Killyon, Navan, Co. Meath
This place, on the Dublin Road (N3) in Navan, is gorgeous! It's full of antiques, fresh flowers, and stained glass. When you walk in, you are facing a stained glass wall which separates the entry from the breakfast room. I have described the breakfast room already. The key to the room was the old "skeleton key" kind. I had a twin room in the basement. There was a tray with bottled water and glasses, and a vase of silk flowers.
The bathroom had wooden towel racks and a vanity that was so pretty that I was afraid to set anything on it. There was a deep bathtub, but I opted for a shower instead.
Breakfast was amazing - scrambled eggs with smoked salmon mixed in, and good Irish bacon. I ate with an American medical student who goes to school in Dublin and who was on a six-week fieldwork assignment nearby. It was a struggle to manuever out of the front yard/parking lot but I managed. I felt like such a dope after oversleeping, then almost walking off with their key. It would have totally capped it off to have hit the wall - or the house.
***************
Pinebrook, Arklow, Co. Wicklow
This place is on a cul de sac about a block or so from the coast. There were beaches nearby, but I didn't know how to get to them (nor was it beach weather, obviously). It was heading toward dark when I got there, anyway. The hallway floor was ceramic tile, and there was a skylight in the hall near my room. The bathroom was gorgeous beige tile, with a row of tiles with pale peach tulips. And it had one of those wonderful instant hot water things - heaven! There was a hotpot for coffee and tea making.
I don't know how many channels the TV got, but it was a lot. I stayed up late watching BBC channels. One of the shows I saw was called "A Wife for William", sort of a critique of the various possibilities among the girls that could be good matches for him. Very silly, but interesting to watch.
The breakfast room was decorated in a mix of sort of Irish tacky and Grand Canyon/Route 66. Breakfast itself was, well, less than great, but it might have suffered from comparison to the day before. I forgot to specify "scrambled", so I got a fried egg, which I managed to eat most of. I was apparently the only guest, which was nice from a noise point of view, but it felt a little weird in the morning when the family was in the kitchen getting ready for the day, while I sat alone in the dining room. It was a really nice place, though, and the woman running it was terrific. And she gave me perfect directions to Kilmainham Gaol.
*****************
Glen Guesthouse, Dublin, Co. Dublin
This was the least attractive of the three places I stayed, but it was nice enough, and well located. My room was a twin room in the basement, but it had a huge window below street level next to the stairs going in. The heat shut off at 9:00, but they turned it back on for me when I asked how to adjust it. The shower here was advertised as a "power shower", and that was pretty accurate. I did wish I had a bathtub, though, when I came in from trudging the Dublin streets all day and really wanted to soak my feet.
The TV only got four channels in English (and one in Irish), but I still found something to watch till I could fall asleep. The neighborhood, I was told, is a little "dicey", but I honestly didn't sense any problems, even after dark. This place is at the Custom House end of Gardiner St, just off of Talbot, and there were plenty of people around. I guess it could have been different at midnight, but the whole end of the street was full of hostels and guesthouses.
The breakfast had a cool faux finish on the walls in orange, but the view left something to be desired. The dining room overlooked the open front of the parking garage in back, with ladders, the washer and dryer, etc., all in view. The girl serving spoke little English (she was Asian), and the food was pretty tasteless. The second morning I just had cereal, juice, and coffee, but I really should have eaten more. It was a long time till dinner on the plane in the afternoon, and the sandwich at the airport wasn't much.
Monday, March 1, 2004
Sunday, February 29, 2004
Home
I did get safely to the rental car parking lot with the vague directions I had been given, and one gas stop. The rental people were much less concerned with my broken mirror than they were with the guy who had a truck pull out in front of him. My credit card insurance should cover it anyway, so it shouldn't be a big deal.
I got to the airport at 11:00 or just after. I got a sandwich, then went to check my bag. We had a trainee in our line, a guy who looked a lot like John Cleese, only without the sense of humor. Security was a breeze, then I turned in my VAT stuff (at three different locations). By the time I went through the US customs line, I had about an hour to wait at the gate.
We got into Chicago about 30 minutes early, but it took another four hours to get home. Waiting for the bags was the longest, since everyone has to claim their bags. If they are traveling on, they then recheck them. That means everyone is standing around waiting, not just those that were stopping in Chicago. Then there was a line to turn in the customs card, then waiting for the shuttle driver, then the drive home (in Chicago rush hour traffic).
And tomorrow it's back to real life.
I got to the airport at 11:00 or just after. I got a sandwich, then went to check my bag. We had a trainee in our line, a guy who looked a lot like John Cleese, only without the sense of humor. Security was a breeze, then I turned in my VAT stuff (at three different locations). By the time I went through the US customs line, I had about an hour to wait at the gate.
We got into Chicago about 30 minutes early, but it took another four hours to get home. Waiting for the bags was the longest, since everyone has to claim their bags. If they are traveling on, they then recheck them. That means everyone is standing around waiting, not just those that were stopping in Chicago. Then there was a line to turn in the customs card, then waiting for the shuttle driver, then the drive home (in Chicago rush hour traffic).
And tomorrow it's back to real life.
Friday, February 27, 2004
Garden of....Something
What was I thinking?
I was out of the building by 8:30, and I walked up to the Garden of Remembrance only to find it closed. I mean, I didn't expect it to be garden-y in February, but I didn't expect a locked gate. The other thing I never considered was the cross-shaped pool. In the bottom is a mosaic of Celtic weapons, signifying how people would make peace by throwing their weapons into the water. But - duh - it's February, it's cold, it "snowed" yesterday. So, of course, it was frozen. I couldn't have seen it even if the park was open. So I walked back down O'Connell and took some pictures by the river.
It is rush hour and there are people everywhere, cars, buses, bicycles. I couldn't live that way, pushing past people, cramming onto a bus every morning and evening. And people with no cars have to get everything home that way. I saw a woman yesterday with an ironing board, a guy with a kayak paddle, and a woman with a shelving unit in a box. And we gripe about having to park too far from the door at Target.
Since the money has changed, they don't have "pound" stores (like dollar stores) here anymore. Now they are "two euro" stores - everything is two euro.
10:00 a.m. God help me. The only person who can give directions in English here now is one of the servers from breakfast, and she is not from here, and doesn't know where the M1 is. Great. This should be fun.
I was out of the building by 8:30, and I walked up to the Garden of Remembrance only to find it closed. I mean, I didn't expect it to be garden-y in February, but I didn't expect a locked gate. The other thing I never considered was the cross-shaped pool. In the bottom is a mosaic of Celtic weapons, signifying how people would make peace by throwing their weapons into the water. But - duh - it's February, it's cold, it "snowed" yesterday. So, of course, it was frozen. I couldn't have seen it even if the park was open. So I walked back down O'Connell and took some pictures by the river.
