Tuesday - Week XI

Another beautiful sunny day and my walk into town to meet my students was certainly a brisk one with the temperature having plummeted to around 25 degrees.

I was rewarded at the end of my trip into town by passing Garry Hynes the Artistic Director at the Druid Theatre and one of my all time favorite directors. She's won several Tony awards and all of them very well deserved. I didn't stop her since she seemed to be heading somewhere important but it would have been nice to tell her how much I appreciate her work. Now, I could have actually met her before now had Frank not had a falling out with her years ago over Christmas decorations. Apparently Ms. Hynes had Ellen and Frank decorate the Druid Theatre's lobby but when Garry asked Frank to move the Christmas tree things did not go well and now they don't speak. It's a good thing I adore Frank so much or I would be very upset that he is keeping me from meeting such a talented theater professional.

I met Diego and Nuria at Kelly's Pub (see picture of our special booth) although today since I only have two students left the booth was a bit big but before all my students went home for Christmas I had up to 9 people at one time in that booth. Today we had a wonderful lesson which was more like a very interesting conversation with my making grammar and pronunciation corrections. Maria Jesus came to say goodbye but she was off quickly to get some last minute errands done before leaving for Spain in the morning.

I met Halil at our usually cafe and our lesson centered primarily on sentence structure. He told me all about how he was a police officer in his country and I had him write down what a typical day at his job was like. It was very interesting for me but I think after 3 hours he was exhausted.

Mom and I went to the gym while Jean Marie went off to do some shopping.

Monday - Week XI

What a gorgeous sunny day today yet a bit cold.

Jean Marie dropped mom and I off at the gym early so we could attend water aerobics class. We spent almost 3 hours at the gym before walking down Taylors Hill into town where we had a nice simple lunch at Baun Pub. Soup and sandwich.

I took a picture of mom in front of the little grounds keepers cottage at they gym. This little house amuses me and it's so cute.

We walked through the Eyre Square mall and listened to a local choir sing Christmas songs. We then met up with my students Marc and Vanessa for an hour or so as they are leaving for Barcelona tomorrow. Mom really enjoyed talking with them.

And then Jean Marie made us a very nice dinner and now we get to just relax and read.

Sunday - Week X

It was over cast all day long but the roads were clear enough for us to head back to Galway. At first we weren't sure the buses were running since there had been so much snow and many airports in the country were closed.

We had a lovely breakfast and completely enjoyed our visit to Killarney and recommend the Randel's Court Hotel whole-heartily.

We had a very nice walk to the bus station and after a bit of shopping in the outlet center we boarded the bus and had a quiet yet scenic ride to Limerick. I got many lovely pictures from the bus of the snowy landscapes. And to make mom happy I took some pictures of the modern windmills that dot the hills near Killarney and are providing energy alternatives which is great.

We changed buses in Limerick and made it to Galway a little early and interestingly as we passed Limerick the snow almost completely disappeared and the landscape was once again green dotted here and there with tiny brown spots. Jean Marie and her Godson, Ronin met us at the Eyre Square shopping center where they had been having dinner. I got a great picture of Galway City from the 6th floor of the parking garage where Jean Marie had parked. It's such a pretty city. And after a nice dinner we headed back to Jean Maria's and watched t DVD on the Ring of Kerry. I am a little disappointed that we didn't see it all in person but one must be understanding when Mother Nature has her winter fun.

Saturday - Week X

We woke up to exquisite sunshine which was illuminating this charming town now completely coverd in snow. It was truly amazing to look out the main window in the hotel parlor and feel like we were actually in a town in Germany not Ireland.

We woke up to a beautifully sunny day but it wasn't cold at all and I went outside to take some pictures of the hotel and it's surroundings wearing only a sweater. After our delicious breakfast which included freshly made crepes with a homemade apple sauce filling, yum, yum, we had the front desk call the Ring of Kerry tour company to see if we would be doing the day tour despite the previous evenings snow fall. Sadly the tour was not to be as the roads were too hazardous but to accommodate the six of us who were visiting this area specifically to see the Ring of Kerry the tour company did an abbreviated version which lasted only 3 hours versus 5 and half. Joe, our tour guide/bus driver first took us to the Ross Castle which was build in the 15th Century and sits happily on the largest of three lakes in this region. We spent only about 15 minutes walking around and taking pictures. Our small group was comprised of mom, me, a father and daughter from Salt Lake City, Utah and two young German girls. It was a very pleasant group.

We were then off to the Torc Waterfall which is only a five minute walk through a wooded area and by a beautiful babbling brook or maybe a very small river depending on how you look at it. We took some great pictures there and with the snow fall it was simply majestic. There was a long staircase leading up to a path that apparently takes you around another part of this National Park and down to the Muckross House where we were to visit a bit later. Interestingly Muckross means, in Irish, Pigs Peninsula (muck = wild pig or boar and ross =peninsula.) Apparently there were lots of wild boar that inhabited the peninsula at one point. We didn't go any further on to the peninsula than where you stop to see the waterfall. There is a very rich history in this part of the country, of course I think you can say that about most any place you step on this island.

Muckross is a tutor style manor built in 1843 and has been exceptionally preserved. The last time a Queen of England set foot in Ireland was in 1861 when Queen Victoria came and stayed at Muckross House. We were told today that Queen Elizabeth is planning a trip to Ireland in the New Year. That should be interesting to say the least since there is still a lot of animosity toward the British in this country.

We didn't take the inside tour of the manor rather just walked around the extensive grounds for an hour or so. I only got one picture of the house itself but if you look closely at the picture of the front of the house you'll see a man walking by who was wearing a funny cap.

