Day 1 - we left the house on Nov. 19, headed to Tulsa, flew from Tulsa to Atlanta, had a short layover then flew overnight on to Dublin.
Day 2 - we arrived in Dublin around 8:30am their time. We collected our luggage from baggage claim, got some euros and hopped on an aircoach bus to the Saint Stephens Green area where our B&B for night one was located. We got off the bus and made our way to Harrington Hall B&B to drop off our luggage. From there we headed out to Saint Patrick's Cathedral (5 euros each). We happened to get there when the boy's choir was practicing so we walked around and listened to them - after they finished we were allowed to take pictures. Next up was the Guinness Brewery (15 euros each). It was a decent tour, neat building, but probably not worth the money. We finished our tour up at the Gravity bar with our first pint of Guinness of the trip (included in fee). It was properly poured - 3/4 full, allowed to settle 2 minutes then filled, complete with a shamrock in the froth. Next up was an unmemorable lunch at a pub. We headed to Jameson next, but opted out of the museum like tour they offered. We wandered at bit after this, swinging by the farmers market area before landing back in the Temple Bar district. We walked into St. John's Grogary, but it was packed (at 3pm) so we went on to the Temple Bar and had a few drinks and listened to a band. Jet lag/lack of sleep was kicking in pretty heavy at this point. We headed back to Harrington Hall and decided to crash. It was nice, but there were a lot of people on the street and noise until the wee hours.
- Harrington Hall - 62 euros per night - breakfast was an additional 10 euros per person
Day 3 - we got up and partook of the Harrington Hall breakfast. Brady had the Full Irish and I opted for poached eggs & toast. It was pretty good & filling. We gathered up our luggage and went to catch the aircoach back to the airport where we rented our car for the week. We went with Avis and took the full, full coverage - expensive, but it gave piece of mind. They gave us a Nissan Micra - awesome little car - she got us through some serious adventure during the trip. We went around the top 1/2 of the country and only filled her up twice - awesome gas mileage. So, after loading up the Micra and getting adjusted to the layout (driving on left) we headed out towards Newgrange. It is accessed through the Bru na Boinne Visitor Center for 6 euros a person. It was awesome to see something that had been around that long - we also had a really great tour guide - knowledgeable and passionate about it.
When we got back to the visitor center we saw a picture for the Hill of Slane and decided we would go there next. We got there before dark and were the only visitors on the site with the exception of Czech buisnessman who showed up just before we left.
Per recomendation of the Visitor Center staff we headed towards Carlingford to find a B&B for the night - it's right on the coast. We arrived after dark and decided on Jordan's B&B - there was a sign on the door to register for it at the pub up the hill - we thought this was a good sign! ;-) We ended up being his first customers on his first night open - pretty cool. It had been renovated and was in good condition - one of the nicer places we stayed. After settling in we walked around the town and decided on eating at PJ O'Hares - it was pretty dang good. I got to have my Oysters on the 1/2 and we followed that up with Steak and Guinness pie for me and Cottage pie for Brady - fairly traditional food and yummy!! After dinner we went back to Jordan's bar for drinks and chatted it up with the owner, bartender, and some other locals that were in for the evening. I had Guinness then switched to gin & tonic. Brady went with a Smithwicks then on to the Whiskey tasting - Famous Grouse, Irish 10 by Jameson, and Paddy's were on the list I believe. We headed to bed after that!
Jordan's B&B - 80 euros per night including breakfast
Day 4 - we got up and made some coffee in the room that we carried with us while out looking at King John's (also called Carlingford) Castle & the bay area. Breakfast was at 8am - full irish - this includes sausage links, Irish bacon (but different from ours), black pudding, white pudding, fried egg, sauteed mushrooms, grilled tomato, beans (think beans & weenies) & toast. It's pretty dang good - by the end of the trip we knew what parts we liked and didn't as much - ours were usually ordered without the sausage links or tomato, but I love the bacon and white pudding wasn't too shabby. Next up was Legananny Dolmen (it's a neolithic portal tomb built between 4000 & 4500 years ago). From there we went to Slieve Croob & took the trek to the top. About 3/4 of the way up we ran into another couple coming down. They looked exhilarated. We stopped and chatted with them for a bit - found out they were retired and from the UK. They gave us some suggestions for other things to do and places to stay on our journey. We wished them well and headed on to the top where we found out why they looked so exhilarated - the wind!! It was crazy - I've never been in wind that strong - it was hard to walk and when a gust came - walking was impossible. We laughed so hard at each other just trying to struggle along. We ran a lot of the way back down - letting the wind blow us back and forth. When we got back to the Micra we realized they were still there and they had written out some places for us to stay. When it started to rain we thanked them and headed onwards. They had recommended the Antrim coast and I had read it was lovely as well so we went that way. Nightfall was coming when we got to that area so we looked for the B&B the couple had recommended in Glenariff - we found it but they weren't taking guests that night, but the owner wouldn't rest until he had found us another place to stay. He arranged for the proprietor of the Cullentra B&B in the next town Cushendall to meet us on the main road and escort us to the house. It was a nice place as well, the views just weren't as nice as the sheep farm we had intended to stay. After unloading they gave us directions to the golf course for dinner. It was hands down the best presentation of a meal we had, but not the best taste. I had seabass stuffed with prawns & Brady had chicken. It was a nice meal and I was introduced to Cork Dry Gin - it's really good if you like the dry stuff!
