Saturday, March 30

After a fairly intense travel schedule this week, today was a bonus day to do a few of the extras on the wish list. That meant there was nothing we absolutely had to do so we let kids sleep later. The adults still got up at a reasonable hour and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and mid-morning run in the park. Again the sun was shining and it may even have been a few degrees warmer though we're not sure it hit 40 degrees. Jeff and I (Anne) went 4.2 miles in a run/walk combo and soaked up the beautiful surroundings. It will be tough to get back on a treadmill.

We headed out around noon riding the bus once again to the Temple Bar area, known for cobblestone streets and well, The Temple Bar. The O'Connell Street Bridge was a colorful spot and made a good backdrop for a few last photos. The river as full of rowers and it could not have been more picturesque. 

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Porter House, an authentic spot with many Irish favorites. Whoever told us that Irish food wasn't that great didn't eat at the places we did. I ate a lot of soup this week, and today's special was roasted red pepper and sweet potato that I paired with a walnut and goat cheese salad and finally - an Irish coffee.




We wandered for a bit into a fresh air market and then split up for a little shopping on Grafton Street. Erika found a nice ear warmer and Tyler got a CD from a band on the street playing Irish music.

We dined in for dinner with "take away" pizza. (In Ireland, instead of picking it up, you come to "collect" it.) Now we're watching Marquette basketball in the Elite 8, getting packed up and thinking about our Easter Sunday which will be a little long and even one hour longer as we spring ahead for Daylight Savings Time.



We can't thank our hosts enough for a wonderful time and our kids for being amazing travelers who were open to all the experiences of a foreign country. I'm hoping someone will want to join me for a little live music in a pub tonight, which is the last thing on my "must do" list. Then again, if it doesn't happen, we'll just have to come back to Ireland again!

Friday, March 29

Every day here is full but without being hectic. We are managing a delicate balance of keeping everyone rested enough while taking in as many sites and experiences as possible. Today's first site was  Kilmainham Gaol, Ireland's most famous jail. Karen and Anne went early to ensure we got tickets, which put us into a group with an incredible tour guide. She enthusiastically shared the history of the jail, which mirrors the history of Ireland with the many significant figures who were imprisoned and executed there. There's no way to give you all the fun facts we learned, but here are a few:
- The jail is made from limestone which holds the cold in, which explains why it was extremely damp and cold even inside.
- When it first opened, men, women, and children all stayed together with all different degrees of crimes  in the same cell.
- People were jailed for stealing food and later, for begging, so the jail was often full of those committing crimes of hunger.
- It was also a transport jail where criminals were held before being shipped to Australia. It's often said that Australia was built by criminals.
-  Many of the political prisoners were treated pretty well. One was allowed to bring his own furniture and could have guests in a second cell. He was even allowed to leave for his nephew's funeral in another country. As a gentleman, he was expected to return, which he did. Another prisoner, Plunket, was allowed to get married before being executed.

Anyway, you can see we enjoyed our gaol tour. We refueled with a nice lunch back at the McKennas and then headed out for the afternoon to Howth, which is on the coast near Dublin. We made a quick stop on the IBM campus, where Sean is working along with a few thousand others from all over the world.


We were fortunate to have the sun today though temperatures were still pretty frigid as we hiked along the rugged coastline. We walked for about an hour and loved taking in the views of Howth and its port.

 

Next stop- Maldehide, a town with a castle and Avoca shopping and restaurant located on part of the beautiful grounds. We indulged in some incredible treats and then came back to have still another home cooked meal back at the ranch. The cards came back out for what has become an evening tradition, and tonight's Golf winner was Ryan. That brings us to just one more day in Ireland. Better get some quick rest.

Thursday, March 28

We awoke refreshed and about to be amazed by an incredible breakfast, included with our hotel stay. Not only was there an incredible spread in a buffet, we also got to order from a menu. The food was so pretty we’ll share a picture.

Anne and Jeff ran back to town to do a little shopping at a place called none other than Christy’s before we headed out for the day around 10:30. Although it was still cold today, the sun was shining which cast a brilliant light on everything even if for a brief while. This day was all about the journey and we made a few stops back in the park with some pretty magnificent views of water and mountains.  The original plan was to make our way to Kenmare as part of the Ring of Kerry and then Sneem where we would turn around and head back to Dublin. We had made pretty good time and realized it would only take an extra hour to do the entire Ring of Kerry and go back home through Limerick. Turned out to be an outstanding decision as the views became even more dramatic.

