Tag: Irish Adventure

(Privately shared on January 15, 2023 with a select group of friends). The photo above is a Silly Selfie of me at Castle Lough Rynn, Ireland. More photos can be found here.

As a reminder, words written in italics represent the original journal. Underlined words are edits for clarification within the original journal.  I’m also adding new notes in my journal as I share it, mostly historical information of the things I’ve seen and researched upon my return and random thoughts.  This will be represented in regular type.  

20 September 2022 ~ Lough Rynn Castle

My stay in Doolin was nice.  I’m glad I finally experienced a proper Irish Pub with traditional music and the food and drink was delicious.  Aran View Hotel (?B&B) was nice but the bed was rock hard!  Mercifully I was able to sleep but I was sore when I woke up this morning.  I’m sure most of the soreness was from the walking but the hard bed didn’t help!  (The bed in Bunratty was divine!)

Breakfast was scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, an Irish scone with butter, two croissants almost as good as Mary’s and fruit with yogurt.  I took my time leaving Doolin and stopped in the village on the way out to get some souvenirs for my friends and a proper Irish sweater like I had many years ago.  This time, I opted against the traditional cream color and bought a slightly darker cream color with colorful specks in it.

I drove for the last time on the Wild Atlantic Way up the Black Head Lighthouse and again immensely enjoyed the drive.  A pit stop at a hardware store for duct tape then I arrived at Lough Rynn Castle around 2.30p.

I haven’t checked in yet but walked around the grounds a bit.  The day is overcast but dry and I’m wearing my new hat.  I’ll probably check in  in a few minutes.

During my drive up here I asked myself what I had hoped to achieve on this trip.  It wasn’t designed for photography or tourist experiences – it was more to find myself while seeing Ireland from a different point of view.  I feel peaceful and strong, and in some ways free.  I couldn’t possibly photograph every stunning scene I came across but I’ve enjoyed my time and hope my squirrel brain can recall all the beauty that I’ve seen.

Speaking of squirrels, I finally saw one!  And it was a red squirrel!

I’m scheduled for dinner at 7pm and have 50 minutes to get ready.

My room is literally fit for a queen. I just jumped out of the shower and after dinner I’m going to take a bubble bath.

I walked to the walled garden and sat for a while, blowing bubbles (did I mention that I really like to blow bubbles?). I didn’t take too many photographs and realized this trip again wasn’t for photography or tourism, it’s for rediscovery and growing into Kelly Adams.  It’s a very liberating thought.

I saw a cat here!  If I don’t remarry (or maybe even if I do) I want a home in the country and adopt all the surrendered cats and let them live the rest of their lives with me.

Dinner at the Sandstone.  

Dinner was a prix fixe five course meal.  The setting is beautiful with sandstone walls, a beautifully carved fireplace and a huge chandelier in a skylight, and stained glass windows.  I chose foie gras as my appetizer and a glass of Merlot.  (I try to be mindful of animals and almost didn’t get the foie gras because of the cruelty, but geese are mean!  Plus, if Chuck was with me, he would get it!). The wine was good and the foie gras was divine, but as I was eating it, a wave of sadness and loneliness overcame me and to my horror I started crying!  So much for Kelly the Brave and Kelly the Strong!  There was a couple sitting directly across from me and a lovely lady invited me to join them for dinner.  Her husband beckoned me to join as well.  They were ahead of me, course wise, but made me feel so welcomed and wanted.  I hate that I forgot their names!  Anyway, they were celebrating their 23rd anniversary and live in Northern Ireland.  I had a wonderful time with them.  (My main course was Irish beef with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli (the fancy kind) and steamed parsnips).  There was a spoonful of raspberry sorbet before the main course.  Dessert was creme brulee that was so unbelievably smooth. Coffee followed.  It was a magical dinner and my Irish friends will be in my heart forever.

