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Posts from the road

Journey to Dun Laoghaire (and the Unrelated Virus)

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(Dun Laoghaire, Ireland)

Travel is not artificially separated from real life. Real things happen…and you can get sick. Unfortunately, my earlier suspicions were correct and I had a full-blown cold by the morning of June 10. This was scheduled to be a travel day from Portrush to Dublin, with a stopover in Belfast.

I dozed for most of the train trip to Belfast and can’t comment much on it. In Belfast itself, I had to decide whether to continue onward or to see a bit of the city with my backpack. Although I hate to miss an opportunity to see a new place, it really was better for me to get to Dublin (actually Dun Laoghaire) and rest. In fact, I slept for most of the trip from Belfast to Dublin too.

I’m staying in Dun Laoghaire (a town about 20 minutes by “subway” from downtown Dublin) to escape the high cost of accommodation in Dublin…as well as to experience life in a once-busy but now quiet port. Even when you can find reasonably-priced accommodation in a city like Dublin (in which rents were recently the fifth-most expensive in the world), there is a good chance that it won’t be in the most desirable part of town. By staying in Dun Laoghaire, I was able to wander freely in the evening and also have my dinner in (relatively) inexpensive restaurants that still offered good food.   This was important, as my sore throat and congested sinuses were begging for spicy Asian soups!

My B&B (the Ferry House) in Dun Laoghaire. Yes, it's for sale!
My B&B (the Ferry House) in Dun Laoghaire. Yes, it’s for sale!

Dun Laoghaire (pronounced approximately “Dun LEER-y”) used to be the terminal for most, if not all, of the ferries arriving from England and Wales.  However, most of these ferries now go directly to Dublin Port.  The only remaining service is the car ferry from Holyhead, Wales.  Dun Laoghaire’s tourist infrastructure is therefore a little on the old side, as there is understandably little motivation to build anything new for tourists.  My B&B, and I suspect many others, is a Victorian building with very high ceilings and the sort of design that would be impractical to build today.

The glory may be fading, but Dun Laoghaire is still a quaint place to stay.
The glory may be fading, but Dun Laoghaire is still a quaint place to stay.

A side-effect of staying in a smaller community is that you can get more personalized attention in the various shops and services.  I was able to get a quick (and free) consultation with a pharmacist as soon as I walked in the pharmacy door.  Apparently, I don’t have an exotic disease…but this particular cold virus has swept through Ireland and will likely linger for a week or so.   I’m glad I know that:  I will have to set reasonable expectations for my stay in Dublin, as I don’t want to deteriorate further and have a miserable flight home.  This means prioritizing:  if I’ve already seen or done something similar on this trip, there’s no need to see or do it again in Dublin.

Dun Laoghaire's East Pier in the evening
Dun Laoghaire’s East Pier in the evening

Even if I weren’t sick, it would still be important to pick my spots as I near the end of this trip.  No matter how beautiful a particular cathedral or painting may be, it won’t pack the same punch if you’ve already seen a dozen of them in the past week.  I suppose this is even more true if you’re travelling as much as I am this year:  I will really have to be careful not to get over-castled.

The "DART" pulls into Sandycove/Glasthule Station. This is how I commute to/from Dublin.
The “DART” pulls into Sandycove/Glasthule Station. This is how I commute to/from Dublin.

Stay tuned for the details on how I decided to spend my time in Dublin – there are still a couple of Irish posts to come!

Posts from the road

The Antrim Coast Sightseeing Marathon

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(Portrush, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland)

June 9 was a test of my sightseeing endurance. Despite not being in peak physical condition (due to a worrisome sore throat and some other cold symptoms), I decided to maximize my tourist thrills and see as many sights on the Antrim Coast as possible…by using public transportation.  I set a goal of three:  the Giant’s Causeway, Bushmills Whiskey Distillery, and Dunluce Castle.  Could I pull it off and still make it for pre-dinner drinks at the Portrush Yacht Club?

Early indicators were positive.  “Hopper” bus pass in hand, I caught the first Route 402 bus and scoped out the latter sights on my way to the Giant’s Causeway.  Knowing the lay of the land was essential to success.

Frolicking on the Giant's Causeway
Frolicking on the Giant’s Causeway

The Giant’s Causeway is bizarre.  The legend is that it was indeed a causeway built by a giant to link Ireland and Scotland.  However, tragedy and misunderstanding naturally entered the picture…and the causeway was destroyed, with only a small portion here (and a smaller portion in Scotland) surviving.  The geological explanation is less thrilling.  In any case, the cover art for Led Zeppelin’s “Houses of the Holy” album is no longer a mystery.

