I don't normally write about weather, but the past week has been pretty eventful in that respect.
A week ago today, I was sitting in my cubicle in the project office on the 3rd floor when I started to hear a low rumbling that sounded like a cart was being pushed downed the corridor. It kept getting louder, and the furniture shook. I stood up, thinking it was an earthquake but didn't know what to do. By the time I could think of where to go or what to do, it stopped. We were told to get out of the building and most of the people huddled outside by the trees waiting for instructions. Most people were trying to make calls on their cell phones. Only a few were able to get calls through and those that did spread the information around to others. What we learned in the next few minutes was that a 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered about 80 miles outside of Washington (near Mineral, Va) had shook the earth from Georgia all the way up to Toronto and as far west as Chicago. This was the first earthquake of this magnitude on the East Coast since 1897. So in a word, historic. Another word was scary. Not the actual earthquake but the moments after. The cell service quickly became overloaded and not many people were able to get through to their loved ones. That was most definitely the scariest part. For 45 minutes, I was not able to get through to James to find out that he and the kids were okay. Now damage was minimal so I suspected they were fine, but to not know was frustrating and difficult. I finally was able to get a text back from him but calls were impossible for at least an hour. They were in the house, the kids doing their school preparation workbooks - Quinn in the dining room and Keely in her room. James got them and the dog outside in the front and waited it out. We had no damage to our house, just some items fallen off shelves and pictures crooked from the shaking. Unfortunately some other buildings in the area had structural damage including the Washington Monument and National Cathedral - both are closed for repairs indefinitely and that is upsetting. I can't imagine the damage from anything over a 6.0. The effects would be huge and far reaching. Hopefully though we won't see one like this for another 100 years!
After that excitement, the media was immediately focused on Hurricane Irene. Actually, it had been the focus for a few days but the earthquake sidetracked the news for a day or so. Hurricanes are much different than earthquakes, and the predictions were for Irene to have a major impact on the East Coast from North Carolina to Maine. What actually happened was a powerful storm that did have impacts although they seem to have been greater for those up North in NJ and Vermont. As predicted the storm hit us on Saturday all day and on into Sunday morning. Keely was so funny when she got up on Saturday - she went to the window, saying 'Irene is coming today!' as if we were expecting a house guest :)
On the home front, we had a lot of rain and wind but were lucky not to lose our power (except for a few minutes on Saturday night) and only had a few downed branches and leaf debris throughout our yard. Others weren't so lucky, from our neighborhood to other areas in Virginia and Maryland. Since we had power and an inland location, we became a bit of a refuge. I joke that Hotel Donovan was at capacity :) Grandma and Grandpa arrived back in town on Friday afternoon ahead of Irene. They left North Carolina that morning to miss the brunt of the storm in a coastal location. Good thing they were there to help Judith prepare the house though! They intended to leave Saturday but decided instead to ride out the storm with us. They ended up with basement flooding, power outages, and downed trees at home in New Jersey so I guess it was a good decision. We also got another house guest on Sunday...Kyle's friend Marisa who was without power at the University of Maryland. She spent Sunday night with us and headed back to campus Monday when power was restored. It was fun to have her, the kids love her and Keely had fun playing with her 'big sister'.
So now Hotel Donovan is cleared out and we are back to normal. When we lived in Utah, we never had a major earthquake despite living on a major fault. Living out west we heard about hurricanes but they were so far away that we didn't pay much attention. So these are some of the weather related things we've been dealing with in the last week...and I really hope we are quiet on that front for a while now. Enough natural disasters!
August 30, 2011
August 23, 2011
Busy August
After a busy start and middle of the summer, I was hoping August would be fairly calm. But it doesn't seem to have been in the cards. And would I really like it calm? I don't think so.
We began the month with the tail end of our 3rd trip to NJ in 6 weeks. That hasn't happened since I was in college. I intended to stay home for all of August until our long planned trip to NC for Labor Day. But, things changed.
Quinn was invited to join Nana, Papa, Annie and the Wolter clan in Maine for a week. We wanted to take Keely somewhere as a special treat (i.e. consolation). We also wanted to see Aunt Lois, Uncle Ryan and Adelia in their new house in Florida. So we took the opportunity of only having to purchase 3 airfares and planned a trip for a long weekend with about 10 days notice.
Quinn left on a Friday and did not return until this past Saturday. It is the longest he has ever been away from us. He was fine...I took it a bit harder. We all missed him, but it was made worse because of his lack of telephone skills. He promised to call every day, but that turned out to be an empty promise and when we did speak to him, it was mostly 'one word' answers. He'll be getting better at this because we will now be forcing him to speak on the phone, I won't deal well if this is what it will be like when he goes to college! Of course, he'll have a cell then so I guess I can always text him.
In any event, we all survived the separation and Quinn had a fabulous time. He made up for his lack of phone conversation by telling us all about his trip upon his return. He went fishing twice, sailing on a schooner, candlestick bowling, puffin cruising and much more. He came home with a gift for himself...a new hermit crab he has dubbed 'Jaws' because of its shell. He also brought something for everyone else. For James, a coffee mug filled with salt water taffy. For Keely, a stuffed puffin bird and a 'mermaid tear' (a hand blown crystal heart with red stripes). For me, a pair of earrings and a paper weight (again, hand blown crystal). His gifts were all well thought out and showed a lot of love and consideration. Even if he wouldn't talk on the phone, I know he was thinking of us while deciding what to purchase!
