Scotland

I wouldn't exactly say that Scotland gave us a "warm" welcome, but this country very quickly amazed us. The people are warm and friendly despite the not-so warm weather. The scenery is breath-taking, and we've been here for just a few short hours.

Our new rental car is even smaller than the last, but the little hatchback will be perfect for parking and for these narrow roads. She's also a bit newer than the last and seems to be much more forgiving for we manual novices.

Our route got us out of Glasgow quickly and into the quiet surroundings of Loch Lomond. So of course, I've been singing, "Oh ye'll take the high road and I'll take the low road, and I'll be in Scotland afore ye. For me and my true love will never meet again, on the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond." It turns out that this sweet, soft song is actually a sad tale. At one point in the violent history of this country, the rebels were taken to London for trial. They were all executed and their bodies taken back to Scotland along the "high road," while all the loved ones who had gone to see the trials returned on another road. Despite the depressing lyrics, this lake and its stunning backdrop hold true to "bonnie, bonnie," or beautiful.

After the curvy road along the lake, the landscape changed dramatically as we came into the Scottish Highlands. I'm not sure how to describe the valley we drove through today, and I know there are many more incredible drives in the Highlands, but, wow. Wow was all I could say as we drove through the striking landscape of mountain peaks, emerald green grass, babbling creeks, and sheer rock faces. The fog was thick and disguised the top of the mountains but made the views more mystical. Photos can not possibly capture the grandness of the landscape, but I'll continue throughout my time here to do my best to capture it.

Our B&B for the night is in Glencoe and our window overlooks the lake; it is just perfect! And my Highland Game Pie including all sorts of local meats from venison to pheasant to pigeon seasoned with local flavors as well including blackberries. I loved Ireland, but I'm equally thrilled to now be in Scotland. 

Blue Skies and Sunshine

After six hours in the car yesterday, we were a bit worn out and felt no need to rush about. So, we eased into the morning and then decided to take advantage of crystal clear blue skies that were gracing our last full day here in Collinstown.

We decided to go back to the beautiful hillside of Lough Crew, the ancient burial grounds and get an even better view of the witches' hopeful kingdom. It was well worth it. The views from atop the hill, and even higher on top of the ancient mound were breathtaking. I'm so thankful to have Jess here with me, someone else who values good photos and will happily participate in the making of fun silly photos.

We asked the guide at the top for some advise of lovely places to see. He recommended Virginia (the wee town in Ireland, not the state). So, we made our way there, meandering through small villages, then we had a short walk about looking at the lake, by the golf course and into town for some ice cream.

The other night at the pub, a couple locals had told us we should go swimming at the lake in town, Lough Lene. After some disagreements about the word "warm," Jessica and I decided swimming in an Irish lough would be something fun to add to our list of accomplishments.

We arrived to a full parking lot and loads of people in the water. Although the temperature was just above 70 today, the locals all said it was really the first nice day of the summer, so everyone was taking advantage. After a bit of apprehension, we put on our swim suits and slowly ventured into the water. It is a beautifully situated lake, amongst green hills with few signs of human development. It was not, however, warm. It was not ice cold, cool, a bit shocking to the system, but after some time, it became comfortable. The water, like the skies today, was crystal clear. The swimming area was not all too deep, and we could almost always see our feet. We stayed for long enough to say we had swam in the lake, and yes, we enjoyed it.

Tonight we went to another local event: a preschool graduation. Marilyn (our gracious host) works at a wee preschool and tonight the kids graduated, ready to move on to "big" school. They sang songs, including the Alphabet Song complete with "hache" and "zed," recited a poem and celebrated the year. So precious and so lovely to see! Afterwards, we enjoyed visiting with Marilyn's colleagues and their families, trading stories about home countries and places we had traveled to. We've had a lovely time here in the heart of the Emerald Isle! 

Dingle, Sheep and a Stone

Since our evening was not all too late, we were able to get up early as planned and spend a little bit of time in the cute little town of Dingle before heading on to our next adventure.

