Environment!

The Irish are very kind to the environment. Recycling everywhere. Low flush toilets (probably half the water, much stronger flow of water).

Stoppered water bottles in room and restaurants.

Trying to learn plants. Marguerite is a real gardener. She calls the yellow flowering bush gorse. Says again it's a nasty invasive.

Also a crochet-er (is that the word I want?) Lovely handmade items in the dining room. Remember, it must go in suitcase for flight!

Today's plan is to be outdoors. Gorgeous sunshine again this a.m. Stone circle, then wander Killarney for the day. Maybe 30km away :) Off and away.

Reflections

Cars & Irish people :) Some thoughts from yesterday. Upgraded car to auto. Enough to drive on left w/o teaching Mike's left hand new tricks. Of course what was available was bigger. Narrow roads... Hmmm

Irish folks couldn't be more grand. Kind, gentle, patient and polite. And extremely good food! The fish chowder last night - incomparable. Mike says THE best he's ever had. My cod in white wine sauce never been frozen. Perhaps just out of the water yesterday :) mmm!

Now for 'full' Irish breakfast. Eat your heart out Dempseys. No mimosas though.

Hope you're having a wonderful day too! Love & hugs!

Skibbereen, South Atlantic seacoast, Ireland.

10 hrs. wandering to get 2 hours south of Shannon after 44 hrs. No sleep. Lovely organic egg and ciabatta Florentine at a tiny berg along the roadside, with a healthy dose of what to see and where to go from the proprietor. His mother lives here on the south Cork coast :) I wish I would quickly pick up the accent. People  keep asking if we're on holiday :) why would that be???

Heading to a hotel nearby for fresh seafood dinner. Tomorrow Drombeg stone circle then wander back north, probably via Killarney.

Shannon, Ireland

Arrived o'dark hundred 6:45 am. The sun is shining today. Car switched to auto trans. Michael not interested in learning to shift w/ his left hand. Off to explore!

Newark NJ

Newark airport.

Is that anything like NYC? **grin**. Yes and no. Coming in we could see cliffs. Oh wait, that's NYC! Looked just like  bluffs. And we could see the statue of Liberty :) Lots of fungus (mushroom houses) & ants (people & cars) seen from on high.

Small plane, pleasant flight. Snowing in Mpls as we left, warm and sunny here. Nice shuttle from A terminal to C. Lovely Riviera lunch (restaurant) w Cotes du Rhone wine, spicey lamb sausage pasta, white bean pesto soup, & French music. I know that singer - I have the record :). Next stop Shannon, Ireland.

Tues a.m. MSP airport

Hugs and smiles with Christopher & Jill. Brian dropped us @ terminal on his way to work. TSA kinda' grumpy today. Good this wasn't first time. Different hoops to jump through depending on personalities apparently. Everyone who knows me knows how secure that makes me feel. NOT. No corkscrew in my pack. Just the little bottle opener and 5cm.  knife blade which had gone through security 4 or 5 times so far :) One could poke oneself if one tried really really hard.

Airport is quiet this am. Business travelers mostly. Must be time for Caribou turtle mocha.  Lovely cream cheese (Mike had choc) croissant with our veg omelet. Tasty but not inexpensive. Later :)

2015 Adventure begins!

April 13, 2015

Is today's date auspicious? Well, it could be. Plans are finalized and the suitcases are out in preparation for our next adventure - a music festival in Kilfenora, County Kerry, Ireland. We depart Minneapolis in a day and a week. Starting to gather things - like Ireland plug adapter, alcohol wipes in the event we encounter nettles again, new water bottle that hopefully will NOT leak or spill. The weather in Ireland, as I have been following it, is very very similar to ours. 40s in the a.m. 60s in the pm. We will take the same type of clothing we did the first time - lots of layers.

The first night we plan to drive from Shannon airport (rental car) to the southern coast. Reservations are made at Margeurite's B&B. Supposed to be marvelous seafood in the area - it's on the coast! Then in the morning the first stop will be the Drombeg stone circle (written about in Buried in the Bog.) Then we'll investigate Cork and and Killarney and head up into the interior of Ireland, which we did not see a lot of the first time. Friday we land at Goulawn B&B in Lisdoonvarna - about 2 miles from Kilfenora. We have tickets for concerts Friday and Sat. nights. Sunday is a free outdoor one. the outdoor one is what they were setting up when we were there the first time. Before the Friday concert (Frankie Gavin De Dannan) there is a musical event in the Cathedral, and on Saturday, before Lumiere, there is a recital. And the pubs start to get lively about 10:30 pm - after the concerts are over.

This week will fly by - lots to do for work and library. Later!