The slightly scarier side of the Giant's Causeway
The slightly scarier side of the Giant’s Causeway

I rambled, photographed, and  moved on to some intense cliff trails.  No challenge was left unturned.  162 straight steep steps up?  Bring them on!  Exposed windy cliffs with no protective railing?  No problem!   A bus at 12:26 instead of the 12:36 I thought I had read?  That’s going to be tricky.  Nonetheless, with a full 2 minutes to spare, I caught the hourly bus and was on my way to the town of Bushmills and its namesake whiskey distillery.

More frolicking on the Giant's Causeway, but note the red-jacketed park rangers at top right.
More frolicking on the Giant’s Causeway, but note the red-jacketed park rangers at top right.

I’m not really a whiskey (Irish) or whisky (Scottish) drinker.  I don’t think I’ve ever had Bushmills whiskey before today.  However, I appreciate well-made products and didn’t want to make the same mistake we made in Orkney, where we passed up the opportunity to tour the Highland Park Distillery.  And so, within 10 minutes of arrival, I was on a tour with 8 strangers to see how the (famous?) Bushmills Whiskeys are made.

It was cool.  It was hot – almost unbearably so in the distilling room.  It was odd – could that goopy granola really become whiskey?  Indeed, how did they ever come up with the process in the first place?  And then we saw the bottling line – I was expecting to see Laverne & Shirley appear at any moment (and was trying to get their theme song out of my head).

Exterior of the Old Bushmills Distillery in Bushmills, Northern Ireland (photos were not allowed inside)
Exterior of the Old Bushmills Distillery in Bushmills, Northern Ireland (photos were not allowed inside)

Armed with all kinds of information about distillation, peat (or not), and sherry casks, we each received a free sample in the on-site bar.  I went for the oldest available option (12 year old single malt), reasoning that 12 must be better than 10 (with the 16 and 21 year old varieties deemed too expensive for the tourists).  It was smooth, it felt good on my sore throat, and I will never have it again because the 12-year old blend is only available for purchase at the distillery.

With the clock a-ticking, I abandoned a plan to go into town for lunch and instead grabbed a quick lunch at the distillery’s café.  I opted for the Steak and Guinness pie and (see photo below) it was surprisingly the best meat pie I have ever had.  Rich-tasting, with virtually no gruel-like filler, I wished that I could have more.  But no!  I had to catch another bus!

Steak and Guinness Pie from the Old Bushmills Distillery (Bushmills, Northern Ireland)
Steak and Guinness Pie from the Old Bushmills Distillery (Bushmills, Northern Ireland)

Dunluce Castle was an immense, opulent castle on a cliff overlooking the Antrim coast.  It provided unimaginable luxury, leisure and fine cuisine for those lucky enough to be received there.   However, a wing of the castle rather inconveniently fell into the sea one day.   This was the beginning of the end – before long, the castle was plundered and now only a huge haunting shell remains.

Dunluce Castle (the part that didn't fall into the sea)
Dunluce Castle (the part that didn’t fall into the sea)

I grabbed a handset for the audio tour and set out, madly clicking photos as I ambled, climbed, stretched and ducked through the ruins.  But there was a bizarre scheduling quirk, and the previously hourly bus skipped an hour…I suddenly had time to kill.  Noting that a guided tour was scheduled to begin in 2 minutes, I asked if I could go.  Even though I had already been on the audio tour, and no other people wanted a guided tour, I brazenly convinced the staff to send me off with a private guide for an enhanced tour that didn’t duplicate the audio tour.  I learned about a cave, secret passages, and all kinds of other stuff that other guests would not hear about.  Success!  Filling my final 20 minutes with a much needed “wee cup of tea”, I caught a bus back to Portrush with time to spare before my evening social engagement.

Nightfall on the West Strand in Portrush, Northern Ireland
Nightfall on the West Strand in Portrush, Northern Ireland

I will probably pay the price for rushing around like this…but it was fun to manipulate the limited bus schedule and other factors to create a whirlwind of sightseeing fun.  When combined with the previous day’s off-the-beaten-path tour by car, I think I’ve done a good job of travelling in this part of Northern Ireland.

Posts from the road

My First Visit to Northern Ireland

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(Portrush, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland)

After more than a week in the Republic of Ireland, I am now in Northern Ireland.  Northern Ireland belongs to the U.K. but the border crossing was a complete non-event as both countries belong to the E.U.  It was a long and epic journey:  Westport-Knock, Knock-Sligo and Sligo-Derry by bus; a shuttle bus from the bus station to the train station; a train from Derry to Coleraine and finally a train from Coleraine to Portrush.  It took more than 8 hours, with a quick shopping stop in Derry, but I enjoyed seeing so many different parts of the island in quick succession.