We made a few stops for photo opps of scenery and even sheep. Baaaaahhh.

What an amazing day and it felt good to come back home to family, coincidentally just in time for dinner! Most of us are playing Golf while Karen knits and Anne blogs and we all discuss plans for tomorrow. Our days in Ireland are coming to an end so we have to map it out carefully.

Wednesday, March 27

Today was our day to head out of town on our own and travel overnight to the Ring of Kerry area. This time we awoke to a thin layer of snow already blanketing the ground and big fluffy flakes still coming down. This is no joke! Good thing Jeff was all practiced up on his driving in Ireland, and by the time we were an hour out of the city, the skies were blue and it was just a tad warmer.  The Cashel Castle was our first destination, and we repeated the routine of seeing a video and touring about. Again, the history spanned hundreds of years, its first iteration in the year 800.

The Woolen Shop was delighted to have the Ballentines, who stocked up on sweaters and other souvenirs to remember this journey fondly. Jeff got his sought-after Irish sweater and Ryan picked up a woolen cap that would make his grandfathers proud. Back on the road, the countryside was quite lovely as advertised and we enjoyed the animals, farms and rolling hills.

We decided to head to Killarney first and check into our hotel, Earl’s Court House.  Jeff did an amazing job selecting it from the myriad choices, and one of the best parts was the hotel desk clerk, who was full of perfect advice for our itinerary. Upon her suggestion, we went straight to Killarney National Park for a late lunch of stick-to-your-ribs Irish food. Let’s just say the Irish love their potatoes! Those full tummies came in handy when we hit the trails at the park, chasing a waterfall and climbing to a hill above it. While the guidebook shows the scenes in shades of vibrant greens, we found great beauty in the winter/spring versions of golds, purples, browns, and greens. (Mom, I am taking lots of scenic shots for you to consider for painting subjects.)

Given our late lunch we had the luxury of a little downtime before dinner and enjoyed reconnecting to the world for a bit. Anne and Jeff had a room on a separate floor, and the kids shared a room but everyone had a separate bed, which was a nice luxury along with nice hot showers. We walked to town and dined at a place called Laurel’s – more excellent food and authentic atmosphere. We’re loving all the good family time and have spent enough time together to have a whole host of silly accents, impersonations, and jokes…mostly at the expense of the children’s mother.

Tuesday, March 26

We awoke to snow coming down and wondered where that springlike weather might be.  Not deterred by the cold and wind, we set off for Kilkenny which is about an hour and a half south of Dublin. With Tyler navigating for Karen in the lead car, Jeff followed along and honed his driving-on-the-left skills. The motorways are actually quite nice and easy to drive, which made the drive to Kilkenny uneventful.

The main attraction is Kilkenny Castle that punctuates the center of town. We parked on the street nearby, put our Euros in the parking meter, and headed off for our day. Beginning at the castle, we watched a short video describing not only the history of the castle, but of the area as well. We continue to be amazed by the rich and varied history of the country. The current version of the castle is decorated in the Victorian style decorated with paintings of the Butler family, the “original” owners of the estate. Heirs finally sold the castle to the city in the 1930s. Since then it has undergone extensive renovations. They were able to tell a lot about the history of the area by looking at the foundations. An earthen foundation marked the original structure.  At one point there was a wood framed home and the “newest” iteration is the castle we now see. The Butler family still meets on this spot every three years for a reunion. The docent told us that last year there were over 300 descendants in attendance.

Canice’s Cathedral across town was our next stop. We made off toward the steeple only to find out that we were following the wrong steeple, which took us a bit off the beaten path. With tummies rumbling and most of the main street behind us, we ducked in to the only pub we saw. To our delight it was quaint, staffed by extraordinarily friendly people, and served great food. Soup, sandwiches and Irish stew were all real treats. It was a good lesson in going with the flow while traveling and being open to embracing the moment.

The highlight of the cathedral was a tower. According to the guide, many churches built towers next to the churches as a sigh of wealth. They were also used as a place to hide important documents when under attack as well as the place to hold a bell on top to ring for various occasions. In total there were 10 flights with 110 steps up , and we joked that visitors would have had to sign a liability waiver in the US because going up and down was pretty precarious.

We spent the balance of the afternoon looking in various shops in Kilkenny and arrived home with just enough time to eat before heading out on our evening adventure. Karen delighted us once again with another home cooked meal and then sent us off with as many layers as possible and some green accents.