Back to our time without Quinn. It's really easy to have just one child :)
We were in Florida from Friday until Monday night. We soaked up the Florida sun, and our time with Adelia. She is just such a cutie and we loved being able to see her twice in one month! Keely loved the one on one time with her, and us. We hit the beach at least once a day, if not twice. We even saw a dolphin swimming along the shore on Monday! It was really relaxing and fun. We always enjoy our time with L&R, we have great conversations and it was good to see their home and surroundings. And evident from the pictures, Adelia was enthralled with Keely's DSi. Don't worry, that's not the only thing they "played" together while we were there :)
The rest of the week went pretty quickly. We met up with Mark, Liz and Matthew on Wednesday night for dinner in Arlington. It was fun to see them and catch up a bit while they were on vacation in DC/Virginia.
Nana and Papa spent the night on Saturday after dropping Quinn off. They left, and about 4 hours later Grandma and Grandpa arrived on their way down to NC. They spent two nights with us. We took them downtown to see the World War II memorial since they had never been. It's one of my favorites, especially at night. 
So it's a busy time. I think things will calm down once school starts. But the crazy is really what we were craving. The increased time with family...the ability to see them more...it's quickly come to fruition and the impetus for our move back East is most definitely confirmed. It may be crazy busy, but I really wouldn't want it any other way!
We began the month with the tail end of our 3rd trip to NJ in 6 weeks. That hasn't happened since I was in college. I intended to stay home for all of August until our long planned trip to NC for Labor Day. But, things changed.
Quinn was invited to join Nana, Papa, Annie and the Wolter clan in Maine for a week. We wanted to take Keely somewhere as a special treat (i.e. consolation). We also wanted to see Aunt Lois, Uncle Ryan and Adelia in their new house in Florida. So we took the opportunity of only having to purchase 3 airfares and planned a trip for a long weekend with about 10 days notice.
Quinn left on a Friday and did not return until this past Saturday. It is the longest he has ever been away from us. He was fine...I took it a bit harder. We all missed him, but it was made worse because of his lack of telephone skills. He promised to call every day, but that turned out to be an empty promise and when we did speak to him, it was mostly 'one word' answers. He'll be getting better at this because we will now be forcing him to speak on the phone, I won't deal well if this is what it will be like when he goes to college! Of course, he'll have a cell then so I guess I can always text him.
In any event, we all survived the separation and Quinn had a fabulous time. He made up for his lack of phone conversation by telling us all about his trip upon his return. He went fishing twice, sailing on a schooner, candlestick bowling, puffin cruising and much more. He came home with a gift for himself...a new hermit crab he has dubbed 'Jaws' because of its shell. He also brought something for everyone else. For James, a coffee mug filled with salt water taffy. For Keely, a stuffed puffin bird and a 'mermaid tear' (a hand blown crystal heart with red stripes). For me, a pair of earrings and a paper weight (again, hand blown crystal). His gifts were all well thought out and showed a lot of love and consideration. Even if he wouldn't talk on the phone, I know he was thinking of us while deciding what to purchase!
Back to our time without Quinn. It's really easy to have just one child :)
We were in Florida from Friday until Monday night. We soaked up the Florida sun, and our time with Adelia. She is just such a cutie and we loved being able to see her twice in one month! Keely loved the one on one time with her, and us. We hit the beach at least once a day, if not twice. We even saw a dolphin swimming along the shore on Monday! It was really relaxing and fun. We always enjoy our time with L&R, we have great conversations and it was good to see their home and surroundings. And evident from the pictures, Adelia was enthralled with Keely's DSi. Don't worry, that's not the only thing they "played" together while we were there :)
The rest of the week went pretty quickly. We met up with Mark, Liz and Matthew on Wednesday night for dinner in Arlington. It was fun to see them and catch up a bit while they were on vacation in DC/Virginia.
Nana and Papa spent the night on Saturday after dropping Quinn off. They left, and about 4 hours later Grandma and Grandpa arrived on their way down to NC. They spent two nights with us. We took them downtown to see the World War II memorial since they had never been. It's one of my favorites, especially at night. 
So it's a busy time. I think things will calm down once school starts. But the crazy is really what we were craving. The increased time with family...the ability to see them more...it's quickly come to fruition and the impetus for our move back East is most definitely confirmed. It may be crazy busy, but I really wouldn't want it any other way!
August 11, 2011
The Mall
Saturday, we decided to venture down to "The Mall", and by that I don't mean a group of stores with anchors and a food court :) What is even cooler about this decision is that we did our usual Saturday morning routine of breakfast and the gym...then ventured by Metro into the District and visited a bit, and were home to make dinner in our own house! I don't know when the awe factor will wear off, but I still think it's so cool that we are so close to these mostly free amenities and the historical National Capital city.
We took the Metro from East Falls Church. This was the first time we have taken the Metro together as a family since we moved here. The kids love that part, it adds to the experience. I honestly love it too, as an option. It's gotten more expensive than when I rode it often as a college student but it's still a wonderful system and so clean and user friendly. If we didn't want to Metro in though, we could be there in about 20 minutes. But then you have to find parking and perhaps walk longer to see the sights. So anyways, this day we decided to use the good ol' Orange Line.
Once we got downtown, we got off at Federal Triangle and walked to the Old Post Office. James and I went up the elevator in this tower when we were in college and it's quite a view, so we wanted to (a) see if it was still free and (b) show the kids this unique view of the city. We were delighted to find out it's still free (!) so we waited about 15 minutes to ride up. I love looking out each of the four sides to the sights below and beyond...including my old campus and the gorgeous Basilica. The Old Post Office is the 3rd highest building in DC, behind the Washington Monument and (we presume) the Basilica.
