Ireland last day
Not much to report. We walked to the Manor for an odd way of eating brunch. We were in the "Drawing Room" which had a series of coffee tables with chairs around. We were given a bowl then a delicious soup was served. Sort of hard to eat because of the level of the table. Then we served ourselves with things like quiche, spaghetti, potato salad, smoked salmon, baby bagels, etc. Not a large selection which was good. Oh, forgot dessert --- a big brownie with chocolate sauce.
We said our goodbyes then walked back.
A lovely day. Didn't do much as it was nice to relax. Looked for a geocache but it didn't appear to be under any of the obvious bushes. Oh well, at least I got one.
Off to Shannon airport by bus in the morning, flying out at 1 pm. We have to change terminals in London again. We spend the nite in Vancouver before flying to Kelowna in the morning.
Signing off until my next trip!
Friday, September 27, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Ireland #12
Ireland #12
The past two days have been really interesting. Yesterday we had a tour of the University of Limerick. First was lunch then a walking tour. The campus is in two counties joined by the longest pedestrian bridge in Europe. On one side is County Limerick and the other County Clare. The dividing line is the River Shannon which is what the bridge is going across. It's a lovely bridge and so is the river (swans, several channels, little rock features). The university is only 40 years old and has done some amazing things. We were treated to a performance by the music academy then went to three lectures. They were bank and business related due to the nature of the reunion (Don's business class at Harvard) but very pertinent plus funny at times. This was followed by dinner in the original student building. It was a house for 200 years and only became the only place for students (100) to study at the beginning. This "house" was huge. Now there are 12,000 students and about 200 acres of land. Each table had a department head joining us. Our guy teaches MBA students plus of course runs the whole program.After dinner we had more entertainment by three more students. They are multitalented some of them. The young lady played the violin and harp plus dances. One young fellow played the guitar plus sang a very old song.
Today we went on a bus tour. We were redoing where we went last week but backwards. And because of this we got the ocean view, not the hillside one. Made it much more interesting. Went to the Cliffs of Moher again --- without the wind -- lovely. I had the best lunch ever --- called an open crab sandwich. It was a good sized dish of crab, mayo, two slices of their lovely brown bread and a salad. So I piled the crab on the bread and ate it that way. I was watching a Norwegian fellow (they eat a lot of open faced sandwiches) and he was cutting it with a knife and fork. I just picked mine up.For our lunch companions we had a couple from Norway and one from Scotland.
We had a bit of a break this afternoon --- made tea and sat in the little living room. Then it was back to the Manor for dinner. It was a dress up evening so I wore my new aquisition. It was a lovely evening, especially since we were seated with people we knew well. This is the third reunion I've been to so faces are familiar plus several feel like old friends.
I said one of the fellows was FBI ---wrong --- he was CIA. Nicest guy you could ever meet. He belongs to an organization called Veterans for Peace. It had quite a bit of influence in the recent events where Obama backed off from shelling Syria. Nice to know that there are people out there like that.
Again we had entertainment. This time it was a youngish fellow who started the Irish Symphony Orchestra. He played us a series of tunes on the violin. His other interest is making sure every student gets exposed to music in school. He has proved that it increases marks, decreases bad behaviour, etc. And he said that if a baby is exposed to music before three months they will have perfect pitch. Can be any kind of music.
We walked back and forth to the Manor twice today so that's about 1 1/2 hours. Don's feet are sore but we still enjoy the walk. At night it is peaceful going through the quiet property roads and seeing the stars up above. The bulk of the trip is on Manor grounds. We go through a locked gate then have about 5 minutes on village streets.
The past two days have been really interesting. Yesterday we had a tour of the University of Limerick. First was lunch then a walking tour. The campus is in two counties joined by the longest pedestrian bridge in Europe. On one side is County Limerick and the other County Clare. The dividing line is the River Shannon which is what the bridge is going across. It's a lovely bridge and so is the river (swans, several channels, little rock features). The university is only 40 years old and has done some amazing things. We were treated to a performance by the music academy then went to three lectures. They were bank and business related due to the nature of the reunion (Don's business class at Harvard) but very pertinent plus funny at times. This was followed by dinner in the original student building. It was a house for 200 years and only became the only place for students (100) to study at the beginning. This "house" was huge. Now there are 12,000 students and about 200 acres of land. Each table had a department head joining us. Our guy teaches MBA students plus of course runs the whole program.After dinner we had more entertainment by three more students. They are multitalented some of them. The young lady played the violin and harp plus dances. One young fellow played the guitar plus sang a very old song.
Today we went on a bus tour. We were redoing where we went last week but backwards. And because of this we got the ocean view, not the hillside one. Made it much more interesting. Went to the Cliffs of Moher again --- without the wind -- lovely. I had the best lunch ever --- called an open crab sandwich. It was a good sized dish of crab, mayo, two slices of their lovely brown bread and a salad. So I piled the crab on the bread and ate it that way. I was watching a Norwegian fellow (they eat a lot of open faced sandwiches) and he was cutting it with a knife and fork. I just picked mine up.For our lunch companions we had a couple from Norway and one from Scotland.
We had a bit of a break this afternoon --- made tea and sat in the little living room. Then it was back to the Manor for dinner. It was a dress up evening so I wore my new aquisition. It was a lovely evening, especially since we were seated with people we knew well. This is the third reunion I've been to so faces are familiar plus several feel like old friends.
I said one of the fellows was FBI ---wrong --- he was CIA. Nicest guy you could ever meet. He belongs to an organization called Veterans for Peace. It had quite a bit of influence in the recent events where Obama backed off from shelling Syria. Nice to know that there are people out there like that.
Again we had entertainment. This time it was a youngish fellow who started the Irish Symphony Orchestra. He played us a series of tunes on the violin. His other interest is making sure every student gets exposed to music in school. He has proved that it increases marks, decreases bad behaviour, etc. And he said that if a baby is exposed to music before three months they will have perfect pitch. Can be any kind of music.
We walked back and forth to the Manor twice today so that's about 1 1/2 hours. Don's feet are sore but we still enjoy the walk. At night it is peaceful going through the quiet property roads and seeing the stars up above. The bulk of the trip is on Manor grounds. We go through a locked gate then have about 5 minutes on village streets.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Ireland #11
Tuesday Sept 24
Yesterday we had a relaxing day walking about, poking around the shops, sitting in the sunroom then walking to Adare Manor to check out how long that would take plus where we were having dinner. There is a shortcut from town as long as you know the gate code. Makes a nice walk. Dinner was at the golf club and it was good to see the familiar faces from three years ago. Eg Vicki and Nigel from London and Christine and Robin from Edinburgh. Met an interesting fellow from the US who used to be FBI and reported directly to Reagan. Very sensible man and I liked his thoughts on politics.
Today Don went off early to attend lectures while I relaxed for two more hours. Then it was time for the fashion show. This lady has two shops, both high end but one a "little" more casual then the other. There were more choices than it seemed as there was only one item of each design on the racks. The model was gorgeous and tall which made the clothes look very good. I actually loved one dress and bought it. She gets her clothes from London, France and Germany. I found out why there are so many high end shops in Adare (population 1500) -- ladies come here from miles around. No mens wear though! Have to drive to Limerick 20 miles away. Interesting watching these well to do women not buy anything because they have nowhere to wear them now that husbands are retired. Only Christine bought something besides me.
I had a quick lunch downtown then spent the early part of the afternoon geocaching. It was interesting as I had to go to 6 different spots and get info off signs, plaques, etc. in order to get the next co-ordinates. I eventually got to the end and found the box. Thank goodness (!!) as I wanted to leave my new Canadian travel bug here. Will be interesting to see where it travels. Tomorrow I hope to find one more and leave a travel bug I picked up in BC and need to move on. It's owner wants it to go to Australia! It will have to take the long way around.
Tonite we had dinner at a local restaurant. We weren't hungry so had two interesting appetizers each. Cheaper plus less food.
We are enjoying being close to the town (2 blocks) rather than out at the Manor. It's so much easier to go for a walk, get an ice cream, etc. Our B&B has a sunroom and a little living room with tea and biscuits. The sunroom was perfect today as it was cloudy. Have met some interesting people -- from Ireland, Slovenia (4 college girl friends) and the US so far.
Samara tell me that the TV show being filmed is Game of Thrones. Hope I got that right this time. Needless to say, I've never watched it.
Yesterday we had a relaxing day walking about, poking around the shops, sitting in the sunroom then walking to Adare Manor to check out how long that would take plus where we were having dinner. There is a shortcut from town as long as you know the gate code. Makes a nice walk. Dinner was at the golf club and it was good to see the familiar faces from three years ago. Eg Vicki and Nigel from London and Christine and Robin from Edinburgh. Met an interesting fellow from the US who used to be FBI and reported directly to Reagan. Very sensible man and I liked his thoughts on politics.
Today Don went off early to attend lectures while I relaxed for two more hours. Then it was time for the fashion show. This lady has two shops, both high end but one a "little" more casual then the other. There were more choices than it seemed as there was only one item of each design on the racks. The model was gorgeous and tall which made the clothes look very good. I actually loved one dress and bought it. She gets her clothes from London, France and Germany. I found out why there are so many high end shops in Adare (population 1500) -- ladies come here from miles around. No mens wear though! Have to drive to Limerick 20 miles away. Interesting watching these well to do women not buy anything because they have nowhere to wear them now that husbands are retired. Only Christine bought something besides me.
I had a quick lunch downtown then spent the early part of the afternoon geocaching. It was interesting as I had to go to 6 different spots and get info off signs, plaques, etc. in order to get the next co-ordinates. I eventually got to the end and found the box. Thank goodness (!!) as I wanted to leave my new Canadian travel bug here. Will be interesting to see where it travels. Tomorrow I hope to find one more and leave a travel bug I picked up in BC and need to move on. It's owner wants it to go to Australia! It will have to take the long way around.
Tonite we had dinner at a local restaurant. We weren't hungry so had two interesting appetizers each. Cheaper plus less food.