It is rush hour and there are people everywhere, cars, buses, bicycles. I couldn't live that way, pushing past people, cramming onto a bus every morning and evening. And people with no cars have to get everything home that way. I saw a woman yesterday with an ironing board, a guy with a kayak paddle, and a woman with a shelving unit in a box. And we gripe about having to park too far from the door at Target.
Since the money has changed, they don't have "pound" stores (like dollar stores) here anymore. Now they are "two euro" stores - everything is two euro.
10:00 a.m. God help me. The only person who can give directions in English here now is one of the servers from breakfast, and she is not from here, and doesn't know where the M1 is. Great. This should be fun.
Thursday, February 26, 2004
A Day in "Snowy" Dublin
I'm not sure I have ever been this tired!
It's 7:30 and I am in for the evening. I went out this morning a bit before 9:00 when it was spitting snow, and I only actually stopped walking twice - for lunch at Bad Ass Cafe, and for dinner at Bewley's Oriental Cafe. I wish I could soak my feet, but I only have a shower (an incredible power shower, but still just a shower).
When I went out this morning, I cut through the Irish Life Mall, which is near me on Talbot St (the street that I take to get to O'Connell). I stopped to use the last minute on my calling card to leave a message for Dan, then headed over to Trinity College. I sort of wished that Kym had been there. She would really have identified with things. Even in Ireland, you can tell a dorm window when you see one, and the notice boards and the students themselves looked just like at her school. I got over to the library and waited in line for it to open, to see the Book of Kells. I was second in line behind a man from Canada and his mother, and we chatted while we waited. The library was late in opening. It turned out that they were waiting for money for the book store registers. Once the Brinks truck had come and gone, they opened the doors. There was a brief moment of disquiet when a big group arrived and went in ahead of us. But they were actually not there to see the Book of Kells, they were there for a meeting of some kind. The Canadian guy skipped the initial displays showing the history of the Book and its discovery and protection throughout the centuries. He was in a hurry to make a flight, but I caught up with him in the room with the actual book. He told me had overheard a guide explaining to some people that the blue ink was the most precious and costly because it was made of lapis lazuli that came from Afghanistan. There was another ancient book there that was dark colored, and he told me that it looked that way because people believed that if it was dipped in water, the water would have curative properties for sick animals. The only problem was that the inks were toxic, and when they gave the water to the animals to drink they tended to die. I wonder if they did that very long before catching on.
Then I stepped upstairs to see the Long Room of the old library. It was absolutely gorgeous! Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed, so I bought a couple of postcards at the bookstore. Cathy was right - the Book of Kells wasn't that much to look at, since it had to be dimly lit to protect it. Still, bending over it there, thinking about how old it was and all that had happened to it during its existence, being there was pretty special. And since I was the only one in there at that moment, I could stand there as long as I wanted. When I came down into the bookstore, there was a line forming to see the Book, so it was good that I was early. I bought some Trinity College stuff for the kids, then headed over to the National Museum (the archaeology one, not the art one).
There was a large display of prehistoric gold, and a long boat that they had discovered half-built (a dugout canoe) that was dated from 2500 BC! But the display of the "treasures" was a little disappointing, I thought. The Tara Brooch and other things I had wanted to see were dimly lit and surrounded by security devices, and weren't as shiny as I have seen in books. Still, I was glad to have seen them. The detail of the designs was incredible, and I couldn't help but be impressed by the delicacy of the work. There were several major hoards of gold found at various times, lots of jewelry, breastplates, collars, tiny animals, boats, etc.
Then I went looking for the 29 Georgian House tour. This was something I had read about in the Rick Steves book. It was listed as being on the corner of Fitzwilliam St and Lower Mount St. I couldn't see a Fitzwilliam St on my map, but I went to Lower Mount and walked all the way down, never finding it. After walking back and forth past Merrion Square several times, I finally gave up and hiked back to the Grafton St area, cursing Rick Steves all the way. I walked all over the Temple Bar area, taking pictures, then had lunch at Bad Ass Cafe. This is a pizza place whose claim to fame is that Sinead O'Connor was once a waitress here. Their slogan "Always a good pizza ass", they have a donkey as a mascot. It's in an old warehouse-looking, glass-fronted building. There are wires crisscrossing overhead, where baskets whiz back and forth, taking orders to the kitchen and bringing back the change from people's payments. And it was good pizza! They gave me four of the poster-sized menus to take home as souvenirs - really cute
I wanted to find the Designyard on Essex St (E or W, I am not sure), but I ended up on Essex Quay instead. There was a bad accident here on Sunday, when a city bus plowed into a waiting crowd, killing five people, and I came across the place where it happened. There were bundles and bundles of flowers, notes, pictures. Very sad. I walked all over the Grafton St area again, taking pictures of the musicians who played all along the street. There was one band who really made me smile. They had a guy playing a washboard - then I noticed a guy playing an actual washtub bass! They were singing traditional Irish songs, and looked like Emmet Otter's Irish cousins. :)
By this time, I was so tired (and a little discouraged that I hadn't been successful in getting where I wanted to be), that I finally stopped at the McDonald's on Grafton St and ordered a supersized Diet Coke, then sat down to rest. Then, as I was sitting there looking at my map, I saw the notation "Georgian House" - on Fitzwilliam PLACE. I decided to give it one more go, and headed over there (on the other side of Merrion Square from where I had been). Once there, coming at it from the other direction, I found it! It was on the corner of Fitzwilliam ST (the map was wrong, it really was ST) and Upper Mount (not Lower). Usually Upper turns into Lower, but in this case they were a block apart. And where Fitzwilliam St joined Lower Mount, where I had been walking back and forth earlier in the day, Fitzwilliam is called Merrion Sq East. No wonder I never found it. But I still haven't fully forgiven Rick Steves.
Anyway, I got there just in time for the last tour of the day. I didn't even have time to see the little introductory film, so I saw that afterward. It was a really interesting place, built in the 1700's. No pictures allowed, but the tour guide was very knowledgeable. There was only one other woman on the final tour, so we got a good look at everything.
After that, I went back to Grafton St. I had already decided that I was too tired to be out tonight, so I thought I would eat a light dinner at Bewley's Oriental Cafe. I had the absolute best tomato soup I have ever had. It had basil, and tasted like homemade spaghetti sauce in a bowl. Served with a big hunk of brown bread and hot tea, it was the perfect thing. My waiter was from Spain, which I recognized from his accent (the same as my friend Jorge's, they are from the same area!).
When I got back to the guesthouse, I retrieved my car key from the desk (they had kept it in case they needed to move the car for some reason - long story). I went out and retrieved my Avoca shopping bag, so that I could start packing tonight. But before I can start that organizing, I need a shower.
I plan to go to the top of O'Connell St in the morning to see the Garden of Remembrance, dedicated to the martyrs of the Easter Rising.
A mug I saw today:
On the front was a chicken, a chair and a piece of cheese hanging from a string. Above, it said "The Meaning of Life".