After venturing down the elevator, we bought some shakes from Ben & Jerry's and walked down to the Mall. Quinn begged to go to Air & Space...or even Natural History (we need to finish that one up one of these days, there is just so much to see in there!)...but we made an adult executive decision and toured the Hirshhorn Museum of Modern Art. I love the circular building and it's quirky art. I loved the view from one of the floors out onto the Mall and the comfy seats and large tables where you can read or relax. The kids enjoyed it too. Although Keely did find the nude sculptures "inappropriate" :) It was great to expose them to modern art...I think next time we will have to do the National Gallery of Art, because Keely wanted to see what she called "real art".
It is so nice to be able to see a museum, and not feel bad that we didn't get to the many other museums. We have the option of seeing them at our pace, and as many times as we like. Again, the awe factor is still in high gear here :) All in all, a lovely Saturday afternoon!
We took the Metro from East Falls Church. This was the first time we have taken the Metro together as a family since we moved here. The kids love that part, it adds to the experience. I honestly love it too, as an option. It's gotten more expensive than when I rode it often as a college student but it's still a wonderful system and so clean and user friendly. If we didn't want to Metro in though, we could be there in about 20 minutes. But then you have to find parking and perhaps walk longer to see the sights. So anyways, this day we decided to use the good ol' Orange Line.
Once we got downtown, we got off at Federal Triangle and walked to the Old Post Office. James and I went up the elevator in this tower when we were in college and it's quite a view, so we wanted to (a) see if it was still free and (b) show the kids this unique view of the city. We were delighted to find out it's still free (!) so we waited about 15 minutes to ride up. I love looking out each of the four sides to the sights below and beyond...including my old campus and the gorgeous Basilica. The Old Post Office is the 3rd highest building in DC, behind the Washington Monument and (we presume) the Basilica.
After venturing down the elevator, we bought some shakes from Ben & Jerry's and walked down to the Mall. Quinn begged to go to Air & Space...or even Natural History (we need to finish that one up one of these days, there is just so much to see in there!)...but we made an adult executive decision and toured the Hirshhorn Museum of Modern Art. I love the circular building and it's quirky art. I loved the view from one of the floors out onto the Mall and the comfy seats and large tables where you can read or relax. The kids enjoyed it too. Although Keely did find the nude sculptures "inappropriate" :) It was great to expose them to modern art...I think next time we will have to do the National Gallery of Art, because Keely wanted to see what she called "real art".
It is so nice to be able to see a museum, and not feel bad that we didn't get to the many other museums. We have the option of seeing them at our pace, and as many times as we like. Again, the awe factor is still in high gear here :) All in all, a lovely Saturday afternoon!
August 4, 2011
Potter Mania
I am sure we are not alone, but we are a bit Harry Potter crazed in our house right now. Up until the end of May though, we were completely out of the loop. Quinn had zero interest in the books or movies and neither did I. Keely's a bit young to read the volume of books so I didn't expect her to be into it. People have always told me to read the books saying that I would enjoy them. There's plenty else to read though so I figured that when Quinn showed an interest in reading them is the time I would read them too. We've never read anything together before so I figured that would be neat. Anyways, I still thought that time was a ways off.
But at the end of May, when the movers were packing up our house Quinn and Keely hung out with our neighbor, Mark. We also had dinner with them the night before and that's when Quinn discovered that Mark had some of the HP movies. The kids watched one movie that night and another couple of movies the next day. Now that's not my MO - I'd watch the movies after I read the books but watching the movies sparked Quinn's interest. Flash forward to our first weekend visit to NJ in early June. Quinn discovers that Grandma has a few of the books in her house, including the first 2. So into a bag they go with us back to Virginia and the rest is history.
Quinn read all 7 books from the beginning of June to finishing up on our trip to Ireland. That's just over a month of reading, and I've had to add up all the pages because I was curious - 4,176 pages! Crazy. He is a voracious reader. He loves to read and obviously has a lot of time over the summer to do just that. He is almost lost when he doesn't have a book to read. Someone recently asked me how I get him to read. I don't get him to read, he just loves it. I suppose James and I being readers is a help, but Keely just doesn't seem to have that same love of reading. He also reads so quickly that I used to wonder if he 'gets' everything...but the level of detail that he remembers is astounding so I'm not wondering that anymore.
So as promised, I am now reading the books - although at a much slower pace :( Unfortunately I just don't have the time to read like he does. I've just finished up Book 3. They are getting better with each book, and I'm curious to read the rest. It is my goal to finish up the 7th before the latest movie comes out on DVD. That's likely to be before Christmas and then I hope they will release all 7 movies in a box set. I haven't seen any of the movies...I'm not sure if I want to watch them as I read or wait until the end to watch any of them.
James took the kids to see the last movie on the big screen. Quinn loved it. Keely is now a fan by default. James has whittled wands for them, and they both have spell books with all the spells from the books and movies written down. It has taken over our house...Quinn loves to pick up whatever book I am in and start reading from wherever I am. He asks me what just happened while I am actually reading, and will tease me when I act like I know what has just happened (are you sure?!?! he will say lol) . It has given us something more in common and I am glad that I'm sharing this series with him.