We are enjoying being close to the town (2 blocks) rather than out at the Manor. It's so much easier to go for a walk, get an ice cream, etc. Our B&B has a sunroom and a little living room with tea and biscuits. The sunroom was perfect today as it was cloudy. Have met some interesting people -- from Ireland, Slovenia (4 college girl friends) and the US so far.
Samara tell me that the TV show being filmed is Game of Thrones. Hope I got that right this time. Needless to say, I've never watched it.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Ireland #10
Ireland #10
I forgot some interesting info on the cemetery. There is a high stone wall around it with many watch towers. This was to prevent grave robbers. It was the custom of the day to rob graves and sell the bodies to doctors. They got good money for them. So what they would do is sneak in at night. There was a team of 3 -- two men and a boy. They would dig just behind the headstone, sending the little boy down to chop out the end of the casket. He then would tie a rope around the neck of the corpse and the two men would drag it out. Didn't take long -- much quicker than digging the whole grave up.
Today we toured Kilmainham Goal. It tied in nicely with the stories from yesterday about the jailed political enemies, executed ones, etc. Quite the place. The tour took an hour and included the earlier, cold, damp cells and the newer warmer ones. It was built in the late 1700's and has played a role in virtually every act of Ireland's painful path to independence. It closed in 1924.
Saturday Sept 21
Today was a great day --- thanks to Samara for insisting we needed to see Northern Ireland. We left town at 6:30 and got back just after 8 pm so a long, long day. But it felt OK probably because I snoozed a few times. It is 100 km to Belfast so time for that before things got interesting. We drive by Belfast then took the seaside route up the east coast (Antrim). Very beautiful with little villages which were connected by this road in 1834. Prior to this, access was from the interior. This route was very popular with the Victorian population -- did it in horse and buggy. The geology of the area is interesting. It's basically limestone (quite white as it has a lot of chalk in it) covered by black or brown basalt from volcanoes 60 million years ago. So, everywhere there were rocks, cliffs, etc of the two colors. The Giant's Causeway (which was the point of the trip) was formed by a lava flow which cooled slowly in water. So it cooled in 6 sided shapes which look like steps going down into the sea. The old legends tell of an Irish giant building a bridge so he could get over to Scotland (22 km away). He wanted to beat up the giant living there. But the Scottish giant was much bigger than him so he went back home, destroying the bridge as he went just leaving the steps into the water. This particular formation is also on the Scottish side. I was surprised that the stones were so small. I got the idea from pictures that they might be a meter or more across but they weren't a lot bigger than my foot.
The people living in Northern Ireland can have two passports -- Irish and/or English. The English would never consider having an Irish one and the Irish usually choose not to have the English one. It's still pretty divided even though the fighting stopped 15 years ago. One village will have a Union Jack flying so you know it's English. Another doesn't fly a flag and you know they are Irish. I asked about inter-marriage and was told it is happening a bit but usually the couple emigrates due to unhappy families. The Belfast guide felt it will change as the younger generation's ideas take hold.
We had just over an hour in Belfast on the way home. There were choices of what to do: wander around downtown, go to a bar or have what is called the "Black Taxi Tour". We opted for the latter. Very interesting. The drivers were through and through Irish and gave us the rather horrible details of how the British treated them. Lots of children shot as well. We saw the wall dividing the city -- couldn't believe that it still exists and that they close the gates at night and some don't open on weekends. The fence is really high with barbed wire on top. These fences are supposed to be coming down. There was a march today because the Irish (some just won't let things go so keep agitating) were mad about some flag which was taken down off the city hall. Well, there were three helicopters hovering over that area and lots of police in combat gear. They call those years of fighting "The Troubles". After hearing all this plus having heard and read about all the past centuries of what the British did to Ireland I have lots of sympathy for the Irish.
Interesting perspective on our family --- they came over in the 1600's from England/Scotland. One source says the British wanted to get rid of these troublesome clans so sent them off the Ireland, amongst other countries. But another perspective is that the English were trying to dilute the Irish culture by sending their own people over to colonize. (Reminds me of what China is doing to Tibet --- they are shippping in thousands of Chinese farmers to Tibet in hopes of getting rid of the Tibetan culture.)
One interesting stop today was the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. It was a 1 km walk from the car park. We were then allowed across this 300 year old bridge (which is kept upgraded so it is safe!) no more than 8 at a time. It connects the mainland to a small island and was used by fishermen all those years to carry their catch back to land. They would attach one end of their nets to the island so they could catch the salmon going by on their way to spawn. The whole area is cliffy and rocky. The bridge did not agree with me --- heights never bother me but the very short time I was on it made me feel seasick. Rocked horribly.
Our tour guide today was the best I've ever had. He was entertaining, informative and personable but firm on keeping us on schedule. Weather was good which was a bonus.
Sunday Sept 22
Today we travelled by bus (3 hours) to Limerick then 20 minutes to Adare. Met a lovely elderly lady who's family way back emigrated to Canada. She thinks they had a tough life there which they did but we both think it was worse here.
So we are in our B&B which is run by an elderly lady with swollen ankles. Seems sweet. Our room is small but we've managed to stow everything. Will be here for a week so can unpack somewhat.
Anyone watch Crown of Thorns? They frequently film in the Antrim area and were there somewhere yesterday.
I've seen a few people very oddly dressed. Eg have seen two guys (one in Denmark and one here) with tight shorts? that ended just above the knees. Looks odd as normally females wear that sort of thing. Today was a real winner. This overweight gal had on a short skirt under which she had pantihose. Now the hose was black patterned until mid-thigh then there was a black strip going up from there looking like garters.
There's a big game on today with 80,000 people in the stadium in Dublin. The team from the west hasn't won for over 60 years. They had a curse put on them by a priest dating back to their last win. Apparently they ran into a funeral procession in their victory celebrations. The curse says that they won't win until all the team members are dead. There are two still alive.
We've just taken a little stroll around part of the village and have had supper. The town is lovely and quite interesting in that there are a lot of high end shops. Wonder why? Is it because of the Manor nearby? Lots of pubs which is no different from the rest of Ireland.
PS On the game -- the team with the curse lost 2 to 1.
I forgot some interesting info on the cemetery. There is a high stone wall around it with many watch towers. This was to prevent grave robbers. It was the custom of the day to rob graves and sell the bodies to doctors. They got good money for them. So what they would do is sneak in at night. There was a team of 3 -- two men and a boy. They would dig just behind the headstone, sending the little boy down to chop out the end of the casket. He then would tie a rope around the neck of the corpse and the two men would drag it out. Didn't take long -- much quicker than digging the whole grave up.
Today we toured Kilmainham Goal. It tied in nicely with the stories from yesterday about the jailed political enemies, executed ones, etc. Quite the place. The tour took an hour and included the earlier, cold, damp cells and the newer warmer ones. It was built in the late 1700's and has played a role in virtually every act of Ireland's painful path to independence. It closed in 1924.
Saturday Sept 21
Today was a great day --- thanks to Samara for insisting we needed to see Northern Ireland. We left town at 6:30 and got back just after 8 pm so a long, long day. But it felt OK probably because I snoozed a few times. It is 100 km to Belfast so time for that before things got interesting. We drive by Belfast then took the seaside route up the east coast (Antrim). Very beautiful with little villages which were connected by this road in 1834. Prior to this, access was from the interior. This route was very popular with the Victorian population -- did it in horse and buggy. The geology of the area is interesting. It's basically limestone (quite white as it has a lot of chalk in it) covered by black or brown basalt from volcanoes 60 million years ago. So, everywhere there were rocks, cliffs, etc of the two colors. The Giant's Causeway (which was the point of the trip) was formed by a lava flow which cooled slowly in water. So it cooled in 6 sided shapes which look like steps going down into the sea. The old legends tell of an Irish giant building a bridge so he could get over to Scotland (22 km away). He wanted to beat up the giant living there. But the Scottish giant was much bigger than him so he went back home, destroying the bridge as he went just leaving the steps into the water. This particular formation is also on the Scottish side. I was surprised that the stones were so small. I got the idea from pictures that they might be a meter or more across but they weren't a lot bigger than my foot.
The people living in Northern Ireland can have two passports -- Irish and/or English. The English would never consider having an Irish one and the Irish usually choose not to have the English one. It's still pretty divided even though the fighting stopped 15 years ago. One village will have a Union Jack flying so you know it's English. Another doesn't fly a flag and you know they are Irish. I asked about inter-marriage and was told it is happening a bit but usually the couple emigrates due to unhappy families. The Belfast guide felt it will change as the younger generation's ideas take hold.
We had just over an hour in Belfast on the way home. There were choices of what to do: wander around downtown, go to a bar or have what is called the "Black Taxi Tour". We opted for the latter. Very interesting. The drivers were through and through Irish and gave us the rather horrible details of how the British treated them. Lots of children shot as well. We saw the wall dividing the city -- couldn't believe that it still exists and that they close the gates at night and some don't open on weekends. The fence is really high with barbed wire on top. These fences are supposed to be coming down. There was a march today because the Irish (some just won't let things go so keep agitating) were mad about some flag which was taken down off the city hall. Well, there were three helicopters hovering over that area and lots of police in combat gear. They call those years of fighting "The Troubles". After hearing all this plus having heard and read about all the past centuries of what the British did to Ireland I have lots of sympathy for the Irish.
Interesting perspective on our family --- they came over in the 1600's from England/Scotland. One source says the British wanted to get rid of these troublesome clans so sent them off the Ireland, amongst other countries. But another perspective is that the English were trying to dilute the Irish culture by sending their own people over to colonize. (Reminds me of what China is doing to Tibet --- they are shippping in thousands of Chinese farmers to Tibet in hopes of getting rid of the Tibetan culture.)