On the back, there was this verse: Sometimes it's a chicken, sometimes it's a chair,
Sometimes it's a piece of cheese, suspended in the air.
I have no idea what that means, but it just cracks me up. It still makes me laugh, just thinking about it. OK, I am weird.
So, my little adventure is almost over. There was a point this afternoon when I got a little....homesick? But when I do this again, I want to pay the extra for an automatic car. Having to deal with shifting and all just adds another level of stress to the whole driving process. This afternoon, too, I was thinking that I am so very grateful to be able to do this at all. There was such a long time that I couldn't afford things. Now, I not only afforded the trip, but am bringing back gifts, too. I probably (no, definitely) spent more than I should have, but it's not like I do it all the time. And doing it alone was really liberating - I have hardly thought about work all week. I really needed a getaway. I deserved to do this. I succeeded in doing this. And I'm going back with a new attitude. :)
It's 7:30 and I am in for the evening. I went out this morning a bit before 9:00 when it was spitting snow, and I only actually stopped walking twice - for lunch at Bad Ass Cafe, and for dinner at Bewley's Oriental Cafe. I wish I could soak my feet, but I only have a shower (an incredible power shower, but still just a shower).
When I went out this morning, I cut through the Irish Life Mall, which is near me on Talbot St (the street that I take to get to O'Connell). I stopped to use the last minute on my calling card to leave a message for Dan, then headed over to Trinity College. I sort of wished that Kym had been there. She would really have identified with things. Even in Ireland, you can tell a dorm window when you see one, and the notice boards and the students themselves looked just like at her school. I got over to the library and waited in line for it to open, to see the Book of Kells. I was second in line behind a man from Canada and his mother, and we chatted while we waited. The library was late in opening. It turned out that they were waiting for money for the book store registers. Once the Brinks truck had come and gone, they opened the doors. There was a brief moment of disquiet when a big group arrived and went in ahead of us. But they were actually not there to see the Book of Kells, they were there for a meeting of some kind. The Canadian guy skipped the initial displays showing the history of the Book and its discovery and protection throughout the centuries. He was in a hurry to make a flight, but I caught up with him in the room with the actual book. He told me had overheard a guide explaining to some people that the blue ink was the most precious and costly because it was made of lapis lazuli that came from Afghanistan. There was another ancient book there that was dark colored, and he told me that it looked that way because people believed that if it was dipped in water, the water would have curative properties for sick animals. The only problem was that the inks were toxic, and when they gave the water to the animals to drink they tended to die. I wonder if they did that very long before catching on.
Then I stepped upstairs to see the Long Room of the old library. It was absolutely gorgeous! Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed, so I bought a couple of postcards at the bookstore. Cathy was right - the Book of Kells wasn't that much to look at, since it had to be dimly lit to protect it. Still, bending over it there, thinking about how old it was and all that had happened to it during its existence, being there was pretty special. And since I was the only one in there at that moment, I could stand there as long as I wanted. When I came down into the bookstore, there was a line forming to see the Book, so it was good that I was early. I bought some Trinity College stuff for the kids, then headed over to the National Museum (the archaeology one, not the art one).
There was a large display of prehistoric gold, and a long boat that they had discovered half-built (a dugout canoe) that was dated from 2500 BC! But the display of the "treasures" was a little disappointing, I thought. The Tara Brooch and other things I had wanted to see were dimly lit and surrounded by security devices, and weren't as shiny as I have seen in books. Still, I was glad to have seen them. The detail of the designs was incredible, and I couldn't help but be impressed by the delicacy of the work. There were several major hoards of gold found at various times, lots of jewelry, breastplates, collars, tiny animals, boats, etc.
Then I went looking for the 29 Georgian House tour. This was something I had read about in the Rick Steves book. It was listed as being on the corner of Fitzwilliam St and Lower Mount St. I couldn't see a Fitzwilliam St on my map, but I went to Lower Mount and walked all the way down, never finding it. After walking back and forth past Merrion Square several times, I finally gave up and hiked back to the Grafton St area, cursing Rick Steves all the way. I walked all over the Temple Bar area, taking pictures, then had lunch at Bad Ass Cafe. This is a pizza place whose claim to fame is that Sinead O'Connor was once a waitress here. Their slogan "Always a good pizza ass", they have a donkey as a mascot. It's in an old warehouse-looking, glass-fronted building. There are wires crisscrossing overhead, where baskets whiz back and forth, taking orders to the kitchen and bringing back the change from people's payments. And it was good pizza! They gave me four of the poster-sized menus to take home as souvenirs - really cute
I wanted to find the Designyard on Essex St (E or W, I am not sure), but I ended up on Essex Quay instead. There was a bad accident here on Sunday, when a city bus plowed into a waiting crowd, killing five people, and I came across the place where it happened. There were bundles and bundles of flowers, notes, pictures. Very sad. I walked all over the Grafton St area again, taking pictures of the musicians who played all along the street. There was one band who really made me smile. They had a guy playing a washboard - then I noticed a guy playing an actual washtub bass! They were singing traditional Irish songs, and looked like Emmet Otter's Irish cousins. :)
By this time, I was so tired (and a little discouraged that I hadn't been successful in getting where I wanted to be), that I finally stopped at the McDonald's on Grafton St and ordered a supersized Diet Coke, then sat down to rest. Then, as I was sitting there looking at my map, I saw the notation "Georgian House" - on Fitzwilliam PLACE. I decided to give it one more go, and headed over there (on the other side of Merrion Square from where I had been). Once there, coming at it from the other direction, I found it! It was on the corner of Fitzwilliam ST (the map was wrong, it really was ST) and Upper Mount (not Lower). Usually Upper turns into Lower, but in this case they were a block apart. And where Fitzwilliam St joined Lower Mount, where I had been walking back and forth earlier in the day, Fitzwilliam is called Merrion Sq East. No wonder I never found it. But I still haven't fully forgiven Rick Steves.
Anyway, I got there just in time for the last tour of the day. I didn't even have time to see the little introductory film, so I saw that afterward. It was a really interesting place, built in the 1700's. No pictures allowed, but the tour guide was very knowledgeable. There was only one other woman on the final tour, so we got a good look at everything.
After that, I went back to Grafton St. I had already decided that I was too tired to be out tonight, so I thought I would eat a light dinner at Bewley's Oriental Cafe. I had the absolute best tomato soup I have ever had. It had basil, and tasted like homemade spaghetti sauce in a bowl. Served with a big hunk of brown bread and hot tea, it was the perfect thing. My waiter was from Spain, which I recognized from his accent (the same as my friend Jorge's, they are from the same area!).
When I got back to the guesthouse, I retrieved my car key from the desk (they had kept it in case they needed to move the car for some reason - long story). I went out and retrieved my Avoca shopping bag, so that I could start packing tonight. But before I can start that organizing, I need a shower.
