that big. We arrived back in Galway at around 17:30. I decided to walk around the pedestrian area of the city centre. There was lots of people and shops. I stopped and got some gelato. I can't really compare the taste with the ones in Calgary. It was good. I had cherry mania which has pieces of chocolate and cherries in it.
After walking around, I can't buy anything since my big spending spree yesterday, I decided to head back to the hotel. My legs were a bit tired after all that walking especially up to the Burrens and the Cliffs. I threw my stuff into my room and made my way down to the lobby of the much needed internet time. For Dinner, I just had a bowl of French onion soup and a fruit pudding with orange custard for dessert. The fruit pudding fast oddly like fruitcake with too much raisin. I was going to go for a lemon cheesecake but I had cheesecake earlier. Yep, today was strange eating day. I have to retire early in order to wake up early for tomorrow to pack and have breakfast before trying to catch my bus.
Tomorrow's agenda: Travel day to Dingle
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Day 20: Day trip to the Aran Islands
Today I woke up early since I wanted to see how far the walk into the city Centre was and to findthe tour company so I can get my ticket. I woke up at 7:00 and had a nice breakfast at 7:30. I'm used to having baked beans for breakfast now. I was hoping they have a selection of Irish bread to try but they only had wheaten bread.
I left the hotel at 8:00. I told a different and longer route to get to town about 35 minutes. I took the shorter way back (25 minutes). I don't know what I was thinking in picking this hotel, but at dinner today it occurred to me that today was good day and I finally realized that I'm on vacation for myself and should be a relaxing one with the right amount of activities.
I was a bit disorientated since I took a different route. I had to consult my map to get my bearings. I found the Lally Tours ticket office and exchanged my confirmation email for tickets for the bus and the ferry. The bus wasn't going to leave until 9:30 so I had time to wander around to see Eyre Square and the shops. A section of the park was cornered off. They still have the 'Occupation' movement here. There was about ten tents in the sectioned off area. I got to the bus about 15 minutes early and the bus looked full already. At 9:30, we headed off. I got to see that Galway had a nice beach and waterfront area. The water is sooo blue. We had to travel down the coast outside of Galway for the ferry. I was unfortunate in sitting on the opposite side of the water. I did see a lot of expensive looking houses looking towards the water.
By the time we got to the ferry, the boat was almost full. There were a lot of tour groups going to the island. I sat upstairs in the opened part. It was very windy and the water was very choppy. It rained a few times each lasting a few minutes. I was heading to Inis Mor the largest of the three Aran Islands and where most tourist goes for the day. When I got there, it was raining so I decided to do the driving tour where a mini van drives you around showing the major sights. It cost the same as renting a bike for the day, €10. I think the drive was the most informative. There were many mini vans lined up looking for business. Since I didn't know which one good and didn't want to do it alone, I made sure the tour guide had people with him first. At the end, there were four of us. First the guide can us the load down of the economy which was interesting. Inis Mor economy is 50% fishing, 40% tourism, 5% farming, and 5% weaving. He also told us that in order to have property on the island, you have to be a native or marry in. Or you can buy the house but can't develop on it. I think the island is very lovely and don't mind living there but what would I do!
The guide took us straight to Dun Aonghasa, a fort that overlooks a cliff, first so we can beat the crowds. He was quick and only about 15 people were around up in the Fort. To get there, there was a €3 admission and a rocky walk up to the top. It took about 20 minutes to get to the top. Once at the top, it was beautiful with all that water a day the cliff. What was scary was that the edge of the cliff was not roped off or anything. People can dangle their feet over the edge. Of course, I only went up to about ten feet from the edge. According to the guide, there was only one person who stepped over the edge on five years. Apparently, the guy was trying to take a picture of the other cliffs and didn't see that he had stepped out too far. There were a lot of witnesses.
The guide us to explore Dun Aonghasa for under two hours. We had time to grab lunch at the cafe. I had vegetable soup and it was very good. After we went to the seven churches (ruins) and we also saw the only circular house on the island. Then we went to see the last lighthouse at this side of the Atlantic. If you keep going west, the next lighthouse would be in Newfoundland. We got to walk down to the shore. The lighthouse is in its own separate rocky island. The whole Inis Mor is covered with rocks. In order to have grass growing or soil, people would bring up sand from the beach and then bring up seaweed to cover the sand and the seaweed would decompose. You only need about 4 inches of soil to grow potatoes. Next, the guide took us back to the main village through the coastal road. Usually, there would be seals sunning in the afternoon, but we didn't see any. I did see a seal's head poking out in the water.