One interesting stop today was the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. It was a 1 km walk from the car park. We were then allowed across this 300 year old bridge (which is kept upgraded so it is safe!) no more than 8 at a time. It connects the mainland to a small island and was used by fishermen all those years to carry their catch back to land. They would attach one end of their nets to the island so they could catch the salmon going by on their way to spawn. The whole area is cliffy and rocky. The bridge did not agree with me --- heights never bother me but the very short time I was on it made me feel seasick. Rocked horribly.
Our tour guide today was the best I've ever had. He was entertaining, informative and personable but firm on keeping us on schedule. Weather was good which was a bonus.
Sunday Sept 22
Today we travelled by bus (3 hours) to Limerick then 20 minutes to Adare. Met a lovely elderly lady who's family way back emigrated to Canada. She thinks they had a tough life there which they did but we both think it was worse here.
So we are in our B&B which is run by an elderly lady with swollen ankles. Seems sweet. Our room is small but we've managed to stow everything. Will be here for a week so can unpack somewhat.
Anyone watch Crown of Thorns? They frequently film in the Antrim area and were there somewhere yesterday.
I've seen a few people very oddly dressed. Eg have seen two guys (one in Denmark and one here) with tight shorts? that ended just above the knees. Looks odd as normally females wear that sort of thing. Today was a real winner. This overweight gal had on a short skirt under which she had pantihose. Now the hose was black patterned until mid-thigh then there was a black strip going up from there looking like garters.
There's a big game on today with 80,000 people in the stadium in Dublin. The team from the west hasn't won for over 60 years. They had a curse put on them by a priest dating back to their last win. Apparently they ran into a funeral procession in their victory celebrations. The curse says that they won't win until all the team members are dead. There are two still alive.
We've just taken a little stroll around part of the village and have had supper. The town is lovely and quite interesting in that there are a lot of high end shops. Wonder why? Is it because of the Manor nearby? Lots of pubs which is no different from the rest of Ireland.
PS On the game -- the team with the curse lost 2 to 1.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Ireland #9
Ireland #9
We were so busy yesterday I didn't get my blog done. This morning (Friday) we have some free time as we don't have to check out til noon (but will likely go sooner). The others have all left for the airport and home and we sort of wish we were going too! It's been a long time away.
Yesterday morning we had a bus tour of the downtown area of Dublin. I kept my map out so that I could be oriented for the next two days. We move to a downtown hotel today.
After this we went to the Glasnevin Cemetery. What an interesting tour by a guy with a PHD in history. We all felt that it tied up a lot of loose ends as we've been hearing bits and pieces of Irish history over the past 10 days. It is a non-denominational cemetery so all religions and all political ideologies are buried near each other. So many sad stories of broken friendships/ families because of politics. And so many unneccesary deaths. The cemetery has more inhabitants than the city of Dublin! It is the largest cemetery in Europe I think he said --- 1.5 million souls.
Then our tour guide left us downtown for 3 hours. First order of business was lunch as we were starving. Next we went to see the Book of Kells. What beautiful work the monks did and how wonderfully preserved these books are. They were painted on animal skins in the 800's. Quite amazing.
Next tour was of the Jameson distillery which isn't being used anymore. They've changed it into a museum which explains the whole process then there is a huge dining room. After the tour you get either a whiskey straight (Don) or mixed with gingerale and lime (me). We had a very nice meal then entertainment -- Irish muscians and dancers. Great evening.
The difference between Irish whisky and Scotch is: Irish whiskey is distilled three times and Scotch twice. The whiskey is being made elsewhere in Ireland (was made in Dublin for 200 years).
We got back to the hotel late and then at 1 am the fire alarm went off. It was a false alarm but needless to say, everyone is tired this morning!
So, we are off to a new hotel and will spend the day seeing a few more sites. Tomorrow am we need to be at a certain spot by 6:20 for our bus tour of Northern Ireland. That will be a 13 hour day.
Sofar all our hotels have WIFI. Hope the next one does too. We are travelling again on Sunday -- across Ireland back to Adare which is south of Shannon.
All the hotels have been great. Each room has a tub/shower or one of each. So I get my nightly bath. In one hotel we had a handicapped suite I think as there were extra bars by the toilet and a very low sink -- just right for sitting at with a wheelchair. And we had 3 beds that night. Or maybe it was a kid's room --extra bed and low sink???? The breakfasts are all included. Lots of food from cereal, fruit, yogurt, toast, croissants to hot cooked food.
We were so busy yesterday I didn't get my blog done. This morning (Friday) we have some free time as we don't have to check out til noon (but will likely go sooner). The others have all left for the airport and home and we sort of wish we were going too! It's been a long time away.
Yesterday morning we had a bus tour of the downtown area of Dublin. I kept my map out so that I could be oriented for the next two days. We move to a downtown hotel today.
After this we went to the Glasnevin Cemetery. What an interesting tour by a guy with a PHD in history. We all felt that it tied up a lot of loose ends as we've been hearing bits and pieces of Irish history over the past 10 days. It is a non-denominational cemetery so all religions and all political ideologies are buried near each other. So many sad stories of broken friendships/ families because of politics. And so many unneccesary deaths. The cemetery has more inhabitants than the city of Dublin! It is the largest cemetery in Europe I think he said --- 1.5 million souls.
Then our tour guide left us downtown for 3 hours. First order of business was lunch as we were starving. Next we went to see the Book of Kells. What beautiful work the monks did and how wonderfully preserved these books are. They were painted on animal skins in the 800's. Quite amazing.
Next tour was of the Jameson distillery which isn't being used anymore. They've changed it into a museum which explains the whole process then there is a huge dining room. After the tour you get either a whiskey straight (Don) or mixed with gingerale and lime (me). We had a very nice meal then entertainment -- Irish muscians and dancers. Great evening.
The difference between Irish whisky and Scotch is: Irish whiskey is distilled three times and Scotch twice. The whiskey is being made elsewhere in Ireland (was made in Dublin for 200 years).
We got back to the hotel late and then at 1 am the fire alarm went off. It was a false alarm but needless to say, everyone is tired this morning!
So, we are off to a new hotel and will spend the day seeing a few more sites. Tomorrow am we need to be at a certain spot by 6:20 for our bus tour of Northern Ireland. That will be a 13 hour day.
Sofar all our hotels have WIFI. Hope the next one does too. We are travelling again on Sunday -- across Ireland back to Adare which is south of Shannon.
All the hotels have been great. Each room has a tub/shower or one of each. So I get my nightly bath. In one hotel we had a handicapped suite I think as there were extra bars by the toilet and a very low sink -- just right for sitting at with a wheelchair. And we had 3 beds that night. Or maybe it was a kid's room --extra bed and low sink???? The breakfasts are all included. Lots of food from cereal, fruit, yogurt, toast, croissants to hot cooked food.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Ireland #8
Ireland #8
Today was very interesting. Our first stop was the Waterford Crystal factory. We watched them make some vases (blowing). Next was a guy cutting off the excess tops on some big bowls. Then we saw a guy putting the marks on the glass with a felt pen. The engravers then follow those marks when they cut with their machines. Fascinating. The factory was closed down in 2008 putting 3000 people out of work. A couple of years ago several of the guys decided to open it up again so do it on a small scale. The name Waterford was bought and they have factories in Germany and Checklslovakia (I know I've spelled that wrong) making more. The crystal for sale in their shop was amazing (and expensive). I could have bought a Christmas ornament for E40. Ouch.All these workers lost their pensions so you can imagine what a blow that was to the local economy. Our musician/pub owner from yesterday was one of those.
Then it was on to New Ross where we went through a remake of one of the ships which took immigrants to either Quebec or New York. Many many of these people were starving because of the potato famine. Often their landlord would pay their passage so he could take over their plot of land to graze his cattle on. Unfortunately an average of half the people died enroute. There was a woman who pretended to be on the ship carrying her wee bairn. She told of the hardships and answered questions assuming we didn't get into present day words.It broke my heart even though I knew she was acting. There were squared off areas not much bigger than a king size bed for each family. So two adults plus whatever number of children they had slept and lived there for several months. In this area they also had to store their pots for cooking and their pot for their wastes. They were allowed on deck for about an hour each day to cook over the brassiers -- and only if the weather was decent. It was a hell hole down there with disentry, etc. I keep thinking of my ancestors who came to Canada that way. The people with money had a better deal with a bedroom in a separate area.
We arrived in Dublin at rush hour so took ages to get from the south side of the city to the north where our hotel is. We are in another castle. It was originally built in 1172 as an inner circle of defence sites protecting Dublin. It had various "owners" over the years depending on who won what rebellion, war, etc. A note of interest: In 1649, Oliver Cromwell granted the estate to John Blackwell who then sold it to the Vernon family. In 1836 it was deemed unsafe due to crumbling foundations and was torn down and the new one, which we are in, was built the next year.
We are in a quiet residential neighbourhood. Went for a walk before supper. We are on our own tonite so went to the pub for dinner. I had lamb stew and Don had bangers and mash.
Another day has gone by with no scones!
Today was very interesting. Our first stop was the Waterford Crystal factory. We watched them make some vases (blowing). Next was a guy cutting off the excess tops on some big bowls. Then we saw a guy putting the marks on the glass with a felt pen. The engravers then follow those marks when they cut with their machines. Fascinating. The factory was closed down in 2008 putting 3000 people out of work. A couple of years ago several of the guys decided to open it up again so do it on a small scale. The name Waterford was bought and they have factories in Germany and Checklslovakia (I know I've spelled that wrong) making more. The crystal for sale in their shop was amazing (and expensive). I could have bought a Christmas ornament for E40. Ouch.All these workers lost their pensions so you can imagine what a blow that was to the local economy. Our musician/pub owner from yesterday was one of those.