The town was just coming to life as we wandered along the quiet streets and along the pier. Huge fishing nets and large boats were poised for a day's work, tour guides for boat rides, kayaking and snorkeling prepared for the day and a cat crept along the sea wall hoping to find a fish. The bay area was large enough that boats could spend a great deal of time exploring just the bay, but small enough that we could easily see the outlines of the homes on the other side. We had hoped to see Fungie, the friendly dolphin that has made the harbor his home for the past thirty years, but we only saw his bronze statue in town.

Few places were open for breakfast, so we opted for grocery store breakfast of freshly made pastries and fruit-perfect!

Dingle peninsula was advertised as one of the most beautiful drives in the country, so we could not move on until having a peek. While only about 40km long, the drive took us a great deal of time due to our frequent stops to take photos of the views... and the adorable sheep. We stopped at some "beehive homes" that have been around for over 2,000 years. Hardy farmers had built these homes on the hillside above the water rock by rock, carefully placing each one so that the home made a large circular pattern which eventually got closer and closer at the top before placing a large stone on the top. Rock fences were created for keeping animals in or out of certain areas. They believe that a single family probably occupied this space for generations of over 1,000 years.

The views from the beehives were beautiful, almost like mini Cliffs of Moher. From here, we could see the island off another peninsula that monks had once secluded themselves to. Skellig Michael, an island that is practically sheer steep rock and subject to all sorts of harsh weather. Another hardy lot of people!

We stopped at the next pull out on the road to once again admire the view, the fluffy sheep that didn't seem to mind our presence, and see a famous spot. Part of the movie Far and Away starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman was filmed here.

Knowing that we had many miles left to drive in the day, we continued on, planning not to stop as often. But then... There were two young lambs with black faces right on the road, so of course they warranted a stop. We watched as one decided to rejoin his mother, so he climbed up the steep hillside to try chewing on the flowers his mother seemed to enjoy.

We passed by what is said to be the western most tip of all of Europe and once again had to pull over for some beautiful scenic shots at a small beach hidden by large cliff walls. 

Gorgeous scenery after gorgeous scenery, finally, it was time to move on. The GPS programmed for Blarney, we drove east for about two and a half hours to the crowded little town of Blarney. Once again, we were not the only tourists around, but we knew we were coming to a tourist trap and yet we still wanted to be there. The Blarney estate is a huge garden, home and castle. Like most people that visit the area though, we were there almost entirely to see the Blarney Stone. Are you picturing a large rock you walk to and kiss? Not exactly... First one must wait in a lengthy line. Although our wait was about 30 minutes, the time passed quickly as we wandered through the castle, read some information about the castle and the stone, and concentrated on our feet as we climbed steep spiral staircases. At the top of the castle, probably about five floors up, the hard work has not yet been done. To kiss the stone, you must sit down, lean back, pulling yourself close to the wall with metal bars and then kiss the stone while upside down. Why not just bend over and kiss it? Oh, did I forget to mention that the floor underneath the stone has warn away, so it's a sheer drop to the ground below? Sure, there are two metal bars to stop large humanly objects from falling to their deaths and a friendly man there to help you, but still, the act is not for the faint of heart.

Why go through all this trouble just to kiss a stone? Well, in the land of story tellers, there is no one clear story, but rather many. The two main ones however are similar in nature, the Lord in the area was off to argue to keep his lands and was worried. He was told to kiss a particular stone and he would be given the gift of eloquence and flattery. After kissing the stone, he was able to speak eloquently and keep his lands. So, he had the stone with seemingly magical powers placed in his castle. Now, travelers from across the globe come seeking this same gift.

We wandered through the gardens, into the caves and dungeon before grabbing some ice cream and heading on our way.

It was after five and we still had a long way to go before reaching our home away from home, but we decided we could at least take a peek at one more popular site since it was practically on our way home.

The Rock of Cashel is an old castle and cathedral that elegantly sits atop a hill in the small town of Cashel. It's an impressive site right in the middle of a modern day town. Sadly, it was closed when we arrived, but that did not stop us from marveling at its magnificence from the outside. One side was covered in scaffolding, a sign of restoration I know, but always a disappointing site to travelers wishing to see it in all its glory.

Another two hours home with a stop in a small town for a simple dinner, views of rolling hills dotted with sheep and cows and a gorgeous sunset just a few minutes before arriving "home" at about ten were a wonderful way to end our expedition.