Everywhere you went was more breathtaking than the last. The trees all covered in snow were so picturesque and the lake with the snow caped mountains was picture perfect. There were lots of winding paths with babbling brooks, wild vegetation and small winding paths leading to all kinds of wonderful inlets. I trekked through the snow happily and even a little slip down a muddy trail didn't stop me or dampen my spirits. The sun shone so brightly and the company was engaging so how could one not enjoy themselves. The father and daughter from Utah were took this trip to Ireland to celebrate the daughter, Jessica's graduation from college. It was so sweet to see her with her dad and they clearing were enjoying themselves even if they didn't get to see all they had wanted to. The German girls were very sweet and I think felt right at home with all this snow.

We came across this small area of odd shaped, snow covered mounds on the ground. As we approached it was very clear these were once fabulous palm trees that, with the inches of snow, were weighted down so much they could not longer stand. Jessica and I were hoping that with a spring thaw they would just pop back to life although her father, being less optimistic about the whole thing, figured no they were gonners and I suppose would end up as mulch for future plantings. Sadly there was another such heap not far off.

Jessica made me laugh when she wanted to leap onto some large, flat stones with the first being about 2 feet from the shoreline and she hesitated knowing if she fell she'd be in the cold water and her dad being very much not a mom said oh, just try it. So she did and he was poised to take a picture but as I watched on I gasped because as she placed her feet on the second stone it tipped a bit and she almost fell in. Now her father said is that as far as you're going to go so she stepped on the next and did eventually make it out to the last one and he got a great picture of her. But Jessica and I both found it amusing that if it were her mom she truly would have done everything possible to discourage her doing it unlike the dad who thought it would make a great picture if she could make it.

I met up with mom who had taken a different route through the garden and we shared a nice lentil and veggie dish for lunch before we got back in our tour van and headed back into town. It may not have been the tour we were looking forward to but it was still beautiful and we have a DVD that gives you the complete tour of the ring so it's all good.

Mom and I walked around the open air market in the Center of Town and bought some Irish cheese from one of the market vendors, Mannings Emporium, Ballylickey to have for a snack later at the hotel. We then walked in and out of all the little shops. We even stopped off to warm up a bit and rest our legs at Catherine's Country Cafe where they serve delicious treats like a wheat scone with Jam (mom's choice) and a sugar donut (my choice.) I even tried a Irish sparkling apple soda which was a cross between ginger ale and apple juice.

We eventually made a loop around the town and came back to the open air market where we had German sausages that have won the best in Ireland prize. We ate as we walked toward St. Mary's Cathedral which was built in 1840. The stone work is impressive and mass was beautiful with lots of lovely singing. Father Gerard O'Leary wrote a thoughtful message to his parishioners in the weekly bulletin and essentially it says that during this stressful holiday time we need to take extra care to be kind to one another and when you are stuck in line somewhere just enjoy talking to the people near you and make the best of it. He said "Make a conscious decision to be at peace with yourself and to relax in spite of the business around you." I think it's a nice sentiment although I don't find that people are rushing so much. Yes, the stores were crowded as were the streets and restaurants but no one seemed all that harried here. It could just be that I'm used to the pacing of a New York City holiday season which is frenetic and maddening at times so the Christmas season here seems so peaceful and relaxing.

We walked for a bit after mass before jumping in a cab and returning to our cozy hotel. We spent a bit of time in the pool/sauna/steam room and then the rest of the evening in the parlor. We even ate the cheese we bought in the market there .

Friday - Week X

In Galway it was a beautiful sunny, not to cold day so our morning started great. Mom and I are taking a mini-vacation to Killarney and the Ring of Kerry while Jean Marie gets caught up on all her Christmas errands and visits to friends homes. The weather went from sunny to a drastic snow storm during the course of our bus trip then back to sunshine for an hour and finally to intermittent snow showers once we arrived Kellarney.

The trip, despite the erratic weather, was spectacular. The southern part of Ireland is as breathtaking as one would expect and equally as gorgeous as all the rest of Ireland that I've seen. The pastures were still green with just a sheet of snow covering parts and the mountains near Killarney were all snow capped and exquisite.

We had to take the bus from Galway to Limerck where we were to transfer to a bus that would go directly to Killarney but due to weather conditions in the south they canceled the direct bus so we got on the bus going to Tralee and was just hoping for the best when we got there. Fortunately the Station Agent in Limerck radioed ahead to Tralee and told them we'd be on the bus and to make sure we connected to the next bus that was going to Killarney. The people in this country generally go out of their way to help you, it's so great.

We made it safely to Killarney where they recently built and outlet shopping center near the bus terminal so we strolled through the shops and then walked a few blocks to the center of town which is quaint and charming. We had a nice lunch at Murphy's Bar (a lovely pub) and the we walked to our hotel which was about 10 minutes away from the center. This town is a must when visiting Southern Ireland. I love the old buildings and small streets. They even have an impressive national park here just a few blocks from the center of town.

We are staying at the Randel's Court Hotel which has retained much of the old world charm of this country but with wonderful modern conveniences like a fabulous spa. The pool is nice and warm and since it was still early when we arrived it was quiet so we just paddled around for a bit and then spent some time in the sauna and steam room. We met a nice lady who was staying here from Tralee because she was attending the opera tonight. Apparently there is a traveling opera company stopping in various towns throughout Ireland this season and tonight they are performing Verdi's Rigoletto at St. Mary's Church.

After a nice shower we went to sit in the lovely living room of the hotel where there is a roaring fire and lots of seating to enjoy a good book. We met two more women who were going to the Opera performance tonight. They're sisters and they only live a short distance from the hotel but they decided to make it a special evening and stay over at the hotel. This is very common in Ireland to take a mini-break at a hotel even one that is 10 - 20 minutes from home.