The guide dropped us off at the Aran Sweater Market. There was suppose to be a sweater museum but I didn't see it. The tour was very reasonable, €10 for 3 1/2 hours. At the sweater market I went a little crazy ignoring my budget. They had shipping for a good price so I bought a few items. My purchases are supporting the locals since they made the items.
The ferry back to the mainland didn't depart until 17:00, but we did have a full ferry going. I went to wait at the docks until it was time to board. I think I took a little nap on the ferry and on the bus ride back to the city. It was a long day. I decided after getting off the bus, I would have dinner at the hotel. It was a long walk back and we didn't get back to the city until 19:00. I was really hungry by the time I returned to the hotel. I just dropped my stuff off and went to the bar for bar food. I had a steak sandwich. At home, this would be an open face sandwich, but here the steak is in between a crusty bun, served with salad and a bowl of chips (thick cut french fries).
Now, I'm in the lobby (only one using wifi) surrounded by Italian people playing cards and talking very loudly. I can't tell if they are swearing or not. After every hand, they just talk very loud, particularly this one table. At least tomorrow I don't have to wake up so early.
Tomorrow's agenda: The Burren tour, Cliffs of Moher
I left the hotel at 8:00. I told a different and longer route to get to town about 35 minutes. I took the shorter way back (25 minutes). I don't know what I was thinking in picking this hotel, but at dinner today it occurred to me that today was good day and I finally realized that I'm on vacation for myself and should be a relaxing one with the right amount of activities.
I was a bit disorientated since I took a different route. I had to consult my map to get my bearings. I found the Lally Tours ticket office and exchanged my confirmation email for tickets for the bus and the ferry. The bus wasn't going to leave until 9:30 so I had time to wander around to see Eyre Square and the shops. A section of the park was cornered off. They still have the 'Occupation' movement here. There was about ten tents in the sectioned off area. I got to the bus about 15 minutes early and the bus looked full already. At 9:30, we headed off. I got to see that Galway had a nice beach and waterfront area. The water is sooo blue. We had to travel down the coast outside of Galway for the ferry. I was unfortunate in sitting on the opposite side of the water. I did see a lot of expensive looking houses looking towards the water.
By the time we got to the ferry, the boat was almost full. There were a lot of tour groups going to the island. I sat upstairs in the opened part. It was very windy and the water was very choppy. It rained a few times each lasting a few minutes. I was heading to Inis Mor the largest of the three Aran Islands and where most tourist goes for the day. When I got there, it was raining so I decided to do the driving tour where a mini van drives you around showing the major sights. It cost the same as renting a bike for the day, €10. I think the drive was the most informative. There were many mini vans lined up looking for business. Since I didn't know which one good and didn't want to do it alone, I made sure the tour guide had people with him first. At the end, there were four of us. First the guide can us the load down of the economy which was interesting. Inis Mor economy is 50% fishing, 40% tourism, 5% farming, and 5% weaving. He also told us that in order to have property on the island, you have to be a native or marry in. Or you can buy the house but can't develop on it. I think the island is very lovely and don't mind living there but what would I do!
The guide took us straight to Dun Aonghasa, a fort that overlooks a cliff, first so we can beat the crowds. He was quick and only about 15 people were around up in the Fort. To get there, there was a €3 admission and a rocky walk up to the top. It took about 20 minutes to get to the top. Once at the top, it was beautiful with all that water a day the cliff. What was scary was that the edge of the cliff was not roped off or anything. People can dangle their feet over the edge. Of course, I only went up to about ten feet from the edge. According to the guide, there was only one person who stepped over the edge on five years. Apparently, the guy was trying to take a picture of the other cliffs and didn't see that he had stepped out too far. There were a lot of witnesses.
The guide us to explore Dun Aonghasa for under two hours. We had time to grab lunch at the cafe. I had vegetable soup and it was very good. After we went to the seven churches (ruins) and we also saw the only circular house on the island. Then we went to see the last lighthouse at this side of the Atlantic. If you keep going west, the next lighthouse would be in Newfoundland. We got to walk down to the shore. The lighthouse is in its own separate rocky island. The whole Inis Mor is covered with rocks. In order to have grass growing or soil, people would bring up sand from the beach and then bring up seaweed to cover the sand and the seaweed would decompose. You only need about 4 inches of soil to grow potatoes. Next, the guide took us back to the main village through the coastal road. Usually, there would be seals sunning in the afternoon, but we didn't see any. I did see a seal's head poking out in the water.
The guide dropped us off at the Aran Sweater Market. There was suppose to be a sweater museum but I didn't see it. The tour was very reasonable, €10 for 3 1/2 hours. At the sweater market I went a little crazy ignoring my budget. They had shipping for a good price so I bought a few items. My purchases are supporting the locals since they made the items.