Derry (also known as Londonderry) was the first place where I had time to walk around a bit.  Its city walls are still intact and, as in Dubrovnik, you can walk around the old town on top of the walls.  I suppose it would have been logical to do that first.  But I had a feeling that the “Abbazappa” music shop in the old town would yield results…and I was right.  It was a motherlode of travel-appropriate 45 rpm singles and I am looking forward to playing them all when I get home.  It was bit of a frenzy, to be honest, and after paying for them I had to rush back to the bus station in order to make my connection.

Near the waterfront in Portrush, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland
Near the waterfront in Portrush, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland

The train trip from Derry to Portrush followed a beautiful route along the sea.  I’m staying in Portrush for three nights; it is a seaside resort town with a long history of welcoming travellers.  Thanks to the efforts of a friend back home, I was able to meet up with a family in Portrush for dinner.  They had never met me before but gave me a great welcome to their home town (as well as a great dinner).  The hospitality I saw in the Republic of Ireland is also quite apparent here.  Afterwards, even though it was almost 11:00 p.m., I was able to take some photographs of the shore (see this post’s “cover” photo) without any lighting difficulty.  These long days really fool you – it just doesn’t feel like it is time to wind down for the night.

Mussenden Temple (near Downhill, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland)
Mussenden Temple (near Downhill, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland)

The next day, I met up with an old radio friend from my undergraduate days at Queen’s.  He lives in the nearby town of Limavady and offered to give me an off-the-beaten-path tour of the area west of Portrush.

"Downhill Demesne" - this was being used as office space during World War II, but has gone downhill since then
“Downhill Demesne” – this was being used for official purposes by the RAF during World War II, but has gone downhill since then

Among other places, we visited the “Downhill Demesne” and Mussenden Temple complex as well as the top of Binevenagh Mountain.  Binevenagh, in particular, is extremely difficult to find so it was great to have a local guide.  There is no way it could have been reached by public transportation.  Binevenagh also confirmed that the Republic of Ireland does not have a monopoly on steep and spooky cliffs.  The views were great – we could see all the way to County Donegal in the Republic.

View from Binevenagh Mountain of Magilligan Point and County Donegal
View from Binevenagh Mountain of Magilligan Point and County Donegal

As we hadn’t seen each other in 20 years, my friend and I had a lot of catching up to do.  Obviously, a lot happens over two decades, but it was more remarkable how little our personalities seemed to have changed during that time.

I enjoyed the tour but I think my guide was a little nervous at first.
I enjoyed the tour but I think my guide was a little nervous at first.

Next up on the itinerary are some of the more traditional sights on the Northern Ireland coast.  These will be a little more crowded but it’s not really high season yet.  I just hope the notoriously fickle weather cooperates – a couple of these places are really exposed to the elements!

Posts from the road

Urban Life in Western Ireland

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(Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland)

This post’s title sounds like a very scholarly treatise.  However, I just wanted something that covered my otherwise undocumented experiences in Galway and Westport.

Galway is a lot of fun.  Up until the crash of the Celtic Tiger a few years ago, it was apparently a real boomtown.  Lots of evidence of that unprecedented prosperity remains and the attractive streets of the pedestrian-only zone are full of people.  There are lots of young people, too:  this is a university town and it is also known for something else that attracts young people (more on this in a moment).

An unusually quiet moment in downtown Galway
An unusually quiet moment in downtown Galway

I used Galway as a base to see attractions to the west and south.  But I also enjoyed my time in the city itself, even if it doesn’t really have too much in the way of specific tourist attractions.  An American who was staying in my B&B goes to Galway every year – just because he likes the vibe of the place.

I found a nice used book/music store in Galway called Bell Book and Candle.  Like many places in Ireland, this one had a talkative owner who was genuinely interested in where I came from and what I was doing in Ireland.  I even found some interesting 45s – my international music buying drought is officially over!  I previously mentioned eating Moroccan food in Galway – I also had a very spicy (and very good) doner kebab meal.  The proprietor was from Turkey and it appeared that the local Turkish population enjoyed eating there too.

This is how U2 advertised their Galway-area concerts, back in the day
This is how U2 advertised their Galway-area concerts, back in the day

The only time I felt a little uncomfortable in Galway was late in the evening on my first day in town.  I found a lot of the young people to be a little more aggressive and/or drunk than elsewhere in Ireland before or since.  This didn’t happen on any  other night.  Some research revealed the answer:  Galway is a notorious destination for “Stag and Hen Parties” (their words) and I happened to run into some pretty serious ones.

While Galway has almost 80,000 residents, Westport has just under 6,000.  Westport is proportionately more driven by tourism and seems to draw an older crowd than Galway.  Perhaps as a consequence, there is a lot of upscale dining here and it was a little more difficult to find restaurants that were frequented by locals.  But Westport is undeniably quaint and well-kept:  in fact, it has won Ireland’s “Tidy Town” competition on several occasions and also won a national Quality of Life competition.

