IRELAND - the driving is great: east to west, south to north!
Jul 10th, 2014, 09:29 AM
#64
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Wow - thanks so much TPAYT!!! What a nice compliment! That will keep me writing for sure, but tomorrow is my son's rehearsal dinner and Saturday the wedding, and I have to drive son #3 to Philadelphia Sunday so he can go back to Dublin to finish up his internship (yes, the DS in this TR) so there will definitely be a brief intermission! Luckily I should be able to finish the TR up before DS2 gets married the end of next month!!!
Photos - Hmmm I always want to do something with them, but never know what to do. One TR, I put the pictures on Facebook, which I do each time anyway, and posted a link, but that really didn't seem to be the best idea. What do you use?
Photos - Hmmm I always want to do something with them, but never know what to do. One TR, I put the pictures on Facebook, which I do each time anyway, and posted a link, but that really didn't seem to be the best idea. What do you use?
Jul 10th, 2014, 03:13 PM
#65
kwren, as to the Rock of Cashel vs Kilkenny Castle, I think you definitely made the right choice. We hit the Rock, along with Blarney and Cahir Castles, on our last day en route from Kenmare to Shannon.
The Rock of Cashel is fairly impressive on the outside, but surprisingly spartan on the inside. Just a lot of open space. A tad disappointing. We didn't have time to get to Kilkenny which looks marvelous, even if much of it was reconstructed in the 1800s.
The Rock of Cashel is fairly impressive on the outside, but surprisingly spartan on the inside. Just a lot of open space. A tad disappointing. We didn't have time to get to Kilkenny which looks marvelous, even if much of it was reconstructed in the 1800s.
Jul 10th, 2014, 04:33 PM
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So are they still in the original Waterford building or did they close and open a smaller one since they are only making trophies and special pieces now? I am glad they are still employing some craftsmen as it was a huge loss to the area when they started making everything else in Poland I think. I have a lot of Waterford so really bummed me out when they stopped making in Ireland. I have my aunts collection but have a pattern for myself that you could only get in Ireland. Very simple but beautiful. It is an amazing process and my husband enjoyed seeing the craft.
Jul 11th, 2014, 04:37 AM
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They didn't mention anything about the building so I don't know if it was a new one or not. The day we were there, they were glass blowing and molding vases and I think they were marking a bowl if I recall correctly. They certainly didn't mention any difference between Waterford and House of Waterford.
They had an area in the showroom where a lot of stemware was listed as "archive". My pattern was there and it's 30 years old so I took that to mean they had been discontinued. Prices were listed though.
One other thing that surprised me is that they have a big machine which can make a carved item very quickly. Ithey were making a vase in it.
They had an area in the showroom where a lot of stemware was listed as "archive". My pattern was there and it's 30 years old so I took that to mean they had been discontinued. Prices were listed though.
One other thing that surprised me is that they have a big machine which can make a carved item very quickly. Ithey were making a vase in it.
Jul 11th, 2014, 06:06 AM
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Outstanding trip report! My wife has been bugging me for several years to travel to Ireland. Looks like next year may be the one. Driving through all of Italy must not have been enough. The one thing that concerns me is driving on the left. Have been driving on the right for all of my life. Even in Italy the driving was not a concern except for the crazy Italian drivers! How long did it really take you to get comfortable and were there any near misses? Thank you.
Jul 15th, 2014, 01:23 PM
#69
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Here I am again on the other side of the weekend of my son's wedding! It was perfect and wonderful.
And tonight is my 30th year anniversary dinner.
Wedding, anniversary and Ireland all in under a month.
Whew! I need a glass of wine!
Tomorrow I'll try to get back to my trip report.
And tonight is my 30th year anniversary dinner.
Wedding, anniversary and Ireland all in under a month.
Whew! I need a glass of wine!
Tomorrow I'll try to get back to my trip report.
Jul 16th, 2014, 06:00 AM
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Hi debjulmar - I really wouldn't be concerned about driving on the left. If you fly into Dublin and pick the car up there, there is a very quiet road which circles around all the rental car lots that you can practice on until you feel comfortable. There was even a tiny traffic circle to try out. I honestly felt comfortable just about immediately.