Then it was on to New Ross where we went through a remake of one of the ships which took immigrants to either Quebec or New York. Many many of these people were starving because of the potato famine. Often their landlord would pay their passage so he could take over their plot of land to graze his cattle on. Unfortunately an average of half the people died enroute. There was a woman who pretended to be on the ship carrying her wee bairn. She told of the hardships and answered questions assuming we didn't get into present day words.It broke my heart even though I knew she was acting. There were squared off areas not much bigger than a king size bed for each family. So two adults plus whatever number of children they had slept and lived there for several months. In this area they also had to store their pots for cooking and their pot for their wastes. They were allowed on deck for about an hour each day to cook over the brassiers -- and only if the weather was decent. It was a hell hole down there with disentry, etc. I keep thinking of my ancestors who came to Canada that way. The people with money had a better deal with a bedroom in a separate area.
We arrived in Dublin at rush hour so took ages to get from the south side of the city to the north where our hotel is. We are in another castle. It was originally built in 1172 as an inner circle of defence sites protecting Dublin. It had various "owners" over the years depending on who won what rebellion, war, etc. A note of interest: In 1649, Oliver Cromwell granted the estate to John Blackwell who then sold it to the Vernon family. In 1836 it was deemed unsafe due to crumbling foundations and was torn down and the new one, which we are in, was built the next year.
We are in a quiet residential neighbourhood. Went for a walk before supper. We are on our own tonite so went to the pub for dinner. I had lamb stew and Don had bangers and mash.
Another day has gone by with no scones!
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Ireland #7
Ireland #7
Today we travelled over the Kerry Mountains to the village of Blarney. Several of our group paid to go into the castle then climb the narrow stone stairs to where the Blarney Stone is at the top. Apparently you lean out backwards under it to kiss it -- scary they said. There's no way I would do that. I read in a travel book that there could be "other things" on the stone. Very unsanitary.
The countryside was different today and quite interesting. Still the usual green/sheep but normal fences rather than stone ones. There were more crops (as they call them) rather than just pastures. Even saw a corn field. The rest were grain or hay.
I've been noticing that many houses have what looks like a solarium on the south side. They call them conservatories here. They are usually just big enough for a couple of chairs -- one way to get some light and sun without being outside.
Our day was a mixture of sun and rain but generally pretty good.
Our second stop was the town of Cork. He dropped us off for two hours. We went through the "English Market" which actually is just like the Granville Market. Went to a pub for lunch and I actually enjoyed my white bread sandwich. It was really nice homemade bread cut quite thick.
Next stop was a pub on the highway where we were treated to a beer each (cider for me) and some great music. The pub owner is a musician -- a very good one. He sang us some Irish songs, told jokes, etc. Good fun and we both feel the best experience of the trip. He's actually quite famous in Ireland.
We are in a hotel in the town of Waterford (where the crystal comes from). Will tour the visitors center tomorrow. We are in another (ho hum!!!) 5 star hotel. This one is a former manor house on a 250 year old estate. Our bedroom is huge with three beds.
Got a chance to go to the gym again today. Often there isn't enough time.
Supper: lamb for me and salmon for Don. I had an apple for dessert instead of all the fancy stuff. You should have seen the waitress bringing me my apple sitting all by itself on a plate! They think I'm crazy probably. Diet time when we get home. I can feel the rolls around my middle gradually getting bigger. Not enough exercise -- we basically sit on a bus all day then have little walks on the breaks. And eating too much. Today was the first day I haven't had a scone with whipping cream and jam! And they are soooooo good.
Today we travelled over the Kerry Mountains to the village of Blarney. Several of our group paid to go into the castle then climb the narrow stone stairs to where the Blarney Stone is at the top. Apparently you lean out backwards under it to kiss it -- scary they said. There's no way I would do that. I read in a travel book that there could be "other things" on the stone. Very unsanitary.
The countryside was different today and quite interesting. Still the usual green/sheep but normal fences rather than stone ones. There were more crops (as they call them) rather than just pastures. Even saw a corn field. The rest were grain or hay.
I've been noticing that many houses have what looks like a solarium on the south side. They call them conservatories here. They are usually just big enough for a couple of chairs -- one way to get some light and sun without being outside.
Our day was a mixture of sun and rain but generally pretty good.
Our second stop was the town of Cork. He dropped us off for two hours. We went through the "English Market" which actually is just like the Granville Market. Went to a pub for lunch and I actually enjoyed my white bread sandwich. It was really nice homemade bread cut quite thick.
Next stop was a pub on the highway where we were treated to a beer each (cider for me) and some great music. The pub owner is a musician -- a very good one. He sang us some Irish songs, told jokes, etc. Good fun and we both feel the best experience of the trip. He's actually quite famous in Ireland.
We are in a hotel in the town of Waterford (where the crystal comes from). Will tour the visitors center tomorrow. We are in another (ho hum!!!) 5 star hotel. This one is a former manor house on a 250 year old estate. Our bedroom is huge with three beds.
Got a chance to go to the gym again today. Often there isn't enough time.
Supper: lamb for me and salmon for Don. I had an apple for dessert instead of all the fancy stuff. You should have seen the waitress bringing me my apple sitting all by itself on a plate! They think I'm crazy probably. Diet time when we get home. I can feel the rolls around my middle gradually getting bigger. Not enough exercise -- we basically sit on a bus all day then have little walks on the breaks. And eating too much. Today was the first day I haven't had a scone with whipping cream and jam! And they are soooooo good.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Ireland #6
Ireland #6
Our day started with a 45 minute horse pulled carriage ride through a bit of the National Park which is attached to the city of Killarney. There are many lakes in the park and the fishermen get brown trout and Atlantic salmon. At the end of the day we came back through the park by bus and it is huge. It goes way up into the mountains. Many people come here to hike.
We "did" the Ring of Kerry along with many, many other tour busses. Our guide leaves later in the morning so we are behind most of them. Works as we didn't have great line-ups at lunch, tourist stops, etc. Our first stop was The Kerry Bog Village. It is a reinactment of how the Irish lived 150 or so years ago. The houses are thatched and each has a peat fireplace -- right on the floor at one end. The chimney goes up from there. The peat does a nice job of warming the place up. They hang the cooking pots over the fire. I was really interested as that is how the Wylie family lived those many years ago.
Speaking of the Wylies: I got a geneology write-up on them. We are not Irish. We are from the Scottish-English Borderlands. The name is believed to be descended from an ancient Gaelic/Celt race. In the early 1600's these border clans were banished to England, Scotland, Ireland or the Colonies. I suspect our ancestors settled in Northern Ireland "provided they undertook to remain Protestant". They were called "undertakers" and became proudly Irish. This happened in the mid to late 1600's. Our great,great grandfather I think it is (John) came to Canada before the potato famine. We don't know why but three brothers came at the same time. John was married in Canada in 1841 and the potato famine started in 1845. The really sad thing about the potato famine is that there was food to eat but the English shipped it out of the country.
Back to today: We drove the approximately 100 km Ring of Kerry which has lots of sea views. We were also in mountainous country which was also very rocky --- big stuff this time. Few rock walls so used fences. Plus the usual sheep. Very windy again but only a little rain.
Our day started with a 45 minute horse pulled carriage ride through a bit of the National Park which is attached to the city of Killarney. There are many lakes in the park and the fishermen get brown trout and Atlantic salmon. At the end of the day we came back through the park by bus and it is huge. It goes way up into the mountains. Many people come here to hike.
We "did" the Ring of Kerry along with many, many other tour busses. Our guide leaves later in the morning so we are behind most of them. Works as we didn't have great line-ups at lunch, tourist stops, etc. Our first stop was The Kerry Bog Village. It is a reinactment of how the Irish lived 150 or so years ago. The houses are thatched and each has a peat fireplace -- right on the floor at one end. The chimney goes up from there. The peat does a nice job of warming the place up. They hang the cooking pots over the fire. I was really interested as that is how the Wylie family lived those many years ago.
Speaking of the Wylies: I got a geneology write-up on them. We are not Irish. We are from the Scottish-English Borderlands. The name is believed to be descended from an ancient Gaelic/Celt race. In the early 1600's these border clans were banished to England, Scotland, Ireland or the Colonies. I suspect our ancestors settled in Northern Ireland "provided they undertook to remain Protestant". They were called "undertakers" and became proudly Irish. This happened in the mid to late 1600's. Our great,great grandfather I think it is (John) came to Canada before the potato famine. We don't know why but three brothers came at the same time. John was married in Canada in 1841 and the potato famine started in 1845. The really sad thing about the potato famine is that there was food to eat but the English shipped it out of the country.
Back to today: We drove the approximately 100 km Ring of Kerry which has lots of sea views. We were also in mountainous country which was also very rocky --- big stuff this time. Few rock walls so used fences. Plus the usual sheep. Very windy again but only a little rain.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Ireland #5
Ireland #5
We had high winds all night and it was still gale force this morning, along with horizontal rain. Fortunately by the time we got to the Cliffs of Moher the sun was coming out. But the wind!!!! I can honestly say it was a "breathtaking view". The wind gusts were so strong I had to plant my feet and try to stay upright. In the odd "lull" I made my way back to the interpretive center. This place was built inside the hillside so was very unobtrusive. The cliffs are very spectacular and go for about 7or 8 miles. They are vertical and rise 200 meters above the sea.
We had lunch in the small town down in the bay where surfing is popular. We picked a restaurant with a good view of the water.
We were supposed to go south via a ferry (barge) over the mouth of the Shannon River. It probably wasn't running today due to the wind so we detoured. We went under the Shannon at Limerick so by passes that town. Next stop was Adare which was unscheduled for this tour. What a beautiful little town. I was so happy to see how nice it is as we will be there for a week, starting next Sunday.
Earlier today we went through an area where the glaciers had exposed hillsides full of limestone. It is well used for fences plus some very exotic flowers grow in its soil. Because of this a large part has been turned into a park. Also the limestone produces great grass for cattle grazing.
Another town we went through today is famous for its "Match Maker Festival". It's now party time but for many many years it was a way to meet someone. Goes back to the old days when matchmakers were used to bring people together. Imagine the young people stuck on farms or small villages with no means of meeting someone. That was the matchmakers job. Worked just as well as the internet does now.
