The adventures of the Lewis family as we
transition from life in Louisville to Holland.
Monday, August 17, 2015
The Emerald Isle (where despite my daughters' misconceptions, there are actually no emerald mines)
When we asked Mom/ Nanna where she wanted to go when she came to visit, her answer was "Ireland." That's on my top-5 as well, so that's where we went! I volunteered to do the planning for this one, but I didn't know what I was getting into... This was my first attempt at planning a family vacation, and given that the sights are spread throughout the island, I will admit that it wasn't always as smooth as they could have been. It didn't take too long before we started discussing the subtle differences between "vacations" and "trips" - this one was certainly more of the latter.
Our journeys over the next week totaled over 800 miles - about 23 hours worth of driving. I was very impressed with our vehicle - the diesel engine managed well over 33 mpg (I think it was actually closer to 40, but I have to go with the trip computer as I lost my receipts) despite carrying six people and displacing a huge amount of air (see below...). Really made me think about purchasing a diesel when we get back home (since our Odyssey minivan got 16/24 at best - and with higher-priced gasoline), but it seems that the "clean diesel" technology is still more polluting than gas engines despite the efficiency improvement. And I do love my trees...
Sunday (Day 1): Dublin - the adventure begins
We landed at Dublin airport after the short Aer Lingus flight from Schiphol. For various administrative reasons, it took us nearly an hour to get to where we were supposed to pick up the rental minivan that I thought I'd reserved. As it turns out, the "People Carrier" shown below does not, in fact, seat 7 people AND 4 pieces of luggage. It seats 7 people OR 4 pieces of luggage. It would fit all six of us very comfortably if we DIDN'T HAVE luggage, but since we were staying for a week we decided to bring some.
So, back to the counter to haggle with the Sixt employee, who found us a Renault Minibus. It seemed about the same footprint as a short bus in the U.S. and is advertised as a model suitable for use as an ambulance. It would seat NINE (9) people - reasonably comfortably! And had enough room for us to stow all 6 pieces of luggage behind the 3rd row - we could have fit 6 more in that same area below the shelf. The picture below doesn't really do it justice.
All packed up and ready to go!
Like 90% of American drivers, I consider myself above average. I've been driving for 27 years, have logged about 500,000 miles (the overwhelming majority of those driving a stick), and have spent a couple of weekends learning high-performance driving on a race track. I love cars and I love to drive. HOWEVER, I was as nervous as a cat when I approached the bus (initially from the wrong side - a mistake I made countless times during the week) and started it up for the first time.
Consider: 1) it was a diesel, which I've never driven; 2) it was huge; 3) the Irish drive on the wrong side of the road like the British do; 4) it was a 6-speed manual transmission (that you change with your left hand!); and 5) many of the European cities that we've visited are filled with narrow, winding roads that this behemoth would be difficult to fit through in the best of circumstances.
The 20-minute drive into the city was a nail-biter that I spent trying to find someone to follow so that I'd remember to stay on the LEFT side. I did pretty well until we got to where we were to meet our airbnb host. He was directing me where to go and I asked him to just jump in with us and show me the best way to get there. With him in the car I felt like I had a better chance of not screwing up, but it was actually a little distracting and I nearly pulled into the right lane when making a left-hand turn... I think I scared him a little! We did get there - a nice place near the docks - but we really didn't feel like getting out to see much (and I sure as hell didn't want to drive any more!) so after we got settled we just walked to an Italian place that our host recommended and had a fantastic meal. Holli picked up some supplies (including a nice selection of Irish craft beer for me!) and we called it a night.
Paulie's Pizza: Interesting decor, great food!
Monday (Dublin, Day 2): Trinity College & the Leprechaun Museum
We took our time getting motivated Monday morning, and finally set out for the short walk into the city center. We found Trinity College and signed up for a tour from a Harry Potter look-alike, who ended up being great. The college was impressive!
He doesn't look quite that much like HP from this angle, but you can see that Eliza was not going to miss it if he suddenly whipped out his wand!
The "Long Hall" library was awesome.
We walked around Dublin for a while. Not as much to see/ do there as I would have expected (for tourists anyway) so I'm kind of glad that we only spent one real day in town. We did come across a pretty church - no big surprise there - and the highlight of the trip for Eliza and surprisingly for Lucy: The Leprechaun Museum.
St. Andrew's
Our first Irish pub - note the whiskey bottles mounted upside-down on the wall for quick pours. They were large.
This may have been the highlight of the Leprechaun Museum... Not really much to it, but the guide did tell some interesting stories. I have no idea why they liked it so much!
Italian for dinner again - this time at Milano. I had one of the best pizzas I've had in Europe.
