31 Days In Ireland

Michele Erdvig · Host

31 Days In Ireland

eileenalana · Veteran Member

AWESOME!!!! Can't wait to hear all about it. Makes me even more excited to get going on finalizing (starting!!) my trip for March 2011. So far have the flights booked and still working on figuring out the car thing. Wish I had the days you had. Must squeeze in as much as possible in only 8 days!! No matter...... it's Ireland..... any amount of time is well worth it!! Glad I got my book when I did. Great for you!

Michele Erdvig · Host

A few more things that have popped into my memory.

I got to return from Shannon to JFK. What a great experience compared to Dublin (which I flew into).

Pre-clearence at Shannon was wonderful. Once on US soil no immigration or customs. What a breeze. Previously it was easy to spend over an hour in long queues on arrival home.

Michele

murphy · Guru

Michele,

Just wondered which car company tried to scam you on the tire? I still have not reserved a car for our March 26, 2011 trip. Thanks for the heads up about this latest means to extract more $'s from tourists, at a time when economics should dictate that they bend over backwards to lure tourist, not drive them off. cry

Thanks Dan

tony2phones · Guru

Glad all went well. There has been a lot of the really bad cold thing over here recently probably the change in weather, still at least its not been the swine flu like last year. Tyres on rental cars can be a problem, mainly because of the state of Irish roads, I wore out a front pair in 5000 miles earlier this year and thorns off the Gorse can cause damage so if they have been cutting the hedges be careful.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dan,

I rented from Dooley. The tire problem was a tiny piece of rubber sticking out on one tire. My husband thought it was a defect not something caused by us. Anyway, he protested and we were not charged the 150 euro for a tire.

If you can be charged 150 for a tiny piece of rubber that they don't like the looks of I would suggest extra care when examining the car, especially the tires. Maybe I should bring one of those lighted magnifying glasses to do my pre-rental inspection. Only problem is we got the last car on the lot. It was that one or nothing.

Tony,

The owner of the self-catering cottage mentioned a bad flu or cold going around the area. When we visited friends at the end of our trip they both had it. So far I have avoided it but my hands are chaped from washing them so often. Need more lotion.

Michele

BeyondtheBlarney · Member

Hi Michele,

Sorry the weather wasn't better - July was particularly wet in Ireland this year. But the good news is that we'e having an Indian Summer at the moment. Forecast for 22C this weekend ! Amazing to see the leaves turning gold on the trees and yet be able to wear a T-shirt while pottering in the garden!

And speaking of pottering in the garden - the little slide show below shows the abundance in the hedgerows this year - so summer can't have been all bad!

Sue

Michele Erdvig · Host

Sue,

Welcome to my forum. Thanks for sharing the lovely slideshow. The leaves were really changing when I left Ireland and you could feel autumn in the air. But it was pretty mild for most of my trip.

Like I always tell people "You don't go to Ireland for a suntan". I always make the most of each day whether it brings sunshine or showers.

Michele

CowboyCraic · Guru

Sue,

Thanks for the great slideshow!

I, for one, am always disappointed if there are too many sunny days whilst I am over home. I enjoy the soft days, the deluges, that almost always guarantee that I will be the only soul out and about, and the multi-seasonal days. I come from Arizona where the sun seems to always be shining, bright and hot. We fervently pray for rain the way, I am sure, some of the Irish pray for sun and dry days.

Slan Beo,

Bit

Michele Erdvig · Host

I was just looking through my notes. These are the funniest signs I saw in Ireland:

Free Firewood For Sale

15 Stray Cats to a Good Home (and right next to it): No Cats Allowed!

Written on the sides of bales of hay: Fek off Crows

Michele

-- Edited by Michele Erdvig on Wednesday 13th of October 2010 09:29:42 AM

tony2phones · Guru

Its 1/4 past 5 in the afternoon and the morning mist is just lifting, gossamer webs on the hedge's glistening with dew and yes its b***dy cold. Autumn has arrived on the Slieve Aughty time to get the peat out of the turf shed and on the fire. So Bit, swap you for some warm sunshine and Michele just where was that free firewood for sale?

