June 15
So now I'm sitting in Victoria Coach Station waiting for the coach to Dublin. I haven't had breakfast but I've been snacking on Melissa's rich tea biscuits which taste like big round animal crackers. Except there are no heads to bite off the animals. I've got some jam, a loaf of bap bread, and the ever present Flora for lunch.
There is something just a little surreal about a pigeon indoors. Those fat waddling birds just don't seem to fit into the decor. They just put a warning over the loudspeaker not to feed the pieons or coax them indoors. Health Hazard.
I think the only bus that was on time in the whole of London was the Canterbury London 6:30. They told me to be here at 9:00 to check in, and when I tried to do this, the woman gave me a strange look and told me I couldn't check in for Dublin. I was just supposed to board at 9:30. The coach didn't even show up until 10:15 and now at 10:21 we're rolling out. Their whole excuse is The Tube Strike. According to the conversation I heard on the train (the two minutes not spent talking about football or racing). many people were taking a three day weekend rather than relying on the buses to get to work
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Crossing the Irish Sea. As soon as we got away from Wales, the sky cleared up and we've had a pretty smooth sailing. Much better than the last ferry ride I took. You knew you were in trouble as you walked on and noticed the sea sickness bags placed strategically throughout the ship. This ferry even has a McDonald's in it. oooh. Depending on what lounge you choose to sit in, you can watch VH1, Sky News... or the ever present Footie Match. No sign of motion sickness yet and I think... OOOhh, I can see Ireland! and I think my sleepiness is wearing off. I the boat has slowed so I'm going to the bow to check things out. People are beginning to head that way anyway...
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Safe and sound at The Avalon House in Dublin. The Americans/Canadians down below are chatting about journals so I thought I'd pull out mine. I'm in sort of a loft type level of the 10 bed dorm. They all seem to know each other down there and all the beds were taken so I'm on my own for now, which is fine because it's 9:30 and I'm bushed. I might start on one of those two books Mel gave me to read... or I might work on Bertha which has become the working title for our epic romance novel. We decided we were so much more talented than Danielle Steel we were going to write our own romance. ooh. We've got about 15-20 pages so far.
On to more pressing events. I met an Irish/English bloke on the bus who was coming back to Ireland to visit his wee aunti and some of his other relatives. He's a 28 year old nurse and he was very helpful in getting me from the ferry to the bus station to a taxi.
The weather here is gorgeous. We're only days away from summer solstice so it's broad daylight outside. It's cool the way it doesn't get dark until really late. No clouds. I really hope the weather holds and I don't get rain... or snow. After Edinburgh, I don't take any weather condition for granted. My body is getting into the aching stage after my run down to town with all my luggage and sitting in a coach for God knows how many hours. At least I'm over that sleepy drugged feeling of the travel sickness medicine.
Well, I'm sacked out in Galway and debating whether to follow the group to the pub in 45 minutes. Today has been a long one and uf you expect me to remember the names you're just a wee bit daft. I wrote the name of the first stop on the back of the book. Hold on... Slane Castle, famous for its recording studio used by U2 and ots disco every week. It's one of those Victorian things that's really just a big stone mansion and has no military value what so ever.
Now the next stop, Trim Castle Ruins, is still in military use... or at least the military were doing something down there and they wouldn't let us into the car park. Undauntied, we off loaded and spent a half hour wandering around ans shoppin. I bought some bread and cheese for lunch.
Next we headed off to a whiskey distillery musuem where they told us they got the 'e' in whiskey because they distill it three times while the Scots only twice. They gave us a shot of whiskey to get us off to lunch in a good mood. We ate on the edge of a stream near the mill and then piled back into the coach.
By the way, before I forget, let me tell you about the laughing lady. On the trip from London to Dublin, there was this lady, all by herself, and every time I saw her, she was laughing. Sometimes it was a slight giggle, and other times it was laugh laugh snort,laugh laugh snort. Everyone just sort of avoided her. Maybe we caught her after someone told her a really funny joke and 10 hours later she was still laughing. Okay... so she was crackers. What was so funny? I was amused just watching her walk to Burger Kind. Waddle waddle laugh laugh snort, waddle waddle laugh laugh snort. Okay... so I thought it was funny.
Back to today. Yes, another ruin, this one a monastery on the River Shannon. It had some High Crosses, and a lot of ancient grave markers. One of the local legends is if you take a handfull of soil from the site where the the founder of Christianity in Ireland in buried, and sprinkle it in the four corners of your field, you'll have a healthy crop.
Later (June 16)we went to a pub and the Canadian wore a cowboy hat and wouldn't stop talking. After he started getting drunk she started buyin everyone drinks. You know, the secret to surviving in a pub is to nurse your drink. Everyone looks at you strangely if you don't have some drink in your hand. And when a small Coke costs about $2.50, it's cheaper to keep something in front of you. I feel bad about accepting too many frink from people, especially when I'm traveling alone and no one will look after me. Tonight (June 17)I stuck to an Irish Stew and a Diet Coke.
