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Published: January 3rd 2007
First Night
My dads first night in Glasgow with Bernd and Jet before heading to IrelandSo, it has been another long wait between blogs. I have been incredibly busy here in Glasgow. I just finished a 3000 word paper, and am working on another one at the moment. A lot has happened since my last post, most importantly being the visit of my dad, sister, brother-in-law, and cousin!!
My dad and Jamie arrived November 7th with just enough time left in the night to go out and have a few pints and a few whiskies with my friends Jet, and Bernd. It was a great introduction to Scotland for them!!! Bernd enjoys whisky, but it was actually Jets first time to drink it. He said that the Chinese had to show their respect by drinking the same drink as their elder, and drinking as much as they do. Needless to say, my dad had to test this theory, so he slammed down his first whisky shot. Jet followed suite by slamming down his first whisky ever …. followed by throwing up in the restaurant!!! (It was funny, but it wasn’t going to be Jet’s last time for throwing up while in Glasgow) The following morning was the beginning of a big day. My dad, Jamie,
SEEING the fam
Seeing Jen and Derek at the airport in Dublin and myself had to meet at the Buchanan bus station at 4am for a trip to the Prestwick airport. After the whisky and pints the night before, it made for quite a tiring ride. It was dark out, and raining … just as it has been here for the majority of 3 months. Arriving at the airport, we scuttled through to find our Ryan Air flight to Dublin. We would be arriving at around 7:30am at the Dublin airport to meet Jen and Derek. It had been over two months since I had seen a familiar face, and now I was about to be in the middle of four of them!!!
The flight was short, only lasting about 35 minutes or so. Coming through customs, I saw Derek standing with a massive cart of luggage. It was similar to the one I had for myself on my trip over. Lucky for them we were there to help with luggage!!! Jen was just near by picking up a smoothie … I had to get one too!! After some hugs, laughs, and a smoothie we hopped on a bus to our B&B, the ABC. Mary and Joseph were the owner, and
drinking
yes ... drinking they were fabulous!! Joseph showed us around, and made us feel very welcome.
After a short nap we were all on the road towards the Dublin City Center!!! We bought a 5 day bus pass for 16 Euros. (It was funny to see everyone try to get used to the Euro coins, and the Pound coins for that matter) This day was spent walking around the city, and hitting up a few pubs!! The Guinness is GREAT in Dublin. Especially at The Brazen Head. It is the oldest pub in Ireland, dating back to 1198!! I wonder how many people have gotten drunk in that pub over the years. Everyone had large smiles plastered onto their faces from the excitement of the city!!! We had to make it an early night though, because we had a HUGE day following.
Breakfast was at 8:00. Mary and Joseph made some good food, filling us up with bacon, eggs, juice, and cereal. It was the perfect start to a perfect day. It was my dads 59th birthday!!!!!
Using our bus pass, we jumped on a city bus towards Trinity College. There we got to see the Book of Kells. The
drinking.. more
Can you tell that is my sister??? Book of Kells was created around AD 800 by Celtic monks. It contains the four books of the bible in Latin, lavishly designed with artistic mastery. It is one of the very few lavishly decorated manuscripts to survive the middle ages, and is called “the zenith of Western calligraphy and illumination”. After looking at the book, and reading through its history, we went through the Trinity Library. It is amazing!!! It took some 20 years to build it, and fill it with many ancient texts. It
would take multiple lifetimes to be able to read all the books contained within its walls.
The next stop was just a short walk away, The Dublin Castle, modern, with a depth in its history. The site that the castle is located on is the highest point in the region, and dates back to a Viking fortress in AD 930’s. The history of the castle is amazing. A guide took us on a tour through the castle through posh halls, and immaculate living quarters. George Washington ate in the main dining hall, as well as many other great historical figures. The tour concluded at a spot where a collapse of part of the
Jen and Jamie
Enjoying some good liquid Ireland castle uncovered ancient Viking artifacts, including dozens of skulls and a multitude of weapons.
After the castle we went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It was the place my dad most wanted to see (possibly with the exception of the Guinness brewery). The sun was beginning to set casting long shadows of the Cathedrals structure across a well manicured garden. Walking into the Cathedral gave the same affect as walking into Canterbury Cathedral. I bought a rosary made of green Irish marble, it has a small figure of St. Patrick imprinted onto a small piece of metal in the middle. I walked around the Cathedral looking at the ancient art while carrying my St. Patrick’s rosary. I then lit a candle and said a prayer for all of my family and friends.
The next stop was the Guinness Brewery!! We walked, but it ended up being a LONG walk. My dad was quite happy with it. Walking at this point was starting to be one of his favorite activities!! James Gate Brewery is massive. Contained within its walls is Irelands famous nectar; Guinness!! We went into the storehouse and made our way to the self paced tour. Following a
...on second thought
..maybe they aren't related path that thousands of people have made a pilgrimage through we learned about Guinness!! Hops, water, and the top secret recipe made by the Guinness family is what designs the truly unique liquid. The tour takes you through parts of the process, and finally puts you into the tasting lab where you get to taste a fresh glass of the world famous drink. After the lab you take the elevator up to the top level of the brewery to the Guinness bar that gives you a 360 degree view of Dublin. We enjoyed a pint of Guinness at the bar while enjoying the amazing view of the city lights below us. The Guinness Brewery is one of the defining characteristics of the city of Dublin. It is a must see. If you don’t like Guinness, then you definitely need to go and learn to LOVE it!!!! If you LOVE Guinness, like me, then you definitely need to go and learn to LOVE it MORE!!!
