Decisions have been made and bookings are complete.
Having received much valued advice from an Irish friend, I've decided to rent a car the day after we finish hiking the Peninsula and drive the 3-4 hours to Westport. I'm sure it'll be more enjoyable. We'll be able to stop when we see a castle or ruin that calls to us and then there are the inevitable pubs....
Doug doesn't arrive from Dublin until 3:30pm or so, which gives me and Lauren all day to make the trip. I'm looking forward to driving the countryside and stopping as we see fit. Can you picture it? Me and Lauren wandering the Irish countryside in a teeny European rental? Will it be another "Vacation" movie in the making? Chevy Chase, where are you?
Having made up my mind, I booked the rental this morning, as well as our train from Castlebar back to Dublin.
Twelve days. Twelve days of daydreaming and anticipation...and Guinness drinking.
Poor me.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Thirteen Days!
That's right! We're now counting days instead of weeks until we blast out of Miami's hazy sky and touch down on the Emerald Isle. That is enough to make me screech with happiness.
I gave up on the gaitor hunt and bought replacements. They've arrived and look anxious to be put to use. No worries there. Those babies will be all mucked up two weeks from now. All that's missing is the Compeed. It's been ordered, but not delivered. Compeed is a European miracle that I've yet to see in the States. It's like rubber, stretchy covering for blisters that melts into your skin and stays on for days and days, even if you shower - which we do on occasion. Compeed is a godsend on a walk like the one we're about to begin. Once it arrives, we are ready to pack.
I'm still farting around with train schedules and rental cars. I think I've decided on the following plan, but am waiting to hear from an Irish friend regarding the drive.
6/11 - 6/20:
Lauren and I walk the Dingleberry Forest and have a grand adventure (that's the easy part)
6/21:
Doug arrives Dublin and hops a train to Wesport.
Lauren and I get a cab to Kerry Airport from Tralee and drive to Westport OR we train to Westport, cab to Knock Airport, rent a car and hightail it back to Wesport to meet Doug.
(It seems easier just to drive, but then again, it's about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Kerry to Westport. I don't know if the drive will be all crazy highways or slow country roads. I'm waiting to hear from a local before making a final decision. Never having driven on the wrong side of the road, I want to be sure I'm not tackling an overly dangerous thing with my girl in the car.)
Either way, we'll spend the later half of the day wandering Wesport. I plan to spend the evening in Lavelle's Bar, hopefully meeting the famous storyteller Mick Lavelle, if he's still on this side of the grass.
6/22:
Climb Crough Patrick, drive around Clew Bay and around Achill Island, stopping at castles, ruins and pubs as we see fit. Booked at a nice B&B in Mulranny.
6/23:
Venture east to Castlebar, where I've felt drawn for quite some time. Not sure what's waiting there, but something is. Return the car that evening to Knock Airport.
6/24:
Hop a train from Castlebar to Dublin. Arrive around 1pm, which leaves us all afternoon and evening to see some sites and hit some pubs.
6/25:
Regretfully, I have to come back. Doug and Lauren will continue their adventure in England and Switzerland without me.
So, there you have it. Decisions yet to be made, but the bulk of the planning is done. Now it's the execution I'm waiting for!! Bring on the Guinness!
I gave up on the gaitor hunt and bought replacements. They've arrived and look anxious to be put to use. No worries there. Those babies will be all mucked up two weeks from now. All that's missing is the Compeed. It's been ordered, but not delivered. Compeed is a European miracle that I've yet to see in the States. It's like rubber, stretchy covering for blisters that melts into your skin and stays on for days and days, even if you shower - which we do on occasion. Compeed is a godsend on a walk like the one we're about to begin. Once it arrives, we are ready to pack.
I'm still farting around with train schedules and rental cars. I think I've decided on the following plan, but am waiting to hear from an Irish friend regarding the drive.
6/11 - 6/20:
Lauren and I walk the Dingleberry Forest and have a grand adventure (that's the easy part)
6/21:
Doug arrives Dublin and hops a train to Wesport.
Lauren and I get a cab to Kerry Airport from Tralee and drive to Westport OR we train to Westport, cab to Knock Airport, rent a car and hightail it back to Wesport to meet Doug.