I plan to go to the top of O'Connell St in the morning to see the Garden of Remembrance, dedicated to the martyrs of the Easter Rising.
A mug I saw today:
On the front was a chicken, a chair and a piece of cheese hanging from a string. Above, it said "The Meaning of Life".
On the back, there was this verse: Sometimes it's a chicken, sometimes it's a chair,
Sometimes it's a piece of cheese, suspended in the air.
I have no idea what that means, but it just cracks me up. It still makes me laugh, just thinking about it. OK, I am weird.
So, my little adventure is almost over. There was a point this afternoon when I got a little....homesick? But when I do this again, I want to pay the extra for an automatic car. Having to deal with shifting and all just adds another level of stress to the whole driving process. This afternoon, too, I was thinking that I am so very grateful to be able to do this at all. There was such a long time that I couldn't afford things. Now, I not only afforded the trip, but am bringing back gifts, too. I probably (no, definitely) spent more than I should have, but it's not like I do it all the time. And doing it alone was really liberating - I have hardly thought about work all week. I really needed a getaway. I deserved to do this. I succeeded in doing this. And I'm going back with a new attitude. :)
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Driving to (and in) D-town
I just survived Dublin traffic, including road construction on major streets. I deserve a medal!
This morning I talked for a bit with Geraldine, the B&B lady (I was their only guest last night). There were pictures in the dining room of the Grand Canyon, so I asked her about them. She raises funds for leukemia for the hospital where her son has been a cancer patient for the past five years. He doesn't look to be older than 12. She and her husband do these fundraising charity runs every year. They have been to Arizona, Capetown, South Africa, New York City, and other places. This fall they will be going to San Francisco. She has also run the Dublin marathon, and wants to run the New York City marathon.
Then I set out for Dublin. I decided to take the coast road, but almost right away I got detoured off because of some tree-trimming that was going on. I got back on the coast road at Brittas Bay. The weather was great - sunny and not too cold. I stopped several times to take pictures, even turning around and going back when I caught a view out of the corner of my eye. The road was lined with beautiful golf courses and homes, and at one point I could see wind turbines way out in the water. I eventually came into Wicklow town. I stopped at a gas station to check directions, then headed toward the N11 back to Dublin. Wicklow wasn't fun to drive through. The streets were narrow and confusing. It was a cute little town, though. I would have liked to have some time to spend there. But Dublin awaited. As I left the gas station, I looked left (like I would do at home) instead of right (like I should have done). Just as I rolled forward, I saw a truck coming from the right. I slammed on the brakes, he swerved, and somehow we didn't collide. OMG! The guy didn't even honk at me, he just drove on. I just wanted to get out of Wicklow.
The rest of the drive to Dublin was mercifully uneventful. The B&B lady had drawn me a map of where to turn off to get to Kilmainham Gaol. She was familiar with the drive because her son's hospital was near there. I found the gaol, then drove past it because I was unsure of where to park, and ended up having to go around the block because it was a one-way street. And - gak! - that meant three right turns in traffic (remember, that's like three left turns at home).
I had time to go through part of the museum before it was time for my tour. They had a very moving display called Final Words, that contained letters that were written from the condemned to their families, along with some personal effects. The tour was really great. The building itself was just overwhelmingly depressing. Part of it, the "newer" part, was built during a period of prison reform. The roof is a huge skylight, and all of the cells face the center. In the older part, the halls are narrow and dark. There was no electricity or heat in the building when it was in use, and no sanitation system. They showed us a slide show about the history of the gaol, from its beginning as a place to house criminals, to its later use as a place to house political prisoners from the Easter Rising and the civil war that followed. One of the men sentenced to death for the Easter Rising was married by candlelight in the chapel of the gaol just hours before his execution. His wife's sister was married to another of the condemned. They showed us the yard where they were shot, just a wall away from the street. One man who was unable to stand was executed in a chair.
They also showed us an exercise yard that was mostly used by children prisoners! Kids could be sentenced to prison - prison! - for things like throwing snowballs, or pulling up flowers in a public park, for 2-3 days or up to a week. I wonder if they had less teenage crime then. I learned a lot about the Irish history of rebellion, and heard some really tragic stories. During the Famine, people would sometimes commit crimes like stealing food because they were starving, but if they were caught, going to prison could actually save teir lives because they would be fed there. Of course, sometimes that meant being shipped off to Australia for the rest of your life. I can't imagine how you could survive in that place for long. I was really impressed with the tour. Eamon DeValera was one of those sentenced to death for the Rising, but because he was born in the US, the American Embassy intervened and they commuted his sentence. He later became president of Ireland.
After Kilmainham, I took a deep breath and headed back out into the traffic and torn up streets toward my B&B. They are apparently installing a tram system in the city center. The lady at Kilmainham told me not to turn onto O'Connell Street as I had been instructed, but to go directly to Gardiner St from the quays. I am glad I took her advice, since the whole median of O'Connell is torn up, with barricades all over. Someone was definitely looking out for me because I sort of stumbled into the correct lanes to get where I needed to be, and through the most confusing parts the traffic was so bad that you had to go slow. That gave me time to see where I was and look ahead to where I needed to turn. When I got onto Gardiner St, I found the place and found a parking spot almost right in front, but across the street. I checked in and paid, then had to go move the car into the free parking. That meant I then had to make a u-turn from my spot across four lanes of traffic, go through a set of traffic lights, turn left into a tiny street, turn left again into an alley, cross a street and go into another alley, then turn into a big garage. It is very secure, but I don't look forward to getting it out of there. At least the airport is on this side of the river, so I don't have to go through the quay mess again.
This B&B is pretty basic, though I think it suffers in comparison to the places I have been already on this trip. This one cost as much as the first one, but there is no stained glass, no antiques, no glassed-in porch, and, I'm sure, no scrambled eggs and salmon in the morning. Oh well, I don't have to drive anymore, and I know where I will be tomorrow night.
Once I left my bags in the room, I went out exploring. I was looking for the Global Internet Cafe on O'Connell (Gardiner is only a couple of blocks over from there). I walked all the way to the top of O'Connell, but didn't find it, so I did a little shopping, then walked down toward the bridge. I wanted to get a close-up look at Messrs Maguires, a brewpub/restaurant whose webcam I used to watch all the time before our first trip. They had webcams that overlooked the O'Connell St bridge, and also on every level of their restaurant. But before I could get to the bridge, I found - Global Internet Cafe! So I popped in and checked email, then went on to Messrs Maguires. I ended up eating there, in the library room that I had seen so many times on camera. I know it seems geeky to be so excited about it, but it was just cool to actually be there. I will have to check when I get back to see if their cams are still online.
I came back and planned out my day for tomorrow, and now I'm headed for bed. I don't know if I will go out tomorrow night, but I am thinking about it. I guess it's a little scary to think about doing it alone. But someone once said you should do something every day that scares you, and so far this week, I have done just that. :) Maybe that's my thing for tomorrow.
