Moratorium on age

I've been noticing lately, a lot, how many references are made to age, by and about people of all ages. A recent blog post by a friend began “I'm in my mid-forties as I write this…”; someone else said, “now that I'm almost 70…”; another was “(what can you expect) she’s only in her 20’s”.  The worst was a comment about friends who are in their 80’s “let’s face it they aren't going to be around for many more years”, which in this case meant their opinion didn’t matter. I am guilty of saying “our window of opportunity is getting smaller”. Inevitably age references imply a stereotype or a limiting category and yet we are constantly being reminded that age isn't an actual barrier, rather an artificial one: we see children with mature abilities and elders climbing mountains.

I think we put too much emphasis on birth dates and birthdays, especially the decade ones. It starts in childhood when for some reason there is something special about getting to be a “big girl or boy” and evolves through excitement, denial, anxiety, and, maybe, to pride of accomplishment. I didn’t mind turning 30, but at 31 it seemed like the tide had turned and I was on the slippery downhill slope even though only one more day had clicked by on the calendar. Age numbers remind me of golf scores. Lower is better and if you pay too much attention to the score you choke and mess up the next shot.

So here’s a challenge for you. Pay attention to how many age references you hear and think about what is really being said. Is the older person feeling frightened or marginalized, is the young person feeling dismissed, is the reference intended to marginalize or dismiss?  

If you are talking to me, I don't want to know how old you are. I want to know who you are, what you do with your time, what you like, what you believe. The only useful information about your age is what piece of history you've experienced and what you've contributed to that history. Whether you are 10 or 92, I want to enjoy your company, hear your stories, and laugh with you. I want to hear what your next adventure is going to be.

And I won't be having any more birthdays although there may still be a party in February.

Dublin, finally

It’s not that I've been avoiding Dublin; really, it’s just that cities don’t interest me in the same way as geology, nature, and rural scenery does. As cities go, Dublin is easy enough and interesting enough to be enjoyable. We made two day trips to Dublin from Navan, by bus #109.

a different view from the top of a double-decker bus

Our first foray was on a bank holiday and I thought maybe that was why there were so many people on the streets. Our second was on a regular Monday and it was equally busy. Coming back to Victoria I've realized how much of a car-culture we live in and how heavy the traffic is here compared to the pedestrian traffic of Ireland.

Grafton Street

So what did we do and see in Dublin? Christ Church Cathedral (Church of Ireland and roughly like the Church of England), has the most amazing crypts and a lovely feel in the main church. St Patrick’s cathedral (Roman Catholic) seems to be a lot more about politics and had a gift shop set up at the back of the nave; I didn’t like it much and it  needed a good cleaning.

similar tile floors in both cathedrals

Both charge an entry fee which allows them to cope with the upkeep of such old buildings. Christ Church is an honest to goodness Gothic structure complete with flying buttresses and seems to be the heart of Dublin while St. Patrick’s is the largest church in Ireland and is more associated with the whole country. They were rivals back in the 1200’s but eventually sorted it out sometime in the 1300’s. I said one is Anglican and the other RC, but I’m not really clear on it because Wikipedia attributes them both to Church of Ireland.

We went next to another kind of church, the Guinness Storehouse. It’s a bit like Disney in organization and display, but well done and interesting. Arthur Guinness signed a 9000 year lease for the property, in 18-something and never looked back.

All but Pat drinking Guinness. She just could go it or beer in general.

We went to Trinity College to see the original Book of Kells,

When I saw the Book of Kells in 1968 it was in a case in this room. Now it has it's own  environmentally controlled  annex, and gift store of course..

 took a bus tour, had a beverage in O'Donoghue’s Pub of the Dubliners fame,

the slope on the floor is at least 12 inches, and it's been many a decade since  the place has  been "done up".

wandered up Grafton Street and generally got a sense of the city centre. And we met up with a strange group of people for lunch!

Pat, Jim, Ed, Andrew, Rob, and Eva at lunch at O`Connell`s. Andrew is studying at UCD

footsore after walking half the city we took a carriage back to the  centre to catch our bus.

And that's it for Ireland, or at least for my posts about our trip. There is a lot more to say but not by me!

The Boyne River Valley

Two more Irish posts should wrap up this trip.
We were ambitious, wanting to see and do as much as possible, and we had three full weeks so it was a far cry from the 1969 movie “If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium”. Still we kept to a pretty busy schedule. Our house exchange base, where we were for about 12 days, was in a town called Navan, county seat for Meath. It is about an hour by bus northwest of Dublin, conveniently placed, and in the midst of a significant historical area, the Boyne Valley. On our first evening we walked into the town centre and weren't impressed at all. It was grey and damp, and all the storefronts had metal roller blinds/grates pulled down. Coming from Charlottetown and Victoria that is not a look we are familiar with and it spoke of a drab, derelict, unhappy place. Next time we went to the town centre it was during business hours and the place was hopping with people and activity and suddenly we were impressed with what a well balanced and well placed location it is. By Irish standards, Navan is a pretty big town (about 25,000 in greater Navan), and yet it has quirky little streets and alleys, and lots of old and interesting shops, restaurants, and pubs.