Cullentra House B&B - 50 euros per night including breakfast - our best price for the trip I think.
Day 5 - we had poached eggs & toast for breakfast at Cullentra before heading out. Based on our hosts recommendations we headed back to Glenariff to see the big waterfall in Glenariff Forest Park. The roads to get there were very rural and we unintentionally herded some sheep along the way. There was a 3km hike from The Larragh Lodge that we took there and back. It was a great way to start the morning. Next we stopped at the Layde church on our way back through Cushendall - it's ruins were from 1309. It was a little flooded, but we hiked on down anyway and were rewarded with a rainbow above the ruins.
Our next stop based on my research of the Antrim Coast was to be the Dolerite Cliffs in Fair Head. We took two or three different paths - I'd say roads, but they were really too narrow to be classified as such to find them - all leading us onto private property. After a bit we gave up and headed on to the beach at Ballycastle - from which we could see none other than the Dolerite Cliffs in Fair Head!! We figured out that we had most certainly been on top of the cliffs at the end of the road we were on, but because there were no signs we were unsure and turned around. No worries though - we had a great view of the Cliffs from the beach and wouldn't have been able to see anything from the top of them anyway. We were able to go out on a boardwalk at the beach - that was only accessible when the waves were receding. At the end of the boardwalk were rocks that we could go out and climb on. It was a lot of fun until it really started raining!
Next we stopped at the Dunluce Castle - there were quite a few stairs to get down too it, but it was worth the trip. It's on a 'basalt outcropping' and is accessible by a bridge connecting it to the mainland. We were able to explore the whole area alone which made it that much more interesting.
The Giant's Causeway was our next big stop. It's still unbelievable how those columns were formed and that they remain - it really is a natural wonder. The only problem with the Causeway is it is a 'tourist attraction' so there are more people there than at the other places we were at.
The daylight was dwindling so we decided to head to Bushmills for a tour. It was very interesting - the tour is of the actual facility - through all the stages, including bottling and of course finishing with sampling. I'm not a whiskey drinker, but I was taken with the 12 year that I tried and ended up buying a bottle. We'll see if it tastes as good at home as it did when we were there!
We again tried to stay at a B&B recommendation from our British couple, but they were closed for the season. They suggested we stay at the hotel in Drumahoe - The Belfray Inn. It was nice, clean and a warm retreat since the weather had cooled and it had started raining. We had dinner at the bar there - I went with fish and chips and Brady had a chicken dish I think (I was definitely more concerned with my meal than his - hehe). After dinner and drinks we headed to bed.
Belfray Inn - 65 pounds including breakfast
Day 6 - we had breakfast at the hotel - Brady with the full Irish and I had scrambled eggs & toast. We loaded up the Micra again and headed to Burt to the the Ring Fort or Grianan of Aileach. It was a bit of a hike up the hill to get to it and the wind picked up as we climbed, but it was nothing compared to the wind at the top. We went in the fort and climbed up the stairs to the top - my trench whipped above my head and I felt that it had become a parachute and was going to launch me over. Brady said it looked like my coat was attacking me. It felt like it too! There are a couple pics of me hanging onto the top edge of the fort for dear life! Ok, maybe not that drastic, but it was dang windy!! There seems to be a theme to this trip...
Next up we drove to Letterkenny for some shopping, then to Donegal where Brady bought some socks. We stopped for Chinese food in Ballyshannon - it wasn't too bad, but pretty pricey for Chinese food I thought.
After that we decided we would just go ahead and drive on to Galway. It went smooth until we got around 10-15km outside of Galway and had to detour due to flooding - the detours didn't keep us from driving through standing water, but they got us there.
We found at room at the Spanish Arch Hotel located in the main shopping district. The room was clean and comfortable - nothing luxury, but it worked.