It was the narrow country roads which were harder when a car, or worse - a bus! - came from the opposite direction. You just pull over as far as you can. DH did scrape the mirror on a stone bridge in one of those situations, but near misses? None!
There were many warnings on Fodors not to drive in Dublin so we didn't do that except for one time. It was later our last Sunday night when our son was in the car with us to point us in the right direction. That wasn't overwhelming at all, but then again, we weren't trying to go anywhere specific. Just a general tour. Would driving in the daytime be that bad? I don't know, but since we were warned, we had no desire to try. I'm sure parking in Dublin would not be easy in any case.
It was the narrow country roads which were harder when a car, or worse - a bus! - came from the opposite direction. You just pull over as far as you can. DH did scrape the mirror on a stone bridge in one of those situations, but near misses? None!
There were many warnings on Fodors not to drive in Dublin so we didn't do that except for one time. It was later our last Sunday night when our son was in the car with us to point us in the right direction. That wasn't overwhelming at all, but then again, we weren't trying to go anywhere specific. Just a general tour. Would driving in the daytime be that bad? I don't know, but since we were warned, we had no desire to try. I'm sure parking in Dublin would not be easy in any case.
Jul 16th, 2014, 10:18 AM
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OK, so where was I? It's hard to come down off of cloud 9 to continue writing! 
LOOKING FOR A B&B
So we got to Kildare and figured it wouldn't take long to find a place to stay. After all, we had seen nothing but B&B's everywhere we went, usually at least one about every 2 minutes. They were EVERYWHERE in western Ireland. We also hadn't booked this night because we weren't sure how far we wanted to drive today. Never thought we'd have a problem finding something - anything!
We drove and drove and didn't see any B&B's or otherwise (except for one at the beginning which didn't look so great - if only we had known we wouldn't see another, we would have stopped!) We were everywhere through the countryside as well as through small towns. Nothing!
In the meantime, our car was acting strangely. I haven't mentioned this yet in my report, but a couple of times before, the engine had started revving unexpectedly even though we weren't increasing our speed. Our car was an automatic, but with a manual stick shift override. We thought maybe we had bumped the lever since moving it stopped the revving each time. This time, however, the high pitched revving continued without stopping at all (if you drive a stick shift, it sounded like we were driving about 90 mph in first gear), no matter what we did and no matter how slowly we were going. There was also a dashboard indicator saying "check auto gearbox" which remained illuminated the rest of our drive that night. Yikes!
So we couldn't find a place to stay, our car sounded like it was about to take off, it was getting late and we were hungry. We came across a foodstore so decided to go in and buy things to make sandwiches instead of finding a restaurant - which were also in short supply - just in case we became stranded. When we got out, the entire parking lot smelled of burning car! It was terrible!
Luckily, we were directed to the one hotel in the area, the Hazel Hotel in Monasterevin. We got there, told our story to the sympathetic clerk who confirmed he had a room and gave us a great rate. He was so nice and invited us to make our sandwiches in the pub area, which we did, and of course we ordered drinks as well. My new favorite of the trip was whiskey and ginger ale! He also let us use the phone to call the car company, who said to call back in the morning. We spent the rest of the evening in the pub (WiFi didn't reach the rooms) eating, drinking and especially working online to find a place to stay for the next 2 nights, Friday and Saturday. That took 4 hours because most reasonably priced places were booked or only had 1 room left, too small for 5 people (the 3 of us, DS and his friend). Popular area up north! Connor, the clerk/bartender/breakfast waiter, was very friendly and talkative and hung around quite a bit. We really enjoyed his company, and more importantly, finally found a place to stay! We also heard his opinion of why they had the best Guinness around! Interestingy, it was the only Guiness that didn't make me gag (I don't like beer) so there was definitely a difference there.
We went to the room which was spotlessly clean, to the most comfortable beds and were asleep immediately.