Cross Country

Well, our early start to a long day of driving was unsuccessful due to the fact that we shut down the small down pub with our energetic hosts last night about 2:30am. So much for an early start, but what a fun night being part of the local crowd!

One destination we were both eager to see is one of Ireland's most-recognizable landmarks: the Cliffs of Moher on the island's west coast. We drove about three hours west to arrive at the cliffs. We were not the only tourists there. Like visitors flocking to see Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park, fellow tourists from across the globe came to see the natural beauty Mother Earth had bestowed upon us. The crowds were well worth the trouble. 

Mother Earth went all out. The stunning, sheer drops of dark stone to the ocean below topped with emerald green grass is absolutely beautiful. The crashing waves below and high gusts of powerful winds were good reminders of the power she has. We wandered up and down the paths along the ledge of the cliffs, thinking each spot better than the last, thankful for digital photography. I'm not sure I could pick a favorite vantage point as all were equally impressive.

After a long wander and a little nourishment, we went back to the car to follow the coast to our next destination: Dingle. Dingle is a town (and peninsula) south of the cliffs. I had not imagined that taking a ferry there would be a logical option as both are on the same island, but looking at the map, we had two choices:

A 20-minute ferry or an extra eighty miles out of the way around the bay/river. Even though the ferry had a cost associated with it, we decided the time it would save, the experience of the ferry, and the gas money saved would all be well worth it. So, we opted for the little efficient ferry.

Knowing that many restaurants stop serving food around 9, and that that was our ETA for Dingle, we stopped along the route to eat a tasty meal before heading towards Dingle. We drove down a practically empty narrow road through a pass in the mountain which was engulfed with fog. It is a little terrifying when you can't see ahead of you, but you know there are large boulders above you and a steep ravine below you. 

Thankfully, we made it safely through to the quaint bay town of Dingle. After a little confusion, we found our hostel for the night and are all tucked in on this, the longest day of the year, a day we chose to drive cross-country.

Local Treasures

Waking up to the sounds of cows mooing and birds chirping is immensely peaceful. The peace perhaps and the exhaustion still present from our travel combined for a late start to the day, but again, well worth it.

We decided to have a bit of a local day today which was just lovely. We visited two beautiful historic sites today that were far off most tour maps meaning there were few tourists to ruin our picturesque visits. 

Lough Crew, the name of a large estate near a lake was our first stop. The lake was not the reason for our visit though, instead the hilltop adorned with history predating the pyramids, legends of witches, and stunning views was our destination. Paula, who works with our wonderful host Marilyn works as a tour guide here and she was kind enough to spend a great deal of time explaining what we were seeing and the legends surrounding the area. The megalithic site (yes, megalithic) just looks like a big rock pile on top of the hillside, but  in actuality, this burial mound is over 5,000 years old, older than the pyramids of Egypt. Inside the tomb are three small sections where historians believe the cremated remains of tribal leaders were buried. Inside there are also sketchings on the rock faces, the most detailed one that is illuminated perfectly on the spring and fall equinox. 

There are many other small raised mounds in the area that they believe were once burial mounds, but the rocks were taken away by farmers over the years to build their stone fences. Why was the large mound left undiscovered and seemingly untouched until the mid 1800s? Because of the witch. The Irish are as superstitious as they are friendly. A large rock resembling a throne sits next to the large mound. It is here a great witch used to sit and lookout across the 18 counties (almost half the country) wanting to rule it all. She was given a challenge, and if she succeeded, her wish was to be granted. The challenge was to leap across the four hills carrying stones in her apron without dropping any. She tried, but sadly failed, dropping the stones she created these mounds of rocks now thought to be burial mounds, then falling to her death. Legend has it that if you walk three times around the tomb, then sit in the throne and make a wish, it will surely come true. Yes, of course we did that. 

The views were outstanding even with the onset of rain approaching. We once again had fun taking photos before descending the hill.

