Unregistered User
(5/31/03 4:43 pm)

First three days

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Let me set the cast of characters (and characters is an accurate description):
Judy, aka Dude, family matriarch, late 50's, on her third trip to the Old Country.
Karen, Babs, and Mary Anne, the next three Jones girls
(two youngest couldn't make this trip), mid-40's to 50, first trip to Ireland.
Carey, daughter of Babs, almost 21, first trip.

I learned a few words and phrases in The Irish on this trip:
Slow--means "drive really fast"
Dead Slow--means "floorboard it"
No Overtaking--means "floorboard it and blow the doors off the tourist van ahead of you."
And, judging from my activities, "Push" means "Pull" and "Pull" means "Push."

If I had a euro for every time I had to pull in to a driveway and retrace my steps back to where we missed the turn, I could go to Ireland again for a LONG stay.

Saturday, May 17
The trip over was uneventful except for the chilling words "mechanical problem" in Houston which I was sure would make me miss my connection in Newark. Walked off one plane directly onto another.
Sunday, May 18
Hertz, who had had time since our reservations were made to build us a mini-bus, didn't seem to have one on hand when we arrived. So we were crammed into a Land Rover; two largish ladies and one slim niece in the back seat and the luggage piled to the roof in the back so that driver (me) couldn't see out.
Over the Conor Pass in the mist and rain. Absolutely spectacular even under those conditions; can't wait to go back on a sunny day.
Tucked in early to Murphy's Farmhouse in Castlemaine.
Monday, May 19
Into Killarney to attempt to swap out vehicles. Hertz there didn't have one but were MUCH more interested in our plight than the Shannonites. Patricia Horgan (one of my new best friends) actually drove a station wagon out to tonight's B&B to see if it would work, but we agreed that it wouldn't. So on Tuesday we drove back into Killarney to pick up our Ford Tourneo. Seats 8, plenty of room for luggage and wonderful to drive; it's just like driving a bus. And because it's fairly wide, people gave us as much room as they could. So that was settled satisfactorily.
Monday was spent walking the gardens at Muckross and trudging up to the top of Torc Waterfall. We missed the last tour at Ross Castle and the Lily of Killarney wouldn't sail with fewer than 15 so we didn't get to tour the lakes either.
Stayed at Salmon Leap with a lovely hostess. I highly recommend it.
Tuesday, May 20
Off to Blarney Castle where some of the braver ones kissed the Stone and we all shopped. Just drove by Cahir Castle (late getting on the road because of the car swap) and spent a short time at Cashel. On to Castledermot and Kilkea Castle, our "B&B" for the night. Very luxurious but not quite as period as Waterford Castle. We wasted a lot of time lost in Mallow. Some places are so well signed and some not at all.

Michele Erdvig
ezOP
Posts: 1514
(5/31/03 11:05 pm)

The Trip

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Hi Dude,

Thanks for posting your first few days. I'm glad the car situation was straightened out. Perseverance can pay off in the end. Loved the translation of the Irish terminology!

Michele

DebbieK
Registered User
Posts: 21
(6/1/03 9:27 pm)

Re: The Trip

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I feel your pain with the luggage up to the rafters! And to make it over Connor Pass that way.

Glad to here you got a car that fit you all.

Debbie

Dude
Unregistered User
(6/1/03 10:15 pm)

luggage & Conor Pass

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Actually, the passengers who should have been the ones screaming in terror, were mostly asleep or in a jet-lag daze so it worked out okay. I have always been one to just go ahead and hope everything works out for the best. Sure did like that Tourneo. You sit right up front and up higher than regular traffic, although it was a diesel and didn't have much pickup so had to be real careful about darting into traffic or overtaking