LOOKING FOR A B&B
So we got to Kildare and figured it wouldn't take long to find a place to stay. After all, we had seen nothing but B&B's everywhere we went, usually at least one about every 2 minutes. They were EVERYWHERE in western Ireland. We also hadn't booked this night because we weren't sure how far we wanted to drive today. Never thought we'd have a problem finding something - anything!
We drove and drove and didn't see any B&B's or otherwise (except for one at the beginning which didn't look so great - if only we had known we wouldn't see another, we would have stopped!) We were everywhere through the countryside as well as through small towns. Nothing!
In the meantime, our car was acting strangely. I haven't mentioned this yet in my report, but a couple of times before, the engine had started revving unexpectedly even though we weren't increasing our speed. Our car was an automatic, but with a manual stick shift override. We thought maybe we had bumped the lever since moving it stopped the revving each time. This time, however, the high pitched revving continued without stopping at all (if you drive a stick shift, it sounded like we were driving about 90 mph in first gear), no matter what we did and no matter how slowly we were going. There was also a dashboard indicator saying "check auto gearbox" which remained illuminated the rest of our drive that night. Yikes!
So we couldn't find a place to stay, our car sounded like it was about to take off, it was getting late and we were hungry. We came across a foodstore so decided to go in and buy things to make sandwiches instead of finding a restaurant - which were also in short supply - just in case we became stranded. When we got out, the entire parking lot smelled of burning car! It was terrible!
Luckily, we were directed to the one hotel in the area, the Hazel Hotel in Monasterevin. We got there, told our story to the sympathetic clerk who confirmed he had a room and gave us a great rate. He was so nice and invited us to make our sandwiches in the pub area, which we did, and of course we ordered drinks as well. My new favorite of the trip was whiskey and ginger ale! He also let us use the phone to call the car company, who said to call back in the morning. We spent the rest of the evening in the pub (WiFi didn't reach the rooms) eating, drinking and especially working online to find a place to stay for the next 2 nights, Friday and Saturday. That took 4 hours because most reasonably priced places were booked or only had 1 room left, too small for 5 people (the 3 of us, DS and his friend). Popular area up north! Connor, the clerk/bartender/breakfast waiter, was very friendly and talkative and hung around quite a bit. We really enjoyed his company, and more importantly, finally found a place to stay! We also heard his opinion of why they had the best Guinness around! Interestingy, it was the only Guiness that didn't make me gag (I don't like beer) so there was definitely a difference there.
We went to the room which was spotlessly clean, to the most comfortable beds and were asleep immediately.
Jul 16th, 2014, 01:56 PM
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DAN DOOLEY, HAZEL HOTEL and PAY IN EUROS OR DOLLARS? and A TRAVELLERS WEDDING
So the next morning I got up and drove the car around the parking lot. It had cooled down overnight, was not revving and the dash light was off. Called the car company and they were great. They said I could drive the car back to the Dublin Airport and get a new car since I was going to that vicinity anyway (gee, wasn't that nice of them??!!), but I said no way, I didn't feel comfortable driving it a long distance in case we might have the same problem and worse, get stranded when we were supposed to be meeting my son. They said OK they would bring us a new car and to wait at the hotel. Again, I said no, that I preferred they meet us at the National Stud and Japanese Gardens, our destination for the morning. I was not about to sit in a hotel all morning waiting for them when I had places to go! People to meet! At first they said we shouldn't drive the car at all, but since it was only 10 minutes away and I promised to drive slowly, they relented. We called them when we arrived at the National Stud and set the time to meet in the parking lot at 11:30.
Breakfast at the Hazel Hotel, by the way, was great. Traditional Irish breakfast or choice off the menu, and who served us but Connor from the night before. He sure gets around at this job! Great way to start the day. The cook also came out to greet us and I told him that the black pudding was the best of the whole trip...tender and tasty. They told me that it is more expensive than that which is normally ordered by hotels, ordered directly from a local farm which only uses organic ingredients and very little filler. They were so pleased that I noticed and appreciated the difference.