The evening activity was indeed special to the soccer fans in the group and a cultural experience for all as we took in the Ireland vs. Austria World Cup playoff game. We took two buses and did a little walking to get to the Aviva Stadium, which   holds 40,000 people. Though it’s outdoors, we stayed fairly warm with all those bodies and excitement. We sat right down in the first few rows to the right of the goal on the end, which were great seats. Ireland led 2 to 1 by half time and there was no scoring during the second half until the last few seconds of the three minutes of stoppage time when Austria scored and tied the game.  The crowd was not happy but had been good fans, chanting and singing songs like, “Stand up for the boys in green.” Tyler and Ryan managed to get some scarves from a street vendor on the way out, and Tyler was excited to add one more to his growing collection of soccer scarves.

We arrived back home cold and tired but full of enthusiasm for the experience.  What a full day! Before turning in, Anne had to remove three layers on the bottom and seven on top. But let the record state that she stayed warm.

Monday, March 25

In various phases of jet lag, we slept in a bit, ate a hearty breakfast, got Karen off to her first job interview in Ireland, and started off for another day of touring Dublin.

A bit surprisingly, the tours of the historic Irish jail were full into mid-afternoon, so we changed plans and wandered around the building where the Modern Art Museum is. We found a cool cafe and enjoyed a brief respite after a fairly long walk in the cold.

Next we headed to the Guinness Storehouse for the ever popular tour of the history of the beer maker and of course, a pint at the end of the tour in a room with scenic views of Dublin. I was surprised that I liked Guinness better than I expected - pretty smooth and creamy. We helped to stimulate the Irish economy in the gift shop to help us extend our memories back in the States.

It's so nice to have a landing spot to recharge and make our next plans. Sean came in from work and we headed out to a hole in the wall...no really, we dined at Hole in the Wall, an authentic Irish restaurant. Highlights included more breaded fish and chips, bread pudding, and tales from both our day and Ryan's Rose Bowl trip. The evening closed with a planning session for our day tomorrow, when we plan to head out to Kilkenny to see some Irish countryside.

Sunday, March 24

'Twas a blustery day in Dublin but that didn't stop us. Everyone engaged in some type of exercise whether it was a run, walk, combo of the two, or a swim. Karen, Jeff, and I (Anne) went 4.25 miles by the nearby park and ran past the President's House and the US Ambassador's home. After putting the immersion to good use, we all headed out to go see the Book of Kells and the Long Room at Trinity University. The two books on display were open to passages from John 6 and Luke 23 with the ornate artistic lettering and small pictures.

Next we hit Grafton Street and did a little shopping and enjoyed all the entertainment on the street. Tyler picked up a Guinness rugby shirt, Erika got a blazer for school, and Jeff and I invested in some comfortable black leather walking shoes, which should come in handy on this trip for starters. The bus offered some added entertainment when two guys nearly came to blows over whether the bus windows should be open or closed.  We got to hear a little profanity with an Irish accent.

Back at the terrace, we had a nice home cooked meal thanks to Karen (dirty rice and veggies with broccoli on the side) and a lovely dessert beverage called Mead. It has a honey flavor and is used as a toast for newlyweds fro m one full moon to the next, providing the origin for the word honeymoon. A good long game of Golf and some trip planning filled the remainder of the evening. Pictures to be added later.

Saturday, March 23rd

Arriving in Dublin bright and early, we were met by our gracious hosts Karen, Sean and Kyle McKenna (how cool is it to be named Sean McKenna in Ireland?) who came out to the airport to make sure we made it safely to their home with the rental car. That also meant a narrated tour of Dublin and hearing about the McKennas' assimilation into their new life. Sean took a position with IBM in the fall with its Smart Cities initiative. Back to the tour: we learned that the housing in Ireland consists mainly of terrace, which is like our townhouses, and called mid-terrace or end-terrace, or semi-detached, equivalent to a duplex. We have yet to see a single family house. Everything is very charming.

Besides driving on the left side of the street in a car with a stick shift, the trip was a piece of cake. Once we met up at the McKennas' new home, we got a thorough tour of the place they are renting. It's a wonderful mix of new and old -- for example, the kitchen features original 1910 tile floors and a high end chef's stove with six gas burners. They have a nice collection of furniture and art from their years in Singapore and travels all over the world.

Our first outing was to Phoenix Park which is about a half mile walk from home. We explored a small area of a very large park and to go back for a daily run or walk.