Went past a statue that a landlord called O'Brien built for himself because he figured noone else would. He was not well liked. The locals call it "O'Brien's last erection".
Forgot to tell you about the peat yesterday. We went through many many miles of peaty land. They dig it up, leave it to dry for a few days then store it in big piles by their houses. It is used to heat their homes. It has a pleasant smell when burning.
They plant evergreen forests here but they look pretty weird. The trees are about 3 to 6 feet apart. Only very occasionaly do we see them limbed. I'll have to remember to ask our tour guide if he knows what the wood will eventually be used for.
We are in Killarney tonite --- down near the south west corner of Ireland. After dinner Don and I were going to find a pub with music but didn't feel like braving more horizontal rain.
This area looks more prosperous. The soil is good so lots of healthy looking pastures. In the past couple of days we've been going through rather rough, rocky or very wet country. Rare to see a crop being grown (when I say crop I mean hay). Western Ireland is poorer than the east side. There is lots of evidence of the building boom gone bust with many empty new houses.
We had high winds all night and it was still gale force this morning, along with horizontal rain. Fortunately by the time we got to the Cliffs of Moher the sun was coming out. But the wind!!!! I can honestly say it was a "breathtaking view". The wind gusts were so strong I had to plant my feet and try to stay upright. In the odd "lull" I made my way back to the interpretive center. This place was built inside the hillside so was very unobtrusive. The cliffs are very spectacular and go for about 7or 8 miles. They are vertical and rise 200 meters above the sea.
We had lunch in the small town down in the bay where surfing is popular. We picked a restaurant with a good view of the water.
We were supposed to go south via a ferry (barge) over the mouth of the Shannon River. It probably wasn't running today due to the wind so we detoured. We went under the Shannon at Limerick so by passes that town. Next stop was Adare which was unscheduled for this tour. What a beautiful little town. I was so happy to see how nice it is as we will be there for a week, starting next Sunday.
Earlier today we went through an area where the glaciers had exposed hillsides full of limestone. It is well used for fences plus some very exotic flowers grow in its soil. Because of this a large part has been turned into a park. Also the limestone produces great grass for cattle grazing.
Another town we went through today is famous for its "Match Maker Festival". It's now party time but for many many years it was a way to meet someone. Goes back to the old days when matchmakers were used to bring people together. Imagine the young people stuck on farms or small villages with no means of meeting someone. That was the matchmakers job. Worked just as well as the internet does now.
Went past a statue that a landlord called O'Brien built for himself because he figured noone else would. He was not well liked. The locals call it "O'Brien's last erection".
Forgot to tell you about the peat yesterday. We went through many many miles of peaty land. They dig it up, leave it to dry for a few days then store it in big piles by their houses. It is used to heat their homes. It has a pleasant smell when burning.
They plant evergreen forests here but they look pretty weird. The trees are about 3 to 6 feet apart. Only very occasionaly do we see them limbed. I'll have to remember to ask our tour guide if he knows what the wood will eventually be used for.
We are in Killarney tonite --- down near the south west corner of Ireland. After dinner Don and I were going to find a pub with music but didn't feel like braving more horizontal rain.
This area looks more prosperous. The soil is good so lots of healthy looking pastures. In the past couple of days we've been going through rather rough, rocky or very wet country. Rare to see a crop being grown (when I say crop I mean hay). Western Ireland is poorer than the east side. There is lots of evidence of the building boom gone bust with many empty new houses.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Ireland #4
Ireland #4
Today we moved on to Galway where we will spend two nites.
Our first stop was the Foxford Woolen Mills. Heard the history of how it started (a nun persisted in getting it going because there were no jobs in the area so people were starving. She managed to get the children to come to school by offering food.)
We travelled for miles, heading west then south. The hills were now barren except for rocks, grass and sheep. Really interesting country.Also lots of little lakes and a fiord -- the only one in Ireland. In this area he stopped the bus to let us off. We were able to walk down the road for 30 minutes or so which was a treat. Also the sun was out!!!!
The roads are very narrow and windy but because of the lack of trees, quite open. Appears to be a favorite cycling area.
The grass we've been seeing earlier in the week is a funny shade of green -- sort of minty. Don thinks it lacks the dark green because it doesn't get much sun. Who knows.
Saturday Sept 14
We are staying in another 5 star hotel -- 2nd nite here. It's on the ocean just north of Galway which is the largest city in western Ireland. The sun shone all day, people were out walking, swimming, etc.
Our first visit of the day was a sheep farm where we saw the dog working, a sheep being sheared and two lambs being fed a bottle. The farm has about 100 ewes who's sole purpose is to produce lambs. The biggest market is France followed by Ireland. Lamb is very expensive. He said something quite surprising -- there is no money in the wool. By the time you pay to have them sheared there is next to nothing left. He shears his own. The wool is sent to China. It is NOT a main part of the local economy as we all think.
Afterwards we had coffee and scones -- got the recipe as well. We then toured their original home which is thatched with a peat fireplace. Asked who had Irish ancestors and said now we know how they lived.
Next stop was the city of Galway where we were let loose for 4 hours. Too much time for Don's feet but we did find places to sit for awhile. The clothing styles are awful so no temptation there.
We are back at the hotel for a couple of hours of leisure before supper. I'm going to find the gym!!!
By the way, grey horses are popular here and we see them everywhere. If you have a horse for sale that is brown, it doesn't fetch as good a price.
Today we moved on to Galway where we will spend two nites.
Our first stop was the Foxford Woolen Mills. Heard the history of how it started (a nun persisted in getting it going because there were no jobs in the area so people were starving. She managed to get the children to come to school by offering food.)
We travelled for miles, heading west then south. The hills were now barren except for rocks, grass and sheep. Really interesting country.Also lots of little lakes and a fiord -- the only one in Ireland. In this area he stopped the bus to let us off. We were able to walk down the road for 30 minutes or so which was a treat. Also the sun was out!!!!
The roads are very narrow and windy but because of the lack of trees, quite open. Appears to be a favorite cycling area.
The grass we've been seeing earlier in the week is a funny shade of green -- sort of minty. Don thinks it lacks the dark green because it doesn't get much sun. Who knows.
Saturday Sept 14
We are staying in another 5 star hotel -- 2nd nite here. It's on the ocean just north of Galway which is the largest city in western Ireland. The sun shone all day, people were out walking, swimming, etc.
Our first visit of the day was a sheep farm where we saw the dog working, a sheep being sheared and two lambs being fed a bottle. The farm has about 100 ewes who's sole purpose is to produce lambs. The biggest market is France followed by Ireland. Lamb is very expensive. He said something quite surprising -- there is no money in the wool. By the time you pay to have them sheared there is next to nothing left. He shears his own. The wool is sent to China. It is NOT a main part of the local economy as we all think.
Afterwards we had coffee and scones -- got the recipe as well. We then toured their original home which is thatched with a peat fireplace. Asked who had Irish ancestors and said now we know how they lived.
Next stop was the city of Galway where we were let loose for 4 hours. Too much time for Don's feet but we did find places to sit for awhile. The clothing styles are awful so no temptation there.
We are back at the hotel for a couple of hours of leisure before supper. I'm going to find the gym!!!
By the way, grey horses are popular here and we see them everywhere. If you have a horse for sale that is brown, it doesn't fetch as good a price.
Ireland #3
Ireland #3
Sept 12th -- Ethan's birthday!!!!
Today we woke up to a misty moist morning which the tour guy said was "a lovely soft morning". I love the way they express things. Soooo, we headed out for the day in the rain and mist so didn't see much of the countryside except green fields, trees, cows and sheep. The houses are interesting in that they all look so neat and tidy. No messy yards. Houses are made of stone, brick or stucco as a rule. The yards are paved right to the house most of the time. The lawns are well looked after with a few flowers in a bed or maybe some shrubs. I said they look tidy but after several days they begin to look boring! Occasionally there's a child's slide or something similar on the lawn.
Our first stop was to see the "Holy Well" --- one of many similar sights around Ireland. Others are called "Mass Stones". I guess ours was a well as there was a little stream going through it. It was where the Catholics had their services when the English banned Catholacism.
Next stop was to see Yeat's grave. He wrote much of his poetry about the area. His grandfather was the church's minister so he spent a lot of time there. Found a grave marker for Wylie-Warren. The lady was born in the early 1900's so not a relative.
Next stop was Parke's castle. This was a fascinating tour of what is now one of Ireland's historic sites. It has been resurrected and there are regular tours. Our guide was so delightful with her accent and engaging manner. Loved listening to her. We found out, among other things, how a thatch roof is made. She herself lived in a thatched roof cottage until into her teens so really knows what it was like.
We went from there to a cruise on the lake (Lough Gill) where they served us a huge scone plus tea or coffee. The views were restricted due to the low cloud and rain but the commentary was interesting. We heard lots of Yeat's poems.
We got back about 5:30 with dinner at 7. Great food with salad, cod and rhubarb crumble.
For anyone looking on a map, we went west as far a Donegal Bay then looped back to the hotel. Tomorrow we move on.
Sept 12th -- Ethan's birthday!!!!
Today we woke up to a misty moist morning which the tour guy said was "a lovely soft morning". I love the way they express things. Soooo, we headed out for the day in the rain and mist so didn't see much of the countryside except green fields, trees, cows and sheep. The houses are interesting in that they all look so neat and tidy. No messy yards. Houses are made of stone, brick or stucco as a rule. The yards are paved right to the house most of the time. The lawns are well looked after with a few flowers in a bed or maybe some shrubs. I said they look tidy but after several days they begin to look boring! Occasionally there's a child's slide or something similar on the lawn.
Our first stop was to see the "Holy Well" --- one of many similar sights around Ireland. Others are called "Mass Stones". I guess ours was a well as there was a little stream going through it. It was where the Catholics had their services when the English banned Catholacism.
Next stop was to see Yeat's grave. He wrote much of his poetry about the area. His grandfather was the church's minister so he spent a lot of time there. Found a grave marker for Wylie-Warren. The lady was born in the early 1900's so not a relative.