As an aside, I recall responding to a thread a while back about a credit card scam where, especially in Ireland, clerks try to charge unsuspecting Americans in dollars instead of Euros. As I believe the thread went, Americans thought they were getting a deal, when in actuality, an extra fee was charged to change the dollars back to Euros, then the credit card company would tack on another exchange fee to change it back for the billing in the US. It ended up being more expensive according to that thread. (I hope I have this right) We were the guinea pigs to test it.
When it came time to check out, we were asked if we wanted to pay in Euros or dollars. I remembered the advice and said Euros! I gave her my credit card and she tried the old card not working in the little machine line. I said there is no chip so you have to swipe it. She was "sooooo" surprised! Imagine that she couldn't get the card oriented correctly to swipe it either. Tried every way except the magnetic strip by the machine. I pointed out how to do it so we moved along. Well, the woman said, "Oops, I accidentally charged you in dollars, but don't worry, it's cheaper for you". I said, noooooo, I want it in Euros and I told you that. Sorry, too late. Noooo, it's not too late, please void out the transaction. She saw that I was holding my ground and she voided it and I asked for that receipt. She then proceeded to put the charge through in Euros.
Our credit card bill was posted online the next day. Both charges were there. The one which had been initially charged in dollars and then was credited back to the account was $6 more than the room fee which was initially charged in Euros. So - never push the button which says do you want to pay in dollars! Only pay in Euros!
Before we left, the woman checking us out and I started talking about weddings, and she mentioned that there was a ballroom at the end of the hotel set up for a wedding that night. Since I was in full wedding mode, I asked if I could see it. She said sure and what a set-up! Huge ostrich feathers made up the extremely tall centerpieces and there were little sparkling white lights everywhere, including the backdrop behind the head table. It looked like a starry sky and was beautiful. I asked about the cake, but it hadn't arrived yet. However, she took me to the desk and proceeded to show me pictures of the most amazing cakes I have ever seen. One stretched over probably 5 long tables and included cake figurines of every bridal party member (I think they had 8 on each side), buildings, vehicles and more. She explained that traveler weddings (she also mentioned the word gypsy) take over the entire hotel and they don't allow non-wedding people to book a room at the hotel those nights because the weddings often get out of hand and that would not help the hotel's reputation. They also don't allow the travelers to stay for the same reason. She said they are ostentatious, lavish affairs, with wedding dresses often covered in Austrian crystals, brides wearing huge tiaras, and extreme cakes showing status or wealth. Some cakes could have up to 25 tiers or separate sections. That explains all the tables!
I found a picture online of a travellers wedding cake, but it was not as ornate as the pictures she showed me:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...95_634x366.jpg
I'm glad that my son's wedding was a bit
tamer that what she was describing!
So the next morning I got up and drove the car around the parking lot. It had cooled down overnight, was not revving and the dash light was off. Called the car company and they were great. They said I could drive the car back to the Dublin Airport and get a new car since I was going to that vicinity anyway (gee, wasn't that nice of them??!!), but I said no way, I didn't feel comfortable driving it a long distance in case we might have the same problem and worse, get stranded when we were supposed to be meeting my son. They said OK they would bring us a new car and to wait at the hotel. Again, I said no, that I preferred they meet us at the National Stud and Japanese Gardens, our destination for the morning. I was not about to sit in a hotel all morning waiting for them when I had places to go! People to meet! At first they said we shouldn't drive the car at all, but since it was only 10 minutes away and I promised to drive slowly, they relented. We called them when we arrived at the National Stud and set the time to meet in the parking lot at 11:30.
Breakfast at the Hazel Hotel, by the way, was great. Traditional Irish breakfast or choice off the menu, and who served us but Connor from the night before. He sure gets around at this job! Great way to start the day. The cook also came out to greet us and I told him that the black pudding was the best of the whole trip...tender and tasty. They told me that it is more expensive than that which is normally ordered by hotels, ordered directly from a local farm which only uses organic ingredients and very little filler. They were so pleased that I noticed and appreciated the difference.