Dinner was at the Front Door Bar - food was good, Brady had the pizza, wings and beer special and I had gnocchi, spinach, sun-dried tomato salad with pesto dressing. We paired it with a bottle of Vina San Esteban Classico, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon that was pretty tasty. He ended up eating most of mine which allowed us to save a lot of his pizza for breakfast the next day - yummy!
After dinner we headed back to the Spanish Arch to watch some Spanish musicians performing some Irish music - it was pretty cool. Brady had some whiskey and I had some port and we chilled out and ended up chatting for a while with the bartender until I was too tired and had to go to bed!
Spanish Arch Hotel - 59 euros, no breakfast, parking for 2 nights was 9 euros when they validate
Day 7 - leftover pizza for breakfast then walking around Galway. We hit the Cathedral first then started shopping. We made a pit stop for lunch at the King's Head Bar - it has a pretty cool history and drinks are fine, but the food was so-so at best. I had Irish stew and a Murpheys, Brady had the seafood chowder with a Smithwicks. After lunch it was back to shopping, shopping, shopping. This was our big day to buy gifts for the families.
We followed up our hard day with dinner at Cooke's Restaurant & Wine Bar. I had intended to have the corned beef, but they were out so I went with spaghetti. Not the dish I had planned to eat in Ireland, but it was good. Brady had a black bean, beef and noodle stir fry - it was good too. I don't see either of those things on the online menu, but that is indeed what we had and that is the place?? We shared a 1/2 bottle of Tara Paca 2008 Merlot - it worked with our meals.
We had a recommendation for listening to music so we headed to Tigh Coili pub. It was fun, we were there for an hour or so waiting on the band then watched them for an hour or so before deciding to head back towards the room. We did make a slight detour to a McDonalds - I think it was the poshest Mickey D's ever - complete with mincemeat pies and fried cheese!
Day 8 - leaving Galway, we drove up to the Salthill are first, hit morning rush hour traffic a bit so we stopped at a local grocery store to get some substance. I had a smoothie and ham & cheese tart. Brady had some kind of meat in a pastry and yogurt. After that we went ahead and made our way to the Cliffs of Moher - again, another touristy place, but worth a look! It was windy (surprise, surprise) and it was blowing the water UP the cliffs. It was pretty cool, but most of our pictures look to be in a haze because of it.
We decided we would head on to Wicklow Mountain area next via Gort - bad idea I guess. We ran right into serious flooding. All roads to Gort were closed and the roads we took to get far enough to find that out all had standing water - hurrah for the Micra, she made it through it all!! We ran into a couple and their daughter (I assume) from the US who told us about the roads to Gort being flooded. We continued on a bit after they told us this, but after we turned around and headed back we saw them on the side of the road - they had blown their transmission! Eeeek - hope they had the full insurance. We stopped to see if they wanted a ride, but they had called someone. A lady from the area was out walking and she gave us directions on how to avoid some of the water from there. It worked for a bit until we ran into DEEP water, luckily Brady has quick reflexes (and had practice throwing the Micra in reverse) so we were able to back up out of it before it was too late. From there we followed a local boy (who was behind us at the deep water) back towards Galway and he explained how to get to Limerick. On the way we hit Bunratty where we decided to stop and check out the Bunratty Castle. We didn't do the tour, but checked it out just the same. We also grabbed lunch at Durty Nellies (from Adventure Racing fame - haha). It was Thanksgiving Day and we were able to have turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatos and gravy with veggies for lunch so that was a nice treat!
After Bunratty we we made it to Limerick where we hit rush hour traffic again. We stopped shortly after that in Nenagh at Andy's bar, restaurant, & B&B. It was nice - had a big tub. We had dinner there - I had beef kebabs & Brady had the burger. With two meals you got a free bottle of wine - it was cheap and hard to drink, but we did it! The food was good - beef was cooked medium and juicy.
Andy's B&B - 70 euro with breakfast
Day 9 - full irish breakfast at Andy's - one of the best we had I think. Next, we drove to Naas then on to Glendalough. We checked out the sights at the visitor center - the remains of St. Kevin's monastic settlement. Afterwards we went on further for a hike in the Wicklow mountains. We chose the Spinc & Glenealo Valley hike. It was 9km, but contained over 600 steps. It was a little challenging, but mostly because of my unexplained fear of going down stairs. Luckily Brady was OK with going up the steps, which meant a majority of our downhill was just gradual. I could go on and on about this hike and the reasons that I think everyone should do it, but it's really something you just have to see for yourself. I really think that this ended up being my favorite day of the trip.
