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

Adjusting

I suppose much of this travelogue will be about the roads and the driving since every time we set out their are challenges. Our rental car was a Toyota Aurensis which I learned to manipulate thought some tiny spaces. I'noted a few gasps and quiet expletives from the passengers. Our present car, a Toyota Avensis, is bigger and I am not quite so cavalier with it.
We left Galway and started our odyssey south by way of the Cliffs of Moher. It was a spectacular sunny day, 'fresh' mind you, and if the weather was at all good we were "doing" the Cliffs rather than Bunratty Castle. Once there we weren't long because, really, it is a gorgeous view but not much else and we had a longish drive ahead to the Dingle Peninsula. The GPS took us across country into some very minor roadways and landed us about 100 meters from our Shannon River Ferry destination. From there we continued to Country Shores B&B on the northwest side of the Dingle, a cash only/no receipt operation of considerable opulence. The place was full and we had booked ahead a few months ago so we got a 1 bedroom cottage plus a really lovely room for absolute peanuts. Proprietor Annette sent us off to Spillane's for a dinner of fresh-caught crab claws and the best (apologies to the River Rock Pub in Quesnel which has finally been bumped from top spot) chicken curry in the universe. My opinion. Spillane's is at the end of a 10 km sand dune and the wind was howling, so getting there was quite an adventure.
Next morning we went down to the beach and met the most aggressive cows I've ever encountered. I think they were way overdue for milking the way they bawled at us.
Then there was the Connor pass. We don't  have any photos of it because everyone was holding the collective breath and then it was over; cliff on one side, ocean on the other and only one lane. We were on the inside so pulled over to allow several vehicles through and then I closed my eyes (not literally) and went for it. Phew.
Down the winding and very benign other side to Dingle town which was charming and where we bought a replacement electric adaptor, and on to the Ring of Kerry and Maureen and Noel at Ocean View B&B in Caherisiveen. Mildly disappointing was that Maureen was from New York but theirs was a nice love story and they were very attentive hosts and super proud of their area and new venture together. The "en-suite" bathrooms were minuscule which was very funny, but again the fresh crab at the local eatery at the end of the road made up for any deficiencies. Yum.
The weather has been a bit of everything but generally warmish and dryish for which we are grateful. We wore shorts on two days and apparently those were the best two days for the last YEAR!

Cliffs of Moher

Near Caherisiveen

There's an electric cord coming out of the end of this building! Added in when?

The beach at Castlegregory

The cows at Castlegregory who were very unimpressed by us.

Most of the stone walls, buildings or fences, have beautiful lichen and/or plants growing on them.

on "the Dingle"

Overdue

It's not that I'm getting lazier or less interested, just haven't been getting the blog job done, so here's a start. We're in Ireland and it is decidedly more Irish than I expected. In the sense of less English. Yes, everyone speaks English, but the road signs are often in Irish which doesn't match up to what you might be looking for; there seems to be little connection between Irish spelling and English phonics. We've been touring for a week and now are settled into our house exchange location in Navan, near Dublin. The only negative we've encountered, at all at all, was landing at Dublin airport. I won't go into it but it took 2 hours to clear immigration and get our car.
Applause, applause for the GPS or we might still be going in circles and certainly we would have been more stressed.  Mind you there were some moments when we weren't sure if we were on real roads or in someone's lane-way. Our host, Tim, left us a bottle of wine appropriately called "Lost Sheep". The road designations seem to be M(motorway), N(national highway), R(rural road), L(local lane) and the more important the road the fewer numbers they seem to have: M8, N72, R171, L4305. N roads are not necessarily any batter than Rs. If I'm focusing too much on the road system it's because I am the designated wrong-side-of-the-road driver so I've been hyper-alert. Happily I can report that we managed 1500 kms without any dings or scratches and the only near misses were caused by other people.
We started in Galway, and travelled the southern perimeter. So far my favourite area would be the Dingle Peninsula  and then Kinsale, but if we were looking for another exchange Galway might be the spot. We've warmed up to Navan, a lot, having first thought it a bit tired and underwhelming.
All that said, I'll do a few posts, chronologically, and tease you with some photos and a few stories.

Kylemore Abbey, home of the Irish Benedictine nuns. We decided they're unfriendly despite the spectacular location.

Dipped and ready for something, the sheep just wander, including on the road.

The first of many bar photos.

In Salthill, and this was a landmark that alerted me that we were going the wrong direction.

On the "Prom" in Salthill, an adjunct to Galway and where we stayed for 2 nights.

An L road! We were on our way to a ferry across the Shannon River. This 'road' was so untraveled the grass scraped the bottom of the car.
More to come....