Advertisement
Published: September 17th 2009
After leaving Galway we travelled to Killarney, via the Cliffs of Moher and Limerick. The cliffs were spectacular, with the craggy rock faces a stark contrast to the brighter than bright lush green grass that adorned their tops. We walked as far as we could (or were allowed) and were amazed at how many people had jumped the wall and ignored the ‘Do not enter/private property’ signs, to get a closer encounter with the edge of the cliff. We were further amazed at the security guards just standing watching, but were informed by them (on inquiry) that it is not for them to police but rather the farmer who owns the property they were trespassing on, and that some days he is okay about it but on others ‘you wouldn’t want to piss him off!’. We decided to stay on the safe side, just the same. We certainly didn’t need any pissed of Irish farmer on our cases (or to fall and injure ourselves on private property, that travel insurance would not cover!). So off it was to Limerick, with me giving the others the task of coming up with an original limerick before we arrived there (I was to be
judge after all so in all fairness could not enter…). It was a close call but Jen’s just pipped the post (and was less offensive so could be put on the blog!). It was drizzling rain when we arrived at Killarney and we hadn’t pre-booked accommodation, so we had a quick walk around and found a nice looking place. The woman quoted us 130 Euros, which was just over what we had been paying but it included a full Irish breakfast so we said yes, we would have a look at the rooms (something we have learned to do first before we hand over any money!!). They were fabulous, huge, king sized beds, putting machines in each room, slippers and dressing gowns, the works! So we commenced filling in the paperwork and she asked us for 260 Euro - she had meant per room!!!!! No wonder it looked so good. We went to check out a few others but they were all quite expensive, and the rooms and large soft beds of the other hotel were beckoning us to return, so we went back to see what kind of deal she could do us. She ended up dropping the price
by 80 Euros, so we got it for 90 euro each - still more than we had budgeted but worth the treat we decided! Besides the best sleep we had had for a while, we also had the best dinner, at a pub along the road. Jen and I shared a seafood platter that, amazingly (and thankfully), was not deep fried!! Fresh prawns, scallops, mussels, oysters Kilpatrick, and a variety of local fish. It was delicious!
After a hearty breakfast the next morning it was off to Cork, via the Ring of Kerry and Blarney. The weather was miserable for the entire day, and I was so disappointed that they didn’t get to see the coastline as I had seen it on a beautiful clear day. It didn’t dampen our spirits however, and we were all geared for the climb up Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone! While the conditions, and handling of people leaning out backwards over the edge of the top of the castle had improved somewhat since my last visit, I was still none too keen to get on my back and hang down to kiss a stone! (Besides, I thought, in my best Kath
and Kim impression, I am eloquent enough!) The others did it though and have the photos to prove it. Getting to the top was achievement enough for me I think (being scared of heights and enclosed spaces and all!!!). So off to Cork it was…and we arrived right on knock off time so it was so busy!! Traffic just was not moving anywhere…there were road blocks, tiny narrow lanes that huge busses and trucks were trying to negotiate, with no hope of another car being able to be alongside them, and all other sorts of things going on including accidents, graduations and the like! Talk about stressful!! Poor Andy was driving, and I give him credit because I really don’t think I could have done it! We found a Best Western that was a bit out of the city, with great stand by rates so took two rooms there and headed straight to the bar for a pint or two! Unfortunately after a couple of cocktails (that included Irish whiskey, Drambuie, and a few other things) I wasn’t up for much else so it was off to bed after another huge day.
Today we were heading back to Dublin
for our last night in Ireland, so we decided to drive via Kilkenny to have a pint of Kilkenny (as you do!). The sun was out and the rain has stopped so we were starting to feel a bit more like we were on holidays again, and able to stroll around looking up, rather than hiding in our hoods! Arriving in Dublin, we decided to head back to Temple Bar for one last look, and found a parking spot just near Trinity College. What luck,,,until we returned half and hour or so later to find our car was missing!!!! With all of our possessions…passports and all!! It was nearly 5pm, the car was due back at the airport at 6pm, and we had lost it!!! I rushed into the shop across the road and asked if they knew if that was a restricted parking area…he said ‘no’ but went on to say that he saw a car being towed away from there a little while ago, and that we would need to go to the Garda a block away. Well, at least it hadn’t been stolen!! One has to look on the bright side of things in these situations. We
located the police station but had to stand in line for what seemed like an eternity whilst a never ending line of people had passport photos and the like signed/verified. I wanted to yell out, stop doing that, this is an emergency, this is REAL police business!! But thought I might get arrested and carted off somewhere so pulled myself together and waited in line until the sole police officer on the counter got to me (to make it worse there were 4 others sitting at a desk all talking and laughing just behind a door with a window in it! I wanted to tell them to get out the front and help the woman on the desk…but I guess they had other ‘duties’ they were performing, despite it not looking like they were doing anything. Anyway, she was very helpful and gave us the address of where our hire car had been towed to (and clamped!) and the phone number of who to call to pay the 80 euro fine and get the clamp removed!!! Over an hour and a half later, a couple of guys arrived with a key to unclamp us! (we had considered walking to the
nearest ‘Tesco’ and buying a bolt cutter and just doing a runner…). We were very late for our car hire return but made it there in tact and got to the hotel okay. With a 4 am rise, and only dirty clothes left, Jen and I set about doing all the washing as quickly as we could, having specifically booked an apartment with a washing machine and clothes dryer (scarcer then hen’s teeth over here I can tell you, and NO laundrettes!) only to find AT 4 am that the dryer had not worked and the thing had filled up with water so everything was saturated and water logged!!! A quick spin in the washing machine and a packing of wet clothes later (like our bags didn’t weigh enough already!!!) we were off to the airport ready for our flight to Bristol.