Irish washer woman, in the garden in Navan, being supervised by Ed.

Also in the town centre (yes, centre) is a new-ish shopping centre, with a Mark’s and Spencer’s complete with Food Hall. Yay! The people we met in Navan were lovely and everyone was interested in how we were getting on and anxious to be helpful. If you are ever there make sure to have the seafood risotto at La Cucina on Railway Street.

The sites of historic significance within 30 minutes of Navan seem endless: Newgrange, Trim Castle, Kells (of the Book of Kells fame), the Battle of the Boyne, Hill of Tara, Slane Castle, to name some. We tried to do it all, of course, and Jim and Ed even played golf thanks to our host, Tim, and his friends Martin and Con.

from the top of Trim Castle, the largest Norman castle in Ireland and made more famous by the filming of Braveheart

A high Celtic cross in Kells, possibly the oldest in Ireland, circa 1000-ish

Pat and the Stone of Destiny on the Hill of Tara. We expected something a little more grand. The stone is supposed to shout out when touched by the "High King"; it didn't for us. 

The entrance to Newgrange, one of several passage tombs, circa 3200 BC

at the Battle of the Boyne site

It’s almost worth a separate post to talk about Bettystown, but I’ll cram it into this one. To understand you have to know that, sitting in a café garden on a beautiful Sunday morning, the owner told us he hadn't used his outdoor umbrellas even one day the previous year. This was a perfect summer, sunny, Sunday

That afternoon, with nothing else planned, we decided to drive the 30 km to the coast for a look-see. The same café owner told us to go to Bettystown. We got within 10 k of Bettystown and found ourselves in bumper to bumper traffic. After about 30 minutes of that, Jim suggested we pull into a side street and walk which we did, to the see what was going on up ahead. Lo and behold, Bettystown consists of an intersection and a couple of pizza/beer places. The fourth side of the intersection leads on to the beach and cars were coming from the other 3 directions onto the beach! They drive down the beach until they find a parking spot, and that’s it. Can you imagine in our highly protected Canadian environment anything even remotely like it? I can’t. Let’s go for a family outing to enjoy the ocean and sand, spend an hour in traffic to get parked, and play in the sand amongst cars and exhaust fumes! And then spend 2 hours getting home. We were gobsmacked.

We beat a hasty retreat to nearby Laytown, which doesn't have a drive-onto-the-beach access but does have a very decent pub.

Comparing realities

The travel loop we took to go to Belfast took us northwest from Navan, past Enniskillen where the G8 Summit is being held, to Belleek, then Portrush, (the name always makes me think of Doc Martin) and along the north coast. On a map you would see that we made a 3 day excursion out of a two hour (each way) trip.

We over-nighted in Portrush which, with Ireland’s weather reputation, must have a hard go as a beach town. It looks as though it is struggling but pulling itself back up after the economic disaster of the last few years. We had a truly fantastic meal at Jackman and Pye.

Portrush from the yacht club balcony/bar

what a life on a sunny day

Dunluce castle in the background

The next day we moved on to Bushmills Distillery, licensed in 1608 and considered to be the oldest licensed distillery in the world. It’s another of these world renowned operations located in less than a one-horse town and, if you can believe it, they bottle for Jameson’s! How can a company as famous as Jameson’s not have its own bottling plant? Because it’s another tiny operation located on a back street of Dublin. Bushmills town has a population of about 1200 but 120,000 tourists visit the distillery every year. 

an old copper still in the Bushmills cafe

Part of the lure of going to Northern Ireland was to visit the Giant’s Causeway. And we did, on a perfectly clear day. In November 2010 on a tour in south eastern Iceland we were taken to an isolated spot, down a minor gravel road, to the most stunning black beach and hexagonal rock formations.

Iceland, November 2010

I thought, “great, we’ll see the other end of this phenomenon in Ireland; how fun”. It turns out that legend has the Irish version connecting to somewhere in Scotland (another trip?), but more interesting was the difference in presentation. Giant’s Causeway is a UNESCO sight, with a huge and splendid visitor’s centre, entry fees, shuttle buses to the site, audio tour headsets, thousands of visitors, the ubiquitous gift-shop, etc. Despite all the hoopla it is a gorgeous place and the shapes so regular it’s hard to think they aren't man-manufactured.  But that’s just human ego talking...

