On Monday, our first adventure consisted of traveling about 1.5 hours to Blarney Castle in Cork County. From some of my reading, I understand that Blarney Castle is one of the most popular tourist sights in Ireland. I was a little concerned that the castle and the surrounding tourist contraptions would be cheesy, but to my delightful surpise, Blarney Castle was very interesting and the lands surrounding the castle completely gorgeous. Historical texts claim that Blarney Castle (the current structure) was built in 1446 by Cormac McCarthy, King of Munster. It houses the famous Blarney Stone, which according to legend, gives the gift of eloquent speech when kissed (check out the debate about its origins here: www.blarneycastle.ie/pages/stone). I decided that enhanced eloquence may help me during my political debates with friends, so yes, folks, I kissed the stone. Since I am trying to take a break from politics (it has just gotten so tiring), I guess I'll have to wait to practice my new skills when I return....
Views from the top of the castle were incredible and I was excited to witness the beautiful colors of fall sprinkling the green landscape. Sara decided that it would be fun to explore the castle gardens, which house beautiful trees, flowers, and even Druid circles from an ancient Celtic society. It was a good choice because today was another nice day weather-wise and it was so relaxing to meander through beautful gardens.
On Tuesday, Sara and I headed to the western shores of Ireland to visit the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs are over 700ft at the highest point and range for 5 miles over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare. I was hoping for good weather and thankfully, the sun began shining as Sara and I walked up to the cliffs. However, it was extremely windy and at the top view station, it was so windy that it was difficult to walk!
This by far was one of my favorite places...the beauty of the cliffs and the ocean is just incredible. In the information center, I saw a video where people were scuba diving around the cliffs...I am not sure if the scuba divers were scientists exploring the cliffs, but could you imagine scuba diving in this area? It was would be a life-changing experience, but can we say SCARY! I better stick to calmer and clearer waters.....
On on way back from the Cliffs of Moher, Sara and I stopped at a local pub called Danny Mac's. My lunch experience here was fabulous--I enjoyed a delicious brie and cranberry sauce sandwich and the sparkling taste of a Bulmer's hard cider, along with the friendly service of an Irish waiter with red hair and a brisk Irish brogue. I definitely can say that I have not been disappointed with my Irish dining experiences on this trip!
On Wednesday, Sara and I spent most of the morning picking up some Irish souvenirs at Bunratty Castle. I love traveling and checking out the tourist gifts of various countries, but I'll have to admit that shopping in the current economic climate is painful when you are buying in US dollars...ouch (even though it is less painful to pay in Euros than in British pounds). With our shopping expedition behind us, we returned to Sara's house to spend a leisurely afternoon relaxing. I took a long walk around Sara's neighborhood (I should say around the fields) and enjoyed the sounds of the country.
I have a print hanging in my office in Winston-Salem that says, "The quieter you become, the more you can hear." Isn't this so true? So much of my day is usually spent multi-tasking at work, then getting caught in the web of email or facebook in the evening. I definitely crave more time to be still and quiet. Maybe that is one thing that my time in Ireland has encouraged me to remember and practice....
My adventures in Ireland would not be complete without trading in my usual beer of choice (Corona with lime) for the dark froth of a Guinness pint. So, for my last night in Ireland, Sara arranged for me to experience the true Irish social scene at a country pub. I cannot remember the name of the pub and could not find it listed on any Irish pub lists. It was downhome Irish, folks. I think the other people were trying to figure out how some random American women even found the pub. Anyway, I successfully finished my first pint of Guinness beer and enjoyed chatting it up with some Irish musicians.
It was a perfect way to end my time in Ireland. A pint of Guinness. Making requests for Irish songs. Integrating myself into the social scene of Ireland. Yep, I definitely think my Irish roots surfaced. Wait, but I don't have Irish roots. Oh, well, I can always pretend.
"May the blessing of light be on you—
light without and light within.
May the blessed sunlight shine on you
and warm your heart
till it glows like a great peat fire"
2 comments:
Jenn! You are a great writer! You even drew some tears tonight. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Oh, and Irish musicians...I'm so jealous!
Miss you. Delighted to hear about your journey. :O)
great first post, jenn. one thing... it's not a bar. its a pub. pronounced Pooob.
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