Today was full day. We started off... good lord I don't remember. Yesterday and today are beginning to blur. I'm tired... that's it. I haven't gotten to the ABC stage yet (Another Bloody Castle - I love castles, but sometimes just driving up to the front, taking pictures, and hopping back on, seems a bit of a time waster.) We did go to a peat farm. We hopped onto a tractor and headed up this hill that overlooked the valley that was all preserved bog land. We then headed to the reconstruction of a tenant farmer hot where we heard all about the potato famine and the Evil English. Now while this old Irish man was giving us an IRA friendly version of hirstory, the farm cat adopted me. I spent 20 minutes holding it and scratching him behind his ears. After my arms got tired, I sat the cat down on a stone fence and when he realized he was being ignored it climbed down and started being friendly with everyone. Now about this time the farm dog comes trotting up. The dog charges the cat, who sits unperturbed, as only a cat can. The dog punces, missing the cat. The dog then licks cat on the nose and runs away. By the look of the cat, they probably have a Garfield/Odie relationship. Our tour guide loaded us into the tram and back down the hill to stop and watch they way they cut and dry the bog which grows about a foot every thousand years. We got to hear how the original Irish Celts were smarter, taller, and more handsome, than any other race thousands of years ago. Their women wehad more than equal rights and their laws were wonderfuled. The Irish also ruled the world because Clinton and Tony Blair were both of Irish descent... you get the picture.
After the peat farm we headed tot he Barrens. Lots of rock piles really. We went and saw the Table, which is Ireland's little version of Stonehenge. It was raining.
After that we headed off to Doolan, a small town. It was raining. Hard. We went to a pub and did pub stuff that I think I already described (Irish Stew and D. Coke). On to the next day
June 17
Right now I'm sitting on the edge of the River Shannon and I think everyone else is writing in their journals so here I am. Because 2 Aussies were late to the bus, we missed the ferry by 2 cars. It's nice though. The sun has come out. It's a nice break from town life. I've got a handfull of rocks and shells and I'm debating whether Harry the plant can hold any more. I think I'll have to pack my Loch Ness Rock, and my Holy Whitstable Rock and put them in my fish bowls. I'll have a wonderfull collection. Ooh, I can see the ferry coming! This morning we headed off early to the cliffs before the tourists came by bus loads. It was foggy, so we got about 1/2 a cliff, but it was pretty. Just as we were leaving, 2 bus loads of senior citizens came tramping up the walkway. Going to Ferry now...
June 19Can you say tired as in dead? Well, before going into the long haul of today's adventures I shall finish yesterday. After we got off the ferry we drove around in the fog a bit before arriving in Killarny. We wandered around the tourist town before having dinner and catching a movie. Only 3 of us (Gail an Ozzie, Clarke the driver, and I) opted for the movie Sliding Doors It was a pretty cool movie.
June 20Okay, so I was too tired to write last night. We all crashed about 10:00pm. Okay... Adventure
Danka from the Netherlands, Gail from Australia and I (the aforementioned will further mentioned as we for the sake of brevity) decided to take a nice leisurely bike ride around the lake. We started off biking to Castle Ross, a nice half ruined castle by the lake. After taking the £1 tour, we met the ferry for the 11:00am ride that would take us to the end of the lake so we could ride back. The ferry man told us it was an 1.5 hour boat ride and an 1.5 bike ride back into Killarny. So we figured we'd get back around 2:00 and have enough time to shop before meeting the bus at 4:30 to take us to Schull.
There were 14 people with bikes who climbed aboard this little motor boat. I was afraid the bikes on the top were going to topple overboard when we hit the first wave, but they were okay.
After about an hour cruising along this river/lake with the ferry man breaking out into about 4 bars of spontaneous Irish songs, he said there was a lovely little waterfall for us to get out and look at. He told the ladies to get out and the lads to stay here and do him a favor. The 3 lads stayed in the boat as we climbed ashore ans saw that he meant the boat was going up the waterfall. It was quite a sight to watch those Canadions. They looked like the losing end of a tug of war. They kept slipping back down the waterfall and at one time the ferryman started yelling like mad at one of his volunteers. After a victorious crossing, they brought the boat over and we had to climb over the pile of bikes to get back into the boat.