(It seems easier just to drive, but then again, it's about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Kerry to Westport. I don't know if the drive will be all crazy highways or slow country roads. I'm waiting to hear from a local before making a final decision. Never having driven on the wrong side of the road, I want to be sure I'm not tackling an overly dangerous thing with my girl in the car.)
Either way, we'll spend the later half of the day wandering Wesport. I plan to spend the evening in Lavelle's Bar, hopefully meeting the famous storyteller Mick Lavelle, if he's still on this side of the grass.
6/22:
Climb Crough Patrick, drive around Clew Bay and around Achill Island, stopping at castles, ruins and pubs as we see fit. Booked at a nice B&B in Mulranny.
6/23:
Venture east to Castlebar, where I've felt drawn for quite some time. Not sure what's waiting there, but something is. Return the car that evening to Knock Airport.
6/24:
Hop a train from Castlebar to Dublin. Arrive around 1pm, which leaves us all afternoon and evening to see some sites and hit some pubs.
6/25:
Regretfully, I have to come back. Doug and Lauren will continue their adventure in England and Switzerland without me.
So, there you have it. Decisions yet to be made, but the bulk of the planning is done. Now it's the execution I'm waiting for!! Bring on the Guinness!
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Three Weeks!
Three weeks. Only three. That's enough to make me giddy. Oh wait, I think I was giddy at four weeks, so I'm not sure what word best describes how I feel about our upcoming adventure.
How about stoked? Stoked works.
We did, in fact, take inventory of our gear last weekend. It brought back all kinds of memories of walking across England. Lauren and I reminisced a bit, but she's just shy of sixteen and thinking too long about the past isn't something she does. Her mind is in the present, where it belongs. Mine wanders between the past, present and future with great regularity, but I've got thirty years more of past than she does to think about.
Last Saturday, Lauren drove us to Homestead. It was the first time she drove that far and her first time on an interstate. She did really well. Turns out, I didn't need the diaper I'd put on under my capris. Better safe than sorry.
We bought new waterproof jackets that were on sale, socks and more leggings. We really don't need much...but while we were on the mainland, we hit up a bunch of stores and bought some cute things for Lauren. Almost sixteen-year-old girls need things. They just do.
The only thing we lack is gaitors. They are a necessity for a walk like this and we both have them (we bought them on the Coast to Coast and wore them every day), but we can't find them. For those who don't know, gaitors protect your lower legs/aankles from getting muddy. They are easy to strap on and hook behind your knees and ankles. When we got home from walking across England, ours were really muddy and gross. I put them somewhere...I remember thinking it was a great place because they wouldn't be in the way.
Well, that sure is true.
They are not in the way. In fact, they're so far out of the way that we can't find the damn things. If I don't find them by the end of next week, I'll have to order replacements. Going without gaitors would be like going without hiking boots. They are an essential piece of equipment we'll wear every day.
I've tried channeling my inner gaitor but with no success. I really did a great job of putting them out of the way.
I think I'll pour a Guinness while I think about where else they could be. A girl has to keep up her strength.
How about stoked? Stoked works.
We did, in fact, take inventory of our gear last weekend. It brought back all kinds of memories of walking across England. Lauren and I reminisced a bit, but she's just shy of sixteen and thinking too long about the past isn't something she does. Her mind is in the present, where it belongs. Mine wanders between the past, present and future with great regularity, but I've got thirty years more of past than she does to think about.
Last Saturday, Lauren drove us to Homestead. It was the first time she drove that far and her first time on an interstate. She did really well. Turns out, I didn't need the diaper I'd put on under my capris. Better safe than sorry.
We bought new waterproof jackets that were on sale, socks and more leggings. We really don't need much...but while we were on the mainland, we hit up a bunch of stores and bought some cute things for Lauren. Almost sixteen-year-old girls need things. They just do.
