Day 15, 25 May 2012

The 25th was our last full day in Ireland.  We went out with a bang.  Our plan was a simple trip around the Burran, an area of limestone escarpment with a lot to see in a small space.  Well, that pretty much describes all of Ireland.

Corkscrew Mountain.

Day 12, 22 May 2012 - Part 2

Craggaunowen had taken up the morning, and time well spent it was.  Our next stop would be the town of Quin.

Quin Abbey

Day 12, 22 May 2012

Ennis

Doolan pier – dolphin

Funeral

New house

This was one of my favorite days of the whole trip.  This was another moving day.  We were driving up to Doolan for our final cottage.  We would be staying there for four nights, giving us a chance to settle in a little bit.  When we left this house, it would be to drive to the airport and fly home.

Picture from Shannon Heritage.

Day 14, 24 May 2012

We woke to a bright, nearly, cloudless day.  It was supposed to be hot and calm, the perfect day to head out to Inis Oirr and see something of the Arran Islands.   The boys and I had done the research when we were down at the beach so we knew what we needed to do.

It was a perfect day to be out and about.

Day 13, 23 May 2012

Our first day operating out of our new base.  We were, honestly, pretty worn out, so we decided to make an easy day of it, especially since we needed to buy some groceries.  We lollygagged around the house, had a leisurely breakfast and loaded up the doom wagon.

The cliffs of Moher.

Our big plan for the day was to go to the cliffs of Moher.  These are most famous for their roll in the Harry Potter movie when Potter and Dumbledore find Valdemorts thingamajiggy on a pinnacle of rock in a raging sea.  We were going to be visiting these from the land side, which is 600 to 1000 feet above the sea.

Day 11, 21 May 2012

This was the day that Tracy and the boys finally hit the wall.  They all needed a day of nesting.  We had planned to do the ring of Kerry but decided on something a little lower key.

A nice model of the old town.  It is bigger, but still laid out the same way.

Nana and Granddad and I headed down to the town of Kenmare after a nice late start.  The drive down was scenic and easy.  Kenmare had been set up on an X plan, which made it easy to find stuff and get around but was a little bit odd.

Day 10, 20 May 2012

One of the more colorful streets in town.

Day ten was supposed to be a, relatively, short one.  We were going to go down to the Dingle peninsula, less famous than its southern neighbor, the ring of Kerry.  The drive down took about an hour and a half and was pretty curvy.  There were some queasy stomachs in the back seat when we got to Dingle town.  Tracy, we discovered later, was just coming down with a stomach bug that would affect her for several days.

Day 9, 19 May 2012

Ireland is packed with ruined awesomeness.

This day was the LONG day.  We were driving from one coast to the other with several stops planned in between.  We started by driving down to Waterford.  I wanted to see this city because it was where the Vikings first came to Ireland.  Tracy wanted to come here because they make crystal.

Day 8, 18 May 2012

This day we retraced our steps to the north and visited the Boyne river valley again.  There was just too much to see on our first visit.  It took an hour and a half to get back up there, skirting the edge of Dublin and rocketing up on the M road at 120km/h.  Rhys got car sick on the way, Owyn had done it the day before, and barfed all over himself and the back of the car.  Happily we were not shifting house and didn’t have all of our possessions in the car because he got it everywhere.  Mama was not best pleased.  When we got to Trim Nana ran and bought him a change of clothes while I changed him and Mama tried to clean the car out.  (On the 21^st it finally is gone).

The four of us in front of the keep.

Day 7, 17 May 2012

On the sixth day we stayed close to the cottage, though that didn’t mean there wasn’t a lot to see.  In the morning we went to Glendalough, a fifth century monastery established, more or less accidentally by Saint Kevin.  He ran off into the mountains to live as a hermit and was joined by others, of a similar bent.  Eventually the community grew into a full scale monastery.

The bell tower at the monastery.

Day 6, 16 May 2012

This was the day we were making our first move in Ireland, leaving Dublin behind and moving to a cottage down near Wicklow.  We loaded the car, and a near run thing it was too.  There was barely room for all of us and our bags in the car.

The 200 year old farmhouse we stayed in near Rathdrum.