Specialty shop in Westport. I went in for the vinyl but came out with a book!
Specialty shop in Westport. I went in for the vinyl but came out with a book!

My main reason for going to Westport was to use it as a base for climbing Croagh Patrick – an imposing mountain located a few miles outside of town.  It would have been about a 4-hour round-trip hike, with much of the hike on loose scree.  Alas, it rained all day, winds were gusting in the 50km/h range, and the mountain was shrouded in clouds.  As I also would have had to bike to the mountain (an additional 45 minutes each way), I reluctantly gave up on the climbing plan.   It’s not a problem – hopefully I will be in this part of Ireland again someday and will have better weather.

Dinner tonight was another quintessential Irish experience: take-out fish & chips from the local “chippy”.  The piece of cod was huge – check out how it compares to the fork in the picture below.

Fish & Chips to go in Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland
Fish & Chips with Salt & Malt to go in Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland

As in Galway, people in Westport were also very helpful.  In particular, I can certainly recommend the Waterside B&B:  excellent “VFM” (value for money) and excellent guidance for their guests.  They even took care of my laundry for me.

From Westport, I am taking an epic journey (5.5 hours on 3 buses, then a shuttle bus to a train station, and then another hour+ on 2 trains) to my next destination.  Among other things, I’ll be meeting some family friends as well as an old school friend who I haven’t seen in about 20 years.  I’ll also be seeing some more great sights on this very green island.  Stay tuned for the next “big reveal”!

Posts from the road

A Musical Evening in Westport, Ireland

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(Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland)

It’s in practically every guidebook that covers County Mayo in Western Ireland.  Every backpacker you meet in the area talks about it.  Even the owner of my B&B here in Westport recommended it.  They all say the same thing:  you have to go to Matt Molloy’s Pub for some traditional Irish music.

Matt Molloy's Pub by day (Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland)
Matt Molloy’s Pub by day (Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland)

At one time or another, I played virtually every kind of music on my various radio programs at CFRC-FM.  However, I must admit that I didn’t play much in the way of traditional Irish music.  Even when I had a “world music” program, I gravitated towards music from South Africa and Brazil.  Nor did I ever (knowingly) play Irish traditional music with any of the bands I played in.

Nonetheless, I always appreciate live music played by skilled musicians who love what they are doing.  The type of music doesn’t really matter.  Nothing is more off-putting than going to a concert and seeing that the band doesn’t really want to be there.  It’s even worse when they crank up the volume to cover up their sloppy playing.

Even though I found it a little intimidating to walk into an unknown and crowded bar by myself, I went ahead and (yes) ordered a pint of Guinness.  It took a few minutes to pour it properly.  The bartender told me where the session would take place and I found a spot in the very small room.  Before long, I was chatting to a fellow traveller and musician from England who was interested in a lot of the same music that I was.  The environment facilitates this kind of contact:  in Canada, people tend to go to pubs in groups and not mix as much with other people.  Anyway, before I knew it, the musicians sat down at a couple of small tables and the session was about to begin.

Session at Matt Molloy's (Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland)
Session at Matt Molloy’s (Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland)

There were 5 musicians to start, with another one joining in after a few songs.  It wasn’t structured and there was no “patter from the frontman”…in fact, there was no frontman.  It seemed like everybody took their turn in selecting and starting a song.  Most of the songs were instrumentals but my favourites were the ones with words.  At first, it was strange to hear unamplified singing.  But this is how it would have been a century (or more) ago.  Once again, if you ignored the digital cameras, it was easy to pretend that we weren’t in 2014 at all.

Session at Matt Molloy's (Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland)
Session at Matt Molloy’s (Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland)

The musicians were having fun and the audience was too.  A significant number were tourists, but there were locals as well…several of them were friends with the musicians.  I was a little concerned beforehand that this would be an artificial tourist production but there really weren’t any concessions.  The musicians played what they wanted to play and were even teaching each other some tunes.  Nobody came around to pester you about buying more drinks.  And then we saw Matt Molloy!

Some of the crowd (and the bodhrán player) at Matt Molloy's (Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland)
Some of the crowd (and the bodhrán player) at Matt Molloy’s (Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland)

Through my radio work, I had heard of Planxty, the Bothy Band and (especially) The Chieftains.  Matt Molloy played the flute for all of them and has been with The Chieftains for 35 years now.  The Chieftains are probably the most famous traditional Irish band of all time.  As a result, Matt Molloy has played with The Rolling Stones, Sinead O’Connor, Elvis Costello, Sting, Madonna and many others too numerous to mention.  They’ve also been nominated for 18 Grammy awards (and won 6 of them).