After dinner, I wanted to take a bath.  The bathroom in my suite is very airy with a deep bathtub.  I got out of my clothes and into the bathrobe and went to draw a bath but saw there wasn’t a stopper! (The bathtub also had a huge rain shower head and had the telephone handle thing as part of the bath).  I called the front desk and they apologized for the missing stopper and promised to send up a stopper.  After a few moments a stopper was delivered but it didn’t fit!  I called down again and the house manager came up to see what the problem was.  She confirmed that the stopper didn’t fit and was in a bit of a panic as housekeeping was gone for the evening and there wasn’t an alternative.  She went to look in a closet for something but came back empty handed.  We tried to think of a way to stop it without a stopper and she said something like ‘if only we had tape.’  I suddenly remembered that I had duct tape and to my amusement, we managed to stop up the bath with several strips of tape!  The manager sent up a glass of white wine and I had a luxurious hot bubble bath, with a duct tape stopper!

My bed is fit for a Queen.  Eleanor would be so envious!  It’s a King size (I think) with four posters and a canopy.  There are many pillows and velvet covered decorative pillows – something I may need to add to my own bed.  The covers were heavy and not too hot.

21 September 2022 ~ Castle Lough Rynn

It’s so sad that today is my last day in Ireland (tomorrow doesn’t count).  I just had a lovely Irish breakfast in the Sandstone and am stuffed!  The orange juice was so amazing and super fresh (it was  made from Spanish oranges!). I’ve had three glasses.  Check out is at noon and I intend to stay here as long as I can.  I want to take a nice shower before hitting the road.  I also need to transfer photos from my Irish phone to Google Drive.  And I need to drop off the car at the airport with a full tank by 5pm.  I’m trying to decide if I want to go to Kells as originally intended or if I should go to Bru na Boinne.  Decisions, decisions.

Upon researching Bru na Boinne I discovered that tickets were required and unavailable.  Guess I have to come back!

I went back to my room after breakfast and took a shower and packed up.  I also decided to treat the couple I had dinner with by paying for their dinner.  I made them a note and asked if we could keep in touch and said how much I enjoyed myself last night. 

I packed up the car then went back inside to see the front sitting area and the bar area.  The sitting area was gorgeous.  There was a fireplace and a baby grand piano and lots of sitting nooks.  I think they serve tea there as well.  The bar was nice, too.  I then officially checked out and found a note and contact information from my new friends, Annas and Paul Black.  I was so happy.  Then when I walked out, there they were!  We got one more hug and then some photos together (thanks Colm!). It was the perfect ending to a magical stay.

Since I couldn’t go to Bru na Boinne I headed to Kells.  Unfortunately, it was disappointing besides seeing the tower.  I thought there would be more to see.  I then headed to the Hill of Tara.  It was pretty cool but in the end, I was like, ‘yeah there’s a centuries old rock in the middle of a field.  Cool!’  In my defense for being so unimpressed and unprepared for both Kells and the Hill of Tara, I was tired.  I didn’t properly research either destination and just drove to both of them.  Kells does indeed have a nice visitors center explaining the history and even has a replica of the Book of Kells.  But I just drove to the Tower which was fine.  The Hill of Tara was more impressive than my journal entry and I would love to return to it next time I’m in Ireland.  I think spending the day there and at Bru na Boinne, which is another prehistoric site, would make an amazing day.

I had to refill Pierre before I dropped him off and headed to Dublin.  Getting to the car return place was nerve wracking!  There was all sorts of merging and roundabouts and construction at the airport.  But I finally found it and said goodbye to Pierre.  He was a good car and one of the nicest ones I’ve driven.

I finally made it to the airport hotel and uploaded some more photos.  I need to recalibrate my luggage then it’s off to bed.  Tomorrow I’ll be heading home.

I’m so glad I was able to make this trip.  It was well deserved and life changing.  I hope I can return sooner rather than later.

Thank you, Father, for the wonderful trip.

(Privately shared on January 22, 2023 with a select group of friends). The above is a photo of Healy Pass. More photos can be found here.

As a reminder, words written in italics represent the original journal. Underlined words are edits for clarification within the original journal.  I’m also adding new notes in my journal as I share it, mostly historical information of the things I’ve seen and researched upon my return and random thoughts.  This will be represented in regular type. 