Day 5. Tuesday May 15th

We started the day with breakfast at the Queen of Tarts.  Another Irish breakfast for three of us.  Nana got smoked Salmon.  Owyn got a big bowl of yoghurt with granola and fruit.  Rhys got a big bowl of oatmeal with apple compote.  Both boys had hot chocolate and toast.  

Great food here, if you happen to be near Christchurch in Dublin.

Day 4, Monday May 14th

We moved through immigration pretty quickly, got our bags right away and found ourselves in the airport.  There was no customs to speak of.  So very different from the U.S.  Dad and I pulled some Euro’s and we all went to the bus stop.  We took a double decker bus into town.  It was standing room only.  The bus ride took over an hour, mainly because traffic was so bad.  We got dropped a block from our hotel, the Jurys Inn at Christchurch.  When they say “at Christchurch” they mean it.  We are right across the street.  Our window opens out onto a terrific view of the church.

Christ Church Cathedral, taken from our hotel window.  I thought it would be bigger.

Day 3, Sunday May 13th Part 2

We took the train back into downtown and immediately headed over to the ferry to the Charlestown Naval Yard.  A quick walk and we were at the Constitution.  First stop was airport style security, minus the shoe removal.  We then stood under a tent while they got together enough people for a tour.  Once we were all assembled it was off to board the ship.   

From aft, so you can see her name.

Day 3, Sunday May 13th.

Today is Mother's day in the United States.  It's also the anniversary of our big family wedding (we eloped first and then had a big wedding for everyone later).

We were up early again, though we did sleep better last night.  Owyn has not been bad to sleep with, though he does have the cat like ability to take up the whole bed, despite being quite wee.

Nana and Grandad arrived at 2230 last night.  They gave us a call to let us know they had gotten in.  The rest of the family had crashed but I was waiting up to hear from them.  After the call I went to bed.

Tracy is cackling evilly (literally) as she calls to wake up Nana and Grandad.  They had turned off their cell phone so she called the room phone and woke them up.

The hotel provides each room with an order form to get breakfast in your room.  You fill out the form and hang it on the door knob and they bring you your order in the morning.  This is pretty standard.  Of course at this hotel no one bothered to check the doors to see if there was anything there and it was still hanging there this morning.  This is the worst run hotel I've ever stayed in.

Tracy is off to Dunkin Donuts to get some donuts for breakfast.  They are like Starbucks here.  We passed four of them in two miles on the way to the hotel last night.  Dunkin Donuts has made a complete makeover in the last few years but the coffee is still not the greatest.  They do have some good breakfast foods now thought.

Saturday May 12th, Part 2

First day down and it was a great one!  We spent the whole morning and early afternoon in downtown Boston.

We started with a limousine tour of downtown with Boston Tours - Antique Limo.  They picked us up in a 1939 Cadillac Imperial Limousine.  This thing was super cool.  The driver was in period dress.  He started by threatening to put the boys in the trunk if they misbehaved.  This got  their attention and they were both great the whole time.

The Cadillac approaches.

The boys are ready to go.

Day 2, Saturday May 12th

Last night was rough.  We have two beds in the room.  They are not big enough for Tracy and I to share, so we are each sleeping with a little boy.  Rhys and Owyn and I all have a nasty cold.  Owyn is almost over his but Rhys and I are still battling through ours.

During the night Rhys was coughing; a lot.  Finally, about 0300 we got up and I blew out his snout (and mine) with a sinus rinse.  That seemed to help.  He was coughing a lot less after that.  He, of course, went straight back to sleep.  I laid there, the little monkey curled up in my arm, trying to fall asleep for about half an hour.

Apparently, I'll sleep for a Scooby Snack.

When I woke up this morning there was something in my mouth.  Owyn had decided that I needed a Scooby Snack and stuffed one in my mouth.

We are sitting around waiting for room service, (surprisingly cheap) and watching cartoons.  The boys have been playing with their Avenger cards and with Rhys' R2-D2's (four of them, different colors).

Day 1 - Friday May 11th

It's Friday the 11th of May and we are sitting in our hotel in Boston.  This is the end of the first day of our trip to Ireland.  Appropriately, it started out cold and overcast, rare for Denver.

Tracy and Owyn, chillin.