Home Sweet Home

Sue and I are back home - YAY - and are reaping the benefits of playing with doggies, catching up with friends, reintegrating ourselves in our home spaces, getting back to work, and all that good stuff! : )

Pictures and last impressions of Ireland are still to come. Stay tuned! : )

Cheers and Guinness!
L&S

NB: For those of you who work at Cognos, I've posted a map of our travels at my desk. Feel free to swing by and see what parts of Ireland we covered along our journey.

A Traveller Has Tales to Tell...

...and other quotations that Sue and I have seen along this Irish journey.

We've collected these quotations and typical Irish "sound bites" from sugar packets in various restaurants, cafés, pubs, as well as from signs that were posted in places along our way.

We've seen everything from the silly to the more serious.
I think there is something here for everyone. Enjoy! : )

Irish wisdom from a sugar packet

"It's a long road that has no turns."

"Coffee should be black as night, hot as hell, and strong as love."

"Beauty does not boil a pot."

"Good men can often be found wearing worn britches."

"What is strange is wonderful."

"He would put legs under a chicken." (Which means he is talkative)

"The day of the big wind is no time to be doing the thatching."


Pub signs

"When the floor is full, please use the ashtray."

"Be good or begone."

"A friend in need is a pain in the arse."


And a typical Irish legend that has a happy ending...

The Children of Lir.

King Lir had four children, Fionnula, Aed, Conn, and Fiacra. Aoife, King Lir's second wife, was jealous of Lir's love for his children, turn them into swans for 900 years. Only when the church bells rang were they released, where upon they died."

County-Hopping to Wicklow

When we were in Cork a couple of evenings ago, over a delicious Thai dinner and a bottle of Singha beer, Sue and I reflected that we've been on the move a fair amount during this trip. We figured in the last five days, we spent a night in 5 different cities - Doolin to Kilorglin to Killarney to Cork to County Wicklow.

We both felt a wee bit fatigued, and decided to try something new. We decided we'd head to County Wicklow, find ourselves a lovely B&B tucked away in the mountains somwhere, and plant ourselves there for the rest of the trip (except for 2 days that we are setting aside to explore Dublin!).

The idea of staying in one place, having the opportunity to go hiking, take little excursions, and go exploring, without having to pack up our entire belongings and lug them to another unknown city, and spend some of our energy trying to find a place to park, and find a place to stay for the night, sounded like heaven.

So after I dragged Sue around Cork for a shopping excursion, we hopped in our car, and hit the road. We drove about 5 hours, and we went through 5 different counties. We drove from County Cork to County Tipperary to County Kilkenny to County Carlow back into County Kilkenny and finally into Cunty Wicklow. Phew!

We drove through Mitchelstown (which one the "tidy town award" in 2005) to the town of Cashel, where we explored the Rock of Cashel, a huge castle and cathedral that was built in the 1200s. From there, we drove through Kilkenny and into the most gorgeous horse country of Carlow. After Carlow, we left the main roads, and had many adventures finding ourselves in towns that weren't on the map, looking at sign posts with directions pointing to other towns that weren't on the map. With a little green luck, we made our way into the Wicklow mountain region to a town called Laraugh.

As soon as we arrived at this cute Glendale B&B yesterday, there was an audible sigh from the both of us, and we felt pretty at home and relaxed!! This was it! : )

At breakfast this morning, we listened to the weather report. The announcer started off by saying "We haven't had much rain in..." Sue and I looked at each other in disbelief. What? It's been raining pretty much the whole time we've been here!!
Then he finished the sentence off by saying "... in the last 3 hours."

HAHA! That's called making the most of the little things in life. Indeed. : )

Poetry from the Road

Sue and I have had many moments along this journey that captivate us. We seem to be inspired by nature. There must be something that we see in the rocky edges of a mountain side, the meandering path of a river, the way a waterfall bursts from the lush greenery, that stirs our souls, and inspires us to pause. We often instinctively pull the car over to a safe spot along a narrow road to stop. And pause. To look around. To capture the surroundings with all of our senses. Take it all in. To feel it.