As an aside, I recall responding to a thread a while back about a credit card scam where, especially in Ireland, clerks try to charge unsuspecting Americans in dollars instead of Euros. As I believe the thread went, Americans thought they were getting a deal, when in actuality, an extra fee was charged to change the dollars back to Euros, then the credit card company would tack on another exchange fee to change it back for the billing in the US. It ended up being more expensive according to that thread. (I hope I have this right) We were the guinea pigs to test it.
When it came time to check out, we were asked if we wanted to pay in Euros or dollars. I remembered the advice and said Euros! I gave her my credit card and she tried the old card not working in the little machine line. I said there is no chip so you have to swipe it. She was "sooooo" surprised! Imagine that she couldn't get the card oriented correctly to swipe it either. Tried every way except the magnetic strip by the machine. I pointed out how to do it so we moved along. Well, the woman said, "Oops, I accidentally charged you in dollars, but don't worry, it's cheaper for you". I said, noooooo, I want it in Euros and I told you that. Sorry, too late. Noooo, it's not too late, please void out the transaction. She saw that I was holding my ground and she voided it and I asked for that receipt. She then proceeded to put the charge through in Euros.
Our credit card bill was posted online the next day. Both charges were there. The one which had been initially charged in dollars and then was credited back to the account was $6 more than the room fee which was initially charged in Euros. So - never push the button which says do you want to pay in dollars! Only pay in Euros!
Before we left, the woman checking us out and I started talking about weddings, and she mentioned that there was a ballroom at the end of the hotel set up for a wedding that night. Since I was in full wedding mode, I asked if I could see it. She said sure and what a set-up! Huge ostrich feathers made up the extremely tall centerpieces and there were little sparkling white lights everywhere, including the backdrop behind the head table. It looked like a starry sky and was beautiful. I asked about the cake, but it hadn't arrived yet. However, she took me to the desk and proceeded to show me pictures of the most amazing cakes I have ever seen. One stretched over probably 5 long tables and included cake figurines of every bridal party member (I think they had 8 on each side), buildings, vehicles and more. She explained that traveler weddings (she also mentioned the word gypsy) take over the entire hotel and they don't allow non-wedding people to book a room at the hotel those nights because the weddings often get out of hand and that would not help the hotel's reputation. They also don't allow the travelers to stay for the same reason. She said they are ostentatious, lavish affairs, with wedding dresses often covered in Austrian crystals, brides wearing huge tiaras, and extreme cakes showing status or wealth. Some cakes could have up to 25 tiers or separate sections. That explains all the tables!
I found a picture online of a travellers wedding cake, but it was not as ornate as the pictures she showed me:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...95_634x366.jpg
I'm glad that my son's wedding was a bit
tamer that what she was describing!
Jul 16th, 2014, 04:43 PM
#74
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Have you seen my big fat Gypsy Wedding? It is unreal. The dresses weigh more than the people.
So what was wrong with the car? It wasn't a fiat? That is weird.
How did your wedding go? I think you have had an extremely busy month!
So what was wrong with the car? It wasn't a fiat? That is weird.
How did your wedding go? I think you have had an extremely busy month!
Jul 16th, 2014, 08:54 PM
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Having just decided to visit Ireland the end of Aug I started by reading TR's and am very much enjoying yours. Hadn't considered Skellig Michael till I read of your adventure, maybe I'll try it.
Karen
Karen
Jul 16th, 2014, 08:54 PM
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Having just decided to visit Ireland the end of Aug I started by reading TR's and am very much enjoying yours. Hadn't considered Skellig Michael till I read of your adventure, maybe I'll try it.
Karen
Karen
Jul 17th, 2014, 09:12 AM
#77
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flpab - no I haven't seen that show. Is it in the UK? I have, however, googled it and some of those dresses are amazing. They say some have 25 petticoats!!! 
There is a picture of one girl in a limo amidst a huge fluff of ruffles poofing all around her. Only her face was showing. Ugh - poor thing!