The night wound down with a trip back to the B&B. We stopped at a few pubs on the way back having a few more pints of Guinness. We spent the time in the pubs
planning the next day.
Another great breakfast with Mary and Joseph was the start of the day. We got on a bus to Hoath, a fishing village about an hour ride from our B&B. Joseph recommended it. Hoath is a small sleepy village by the sea. When we got off of the bus the overcast sky and the brisk wind gusts welcomed us. Walking up the pier we passed many fresh fish shops. The smell of seafood was carried by the fresh Irish air. Looking towards the right of the weathered buildings was the water. Seals were bobbing around in the water while a few spectators threw in fish purchased from the nearby shops. As the seals tried to throw the dead fish around in their mouths to swallow them, seagulls dove down to try and steal them away.
After spending time by the waters edge we walked through the old town to a pub. We tried a few pints of different ales, and ate some local seafood. Well, some of us did (pickled Herring is awful by the way). Jamie tried some spicy English mustard (we neglected to tell her it was SUPER spicy) on a chip
(a chip is a fry), but not just a little bit, she had a lot …. finding out exactly how spicy it was. The tears in her eyes told us how she felt about it!!! Obviously that called for another pint.
After lunch we walked through an old graveyard, and explored the town a bit more. Derek and I found some wet pavement near the sea and carved our names into it. We are forever immortalized in Hoath, Ireland. We eventually explored another pub before getting on the bus….. I mean, before we TRIED to get on the bus back to town. We first stood on the wrong side of the road missing the bus. We followed up that slick move with finding the right spot, but having to wait about 2 more hours for the late bus to come by and get us. Of course there was not a bench at the bus stop to sit on… and of course it was cold. Standing was now beginning to supersede walking as my dads favorite activity.
We finally made it back to our B&B. We had a BIG day coming up…
The next day was amazing. We
set out by cab early in the morning to the train station. Alighting the train, we head across the country to the east coast. Green grass, sheep, and stunning landscapes were the views from the train window. It took a few hours before making it to the small town for the tour guide to pick us up. A small bus, packed with about 25 people headed towards the Cliffs of Moher. There were various stops on the way. One of the first was Ailwee Caves. I didn’t realize Ireland had cave systems, so it was very unique to get to travel under Ireland. The cave posed a good obstacle course for my dad. ..walking on uneven surfaces, ducking under low cave ceilings, and standing around listening to the tour guide. We were trying to wear him down (are the legs feeling better yet dad???)!!!!
Another stop was Poloumb Tomb (I know that is probably spelled wrong). It is an ancient tomb dating back to before The Great Pyramids. It sits in the Barrowlands, which is a barren land of limestone and patches of harsh grasses. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen, a totally unique environment. Standing in the
Jen and Derek
..at St. Patricks Cathedral Barrowlands at a tomb over 5000 years old really makes you feel insignificant in respect to the world and time, but standing their with your family makes you feel more significant than the tomb and its unearthly history.
The next stop was the highlight of my trip to Ireland; The Cliffs of Moher!! If you’ve seen the movie The Princess Bride you will know the cliffs as The Cliffs of Insanity. We started our walk to the cliffs from the visitors center. A sign warned of high winds as we walked up the ridge towards the sea. Arriving at the top of the ridge over 100 mph winds were there to greet us. You could lean forward into the wind without falling over. We marched onward through the battering gusts. The very top of the ridge is a breathtaking spectacle. The sea crashes against the cliff face hundreds of feet below. The cliff face stretches into the horizon where it has been catching the abuse of the Atlantic Ocean for a millennium. Sun penetrates through the clouds in pinholes as the possibility of rain can be seen at the distant parts of the ocean. After walking and enjoying the
Dad and myself
..at St. Patricks Cathedral amazing scenery we came to a warning sign not to go any further. Of course that was my invitation. Derek, Jamie, and myself walked past the sign and along what reminded me of a goat path across the tip of the cliff as 100 mph+ wind gusts reminded us of why there was such a sign. My dad and Jen stayed behind to watch and take a few pictures of us. Many people have died here. Some killing themselves with a leap into the smashing hands of the sea, as others have slipped falling to their inevitable doom.
As the rain came in we stepped up our walking speed a bit to get back to the tour bus. It was time to return back to Dublin. A long bus ride back to the train station, and an even longer train ride home forced us all into a nap on the return.
We arrived back at the B&B reminiscing on the day, and on all the adventures of the past week, as we packed our bags. The following day was the end of the trip with Jen and Derek, part 2 of Dad and Jamies, and another chapter in
my blog (which might take me another month to write).
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Joannah
non-member comment
MMMM Guiness
Sounds like you had a blast while your dad and your family was there! As I read all this i remembered the phone call and all the stories that DIDN'T make it into your blog, haha. Probably a good thing eh? I can't wait for this week to be done, because I know you will be home and then I won't miss you anymore. Take care darlin, Jo