Shortly after this adventure, we landed and recieved direction for our leisurely 14 mile ride. Right at the bridge, left at the church, and ignore the sign that says Killarny 20 miles. For once we didn't get lost. No, we just felt a little pissed off that no one told us this trip involved a mountain. Yes, 4 miles straight up! 4 miles straight down! and 6 miles in a damn long straight stretch along a small Irish road with people driving madly by. Yes, our nice little leisurely 1.5 hour trek by the lake had turned into a grueling 4.5 hour test of physical endurance. To make matters worse, we stopped by this little scenic stream for lunch and were eaten alove by midges (gnats). As we remounted our bikes I slipped and strained something in my posterior. Yes, now I was walking/biking up a mountain pass with a limp. Getting to the top was great when we finally made it. the worse problem was the way down was deadly steep. I was too delighted not to have to pedal to care. Put me on a bike downhill, give me a little speed, and I'm a hellion. I let out a maniacal laugh as I sped down the hill, hard on my breaks, while everyone else walked it.
So when we hit the bottom, we realize we're only about 1/2 way home. We wanted to die. The worst problem was that it was getting late and we couldn't afford to miss the bus. Suddenly my legs became jelly and my foot slipped off the pedal. I hit the bar in the middle and both my feet skidded across the ground as I tried to slow myself down. I careened off to the other side of the road then plop. I fell over. I opened my eyes, knowing I wasn't badly hurt and all I saw was rhis huge tractor coming at me. I couldn't move. It was a good thing we were in a group of German cyclists at the moment. One of them pulled my bike off me, and helped me up. I felt stupid and they were all worried about me even though I was fine until I cracked a joke and they laughed... even the Irish man who said he was about to hop his fence to help me, but saw the Germans would get there first.
After my little mishap, we began our pedalling misery again. We stopped on one corner for a break and I pulled out my fruit biscuits and saved the day. We took another break and asked a woman walking her dog hor far we were from Killarny and she invited us in to tea, but we had to be back. I've never been so happy to see a church as when we rounded that last corner. I heard Danka shout and I thought she said stop (but it was really a "yeah!!").
We pedalled up to the hostel 1 minute before we were supposed to leave, but as one of our passangers turned up missing, we waited an hour before leaving. So now my bum hurts, my shoulder hurts, by hands are swollen and Clarke announces we're going Sea Kayaking tomorrow. I think NOT.
We got to the Schull hostel where we had a group dinner of spagetti bolognaise, salad, and pie. Yum. I was in charge of the salad. After dinner we crashed and died.
This morning we drove to the sea kayaking where only 3 adventurous souls paddled out while the rest of us went to visit a stone ring and then sat outside a pub with a great view of the harbor and had tea and sandwiches.
Next we drove to Blarney Castle where Gail was adventurous enough to kiss the Blarney Stone and I was adventurous enough to take her picture. On our way back the two of us got lost in the garden. We had ice cream and bought postcards.
We headed to Cork where the three of us went down to town, had an early dinner, and watched Wag the Dog which we decided was a pretty good movie. Okay... so I'm getting a little brief but it's 11:00 and I think everyoneelse wants to go to bed. Maybe I shouldn't have had that Diet Coke an hour ago. Off to bed anyway I suppose. Tomorrow's our last day on the trip. Clarke is going to take our picture, and if he doesn't give away that Whiskey marmalade he said he was going to, I'm going to steal it.
June 22, 10:15pm
I am beginning to feel very Continental. This morning I was in Dublin, now I'm in London, and I just finished calling Paris. For some odd reason it is damnably hot in here. I just might have to bring a pair of shorts to Paris... but that is neither here nor there
Yesterday we got down to the hostel lobby only to hear that our big blue bus had dropped us off last night and traveled a few hundred meters or so before dying so bad that it had to be towed away. So fresh from Dublin we had a new white bus with a television sized hole in the dash and a fold down crew seat. I was a bit miffed when there was already a girl sitting in MY (not that I really had any claim to it)front seat. So I sat down next to her. She was Gabriella from Germany who had been living in Dublin for a while.
After driving by Hollywood, (oooh) we arrived at the Rock of Cashel, which isn't really a rock. It's a fortress with a really cool ruined cathedral. Danka and I noticed how serene it was. We lost Gail, but found her again at the coach. It seems whoever I go with, we always lose the other one. Danka at Blarney (Speaking of Blarney I forgot to mention that we saw a total of 4 weddings... we had a running comment on the tackiness of the dresses. I saw a funeral home later if that counts...)and Gail at Cashel and the monastic which we went to later. This is where we were eaten alive by midges (gnats). After the first stop I decided to try out the crew seat which I fond to be very comfy. It had 2 arm rests. I sat there the rest of the trip. We stopped in a town for lunch and bought Clarke the biggest chocolate bar I've ever seen. I think it was about 2 feet by 1 foot. Gail bought him some whiskey because he's had to be good during the trip.
Driving through Dublin was hell traffic. Some sporting event had just gotten out and I have never seen so many people wearing the same shirt. There were hundreds of them all around town.
