My Grandparents are quite the traveller's, I love reading the emails that my Grandpa sends about their trips. I have decided that since he won't do his own blog about their trips, I'm going to post them on here each time they go somewhere...if only I could get him to send some pics! Here's their latest trip:
We are home -- as of last night at 2035 ---all went well --we flew in and out of Shannon airport --
After touring some of the South Coast from Cork to Dublin and back to Shannon
we flew down to southern Italy (Sigonella Naval air station ) for a day We got there at 0300 ...
Surprise ----At 0800 on Saturday
Sigonella had no electric power on base--most places closed..This was on NAS II...The power was good on NAS I so Bobbie got her shopping fix at the Exchange ... Power came back on at 1800 or so ...the galley is still good to eat at... and the food is still good...The car rental is back by the terminal...
We ate off base outside of NAS I --another surprise--pizza was not up to par.... especially for Italy. We intended to stay a few days but there was a perfect ride back to the states so we ...
got on a C 9 to Norfolk the next morning on Easter Sunday --Great ride ( 11 hrs ) almost empty --stop for fuel in the Azores--- Spent day at Norfolk--rooms are up $$ 66 for a suite...
From Norfolk we caught a C 40 at 1805 local to Fort Worth. Plane almost empty --- only 10 passengers.... Interesting note while we waited at Norfolk --- There was a contract flight that came in --- Over 50 one star folks got off --all smiling ---no idea why they were there or where they came in from ---I asked --no one seemed willing to say ?????
Bobbie already wants to know where we are going next -- her allergies have kicked in again....
This is kind of how it all went for us ....
After landing at 0300 at Shannon Airport the six of us headed for
Mary Ryan's B & B _ Woke her up --She Got us all bedded down ---and said she would have breakfast ready at 10.......After a grand Irish breakfast we headed back to the airport for the rent car --- Mary's husband Jimmy was kind enough to take us to the airport--
After the car rental sticker shock, and more chit chat at Mary's place ( we were starting to feel like we lived there ) we headed down to Cashel. This small town is a great stop for a well kept castle /fort --after a long walk up the hill through and around the castle and fort we went back to the wonderful B & B at Mary Ryans place. The next day after another Irish breakfast, and more chit chat we were off to the Cork/ KInsale area for a day or so..
Kinsale, on the south coast is a nice little town. It is located just South West of Cork --Kinsale has an old well kept fort near by --worth the walk and visit -- the town traffic is bad ...We stayed a nice B & B just outside the town... Great breakfast --with the sausage, ham, eggs, fried tomatoes, beans, and fried potatoes ( that I asked for)... along with the breads...
The next day, after a ferry ride over to Cobh (pronounced Cove ) we had a lunch stop and a church visit. the town is right on the coast and parking is impossible.. It was a very windy and cold morning. Not much in the town. However, it was a great view from up by the church where we parked ...
Then it was up the coast to Dungarvan for a night.. Fair size town ---Nice, well run B & B ... Very old grand house..,Two foot walls --twelve foot high ceilings... overlooked the city...--good official Irish breakfast--no extras----although they did include what they called pancakes--
This was an easy town to get around in. lots of shops, nice parks, a town square, a shopping mall-albeit small.. a few coffee shops and an Internet cafe that was well run --not to far from what a Starbucks would be like...The water front was plain but nice -- with one or two places to eat///
The next morning it was rainy and on the cold side.... so........
at the last minute we decided to go straight to Dublin from Dungarvan rather then continue up toward Waterford and Wexford...
We looked at the maps ( no GPS ) and said lets take the back roads out of Dungarvan toward Dublin..
We ended up getting lost a few times --Eventually we got stopped by the police --after we almost had an accident at a round about --The policeman showed us the right way to get back on track and said please be careful ---Finally after another 20 long minutes we were back on the highway toward Dublin...
We found a public phone and called the FBO at Shannon --They said they had a C 9 coming late Friday that was going down to Sigonella Naval Air Station..
. This information changed our plans... We thought maybe a way to get to the Easter week processions after all..We could still see and spend a little time in Dublin; skip England; (although we already had commercial tickets) and get to Italy in time for the Sunday procession.
As the day wore on we finally got to the outside of Dublin.. There was the city full of drivers, more round abouts, all on the wrong side of the road... Right in front of us was a McDonald's waiting for a quick stop and a milk shake..
I thought, we need to find a B & B and stay out of the city. /There they were right on the main road, two B & Bs --- almost side by side.. Spotting a gas station we pulled in and parked ... I stopped a lady and asked about the B & B s ..She said go to the one up the street, He is really a nice man -- We did. He showed us his rooms --- and we said fine for the night. .He said I have no rooms for tonight.. But, let me check down the street for you, I used to own that one too...He took us down the street to the other B & B -- He still had the keys since the selling of the B & Bs were not finalized ... After all this he told us the reasons for selling ... and down sizing--- Not a good story with a wife that was just hanging on with cancer. He said we do one day at a time and are blessed for each new day ...