This week, the mania is at a height because the kids are attending Vacation Bible School - Harry Potter style. I signed them up for this back in June - I knew Quinn would love it - and it was free so I figured even if it was bad, it didn't cost anything. It's been fun for them though. They have Transformations class, today they are making Potions, they have meetings in the Great Hall and got sorted on the first day (Keely into Hufflepuff - a huge travesty - and Quinn into Gryffindor - a huge coup). They've each made some new friends - kids that go to their school and live in our neighborhood. So far, it's a success in my books!
But at the end of May, when the movers were packing up our house Quinn and Keely hung out with our neighbor, Mark. We also had dinner with them the night before and that's when Quinn discovered that Mark had some of the HP movies. The kids watched one movie that night and another couple of movies the next day. Now that's not my MO - I'd watch the movies after I read the books but watching the movies sparked Quinn's interest. Flash forward to our first weekend visit to NJ in early June. Quinn discovers that Grandma has a few of the books in her house, including the first 2. So into a bag they go with us back to Virginia and the rest is history.
Quinn read all 7 books from the beginning of June to finishing up on our trip to Ireland. That's just over a month of reading, and I've had to add up all the pages because I was curious - 4,176 pages! Crazy. He is a voracious reader. He loves to read and obviously has a lot of time over the summer to do just that. He is almost lost when he doesn't have a book to read. Someone recently asked me how I get him to read. I don't get him to read, he just loves it. I suppose James and I being readers is a help, but Keely just doesn't seem to have that same love of reading. He also reads so quickly that I used to wonder if he 'gets' everything...but the level of detail that he remembers is astounding so I'm not wondering that anymore.
So as promised, I am now reading the books - although at a much slower pace :( Unfortunately I just don't have the time to read like he does. I've just finished up Book 3. They are getting better with each book, and I'm curious to read the rest. It is my goal to finish up the 7th before the latest movie comes out on DVD. That's likely to be before Christmas and then I hope they will release all 7 movies in a box set. I haven't seen any of the movies...I'm not sure if I want to watch them as I read or wait until the end to watch any of them.
James took the kids to see the last movie on the big screen. Quinn loved it. Keely is now a fan by default. James has whittled wands for them, and they both have spell books with all the spells from the books and movies written down. It has taken over our house...Quinn loves to pick up whatever book I am in and start reading from wherever I am. He asks me what just happened while I am actually reading, and will tease me when I act like I know what has just happened (are you sure?!?! he will say lol) . It has given us something more in common and I am glad that I'm sharing this series with him.
This week, the mania is at a height because the kids are attending Vacation Bible School - Harry Potter style. I signed them up for this back in June - I knew Quinn would love it - and it was free so I figured even if it was bad, it didn't cost anything. It's been fun for them though. They have Transformations class, today they are making Potions, they have meetings in the Great Hall and got sorted on the first day (Keely into Hufflepuff - a huge travesty - and Quinn into Gryffindor - a huge coup). They've each made some new friends - kids that go to their school and live in our neighborhood. So far, it's a success in my books!
July 25, 2011
Galway to Ballynahinch to Bunratty
On Thursday morning, we departed Galway with our sights set for a night at Ballynahinch castle. First though was a stop that I am sure most people visiting Ireland never see, a lead and silver mine just north of Galway called Glengowla. I saw this brochure in the shops outside Spiddal, and thought it would be an interesting side trip considering James' mining background. We end up visiting mines wherever we go...actually, all 7 of us have already been in a silver mine, in Virginia City, Nevada when we were all vacationing together in Lake Tahoe! Since our driving route was right by the entrance to this mine, we all agreed it was a nice side trip. It was not crowded at all when we arrived...we were only one of 3 groups of people (maybe 15 total) on the tour. This mine was only used right after the Famine, for 15 years or so. A lot of lead and silver were mined in this short time though...but then price and demand dropped and they stopped mining, with the intent to come back at a later date. Trouble is, once the prices were rising again the mine was full of water and the cost to pump it all out was more than the value of what would be mined. Once again, we got a great tour guide - he was very knowledgeable and really enjoyed his job - and we learned a lot. They have just recently restored this mine to tour people through, and just opened a deeper section in the last few months. Aside from the silly hairnets we had to wear under our hard hats :) I think we all enjoyed this side trip.
We departed Glengowla, and headed to Ballynahinch. Our rooms weren't quite ready when we arrived though so we went to visit another little village called Roundstone. Not much there, but a cute seaside town and we had lunch while we were there. We started to wait for a table at one cafe, but Gene decided Irish people don't wait so we headed to another place. It's funny, the Irish are in no hurry (at least once you hit the countryside) so Gene's decision to take us somewhere else was somewhat surprising.
The castle experience was fabulous, and the rest was just what the doctor ordered after a week of going nonstop. We all enjoyed the common rooms on the first floor, and had the staff deliver us a pot of tea and start a fire for us. It was still raining outside and quite damp and chilly, a fire was a welcome relief. We played Scrabble, drank tea and felt a bit like royalty! We decided to eat in the castle pub, while Nana & Papa had a fancy dinner in the castle dining room. They joined us after their dinner and we closed up the bar & pub, while the bartender taught us how to make perfect Irish Coffees :) The dinner was fabulous, perhaps the best dinner I had while in Ireland (pork belly!). We all enjoyed getting a bit dressed up and pretending to be 'special castle guests'. Even the manager, Patrick O'Flaherty, got to know us - particularly Keely, he called her 'Boss' and how right he is! The next morning dawned bright and sunny...thank goodness so we could explore the castle grounds a bit. It was very serene and peaceful. I won't recant, mostly because I can't recall, the castle history - but there is a lot of hunting and fishing on the massive grounds - and I do remember the name meaning 'settlement on an island' and the history involving an argument between the O'Flahertys and the O'Malleys. Patrick is a descendent of the original O'Flaherty family.