First I am going to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells, and also to see if I can find a Trinity College shirt for Kym. Then I am going to the National Museum (the archaeology one), then to the Georgian House tour. If it's around meal time, I will go over to the Temple Bar area to have dinner at the Bad Ass Cafe. I also want to see the Designyard there. Then it's off to Grafton St for shopping. I won't have time to do much of anything Friday morning. I have to check out of here by 11:00, so I might as well head for the airport then. I have no idea what they will say about the mirror, but the guy told us last time that they replace a lot of passenger mirrors. Still, I'm dreading the conversation.
Had to call the desk to tell them that the room is getting pretty cold. I guess they turn off the boiler at a certain hour, but they turned it back on for me. I am assuming that it will go off in awhile, so I think I will try to get to sleep before that happens.
This morning I talked for a bit with Geraldine, the B&B lady (I was their only guest last night). There were pictures in the dining room of the Grand Canyon, so I asked her about them. She raises funds for leukemia for the hospital where her son has been a cancer patient for the past five years. He doesn't look to be older than 12. She and her husband do these fundraising charity runs every year. They have been to Arizona, Capetown, South Africa, New York City, and other places. This fall they will be going to San Francisco. She has also run the Dublin marathon, and wants to run the New York City marathon.
Then I set out for Dublin. I decided to take the coast road, but almost right away I got detoured off because of some tree-trimming that was going on. I got back on the coast road at Brittas Bay. The weather was great - sunny and not too cold. I stopped several times to take pictures, even turning around and going back when I caught a view out of the corner of my eye. The road was lined with beautiful golf courses and homes, and at one point I could see wind turbines way out in the water. I eventually came into Wicklow town. I stopped at a gas station to check directions, then headed toward the N11 back to Dublin. Wicklow wasn't fun to drive through. The streets were narrow and confusing. It was a cute little town, though. I would have liked to have some time to spend there. But Dublin awaited. As I left the gas station, I looked left (like I would do at home) instead of right (like I should have done). Just as I rolled forward, I saw a truck coming from the right. I slammed on the brakes, he swerved, and somehow we didn't collide. OMG! The guy didn't even honk at me, he just drove on. I just wanted to get out of Wicklow.
The rest of the drive to Dublin was mercifully uneventful. The B&B lady had drawn me a map of where to turn off to get to Kilmainham Gaol. She was familiar with the drive because her son's hospital was near there. I found the gaol, then drove past it because I was unsure of where to park, and ended up having to go around the block because it was a one-way street. And - gak! - that meant three right turns in traffic (remember, that's like three left turns at home).
I had time to go through part of the museum before it was time for my tour. They had a very moving display called Final Words, that contained letters that were written from the condemned to their families, along with some personal effects. The tour was really great. The building itself was just overwhelmingly depressing. Part of it, the "newer" part, was built during a period of prison reform. The roof is a huge skylight, and all of the cells face the center. In the older part, the halls are narrow and dark. There was no electricity or heat in the building when it was in use, and no sanitation system. They showed us a slide show about the history of the gaol, from its beginning as a place to house criminals, to its later use as a place to house political prisoners from the Easter Rising and the civil war that followed. One of the men sentenced to death for the Easter Rising was married by candlelight in the chapel of the gaol just hours before his execution. His wife's sister was married to another of the condemned. They showed us the yard where they were shot, just a wall away from the street. One man who was unable to stand was executed in a chair.
They also showed us an exercise yard that was mostly used by children prisoners! Kids could be sentenced to prison - prison! - for things like throwing snowballs, or pulling up flowers in a public park, for 2-3 days or up to a week. I wonder if they had less teenage crime then. I learned a lot about the Irish history of rebellion, and heard some really tragic stories. During the Famine, people would sometimes commit crimes like stealing food because they were starving, but if they were caught, going to prison could actually save teir lives because they would be fed there. Of course, sometimes that meant being shipped off to Australia for the rest of your life. I can't imagine how you could survive in that place for long. I was really impressed with the tour. Eamon DeValera was one of those sentenced to death for the Rising, but because he was born in the US, the American Embassy intervened and they commuted his sentence. He later became president of Ireland.
After Kilmainham, I took a deep breath and headed back out into the traffic and torn up streets toward my B&B. They are apparently installing a tram system in the city center. The lady at Kilmainham told me not to turn onto O'Connell Street as I had been instructed, but to go directly to Gardiner St from the quays. I am glad I took her advice, since the whole median of O'Connell is torn up, with barricades all over. Someone was definitely looking out for me because I sort of stumbled into the correct lanes to get where I needed to be, and through the most confusing parts the traffic was so bad that you had to go slow. That gave me time to see where I was and look ahead to where I needed to turn. When I got onto Gardiner St, I found the place and found a parking spot almost right in front, but across the street. I checked in and paid, then had to go move the car into the free parking. That meant I then had to make a u-turn from my spot across four lanes of traffic, go through a set of traffic lights, turn left into a tiny street, turn left again into an alley, cross a street and go into another alley, then turn into a big garage. It is very secure, but I don't look forward to getting it out of there. At least the airport is on this side of the river, so I don't have to go through the quay mess again.
This B&B is pretty basic, though I think it suffers in comparison to the places I have been already on this trip. This one cost as much as the first one, but there is no stained glass, no antiques, no glassed-in porch, and, I'm sure, no scrambled eggs and salmon in the morning. Oh well, I don't have to drive anymore, and I know where I will be tomorrow night.
Once I left my bags in the room, I went out exploring. I was looking for the Global Internet Cafe on O'Connell (Gardiner is only a couple of blocks over from there). I walked all the way to the top of O'Connell, but didn't find it, so I did a little shopping, then walked down toward the bridge. I wanted to get a close-up look at Messrs Maguires, a brewpub/restaurant whose webcam I used to watch all the time before our first trip. They had webcams that overlooked the O'Connell St bridge, and also on every level of their restaurant. But before I could get to the bridge, I found - Global Internet Cafe! So I popped in and checked email, then went on to Messrs Maguires. I ended up eating there, in the library room that I had seen so many times on camera. I know it seems geeky to be so excited about it, but it was just cool to actually be there. I will have to check when I get back to see if their cams are still online.
I came back and planned out my day for tomorrow, and now I'm headed for bed. I don't know if I will go out tomorrow night, but I am thinking about it. I guess it's a little scary to think about doing it alone. But someone once said you should do something every day that scares you, and so far this week, I have done just that. :) Maybe that's my thing for tomorrow.
First I am going to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells, and also to see if I can find a Trinity College shirt for Kym. Then I am going to the National Museum (the archaeology one), then to the Georgian House tour. If it's around meal time, I will go over to the Temple Bar area to have dinner at the Bad Ass Cafe. I also want to see the Designyard there. Then it's off to Grafton St for shopping. I won't have time to do much of anything Friday morning. I have to check out of here by 11:00, so I might as well head for the airport then. I have no idea what they will say about the mirror, but the guy told us last time that they replace a lot of passenger mirrors. Still, I'm dreading the conversation.