Jim on the giant's boot, left behind when he ran away

a brief rest and a listen to the audio tour

it is amazing

and spectacular 

Misery Tourism

I was prepared to not go to Belfast when there seemed a renewal of “troubles” a few months ago. Then various people said it was safe and nice, so we went, just for 24 hours, and liked it a lot. I know I was there in 1968 either going to or coming from Great Britain by ferry, but have absolutely no recollection of it. Today its population is about 300,000 and it’s lively and busy with lots of public art (my personal indicator of how a place feels about itself). City Hall is magnificent and far more palatial than many a provincial legislature. People use the grounds as Victorians use The Ledge. It may have helped that the sun was out but the city centre just had a good feel. It may also have helped that we were in the Holiday Inn Express with a little more space than we have been used to and even a counter in the bathroom to put things on. Who on earth invented pedestal sinks!

Belfast City Hall, which has a Titanic memorial garden on one side listing all the names of those who died

This is an atrium built over a street. Brilliant. It was early on a Saturday morning so empty, but later teeming with people.

So, why the post title? Because Belfast has developed a tourist industry around the IRA conflict and the sinking of the Titanic. In fairness, the Titanic Quarter (yes, Quarter, so you know it’s a whole area) is at least partially about shipbuilding, specifically the Titanic. If you don’t know that that didn’t end well I’d like to visit your planet. The museum is well done and I enjoyed the first part which made reference to various inventions and initiatives from Belfast, like the big linen industry of a previous era and the invention of air conditioning (it's hard to imagine what could have prompted anyone to want air conditioning in Northern Ireland). But after that it got more than a little depressing with interviews of survivors and underwater views of artifacts. Outside the museum is the actual slipway where the Titanic was launched, which gave a good indication of the scale of the ship.

The Titanic museum, meant to reference the prow of a ship and breaking waves.

Jim walking down the slipway.

We were introduced to “The Troubles” on a city bus tour which points out the may parking lots that used to be buildings, other derelict and burnt remainders, the fence separating Shankill Road and Falls Road, and lots of murals dedicated to one side or the other. I suppose the whole thing started with the Battle of the Boyne when William of Orange defeated James II. That eventually resulted in Catholics being denied basic rights, a forced immigration of Scottish Protestants for the purpose of populating Ireland with Prods, and a major conflict as recently as 1993. That’s the simple version but it is very interesting to hear the accents in The North as they are decidedly Scottish/English, versus in The South (never referred to as The Republic) where they are decidedly Irish. 

Bobby Sands of hunger strike fame. These murals keep the conflict alive.

Southerners, for sure, think of Ireland as one place not two countries and the only clue that you've changed countries is that the road signs change colour; until you figure out you've gone from kilometers to miles because surely they can't mean 30 kph! Oddly enough the towns and countryside look and feel a bit different, influenced by the ruling population, I guess. It was interesting.

Hand Crafting

One of the most interesting things I’ve learned on this trip is that some things in the world, possibly many, are still handcrafted. I have come to expect that most products are made in horrible factories in a third or fourth world country by desperate people who are supposed to be grateful for the appalling conditions. All controlled, of course, by evil corporations and corrupt governments. Some of that is true, but not all.

I mentioned that 95% of Waterford Crystal is hand-cut (Did I say that they make two of their one-off special pieces like awards, trophies, or commemorative items, ‘just in case’? That’s commitment and thinking ahead.) and we went to two other relatively famous, or at least well known, “factories” to have a look.

The first was Avoca Hand Weavers; there’s an Avoca store in downtown Victoria, or there was. Avoca is a tiny village south of Dublin, accessed by some of the narrowest, twisty-est roads we encountered. The weaving operation is just at the edge of the village and is supposed to be the oldest business in operation in Ireland. There’s a cafe, and a shop on the right and, across a small car park, the weaving and shipping building. We are not talking big here, maybe 2000 square feet for production and shipping, and they ship all over the world. There is literally a weaving room, not building, and the process is astonishing. It can take up to 2 days to make the warp for a specific pattern, threaded by hand, which is transferred to one of half a dozen mechanical looms that run the weft shuttles. It’s a self-guided tour at Avoca, with story boards on the walls explaining the Italian Fringe Cutter and various other things, no guide, and you just stop and chat with the workers and wander around the machines. They obviously have no fear of liability litigation, the workers are happy to chat, and there might have been 8 of us in the place at the time. A truly tiny, truly handmade, and truly beautiful process.

some of the end product

building a warp

the yarn shop

A few days later we went to Belleek on a round-about route to Belfast. Belleek the town might have 200 inhabitants on a busy day and is situated west of everywhere except Donegal. The Belleek operation is posh and polished and we had a guide to keep us out of trouble but still, for a famous maker of china, it is ALL handmade! Someone makes the mold which is good for only a few weeks, pours the slip, carries the pieces to the drying racks, paints the designs, etcetera. The apprenticeships vary from 3-5 years depending on the job. We talked to Rachel, who wears very long false eyelashes and has been a painter for 24 years mostly doing shamrocks and twigs. Another young woman was making flowers, one petal at a time. Seriously.