23 Sept ~ Dublin

I didn’t sleep well – nerves? – and woke up very early, before 4am!  I repacked everything, taped up my duffel bag and headed to the airport shuttle.  I previously bought a duffel bag on my way to Bunratty and made sure it would be easy to carry, along with my rolling carryon.  The duffel bag had wheels on one end, but was larger than I needed, even when packed with laundry.  I packed my souvenirs in my carry on but had to pack some fragile items in the duffel.  To make it more compact and to keep items from being broken, I wrapped duct tape around the duffel.  This also made it an ugly bag and one that would hopefully be ignored by would-be mischief makers.  It was raining.  I wanted to get to the airport early enough to get through security and customs, and still have time for my flight.  Earlier in the year (summer?) Dublin airport was a mess, with long long lines.  Anyway, I got to the Delta desk super early and they weren’t even open!  I had to wait about 45 minutes for them to open at 7am.  I checked my duffel bag and headed to security.

The security line was long but the workers were efficient in barking orders to everyone.  I eventually got through even though I forgot I had my lip balm tin in my pocket and had to go through three times!  My camera gear was flagged so they had to take an extra look at it which meant I had to repack my Bento bag.  By the end, I was hot and flustered and still had to go through customs, all without a cup of coffee!

Customs again was a long line but efficient. We had to go through screening again (how dumb), but at least I didn’t have to take off my belt or walk through another Xray machine.  I eventually got a coffee and a croissant and found my gate.  (I ordered a regular coffee but they call it an Americano and it was an Americano – much better than drip coffee!)

Boarding was delayed but not by too much. For my trip home I upgraded to Comfort Plus seats and in the future will do the same.  We had a designated place for our carryon luggage so I was able to put both my carryon and Bento bag in the overhead bin so I would have more legroom (there was plenty of overhead bin access so I didn’t feel bad for putting both bags up there). My row was again in the middle seat.  The flight was blissfully uneventful and we arrived to a rainy NYC.

I had a short layover then boarded a much much smaller plane to Nashville.  I wanted to get a NYC magnet for my collection but the prices were outrageous! The flight was booked and I could only put my carryon in the overhead bin and had to put my Bento bag under the seat in front of me.  But because of the outlets and curve of the plane (I was sitting by a window), it wouldn’t fit! So I had to turn it and shove it in but it was still sticking out!  I tried to cover it with my jacket but the stewardess called me out on that and waited until I shoved it into place. It was still sticking out but luckily she didn’t make me check it because it had my camera gear in it.  In the end, the guy sitting next to me moved so I had an empty seat next to me.  It put it under the seat next to me flush, but it still stuck out.  Still, I’m very pleased with the bag although I suspect most people who buy it aren’t flying economy!

We landed early into Nashville so once I gathered my duffel bag, looking worse for wear, I made my way to the Lyfts and Uber section of the airport.

I haven’t used Lyft in awhile and the app wasn’t working as it should.  Luckily, there were some millennials near me and I asked them to take a look at it for me, old lady that I am!  After some manipulation they fixed it for me so I could order a ride.  I opted to share a ride for less money and my initial ride left without me!  It’s so hard to distinguish car makes and confirm license plate numbers when there isn’t a license plate in the front of the car.  I got the next ride and though I was the only passenger, I still got the shared ride price.

My driver let me out, laughed at the condition of my duffel bag (at least it didn’t get stolen!) and I was finally home.

It was so nice to be reunited with E2! (Elliot and Eleanor).  They were so happy to see me!  Elliot gave me lots of kisses and a couple of nips, as if to say ‘I’m so glad you’re home but I’m mad that you left us!’  It was nice to be with them again.

I noticed that Justin did not top off the bird seed or feed the ferals so no socks for him!  I fed everyone and then Cynthia came over as she wasn’t sure when I would be home (Cynthia was cat sitting).  It was nice to see her and I got my key back and thanked her for looking after E2.  She said they were so affectionate and they really are.

~ Epilogue ~

I did a lot of research on items needed for my trip and for travel in general. Here are my thoughts and purchases, most of which I got on sale.  

Clothes

For my trip, I knew I was going to do a lot of walking so I wanted to be comfortable.  I took four pairs of pants (traditional jeans that I wore on the planes, a pair of black jeans for dressy occasions), and two pairs of quick drying travel pants, several tops and two pairs of waterproof shoes.  My everyday shoes were Merrel Moab hiking shoes, and my ‘dressier shoes’ were these cute Sorrel lace ups.  I also took my Barbour waxed jacket, that I wore most of the time, and my Scottish red cap.  I washed clothes at Mizen View and used two laundry sheets that took up zero space in my luggage.  And because my pants were quick drying, they took no time to wear again.