Session at Matt Molloy's (Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland)
Session at Matt Molloy’s (Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland)

Molloy could probably make more money from his pub by increasing prices and employing the “hard sell” approach that you see in some other landmark entertainment attractions.  However, he seems determined to “keep it real” and still welcome tourists at the same time.  There was no cover charge either.  In the end, everybody goes home happy and the word continues to spread about this Westport landmark.

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Afraid of heights? Proceed with caution…

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(Galway, Co. Galway, Ireland)

On June 3, I signed up for a day tour of “The Burren” and the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare.  My main motivation was the advertised hike in The Burren, but I also had heard about the Cliffs of Moher and figured I might as well see those too.

The Burren is an incredibly rocky landscape that resembles the stonier parts of Inis Mór.  The hike in The Burren took barely an hour and probably only half of that was actually on the move.   I had been hoping to at least climb to the top of the mountain but the group size and time constraints extinguished that dream.  The walk was fine, and it was nice to walk on the bizarre-looking rocks, but my inner mountain goat was somewhat disappointed.  I began to wonder about how much we could explore the Cliffs of Moher.

Hiking in The Burren at Oughtmama, Co. Clare
Hiking in The Burren at Oughtmama, Co. Clare

First, however, there was an intermediate stop at a neolithic burial tomb called the Poulnabrone Dolmen.  It wasn’t big, but then again it was older than the Egyptian Pyramids.  Nearly 30 people were buried here.  This was at a time when 30 years was considered a long life.

Poulnabrone Dolmen (perhaps as old as 4200 B.C.), Co. Clare
Poulnabrone Dolmen (perhaps as old as 4200 B.C.), Co. Clare

It was now well after 1:00 p.m. and I was getting restless.  Finally, we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher and were told to return in 90 minutes.  My inner mountain goat was finally free!  I took the tour leader’s advice and headed north along the coast.  The initial views were very impressive, but it felt a little “sanitized” with protective walls some distance from the edges of the cliffs.  These cliffs were more than 200m (more than 2 football fields) high and plunged directly into the Atlantic Ocean.

One of the initial views of the Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare
One of the initial views of the Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare

However, after about 10 minutes, the cliff-top trail passed onto private property and the restraining barriers disappeared.  There were now two choices: a mostly gravel path that was well away from the edge, and another rougher path closer to the edge and slightly elevated for better viewing.  I did a comprehensive risk analysis, noting that the people ahead of me were successfully walking on the elevated route, and proceeded along the “riskier” path.

Almost immediately, I felt like I was back at Dun Aonghosa on Inis Mór, except that the Cliffs of Moher were twice as high!  And yet, somehow, I felt more comfortable here.  It was the same kind of exhilaration that I feel on the top of mountains.  Any disappointment with The Burren walk was now forgotten.  Looking at the Cliffs of Moher photos afterwards, however, I felt retroactively scared.

Getting a little scary now - Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare
Getting a little scary now – Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare
The close-ups are frightening but the long-distance photos (such as the “cover” photo of this post) are also scary because of how insignificant people appear in the distance compared to the cliffs.  It was like watching a procession of ants who were impossibly close to the edge of a huge drop-off.  In a way, I think I’m more afraid to go back now, having fully grasped the massive scale.
The first step is a doozy - Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare
The first step is a doozy – Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare

And then there are the people who seem to be missing the “caution gene”.  I kept thinking that some primitive, prehistoric part of my brain was preventing me from getting closer to the edge.  Although I have little experience with cliffs, I received a very strong message to go no closer than I did.  So why didn’t these other people get that message?

That's 200m straight down, people...Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare
That’s 200m straight down, people…Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare

Well, after all of that excitement, it was anticlimactic to visit a site north of Doolin that had smaller (but still large) drop-offs into the sea.  I took some pictures but I think I had already reached my “gobsmacked quota” for the day.  Similarly, our final stop at the imposing Dunguaire Castle didn’t have as much impact as it otherwise might have.

The "Atlantic Ledge" north of Doolin, Co. Clare
The “Atlantic Ledge” north of Doolin, Co. Clare

My day trips to Inis Mór and the Burren/Cliffs of Moher were full of natural “wow” moments and close encounters with prehistoric human brains (both mine and those of others).  I’m also told that my two consecutive days of dry weather are quite unusual for Ireland.    It’s now time for some city exploration and, hopefully, an end to my international vinyl record buying drought.

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“Rock” and “Roll”: Inis Mór by Bike

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(Galway, Co. Galway, Ireland)

I’ve been in Galway for a couple of days now, but this is my first posting from Galway as my itinerary was extremely full.  Today’s  entire post is devoted to my June 2 visit to Inis Mór (English – Inishmore), largest of the Aran Islands.