I have a completely different appreciation for these fine products and, seeing the attention and detail that goes into them, they are under-priced. Remarkable.

green-ware drying

the kilns

this mirror, in the museum, took 2 people one year to create

Rachel of the long lashes and steady hand

Is there anything comparable in North America? ‘Cuz if there is I’d like to visit the place.

Behind again

I've discovered that it's difficult to deal with photos and write posts when it never gets dark outside. We get going at a reasonable hour in the morning and 'do' something touristy till 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening. Then we have some wine and think about dinner. Then we have some more wine and maybe a nightcap, and by then it's well after 11:00. The weather has been spectacular for a almost 2 weeks, absolutely unheard of in Ireland and we should be paid to stay forever, (I think I've mentioned in previous posts that we always have good weather when we travel. It's true). Spectacular weather means clear skies, of course, and an awareness that it is still broad daylight at 10:00. Even when I've gotten up during the night (all that wine) at 12:00, 1:30, 2:00, it's not actually dark. We're only at about latitude 53 so I'm surprised.
So, back to where I left off, which was in Waterford in case you've fallen asleep waiting...
We backtracked from Waterford to Dungarvan so we could stay at Lawlor's Hotel for Ed. never mind a Lawlor hasn't owned it for yonks, it's fun to find your name on something, like when we went to St. Ives in Cornwall. The hotel was a bit tired but in the centre of town so well located and well priced. We found a cooking school/restaurant in a lovely old building. The owner/chef was friendly to us but a bit imperious with the too-few staff, like he'd been watching more reality television than was good for him. Anyway, the food was great and that's all we really cared about. That and a good night's sleep which we got.
We moved on to Cashel in the morning, another of these many many ruins, some of which are religious and some political. There was a lovely line in a book I've been reading, along the lines of  "anyone who had a hill and 10 animals was a king". Then they spent their lives either trying to acquire more hills and animals or fending off invaders. It is said there were 3500 castles on Ireland. That's a lot of kings.
After Cashel we pushed on to our night's accommodation in Castle Durrow, Durrow, via Kilkenney for a Kilkenney which is not that easy to find.. It seemed extravagant at the time of booking, but in the end was very good value and a KING size bed. Bliss!
Please note all the blue sky....

Cashel

loved the lichen

things grow in strange places!

the proud namesakes

in Kilkenney for an appropriate beverage, except for Pat who just does NOT like beer.

P&E's room at castle Durrow.

the south terrace at Castle Durrow. Loved it!

Having circumnavigated the Ring of Kerry we landed in Kinsale at the Old Bank Town House, not prepossessing from the outside and, as usual, a choice based on internet reviews. I had tried to get rooms at the Trident because Fergus (partner of Clare) said to, but there was a sheep shearing thing going on and the hotels were full, and the Trident is not as well placed as the OBTH so it worked out well indeed.. It was great and an affirmation of online reviews. Kinsale itself was GRAND. We wandered a bit and decided to eat at Crackpots because Fergus  recommended it; thank you Fergus.Then we dropped in to Kitty O'Se's for a pint and some music and all in all it was a lovely place. Next morning we avoided Cork and drove on to Waterford, specifically for the crystal factory. I have to say that I've never understood the cost pf Waterford crystal but having been to the source, I get it. Wow. It actually is "hand cut", or at least 95% of it is. The only pieces that are machine cut are some new designs that are overlapping circles that are more accurately produced mechanically. There was the 45 minutes of frustration while we tried to find the place and my utter amazement when Jim told me he had seen it as we drove into the city, but we won't "go there". We asked one man how long he has been cutting crystal: since 1971! Sure, I understand that they have a show group of guys and production for the tourist market, but at least it's convincing and interesting. So between Kinsales charms and Waterford Crystal it would be hard to pick a winner.

Downtown Kinsale; LOVED the colour in the south!

at Kitty O'Se's (which I translate to O'Shea)

a panorama view of Kinsale

that's a serious champagne flute!

This bowl weighed about 4 pounds and the guy was free-handing it on a diamond saw.  All day.

Every kid needs Cinderella's carriage. Gorgeous