The only thing we lack is gaitors. They are a necessity for a walk like this and we both have them (we bought them on the Coast to Coast and wore them every day), but we can't find them. For those who don't know, gaitors protect your lower legs/aankles from getting muddy. They are easy to strap on and hook behind your knees and ankles. When we got home from walking across England, ours were really muddy and gross. I put them somewhere...I remember thinking it was a great place because they wouldn't be in the way.
Well, that sure is true.
They are not in the way. In fact, they're so far out of the way that we can't find the damn things. If I don't find them by the end of next week, I'll have to order replacements. Going without gaitors would be like going without hiking boots. They are an essential piece of equipment we'll wear every day.
I've tried channeling my inner gaitor but with no success. I really did a great job of putting them out of the way.
I think I'll pour a Guinness while I think about where else they could be. A girl has to keep up her strength.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Four Weeks!
We leave in four weeks. Shit's gettin' real.
I sound very gangsta today, yes? I've been practicing...drinking Guinness, that is. I don't practice dumb shit like gangsta. I worry about more important things like beer.
I won't be able to order a Miller Lite in the Dingleberry Forest, so I have to practice my Guinness drinking here in Islamorada. Sipping a pint of the black stuff when its 86 degrees and humid is a very different experience than when one is huddled in a pub, near a fire while the rain pelts the windows. A Guinness is like a meal and in hot, humid weather, it can sit in your belly like a rock.
Fortunately for me, I love rocks.
Having said that, I look forward to downing pints in a drafty pub, huddled close to a crackling fire while local musicians entertain me and my girl. She has no idea what's in store for her, but have no doubt that our Ireland Adventure is going to blow her doors off. She's a huge fan of green and we don't have a lot of it here on our island, aside from palm fronds and she's grown weary of them. She misses great expanses of green grass and "real" trees. She's going to think she died and went to forest heaven.
It actually is beer heaven, but I won't burst her bubble.
While I daydream of pubs and fires and Irish music, I need to actually get some things accomplished. Tomorrow night, we're going to sort through all of our walking gear; backpacks, walking poles, boots, rain gear, emergency supplies, first aid kits, etc.to figure out what needs to be replaced and what else we need. I already know we need more thin, bamboo socks. (We wear two layers of socks to prevent blistering. The under sock is ankle height, very thin and made from bamboo. It absorbs moisture. Over that, we wear a thick, higher sock that does something important. I don't know how it works, but our system kept our piggies blister free during our 200 mile walk across England. You don't mess with a plan that works.)
On Saturday, we trek to the mainland (Lauren is driving the whole thing, both ways!) to buy whatever we need, so that if we can't find it, we have time to order it.
One of these days, I need to do a 10-miler to be sure my boots still fit properly....with only four weeks to go, I should have done that weeks ago. I just haven't found time. I've been busy practicing.
Speaking of which, I think it's time for a Guinness.
I sound very gangsta today, yes? I've been practicing...drinking Guinness, that is. I don't practice dumb shit like gangsta. I worry about more important things like beer.
I won't be able to order a Miller Lite in the Dingleberry Forest, so I have to practice my Guinness drinking here in Islamorada. Sipping a pint of the black stuff when its 86 degrees and humid is a very different experience than when one is huddled in a pub, near a fire while the rain pelts the windows. A Guinness is like a meal and in hot, humid weather, it can sit in your belly like a rock.
Fortunately for me, I love rocks.
Having said that, I look forward to downing pints in a drafty pub, huddled close to a crackling fire while local musicians entertain me and my girl. She has no idea what's in store for her, but have no doubt that our Ireland Adventure is going to blow her doors off. She's a huge fan of green and we don't have a lot of it here on our island, aside from palm fronds and she's grown weary of them. She misses great expanses of green grass and "real" trees. She's going to think she died and went to forest heaven.
It actually is beer heaven, but I won't burst her bubble.
While I daydream of pubs and fires and Irish music, I need to actually get some things accomplished. Tomorrow night, we're going to sort through all of our walking gear; backpacks, walking poles, boots, rain gear, emergency supplies, first aid kits, etc.to figure out what needs to be replaced and what else we need. I already know we need more thin, bamboo socks. (We wear two layers of socks to prevent blistering. The under sock is ankle height, very thin and made from bamboo. It absorbs moisture. Over that, we wear a thick, higher sock that does something important. I don't know how it works, but our system kept our piggies blister free during our 200 mile walk across England. You don't mess with a plan that works.)