After checking out of the castle, we headed back to County Clare where we spent our last night in the Bunratty Castle Hotel. When we got there, we said farewell to Gene. I must say we all enjoyed our time with him...Keely even made him a goodbye present (a letter to Gene) that he said he would put up in his office to remember her. Although from her loud singing while listening to Annie's iPod on the van, I'm not sure how he could forget her :) Seriously, though Gene was great - really a great tour guide, driver and connoisseur of Irish places and history. We do all miss him and I will definitely keep his card for the next time I am in Ireland...he has a little cottage for rent that seems the perfect place to explore Southwest Ireland from!
The night at Bunratty was relaxing, we mostly ended up crashing and relaxing at the hotel pool and steam room. There was another castle to see (Bunratty) but we (at least the four of us and Annie) felt we'd seen enough history and all we wanted to do was chill out. Our last dinner in Ireland was Durty Nellie's, a well known pub on the castle grounds. Once again, a very good dinner and a nice time had by all.
Saturday morning we departed from Shannon airport. The trip home was long, but safe and uneventful. I know I was happy to be back on American soil, if nothing else so I could stop converting from Euros to dollars in my head.
I have to wrap this up by saying that our family of 4 really enjoyed this trip, and we have to give a huge thanks for Nana and Papa for making that possible. I was also quite pleasantly surprised that the 7 of us had a very enjoyable time together the entire time, with only a couple minor snags...9 days is a long time to spend with a group of people, even your family...and at the end, we were all still talking, laughing and enjoying each others' company as much on Day 10 as on Day 1. Definitely the sign of a good trip!
We saw so much, learned a lot, and really embraced Ireland on our time there - and I think most of us want to get back again someday. The memories though will last a lifetime, and I know I am glad we were able to experience Ireland at least once if time or circumstances don't allow another trip.
We departed Glengowla, and headed to Ballynahinch. Our rooms weren't quite ready when we arrived though so we went to visit another little village called Roundstone. Not much there, but a cute seaside town and we had lunch while we were there. We started to wait for a table at one cafe, but Gene decided Irish people don't wait so we headed to another place. It's funny, the Irish are in no hurry (at least once you hit the countryside) so Gene's decision to take us somewhere else was somewhat surprising.
The castle experience was fabulous, and the rest was just what the doctor ordered after a week of going nonstop. We all enjoyed the common rooms on the first floor, and had the staff deliver us a pot of tea and start a fire for us. It was still raining outside and quite damp and chilly, a fire was a welcome relief. We played Scrabble, drank tea and felt a bit like royalty! We decided to eat in the castle pub, while Nana & Papa had a fancy dinner in the castle dining room. They joined us after their dinner and we closed up the bar & pub, while the bartender taught us how to make perfect Irish Coffees :) The dinner was fabulous, perhaps the best dinner I had while in Ireland (pork belly!). We all enjoyed getting a bit dressed up and pretending to be 'special castle guests'. Even the manager, Patrick O'Flaherty, got to know us - particularly Keely, he called her 'Boss' and how right he is! The next morning dawned bright and sunny...thank goodness so we could explore the castle grounds a bit. It was very serene and peaceful. I won't recant, mostly because I can't recall, the castle history - but there is a lot of hunting and fishing on the massive grounds - and I do remember the name meaning 'settlement on an island' and the history involving an argument between the O'Flahertys and the O'Malleys. Patrick is a descendent of the original O'Flaherty family.
After checking out of the castle, we headed back to County Clare where we spent our last night in the Bunratty Castle Hotel. When we got there, we said farewell to Gene. I must say we all enjoyed our time with him...Keely even made him a goodbye present (a letter to Gene) that he said he would put up in his office to remember her. Although from her loud singing while listening to Annie's iPod on the van, I'm not sure how he could forget her :) Seriously, though Gene was great - really a great tour guide, driver and connoisseur of Irish places and history. We do all miss him and I will definitely keep his card for the next time I am in Ireland...he has a little cottage for rent that seems the perfect place to explore Southwest Ireland from!
The night at Bunratty was relaxing, we mostly ended up crashing and relaxing at the hotel pool and steam room. There was another castle to see (Bunratty) but we (at least the four of us and Annie) felt we'd seen enough history and all we wanted to do was chill out. Our last dinner in Ireland was Durty Nellie's, a well known pub on the castle grounds. Once again, a very good dinner and a nice time had by all.
Saturday morning we departed from Shannon airport. The trip home was long, but safe and uneventful. I know I was happy to be back on American soil, if nothing else so I could stop converting from Euros to dollars in my head.
I have to wrap this up by saying that our family of 4 really enjoyed this trip, and we have to give a huge thanks for Nana and Papa for making that possible. I was also quite pleasantly surprised that the 7 of us had a very enjoyable time together the entire time, with only a couple minor snags...9 days is a long time to spend with a group of people, even your family...and at the end, we were all still talking, laughing and enjoying each others' company as much on Day 10 as on Day 1. Definitely the sign of a good trip!
We saw so much, learned a lot, and really embraced Ireland on our time there - and I think most of us want to get back again someday. The memories though will last a lifetime, and I know I am glad we were able to experience Ireland at least once if time or circumstances don't allow another trip.