We drove back down the country roads to Fore Abbey. There were no tour guides at this set of ruins, nor all too many signs, so my knowledge is not nearly as extensive. What I do know is that this area was settled by priests and monks well over 1,000 years ago, and the Abbey itself built around 1200. The amount of the structure that remains is quite impressive. We took a little stroll around the grounds and through the quaint little village before heading back to our home cooked Sunday Roast (on a Saturday). Marilyn is quite the cook and she prepared a terrific meal for us!

We went out and watched PJ, her partner, as he tended to his cows. He currently has about a dozen calves he keeps in a small pasture out back. Twice a day, he brings in the moms for feeding. Each cow is responsible for feeding her own calf and one he bought from market. A couple are so young that PJ is still trying to train them on how to get the milk from the moms. So fascinating!

Now, we are about to head to the local pub to join in the birthday celebration of a local to Collinstown!

Glendalough

Our eyes were not open long at all last night, and thankfully they stayed closed quite a while. We got a little bit of a late start today but it was needed, and deserved.

Adventures today took us to the Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough, south of Dublin. We opted for an alternative route which took us along back roads, many of which were one lane, two-way roads. I forgot, somehow about my anxiety of driving. Before arriving, my fears had been on driving on the other side of the road and once again driving a manual. Sure, small hills in a congested town are the things nightmares are made of when driving a manual car, but that's not the really terrifying part. Driving is not the problem, manual cars are not the problem, driving on the other side of the road is not the problem, it's the narrow roads. Picture yourself driving down a long, one lane road in the countryside. There are rolling fields and billowing trees surrounding you. Often, there are stone fences so old that moss nearly completely covers them. There's even a little bit of grass growing in the middle of the narrow lane. Peaceful, right? It truly is. But wait, now there is a car driving directly at you, not a Sunday driver, but someone who seems to be preparing for the Indy 500. Remember the stones? Yeah, not quite as tranquil. And here comes a delivery truck...

This anxiety did not make the drive any less beautiful, just a bit more nerve-racking. Cows and sheep dotted the landscape as did quaint, picturesque villages and local pubs. We drove through a wee community (I'm not sure it would classify as a village) that enjoyed sharing a more famous sister city. The community of Hollywood had large white wooden letters that spelled out Hollywood on the hillside amongst the sheep. 

Wicklow Gap in the Wicklow Mountains was our first stop to look out over the beautiful scenery. Green valleys amongst rising hills made for a great, yet blustery, stop.

Glendalough was not much further onward in the valley of these mountains. It was originally a monastic settlement first settled by St. Kevin over 1,000 years ago. The monks here enjoyed a life of solitude away from distractions. They were also a holy destination for penance-seekers as the pope once said seven visits to this settlement would have the same "abolishment of sins powers" as one trip to Rome. The community survived multiple Viking Raids while also acting as a sanctuary for criminals hiding from the law. As the story goes, criminals could seek refuge here for 90 days.  On the 91st day, they were given the choice of becoming a monk or being tossed out to the authorities.

Glendalough itself is a wee village containing a hotel, a shop, a visitor's center, a religious book shop and several street vendors taking advantage of the large amounts of tourists that pass through. Built up right alongside a babbling creek and the ancient ruins in the center of the valley. A couple of the buildings of the monastery remain partly in tact: the chapel and some small buildings probably used for living quarters, storage and/or worship. But the round tower, which was used as a last round of defense, as storage, and as a beacon is still (at least on the outside) in seemingly perfect condition. Estimates on when the tower was built range from 900-1200, so, no matter what, it is very old. The grounds around the tower and the ruins is a graveyard with gravestones that mark a variety of years by the hundreds, some within the last thirty years, some with dates that have long since disappeared.

A large granite cross, St. Kevin's cross stands near the chapel. Legend says that if you can hug the cross and your fingers touch on the opposite said that your wish will come true. Neither Jessica nor I were so lucky... Or perhaps we're just not so long-armed!

We decided to wonder on to the two lakes (Glendalough actually means valley of the two lakes), and I'm so thankful we did. The journey there and back (with a couple excursions) was probably 3-4 miles and it was well worth it! The lower lake which we came to first was a lovely little spot complete with baby ducks and two young violinists serenading passers by. The walk there was immersed in greenery: large trees covered in moss and ferns showing off the damp climate. The upper lake was even more picturesque: a gorgeous blue water lapping onto a pebbled beach in the middle of two small mountains. We spent some time here getting lots of photos since it was so picturesque, then we walked up to see a waterfall and meandered back toward the car along a boardwalk spotting three deer who didn't seem to mind our presence at all.