Next stop was Parke's castle. This was a fascinating tour of what is now one of Ireland's historic sites. It has been resurrected and there are regular tours. Our guide was so delightful with her accent and engaging manner. Loved listening to her. We found out, among other things, how a thatch roof is made. She herself lived in a thatched roof cottage until into her teens so really knows what it was like.
We went from there to a cruise on the lake (Lough Gill) where they served us a huge scone plus tea or coffee. The views were restricted due to the low cloud and rain but the commentary was interesting. We heard lots of Yeat's poems.
We got back about 5:30 with dinner at 7. Great food with salad, cod and rhubarb crumble.
For anyone looking on a map, we went west as far a Donegal Bay then looped back to the hotel. Tomorrow we move on.
Ireland #2
Ireland #2
Today we headed north then west visiting small towns with familiar names for me as I have just finished reading a book called "Princes of Ireland". The countryside became rather a monotonous green and I slept for well over an hour. It's getting more interesting now as we've see the river Shannon, there are streams and little lakes plus the occasional glimpse of small hills. Another reason for my lack of interest was the foggy landscape.We did go through a neat castle with no roof -- Trim Castle. It's three stories and we went up and down some very, very narrow and twisty stairs. Also heard some gruesome stories of life in the 1200's.
Last nite we stayed in a "castle" but it sure didn't look like one. Tonite it really is one that has been refurbished. The section with our rooms is an add-on but the decor is great and fits with the rest of the place. The grounds are large and lovely so went for a nice walk down to the lake and through the woods. We are in a place called Roscommon and the hotel's name is Kilronan Castle. More on that tomorrow nite as I gather there is quite a history of the place in a room downstairs. Will check it out. We are here for two nights.
We are the only ones on the tour who aren't from Ontario.
After supper (salmon and apple crumble) we had a story teller entertain us. Very funny, especially with his accent.
Today we headed north then west visiting small towns with familiar names for me as I have just finished reading a book called "Princes of Ireland". The countryside became rather a monotonous green and I slept for well over an hour. It's getting more interesting now as we've see the river Shannon, there are streams and little lakes plus the occasional glimpse of small hills. Another reason for my lack of interest was the foggy landscape.We did go through a neat castle with no roof -- Trim Castle. It's three stories and we went up and down some very, very narrow and twisty stairs. Also heard some gruesome stories of life in the 1200's.
Last nite we stayed in a "castle" but it sure didn't look like one. Tonite it really is one that has been refurbished. The section with our rooms is an add-on but the decor is great and fits with the rest of the place. The grounds are large and lovely so went for a nice walk down to the lake and through the woods. We are in a place called Roscommon and the hotel's name is Kilronan Castle. More on that tomorrow nite as I gather there is quite a history of the place in a room downstairs. Will check it out. We are here for two nights.
We are the only ones on the tour who aren't from Ontario.
After supper (salmon and apple crumble) we had a story teller entertain us. Very funny, especially with his accent.
Ireland #1
Ireland #1
Tuesday Sept 10
We had the morning in Copenhagen so went on aone hour canal tour which was interesting. We had a private car take us to the airport -- nice bonus. We had a good flight to London with a meal then started the many, many miles of walking. After getting through Terminal 5 we caught the transfer bus to Terminal 1. Once there we followed the easy to read purple signs for transfers but they carried on and on. We eventually got to the section where the Irish airlines leave then more walking. Poor Don -- his feet were killing him. We were photographed twice to verify our facial profile and went through several other checks. They sure are careful in Britain. The flight to Shannon was only 1 1/2 hours with no food. They were out of anything that appealed to us and didn't even give us water! Bad service. Once in Shannon we grabbed a cab to go to Limerick. At 9:30 at night we didn't want to fool around with buses and then not knowing where to go once we arrived. Turns out we were 3 blocks from one bus depot (there are two). So we arrived hungry with the pub attached to the hotel not serving food. Too late. But the bartender took pity on us and rustled around in the closed kitchen to make us a ham sandwich. What a sweetie!!!
The big trauma last evening was discovering my diamond had fallen out of my engagement ring. I had a gut feeling that it was nearby as we'd wrestled with suitcases on the small elevator in the hotel. So I looked there, outside, in the bar, etc. with no luck. Then I re traced my route again and there it was on the carpet just outside the elevator. Whew!!!
So, I've changed how we move our luggage about. Usually we have three on wheels which is awkward so now I'm putting my carry-on backpack/wheeled case on my back. So much easier today!
Interesting dilemna in Dublin. We got dumped off the bus downtown (in retrospect we should have got off at the train station). Don had to pee and we discovered that nowhere are there "free" toilets. We needed to eat anyway so bought lunch at Starbucks who's bill then gave us a code to use their washrooms.It's because of the druggies, etc. Also interesting was that the light in the washroom was blue. Our taxi driver told us it was to prevent anyone shooting up in there. Because of the blue light, they can't see their veins!!!
We had a nice talkative taxi driver on our way to Dunboyne Castle which is where our tour starts. Great to hear about local stuff. The other tour people arrived by air this morning and were taken out for a real Irish breakfast. We missed all that but I'm sure we had a real Irish breakfast anyway! -- beans, fried tomato, dry toast, and egg. Don had a sausage with his and I had fried mushrooms instead.
I walked around Dunboyne village -- not very big so didn't take long. Nothing very interesting to see.
Tuesday Sept 10
We had the morning in Copenhagen so went on aone hour canal tour which was interesting. We had a private car take us to the airport -- nice bonus. We had a good flight to London with a meal then started the many, many miles of walking. After getting through Terminal 5 we caught the transfer bus to Terminal 1. Once there we followed the easy to read purple signs for transfers but they carried on and on. We eventually got to the section where the Irish airlines leave then more walking. Poor Don -- his feet were killing him. We were photographed twice to verify our facial profile and went through several other checks. They sure are careful in Britain. The flight to Shannon was only 1 1/2 hours with no food. They were out of anything that appealed to us and didn't even give us water! Bad service. Once in Shannon we grabbed a cab to go to Limerick. At 9:30 at night we didn't want to fool around with buses and then not knowing where to go once we arrived. Turns out we were 3 blocks from one bus depot (there are two). So we arrived hungry with the pub attached to the hotel not serving food. Too late. But the bartender took pity on us and rustled around in the closed kitchen to make us a ham sandwich. What a sweetie!!!
The big trauma last evening was discovering my diamond had fallen out of my engagement ring. I had a gut feeling that it was nearby as we'd wrestled with suitcases on the small elevator in the hotel. So I looked there, outside, in the bar, etc. with no luck. Then I re traced my route again and there it was on the carpet just outside the elevator. Whew!!!
So, I've changed how we move our luggage about. Usually we have three on wheels which is awkward so now I'm putting my carry-on backpack/wheeled case on my back. So much easier today!
Interesting dilemna in Dublin. We got dumped off the bus downtown (in retrospect we should have got off at the train station). Don had to pee and we discovered that nowhere are there "free" toilets. We needed to eat anyway so bought lunch at Starbucks who's bill then gave us a code to use their washrooms.It's because of the druggies, etc. Also interesting was that the light in the washroom was blue. Our taxi driver told us it was to prevent anyone shooting up in there. Because of the blue light, they can't see their veins!!!
We had a nice talkative taxi driver on our way to Dunboyne Castle which is where our tour starts. Great to hear about local stuff. The other tour people arrived by air this morning and were taken out for a real Irish breakfast. We missed all that but I'm sure we had a real Irish breakfast anyway! -- beans, fried tomato, dry toast, and egg. Don had a sausage with his and I had fried mushrooms instead.
I walked around Dunboyne village -- not very big so didn't take long. Nothing very interesting to see.
Arctic #11
Arctic #11
We are in the airport waiting for our flight to Copenhagen. We have just had a driving tour of the area. Some interesting facts:
Airport -- abandoned in 1992 and sold to Greenland for $1.00.
Population of "town" -- 1000 in the summer and 800 in the winter. About 50 kids in the schools. One grocery/general store and one convenience store. Housing in apartments for airport employees.
Activities -- tourism (eg tours of the glacier), research, exploration, airport.
The river bed is a huge delta which is quicksand. River small right now. The water is grey with silica. Dogs can't swim in it as they get too weighed down .
Reindeer -- have a shortened life span here as their teeth wear down faster due to the silica dust on the plants they eat.
Lots of perigine falcons who will leave here in a couple of weeks. They eat small birds. The hares are too big for them. Muskox -- about 27 imported and now numbering 20,000. We didn't see any.Also reindeer.
Very pretty area with shiny glacier scraped rocks, small willows (1 to 2 feet high) turning yellow and some low ground hugging red foliage. It's in a wide valley -- hence room for an airport.
We had a zodiac landing today onto a dry dock. Our luggage came that way too. Lovely day with sunshine and no wind. What a treat!!!!
Much later: We are now in Copenhagen. The flight was about 5 hours and they gave us a good meal. We were well looked after at the airport, had a bus ride to the hotel and given our room keys on the bus. No need to stand in line at the check-in counter. It sure is nice to be on a package. We even know our transfer time to the airport tomorrow. In the morning we will see about booking a half day city tour. It is 11 pm here -- either 8 or 9 hours different from BC.
We are in the airport waiting for our flight to Copenhagen. We have just had a driving tour of the area. Some interesting facts:
Airport -- abandoned in 1992 and sold to Greenland for $1.00.
Population of "town" -- 1000 in the summer and 800 in the winter. About 50 kids in the schools. One grocery/general store and one convenience store. Housing in apartments for airport employees.
Activities -- tourism (eg tours of the glacier), research, exploration, airport.
The river bed is a huge delta which is quicksand. River small right now. The water is grey with silica. Dogs can't swim in it as they get too weighed down .
Reindeer -- have a shortened life span here as their teeth wear down faster due to the silica dust on the plants they eat.