After the hike we decided to stop at one of the many Woolen Mills Factory Outlet stores since we still had gifts to buy. Brady picked up a couple things, but the highlight here was getting to see Daniel Day Lewis - I walked almost right into him without realizing who he was. That didn't register until he had left and the lady at the counter came to tell us who he was. She said it was good we didn't recognize and speak because he prefers not to be noticed. I guess he lives a few miles from there.
During the hike we ran into a local who suggested we drive a few kilometers down the road to Glenmalure to stay the night at the Glenmalure Lodge. Unfortunately the lodge was full, but right across the street was a cozy little B&B named Carlegoh - we knew it was a good place when we were greeted at the door by two dogs. We booked a room, showered up then headed back to the lodge for dinner. We asked for recommendations - roast lamb was one of the specials and the bar keep said it was fresh and his favorite. I decided to try that and Brady had the venison medallions. Let me just say it was the best meal of our trip. I wasn't sure that I would be a big fan of lamb, but it was cooked perfectly and the mint sauce was the bomb. Brady's medallions had great flavor, but were a little tough. We were truly in a lodge sitting right by the coal fire having this meal - as close to perfect as you can get!
Next, we walked back to the B&B to get clothes ready for the next day and write our little trip summary. By the time we were done it was almost 9pm so we decided to walk back over to the lodge and share a bottle of wine and desert before the music started at 10pm. The wine was good, the desert was pretty, but nothing compared to the tart we had in Galway. The music, which didn't start until after 10:30pm was not the traditional Irish music we had intended to hear - the first song was Johnny Cash. This was followed up with some Lynard Skynard, Steve Earle and even some Eagles. Hilarious - we stayed up late thinking we would get to enjoy some traditional music - in the end it was very enjoyable, but funny still the same.
Carlegoh B&B - 70 Euros with breakfast
Day 10 - full irish breakfast at Carlegoh followed by playing 'rock' (where you throw one particular rock for the dogs to fetch) with Barry, Meg, and Yorkie. I was a slobbery mess when I was done, but it was good to spend some time with dogs since by this time I was missing my babies pretty bad! After washing up we headed back to Glendalough to tackle the 'orange' Derrybawn Woodland Trail. It was beautiful in it's own right and a relatively easy hike - it was hard to compare with the prior days hike though! After the hike we headed to Wicklow and had lunch - cajun chicken panninis and vegetable soup then did some shopping before driving on up the coast to Bray to find lodging for the night. Once we got to Bray we headed to the coast and found a hotel right on the water called the Heather House Hotel (on the site it says it's called 'The Martello', but the address is Heather House Hotel?? - not sure about that). We secured a room and from the looks of the outside the room was rather dull, and it ended up being loud on the 2nd floor from all the Holiday parties they were having, but it was cheap (50 Euro a night) and had a great view. We did some much needed chilling in the room (we watched 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back' of all things!) After the movie a short nap and shower we walked next door to the Porterhouse Inn & Brewery. They are somewhat of a chain in England and Ireland, but we were at their first location so that made it a bit cooler. The atmosphere was really fun - we had the sampler platters (of beer - doh!) to begin with. That was followed up with some smoked salmon on bruschetta with capers & red onion - very yummy!
Heather House Hotel - 50 Euros a night (no breakfast)
Day 11 we got up and around and headed out towards Dublin. We only stopped for gas on the way. Once we got to Dublin and found parking we stopped for some breakfast. I had some porridge with fruit and a great cappuccino. Brady had a burrito that he seemed to enjoy. We did some final shopping afterwards then headed on to the airport. After a few delays we fly out to Amsterdam where we had a 12 hour layover. We arrived around 8pm and hoped on a train to the city center and began our walk about of the city. I've been before and I really like it and from the brief time we had Brady enjoyed it too. I'm not sure what the area was called, but one section of town is open till 5am - we headed there for dinner and drinks. Our first stop was at a tapas bar for some steak, shrimp, potatoes. I had a beer and a sangria and Brady had a caipirina. After that we found a jazz club and decided to sit and down for a couple hours, have a drink and watch some tunes. It was a good little break. We walked on at about 3am - stopping in the famous Red Light district that evidently shuts down early or isn't open on Sundays because all that was there were the random dope dealers. Next stop was the train station - which was closed for routine maintenance - wtf??? - there was a back up plan though - we ended up getting bused back to the airport in plenty of time for a short nap and food before boarding the flight back to Detroit.
So, somewhere in that last paragraph we hit Day 12 - it was basically a long travel day that ended around 9pm central time. We stayed up long enough to verify nothing was damaged in luggage, shower, visit with the doggies, then we crashed!! Work the next day sucked, but it was worth it to have had such a wonderful trip. :-)
Stay tuned for pictures to be added and follow up tidbits...
Happy travels!
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