By the way... none of this is coming out in any real chronological order. I keep thinking of things I want to stick in and they just don't go right. so here's the chronological order of events so far... Wake up, new bus, get gas, Rock of Cashel, buy postcards, drive some more, get lunch at supermarket - rains just was we get out of the bus and into store... no other time, buy chocolate, drive some more, take crew seat, eat lunch, see French flags on every telephone pole, wonder why Irish are so keen on France, see two bicycles up on telephone poles, wonder how drunk Irish were last night, see Tour de France route signs, stop wondering, arrive at monastery, eaten by bugs, buy postcards, back to coach, give chocolate to Clarke, fill out wonderfully confusing marketing survey, agree to meet Danka and Gail at 6:30pm on O'Connolly Street, get directions to O'Connolly Street, arrive in Dublin, fight evil traffic, arrive at hostel, receive lecture from Clerk Girl Who Will Not Shut Up, walk really fast to meet Gail and Danka.
Okay, enough halting English. I found my way to meet the two and we went to Temple Bar, which is not a bar, (or a temple) but a street with bards and restaurants. We ate at a particularly Yuppie Italian restaurant and Gail picked up the tab while we picked up the tip. We took a stroll through St. Stephan's Green and I took a picture of this statue of James Joyce that looked like Rutherford Statue on a diet. It started to rain so we took shelter under this gazebo and I pulled out my Europe Rough Guide and Danka read what it said about the Netherlands. She showed us where she lived and went to school. I had a great time listening to all her information about the Dutch and Belgian way of life and their Royal Families.
The rain stopped and we headed for ice cream. We came to a nostalgic 50's diner where the ice cream too forever to make (we watched him do it) and the juke box ate our money when we tried to play Beatles songs. Do I hear a conspiracy blooming? After our banana splits and ice cream, they walked me to my hostel where we sat and talked for quite a while. Hopefully they can visit me in a year or so or maybe I can visit them. With the cry "We'll always remember the Gap of Dunloe!" we hugged and I waved and said goodbye before returning to my hostel room. It was blissfull to have the whole thing to myself.
Today has been rather uneventfull as I've spent most of it on a bus. Luck was with me as all my changes went smoothly. I don't think I even had to wait at a crosswalk today before it turned green. I went from Taxi to bus to ferry to tube to hostel. Tomorrow, if all goes well, I'm meeting Amanda and Melissa at the tube station and then we're off to Windsor!
June 24Okay... writing about yesterday... because well, today was simply sleep, catch up on email, input this thing, do laundry, go to town and check train times (and get ice cream) and repack. ooh fun.
Yesterday Mel met me at Good Portland Street Station and we headed off to Paddington where we left my bag and caught a train to Windsor. Amanda had apparently decided she was too poor to accompany us on our travels... it was her b-day too.
We got to Windsor and decided to have an early lunch because she'd missed breakfast and mine had been pretty icky. We went to the first place we saw... which happened to be Burger King. After lunch we went to the castle where we paid our £6 to get in and look around. toured the St. George's and Albert Chapels and went through Queen Mary's Doll House. The State Rooms were closed for some reason. Melissa and I decided that Dover Castle had been much more interesting than Windsor. It took only 2 hours to see everything at Windsor so we headed back into town (London) because I wanted to take a look at Harrod's. Absolutely Bloomin' Amazin'! We only had a half hour before closing and we only saw 1.25 floors. I think we could have spent the entire day there. We went to the book department and wonder of wonders, they had the book I'd been looking for since it was stolen along with my computer. I was a happy girl... I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find it again since I had bought it in Stratford and hadn't seen it since. Yeah!
After we left Harrods we took the tube to Oxford street where we went to HMV and Mel bought some cd's. We then trudged up and down in Soho, trying to find something that looked appetizing and within our budget. We finally decided on Garfunkel's. The waitress was having an extremely bad day. She kept getting our orders wrong. She tried to deliver someone's drinks to me and then tried to deliver our food to someone else, and then she put the pasta in front of me when it was Mel's. The roof started leaking on some tables across the restaurant and some poor waitress was given the job of perpetually cleaning the wet seats. My pizza was burnt.
Anyway... we left the restaurant and arrived at Victoria just in time to catch the 8:30 coach back to Canterbury which got in 10 minutes early which allowed us to take the earlier bus up to uni rather than wait 1/2 hour for the 10:55. So we had bad food Karma, but good transportation Karma... sort of the opposite of Dover where the buses were screwy but the food was great. We thought it was Summer Solstice Madness... even though I got my dates mixed up and it was the day after Summer Solstice... oh well...
So now I'm off to Paris and I should be back... ummm Monday the 29th of June when I shall have another load of updates for you... Don't worry, I plan to avoid all footie matches and crazed English and German hooligans. I think I'm okay unless they storm the Louvre.