Kilkenny, the Rock of Cashel, and Kenmare

Wow!. That’s a mouthful. And that mouthful covers a lot of new ground for the two of us:  driving on the left again, our first B&B, our first of many up-close-and-personal encounters with both Irish standing crosses and even older standing stones/dolmens, and our first time off on our own in the Irish countryside. What fun we had!

As before, Jim’s journal is on the left, Judy’s on the right.

6-27-06

Once again we woke to a “fine soft day” in Dublin, but we knew we were saying good-bye: to the George Frederick Handel Hotel (site of 1st Messiah Performance–actually next door); to the Temple Bar; to the Liffey River. After our usual breakfast we once again took a taxi to the airport and on to get our rental car, a 2006 Nissan Primera, black, quite comfortable. Jim drove like a pro maneuvering round-abouts, the left side of the road, M7, M9, N10, ad infinitum until we arrived at the Brown’s Hill Dolman, a hundred ton rock on three “smaller” rocks out in the middle of a cow pasture. 

The “girls” merely watched as yet another pair of tourists made their way around and through the wet grass to see their … Wwho knows what cows think of rocks? It was unprotected and we could touch, lean, push on it is we so desired. Surprisingly no one had defaced it, and like all rock formations, it caused wonder and imagination in us. 

Driving on we made it to Kilkenny and found our B&B, the Alcantra, on the far outskirts. It is in a very swank neighbofhood of lovely homes. We have one of four bedrooms, en suite, and I am now sitting in a glassed sun porch downstairs. we are tired from our Dublin ramblings plus our afternoon here “walking the streets.”

As I said, the car is quite nice and we had no problems with it until we had registered here and went outside to bring in suitcases. we couldn’t open the trunk! We both tried every button, the key remote, climbed under the wheel looking for something. There’s no key hole anywhere near the trunk. Our nice host came out to help us and was as puzzled as we. I finally said we’d have to call a Nissan dealer to find out. He that for us and lo and behold, it was a simple as we knew it must be. You use the key remote and push a hidden pad right over the tag! Give me a break. We’re used to the trunk just popping up, or at least making a “unlocking noise.” We were finally able to laugh and lug suitcases inside.

Leaving our things in the nice room and our car, trunk and all securely locked, we headed on foot back into Kilkenny, “just” 1 km away. We went first to the craft center supposedly to see Irish artists at work on pottery, silver and gold-smithing, but saw just a couple at work–but all with their beautiful handmade jewelry, weaving and  “potting” for sale. 

Across the woad is Kilkenny Castle and we were just in time for the 4:00 tour. The castle is very famous and our guide knew knew everything about every body associated with it== from the 1500s on. It was last used as a 19th century “home” and after falling into ruin was deeded over to Kilkenny and is in the process of being restored. 

A fascinating hour later we emerged back into the real world and walked further into town. After a stop at the info center to inquire about a laundromat we made our way to the Marble City Pub for supper and my on-going research into Irish Coffee. We had agreed on an early evening so we headed home, :”just” 1 km away, slightly uphill. We keep reminding ourselves what fine shape we’ll be in after a summer of walking like this. We are both tired and 1/2 inch shorter, having walked that much off the bottom of our feet. Soon: HORIZONTAL!

Wednesday, June 28 (Jim’s Journal)

The Alcantra is very nice. A beautiful home in a very nice neighborhood. Our room in comfortable, the bath very clean, and we both slept well. Breakfast was similar to the ones in Dublin: OJ, choice of cereals, wonderful bacon, sausage, egg, and–here at least–black pudding. Talked briefly with three people from Boston who are also staying here.

Up and out to the laundrette after breakfast. Drove through town, making only a few mis-turns, and parked behind a big store (Dunne’s) in a paid lot. We hiked back to the bridge near the castle, crossed the river and made it to the laundrette. Expensive: 14 Euros for one load! Anyway, I hiked back to the car, then drove over to pich up Judy and the laundry. Glad I didn’t try to find it in the car first. Couldn’t have gotten there directly; required coming at it from behind.

Then we took off for Jerpoint Abbey–ruins south of Kilkenny. As usual, I couldn’t see a damned thing, but the glimpses I got showed a pretty countryside: tolling hills and so on. The Abbey tour was OK, even though it was cloudy and threatening rain. On the way back to Kilkenny we stopped at a pottery ‘factory’ down a little side road in an old building next to the River Nore–the river that flows through Kilkenny. An old spillway was still there outside the factory, but the remaining dynamo in one of the rooms where you could look through a window and watch a potter wasn’t connected. Lunch there was OK (not expensive) and Judy said her broccoli and almond soup was good.

Back in Kilkenny, we went first to the black Abbey, then to St. Canice’s Cathedral (Anglican) where I climbed the round tower! Windy place! I saw a pigeon next with eggs in it in one of the windows of the tower. That was fun. We also went to the Catholic Cathedral, a 19th-century building with a new organ in a new gallery. Unfortunately I found no information on the organ itself. We shopped at Dunne’s, called the dealer about the car (service light coming on a lot), and went back to the Alcantra for a while. 

The evening was not exactly a success. We had decided to go to a pub–unknown, unrecommended–that advertised traditional music beginning at 9:00. We went back to the Marble City Bar at 7:30 for dinner, then strolling to the pub would be OK. So we started out that way. This time we drove instead of walking, and that was OK. Then we walked toward the pub around 8:30. That was not good. Deserted. As was that end of the street. We walked around a bit, back and forth, finally saw a kid (teen) on a cell phone outside the pub. Decided it wasn’t for us, and then headed all the way back up the street, past where we ate, to the place that had advertised a “hooley’  = traditional music and dance. We walked in, and — nothing. No one in sight. We just sat in the bar and ordered drinks. Judy figured out what was going on, asked where the music was, and we went to the show. All in all not a bad evening, but an Irish ballet folclorico  was not what I had hoped for.

All in all, I’m really glad I wasn’t left on my own. I would have missed the show. Judy realized my inability to just ask somebody what was going on where, and saved the evening.

6-29-06

After anoth great breakfast, we set off from Kilkenny headed across the country to Kenmare on the Western coast. We decided to take the “scenic route” to the Rock of Cashel, half way between K & K. The road proved to be one- and narrow-two-lane farm roads closed is by tall hedges or rock walls. When I could see the scenery it was lovely: rolling pastures and low hills; cows = sheep & horses. Jim couldn’t take his eyes off the narrow twisting road. After a couple of hours we found Cashel and swore off scenic routes.

The Rock of Cashel is an impressive hill with a 13th-15th century church, huge and imposing, a fortress in earlier times. We bought bread & cheese & apples for lunch and drove off for the rest of the journey. The roads were wider two lane and soon the rain cleared  As we neared Kenmare the last hour or so was through craggy low mountains much like we saw on Mull, just off Scotland’s west coast. Absolutely breathtaking.

Kenmare is cute as can be with colorfully painted shops and bright signs–every other doorway is a pub. As a reward for good driving we found a parking space just in front of Virginia’s Guesthouse, our home for three days.

We’re on the top floor in a spacious and comfortable room. Huge bed, chairs, small sofa, desk and TV. After lugging our bags to the third floor, we went to an internet cafe to check e-mail.

We ate next door to the hotel and had an elegant and $$$ meal. I had a cold soup of watermelon, pineapple, ginger and pinck champagne; then the lemon sole. Both were fabulous. Jim had a caesar salad and scallops, just as good as mine. After walking the streets a while, we headed back to our room. I’ve just had a shower and settled down for the evening. It’s after 10 but looks like 5 pm back home. No matter. These eyes are gonna close soon!