Irish sayings...

A bit of this and that of Irish sayings and definitions...

• A bag o'bocks an' a swimmer   -  Fish and chips
• Brekkie  -  Breakfast
• I'm so hungry...that me belly thinks me throat's been cut.

• Irish coffee:  'Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups:  alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat'  per Alex Levine.
• Me throat's as dry as Ghandi's flip flops  -  Need a drink
• It's the first drop that destoys you; there's no harm at all in the last.
• A tall blonde in the black dress  -  pint of stout
• A hooley with an iron lung  -  a party at home after the pub has closed.  Iron lung is a keg of beer
• Beef on the heel like a Mullingar heifer  -  A big woman
• Goin' around like a constipated greyhound  -  Out of sorts
• A face that would box a goat  -  An angry look

Yesterday we went to Cork which is Ireland's second largest city.  Did pretty well in city traffic only got turned around a couple of times.  Found a parking garage in the center of town and headed to The English Market.  This is a much smaller version of Pike Place Market in Seattle.  Hard to believe I didn't buy anything but I am using up what we have since we only have a few more days here.  I wish we had something like this in Arizona.  We also drove to Cobh (was called Queenstown when the Titantic sailed from there).  Had lunch and visited the gift shop.  Didn't do the paid tour, tho.

The top picture is of my new best friend who offered me an Irish coffee as soon as I walked in to their store.  Betty is her name and the store is Macken of Ireland just outside of Killarney.  She was absolutely delightful and that was the best 63.45 Euro  Irish coffee I've ever had (bought 2 scarves)!  Betty knows how to sell.

2 days until we head to Shannon Airport for home.  Didn't we just arrive?

Slan go Foill

Dingle

The owner of the place we're staying said when we stepped outside this morning if we could see the mountains we should go to Dingle which is on the Dingle Peninsula.  She said if we couldn't we should go to Cork.  We saw the mountains and off we went.  We drove north to Tralee taking the long way and early enough to be ahead of the tour busses.  The first picture above (of the hillside) was just breathtaking.  The roads were curvey and we didn't have much traffic going our way.  We got to Dingle, found a great parking spot and first stop was the Super Valu which is a grocery store.  I have this thing about grocery stores and this one didn't let me down.  Tim just shakes his head but thankful it's grocery stores and not jewelry stores I'm drawn to.

The sun was shining all the way there making for a beautiful drive and then, of course, it rained.  What's new?  It didn't last too long and we were back to partly sunny skys.  We had beaten all the tour busses to Dingle and there were many...German, Sweden and France.  I had packed a lunch so we sat in the parking lot and watched them unload and load.  The tour busses must all work together in timing when they arrive because there is not enough parking for more than 6 busses at a time.  

The next couple of days calls for rain so we will be heading to Cork.  Cork is Ireland's 2nd largest city (Dublin being the largest).  He also wants to go to Cobh (pronounced Cove) the last port the Titantic sailed from.

So far we've driven 2100+ kilometers which is about 1304 miles.  Believe me, that's a lot of narrow roads for me to hold my breath.  Some I just closed my eyes and said a prayer..

Slan go Foill

Blue Skies and swans

Blue Skies and sunshine.  Yea!!!  We left Cong this morning and drove 5 hours south to Killorglin where we are staying for the final leg of our trip.  We are in a 3 bedroom townhome that sits on the River Laune.  The picture above is from our deck and the white dots are swan.  I've counted 9 so far.  As I type this I am sitting in the kitchen watching to river flow by.  What a great location for our final week.  Plus the wifi works great.

Our week in Cong was wonderful (except for the wifi or the lack of).  It drove me bonkers.  I'd be on and then off.  Villa Pio, the apartment behind the main house was lovely.  The country setting was quiet waking to birds every morning.  The owners, Marty and Ann, have a dog named Rocky who is a cross between and corgi and something.  He was fun to watch especially when going after birds.  We spent our last day watching The Quiet Man and then decided to drive back into Cong to buy the DVD at The Quiet Man Museum.  Just didn't seem right to come all this way and not go home with the DVD.  

The drive from Cong to Killorglin was an easy one (or I'm getting used to the roads).  Tim says the scariest part of driving on these roads is meeting up with an American driver going the opposite way.  They both hug the middle line.  The lands in the north - County Donegal and County Mayo are rugged with rock fences and millions of sheep.  South of Galway is more pasture land, cows and hedges as fences.  There is more population down here and more tourists.  This leg of our trip will be more "touristy".  Tomorrow we are getting the lay of the land in Killorglin and then will be making day trips to Cork, Cobh (pronounced Cove), Killarney and Dingle.  I am so happy for blue skys.