The ferry back to the mainland didn't depart until 17:00, but we did have a full ferry going. I went to wait at the docks until it was time to board. I think I took a little nap on the ferry and on the bus ride back to the city. It was a long day. I decided after getting off the bus, I would have dinner at the hotel. It was a long walk back and we didn't get back to the city until 19:00. I was really hungry by the time I returned to the hotel. I just dropped my stuff off and went to the bar for bar food. I had a steak sandwich. At home, this would be an open face sandwich, but here the steak is in between a crusty bun, served with salad and a bowl of chips (thick cut french fries).
Now, I'm in the lobby (only one using wifi) surrounded by Italian people playing cards and talking very loudly. I can't tell if they are swearing or not. After every hand, they just talk very loud, particularly this one table. At least tomorrow I don't have to wake up so early.
Tomorrow's agenda: The Burren tour, Cliffs of Moher
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Day 19: Getting to Galway
So, today was my last day in Northern Ireland. It's such a lovely place to would go back to visit.
I woke up a bit early today to repack my bag. It's not heavy. It just have a lot of stuff in it, but I'm sure I can stuff more items inside. Then I had breakfast and hanged out till 11:00. My bus to Dublin airport wasn't till 12:00. I'm taking the bus to Dublin airport and then from there head straight to Galway.
Since today is a traveling day, there isn't that much to write about. I got into Galway at about 17:30 which was a little behind schedule. I'm hoping the bus system in Ireland is good, and the buses aren't always late since I'm taking buses to the next few destinations and have a lot of transfers. I hope I can make it to my final destination as planned or not get in too late. On the way to Galway, I just read and enjoy the scenery. Lots of farmland with sheep and cows and green everywhere.
When I got into Galway, it was rush hour. In fear of getting lost, I took a taxi to the hotel. Yes, I got a hotel since it was cheaper than the b&b's I looked at. The hotel is also a bit a way from the city center. It would take me about 20 minutes to walk to the Centre. By taking a taxi, I now know how to get to where I need to go in the next couple days. The taxi wasn't expensive at all deposited being rush hour. When I got to my hotel room, I discovered that I have two beds, a single and a double. I guess that's what happens when I check in late.
I ate dinner in the hotel bar, fish and chips. I didn't want to go any where since it was raining out. The fish and chips were OK. The fish is a bit dense than the ones I had over in scotland and england. I hope it's just the restaurant and not Ireland in how they fry the fish. Now, I'm in the hotel lobby since they have wifi here and not in the rooms. I'll be hanging out here probably most evenings. The hotel doesn't look that busy although I heard that tour groups stay here a lot. Hopefully, if they are here, I'm not stuck behind them for breakfast tomorrow. Retiring early tonight since I have to make my way downtown early tomorrow for a tour
Tomorrow's agenda: Touring the Aran Island.
I woke up a bit early today to repack my bag. It's not heavy. It just have a lot of stuff in it, but I'm sure I can stuff more items inside. Then I had breakfast and hanged out till 11:00. My bus to Dublin airport wasn't till 12:00. I'm taking the bus to Dublin airport and then from there head straight to Galway.
Since today is a traveling day, there isn't that much to write about. I got into Galway at about 17:30 which was a little behind schedule. I'm hoping the bus system in Ireland is good, and the buses aren't always late since I'm taking buses to the next few destinations and have a lot of transfers. I hope I can make it to my final destination as planned or not get in too late. On the way to Galway, I just read and enjoy the scenery. Lots of farmland with sheep and cows and green everywhere.
When I got into Galway, it was rush hour. In fear of getting lost, I took a taxi to the hotel. Yes, I got a hotel since it was cheaper than the b&b's I looked at. The hotel is also a bit a way from the city center. It would take me about 20 minutes to walk to the Centre. By taking a taxi, I now know how to get to where I need to go in the next couple days. The taxi wasn't expensive at all deposited being rush hour. When I got to my hotel room, I discovered that I have two beds, a single and a double. I guess that's what happens when I check in late.
I ate dinner in the hotel bar, fish and chips. I didn't want to go any where since it was raining out. The fish and chips were OK. The fish is a bit dense than the ones I had over in scotland and england. I hope it's just the restaurant and not Ireland in how they fry the fish. Now, I'm in the hotel lobby since they have wifi here and not in the rooms. I'll be hanging out here probably most evenings. The hotel doesn't look that busy although I heard that tour groups stay here a lot. Hopefully, if they are here, I'm not stuck behind them for breakfast tomorrow. Retiring early tonight since I have to make my way downtown early tomorrow for a tour
Tomorrow's agenda: Touring the Aran Island.
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