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Published: June 16th 2017
Geo: 53.3441, -6.26749
It seems I have effectively infiltrated "the blog." Time for mischief.
Traveling in Ireland with these two crazies and Dee was quite entertaining. If you haven't noticed from their blog entries, every morning seems to revolve around their "schedules," and Chris is afraid to leave the hotel until she has "taken care of business." Then there's the back-and-forth reading of every item on a menu at each restaurant with an "ooo" in of each dish ("Ooo, fish and chips with local pollock, ooo traditional irish stew"😉. You also get used to hearing comments in stereo whenever you arrive at a tourist site. Chris will see the site first and react, Dot won't hear her because she's got her nose buried in a packet of pages torn out of Rick Steves, then Dot will see the site and say the exact same thing. This is when I roll my eyes at Dee. However, my favorite embarrassing moment of the trip was watching Chris and Dot hand out 4th of July Bissinger balls to random people on the streets of Dingle while wearing their American flag t-shirts. What a classy day...
Despite the Schmidt volume, the fecal fetish, and the Bissinger balls, it was a real treat of a trip. I had no expectations going in since Dot and Chris did all the planning. All I had to do was show up. And navigate. I know Chris has already enumerated the perils of driving through Ireland, but allow me to reiterate - their roads, while gorgeous, suck. They have hundreds of miles of two-lane, shoulderless, blacktop roads where the shrubberies appear to be eating their way into the pavement. We definitely had some of the local flora stuck in our fender from time to time, poor car. The hairy roads always led to quaint riverside/bayside towns with colorful bakeries and pubs. Although our route seemed treacherous, I think Dee and I would agree that it bounced around through some beautiful countryside. The cliff drive around Dingle was the highlight for me, hence the three trips around the peninsula. It's reminiscent of northern California & Oregon, with quiet beaches tucked away beneath the precipices and tiny towns balanced on the cliffs' edge. It was unlike California & Oregon in that every time you looked down a cliff you would see tie dye-colored sheep grazing near the rocks. They really do love their sheep in Ireland.
As far as man-made sites go, Cashel and Cahir were both favorites. Cashel was in ruins, and Cahir was privately owned and converted (tastefully) into a summer home for some super-rich dude over the years, so it was good to see a mix of creepy ruins and restorations. I think it's important to note for those who haven't been abroad that these couple of sites that we visited aren't the only castles or ruins around. There are ruins EVERYWHERE, some dating back to the 10th century. Unlike in the States where all our forts were made of wood and burned down, Europeans built everything out of rock.
Farmers frequently have their sheep grazing around broken old stone walls and turrets, and it's completely normal. There was a ruined monastery from the 13th century just outside of Cashel which had no ticket booth, no employees, just a sign on the side of the road with a couple paragraphs about the old monk dwellers. There's no parking lot - you just pull over on the road or walk. Oh, and it's in the middle of a field of grazing cattle. I was able to avoid the cows and walk all over the ruins like it was a playground. When everything in your country is at least 500 years old, I guess certain things get taken for granted.
I must confess I haven't read all the blog entries, so I hope I didn't get much grief for being cheap and staying in hostels in Dingle and Dublin. Hostel life is a bit different from the B&B's. You're in a kind of dorm room with 4-6 random people from around the world with a shared bathroom and bunk beds. And sheets cost extra. There is typically a large living room, a dining room, and a fully appointed kitchen to share with the other 30 or so people staying in the hostel. This typically only costs about $25 per night. If you select a larger dorm room with, say, 14 people, it can be as cheap as $18. I will admit, some are scarier than others, some aren't so clean, but there are numerous resources online that rate these places, just like any other hotel. I typically only stay in hostels with at least an 80% positive rating that have smaller rooms (4-6 people), lockers for valuables, breakfast and linens included, and free wifi. I liked both places I stayed in Ireland, particularly the Hideout Hostel in Dingle, which was right in the middle of town. Cheapness aside, the people you meet at hostels really make the experience. Some won't speak your language and will mind their own business, but others will keep you up into the night rattling on about the 3 years they lived in Valencia teaching English, or the 3-month trip to New Zealand they're taking after they finish grad school. You're not going to bump into the cream of society, but the migrant diaspora you meet have some great experiences to share (and they might even have some advice about YOUR adventure). So whether you're young or old, if you're looking for a different kind of travel experience (and you're willing to lug around your own towel and sandals for the shower), I highly recommend reaching out of your comfort zone for a night or two and trying a hostel. We have them in the States too, fyi, although nobody but foreigners seem to know.
Unfortunately now I'm back to work in Chicago, trying to catch up on things before my next trip. All in all, Ireland was a pleasant surprise, and I'm looking forward to another trip someday with my crazy aunts (and Dee if she can stomach another one). South France, anyone?
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dot
non-member comment
Yeah. The food is a major event for us. Rick got us lost today.