After lunch we decided to take a nap, but limit it to two hours.  We weren't sure if that was such a great idea not knowing how it would affect our internal clock, but as it turned out, we were able to recharge our batteries and were ready to explore Dublin for a bit.

The house is a short walk to the bus stop. Karen had pre-purchased bus passes for us in anticipation of taking the bus when possible. All of the Dublin buses are double decker, so we climbed the stairs to the upper deck to better enjoy the views.  We got off the bus near the Archeological Museum.  It's located in a beautifully designed building described as an "accomplished exercise in Victorian Palladianism." The mosaic floors are a zodiac motif. Here is a picture of Karen next to her sign:

We spent a lot of our museum time learning about the many artifacts and bodies (mummified) that had been dug up in the numerous peat bogs in Ireland. They were part of ritual killings between 400 BC and 400 AD and some body parts were in amazingly good condition for all the years that have passed. Fingernails were still evident as an example.

Exiting the museum, we went to a nearby park where we were surprised to see tulips blooming in the cold. Speaking of cold, it is unusually cold here. We asked Sean if it was colder in January and February and he said no, so this is about as cold as it gets here. As Tyler said, "I'd rather be cold in Ireland than cold in Wisconsin." Temps are in the mid-30s but with the wind chill, it's more like the 20s!

We made our way to Grafton Street, famous for its shops, street musicians and tourists. We kept a steady pace into the headwind and didn't take much time to stop and duck into any shops. At this point, we went straight to dinner via bus.  The Pub, Mulligans' Grocer, was great  -- just like we imagined an Irish pub to be. The crowd was a bit sparse at this hour, 6 pm, so they were able to accommodate our group of eight pretty easily. We enjoyed fish, steak, blood sausage and Jenga Fries, named because of the way they are stacked. Karen and Sean had already had the waiter twice before, so they are considered regulars by now. We loved the friendly people and the food was amazing.

Once back at home, we watched a funny comedy routine about the dual immersion by an Irish-American who had visited here and couldn't believe the challenges just trying to take a hot shower. Funny because hot water heaters are small and expensive to use, so there's a lot of hubbub about planning ahead.  Fairly exhausted from our journey, we chatted long enough to make it up to 8 pm and hit the sack. It was a fun first day and we were ready for more!

Friday, March 22nd

Friday was a travel day, but not having to leave until noon, Anne and Jeff were able to make it to the gym.  We took Bailey to the kennel, put the final touches on packing and loaded the car. We left the house around noon, giving ourselves plenty of time for the 5:00 pm flight out of Chicago. We had reserved a parking spot at an off-sight parking garage, so our challenge was to navigate the traffic around O'Hare and find the garage.  It was smooth sailing to the airport from there.  With very few people and many security lines, we were at our gate by 2:40.  That left plenty of time for Jeff and Erika to go back to the check in counter to retrieve the file folder with all of our travel info that Jeff left behind.  There were many more people going through security the second time.

Having landed at Logan in Boston, we had about one hour and thirty minutes to make our connection. Following the sings to the international terminal, we took a long obscure route through narrow halls, outside and back in to the terminal.  We waited in a very long line to go through security again. We kept noticing that people were getting up to the point where they checked the boarding passes and being turned away.  When it was our turn, we found out why.  Apparently, the boarding passes we printed in Chicago, were not "real" boarding passes.  We had to hustle to the Aer Lingus ticket counter and get the real boarding passes and use the priority line to get back to the front of the long line. It was at this point that the security decided to announce that if you had a United Boarding pass, you had to recheck with the international carrier before getting in line--thanks for the heads up. We hurried to the gate and got on the plane.  We were late in leaving because there were many others in that long security line who were in the same boat (plane).  We all shard the same row on the plane, so it made for great family time. A long flight and attempts at sleep we landed safely and on time in Dublin.

Let The Packing Begin...

I was thinking about how getting ready for a trip is a bit different than it was 20 years ago.
My to do list includes:

• syncing my iPod and iPad, making sure we have all of the necessary chargers; 
• getting a couple of good books loaded on the iPad Kindle app; 
• downloading a movie to i-tunes; 
• checking in online and printing boarding passes; 
• reserving a parking spot at O'hare online;
• packing the GPS for use while driving (although this didn't prevent a long adventurous drive in Puerto Rico last year).
• making sure we have the correct phone plan so we can make calls without spending a fortune.
• and, of course, update the blog...