The Aran Islands are three extremely rocky islands located off the western coast of Ireland.  They are a stronghold of the Gaelic language and, in the relatively recent past, were among the most isolated parts of Ireland.  They were the subject of a 1934 Oscar-winning documentary (“Man of Aran”) that portrayed traditional life on the islands.  I decided to visit Inis Mór, the largest of the three Aran Islands, for some sightseeing by bike.  Inis Mór has only 800 people but is just a bit too large to be covered by foot on a day trip.

I haven’t biked all day for many years but it was a great way to see the island’s highlights at my own pace.  I was far from the only one and, in fact, it turned out to be a brilliant move because one of the roads was closed to vehicle traffic.

View from the inner wall of Dún Aonghasa
View from the inner wall of Dún Aonghasa

The headlining sight on Inis Mór is Dún Aonghasa (English: Dun Aengus), an Iron Age ring fort perched on a cliff 200 feet above the Atlantic.  It’s not just perched there:  from time to time, part of the fort tumbles into the sea due to erosion.   The views are incredible…and so is the challenge to venture close to the edge.  While I am completely comfortable on skis high in the Alps, this was another matter altogether.  I can’t imagine lying at the top of the cliff with my head over the edge…but some people do it.  In keeping with most dramatic sites here, there are no barriers to prevent people from tumbling over the edge.

Mirror image of the previous photo at Dún Aonghosa: how close to the edge would you get? (Inis Mór)
Mirror image of the previous photo at Dún Aonghosa: how close to the edge would you get? (Inis Mór)

With the spectacular location, it is easy to forget the mystery about the fort:  it’s 2,000 years old and relatively little is known about its construction and use.   However, there are similar structures elsewhere in Europe (including Spain and France), suggesting that ancient Ireland may have had quite a bit of contact with the outside world.

Walking down (away from the cliffs) from Dún Aonghasa on Inis Mór
Walking down (away from the cliffs) from Dún Aonghasa on Inis Mór

En route to Dún Aonghasa, I passed a seal colony.  These wild animals are huge and rather endearing.  They seem to smile or wink at you when they catch your eye.  I must have taken 100 photos of the seals (one of which is at the top of this post), in an attempt to capture their expressions.

Part of the inner ring at Dún Aenghusa (Inis Mór), along with some picnickers
Part of the inner ring at Dún Aonghosa (Inis Mór), along with some picnickers

Dún Aonghasa is far from the only historic site on Inis Mór.  Na Seacht Teampaill ( The Seven Churches) is a religious complex dating back to the 8th century and contains a cemetery with many Celtic Crosses.  The Irish have a keen wit; there may in fact be only two churches.  A couple of local dogs followed me here and left when I departed the site.  This was typical of the day:  Inis Mór seems much more connected to the non-human world than other places in Europe.   In addition to the seals and dogs, I photographed cows, goats, wild rabbits and a sociable donkey while on the island.

Na Seacht Teampaill on Inis Mór
Na Seacht Teampaill on Inis Mór

It didn’t feel like 2014 on Inis Mór.  On the roads, it could have been any time in the relatively recent past.  When I was off the roads and on the shore or at  the top of Dún Aonghasa, it could have been hundreds (if not thousands) of years in the past.  One has to be careful not to romanticize all elements of the past (some of which are quite horrid), but it was still a very enjoyable day of time travel. 

What's the goat in the back doing?
Who knew that goats could walk on two legs?

 I returned to the vibrant city of Galway and ate an excellent Moroccan meal (chicken tagine) in a downtown restaurant.   Ethnic restaurants are one element of modern life that I wouldn’t want to give up!

Sociable donkey on Inis Mór
Sociable donkey on Inis Mór
Posts from the road

Irish Food and the Rock of Cashel

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(Cashel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland)

Today’s main activity was visiting the famous Rock of Cashel.   The Rock is a relatively large limestone outcrop in the otherwise mostly flat plain of Tipperary.  Of course, this meant that the Rock had strategic value…way back in the 5th Century, “the” St. Patrick was in this very place and facilitated the conversion of Irish kings to Christianity here.

The Rock of Cashel
The Rock of Cashel

Over the centuries, there was much building and re-building on the Rock.  Much of what is left today dates back to the 12th century.  Alas, the complex gradually fell into disrepair and it is now best described as a series of (impressively situated) walled ruins.  I spent a few hours at the site; I started with a guided tour, followed by a movie and some general wandering.  The legendarily rainy Irish climate has played a very large role on the Rock and continues to affect restoration efforts today.  It was sunny all day today but I’ve been told not to get my hopes up.

