After seeing a bit of Dublin, my parents wanted to get outside the city and see the famously beautiful Irish countryside. My dad had heard good things about the Ring of Kerry tour along the southwestern coastline. I had also heard good things about this part of the country so I was anxious to join them and my roommate Hakon came with us. We left Dublin on a 3 1/2 hour train ride to Killarney at 8 AM on Sunday.I can't say much for the train ride since I slept most of the way. We arrived in Killarney around 12 noon and made our way from the train station to the town. Once we arrived at the Tourist Information center where the bus tours leaves, we were very disappointed to learn that all of the 7 hour bus tours of the Ring of Kerry leave at 10:30 AM! I immediately thought that our journey down there was a waste and that I had ruined a day of my parent's vacation! The man at the information center suggested some attractions nearby at the Kerry Lakes including a Victorian mansion and gardens and a castle so we decided to try and make the most of our trip to southern Ireland.
The first thing on our minds was lunch so we walked around the charming little town looking for a restaurant. Looking for a restaurant in a town you know little or nothing about can be a very daunting, stressful experience, especially in Ireland where the prices are so high! We found a nice place with typical Irish food. This usually includes roasted meat, potatoes, vegetables and more potatoes. For example, I ordered Shepherd's Pie which is ground lamb and vegetables covered in mashed potatoes and it came with a full order of fresh fries (called "chips" here). We also enjoyed walking around the town of Killarney which was adorned with green and yellow banners honoring their Gaelic football team's victory in the All-Ireland Final . The town was nice and you could tell that it was quite touristy, although we were there in the off-season. Many of the homes along the main roads out of town were advertised as Bed & Breakfasts. During this offseason, rooms cost as little as 35 euro a night.
After lunch we headed towards Ross Castle, on the shores of one of the many lakes in the area. Although we had been told it was just a 1 1/2 mile walk, it felt like much longer. However, the weather was nice and the walk was green and scenic (see above). We could see mountains off in the distance and when we arrived at the lake, we realized the mountains came right up out of the lakes. The impressive Ross Castle was right on the edge of the lake with boat docks offering boat tours of the lakes up against its shores. This was the Ireland I had hoped my parent's would see (although I myself had not seen it yet).
We decided to start with a tour of the castle which offered frequent tours. The tower part of the castle had been painstakingly restored with attention paid to the historic ways of construction and detail. Our tour guide was very informative and gave many insights into Tower House life in the 15th and 16th century. Careful attention in the castle was paid to defense and many considerations went into its construction. For example, the spiral stairs go counterclockwise to make it more difficult for right-handed swordsmen to fight in the staircase. Also, the stairs are purposely built at different heights to make it difficult for intruders to ascend quickly. I was also struck by how primitive life during this period was. Everyone slept in the same room, the castle was constantly full of hazardous smoke from the fireplaces, they had no sewage treatment system and they even ate off plates made of lead! No wonder the life expectancy was under 40. We all enjoyed the tour and learning about life in a castle which was far from glamorous.
With no warning, we missed the last boat tour (although the signs said there was still one more). So we decided to catch a taxi to the Muckross House and gardens, a Victorian mansion also on the lake. The house was amazingly beautiful and surrounded by gardens. The lake and mountains could be seen off in the distance across the large front yard of the house. I thought the castle was somewhat crowded for a Sunday afternoon in the offseason but Muckross House was even more crowded. There was also a tourist center, large gift shop and cafe on the premises. We were somewhat pressed for time so we decided not to take the tour of the house. We enjoyed walking around the gardens and across the large lawn looking back at the vine covered mansion.
We then took a taxi back into town, asking our taxi driver about a good place to eat. He suggested a pub near the train station. Our animated taxi driver offered us yet another experience telling us about the town and a little about Ireland. He was very much into his Gaelic football which Kerry has been particularly strong at now winning 6 of the last 10 All-Irelands. He was somewhat difficult to understand because he was from Kerry and people from the country have the strongest accents. I have noticed here in Ireland that the intensity of someone's accent can vary greatly and that there are a variety of Irish accents depending on where you are from and whether or not you have lived abroad. People from Dublin have the most mild accents (and I have almost made the terrible mistake of thinking they are from England) while the further out you get, the stronger the accent gets. This amazes me in a country that is so small! Our dinner was delicious, one of the best we had. It was also traditional Irish food but very well done and with amazing desserts! Overall, we had made the best of what could have been a tragic day.The next day, my parents had decided to rent a car and drive out to the Cliffs of Moher directly west of Dublin on the west coast. I came along as the navigator because I do not have class on Mondays. In retrospect, it would have been in our best interests to get a proper map instead of using the one included in my parent's travel book. The map I used only had main roads and the way the roads are named here is confusing (i.e. N4, N6, M6, R111, etc.). We first got lost about 40 mins. outside of Dublin and decided to try local roads to find our way back. These roads are very narrow often with no shoulder. This combined with the fact that we were driving on the left side of the road made the journey stressful to say the least but we still got a good slice of the Irish countryside. After finding our way back to the toll road (the closest thing to an American interstate, the speed limit was 120 kph!) and getting back on, we decided to get back off and take local roads the entire way instead. This way, we could see the Irish countryside up close.