Slan go Foill

Connemara

We drove from Cong to Clifden a couple of days ago.  The roads we were on (345, 346 and N59) took us through Corr na Mona, An Mam, Mam Cross, Derrylea, and Clifden where we parked and strolled the shops.  Of course it was raining...actually Tim said it was a "soft rain".  Quite use to it now...but sure could use some sunshine.  We have read many of Father Andrew Greeley's books (he died a few years back) and Connemara (which is an area) is where his Irish characters are located.  Nuala is one of his female characters and who we named our rescue dog for (she now has a new family and new name of Blue).  So we named our GPS Nuala.  The area is also known for marble and Tim wanted to get some "worry stones". I'm not sure why since I've never know the man to worry about anything.

We left Clifden and continued on to Moyard and Letterfrack.  Don't you just love these names? How did they come up with Letterfrack?  We stopped at Connemara National Park Visitor Center.  Lots of cars, busses and campers.  Their campers here are either Class B or Class B+.  Their Visitor Center is a lesson on "boglands".  Peat is cut from bogs and is still used as fuel.  Google "bog" to get a definition.  We continued on and stopped at Kylemore Abbey and Garden.  This place was beautiful.  And, there were lots of people and a gazillion busses.  It cost 15 Euros each to tour the inside and we took a pass.  Way too many people and we don't do lines.  Got some great pictures of the outside and the grounds.  From the Abbey we drove to Leenane (where many scenes from The Quiet Man were filmed) and then made our way back to Cong.

Yesterday we went to Ashford Castle which is down the road from where we are staying.  It, too, has quite a history belonging once to the Guinness family.  You can stay there (quite pricey) and has award winning restaurants (also pricey).  We thought the Abbey was more photogenic.

We're winding down our stay in Cong and will be heading to the southwest on Tuesday.  Hoping for less rain, some sunshine and better wifi.

Slan go Foill

Post about Roy

This will be short.  I just spent the last 1-1/2 hours in trying to log on...finally succeeding and writing about our visit yesterday to a sheep farm and about Roy, the border collie sheepdog.  It was great and I fell in love with Tip, a 3 month old border collie. However, I must have hit a button or something because everything I wrote is gone. I'm done.

Slan go Foill

Cong and lousy wifi

I finally have able to get on Blogger to post something.  Whether it shows up remains to be seen.  Someone please add a coment so I know whether it went through.  After having such great internet at Wild Rose Cottage I am, at the moment, going through withdrawal!

We made the 126 mile trek from Dunkineely to Cong without incident (which is a good thing). We had rain on and off plus that dreaded wind.  I have finally reached the point in our trip I have had enough rain and especially...wind.  We are staying at another cottage - Villa Pio - in Cong.  We are located behind the owner's B & B.  It is a lovely apartment that is a kitchen and living room combined with a separate bedroom with a king size bed and separate bathroom with a HUGH walk-in shower.  The apartment is only 3 years old and has all the amenities except sharp knives, cutting board and a cookie sheet.  I would imagine many people who stay here (or any self-catering rental) are not here for cooking.  However, it's what I do and based upon eating out every meal for 27 days it would break the bank which is already strained with the cost of the car insurance.  Tulips, roadies and lilacs are in bloom and they are beautiful.  We are in another rural area about 2 miles from the entrance of Ashford Castle and 3 miles from Cong.  Not able to post any pictures due to wifi which is a shame since I got some great pictures this morning after our visit to Cong.  I'm hoping at some point I can post the picture of the road (?) to where we are staying.  Someone will definitely be backing up.

Today the weather has been decent.  Even the locals are depressed saying it's the worst in years.  There is a dog here - Rocky - which looks to be a cross between a corgie and ??.  He's skittish around Tim and won't come to me until Tim disappears.   Another tidbit is we pay for electric. There's a contraption that you feed euros into.  It's interesting to watch the meter when the hot water is turned on, toaster or any other electric guzzling appliance.  You flip a switch for water - switching from "sink" to "bath".  Another switch for the cooker...really sucks the power.  And, the heat  is also on a timer.   Have to remember to flip switch off or be prepared to feed euros to the contraption.

Nuala (GPS) got us to Tesco (supermarket) in Ballinrobe and I thought I died and gone to heaven.  I finally found yellow mustard and boxed wine.  My needs are so simple.  Tomorrow we are off to Joyce Country Sheepdogs which is a farm about 15 minutes from here and they hold demonstrations 3 times a day.

Slan go Foill

Slieve League FINALLY!!!

The picture is Tim, Jennifer, Sue and Willie taken yesterday at the top of Slieve League!  Willie and Jennifer are the owners of the Wild Rose Cottage where we are staying.

Jennifer read my blog about our attempt(s) to go to Slieve League and decided they would drive us there!!  What a wonderful gesture and what a sight to see!