After ice cream and some browsing, we ventured on to Sally Gap, another stunning example of mountains, valleys, greenery and overpowering winds. Just beautiful! 

The mist began to settle in and obstruct our views a bit, so we headed towards home, stopping at a hotel first to enjoy some perfect fish and chips. We got home and have stayed up well past our bedtime visiting with our wonderfully generous hosts.

Emerald Isle

"They say Mother Earth is breathing with each wave that finds the shore. Her soul rises in the evening for to open twilight's doors. Her eyes are the stars in heaven, watching o'er us all the while. And her heart it is in Ireland, deep within the Emerald Isle." - Garth Brooks

Fresh off my second Garth Brooks concert for the year, these song lyrics were the only thoughts I had as I landed this morning... I think that was just this morning!

After landing, and while waiting for a gate to open up, I stared out the window watching as the world seemed to come to life early in the morning. The greens in between the lanes were littered with small rabbits who seemed to have no care in the world, not at all worried by the presence of the huge metal beasts moving about around them.

The airport was not crowded before 7am, so I quickly got through customs, found my luggage and did my best to freshen up for a day of adventures. Time went by quickly and before I knew it, Jessica had arrived and we were off!

We spent several minutes just sitting in the rental car, trying to formulate a plan, find directions and become accustomed to the car. Three years ago, when Kelly and I had swapped lives for the year, that included cars, and I was forced to face a fear: learning how to drive a manual car. It was stressful, but a skill I was thankful to have learned. When making plans to come back here, looking at rental cars, we discovered that manuals were about half the cost as most cars on these islands are manual. So, I volunteered to again conquer my fear and Jessica agreed to be a patient navigator. 

Getting back in the car, I was thrilled that the skill did seem to come back like second nature, and although it wasn't terribly smooth nor did I feel extremely comfortable, all went well. Or at least it did until I had to park in a tight spot on a slight incline... I stalled three or four times in the process, but hey, I did it and no one, including the car, was hurt. 

Our first stop was the quaint little town of Trim, complete with small brightly colored homes, hanging baskets, busy small businesses and oh yes, a castle smack dab in the middle. This island is full of castles thanks to the history of the land that goes back centuries and is quite complicated with the variety of rulers and ruling parties. Our tour guide at Trim Castle was an older Irish man with a love for the land and its history. He took us throughout the interior of the castle which was completed in 1206, giving us history lessons along the way. I must admit that my understanding of Irish history is practically nonexistent, and he gave us so much that, well, I really am not sure I could tell you much besides the people of Ireland really didn't have control over their own land until relatively recently. Now, it is peaceful and the people are proud and happy.

Trim Castle is famous for another reason: it was the filming site for many scenes in Braveheart (yes, that movie is about Scotland, not Ireland). No wonder it was chosen: an ancient castle still standing with large open fields and a river on one side. Perfect movie scene to take us back hundreds of years.

We had trouble finding a pub to eat in (yes, that is shocking), but took some advice from my excellent guide, Rick Steves and ate at a small local hotel where I was able to enjoy a dish I'd been missing: mince beef pie with potatoes.

Jessica's aunt lives just outside a wee village nearly in the middle of the country. We headed on her way, driving cautiously down roads seemingly meant for one way traffic but actually meant for two while locals sped past me.

Her aunt, Marilyn, lives in the country in a perfect little Irish home surrounded by fields and cows.

Exhaustion hit this afternoon as we sat around just talking, the two of them catching up on family and all of us discussing plans of what we should see here. But, we powered through, knowing that it would make the rest of our time here better if we could stay up until a reasonable hour to get onto the right schedule. We made it through a trip to a local pick up place where I got a batter sausage (meaning a sausage cooked in batter just as the fish and chips are made), and it was delicious.

It won't take our eyes long to close tonight and dream sweet Irish dreams of a beautiful country and the adventures that await us here.