CowboyCraic · Guru

Tony,

It is October 13, Fall has officially begun and we are still running our Air conditioning and facing a 94 high. I would gladly trade this for what you have just so beautifully described.

Now if I could just get the danged teleporter to work!!!! biggrin

BeyondtheBlarney · Member

Yes 'Fall' has fallen alright! It was a stunning afternoon last Sunday when I went for a wander in a small woodland just outside Oldcastle, Co. Meath. The woodland is now part of the grounds of the Park Hotel in Virginia, Co. Cavan which was at one time part of a huge estate which belonged to the Headfort family in Kells. The woodland is now managed by Coillte, the Irish Forestry board and its a beautiful mixed woodland which runs along the shores of Lough Ramor. I took some pictures and you can see them here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl_5jAYWa7A

Michele Erdvig · Host

Tony,

I didn't make note of where I saw that sign or the one for the cats. Sorry.

Found another note about my trip. You could call it "Lord of the Flies".

We stayed in a farming area in Co. Galway. Our B&B room had a couple of skylight windows. When I opened one to let in some air a zillion flies swarmed into the room. It was like a horror movie. I immediately slammed it shut and killed about two dozen flies. But there were still plenty in our room. My husband Barry was not pleased.

Later that evening Barry started a new company. Barry's Fly Removal Service. He shut off all the lights in our room, turned on the hall light and opened our door. Then he shooed all the flies out. They were very happy in the hall.

Michele

tony2phones · Guru

We are plagued with fruit flies this year, they swarm in the window gaps (more on the grassed side of the house) god only knows where they come from or how they get into the gaps. We escaped the Midges had wasps all summer and now the flies have landed. Think they are after somewhere warm to hibernate with the cold weather rushing in. Good advice though is not to open Skylight windows in rural Galway.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Tony,

I learned my lesson. I guess it was fly season. At another B&B there were flies all over our car in the parking area. I guess the car absorbs heat and they were warming themselves up. We have window screens in the US so don't have that problem.

Michele

wckc · Guru

Bit - Be sure to let us know when you get that Transporter working - the new AerLingus Air Busses are way to cramped!

Michelle - Keith says he is the King of the Flies! We too were plagued with them, but luckily they didn't bother us like the ones here at home do. Keith was actually able to open the windows and coax them to fly away.Those that didn't leave on their own were happy fo step on his hand for a ride!

-wc

murphy · Guru

The writing on the side of the bales...that was hilarious! We saw that one also in rural NW Ireland last year. We talked to a farmer, and he said that the hay is put into the bales fairly wet, then sealed in the white plastic bags, after which fermentation takes place and the forage turns into something similar to silage...a tasty treat for dairy cows. This allows the hay to be baled quicker, as the hay with out a baggie would need to dry to about 10-12% moisture in order to keep all winter with out spoiling. So when the crows peck holes in the white bags, it causes the hay to spoil....hence the sign "fek off crows!" Dan

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dan,

The "crows" sign was between Kilgarvan and Kenmare. It is there every year. I even turned it into a postcard. But I'll never forget the first time I saw it. We had a big laugh and just had to take photos.

Michele

stewh · Guru

The 'crows' sign just outside of Kenmare has given me a laugh a few times. We saw this creative graffiti in West Cork in May.

Stewart

-- Edited by stewh on Monday 18th of October 2010 07:58:00 PM

chaika · Veteran Member

I thought of doing that, but renting a car for 4 weeks would kill our budget. Did you get some kind of discount for that long a period?

We saw several signs DANGEROUS COWS CROSSING. I saw one with a picture of a cow with only Irish words, but I bet it said the same thing!

Nice road sign!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dave,

Welcome to my forum. The price of the car rental depends on time of year. I recently got a car for 31 days in Sept/Oct for less than $500.

Michele