On Saturday, we trek to the mainland (Lauren is driving the whole thing, both ways!) to buy whatever we need, so that if we can't find it, we have time to order it.
One of these days, I need to do a 10-miler to be sure my boots still fit properly....with only four weeks to go, I should have done that weeks ago. I just haven't found time. I've been busy practicing.
Speaking of which, I think it's time for a Guinness.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Five Weeks!
I've started a countdown until our flight out of loud, humid Miami takes us to the picturesque Emerald Isle. Can you believe it's only five weeks away? Well, you better because that's what it is.
Just this morning, I booked our rail tickets from Dublin to Tralee. We'll spend a day and half in Dublin, which isn't nearly enough, but it'll have to do because our adventure begins clear across the country in the small village of Tralee. The train ride from Dublin's Heuston Station is about four hours. During the first two, we'll have access to a dining car, but after that, we're on our own. Before we change trains in Mallow, I'll have to avail myself of the dining car and stock up on beers to take on the second leg. Imagine yourself sitting comfortably on a train, watching gorgeous, green countryside slide past whilst you sip on suds. Heavenly.
We'll spend the night in Tralee at the Greenview House, which sits right on the edge of The Dingleberry Forest. (In Ireland, they refer to it as The Dingle Way.) Convenient, to to say the least. For a small fee, the owners have agreed to transfer our stuff (that which we won't be carrying on our backs) to our next night's accommodation in Camp.
The walk from Tralee to Camp is approximately 11 miles. We'll walk past the Blennerville Windmill and then have a rather steep climb for a couple of miles until it levels out and then begins a slow descent into Camp. It shouldn't prove very difficult and will be a easy way to slip back into distance walking. (My responsibilities at the Police Academy have allowed zero time for training.)
Our first night in Camp will be spent with Mr. John Doyle, who owns the Camp Junction House. Near the end of our walk, we'll spend another night there (remember we're walking a peninsula, so we end the walk in the same place we start) and he has graciously offered to drive us back to Tralee the next morning. I don't know why, but in our last email exchange, he asked if we'd like to ride with him. It seemed like an offer I couldn't refuse, so its a date. Don't tell Doug or Mrs. Doyle.
I don't want to overwhelm or bore you with details, so I wait to describe the rest of the walk in future posts to the blog. Until then, I'll continue to study maps of the peninsula. Each time I do, the excitement builds.
Only five more weeks!
Just this morning, I booked our rail tickets from Dublin to Tralee. We'll spend a day and half in Dublin, which isn't nearly enough, but it'll have to do because our adventure begins clear across the country in the small village of Tralee. The train ride from Dublin's Heuston Station is about four hours. During the first two, we'll have access to a dining car, but after that, we're on our own. Before we change trains in Mallow, I'll have to avail myself of the dining car and stock up on beers to take on the second leg. Imagine yourself sitting comfortably on a train, watching gorgeous, green countryside slide past whilst you sip on suds. Heavenly.
We'll spend the night in Tralee at the Greenview House, which sits right on the edge of The Dingleberry Forest. (In Ireland, they refer to it as The Dingle Way.) Convenient, to to say the least. For a small fee, the owners have agreed to transfer our stuff (that which we won't be carrying on our backs) to our next night's accommodation in Camp.
The walk from Tralee to Camp is approximately 11 miles. We'll walk past the Blennerville Windmill and then have a rather steep climb for a couple of miles until it levels out and then begins a slow descent into Camp. It shouldn't prove very difficult and will be a easy way to slip back into distance walking. (My responsibilities at the Police Academy have allowed zero time for training.)
Our first night in Camp will be spent with Mr. John Doyle, who owns the Camp Junction House. Near the end of our walk, we'll spend another night there (remember we're walking a peninsula, so we end the walk in the same place we start) and he has graciously offered to drive us back to Tralee the next morning. I don't know why, but in our last email exchange, he asked if we'd like to ride with him. It seemed like an offer I couldn't refuse, so its a date. Don't tell Doug or Mrs. Doyle.