To me, this is life. Being in nature. Experiencing the sunshine. Feeling the wind whipping against my face. Hearing the ocean. Being amongst the boulders of the mountains that have stood as sentries for the Ages. This what it is all about. I feel so connected to the Earth. It reminds me of what is important to me - it brings me back to the simple things in life - the wide open, free spaces, fresh air, light, and our connection to the Earth. When I stand on the top of a hillside, and I fling my arms wide open, I feel so grateful for all the beauty and happiness in my life. I am so lucky - my life is so full and so rich.

And it's in these moments that I am reminded of everything that I have. And it's often during these times that I feel like my heart is overflowing. One way that I often rely on to express my feelings is to write poetry. I thought I would share with you one that I wrote when Sue and I were on a beach in Achill Sound, Co. Mayo. I hope you enjoy it.

surfers
slick black bodies
bobbing
waiting for the gush of white
watching
silouhetted against the sun
solitude
crashing against the current
calmly
opening themselves to the ocean
outside.

-- lml May 13, 06

Impressions of Ireland... week one!

Things that stand out to me in Ireland - so far! : )

Peat - Peat smells a little like sweet tobacco. It's harvested in the bogs (which seem to be throughout the country). It's burned in fireplaces, along with coal. It's quite pungent, and very easy to distinguish, as you pass by houses or villages. I think it's something I will always associate with Ireland.

Guinness - Guinness is everywhere. The smallest hole-in-the-wall pub has a least one draught tap devoted to Guinness. They pour it with the utmost care, too. You fill the glass about 2/3 full, and let it sit for at least 2 minutes, before filling it to the brim. There is actually a Guinness Quality Team that travels around the country and once a month, visits every pub to check the Guinness tap hoses and machines to ensure that the Guinness experience is the finest.

Rain - There are four kinds of rain in Ireland. A soft mist rain that little sprays your face, but doesn't get you wet. Spitting rain that is a bit stronger, but doesn't get the ground wet. A shower that gets the ground wet, and yet you can still see the sunshine. And the lashing/pelting rain that stings when it slaps your face and soaks your clothes. The coolest part about the rain in Ireland, at least from what I've seen, is that no matter where you are when it's raining, you can turn yourself around and see sunshine pouring down from the sky and covering some patch of ground in the distance. The light seems to always be there.

Narrow Roads - OMG the roads are narrow here. And at many points along the way, they often seem impassable by two cars at the same the time. All the while, the speed limits that are posted are for 80 km/h - 100 km/h. Unbelievable! Sue and I just giggle when we approach a very twisty, windy road, with a narrow bridge, with the words "SLOW" painted on our lane, and a posted speed limit of 100. : ) We've also seen the funniest road signs - signs that show cars falling off of cliffs; cars with one set of wheels falling off the edges or sides of roads; warnings about stud fittings, and loose chippings. We saw one that said "Caution, wagons turning ahead." Wagons?? Do they still make wagons? *grin*

GREEN - Everything is green. There is even green in the most rocky, barren lands. And today, while we hiked through some of the 25,000 acres of Killarney National Park, we saw so many shades of green, I thought my head would spin. I didn't know it was possible. Light green, olive green, dark green, forest green, blue-green... all mixed together in the grasses, trees, and lushness that makes up this country.

Sue and I have still another week to travel - yahoo!! - so I suspect there will be other "things" that I experience as Ireland to me. But I thought I'd give you all a little flavor of the country for now.

Travel Update...

After Galway, we drove to Doolin - a little village in Country Clare perched on the edge of the ocean. We spent one day driving and hiking around the Burren (translated as "rocky land") in the incredible lashing rain. (This was an adventure that we will post more about! Stay tuned!) On Thursday, we drove to Killorgin, in County Kerry, and today, we spent the entire day hiking around Killarney National Park - looking at incredible trees, waterfalls, mountain passes, and so much untouched land. Tomorrow, our tentative plan is to head off to explore the Southern part of County Kerry, and parts of County Cork.