We hauled our luggage across the street - to Glenkeen House, up the steps to room 20 -- sat for a minute, then back out the door to the tram that went right to downtown Dublin ... It was still rainy,with a chilled wind, making us wish we had another layer of cloth on us...Four Euros each and we had tickets with a return good for the rest of the day... In twenty minutes we were there, right in the middle of all those stores surrounded by shoppers...
Bobbie wanted to shop . I wanted to eat... We found the street with only foot traffic allowed with lots of little eating places. As we passed one place after another we saw a big red sign that said Pulska-- It looked Polish so we crossed over and looked in ..A Polish deli-- all the foods, meats in Polish.. Bobbie said it looks like there is an eating place upstairs ... Up the steps we went,, to find a small eating area --- with some cooked foods displayed ... I asked, the lady said two meats, two veg, two salads, all for five Euros. Now if the food was as good as it looked we had a deal -- A plate full later -- it was all very good ---
We left there walked a little more and then headed back to the department stores just in time to hear them announce we are closing.. Bobbie was not a happy camper...
With a little more looking at some of the landmarks, finding a great ice cream in a place that was almost a McDonald's copycat ... As dark and more rain came we headed back to our Tram and the B & B
The next morning after having to wake up the landlord to get us breakfast -- and having to ask for all the stuff that goes with the breakfast --- We ate and figured back to down town -- to do the touring...
Another tram ride for the four Euros and we were old hats at finding downtown...And maybe another stop at the Polish place ... and maybe a bus tour of the city...
With much looking in and out of the stores and checking the cost of the tours ( 18 euros each ) We decided there were only a few places that we really wanted to see... all within walking distance... But before we started the walking it was one more shot at eating again in my new favorite place...
As it turns out the Polish deli's are the cheapest places to eat and have the best full meals ... Most of the stuff is still made from scratch ---Yes, I bought some Polish sausage --and yes it was good -- with a little Colman's English mustard .. And no I will not say if I took some home ....
We ended up having some of the best chicken soup ever right down town on Grafton street in a Polish Deli --
The cook, a young,tall attractive blond headed Russian. showed me the stuff she put in it--including potatoes and some kind of grain to thicken it -- I took a few pictures of the boxes and one day I will attempt to make it -- I bought the box of grain and what ever was in the other box --The box labels were all in Polish.
We found the information building ---Bought a few take home things.. Got a tour guide map and what was on the bus tour..
We walked to the Dublin castle -- a great stop -- and very well done -- I think it was 8 Euros each and well worth it...We continued walking to Saint Patricks Church. Which seems to have turned into a big pay to get in, filled with signs and other tourist stuff.. I do not think it is worth the stop nor the price for a look around..
Bobbie now tired and the walking got to be too much..We asked about getting back to the down town... Found the right bus, got on, did not have the right change. The driver said skip it and take a seat...We got down town near the Trinity college. It was too late to see the famous old library... Another taste of food and we were off to our B & B that was operated by folks who should be operating a furniture store...They were nice folks but had not a clue on how to run a B & B ...
After the Irish breakfast ( better then the first day ) ( I still had to ask for napkins and do you have any juice ) we called Shannon airport again and found out the flight was still on, so rather then hang about that side of Ireland, we thought lets head back toward Shannon...One of the boaders let me call Sigonella for lodging on her computer after she set it up for me .. I tried to pay her but she said the money was not important...
On the way back to Shannon.....
...We made a day stop at Kildare----The Japanese Gardens there are just outside the town and are well worth a visit if one is near Dublin... Kildare is about 60 miles West of Dublin...The gardens seemed like a great place to spend the day - There was also a stud horse farm there and another big garden. We stayed there later then we should have. After a big traffic jam we ended up rushing to make the flight show time.
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Super market prices good --especially the breads... Internet cafe's are good for state side calls and cheap to use --mostly outsiders operate them -- unemployment high and the government not liked -- they love our President ---
Ireland was grand --we did a lot of driving --mostly good weather down south --Some great B & B places and some not so great.. At one place we had to wake up the landlord for breakfast, and then ask for everything ...As I said; they should have been running a furniture store...
Dublin is nice for a one or two day visit...Public transport mostly good....Great place to shop -- People very nice ...and helpful... ...
Most of the B & Bs are now around 70 Euros and up, and are much higher in season and on weekends...Driving, as usual, in the cities is a bear --and the parking --especially with the left side driving is a task...The fine for parking without paying is 40 Euros....We parked in Super Market lots and walked or rode the bus or tram...
Cheap eats with cold cuts and some of the salad stuff and good breads--find a nice park and eat...
--Rent cars are very high
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Warm hugs to all B & me
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