I don't want to overwhelm or bore you with details, so I wait to describe the rest of the walk in future posts to the blog. Until then, I'll continue to study maps of the peninsula. Each time I do, the excitement builds.
Only five more weeks!
Sunday, April 13, 2014
New Plan!
Since we began dreaming this adventure, I'd planned to train from the Dingleberry Forest to County Mayo and then cab here and there. That is no longer the plan. Brace yourself. We're renting a car instead!!!
The great part about that, aside from the fact that the steering wheel will be on the wrong side, is that we will be in complete control. We won't have to plan around train schedules or stop doing something we're enjoying because we've got to catch the last train out. We can wander wherever our hearts lead, stay as long as we want and let Ireland decide where we go.
I'm so very glad I hadn't booked accommodations for the second part of our trip, because now we don't have to plan to be in any particular place at any particular time. The freedom of that is exhilarating!!! That means whenever we see a pub that looks like it needs our company, we pull over and have a pint. Whenever we stumble upon ruins or castles that call to us, we'll be free to reply. I think that's how Ireland is meant to be traveled; free from schedules, without a plan and with a carefree spirit.
I definitely want to spend part of a day doing the Atlantic Drive on Achill Island, which is in Westport. It's not too far from Lavell's Bar...convenient. The island is about 60 square miles, but it's actual coastline, including all the inlets and spars, measures over 80 miles. In many places, the road follows the shoreline and two particular stretches are damn near legendary because of the spectacular views they afford.
Along the route, we'll find Kildavnet Tower (Cill Damhnait if you speak the lingo) overlooking the waters of Achill Sound. The name means "the small church of Davenet" and refers to the 7th century Saint Dympna who built a small church nearby. I'll have to get busy building something cool so that when I am sainted, it can be named after me. I think Pub Saint Pattie sounds nice.
The tower is three stories (about 40 ft tall) and is believed to be built by the O'Malley Clan in 1429. That's older than Dougie for those of you keeping track. Its most famous tenant was the legendary pirate queen Granuaille. That is until, of course, I move in and change all that.
Rumor is that the stretch from Cloughmore to Dooega offers the most spectacular coastal scenery in Ireland - except for that found on the Dingle Peninsula. Lucky us...we get to see both! Along the way we'll find some wonderful pubs and traditional music. As this area is part of Gaeltacht, meaning Irish speaking, we'll be swimming in history. I look forward to hearing the speech of my forefathers...and drinking their national drink. Often and with regularity.
The great part about that, aside from the fact that the steering wheel will be on the wrong side, is that we will be in complete control. We won't have to plan around train schedules or stop doing something we're enjoying because we've got to catch the last train out. We can wander wherever our hearts lead, stay as long as we want and let Ireland decide where we go.
I'm so very glad I hadn't booked accommodations for the second part of our trip, because now we don't have to plan to be in any particular place at any particular time. The freedom of that is exhilarating!!! That means whenever we see a pub that looks like it needs our company, we pull over and have a pint. Whenever we stumble upon ruins or castles that call to us, we'll be free to reply. I think that's how Ireland is meant to be traveled; free from schedules, without a plan and with a carefree spirit.
I definitely want to spend part of a day doing the Atlantic Drive on Achill Island, which is in Westport. It's not too far from Lavell's Bar...convenient. The island is about 60 square miles, but it's actual coastline, including all the inlets and spars, measures over 80 miles. In many places, the road follows the shoreline and two particular stretches are damn near legendary because of the spectacular views they afford.
Along the route, we'll find Kildavnet Tower (Cill Damhnait if you speak the lingo) overlooking the waters of Achill Sound. The name means "the small church of Davenet" and refers to the 7th century Saint Dympna who built a small church nearby. I'll have to get busy building something cool so that when I am sainted, it can be named after me. I think Pub Saint Pattie sounds nice.
The tower is three stories (about 40 ft tall) and is believed to be built by the O'Malley Clan in 1429. That's older than Dougie for those of you keeping track. Its most famous tenant was the legendary pirate queen Granuaille. That is until, of course, I move in and change all that.