Bye for now! L&S

Galway Gals

Galway is called the City of the Tribes, because at one time, there were almost a dozen families that formed an oligarchy in the city. Family names like Eyre, Lynch, Joyce.. these names can still be seen all over the city on Pubs, on statues and monuments, street names, and the like.

Our B&B is located on the very top floor of a restaurant. It's nestled right next to the main funky cobblestone streets of Galway city. You enter a purple door just off Mary street, and climb three steep staircases to get to room #3. It's a tiny little room, with two single beds, and an attached bathroom (luckily!). We are so downtown that Sue had difficulties sleeping last night because we had some rowdy revellers drunkenly singing "Tipperary" on their way home from the clubs and pubs last night.

It's been raining pretty steadily since we arrived here. There's a constant spitting (as they describe it) and once and awhile the skies open for the real shower. Kind of icky dreary weather, but it doesn't stop us from exploring and smiling.

We spent the entire day walking around exploring the city of Galway. We poked in every little knick knacky shop, artisans' craft store, funky clothing and accessory place. We found a museum, one about the origin and history of the Claddagh ring (symbolic of friendship, love, and unity) and a beautiful 3 storey art gallery, complete with live cellist. We saw the Spanish arches, which were remains from the days when Ireland used to trade extensively with Spain. We saw St. Nicholas cathedral - a gorgeous old church in the middle of town.

There were some very funny tombstone epitaphs that we read and took pictures of. Here's one "His death was occasioned by his Top having fallen from him and in stooping to regain it a Car rolled on him in the street."

We also saw an old castle from the Lynch family in the heart of the city that has been converted into a bank.

We are heading to a pub shortly to indulge in some afternoon reading and journaling. As they say in Ireland, it doesn't rain in the pubs!

Be well!
Lisa & Sue

Pub Story #1

Sue and I headed out to downtown Westport last night. It was a Saturday night, and it seemed as if the whole town, all ages, was out to play. We hit a few pubs (Matt Molloy's, Dunnings, Moran's, and McGinn's) but this is just a little excerpt from the first two stops. It was a good evening. : )

Our first stop was Matt Molloy's pub. This pub is owned by the flutist from The Chieftains. By fluke, and because there was a festival in town, Matt himself was at the Pub. He was joined by about 12 other musicians, ranging in ages from 11 - 60. People just showed up with their instruments (bodhran drum, flutes, fiddles, accordians, guitars, banjos, and a few others I couldn't recognize), sat themselves wherever they could squeeze (on barstools, benches, amps), picked up the rhythm of the song, and joined in. Music was everywhere. If you weren't playing, then your feet were stomping, or your hands were tapping, or you had a smile stretching from ear to ear to watch an 11 year old boy shake hands with Matt, or a little girl keep a riff up on a flute. Families were packed into the little room. It was absolutely inspiring. It made me realize how beautiful the gift of sharing music is.

The second pub we went to, after a delicious meal of Indian food, was Dunnings. We were greeted outside by Dave, the owner (and lovely character) of our Augusta Lodge B&B. Dave seemed delighted to see us, and wanted to buy Sue and me a pint of beer to celebrate our arrival in Ireland. He asked me what I wanted, and I said Guinness. He smiled at me with an "Atta girl" wink.

Then he asked Sue what she wanted. She said Kilkenny.

"Kilkenny?" he asked horrified. "You want a what?"
"A Kilkenny." Sue yelled over the sound of the loud music.
"You know what Kilkenny is?" Dave asked.
"Ah, no." Sue said. "Isn't that a good Irish beer?"
Dave moved closer and said, with a flourish "It's like making love in a canoe!"
"Pardon me?" Sue asked and looked at me.
I laughed and shook my head.
Dave took a deep breath and hesitated for just a moment.
He leaned in close to the two of us. "Do you know why it's like a canoe?"
We shook our heads.
"It's fecking close to water."

That got a snort or two from Sue.

Then Dave leaned over to the man behind the bar. "She wants a Kilkenny!" he exclaimed in disbelief. The bartender snapped at Sue "This is Mayo county, not Kilkenny county. Here's a fecking atlas!"