Had to call the desk to tell them that the room is getting pretty cold. I guess they turn off the boiler at a certain hour, but they turned it back on for me. I am assuming that it will go off in awhile, so I think I will try to get to sleep before that happens.
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Lucky Breaks
Before I get to today's activities, I wanted to mention a couple of things from yesterday.
First, Co. Meath, from Dublin to Navan, at least, is full of horse farms - very pretty. There was a really cute little town that I wanted to get a picture of on my way back today, but it was raining too hard at the time. It's called Dunshaughlin, and if I'm not mistaken, an online chat "friend" of mine lives there.
Second, um.... I forgot what the other thing was <shrug>.
I finally got back to sleep last night around 2:00 a.m., and then I overslept! I woke up at 8:16, but I had set the alarm for 7:00. Turned out the time was right, but I had set it for p.m., not a.m. Duh. So I hurried and threw on yoga pants and a zippered sweatshirt and went up to breakfast. I was served scrambled eggs and salmon. The salmon was flaked and mixed in with the eggs. It was really great! The room, as I suspected, was expensive - 50 euro. It really was gorgeous, though. The breakfast room was a glassed-in porch with a tiled terrace outside overlooking the river. There were flowers and plants everywhere, and 3 cats who spent the whole time washing themselves extensively. After all of the getting lost and found, I had no idea I was actually on the Dublin road. I was going back to the M50 around Dublin to go south to Glendalough, so I was on the right road to head that way.
On the way to Glendalough, I passed two fields of sheep, one on each side of the road. The guy was there to feed them, and all of the sheep were waiting at the fences, except for one who was waiting in the road with an impatient look on her face. The drive through the mountains was really fun and pretty, although it got foggier the higher I went. When I got to the Wicklow Gap, the view was....nonexistent, like looking straight up into the overcast sky. Oh, well, it was still a nice drive, and I found Glendalough with no problem. Just as I got to the parking lot, I saw a man walking a horse along the road like it was a dog. It was a huge black work horse, just trotting out ahead of the guy on a lead - pretty funny.
Glendalough is a former monastic settlement with supposedly the highest intact round tower in Ireland. There was a nice visitors center that had an audiovisual presentation about monasteries in Ireland, and a very classy little museum with interactive exhibits. In the presentation, I learned the pronunciation of several Irish historic names:
Colmcille kolum-kill
Chuchulain koo-haul-in
Monasterboice mon-aster-boyce
It was drizzling steadily when I went back outside, but I spent quite awhile walking around the settlement ruins, taking pictures. I took the picture of a couple of American women, and they did the same for me. I wish the weather had been a bit better because I would like to have hiked down to the lake to see St Kevin's cave. But since I was almost the only one there, and it was icky weather, I figured that if was to fall or something, it could be a long time before anyone found me, so I decided to move along.
After Glendalough, I drove down through the Vale of Clara, looking for Avoca. I stopped at a bar/restaurant/shop to ask directions (and found out I hadn't gone far enough). It turned out that where I was was the Meeting of the Waters. Actually, if I hadn't needed to stop for directions, I wouldn't have seen the Bureau de Change sign. And if I hadn't needed to change money, I wouldn't have gone around back to the shop. And if I hadn't gone around to the shop, I wouldn't have seen the Avonmore running into the Avonbeg to create the Avoca River. Really a lucky break, especially since the girl at the shop said they were only open today because of a tour bus they were expecting.
Avoca was great! You are welcome to visit the actual weaving shop, walk all around the machines and the people working, and take pictures. It is the oldest woollen mill in Ireland, and is really interesting. I got several great pictures.
Ooh, I just remembered the other thing I wanted to mention from yesterday - text messages. When we were here before, we saw that everyone had a cellphone. Now it's all about text messages. Radio stations tell people to text them requests or whatever, and the big problem is text message spam - people texting ads or porn or fake contests to strangers who, say, have called a weather service and the weather service sells their number to the spam people. TV ads tell people to text them or see their webpages. And I saw a hilarious TV ad about ninja nuns (for some employment website).
OK, back to today. At Avoca I asked a lady where I might find a B&B. She sent me here to Arklow. The one she sent me to see looked like a haunted house from the outside, so I didn't even stop. I went back to the town center and took another direction, then followed signs to this one. It is gorgeous and new (well, the hall is gorgeous - the room is kind of neon green, yellow, and blue), and there is beautiful tile in the bathroom, beige with peach tulips. It's very nice. After checking in, I went out on foot to find a place to eat and try to call home. I walked down the main street to a place that was suggested as slightly less expensive, only to find that they only offered 2- or 3-course meals for 20 or 25 euro! So I ended up a bar called Christy's, where I had what they called a Doorstep Sandwich - toast with chicken and bacon (remember Irish bacon = ham), and a little salad with the funky greens and corn. I don't understand the corn, but it seems a staple in Irish side salads.
After a couple of quick calls home, I came back here and showered, and now I am planning my day for tomorrow. I had thought about driving up to the Sally Gap, but it's supposed to be rainy-ish again, and it would mean backtracking almost back to Glendalough. So instead, I am going to drive up the coast road back to Wicklow town, then get back on the motorway. The Dublin guesthouse is expecting by about 2:00 p.m. Then I will set off on foot, hopefully to find an internet cafe I heard about.
I forgot to mention, when I was checking out at in Navan this morning, I couldn't find my room key to give it back. After hunting all over, it finally turned up in the pocket of my sweatshirt, where I found it after practically unpacking in their front hall. What an idiot!
Quay key
Dail doyle (the parliament)
Gardai gar-thee (the police)
non-bio = anti-bacterial
Dettol Easy Mop = Swiffer Wet Jet
"turf accountant" = bookie
estate agent = realtor
First, Co. Meath, from Dublin to Navan, at least, is full of horse farms - very pretty. There was a really cute little town that I wanted to get a picture of on my way back today, but it was raining too hard at the time. It's called Dunshaughlin, and if I'm not mistaken, an online chat "friend" of mine lives there.
Second, um.... I forgot what the other thing was <shrug>.
I finally got back to sleep last night around 2:00 a.m., and then I overslept! I woke up at 8:16, but I had set the alarm for 7:00. Turned out the time was right, but I had set it for p.m., not a.m. Duh. So I hurried and threw on yoga pants and a zippered sweatshirt and went up to breakfast. I was served scrambled eggs and salmon. The salmon was flaked and mixed in with the eggs. It was really great! The room, as I suspected, was expensive - 50 euro. It really was gorgeous, though. The breakfast room was a glassed-in porch with a tiled terrace outside overlooking the river. There were flowers and plants everywhere, and 3 cats who spent the whole time washing themselves extensively. After all of the getting lost and found, I had no idea I was actually on the Dublin road. I was going back to the M50 around Dublin to go south to Glendalough, so I was on the right road to head that way.
