Ireland Part 9

Friday, we had a very special treat, a 20 mile bike ride on a bike and walk only trail.  We rented bikes and were dropped off at Achill Sound, the end of a peninsula surrounded by sea.  We rode back through exquisite countryside to Newport, where we were met by our shuttle and driven the remaining few miles back to Westport just as the rain began to pour.

 The trail started in open country.  We had to battle strong head and side winds for the first few miles.

 Berta and Paul pose on the trail that used to be a railway.

 Berta and Gail.

 Gail and I.

 A bronze luggage monument (to those fleeing the famine?).

 Berta and Paul taken by my "camera over the shoulder on a bicycle maneuver".

A beautiful stone bridge, strong enough to support bicycles.

River, bluebells, yellow gorse, ruins, and sheep in green pastures  -  is this heaven or what?

 Nearby were several extreme sheep.

There is something very special about the permanence of stone versus stick construction or ugly concrete.

We crossed Seven Arches Bridge moments later.

 When we arrived back in Westport we headed for Matt Molloy's, owned by Matt Molloy, the flute player for The Chieftans.  This intimate pub is a mecca  for musicians, and we enjoyed the musical jamming that was going on in the back room.  One of the musicians turned out to be a band member we saw in concert the next night in Sligo. The pub has small cozy spaces, perfect for gathering with  friends and enjoying a Guiness.

 We then went for a fine dining experience (still no match for Paul's culinary skills) at Sol Rio Restaurant.

An artful presentation!

 Saturday, our last day, we had a fire down in the garden before dinner for a little happy hour goodbye.  Check out what Oran is doing while everyone is looking at Karl!

No Crows

Our grand finale!  Paul and Berta took us to hear a wonderful concert by one of their favorite groups, No Crows, based in Sligo.  The concert was also a new CD release party for their 4th CD.  

Tomorrow, we fly home  -  ugh!  

 Back home, Monday morning, reflecting on all our fun times, and our amazing hosts, Berta and Paul, and the life they have carved out for themselves in Ireland.

Yummy Delicious getting a sniff of Irish soil.  Thank you Berta and Paul!!!

Ireland Part 8

Thursday, we hiked Benbulben, starting from Paul and Berta's house.  What we thought was going to be a two or three hour hike turned into a six hour adventure.

 This is the view part way up the mountain.  Benbulben is a limestone plateau that reaches an elevation of about 1,700 feet.  The slopes near the top are strikingly vertical.

 The less vertical slopes have thick areas of peat.  Gail is crouching out of the damp wind.  We almost turned back due to light rain, wind, and fog.  Luckily we didn't because the fog lifted and the rain stopped.

 Getting closer to the top!

 Here we are at the western end of the top.

 The top is no place to be careless.  There were sinkholes, some full of water, and some bottomless pits as well as drop-offs everywhere.

 The sheep have no fear, and some pay the price.

 Two sheep.

 I spotted an egg on a very scant nest.  We think maybe skylarks were nesting on the ground, as they rose from the grass in alarm.

 We eventually decided to go down the other side of the mountain, past waterfalls, and make a loop around the western end and back to the house.

 We saw numerous Common Frogs.

 There was an area where people could still cut their own turf or peat for fuel.  Berta told how they did this back in the 70's and hauled it in their VW bug.  I think that was the first and last year of doing that.

 Up ahead we spotted a sheep skull.  It is shown here in situ.

 Gail was very excited, and brought it home in her carry on.

 There were numerous ruins on the slopes, some probably not ancient.

 Fossils littered the ground in one area.

 Note the fossils on the "table" rock.  The snail is for scale.

 Looking staight up the cliffs from the fossil rubble that tumbled down.

 Benbulben awesomeness.

 We finally connected with the hiking trail that led back to the southern side and the paved road home.

Ireland Part 7

We arrived in Dublin by train, Tuesday morning.  

 Next to the River Liffy is the "The Famine" sculpture.

 The figures are haunting and sad.

 A typical Dublin side street.  Dublin is pretty with its old low rise buildings.

Pedestrian streets are great!  This is close to our hotel, the Kelly Hotel, which we adored.

 We got a little fix of street art!

 

It was tough to resist all the bakery treats!

The National Museum rotunda.  This museum has the finest collection of Bronze and Iron Age gold artifacts in the world.  Many of the artifacts were found preserved in peat bogs. 

A small sample what was discovered in the bogs.

 Around the corner is the Natural History Museum, or "Dead Zoo".  This is the fossil of an extinct Irish deer, the largest deer the world has ever known. It was also found in a bog.

 We walked way out to the Museum of Modern Art, but were generally disappointed by the conceptual installations of pulsing lights and cow manure.  All the public museums in Ireland are free!

 We had fish and chips at this typical pub.  Yummy!

 An amazing amount of Guiness is consumed each night.  This is a typical pub morning delivery.

 I liked this quote in a store window.

Wednesday morning, we headed for Trinity College.

This is the main courtyard where we waited for our tour to begin.  Our tour guide was a witty young college student who had interesting stories of building collapses and a shootout between some partying students and the college disciplinarian back in the 1700's, resulting in the death of the administrator.

 Our tour included the Old Library, full of ancient texts.  This is The Long Room.

 The stacks are very high.

The Long Room also houses an Irish icon, one of the oldest harps in Ireland, dating back to the 1400's.
The most famous library exhibit is The Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript dating back to around 800 AD.

 A celebratory wall hanging.

 We had a great time at O'Neill Pub (left side) on Wednesday evening.  There was a great music duo, no cover charge, and no pressure to drink.  We went in and out of other pubs that were packed, especially in Temple Bar.

 We walked by Christ Church Cathedral on the way to the Museum of Modern Art.

 Nice bridge!

 An interesting store front on our walk.

We look forward to coming back again to this great city!  We are getting close to the end of our trip, just three more days left.