Tuesday (Day 3): Dromoland Castle
We set off Tuesday morning for Dromoland Castle, recommended by our friends the Wickens (you may remember seeing pictures of us riding through Rome with this crew). We traversed the entire country - thankfully mostly on the highway where it would be pretty tough to drive on the wrong side - covering 235 km (150 miles) by the time we arrived. The main difficulty that I had (discovered initially on Sunday) was the roundabouts, which go clockwise. I am now a proponent of roundabouts after driving in Europe for a year, but of the counter-clockwise variety! Fortunately, they were not terribly crowded and we arrived alive!
Dromoland! Not the most impressive from a size standpoint, but authentic, beautiful, and very comfortable!
And now even more beautiful!
We had time to get our rooms in order before our first activity, the Hawk Walk (an introduction to falconry). The video gives you an idea of what involves, and the guide was Grade A First Class. This was the highlight of the trip for me - I think I grinned for the whole hour.
She really is afraid of birds!
Couldn't help myself - had to put this one in!
The activity included a tour of the other birds that they keep (they do actually hunt with the birds, and the sport has an incredible history - including their use to feed armies!). This wikipedia article is worth a read.
I can't imagine a better guide - he obviously loved the birds and the sport, and was great with the girls!
Our next adventure was a horseback ride, English-style. Eliza had never ridden, and it had been 20 years or more for me and Mom - and we rode Western when we'd done it before. It turned out that our host (the owner of the horse farm) worked for Todd Pletcher some years back before returning to Ireland. At some point or another we all remarked on the similarities between Ireland and Kentucky - the horses, the green, the hills, the beauty, the whiskey - we did feel very much at home.
All suited up and ready to ride!
She's a natural!
I was a bit disappointed that we stayed on the roads, and not on the Dromoland grounds, and ultimately was ready to get to dinner well before we were through! But it was nice to be back in the saddle again for a while, and the scenery was nice.
These rock walls are EVERYWHERE across much of the country! A staggering amount of work had to have gone into them.
We locked the kids in the room and crept away to the bar. Live music and Smithwick's on tap!
We got the window seat.
The view outside that same window a little while later.
Wednesday (Day 4): Shooting Clays at Dromoland, The Cliffs of Moher (from below) and Galway:
Wednesday started a little louder for us. After eating breakfast, we went to the shooting range on the grounds to kill some clay frisbees. Neither Mom nor Lilli had ever shot a gun before, and the instructors only had 12-gauges, so I was a little unsure about how well they would like it. As it turned out, they used a little bit lighter load, and had a good shoulder blanket - and they loved it!
Mom getting some instruction before letting them fly.
You can see the target exploding just above the tree line!
Holli picked up where she left off - in top form. Dead pigeon right of top-center.
Lilli enjoying the new weaponry. She did very well too!
After the shooting session we walked around the grounds a bit before we left and found a "somewhat" hidden garden.
We set off from the castle to begin the day's 135 km (scenic route) journey to Galway, with a stop in the village of Doolin for a boat ride out to see the Cliffs of Moher.
There were several places along the cliffs where water poured over the edge. This was the one that was most easily visible from the boat, but was not the largest by any stretch.
Approaching the bottom of the cliff below O'Brien's Tower
The most prominent sea stack - right below the tower.
Enjoying the cold, humidity, and luxury accommodations!
Once back on dry land, we continued on towards Galway. We got settled into our place at the Jamestown Apartments and grabbed some take-out for dinner and settled in for the night (I believe that some of us watched one of the Hunger Games movies).
Thursday (Day 5): Kylemore Abbey and a long beautiful drive
The destination for the day was northwest, but our hotel for the night was back south (past Doolin), so we were prepared for a long day in the RV. But the weather looked great (especially compared with the misery from the day before) so when we left out of Galway I made the executive decision to take the scenic route, resulting in a 260 km day that was the best drive of the trip by far.
Shortly after getting started we noticed a cemetery between the road and the ocean so we stopped for a look. It was hands down the prettiest setting for a cemetery I've seen.
Eliza's new friend, across the gravel from the cemetery.
We also walked down the road to check out the beach.
The eroded beachhead was pretty cool. The dirt/ clay/ whatever was very hard - couldn't budge the rocks.
It took a couple of days, but I was finally able to relax and enjoy the drive. The scenery helped immensely!
Looking south across Garroman Lough, just southeast of Connemara National Park. This whole area was amazing.
We saw some colorful sheep along the drive.