Also, riding in a car driven by natives is an experience!  And, I am so grateful we had the experience.  Willie took a different way home seeing more sights that Tim and I would never have seen.  Also, they pointed out the cottage owned by Sarah Jessica Parker. (Actually, I think it is owned by her husband, Matthew Broderick whose family is from the area.)  

Wild Rose Cottage - our home for the last 10 days.   Staying here has been a dream come true.  Knowing that we would not ever live in Ireland this has been the closest to feeling like we do.  We did a lot of day trips returning "home" at night.  Killybegs, Ardara, Carrick, Ballybofey,  Glenties, Derry, Bushmills, Giants Causeway, Coleraine, Donegal Town, and Buncrana.  Besides, being able to cook our own meals I was able to hang my laundry outside on the clothes line.  Been a whole lot of years since I did that.  

       
I can't say enough good things about the cottage or Willie and Jennifer.  If you are considering a trip to this part of Ireland check them out on Trip Advisor...Wild Rose Cottage.  Wild Rose Cottage is also on Facebook.

Tomorrow we are off to Cong for a week.  (Think John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara in The Quiet Man.) We've had great WiFi for the last 10 days but if you don't see a post on this blog for awhile it may be we may have WiFi challenges in our new location.

Slan go Foill

Slieve League or Bust

Slieve League (Irish: Sliabh Liag) is a mountain on the Atlantic coast.  At 1972 ft, it has some of the highest sea cliffs in Ireland.  They are not far from here and we thought we were driving there last Monday when it actually turned out we were in Glencolmcille on the coast.  We had missed the turn in Carrick.  I posted pictures a few posts earlier. (Look for sheep on hillside and one by the road.)  The road was narrow and one had to give way to sheep and some times cattle.  Beautiful scenery.

We took another shot at Slieve League a couple of days ago.  Locals said we had to see the cliffs as they were breathtaking.  So, this time we made the right turn in Carrick and followed the Slieve League signs with the road becoming more and more narrower the higher we went.  We pulled into a car park to survey the situation since going on meant we would have to negotiate with workmen and a tractor on the road to the top.  We chickened out since we hadn't a clue on what we would run into on the top of the hill and I was already blue from holding my breath.  So, back down the road we went.  I still can't fathom how a tour bus can manuever on some of these roads.  We decided to take the road which said it was a viewpoint by the harbor.  Not.  Plus, half way down the lane we encountered a car heading our way.  Wasn't much of a standoff since Tim already had the car in reverse looking for a spot to pull into. We never saw the cliffs.  I'll have to buy a postcard.

Slan go Foill

Jack and Ozzy

Jack (the collie) and Ozzy belong to Cyndi Graham who has a handweaving studio on St. John's Point which is only minutes from where we are staying.  St. John's Point is a narrow peninsula stretching seven miles into Donegal Bay and is a world renowned diving site.  The thatch cottage is where she has her shop and when we stopped we were greeted by Jack and Ozzy.  Jack reminds me of our Tootsie.  He's a rescue dog and is just three years old.  I could have taken him with me if I could have figured out how to get him back home.  She does beautiful weaving and has the most idyllic setting in which to weave.  One of her looms faces out to the bay.  

The weather is 4 seasons in one day.  It was raining this morning (not unusual), cold and now the sun is shining and blustery.  They have some real heavy duty winds here.  I think we've only seen 55 degrees so far.  The locals apologize for the cold, rainy weather but when we tell them where we are from and we don't mind they understand we are enjoying the weather.  (I could do with less wind, however.)  

Today we went into Donegal Town which is not far to the local craft center which sort of turned out to be a dud.  Probably too early in the season for many shops to be opened.  Trying to find parking in the town to eyeball the shops is a challenge so we just made a grocery run and headed back to Dunkineely.  Tim says I'm the only person he has ever known who gets excited about going to grocery stores in other countries.  I love going up and down the isles to see what they have.  They have lots of "mushy peas" but are lacking greatly in spinach - frozen, canned or fresh!  

Next post will be about our attempt to go to Sliabh Liag Cliffs (Slieve League).  It involves having to back the car down the road.

Slan go Foill

"O'Dochartaigh"

Cahir "Rua" O'Dogherty - The last chieftain of an ancient gaelic civilisation - 1587-1608
Killed by the oppressive British forces July 18th, 1608.  It's interesting to note the last name was also spelled O'Doherty.  The O'Dochartaigh, O'Dogherty, O'Doherty and Daugherty Keep is located in Buncrana.  Tim finally has been able to get home to his people.

Buncrana is on the Lough (Lake) Swilly northwest of Derry.  It was about 1-1/2 hour drive from Dunkineely.  

I would like to have grouped these pictures better but I am limited with my Kindle.  

Anyhow, it was a great day.  The first person we even talked to was a Doherty!  