Things I bought and brought for my trip but didn’t need:

A portable charger.  My brother, who travels frequently, recommended this one, which I bought, but I never needed.  Still, it’s good to have for my next adventure

My Orvis pack and go jacket.  This jacket is one of my favorite jackets I have and is a great travel jacket.  However, I didn’t need it, even though Dublin was rainy.  On the cooler evenings in Mizen View, I probably would have worn it had I not bought myself the Jameson hoodie

All the outlet chargers!  I bought a travel adapter, and brought all the different outlets.  I just needed the one for Ireland!

Things I bought and brought for my trip and were happy to have:

A bright travel wallet.  This one was perfect and easily held my passport, my boarding passes and even my phone.  The bright yellow made it easy to find in my bag.

A Turkish towel.  This came in handy on multiple occasions.  I used it as a blanket in the airplane and in a few places I stayed, a wrap on a sunny but windy day, and a blanket to sit on on the ground and journal.  I love it.

Noise cancelling earbuds.  I bought these exclusively for the flights, but I use them all the time now, especially on my walks to work.  

This sleep mask set.  I used it on the plane, when I arrived at my Air B&B in Dublin and when I got home.  It’s not hot or uncomfortable at all and stays in place.  

The Bento Bag.  This was my personal item on the flights and I used it primarily to safely carry my camera equipment.  It is a little pricey and I’m not convinced it fits under economy class airplane seats, but it is a lovely, well made bag.  In addition to my camera, I was also able to fit my laptop, umbrella, documents and the normal travel sundries.  I hope to use it often for many adventures.

A hard case rolling carry on.  When I was doing research for luggage (because who wants to travel overseas with old, broken luggage), Monos and Away brands were the most reviewed and praised.  I ended up going with this Monos carry on as it seemed more organized and of better quality.  Plus, Monos is very environmentally mindful which is important to me.  I liked the carry on so much that when I got home, I ordered a checked version of it.  Now I can spend more time with my brother when I visit him!

Things I wish I had brought with me

A packable backpack, like this one.  Instead, I used my cross body purse.  I love my cross body purse, and use it often at home, but with my camera I think I would have been more comfortable if the load was better distributed, especially on my long walks.  

Things I wish I had done differently

The only thing I wish I had done differently was to have bought an Irish Cell Phone as soon as I landed, instead of wasting a day in Dublin trying to mess with switching out SIM cards.  Here at home, I use Boost Mobile for my cell phone service which does what I need it to do, but it isn’t a travel friendly (at least to Europe) carrier.  In the end, I bought a pay as you go phone from Vodafone on my last full day in Dublin.  I can use it next time I’m in Ireland and I think it’s EU compatible so I can use it elsewhere.

Accommodations and Car Hire

With the exception of the Dublin Air B&B, I used booking.com for my accommodations.  Every place I stayed at had a free cancellation policy which made it easy to reserve a place, even if I wasn’t sure I would stay there.  I also made sure each place took a credit card for payment instead of cash (several places I looked at were reserve with a credit card, but pay in cash.  I didn’t want to worry about having cash with me and used my credit card for most of my transactions).

Here’s where I stayed:

Dublin Air B&B

Inishross House, New Ross

West Beach House, Cobh

Mizen View, Goleen

Courtyard Guesthouse B&B, Bunratty

Aran View Country House, Doolin

Lough Rynn Castle, Mohill

I used Discover Cars to hire Pierre.  Discover Cars checks the best prices of multiple car hire companies.

I flew Delta airlines, Nashville to Atlanta, then Atlanta to Dublin, and Dublin to NYC, then NYC to Nashville.

The trip was definitely a memorable one and I hope to return to Ireland soon.  I want to explore Northern Ireland, and North West Ireland, as well as revisiting Doolin, Cork, the Mizen Peninsulas and my castle.  Five weeks should just about do it.  

Thank you for indulging me by reading my entries and seeing my photos.  I was happy to share everything with you.  I hope you have enjoyed my Irish Adventure.

Much love,

~Kelly