Lots of perigine falcons who will leave here in a couple of weeks. They eat small birds. The hares are too big for them. Muskox -- about 27 imported and now numbering 20,000. We didn't see any.Also reindeer.
Very pretty area with shiny glacier scraped rocks, small willows (1 to 2 feet high) turning yellow and some low ground hugging red foliage. It's in a wide valley -- hence room for an airport.
We had a zodiac landing today onto a dry dock. Our luggage came that way too. Lovely day with sunshine and no wind. What a treat!!!!
Much later: We are now in Copenhagen. The flight was about 5 hours and they gave us a good meal. We were well looked after at the airport, had a bus ride to the hotel and given our room keys on the bus. No need to stand in line at the check-in counter. It sure is nice to be on a package. We even know our transfer time to the airport tomorrow. In the morning we will see about booking a half day city tour. It is 11 pm here -- either 8 or 9 hours different from BC.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Arctic #10
Arctic #10
Yesterday (Friday) was a bit of a disappointment. We were supposed to stop in Maniitsoq which is a medium sized village on the west coast of Greenland. Unfortunately the swells were very high so too dangerous for transferring to the zodiacs even though we would have had a dry landing on a jetty. We headed north to the next village. On the way we crossed the Arctic Circle and have certificates to prove it. Actually, it's just a line. The Arctic refers to all the area north of the treeline which is just below Churchill.
Forgot to tell you about how people got wood here in the old days -- driftwood which came all the way from Siberia and which took 3 to 5 years to travel that distance. A lot of it would have got ground up in the ice floes but some survived. It would come down the east coast of Greenland then around the corner at the bottom -- that's the normal current pattern.
We have the "honor" of being on the windiest cruise this ship has ever done. I don't think it's been under 25 km/hr anywhere. Even the locals said this is unusual for this time of year. Too bad for us but that's what you can expect in the north. Our captain also compared our crossing of Davis Strait to doing the Drake Passage to Antarctica. That can be wild but we were lucky that year and had calm seas.
So we arrived in the port of Sisimiut by late afternoon instead of the next day as planned. It meant a very nice quiet nite tied up to a dock. This section of the dock is brand new and we are the first big ship to tie up to it. We had some local singers come on board in the evening.
This morning we had a walking tour of the town. There are 5,600 inhabitants and is 320 km north of Nuuk. The site of this town has been inhabited for 4500 years -- started with the Saqqaq culture followed by the Dorset then the Thule. Their descendents (Inuit) form the majority of the population here. The rest are mostly Danes. Fishing is the principal industry -- shrimp as many of the other fish like cod have declined. There aren't many cars as the road system is limited so lots of taxis and a bus system. There is one area which is like a slum -- big apartment buildings where the Inuit were placed when their smaller communities were closed down with the usual problems of alcohol, etc. The rest is bright and clean. The buildings are painted a variety of colors with some sort of theme. Eg. the medical buildings, doctor's house, dentist's house are yellow. They have a kayak club (make them here -- not at all like ours!), a cross country ski club with an Arcitc marathon which is 100 or 200 km long and you sleep in tents, two downhill areas (a bunny one in town for the kids and a big one which is up the valley) and dog sledding. There are 3000 dogs in town and all are Greenland dogs. They look like huskies but are a separate breed. Saw some pups -- so cute! and how they keep them. They are tied up in the open with no shelter. They never come inside so their coats are very thick. In fact, they don't like being inside. In the summer they just lie around and "hibernate". They eat very little. Some people keep them on small rocky islands so they can be free from the chains. They get fed about three times a week. In the winter of course it is very different. Sisimiut is an ice free port despite being so far north -- because of the ocean currents.
I felt like if I had to live here I could. Nice feel to the town. We had a "tasting" set up by the local Inuits. I have now eaten dried caribou, dried white fish, seal meat soup (delicious) and whale and seal blubber. These two were also good surprisingly (raw-- think sushi).
The weather still is being rather mean. Our local guide says that the weather's been bad for two weeks. He's been wanting to get out hunting but can't. The wind was very strong with gusts that were blowing one of our passengers over almost. She is very small with thin legs and foot drop so had to hang on to someone.
When we left after lunch, we got back out onto the ocean proper with winds of up to 70 km/hr so I took another pill and had a lovely sleep. By suppertime we were in a fiord so nice and calm. Much appreciated at dinner time.I was like many -- we didn't get nauseated but our heads felt weird and I know that trying to stay upright would result in the nausea.
The fiord is beautiful with jagged peaks right beside the ship. Fresh snow on top. No pictures but Karla will send me some. She and her friend will be able to take them tomorrow on their way out. They, along with 19 others are carrying on to Halifax. We disembark in the morning. The new set of passengers arrives on the plane we leave on. They head out to sea in the afternoon.
So we fly out of Kangerlussuaq which is an international airport but not much else. Was built during the war by the Americans. We fly to Copenhagen and arrive there at 8:30 tomorrow night. With the time change we figure about 3 hours of flying. At the moment we are 5 hours ahead of BC time.
Yesterday (Friday) was a bit of a disappointment. We were supposed to stop in Maniitsoq which is a medium sized village on the west coast of Greenland. Unfortunately the swells were very high so too dangerous for transferring to the zodiacs even though we would have had a dry landing on a jetty. We headed north to the next village. On the way we crossed the Arctic Circle and have certificates to prove it. Actually, it's just a line. The Arctic refers to all the area north of the treeline which is just below Churchill.
Forgot to tell you about how people got wood here in the old days -- driftwood which came all the way from Siberia and which took 3 to 5 years to travel that distance. A lot of it would have got ground up in the ice floes but some survived. It would come down the east coast of Greenland then around the corner at the bottom -- that's the normal current pattern.
We have the "honor" of being on the windiest cruise this ship has ever done. I don't think it's been under 25 km/hr anywhere. Even the locals said this is unusual for this time of year. Too bad for us but that's what you can expect in the north. Our captain also compared our crossing of Davis Strait to doing the Drake Passage to Antarctica. That can be wild but we were lucky that year and had calm seas.
So we arrived in the port of Sisimiut by late afternoon instead of the next day as planned. It meant a very nice quiet nite tied up to a dock. This section of the dock is brand new and we are the first big ship to tie up to it. We had some local singers come on board in the evening.
This morning we had a walking tour of the town. There are 5,600 inhabitants and is 320 km north of Nuuk. The site of this town has been inhabited for 4500 years -- started with the Saqqaq culture followed by the Dorset then the Thule. Their descendents (Inuit) form the majority of the population here. The rest are mostly Danes. Fishing is the principal industry -- shrimp as many of the other fish like cod have declined. There aren't many cars as the road system is limited so lots of taxis and a bus system. There is one area which is like a slum -- big apartment buildings where the Inuit were placed when their smaller communities were closed down with the usual problems of alcohol, etc. The rest is bright and clean. The buildings are painted a variety of colors with some sort of theme. Eg. the medical buildings, doctor's house, dentist's house are yellow. They have a kayak club (make them here -- not at all like ours!), a cross country ski club with an Arcitc marathon which is 100 or 200 km long and you sleep in tents, two downhill areas (a bunny one in town for the kids and a big one which is up the valley) and dog sledding. There are 3000 dogs in town and all are Greenland dogs. They look like huskies but are a separate breed. Saw some pups -- so cute! and how they keep them. They are tied up in the open with no shelter. They never come inside so their coats are very thick. In fact, they don't like being inside. In the summer they just lie around and "hibernate". They eat very little. Some people keep them on small rocky islands so they can be free from the chains. They get fed about three times a week. In the winter of course it is very different. Sisimiut is an ice free port despite being so far north -- because of the ocean currents.
I felt like if I had to live here I could. Nice feel to the town. We had a "tasting" set up by the local Inuits. I have now eaten dried caribou, dried white fish, seal meat soup (delicious) and whale and seal blubber. These two were also good surprisingly (raw-- think sushi).
The weather still is being rather mean. Our local guide says that the weather's been bad for two weeks. He's been wanting to get out hunting but can't. The wind was very strong with gusts that were blowing one of our passengers over almost. She is very small with thin legs and foot drop so had to hang on to someone.
When we left after lunch, we got back out onto the ocean proper with winds of up to 70 km/hr so I took another pill and had a lovely sleep. By suppertime we were in a fiord so nice and calm. Much appreciated at dinner time.I was like many -- we didn't get nauseated but our heads felt weird and I know that trying to stay upright would result in the nausea.
The fiord is beautiful with jagged peaks right beside the ship. Fresh snow on top. No pictures but Karla will send me some. She and her friend will be able to take them tomorrow on their way out. They, along with 19 others are carrying on to Halifax. We disembark in the morning. The new set of passengers arrives on the plane we leave on. They head out to sea in the afternoon.
So we fly out of Kangerlussuaq which is an international airport but not much else. Was built during the war by the Americans. We fly to Copenhagen and arrive there at 8:30 tomorrow night. With the time change we figure about 3 hours of flying. At the moment we are 5 hours ahead of BC time.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Arctic #9
Arctic #9
Well, yesterday wasn't much fun. We spent a day and a half crossing Davis Strait over to Greenland. It started out in the morning at 30 km winds and ended up around 80 km by evening. The swells were from 7 to 8 meters high so we were really moving around. I took four Stemetil over 24 hours so managed without getting nauseated or throwing up. But I didn't feel well so ended up sleeping most of the 24 hours. I did manage to get to two lectures plus ate a scone at 4 pm. Skipped lunch and supper, sleeping the time away. Don has a stomach of iron so went to all meals. The dining room was only partially full. Our butler felt sorry for me so brought me a plate of Ritz crackers and candied ginger. What a sweetie. It felt good to eat them. And today he delivered some more! -- anticipating tonite as we go back out into the Strait and then head north.
Today (Thurs the 5th) we landed in Nuuk which is the capital and largest city of Greenland. Population 15,000. We had a guided tour of the parliament, cultural center, city hall, church and then were left at the museum. This museum was amazing so we spent a lot of time there.The cultural center wasalso amazing. They hold many events there which are televised to the rest of the country. The city hall was also a beautiful building. They feature their art on the walls and display carvings everywhere.