Rumor is that the stretch from Cloughmore to Dooega offers the most spectacular coastal scenery in Ireland - except for that found on the Dingle Peninsula. Lucky us...we get to see both! Along the way we'll find some wonderful pubs and traditional music. As this area is part of Gaeltacht, meaning Irish speaking, we'll be swimming in history. I look forward to hearing the speech of my forefathers...and drinking their national drink. Often and with regularity.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Castles, hawks and pubs, oh my!
I've been researching my Lavell family history and am pleased to say I've found several Lavells still living in County Mayo. I've spoken with a relative living in Great Britain - my great, great, great grandparents Martin and Bridget Lavell are also in his family tree. His last name is not Lavell, but I've forgiven him that.
I'm continue an internal debate about where to go and for how long after Lauren and I complete our walk of the Dingleberry Forest (the Dingle Peninsula if you're trying to locate it on a map). I want to go to Westport to Lavell's Bar and meet a famous storyteller named Mic Lavell...if he's still in fact on this side of the grass. The reports are mixed. County Mayo is a big place and there are lots of places to look for/find Lavells, (pubs) but I continue to be drawn to Castlebar. I can't explain it, but there's been a constant pull from that market town for far too long to ignore.
Castles will definitely play into where we visit and how long we stay. I've started to compile a list of castles and castle ruins in County Mayo and well, let me say this: we'd have to stay several weeks to see them all. We're going to have to pick and choose and that won't be easy. Lauren and I are passionate about castles. Our favorites are those without other visitors, through which the wind blows, where the imagination takes over and the past seems close enough to touch. Ruins can be magical if you're in the proper frame of mind.
Lauren and I would be content to wander around ruins for days on end, but we'll have Dougie with us at that point and we'll have to keep him entertained. He'll tolerate climbing over walls and rocks for a bit, but not very long. I'm thinking horseback riding (can you picture Doug on a horse?) and Ireland's School of Falconry would be great family fun. The oldest established Falconry school in Ireland is on the grounds of Ashford Castle, which is mind-blowingly gorgeous. On their one hour, private "Hawk Walk", we can have a hawk land on our gloved arm and set it to fly around the grounds of the castle. Very cool. For a mere $2,000, we can spend two nights in the castle, too. Bargain.
I still have a lot of work to do, but one thing is for certain. In nine weeks, Lauren and I will be on our way to my Dad's homeland. Ireland, you've been warned.
I'm continue an internal debate about where to go and for how long after Lauren and I complete our walk of the Dingleberry Forest (the Dingle Peninsula if you're trying to locate it on a map). I want to go to Westport to Lavell's Bar and meet a famous storyteller named Mic Lavell...if he's still in fact on this side of the grass. The reports are mixed. County Mayo is a big place and there are lots of places to look for/find Lavells, (pubs) but I continue to be drawn to Castlebar. I can't explain it, but there's been a constant pull from that market town for far too long to ignore.
Castles will definitely play into where we visit and how long we stay. I've started to compile a list of castles and castle ruins in County Mayo and well, let me say this: we'd have to stay several weeks to see them all. We're going to have to pick and choose and that won't be easy. Lauren and I are passionate about castles. Our favorites are those without other visitors, through which the wind blows, where the imagination takes over and the past seems close enough to touch. Ruins can be magical if you're in the proper frame of mind.
Lauren and I would be content to wander around ruins for days on end, but we'll have Dougie with us at that point and we'll have to keep him entertained. He'll tolerate climbing over walls and rocks for a bit, but not very long. I'm thinking horseback riding (can you picture Doug on a horse?) and Ireland's School of Falconry would be great family fun. The oldest established Falconry school in Ireland is on the grounds of Ashford Castle, which is mind-blowingly gorgeous. On their one hour, private "Hawk Walk", we can have a hawk land on our gloved arm and set it to fly around the grounds of the castle. Very cool. For a mere $2,000, we can spend two nights in the castle, too. Bargain.
I still have a lot of work to do, but one thing is for certain. In nine weeks, Lauren and I will be on our way to my Dad's homeland. Ireland, you've been warned.
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