I took so many photos, but some of these are my favorites from the trip to Ireland.
From the Cliffs of Moher:
From the grounds at Doonbeg:
At Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney:
Random stuff:
Favorite Photos from Ireland
Category: Travel
Snapshot #192 and a Question
At our first hotel in Ireland I couldn’t locate the blow dryer. I looked high and low and finally called the front desk. The young lady who answered the phone advised me to look in the center drawer of the writing desk beside our closet.
Sure enough, there was the blow dryer, its base firmly attached to the inside of the drawer. I’d forgotten that in the U.K., none of the electrical outlets in hotel bathrooms will accommodate any appliance other than an electric shaver. I guess I could’ve shaved my head and then I’d have had no need for a dryer.
Let’s call this one, “Thar She Blows!”
Question for my friends in the U.K.: Can you blow dry your hair in the bathroom?
Flowers of Ireland
I was traveling southwest Ireland with folks who know their flowers. Unfortunately I was unable to absorb any of their knowledge via osmosis. I only know that flowers grew everywhere in such beautiful colors, rich textures, and romantic aromas that my senses were in overdrive.
Oldie #2: Close Encounters of the Bear Kind
https://nananoyz5forme.com/2014/09/06/close-encounters-of-the-bear-kind/
Cliffs of Moher
Before we dropped the golfers off at Lahinch on Thursday our entire group took a trip to the dramatic Cliffs of Moher. The gray day leant an air of melancholy to the visit and the winds blew cold and fierce. More than once I thought my phone would be blown from my hands as I snapped photos.
Our bus driver, Paul, said the Cliffs of Moher had seen more than its share of jumpers through the years. Often the only clue that a suicide occurred was an unclaimed car in the parking area at day’s end. On a brighter note, the Cliffs are also a favorite place for marriage proposals. I just watched for dragons.
Peace, people.
Snapshot #189
There are areas in southwestern Ireland where the road signs are only printed in the Irish language. I’m calling this one “It’s all Gaelic to me.”
Poulnabrone
Without a doubt the most memorable side trip of our eight days in Ireland was a visit to the Portal Tomb or Poulnabrone Dolmen in County Clare. We drove out to the tomb on our last full day on the island while the men played golf at Lahinch. I’d almost despaired that we’d have no opportunity to see such a place, but the wait was worth it.
As we drove through the Burren toward the tomb the landscape took on an otherworldly aspect, with outcroppings of limestone competing with short grasses and bursts of wildflowers. Our driver parked the bus and a blast of cold wind greeted us, but didn’t deter us from scampering up the hill to the Poulnabrone.
The tomb is thought to have been erected between 2,500 and 4,000 years B.C.
I spoke with a gentleman who helps keep watch over the crowds of visitors. He said that vandals have found ways to carve initials into the stones, have removed small stones, and have even urinated on the tomb. I can’t imagine the callous disregard for something so ancient.
The Malton in Killarney, County Kerry
Our first few nights in Ireland were spent in the lovely Malton Hotel in Killarney. The hotel is within easy walking distance to the shops and pubs in the charming downtown area and most evenings we enjoyed a stroll to a restaurant for dinner and maybe a pint or two.
The Malton Hotel made us feel welcome in a faraway land. I highly recommend it, but suggest that you request a room with a larger shower. Some in our party, including Studly Doright and I, had tiny shower stalls while other couples enjoyed more comfortably sized ones. Our bathtub was luxuriously sized, though.
Peace, people!
Last Call
The golfers played Lahinch on Thursday while the women explored The Burren, a wildly surrealistic landscape dotted with an abundance of limestone outcroppings. I celebrated surviving the journey into the natural beauty of Ireland with an O’Hara’s pale ale at a pub in Ballyvaughn.
This was a terrific beer with a bit of a bite, and I enjoyed every drop. It was a fine beer to enjoy on my last full day in Ireland.
One final toast:
May the good Lord take a liking to you…but not too soon.
A Swig and a Miss
I suppose it was inevitable that there’d be a beer I didn’t fancy as much as some of the others. If I were better versed in the language of the brewing arts I might be able to explain why it fell short, but all that I can say is “meh.”
The Hop House Lager 13 I drank at Morrisey’s Pub in Doonbeg on Wednesday night didn’t thrill me. It wasn’t awful, but I had no desire to order a second pint. So I ordered a dessert with eclairs, ice cream, and chocolate sauce. It was amazing. Life in Ireland is pretty sweet.
Shall I offer a toast?
He’s a fool who give over the liquor,
It softens the skinflint at once,
It urges the slow coach on quicker,
Gives spirit and brains to the dunce.
The man who is dumb as a rule
Discovers a great deal to say,
While he who is bashful since Yule
Will talk in an amorous way.
It’s drink that uplifts the poltroon
To give battle in France and in Spain,
Now here is an end of my turn-
And fill me that bumper again!
Praying for Eyebrowz 