On the way to Glendalough, I passed two fields of sheep, one on each side of the road. The guy was there to feed them, and all of the sheep were waiting at the fences, except for one who was waiting in the road with an impatient look on her face. The drive through the mountains was really fun and pretty, although it got foggier the higher I went. When I got to the Wicklow Gap, the view was....nonexistent, like looking straight up into the overcast sky. Oh, well, it was still a nice drive, and I found Glendalough with no problem. Just as I got to the parking lot, I saw a man walking a horse along the road like it was a dog. It was a huge black work horse, just trotting out ahead of the guy on a lead - pretty funny.
Glendalough is a former monastic settlement with supposedly the highest intact round tower in Ireland. There was a nice visitors center that had an audiovisual presentation about monasteries in Ireland, and a very classy little museum with interactive exhibits. In the presentation, I learned the pronunciation of several Irish historic names:
Colmcille kolum-kill
Chuchulain koo-haul-in
Monasterboice mon-aster-boyce
It was drizzling steadily when I went back outside, but I spent quite awhile walking around the settlement ruins, taking pictures. I took the picture of a couple of American women, and they did the same for me. I wish the weather had been a bit better because I would like to have hiked down to the lake to see St Kevin's cave. But since I was almost the only one there, and it was icky weather, I figured that if was to fall or something, it could be a long time before anyone found me, so I decided to move along.
After Glendalough, I drove down through the Vale of Clara, looking for Avoca. I stopped at a bar/restaurant/shop to ask directions (and found out I hadn't gone far enough). It turned out that where I was was the Meeting of the Waters. Actually, if I hadn't needed to stop for directions, I wouldn't have seen the Bureau de Change sign. And if I hadn't needed to change money, I wouldn't have gone around back to the shop. And if I hadn't gone around to the shop, I wouldn't have seen the Avonmore running into the Avonbeg to create the Avoca River. Really a lucky break, especially since the girl at the shop said they were only open today because of a tour bus they were expecting.
Avoca was great! You are welcome to visit the actual weaving shop, walk all around the machines and the people working, and take pictures. It is the oldest woollen mill in Ireland, and is really interesting. I got several great pictures.
Ooh, I just remembered the other thing I wanted to mention from yesterday - text messages. When we were here before, we saw that everyone had a cellphone. Now it's all about text messages. Radio stations tell people to text them requests or whatever, and the big problem is text message spam - people texting ads or porn or fake contests to strangers who, say, have called a weather service and the weather service sells their number to the spam people. TV ads tell people to text them or see their webpages. And I saw a hilarious TV ad about ninja nuns (for some employment website).
OK, back to today. At Avoca I asked a lady where I might find a B&B. She sent me here to Arklow. The one she sent me to see looked like a haunted house from the outside, so I didn't even stop. I went back to the town center and took another direction, then followed signs to this one. It is gorgeous and new (well, the hall is gorgeous - the room is kind of neon green, yellow, and blue), and there is beautiful tile in the bathroom, beige with peach tulips. It's very nice. After checking in, I went out on foot to find a place to eat and try to call home. I walked down the main street to a place that was suggested as slightly less expensive, only to find that they only offered 2- or 3-course meals for 20 or 25 euro! So I ended up a bar called Christy's, where I had what they called a Doorstep Sandwich - toast with chicken and bacon (remember Irish bacon = ham), and a little salad with the funky greens and corn. I don't understand the corn, but it seems a staple in Irish side salads.
After a couple of quick calls home, I came back here and showered, and now I am planning my day for tomorrow. I had thought about driving up to the Sally Gap, but it's supposed to be rainy-ish again, and it would mean backtracking almost back to Glendalough. So instead, I am going to drive up the coast road back to Wicklow town, then get back on the motorway. The Dublin guesthouse is expecting by about 2:00 p.m. Then I will set off on foot, hopefully to find an internet cafe I heard about.
I forgot to mention, when I was checking out at in Navan this morning, I couldn't find my room key to give it back. After hunting all over, it finally turned up in the pocket of my sweatshirt, where I found it after practically unpacking in their front hall. What an idiot!
Quay key
Dail doyle (the parliament)
Gardai gar-thee (the police)
non-bio = anti-bacterial
Dettol Easy Mop = Swiffer Wet Jet
"turf accountant" = bookie
estate agent = realtor
Monday, February 23, 2004
First Explorations...and a Couple of Missteps
Day 1 in Ireland is over already!
I have managed somehow (and not without getting lost a number of times) to get where I wanted to go, and feed and house myself for the night. I have made no reservations anywhere except Dublin for the last two nights of this trip, so everything else is freestyle. It's 7:00 p.m. and I've showered and I'm ready for bed, so I finally have time to write!
Let's go back to yesterday and the start of my trip. I left town at about 2:15, and by the time I got to Chenoa my cellphone said "no service". That happens momentarily from time to time, so it wasn't until I got to Chicago that I realized what the problem was - I hadn't updated the software on my new phone! I felt really bad because I had told the kids I'd have the phone on until I got on the plane, but I couldn't. It's amazing how cut off you feel without it.
The flight left on time, and was uneventful, though the drive to the terminal from the off-site parking was....interesting. The shuttle driver kept muttering to himself (or maybe to his imaginary friend), saying, "Now I'm focusing on United, I'm focusing on it" (or whatever airline he was watching for at the time). And of course, I was the last to get off, since I was going to Terminal 5. It was funny at first, then it just got weird. I barely slept on the plane, I kept moving my feet. I think the vibration of the plane made me jittery. I would be fine for a few minutes, then I had to move. I didn't watch either of the movies. We didn't have one of the new planes, so they just had TV screens that came down out of the ceiling every few rows. I might have slept a total of two hours or so, but it was fitful.
I got the cutest little car, a Nissan Micra. It's not very nice inside, though. Anything on the front seat goes flying if you brake hard, because the seat is so flat. The car has a major crease on the driver's door and a slightly crumpled fender (not my fault, and duly noted at the car rental before I left), and - as of 3:00 this afternoon - a broken passenger side mirror. I was in Drogheda trying to begin my B&B search when I clipped the side of a parked van. There was no damage to them at all. It sort of wasn't my fault because the van took up part of my lane and there was a big truck coming toward me. Getting ahead of myself again....
Newgrange was unbelieveable! It was everything I had hoped to see and more. We weren't allowed to photograph inside but I took a lot of pictures outside. Inside, the guide showed a simulation of how it looks when the light comes in at the winter solstice. The site is 5000 years old, 1000 years older than Stonehenge, and 500 years older than the Giza pyramids. It's just mind-boggling to think that what we think of as primitive people were actually brilliant engineers. There is an opening above the main entrance where, on the morning of the solstice, the sun's rays come in and light the back of the burial chamber. It is then that they believed the souls of those who had been put here were carried into the hereafter. They had the skills to design this chamber in the exact way it needed to be to admit the first rays of the sun. Amazing!
