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Hello from Bunratty, Ireland.
Carl and I had a good trip here - uneventful plane trip - which is what travelers hope for (however a long layover at JFK, something to be avoided in the future). We landed at Shannon airport and were whisked through customs with well wishes for a great holiday. Carl says that is very different than most customs check-in.
Our bed and breakfast is only four miles from the airport. We were greeted by Paddy and Maureen, the innkeepers and checked in a little after 10:00 Ireland time. We felt like it was 3:00 am and took a nap.
Then it was on to explore Bunratty. This is a tourist area, with the Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. We enjoyed sightseeing, visiting a pub or two, and eating a traditional dinner of fish and chips. Our evening concluded with a stop a Mac’s pub, where we joined a family who was celebrating a christening in the outdoor courtyard. It was fun to watch the children playing in a very idyllic setting - stone buildings, flowers at the windows, and the famous green of Ireland all around us.
On Sunday we met one of
the other couples that we will be biking with, and our guide, Desiree. After breakfast we visited Bunratty Castle and the folk park which is a living reconstruction of the homes and environment of Ireland over a century ago. Rural farmhouses, village shops and streets, Bunratty House with its formal regency gardens are recreated and furnished as they would have appeared at the time. The castle has been refurbished by the Irish Tourism Council and the Gort family in the 1960’s. We ate freshly baked scones with butter and hot pots of tea. The gardens were so beautiful. We took lots of pictures and I hope to print some out for my office walls.
Tonight we will meet the other couple in our touring trip and all of us are going to have dinner in the castle, which includes entertainment.
Carl & Nanci
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