Ruins, tourists and Celtic crosses at the Rock of Cashel
Ruins, tourists and Celtic crosses at the Rock of Cashel

I also visited the nearby Hoar Abbey.  It too is a ruin and is currently home to a lot of cattle.   It is very peaceful there, although you do have to watch your step.

Hoar Abbey (Cashel, Ireland)
Hoar Abbey (Cashel, Ireland)

Dining in Ireland continues to generate surprises.  For lunch, I ordered the daily special of “Bacon and Cabbage with Parsley Sauce”.  I’ve now learned that “bacon” is really more like “baked ham” back home.  I’ve also learned that one should expect (a lot of) mashed potatoes with your meal even if they aren’t listed on the menu.

I decided to try Irish Chinese food for dinner.  In Canada, I often get Lemon Chicken, so I thought it would be interesting to eat it here.   The price seemed high, but I realized why when my plate arrived:  chicken, rather than batter, is the main ingredient.  It was almost like a Wienerschnitzel, so fine was the breading in relation to the meat.  So far, Chinese, Indian and Italian seem to be the main ethnic food options in Ireland.  It will be interesting to see how the Indian food in Ireland compares with the excellent Indian food we had a few years ago in Chester, England.  We liked it so much that we ate it at almost every meal.

Chez Hans is probably the top restaurant in Cashel; it's located in a former church
Chez Hans is probably the top restaurant in Cashel; it’s located in a former church

Speaking of ethnicity…like a number of Western European countries, Ireland now has a substantial Polish population.  I saw a Polish grocery store today and read in my guidebook that native speakers of Polish in Ireland actually outnumber native speakers of (Irish) Gaelic.  As Ireland is actively supporting the renaissance of Gaelic (all road signs here are printed in both English and Gaelic), the extent of Polish is rather unexpected.  I haven’t seen much in the way of Polish restaurants yet, although it probably is only a matter of time before they start to appear.  I have fond memories of the perogies I ate in Vienna; maybe I will be able to have some here too.

I’ve now moving on from Cashel to the west coast of Ireland.  I am looking forward to what appears to be very dramatic scenery .  Even though it is quite close, as the crow flies, I need to take a complicated bus odyssey of nearly 6 hours to reach my next destination.  Given my experience on Irish buses so far, however, it won’t be anything like the crazy bus ride to Trebinje!  I’ll be able to enjoy the ride as well as my brief stopovers in Cahir and Limerick.

Caught in the act! Is this what they call a "Cashel Cow"?
Caught in the act! Is this what they call a “Cashel Cow”?
Posts from the road

It’s a Long Way to Tipperary

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(Cashel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland)

I’m sure that a hundred other travel bloggers have announced their arrival in County Tipperary with such a title.  But it really is a long trip from Kingston to Tipperary and I’m going to keep the cliché in the title.  After all, music is a theme of this trip and that song is probably in your head right now!

Why am I here?  The simple (rather than existential) answer is that there are simply too many places in the world to see…even with an entire year to explore.  Accepting the fact that I’ll have to miss out on a few things, no matter how many trips I cram into my schedule, I decided to let fate dictate where I would go.  Upon returning from Italy a couple of months ago, I took my “short list” (really a rather long list) of places I want to visit and vowed to visit the next one that had a worthwhile seat sale for late May.  Sure enough, Aer Lingus was promoting its direct Toronto-Dublin service and quoted a fare that I could not refuse.  Ireland it is!

Two blocks from downtown Cashel, Co. Tipperary
Two blocks from downtown Cashel, Co. Tipperary

My selection of Cashel was similarly whimsical.  Yes, there is a top-flight sight here, but I’m really here because my flight was scheduled to arrive at 5:20 a.m. in Dublin and that’s far too early to stick around (especially with luggage).  Since I would be jetlagged anyway, I chose an initial destination that had relatively mundane scenery en route and still got me close to the highly desirable west coast of Ireland.  All signs pointed to Cashel and I think it was a good choice.  Quiet, yet not totally off the beaten path, it allowed me to make up for the 30 minutes of sleep I had on the overnight flight to Ireland while also letting me see one of Ireland’s most famous attractions.  My next blog entry will undoubtedly feature some content from tomorrow’s visit to the famous Rock of Cashel.

A pub in Ireland - and it sells Guinness! (Cashel, Co. Tipperary)
A pub in Ireland – and it sells Guinness! (Cashel, Co. Tipperary)

With a mid-day nap obliterating any hope of lunch, I decided to go for a 4-course prix fixe dinner.  I was so hungry by then that I chose the heaviest possible options:  Buffalo chicken wings (yes, in Ireland!), Chicken Roulade with lots of whipped potatoes, and hot apple pie for dessert.  The fourth course was tea, but it too was served in industrial quantities.   I’m now quite ready to sleep, as you can imagine.