By the time we recovered from laughter, Sue meekly asked "OK, how about a Smithwick's?"

Dave rolled his eyes and walked away. When he returned, he handed Sue her beer. In appreciation of this introduction to good old Irish slagging (teasing), we decided to make a toast. Dave leaned over to the table to grab his beer. He pulled up a pint of Budweiser. With a double take, we both exclaimed "Budweiser?!? That's not beer!"

I Love Happy!!

Failte! (This means Welcome in Gaelic.)

Sue and I are in Ireland!! : )

I am typing this from Dunning's Cyber Pub (no joke). It's a little early for Guinness (for me, but the pubs are open), so I am sipping a cafe mocha instead.

I love happy seems to be the mantra for our trip! It all started in the Philly airport. Our 9pm flight to Dublin was delayed until midnight. (Apparently there were a few mechanical problems that needed to be fixed. Lovely...) Sue and I walked for about 20 minutes away from our gate in search of some dinner. We found an open bistro, and were just settling in to toast ourselves with a glass of wine, when they made an announcement about our flight. Turns out they were boarding! Luckily, we waved someone down in one of the electric carts and we were on our way. The woman driving the cart was extremely vivacious - she kept yelling out "Smiles people! I want to see smiles!" When we mentioned that we enjoyed her attitude - she simply said "I love happy!"

I love happy, indeed. : )

We made our flight, even enjoyed some complimentary wine, on account of the delays, and slept the entire flight. We got our car (a Dihatsu Terios) which looks a little like a "wee SUV" - as Sue described it - and headed out of Dublin to Westport. Which is situated in The West.

The countryside is lovely - I am in love!! - It's green everywhere with lush fields; cattle and sheep; stone fences around stone houses; old churches; lots of gorse and broom in bloom; and the sun was shining. I played navigator (and tried to keep from falling asleep in our hermetically sealed car)and scanned the radio waves for tunes and to get a feel for what Gaelic sounds like. Sue drove like a pro - only occasionally freaking out when she passed cars that looked as if no one was driving them.

When we arrived in Westport, we had a few difficulties finding our lodge. Apparently all we had to do was drive through town, go up a big hill, and it would be the second left at the bottom of the hill. "Tis all" said the locals. Well, there are 3 ways through town, and two big hills that surround the village, so it took us a few tries. : ) When we hit a gorgeous part of town called the Mill, which perched at the edge of the ocean, and feeling quite hungry, I convinced Sue that we should have dinner (and beer) first before heading back to the lodge.

We walked into a pub called the Helm, and there was a huge crowd of rowdy guys in the entrance. It turns out they were there for a stag party and with a couple of giggles (and maybe a snort or two) we settled at the bar with our pints (Guiness for me, Smithwicks for Sue).

Dinner was a bit of a challenge for me. There was a garlic mushroom appetizer or deep fried brie that I could tackle, otherwise, the rest of the pickings were of animal origin. I asked if they could make me veggie fajihita (their spelling, not mine). The waitress brought me a green salad which was delicious, some salsa, and two tortillas that were beautifully crafted into a fan shape. I whispered to Sue that I might need to find a grocery store after dinner to supplement my dinner. After I gamely tucked into my plate, the waitress arrived a few minutes later with a plate of steamed vegetables. Woohoo! I should be just fine.

Our B&B is cute - the Augusta Lodge - it is all stocked to the brim with knicknacks and even has a mini putt in the front entrance. But it's comfy and spacious. We slept for about 11.5 hours straight.

This morning, we woke up to more sunshine and a full Irish breakfast. (Black and white pudding; bacon that looks more like ham; toast; eggs; and coffee). Today we are walking around, site seeing, doing the Internet thing, and enjoying the sunshine and lovely, friendly, people.

Bye for now!
Lisa & Sue

Starting off on the right foot....

Here are Sue's and my horoscopes to herald the beginning of our adventure!!