July 22, 2011
Killarney to Galway
We left Killarney early Tuesday morning. The skies were darkening a bit, but we were hoping that by heading north the weather would improve. We had our sights set on perhaps the most notable attraction in Ireland (besides the Blarney Stone) - the Cliffs of Moher...or Mohair as Keely would call them. The drive there was pretty, and got even nicer as we hit the coast and exclaimed over the sandy beaches and beautiful golf course in LeHinch. We also stopped in Adare, another cute little village (honestly, they were all starting to look the same at this point - in fact, I forgot about this one until I looked back at our pictures).
We arrived at the Cliffs and walked up to the overlook. I can honestly say that this was the most unique scenery I saw the entire time in Ireland....most everything else was reminiscent of something in the US. But not the cliffs. They are spectacular. And scary. Just watching the huge flocks of birds fly in and around the cliffs made me wonder if they ever have a fear of heights :) After visiting for a while, the rain started to move upon us. Literally it was blue skies with white clouds one minute and then pouring the next. We'd been lucky, with 6 days of sun but we were about to have the weather we knew we would get...rain off and on for the next 3 days until the sun finally broke back in again for good on Friday. At least we got use of the nice rain jackets we brought!
After the Cliffs, we ran back to the van to dry off and headed to Doolin - a quiet little town (or maybe village because it was so small) - to have lunch. We went to Gus O'Connor's pub for their famed Seafood Chowder (although only Nana had it). Oh, and more Black and Tans :) Gene was really great with his restaurant recommendations...it's really nice to have a driver that knows where to go for good food. Especially for the 7 of us, some of whom find it hard to make a decision (myself included). His guidance really took the guesswork, and what would have become stress, out of most of our decisions and helped make the trip so much smoother at times.
Next up was our drive to Galway. This drive took us on back roads through a very unique area of Ireland called The Burren. I can't say much about it, because I slept through most of that drive (I was still nursing that cold, remember). But I do know that the landscape of the Burren is marked by outcroppings of limestone that stretch over the countryside and end at the sea. What I did see was quite incredible. But what I remember most about this drive was the houses littering the countryside on the shores of Galway Bay. One was cuter than the next, and I would have lived in most any of them. There is something so unique about the homes in Ireland...they are simply decorated on the outside, no shutters, no landscaping. They are mostly white in color with splashes of color on the doors and trim. I really can't put my finger on it exactly but I just loved them. Perhaps a retirement location, because it certainly would be a quiet and calm existence!
We arrived in Galway to rain, most unfortunate since we were staying at the Galway Bay Hotel with beach access. I didn't expect warm beach weather, but sun would have been nice. For the next two days though, it was mostly rainy with a bit of clearing in the mornings and evenings. There's not much to our time in Galway, so I think I can cover it now. We shopped in Spiddal (a town up the coast road) and then spent time in the City of Galway...mostly shopping in both places. Oh, and Quinn got his hand caught in the van door - Gene felt horrible as he had closed it, but Quinn was not all that injured - he just screams bloody murder when he gets hurt. We walked to dinner both nights - eating in Lohan's and another pretty good restaurant (cant' remember the name...see, there goes my memory). I liked the set price options on menus in Ireland - they offered good prices for an appetizer, main course and dessert for one set price.
One more notable - Galway Bay Hotel had a pool and we swam both afternoons in our down time. Acton's in Kinsale and our last hotel in Bunratty also had a pool. Steam rooms are popular in Ireland - they also have saunas but the steam is a nice option. The notable about swimming is that all swimmers have to wear a cap, I suppose for hygienic reasons. In Galway, we actually had to purchase them (although we don't think that showed up on the hotel bill). So we all ended up bringing home another souvenir - a blue and white swimming cap :)
On Thursday, we were set to depart Galway for our night at Ballynahinch. But our drive there contained an activity that I found out we were driving right by - Ireland's first show mine.
We arrived at the Cliffs and walked up to the overlook. I can honestly say that this was the most unique scenery I saw the entire time in Ireland....most everything else was reminiscent of something in the US. But not the cliffs. They are spectacular. And scary. Just watching the huge flocks of birds fly in and around the cliffs made me wonder if they ever have a fear of heights :) After visiting for a while, the rain started to move upon us. Literally it was blue skies with white clouds one minute and then pouring the next. We'd been lucky, with 6 days of sun but we were about to have the weather we knew we would get...rain off and on for the next 3 days until the sun finally broke back in again for good on Friday. At least we got use of the nice rain jackets we brought!
After the Cliffs, we ran back to the van to dry off and headed to Doolin - a quiet little town (or maybe village because it was so small) - to have lunch. We went to Gus O'Connor's pub for their famed Seafood Chowder (although only Nana had it). Oh, and more Black and Tans :) Gene was really great with his restaurant recommendations...it's really nice to have a driver that knows where to go for good food. Especially for the 7 of us, some of whom find it hard to make a decision (myself included). His guidance really took the guesswork, and what would have become stress, out of most of our decisions and helped make the trip so much smoother at times.
Next up was our drive to Galway. This drive took us on back roads through a very unique area of Ireland called The Burren. I can't say much about it, because I slept through most of that drive (I was still nursing that cold, remember). But I do know that the landscape of the Burren is marked by outcroppings of limestone that stretch over the countryside and end at the sea. What I did see was quite incredible. But what I remember most about this drive was the houses littering the countryside on the shores of Galway Bay. One was cuter than the next, and I would have lived in most any of them. There is something so unique about the homes in Ireland...they are simply decorated on the outside, no shutters, no landscaping. They are mostly white in color with splashes of color on the doors and trim. I really can't put my finger on it exactly but I just loved them. Perhaps a retirement location, because it certainly would be a quiet and calm existence!