A nice light main course (chicken stuffed with ham and cheese, and then wrapped in bacon), after a Buffalo wings appetizer. Bring on the apple pie!
A nice light main course (chicken stuffed with ham and cheese, and then wrapped in bacon), after a Buffalo wings appetizer. Bring on the apple pie!

During my two weeks here, I will be spending every night in a Bed & Breakfast (B&B).  While some B&Bs are run by offsite owners, I believe that the owners actually live at every B&B that I’ve chosen.  I booked ahead, as this is a bank holiday weekend and early June is also an increasingly popular time to visit Ireland.   As I am relying on public transportation, I also thought it was important to ensure I had a place to stay in each town I visit.  If I had a car, it would be easier to drive on to the next town if there were no vacancies.  Public transportation in Ireland radiates out from Dublin like spokes:  it’s relatively easy to get to/from the capital, but not so easy to travel between different spokes.

My B&B in Cashel, Ireland
My B&B in Cashel, Ireland

I’ve already noticed that there is a lot more interaction between guests at a B&B than at hotels.  Just like in youth hostels, guests are more likely to talk to each other and to exchange tips on places to go and things to do.  I’ve already picked up some new ideas for my next destination after Cashel.   This trip should be a lot of fun!

Posts from the road

Vienna Calling

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(Vienna, Austria and Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

My Vienna hotel was located just across the Schwedenplatz bridge from district 1.   It was an easy walk to get to the Stephansdom – the epicentre of Viennese tourism.   And the Stephansdom is just as big as I remember it as a young backpacker.

Revisiting my 1991 impressions, Vienna is still orderly and clean.  Perhaps not to the extreme extent I remembered, but the roads (just to pick a random example) were definitely much more orderly than what I had experienced further south.   In fact, I found Vienna much more orderly than Stuben, an Austrian ski resort I visited last year where there was more of an “outlaw culture”.

Near the Opera House, in Vienna, Austria
A quieter moment, one block away from the Kaertnerstrasse, (Vienna, Austria)

What struck me most about Vienna this time, however, is the obvious inspiration for many of the cities I had visited on this trip.  Being the centre of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Vienna’s 19th century buildings are a lot like those found in the former Yugoslavia…just bigger.

Saturday Evening in downtown Vienna
Saturday evening in downtown Vienna

I also don’t remember seeing so many people on the streets in 1991.  Maybe I wasn’t there on a Saturday night last time, but it was almost too busy on the touristy Kaertnerstrasse; after checking out some of the required downtown sights, I decided to return to my hotel’s neighbourhood for dinner.  I wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to eat, but in the back of my mind I was hoping to find a place that had a unilingual menu.

View from my table at Café Tachles, Karmeliterplatz, Vienna 2, Austria
View from my table at Café Tachles, Karmeliterplatz, Vienna 2, Austria

Back in District 2, I passed a “shabby chic” café that had lots of streetfront seating.  I don’t often eat outside in Canada, so I certainly wasn’t opposed to continuing the al fresco dining I had enjoyed so much on this trip.  I took a look at the (happily German only) menu and saw that this place specialized in perogies.  I hadn’t anticipated eating Polish food on my last night in Europe but I went with the flow and grabbed a table.  I had the “Pierogi Max” plate, gefüllt mit Steinpilzen und Kraut, as well as a Polish draft beer.  With a fresh salad lightening the meal, it was a perfect way to end my culinary adventures.

"Pierogi Max" at the Café Tachles (Vienna, Austria)
“Pierogi Max” at the Café Tachles (Vienna, Austria)

After dinner, I went back to the downtown to do some final exploration.  Foregoing the main streets (still clogged with tourists), I wandered the side streets and found a fascinating assortment of unique stores and restaurants.  I don’t know whether the “Gulasch Museum” is a good place to eat, but what a great name!

Window-shopping in Vienna, Austria
Window-shopping for sweets in Vienna, Austria

There was a great energy on those side streets of downtown Vienna – yes, it is a big city, but it is not totally anonymous and taken over by international brands.  There was clearly wealth too, but not so much that I felt out of place with a backpack.  Although I hadn’t planned to visit Vienna at all on this trip, I found myself wishing that I had allocated some more time to it.  I even found the German spoken here easier to understand than in other parts of the German-speaking world.   Finally, I also thought that a further stopover here at some point later this year would be a good idea.

Alas, I was now out of time.  And so, just 14 hours after arriving at my hotel in Vienna, I was en route to the airport for my flight home.   Looking  back on the trip, there is still quite a bit that I’d like to share.  Accordingly, you’ll see a couple of related posts over the next couple of weeks, as I enjoy some time back in Kingston and prepare for my next adventure at the end of May.