Kylemore Abbey was our intended destination for the day. Back in 1850, an Englishman named Mitchell Henry visited the area with his new bride on their honeymoon. The estate then consisted of 15,000 acres and a hunting lodge, which Henry purchased for his wife Margaret shortly thereafter. The castle was completed in 1867, but Henry continued improvements through at least 1893 when he installed a hydroelectric generator to provide electricity for the estate. It proved impossible to find an ill word aimed at Henry or his family in any of the literature around the site; it seems that he was a genuinely great man, giving generously to the community and leaving a very positive legacy.
Kylemore Abbey was stunning. The setting could not be better - mountains and lakes and green everywhere.
The view from the Abbey was as good as the view of the abbey.
This is a pretty view too!
The Walled Victorian Garden, on the grounds of the estate, is fantastic. When it was created, it provided all of the vegetables - and fruit (in its greenhouses) - required for the ~300 people needed to support and maintain the grounds.
One of the cooler flowers on the site.
Henry built this small Gothic-style cathedral in memory of his wife, who died in 1874 at age 45. He softened the details a bit, making it more feminine and more suiting her.
Back on the road...
Google sent us through some interesting routes during the trip. Some roads were barely big enough for us to pass - we were thankful we didn't meet a car coming the other way! But we did get to see some things that aren't on the beaten path, like this huge abandoned house sitting right next to one of these roads. Must have been incredible 100 years ago!
The scenic route took us along the coastline on the way back towards Doolin. We were fortunate enough to catch a sight that few Americans get to see - a sunset over the Atlantic.
Friday (Day 6): The Cliffs of Moher (from the top), Killarney National Park
Having seen the Cliffs from below, and being so close to start the day, we decided to check them out from above the next morning. We went to the normal parking area, but I wish I had checked on this in advance... The lot is a pay lot (which is fine), but they charge per person instead of per car, and include tickets for the Cliffs of Moher Visitor's Center (which wasn't anything much to see really). It wasn't a lot of money, but I didn't feel as good about it as I wanted to. In any case, we got the tank parked and walked over - and up!
I liked the view from up here better than from below - but of course that could just be the weather.
O'Brien's Tower, ~700 feet above the Atlantic.
We tried to get them out of the picture... Eliza was not cooperating.
Today's journey was to total 240 km - due south as the crow flies but not as the road winds - to Killarney.
During the drive we spotted this mysterious structure in the middle of a stream and its falls. We decided that it is likely a channel to make it easier for trout to swim up to spawn.
I was excited to see Killarney National Park, but we arrived a little before the park closed so I was convinced that we were out of luck. As it turns out, they only close some of the visitors buildings and driving entrances - they don't actually close the park itself.
Torc Falls in the park - higher than it looks.
This bridge goes over the stream above the Torc waterfall, which is behind the viewpoint. It was quite a long climb - just ask Mom!
We all made it up, and it was worth the effort.
Poor Eliza - she does not like to not be in the lead!
Below the falls
Lots of trees completely covered with moss.
We found some of the narrowest roads on N71, leaving the park to the south. Winding, with rocks close on the inside. Holli kept scooting closer to me because the vegetation was hitting the side of the cab. So of course I kept it tight!
I can't emphasize enough how beautiful this place is.
Saturday (Day 7): Sheen Falls Lodge, Kilkenny Castle & the village of Kill(!)
We had a long (350 km) ahead of us on our last full day.
We started out in Sheen Falls Lodge, which was easily the best place we stayed during the week. The beds were incredibly comfortable, the rooms were huge and nicely furnished, the dinner and breakfast were first-rate. And the view... This was from our room:
I couldn't find any information about the falls itself, but it appears to be natural and it is certainly a great place to be.
Some fly-fishermen in the pool behind the bridge
Would love to learn more about how this was formed. It seems obvious, but it's hard to believe that these layers of the earth's crust were pushed 90 degrees.
We decided to bypass the Blarney Castle and its famous stone and instead went to Kilkenny to see its castle. We happened to arrive on opening day of an art fair, so we sat in traffic for about 30 minutes trying to get to a parking spot.
The castle itself was pretty ordinary as castles go, but there was this one cool room. The ceiling was hand-painted; they didn't allow photographs, so I had to sneak this one!
The gardens behind the castle - in the shape of an Irish Cross.
Sunday (Day 8): Back to Dublin and on to Amsterdam
We stayed in a B&B that we found on airbnb on Saturday night - about 40 km south of the Dublin airport. The place was run by a very nice older man, but let's just say it's a bit awkward staying in a B&B that's actually just an expanded house... This appears to be very common in Ireland; I suppose there's a pretty big demand for rooms due to the amount of tourists and the spread-out nature of the island's attractions. He really couldn't have been nicer - he even shipped us Eliza's blanket and bunny that she left behind - but it was still a little odd.
In any case, we made it to the airport in plenty of time - no dents, scratches, or other damage to the motorhome. And after that trip, we are in need of a vacation!
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