We arrived in Galway to rain, most unfortunate since we were staying at the Galway Bay Hotel with beach access. I didn't expect warm beach weather, but sun would have been nice. For the next two days though, it was mostly rainy with a bit of clearing in the mornings and evenings. There's not much to our time in Galway, so I think I can cover it now. We shopped in Spiddal (a town up the coast road) and then spent time in the City of Galway...mostly shopping in both places. Oh, and Quinn got his hand caught in the van door - Gene felt horrible as he had closed it, but Quinn was not all that injured - he just screams bloody murder when he gets hurt. We walked to dinner both nights - eating in Lohan's and another pretty good restaurant (cant' remember the name...see, there goes my memory). I liked the set price options on menus in Ireland - they offered good prices for an appetizer, main course and dessert for one set price.
One more notable - Galway Bay Hotel had a pool and we swam both afternoons in our down time. Acton's in Kinsale and our last hotel in Bunratty also had a pool. Steam rooms are popular in Ireland - they also have saunas but the steam is a nice option. The notable about swimming is that all swimmers have to wear a cap, I suppose for hygienic reasons. In Galway, we actually had to purchase them (although we don't think that showed up on the hotel bill). So we all ended up bringing home another souvenir - a blue and white swimming cap :)
On Thursday, we were set to depart Galway for our night at Ballynahinch. But our drive there contained an activity that I found out we were driving right by - Ireland's first show mine.
July 20, 2011
Killarney National Park
We had one full day in Killarney (Monday). After arriving to the mayhem of the remains of the football game on Sunday evening, we were pleased to see that the town was restored to order the next morning. On our way out to Muckross House, Gene stopped off at Fitzgerald Stadium to show us what it looked like. The aftermath in there was crazy...bottles and trash everywhere...those cleaning crews had their work cut out for them! Gaelic football is huge in Ireland, it's like our soccer or football. Kids grow up playing and every town (and sometimes village) has their own club. Interestingly enough, this sport was developed right after the famine in the 1850s and it helped Ireland rise back from the horrors that had befallen the country.
Our first stop was Muckross House and Traditional Farms, set in Killarney National Park. When we arrived, we found out that the only way to see the house was on a guided tour and we were hesitant...but we all ended up enjoying it. The tour guide was fabulous, Breda was her name. I loved her accent and the way she rattled off the history of the house and the details on the furniture, artwork, rugs, etc. in each room. She was also repetitive - so that by the end of the tour you definitely knew that the house was owned by an Irish man, Arthur Vincent who married an American lady, Maude and its history dates back to the 1830s and 1840s, until it was donated to the country with all of its land and it became the cornerstone of Killarney National Park. Breda would rattle off the details of each room, and end her little spiel with 'and now we're off to the drawing room' (or whatever room was next, and you need to say that with a nice Irish accent). Quinn especially liked the 'stuffed' animals from all of the 1800s hunts, and Keely wanted to live in that house. They asked to take the elevator up to the 2nd floor for the remainder of our tour, and after that Breda let them sit in special chairs and be her little helpers throughout the rest of the tour (they were the only kids, so that probably helped). At the end of the house tour was a shop called Muckross Weavers, where Quinn and Keely each chose a souvenir - Quinn his own Irish cap, and Keely an Irish clutch purse.
After the House, we headed over to the farm. This was interesting, taking you from station to station that started with a small farm all the way to a large farm. In each farmhouse was a guide, who was making fresh bread in the fire burning in the hearth. There was also plenty of animals to see, as it is still a working farm. This is where Papa earned his 'Goat Whisperer' title, trying to make friends with the goat outside one of the farms for quite some time. I think the kids' favorite part was the large farm and its small animals section, where there were baby pigs, cows, kittens, lamb, and two Border Collie pups that we wanted to take home with us, well at least me and the kids did. They were 5 months old, and called William and Kate (for obvious reasons...and I guess the Irish have the same fascination with the Royal Wedding as Americans).
Continuing on with our time in the National Park, we drove the short distance to the trailhead for Torc Waterfall. It takes about 5 minutes to walk up to this beautiful waterfall, but then we hiked above and around it for about an hour (probably 2 miles). We even walked down to Lough Leane (Lower Lake) and played by the water. The hike was nice, reminiscent of the hikes we did in the mountains of Utah. Quinn even wondered why people were having trouble because we did much harder hikes in Utah :) The elevation was obviously not the same, but it was a steep climb up above the waterfall. Even I was huffing and puffing, while trying to coax Keely along.
While we were on the hike, Gene met up with a jaunting car ride driver who agreed to give some of us a ride through the park for a different experience. A jaunting car ride is a horse and buggy, and there are many roads through the park that can not be accessed by cars so it's either bike, walk or this method. I didn't have any interest (plus as with everything, it was more Euros) so Nana and Papa took the kids on the 30-40 minute ride. They had a fun time and their driver was very knowledgeable and a nice fellow (John, I think). While they were there, I inquired if there was a pub to stop in for a drink - and of course there was one on the way :) We stopped at Molly Darcy's for a drink and I had my first black and tan. In Ireland they are made with Guinness and Smithwick's (not Harp, like in the US). We relaxed and chatted with Gene and then it was time to pick up the others. This was a nice change...another perk of having a driver, because we could choose to do different things. Nana wanted the car ride, she got it and those of us that didn't had a fun time elsewhere.