I then went to Monasterboice to see a couple of high crosses and a round tower. They were way out on some winding roads, but it was actually marked quite well. The crosses were gorgeous, and I had the whole place to myself.
Then I began my B&B search in earnest. I couldn't count the number of times I got lost before I ended up back in Navan. Even then, I got past town and had to go back. I finally just pulled into a B&B and asked if they had a room. I'm afraid to know how much it costs. I didn't ask when I got here because I truly didn't care - I just wanted to be off of the road. The place, (Killyon House) is small and charming, furnished with antiques everywhere. I walked across the road to a hotel for dinner, and the whole time I was sitting I just vibrated. My shoulders hurt from hanging onto the wheel so tightly. It's a lot to have to instantly adjust to both driving a stick shift and driving on the other side of the road without having too many people honk at your errors, and without running afoul of other laws or signs that you don't understand, particularly on the day following an overnight flight.
It's 8:00 p.m. and I am so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. I had intended to map out my route for tomorrow, but I can't even focus, much less think. I'm so glad that I could do Newgrange today - it was even sunny, and they were mowing the grass! I think I will try to take it slower tomorrow. I want to get to Avoca, but I also want to stop more, stretch my legs, take pictures. It is tougher driving without a navigator because I just have to memorize the next step. I can't keep looking at maps.
There are already baby lambs! (And yes, I know that lambs are babies.) I guess it is only about five weeks earlier than the time of year we were here the first time, early April, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised.
Midnight:
I slept a good, solid three hours but can't get back to sleep because in "real life" it's only 6 p.m. I have decided, after poring over maps, that Trim is going to be too much trouble, though I would like to see it. But the castle grounds are closed at this time of year, and it's all small roads to get there. Instead, I am going to head on down to Glendalough and Avoca. Then the next day I can head back to Dublin by a different route and check into my place there in the afternoon as planned. There are bound to be plenty of B&Bs down that way.
I'm not feeling all that thrilled about driving all day tomorrow, but I'm sure I will have a different attitude in the morning. I just hope it doesn't rain, or driving in the mountains won't be so much fun.
I have managed somehow (and not without getting lost a number of times) to get where I wanted to go, and feed and house myself for the night. I have made no reservations anywhere except Dublin for the last two nights of this trip, so everything else is freestyle. It's 7:00 p.m. and I've showered and I'm ready for bed, so I finally have time to write!
Let's go back to yesterday and the start of my trip. I left town at about 2:15, and by the time I got to Chenoa my cellphone said "no service". That happens momentarily from time to time, so it wasn't until I got to Chicago that I realized what the problem was - I hadn't updated the software on my new phone! I felt really bad because I had told the kids I'd have the phone on until I got on the plane, but I couldn't. It's amazing how cut off you feel without it.
The flight left on time, and was uneventful, though the drive to the terminal from the off-site parking was....interesting. The shuttle driver kept muttering to himself (or maybe to his imaginary friend), saying, "Now I'm focusing on United, I'm focusing on it" (or whatever airline he was watching for at the time). And of course, I was the last to get off, since I was going to Terminal 5. It was funny at first, then it just got weird. I barely slept on the plane, I kept moving my feet. I think the vibration of the plane made me jittery. I would be fine for a few minutes, then I had to move. I didn't watch either of the movies. We didn't have one of the new planes, so they just had TV screens that came down out of the ceiling every few rows. I might have slept a total of two hours or so, but it was fitful.
I got the cutest little car, a Nissan Micra. It's not very nice inside, though. Anything on the front seat goes flying if you brake hard, because the seat is so flat. The car has a major crease on the driver's door and a slightly crumpled fender (not my fault, and duly noted at the car rental before I left), and - as of 3:00 this afternoon - a broken passenger side mirror. I was in Drogheda trying to begin my B&B search when I clipped the side of a parked van. There was no damage to them at all. It sort of wasn't my fault because the van took up part of my lane and there was a big truck coming toward me. Getting ahead of myself again....
Newgrange was unbelieveable! It was everything I had hoped to see and more. We weren't allowed to photograph inside but I took a lot of pictures outside. Inside, the guide showed a simulation of how it looks when the light comes in at the winter solstice. The site is 5000 years old, 1000 years older than Stonehenge, and 500 years older than the Giza pyramids. It's just mind-boggling to think that what we think of as primitive people were actually brilliant engineers. There is an opening above the main entrance where, on the morning of the solstice, the sun's rays come in and light the back of the burial chamber. It is then that they believed the souls of those who had been put here were carried into the hereafter. They had the skills to design this chamber in the exact way it needed to be to admit the first rays of the sun. Amazing!
I then went to Monasterboice to see a couple of high crosses and a round tower. They were way out on some winding roads, but it was actually marked quite well. The crosses were gorgeous, and I had the whole place to myself.
Then I began my B&B search in earnest. I couldn't count the number of times I got lost before I ended up back in Navan. Even then, I got past town and had to go back. I finally just pulled into a B&B and asked if they had a room. I'm afraid to know how much it costs. I didn't ask when I got here because I truly didn't care - I just wanted to be off of the road. The place, (Killyon House) is small and charming, furnished with antiques everywhere. I walked across the road to a hotel for dinner, and the whole time I was sitting I just vibrated. My shoulders hurt from hanging onto the wheel so tightly. It's a lot to have to instantly adjust to both driving a stick shift and driving on the other side of the road without having too many people honk at your errors, and without running afoul of other laws or signs that you don't understand, particularly on the day following an overnight flight.
It's 8:00 p.m. and I am so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. I had intended to map out my route for tomorrow, but I can't even focus, much less think. I'm so glad that I could do Newgrange today - it was even sunny, and they were mowing the grass! I think I will try to take it slower tomorrow. I want to get to Avoca, but I also want to stop more, stretch my legs, take pictures. It is tougher driving without a navigator because I just have to memorize the next step. I can't keep looking at maps.
There are already baby lambs! (And yes, I know that lambs are babies.) I guess it is only about five weeks earlier than the time of year we were here the first time, early April, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised.
Midnight:
I slept a good, solid three hours but can't get back to sleep because in "real life" it's only 6 p.m. I have decided, after poring over maps, that Trim is going to be too much trouble, though I would like to see it. But the castle grounds are closed at this time of year, and it's all small roads to get there. Instead, I am going to head on down to Glendalough and Avoca. Then the next day I can head back to Dublin by a different route and check into my place there in the afternoon as planned. There are bound to be plenty of B&Bs down that way.
I'm not feeling all that thrilled about driving all day tomorrow, but I'm sure I will have a different attitude in the morning. I just hope it doesn't rain, or driving in the mountains won't be so much fun.
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