Sue the Virgo
Add a bit of spice in your life, Sue, by engaging in spontaneous activities that pique your interests in the new and revolutionary. It is time for you to get out and enjoy more of the world around you. Explore those things that are inherently different from what you would expect to find. Pick mystery door number one instead of the open door where you can see clearly through to the other side.

Lisa the Aries Ram
You are in for some unexpected surprises, Lisa, but don't worry because most of them will be exciting and welcome. Prepare yourself by being open and accepting of other people and the new situations they draw you into. The path of least resistance will take you to exactly where you need to be. Move towards people who radiate loving, positive energy.

Can you say "YahooOOo!!" : )

Off we go!

A sign I hope to see somewhere along the way....

There are no strangers here, only friends who haven't yet met.

Fifty Shades of Green and Webbed Feet

It is said that in Ireland there are fifty shades of green, and none of them are jaded.

I think that means that Sue and I should expect a little rain. Just a wee little bit, mind you.

According to the Lonely Planet "The weather may sometimes give you the impression that you're swimming through an airborne ocean, but the truly luminous greens, luxuriant wildflowers, and afternoons spent holed up in riotous pubs will more than console you for the webbed feet you'll need to grow."

"Whatever the time of year, be prepared for rain because Ireland is wet. The heaviest rain usually falls where the scenery is best: luscious County Kerry can be drizzle-bound on as many as 270 days of the year. If you do find the rain getting you down you might find some comfort in the Irish saying: 'It doesn't rain in the pub'!

I am just happy I know how to swim. Umbrella anyone? ; )

Pub Etiquette

Since Sue and I will likely be sampling some of the pub wares, I thought it a good idea to become familiar with pub etiquette.

Since one of the tips is to be prepared to be slagged (teased)... I guess it won't feel much different from being at home! ; )

Pub Etiquette

* Sit at the bar and join the locals in their craic (conversation). They will respect you for it and, although there hasn't yet been born an introverted Irishman, they will generally ignore you if you sit at a table away from the bar. The tables are where they go to eat when they don't want to be bothered.

* Conversely, if you see an Irishman you know at a table, salute him (tip your cap or wave) but be careful about walking over and standing above him while he is eating. It would be better to have a Guinness at the bar while waiting for him to finish his lunch.

* Wait for the bartender to come to you. Don't worry, he will likely see you sit down and it won't do you much good to yell at him. If he calls both you and the missus "lads" don't be offended. It's like saying "youse guys" in the States.

* The pubs are now smoke free so you can take the kiddies inside (Some pubs do have a curfew for the wee ones.)

* Expect to be slagged (teased) and feel free to slag back. It's all in good fun, really, and they will only slag you if they like you. When slagging, remember to be kind. If you can't be kind, try to be vague.

Hmmm...lads?

Here's a snippet from one of the Ireland Tourism sites...

"Welcome to County Clare and beyond. We hope you lads are keeping well. In Ireland everyone is called a lad... we're trying to keep you from going into shock when you hear it for the first time."

That's going to be interesting!?! : )

being open to experiencing it all...

I got this note from a good friend. These words reminded me that this is the kind of journey that I thrive on, the kind that feeds my soul.

"I just know that you and Sue are going to have a blast ... and I suspect Ireland will be a happier place for two weeks also. Your footprints will eventually wash away in the rain, but your soul prints will last forever in the Irish country side."

Thank you for those wishes!! : )

Wanted: A Castle

For a mere 9,000 Euros a day (or 75,000 Euros a week), which works out to be $12,612/day or $105,106/week, Sue and I can stay at Humewood Castle, in County Wicklow.

Complete with 14 rooms, additional staff, catering for lunch & dinner, secretarial services, phone & fax, shooting, horses, hidden doors and secret passageways, and a ballroom that can hold 120 people comfortably for cocktails, it's the perfect little retreat for us.

The Countdown....

Sue and I leave in 8 days for Ireland!

Our only set plans are to arrive in Dublin, drive across the country to Westport, spend two nights in Westport.

And the rest is open to discover! Magic! : )

I haven't even thought about what I am going to pack yet! Yikes!!