I don't know what was wrong with the car - not a Fiat ...a Renault. Our theory was transmission. They brought us another of the exact same type and it was fine. We should have paid attention when the revving first happened within the first two days. I do know that the guy who picked it up made it back to Dublin ok.
The wedding, and rehearsal dinner (on the Pride of the Susquehanna paddle wheeler) which was one of our contributions, were perfect. No glitches and everyone kept on saying how much fun they both were. I couldn't have asked for anything to be different! Our next rehearsal dinner next month will be at a fondue restaurant. I hope it's as much fun - I'll have to see that it is!!! Thanks for asking!
https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en...ed=0CHYQoiowCQ
Thanks for joining in KRNS. You might end up considering our last day too! You'll soon read how awesome that was as well!
There is a picture of one girl in a limo amidst a huge fluff of ruffles poofing all around her. Only her face was showing. Ugh - poor thing!I don't know what was wrong with the car - not a Fiat
...a Renault. Our theory was transmission. They brought us another of the exact same type and it was fine. We should have paid attention when the revving first happened within the first two days. I do know that the guy who picked it up made it back to Dublin ok.The wedding, and rehearsal dinner (on the Pride of the Susquehanna paddle wheeler) which was one of our contributions, were perfect. No glitches and everyone kept on saying how much fun they both were. I couldn't have asked for anything to be different! Our next rehearsal dinner next month will be at a fondue restaurant. I hope it's as much fun - I'll have to see that it is!!! Thanks for asking!
https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en...ed=0CHYQoiowCQ
Thanks for joining in KRNS. You might end up considering our last day too! You'll soon read how awesome that was as well!
Jul 17th, 2014, 10:28 AM
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ANOTHER SHELL HOUSE - NATIONAL HOBBY?
Have to mention that on the main drag between Monasterevin and Kildare, we spotted an adorable little cottage on the left which looked like it was covered with colorful designs made from round pebbles. I stopped for a picture, but while zooming in, I realized it was actually covered with painted shells. Unlike the house in Dungarvin, this one was much simpler with only a few larger shell designs such as a shamrock, a tea kettle suspended over a fire, and my favorite, shell shutters and trim around the front window, and was in perfect shape. It's obvious people live there and I never saw it listed as a tourist sight, but it was worth a few minutes to stop while passing by.
NATIONAL STUD AND JAPANESE GARDENS
We are not really horse fans, but this was a very interesting stop and we were glad it was recommended. We started with the tour of the horse breeding facilities and then walked out with the guide to the fields of 'famous' (i.e. won the most money in racing) stallions. Each paddock listed the horse's name and what they 'earn' when they cover (mate with) a mare. For instance, the breeding favorite, 'Invincible Spirit', had total race winnings of 384,982€ (over $500,000), is insured for 60,000,000€, and his fee to cover a mare is an incredible 70,000€ each time ($91,000)! And to imagine that there are waiting lists for this guy! The mare has to practically be interviewed to make it to that list.
Horse breeding certainly is big business!!!
Personally, I sort of liked 'Big Bad Bob', although his cover fee was a measly 6000€. Peanuts! He hasn't been there as long so he has yet to prove himself by producing some famous racers.
The other name that made me chuckle was 'Beef or Salmon'. I texted a picture of this guy to my son who will be getting married next month since those are the choices for his reception dinner!
We also saw a few of a rare breed of Argentine miniature Falabella horses. They were very cute with their long shaggy manes and range from 12 - 22 inches tall when born.
The tour continued to the nurseries where successful mares were grazing with their foals. We were then free to walk around or back to the visitor center when the rain let loose. All the horses ran for cover (not in THAT way!) under the trees.
We waited out the rain until 11:30 until we met the guy with the car and then went to the Japanese Gardens and its Path of Life. All of life's stages are represented by various beautiful Japanese plantings, a Japanese bridge, tunnels, rock formations, a traditional tea house, etc., from birth to the Gateway to Eternity (the exit gate). It was very imaginative and serene.
There was a small museum on site which housed the skeleton of the "greatest steeplechaser in history", Arkle. That horse had very good teeth. Just saying'. There were some interesting horse facts, but we didn't have time to find the video of the foal being born due to lack of time.