Weather: raining but no wind until mid-afternoon when it started to blow again. Not very pleasant for walking around in. They had a bus going back and forth which was nice as the harbour is 2 km from town. Temperature a balmy 7 to 8 degrees.
Greenland facts: Length is equivalent to the distance from Norway to the Sahara. It is the world's largest island and is 85% covered with ice. The only habitable parts is the 15% along the coastline. 85% of the population call themselves Greenlanders (Inuit) and the remaining are mostly Danes.
We get a lot of exercise on the ship. Our room is on the 3rd floor. Meals are on the 4th floor. All lectures plus the observation lounge/library are on the 6th and the tea room is on the 5th. So we are constantly going up and down stairs.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Arctic #8
Arctic #8 - Tues Sept 3
Today was awesome --- woke up to sunny skies, gorgeous scenery (glaciers on the mountains surrounding the fiord) and warm temperatures -- started out at 9 C this morning.
We sailed up the Cumberland Sound which is 250 km long and 80 km wide. It's hard for us to realize how very large the Arctic is when we only are used to seeing it on a map. We had been going up it during the night and still had three or four hours left to go this morning.
So, during that time we had lectures. The first was by Sue Flood who has filmed Blue Planet, etc. for BBC. She showed us how they got some of their shots and the conditions they had to live in.Pretty extreme.
The second lecture was on polar bears.
After lunch we went ashore in zodiacs to see Kerkerten Historic Park which is a former whaling community -- Scottish and American. It closed in 1925 after they killed most of the bowhead whales off. We had seven local guides who had come from the nearest community 50 km away in their 28 foot aluminum boat. They were from Pangnirtung, an Inuit hamlet of 1300 people. They fish for turbot in this area and are allowed to get a couple of whales a year. They are also known for their high-quality printmaking and weaving. It would have been nice to go to their village.
I forgot to say yesterday that we saw our first icebergs -- just a couple of them.
Today was awesome --- woke up to sunny skies, gorgeous scenery (glaciers on the mountains surrounding the fiord) and warm temperatures -- started out at 9 C this morning.
We sailed up the Cumberland Sound which is 250 km long and 80 km wide. It's hard for us to realize how very large the Arctic is when we only are used to seeing it on a map. We had been going up it during the night and still had three or four hours left to go this morning.
So, during that time we had lectures. The first was by Sue Flood who has filmed Blue Planet, etc. for BBC. She showed us how they got some of their shots and the conditions they had to live in.Pretty extreme.
The second lecture was on polar bears.
After lunch we went ashore in zodiacs to see Kerkerten Historic Park which is a former whaling community -- Scottish and American. It closed in 1925 after they killed most of the bowhead whales off. We had seven local guides who had come from the nearest community 50 km away in their 28 foot aluminum boat. They were from Pangnirtung, an Inuit hamlet of 1300 people. They fish for turbot in this area and are allowed to get a couple of whales a year. They are also known for their high-quality printmaking and weaving. It would have been nice to go to their village.
I forgot to say yesterday that we saw our first icebergs -- just a couple of them.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Arctic #7
Arctic #7
Today is Labor Day -- doesn't feel right up here with no warmth, swimming, family, etc.
This morning it was 0 then warmed up to about 3 or 4 while we were out. The wind was much calmer and the sun came in and out so very pleasant. We also got into sheltered water for our polar bear search. We found the male but too far away to bother taking pictures -- so I just enjoyed watching him walk around. We were in the many bays of a lovely little island so within feet of the rocky shore. Saw an arctic hare -- it was far away but still looked very big.
We are just off the Lower Savage Islands which are between Frobisher Bay and the Hudson Strait for those of you looking on a map.
For our expeditions out on the zodiac we wear: cross country skiing type long underwear and quick dry pants, xc top thermal layer, a light down jacket or fleece, a buff, toque then the big parka. On top of this we have our life jackets which fortunately are those small blow-up kind. We then trundle down the hall to the boot room where we put on our rubber boots. Out in the zodiac we are often drenched by waves but because of the waterproof jacket and tight hood we remain dry from the bum up. I have developed a system of not wearing my gloves in the zodiac so that they are dry for on shore.When on shore we take off the life jackets and throw them into big blue bins. So far every landing has been a wet one -- I believe we finally get a dry one when in Greenland's capital.
For exercise today I did 40 min on the treadmill then later 30 minutes going round and round Deck 6 -- takes 15 times to make up the half hour.
Hope you all had a lovely labor day weekend full of sunshine.
Today is Labor Day -- doesn't feel right up here with no warmth, swimming, family, etc.
This morning it was 0 then warmed up to about 3 or 4 while we were out. The wind was much calmer and the sun came in and out so very pleasant. We also got into sheltered water for our polar bear search. We found the male but too far away to bother taking pictures -- so I just enjoyed watching him walk around. We were in the many bays of a lovely little island so within feet of the rocky shore. Saw an arctic hare -- it was far away but still looked very big.
We are just off the Lower Savage Islands which are between Frobisher Bay and the Hudson Strait for those of you looking on a map.
For our expeditions out on the zodiac we wear: cross country skiing type long underwear and quick dry pants, xc top thermal layer, a light down jacket or fleece, a buff, toque then the big parka. On top of this we have our life jackets which fortunately are those small blow-up kind. We then trundle down the hall to the boot room where we put on our rubber boots. Out in the zodiac we are often drenched by waves but because of the waterproof jacket and tight hood we remain dry from the bum up. I have developed a system of not wearing my gloves in the zodiac so that they are dry for on shore.When on shore we take off the life jackets and throw them into big blue bins. So far every landing has been a wet one -- I believe we finally get a dry one when in Greenland's capital.
For exercise today I did 40 min on the treadmill then later 30 minutes going round and round Deck 6 -- takes 15 times to make up the half hour.
Hope you all had a lovely labor day weekend full of sunshine.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Arctic #6
Arctic #6
Today (Sat Aug 31) we had high winds again with gusts up to 90 kmph. We did a nice uphill hike of about 1000 feet during which these gusts really wacked us. Whenever we go on shore, we are guarded by rifle toting members of the expedition team. We were in the fjord of Douglas Harbour so instead of flat rocky land we had some hills.
Sunday Sept 1 -- This was our day to see polar bears hopefully. We were at the Island of Akpatok which is uninhabited and is on the north coast of Quebe in Ungava Bay. It is predominately limestone and ringed with steep cliffs that rise 150 to 250 meters above sea level. On the cliffs the birds nest on ledges and the bears patrol underneath for eggs that have rolled off or baby birds which don't get to the water in time. A bird isn't much of a meal for a polar bear but this time of year they get nothing to eat as they can only hunt their main diet of seals when there is ice.
In the morning there were no bears sighted so instead we had another walk. This time we went up a ravine looking for fossils. Again there were rifles at all the high points as this was definitely bear country. In the afternoon the ship moved further up the coast and, voila, bears were sighted. We each got a chance at a 45 minute zodiac ride to see them. There was a mother with 2 cubs which everyone saw then the second group, which I was in, spotted another mother hurrying down the beach with her little guy hustling to keep up. The biologist thought that maybe she had been spooked by another bear -- maybe a male. So I saw 5. I'm glad we saw this second mom as the others were mostly just curled up together on the beach.For the first time this trip the weather co-operated. The winds were light so easy to take pictures from the zodiac. Otherwise my camera is in two plactic bags in my backpack as we get splashed thoroughly by waves. Most rides seem to be about 1 km. There aren't good charts up here so our captain ( a lady!) stays well off shore.
Tonite for dinner we lucked out and had our bird expert sitting at our table. He has a lab, students, etc at a university in Germany. He studies one type of bird and explained all his experiments to us. Fascinating. We now know more than we ever did about bird migration.
Temperature remains around 2 degrees C but with the wind dying down it feels much warmer. Wind chill yesterday was -10.
Today (Sat Aug 31) we had high winds again with gusts up to 90 kmph. We did a nice uphill hike of about 1000 feet during which these gusts really wacked us. Whenever we go on shore, we are guarded by rifle toting members of the expedition team. We were in the fjord of Douglas Harbour so instead of flat rocky land we had some hills.
Sunday Sept 1 -- This was our day to see polar bears hopefully. We were at the Island of Akpatok which is uninhabited and is on the north coast of Quebe in Ungava Bay. It is predominately limestone and ringed with steep cliffs that rise 150 to 250 meters above sea level. On the cliffs the birds nest on ledges and the bears patrol underneath for eggs that have rolled off or baby birds which don't get to the water in time. A bird isn't much of a meal for a polar bear but this time of year they get nothing to eat as they can only hunt their main diet of seals when there is ice.
In the morning there were no bears sighted so instead we had another walk. This time we went up a ravine looking for fossils. Again there were rifles at all the high points as this was definitely bear country. In the afternoon the ship moved further up the coast and, voila, bears were sighted. We each got a chance at a 45 minute zodiac ride to see them. There was a mother with 2 cubs which everyone saw then the second group, which I was in, spotted another mother hurrying down the beach with her little guy hustling to keep up. The biologist thought that maybe she had been spooked by another bear -- maybe a male. So I saw 5. I'm glad we saw this second mom as the others were mostly just curled up together on the beach.For the first time this trip the weather co-operated. The winds were light so easy to take pictures from the zodiac. Otherwise my camera is in two plactic bags in my backpack as we get splashed thoroughly by waves. Most rides seem to be about 1 km. There aren't good charts up here so our captain ( a lady!) stays well off shore.
Tonite for dinner we lucked out and had our bird expert sitting at our table. He has a lab, students, etc at a university in Germany. He studies one type of bird and explained all his experiments to us. Fascinating. We now know more than we ever did about bird migration.
Temperature remains around 2 degrees C but with the wind dying down it feels much warmer. Wind chill yesterday was -10.
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