We were thinking of adding Ross Castle to the end of the day, but we were all tuckered out. We headed back to our hotel to freshen up for dinner. This time, we tried an Irish pub called Murphy's. It was fabulous - most of us had Shepherd's Pie (excellent choice) and their Mushroom Soup was out of this world. Killarney is also notable for me because I got sick, starting a cold while I was there. The soup was a welcome relief and I also started my regimen of drinking screwdrivers (though you have to order it as OJ and Vodka because they don't know it as an American screwdriver, plus they don't mix the drink for you...another interesting tidbit about Ireland). I continued to be ill for the time in Galway, and was feverish for the first night there. This cold set in and lasted the remainder of the trip, plus the first week we were back. It didn't affect my good time for the most part, but it was a bit of an annoyance for me. It was the first time I have been sick since my immune system crashed in March/April and luckily, I got over it quicker this time.
That pretty much concluded our time in Killarney. The next day, we left early so that we could see the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren on our way to Galway where we spent our next two nights.
Our first stop was Muckross House and Traditional Farms, set in Killarney National Park. When we arrived, we found out that the only way to see the house was on a guided tour and we were hesitant...but we all ended up enjoying it. The tour guide was fabulous, Breda was her name. I loved her accent and the way she rattled off the history of the house and the details on the furniture, artwork, rugs, etc. in each room. She was also repetitive - so that by the end of the tour you definitely knew that the house was owned by an Irish man, Arthur Vincent who married an American lady, Maude and its history dates back to the 1830s and 1840s, until it was donated to the country with all of its land and it became the cornerstone of Killarney National Park. Breda would rattle off the details of each room, and end her little spiel with 'and now we're off to the drawing room' (or whatever room was next, and you need to say that with a nice Irish accent). Quinn especially liked the 'stuffed' animals from all of the 1800s hunts, and Keely wanted to live in that house. They asked to take the elevator up to the 2nd floor for the remainder of our tour, and after that Breda let them sit in special chairs and be her little helpers throughout the rest of the tour (they were the only kids, so that probably helped). At the end of the house tour was a shop called Muckross Weavers, where Quinn and Keely each chose a souvenir - Quinn his own Irish cap, and Keely an Irish clutch purse.
After the House, we headed over to the farm. This was interesting, taking you from station to station that started with a small farm all the way to a large farm. In each farmhouse was a guide, who was making fresh bread in the fire burning in the hearth. There was also plenty of animals to see, as it is still a working farm. This is where Papa earned his 'Goat Whisperer' title, trying to make friends with the goat outside one of the farms for quite some time. I think the kids' favorite part was the large farm and its small animals section, where there were baby pigs, cows, kittens, lamb, and two Border Collie pups that we wanted to take home with us, well at least me and the kids did. They were 5 months old, and called William and Kate (for obvious reasons...and I guess the Irish have the same fascination with the Royal Wedding as Americans).
Continuing on with our time in the National Park, we drove the short distance to the trailhead for Torc Waterfall. It takes about 5 minutes to walk up to this beautiful waterfall, but then we hiked above and around it for about an hour (probably 2 miles). We even walked down to Lough Leane (Lower Lake) and played by the water. The hike was nice, reminiscent of the hikes we did in the mountains of Utah. Quinn even wondered why people were having trouble because we did much harder hikes in Utah :) The elevation was obviously not the same, but it was a steep climb up above the waterfall. Even I was huffing and puffing, while trying to coax Keely along.
While we were on the hike, Gene met up with a jaunting car ride driver who agreed to give some of us a ride through the park for a different experience. A jaunting car ride is a horse and buggy, and there are many roads through the park that can not be accessed by cars so it's either bike, walk or this method. I didn't have any interest (plus as with everything, it was more Euros) so Nana and Papa took the kids on the 30-40 minute ride. They had a fun time and their driver was very knowledgeable and a nice fellow (John, I think). While they were there, I inquired if there was a pub to stop in for a drink - and of course there was one on the way :) We stopped at Molly Darcy's for a drink and I had my first black and tan. In Ireland they are made with Guinness and Smithwick's (not Harp, like in the US). We relaxed and chatted with Gene and then it was time to pick up the others. This was a nice change...another perk of having a driver, because we could choose to do different things. Nana wanted the car ride, she got it and those of us that didn't had a fun time elsewhere.
We were thinking of adding Ross Castle to the end of the day, but we were all tuckered out. We headed back to our hotel to freshen up for dinner. This time, we tried an Irish pub called Murphy's. It was fabulous - most of us had Shepherd's Pie (excellent choice) and their Mushroom Soup was out of this world. Killarney is also notable for me because I got sick, starting a cold while I was there. The soup was a welcome relief and I also started my regimen of drinking screwdrivers (though you have to order it as OJ and Vodka because they don't know it as an American screwdriver, plus they don't mix the drink for you...another interesting tidbit about Ireland). I continued to be ill for the time in Galway, and was feverish for the first night there. This cold set in and lasted the remainder of the trip, plus the first week we were back. It didn't affect my good time for the most part, but it was a bit of an annoyance for me. It was the first time I have been sick since my immune system crashed in March/April and luckily, I got over it quicker this time.
That pretty much concluded our time in Killarney. The next day, we left early so that we could see the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren on our way to Galway where we spent our next two nights.
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