Our next challenge came in trying to hire a car at the airport!! No cars available…go figure!! But then, miraculously, the AVIS guy found a small one, and charged us an absolute fortune, but wanting to go to Bath and Stonehenge on the way to London, we took it, and not deterred, crammed all of our gear
into the hatch back (and back seat, back floor and front passenger side floor) and off we set for the next leg of our journey!
The weather was glorious and we really enjoyed our day, visiting the Roman Baths (seeing the relics and the same hot springs that so many people had come to for their healing properties, so many 1000s of years before), and standing in the presence of the magical and mystical Stonehenge. Huge rocks, weighing tonnes, standing in a circle, marking astrological points, acknowledging winter and summer solstices, and who knows what other mystical purposes they served. I stood there feeling very much humbled and in awe of the people who erected it.
We decided to take the hire car straight to Gatwick Airport and train it into town, as we were staying at the Marriott Hotel at the Airport for convenience (our next flight to Pisa was also a fairly early one…that’s the thing with cheep flights!). It only took about 45 mins and two trains so that was pretty good. When we emerged from the Underground at Westminster Station, standing tall and proud, right in front of our eyes was Big Ben! Wow…we
had arrived! But little time to spare right now, as we had to find the Lyceum Theatre and pick up our tickets for the Lion King that was on in a couple of hours. We would have been fine except the guy on the Reception desk at our hotel gave us the wrong directions and we ended up right in the opposite direction of where we needed to be!!! A really kind woman helped us out though, and walked with us to Charring Cross, then pointed us in the right direction. We had time for a quick bite to eat, then on to the show!
To say that it was spectacular is an understatement! The costumes and sets were out of this world, and the music was fantastic. It was a great show, and well worth seeing in London. We had been up since 4 a.m and were totally knackered but left the show on a high, and took the train back to our hotel. The following day was spent in London, doing all the touristy things, including Madame Tousaud’s, Buckingham Palace, and a trip in the London Eye (I am really testing my fear of heights now!!!). Madame
Tousaud’s was fantastic…so much better than I had expected, and we had a great time checking out all of the movie stars, sports stars, singers, humanitarians and the like…as well as enjoying some of the fun activities they had there also. What a great day! But all good things must come to and end, and with weary, yet reluctant bodies, we headed back to our hotel for the last night in London before going to Italy the next morning.
Typically, I had my bag taken aside at the airport and was searched (I have no idea what it is about me but it happens every time!) so the others went off to grab a drink and find which gate we were boarding at. It seems no matter how early you leave, there is never enough time when you get to the airport! The flight was good and we arrived in Pisa to a beautiful warm day. Our first experience there almost ended in disaster however, as a woman blocked me from getting off the bus and had my handbag undone in the blink of an eye, and almost got my purse and passport!!!!! I am convinced that there must
have been some sort of divine intervention as to why she didn’t get them as my bag was wide open and her hand was on them…but I managed to get away from here and jump off the bus before she got them! I had already been paranoid about my (small) bag, clutching it to me at all times, so now I was even more paranoid and just wanted to go straight to the Villa in Tuscany! But we were in Pisa, and had planned to see the tower, so trying to put it behind me (and look on the bright side - that she didn’t get anything) we left our luggage at the train station’s luggage department and set off to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. And leaning it was…although it was a lot shorter than I had expected it to be! The weather was glorious and we made our way back to the station, got our bags (that were still there thank God!) then started our long train ride to Tuscany. We changed over at Florence, then Arezzo, before finally disembarking at Cumucia, where we had to get a taxi to the Villa. The taxi driver spoke no
English, and despite our limited Italian (and showing him the address, written in Italian!!) he had no idea where to go, so we phoned the man who owned the Villa and got him to give him directions (it turns out that he has taken people there heaps of times and has to get the directions EVERY single time!). We finally arrived at 7 pm and received a very warm welcome from the owner. Ahhh, Tuscany…here at last!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.121s; Tpl: 0.014s; cc: 11; qc: 47; dbt: 0.0878s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
European Escapades
Diane
Photos to follow