So far we have driven 1250 kilometers or 776.713 miles.  I don't think I mentioned the car we rented is a VW Goff, automatic, diesel.  Diesel is 1.339 (Euro) per litre or $5.75 gallon U.S.  We rented the car through Enterprise at Shannon Airport and took all the insurance that was offered...including theft, tire and windshield.  We had the option of using our credit card as insurance but in the end bit the bullet and decided to go with what was offered through them.  I didn't want to have to hassle with the credit card company for reimbursement in case of a claim.  Even with the insurance we took we still have a 250 Euro deductable per incident.  The cost of this insurance was $1450.00.  Having the car for 27 days added to the cost.  It also included me as a driver.  I don't think I can drive and hold my breath at the same time.  

Slan go Foill

This, That and a Police Escort

Long day driving yesterday.  We drove to Giants Causeway which is a World Heritage Site .  It is a 5 mile long stretch of coastline and is famous for its bizarre basalt columns.  (For more info - just Google it.)  To get there (which is in Northern Ireland on the coast we had to drive through Letterkenny, Derry and Coleraine as well as Bushmills.  We stopped in at the visitors center at Bushmills Distillery and took a pass on the tour since it involved lots of steps.

The weather was cold with gale force winds.  I swear it was spitting snow.  

We left there drove along the coast to Portrush and passed this crumbling castle called Dunluce Castle.  

Our aim was to go back a different way than we came.  We had the trusty GPS, Nuala, and our faithful Collins Ireland Comprehensive Road Atlas, 

however; a motorcyle race closed the road we were to take.  We looked at each other and knew we were screwed.  We followed the traffic and somehow ended right back where the road block was.  Tim pulled over as far as he could and said a motorcycle was coming up behind us.  I flagged it down and it turned out to be a policeman.  Told him our predictament and he said "follow me".  Hence, our police escort out of Northern Ireland!

  

Slan go foill.

Ireland Roads

It's somewhat difficult to get the layout of pictures right using my kindle and wireless keyboard.  Bear with me for what I'm sure will be lots of screw ups.

The picture shown is a snapshot of where we are.  Hard to see on my Kindle but we are staying about in the middle between Donegal and Killybegs.

Explanation of roads.  The green lines (N15) Primary/National route.  In other words, good, somewhat narrow, 2 lane roads.  The red lines (National, secondary route) are more narrow two lane roads.  The lighter yellowish roads are the ones you hold your breath on until you pass out.  Well, at least I was holding my breath...Tim was driving like Mario Andretti.

Our trek today took us on the lighter, yellowish roads.  We went to Malainn Mhoir.  It was hard getting any decent pictures since the wind was so strong.  But, as you can see, we did have blue sky...no rain.  As another car approached us we had to pull over as far as we could to let them go by.  Also, sheep posed another challenge.  The road is theirs. Passing cars didn't bother them at all.

By the time we got back to our cottage I was ready for a nap.  Holding one's breath for hours is hard work.

Erin go Bragh!

We are In Ireland...Dunkineely which is between Donegal and Killybegs on the western coast.  We will be here for 10 days before we trek to our next location.  We rented "self-catering" houses.  The one we are in now is a 100 year old cottage.  It was originally built as a farmer's cottage, has been extended over the years but still retains its original stone cut features and thick walls.  The house is cozy, comfortable and I have WiFi!  Between my Kindle, wireless keyboard and my phone I'm good to go and am able to blog about the trip.  We are only minutes from the North Atlantic (at the moment it is blowing and raining) and we have all the technology to stay connected to home.  We use WhatsApp to text and Viber for phone calls and yesterday I Skyped with my daughter.

We flew into Shannon, rented a car, got out my trusty GPS and drove to Galway (where the above picture was taken...Tim with his first Guinness).  Before we left the airport parking lot we sat and watched traffic go by to make sure we got on the right side of the road.  Tim has driven in Europe many, many times but it has been 11 years since we were last here.  The drive to Galway was about 1-1/2 hours and we drove straight to the hotel parking lot without getting lost.  Of course, it was funny listening to "Nuala" our GPS pronouncing the Irish names.

We spent two nights in Galway.  We even managed to get to a pub to hear some traditional music.  For those of you who know us...we took a nap so we could stay up for the music.  Didn't really do any touristy stuff in Galway.  We didn't want to take the car out and deal with all the traffic.  We were in the center of town where all the shopping and pubs were within walking distance.

We left Galway and drove north to Sligo passing through a whole bunch of towns that I can't pronounce.  Western Ireland, especially, speak "Irish" (Gaelic).  The roads are narrow and some of the drivers here are idiots like they are at home.  Everyone wants to go fast.

That's it for now.  Slan go foill ("Slawn for fall" Goodbye for now) There should be a mark above the "a" and the "o" but I don't how to do that with this keyboard.