It is obvious that Ireland takes great pride in their horses. This was a beautiful place whether you have an avid interest in horses or not.
Have to mention that on the main drag between Monasterevin and Kildare, we spotted an adorable little cottage on the left which looked like it was covered with colorful designs made from round pebbles. I stopped for a picture, but while zooming in, I realized it was actually covered with painted shells. Unlike the house in Dungarvin, this one was much simpler with only a few larger shell designs such as a shamrock, a tea kettle suspended over a fire, and my favorite, shell shutters and trim around the front window, and was in perfect shape. It's obvious people live there and I never saw it listed as a tourist sight, but it was worth a few minutes to stop while passing by.
NATIONAL STUD AND JAPANESE GARDENS
We are not really horse fans, but this was a very interesting stop and we were glad it was recommended. We started with the tour of the horse breeding facilities and then walked out with the guide to the fields of 'famous' (i.e. won the most money in racing) stallions. Each paddock listed the horse's name and what they 'earn' when they cover (mate with) a mare. For instance, the breeding favorite, 'Invincible Spirit', had total race winnings of 384,982€ (over $500,000), is insured for 60,000,000€, and his fee to cover a mare is an incredible 70,000€ each time ($91,000)! And to imagine that there are waiting lists for this guy! The mare has to practically be interviewed to make it to that list.
Horse breeding certainly is big business!!!
Personally, I sort of liked 'Big Bad Bob', although his cover fee was a measly 6000€. Peanuts! He hasn't been there as long so he has yet to prove himself by producing some famous racers.
The other name that made me chuckle was 'Beef or Salmon'. I texted a picture of this guy to my son who will be getting married next month since those are the choices for his reception dinner!
We also saw a few of a rare breed of Argentine miniature Falabella horses. They were very cute with their long shaggy manes and range from 12 - 22 inches tall when born.
The tour continued to the nurseries where successful mares were grazing with their foals. We were then free to walk around or back to the visitor center when the rain let loose. All the horses ran for cover (not in THAT way!) under the trees.
We waited out the rain until 11:30 until we met the guy with the car and then went to the Japanese Gardens and its Path of Life. All of life's stages are represented by various beautiful Japanese plantings, a Japanese bridge, tunnels, rock formations, a traditional tea house, etc., from birth to the Gateway to Eternity (the exit gate). It was very imaginative and serene.
There was a small museum on site which housed the skeleton of the "greatest steeplechaser in history", Arkle. That horse had very good teeth. Just saying'. There were some interesting horse facts, but we didn't have time to find the video of the foal being born due to lack of time.
It is obvious that Ireland takes great pride in their horses. This was a beautiful place whether you have an avid interest in horses or not.
Jul 17th, 2014, 10:39 AM
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Finally it was time to head on over to Dublin and end the western/southern loop of our trip. Those two areas of Ireland were beautiful and everything we had hoped for when we made the decision to go that way. We hit an amazing variety of sights and activities and if our trip were to end here, it would have been completely wonderful. However, we were about to see more awe-inspiring places and we're so glad we changed our itinerary to accommodate having DS with us that weekend.
Dublin was about an hour away so we headed off to pick up DS and friend at Dublin City University for the second of our two weekends, and to head up to Northern Ireland, the initially unplanned part of our vacation.
Dublin was about an hour away so we headed off to pick up DS and friend at Dublin City University for the second of our two weekends, and to head up to Northern Ireland, the initially unplanned part of our vacation.
Jul 17th, 2014, 11:18 AM
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kwren
Great report, Loving all the info! A late question back to the skellig Island tour, you included a link of the boat company you used but I don't see any mention of the shorter tour your husband took. Do you know if that was a different company and if yes, who it was? Thanks in Advance.
Great report, Loving all the info! A late question back to the skellig Island tour, you included a link of the boat company you used but I don't see any mention of the shorter tour your husband took. Do you know if that was a different company and if yes, who it was? Thanks in Advance.