We all loved this experience passing through towns with beautiful churches and castles, alongside mountains and lakes and the pristine, evergreen rolling hills. We even took a few detours, one to a castle in the middle of the countryside! This castle was quite similar to the one we had seen before although less adamantly restored. Getting lost was a problem, however, because the map we were using only had main roads and as we approached towns along the way, we were presented with road signs like the one below which were very difficult to follow. We almost entered into the Twilight Zone when we reached Innis, a large town near the Cliffs we were so desperately seeking. After driving in circles for nearly 30 mins. we finally stopped and asked directions.
After leaving Innis, the scenery got more and more dramatic. Once we finally reached the highlands at the western edge of the island, I began to feel a sense of relief that we would make it to the cliffs before sunset! We were all nearly speechless driving along the coast because of the views looking out along the water. Old stone walls and green pastures went right up to steep drops to the ocean. We finally made it to the Cliffs of Moher about 40 mins. before sunset, perfect timing to see the cliffs and the sunset (and after the parking attendant had left ;-). I can honestly say that these cliffs were one of the most impressive sights I have ever seen in my life. The cliffs plunge nearly 700 feet (think at 60+ story building, taller than any building in Denver) to a surprisingly peaceful blue ocean. In the distance are the Aran Islands with a population of under 5,000 inhabitants. The cliffs stretch on for what seems like miles although we only walked along about a mile portion of them getting many great photographs and videos along the way. This was one of the few moments in my life where I have felt completely overwhelmed by nature. Although there is a certain feeling of danger involved with the cliffs (there is a large stone wall separating you from the edge which some people stupidly assumed was optional), there was a great feeling of peace looking down at the ocean below you. If I go anywhere outside of Dublin twice while I am here, the Cliffs of Moher would be at the top of my list.
Our trip back from the Cliffs of Moher was much less eventful. We stopped in a small fishing town on the southern side of the Bay of Galway for dinner. We had another great meal, this time seafood. The true experience, however, was walking into a pub in a small town in the tourist offseason at 8 PM on a Monday night and having all the old Irish men at the bar turn and stare at us as we walked in! We took main roads back because it was dark, which proved to be easier said than done because they are littered with confusing roundabouts. However, it only took us about 2 1/2 hours to get back although it had taken us 7 hours to get to the west coast! Despite the stress of getting lost though, we had a truly amazing day with great weather. We saw the Irish countryside firsthand and were truly awestruck at the Cliffs of Moher. Seeing them at sunset was a particularly incredible experience.
The next two days I had class during the day so I saw my parents less. Tuesday night, we went out to see Irish music, going to a few places before stopping at O'Neills. On Wednesday, I only had one class so I met my parents in the afternoon heading down to Bray and Greystones in County Wicklow. Wicklow is the county directly south of Dublin along the Irish Sea. There is a large mountain range inland making it very scenic. The DART (commuter rail) line runs right along the coast, offering some of the best views of the rocky shoreline. I cannot be sure, but I think I saw puffins (like penguins that can fly) on the rocks while riding the train, a first for me. We had a good Italian meal in Greystones although we were sitting next to a very loud, pompous Englishman who inexplicably blurted out how stupid the Irish were in Ireland! Many people in Ireland have strong negative opinions about the British for a variety of different reasons but this was the first time I actually felt the same way. My parents continually told me how much they loved Ireland and how friendly they thought the Irish were and I noticed this also while they were visiting. For such a small country, there is so much to see and do and, for the most part, the Irish are very gracious to tourists who want to see their country. In my opinion, this is how it should be. I love showing people Chicago although I have only lived their for a short period of time and I am always telling people how beautiful Colorado is and suggesting they see it for themselves. Being proud of where you are from is important!
Finally, as we took the train back from Greystones I began to feel homesick. I was sad my parents were leaving because I had a great time while they were visiting. Although the time so far has gone by very quickly, I still have two months left here. I have no doubts I will be able to survive, even flourish, but I will still miss my family and friends.
