0800 GMT - We wake up with Connor's call to action. Eamon starts of the morning with some early BBC kids shows, while we get our bags packed and ready to go. We don't have a clock in the room, and the only watch I have is my formal watch for work and, frankly, I don't even remember where I last left it, but somewhere at home in Seattle. It is a somewhat overcast day, so that does not help too much, but since it is no longer dark out, we figure that it must be close to 9am. We requested breakfast at 0900, so we decide to head over to the main house. Once inside, though, our host tells us that it is only 0840 and they are not quite ready. We head back to the cottage and I load the car. When I get back to the room, the phone rings and they tell us that they are ready for us. Breakfast is lovely. They have a full buffet of fresh and dried fruits, some breads, butter, jams, preserves, juices, milk, and cereals set out. They then serve us a full traditional Irish breakfast with back bacon, sausages, eggs and black and white puddings. I try the puddings, since they have gone to such efforts to put together this gorgeous breakfast. Neither one is to my liking, but Eamon really likes the white pudding so I give mine to him. Eamon also tries both dried and fresh dates, but decides that the fresh ones are not good, and the dried ones are delicious. Amy has tea with her breakfast, but I stick with my coffee. After breakfast, we settle our bill and hit the road to Buratty.
1130 GMT - We want to visit the Cliffs of Mohr. We head southwest, and arrive at a little seaside town, where we can see the Aran Islands off in the distance. On our way out of the town, we see a very cool ruin.
We get to the cliffs, and do a little shopping beofre braving the walk to the viewing area. The wind is so strong here that it will actually physically move me if I don't resist it. Amy loses her hat and I have to chase after it. The cliffs are quite stunning, but once it starts to rain, we decide to return to the car and hit the road.
1330 GMT - Both kids fall asleep after a few hours on the road, but we realize that it is almost lunch time, and we are entering the last major town on our route. We stop in Ennis and find a parking lot. We wake up the kids, and since St. Stephen's Day fell on a Sunday, today is a bank holiday. The stores are open, but the parking is free. We decide to try a Pub/Restaurant right on the lot, but once inside decide that it is not family friendly and head back out to the street. We end up at the first Pub we saw driving into the town and take a seat in the back all on our own. We find a big newspaper clipping about Ireland's former Prime Minister named Eamon De Valera. Eamon is excited at first to see his name on a newspaper headline, but that quickly passes and the mysterious, empty pint glass perched on top of the stall in the Gents toilet becomes the real interesting object. We have a nice lunch, and I have a chat with the bartender about the change in the smoking policy in Ireland. There is no smoking indoors in public buildings in the whole country. I ask if it has impacted business much, and he says that business is down a little, but not that much. He says that every worker in the bar was sick with bad colds for a month after the ban went into effect, and no one has been sick since. He is very happy about the health benefits the new law has brought for a non-smoker like himself. It is a torrential downpour, and we run back to the car as quickly as we can. We decide to hit the road. We, again, have no idea where our next B&B is actually located, but we do have an address. Once on the road, we get caught in absolutely ridiculous traffic which barely moves for 15 or more minutes. We decide that it must be airport traffic, and the airport is halfway between where we are and where we are going. I analyze the map and pick a "back" way that routes around the airport and takes us through more scenic areas.
1530 GMT - We manage to follow the map and the signs to Bunratty and drive right by the castle where we have our dinner reservations for the evening. When we pass the castle, I see a road sign, but don't pay too much attention to it. After driving a little way past the castle, Amy says we have gone too far, since she was told that the B&B was close to the castle. I check the address, and see that it is on the road that we drove in on, the "back" way. We turn around and drive all the way to the end of that road without seeing the sign for the B&B. Amy calls them from the castle parking lot pay phone, but can only leave a message. The gas station at the other end of the road says that they know where it is, and we must have missed the sign. They say that it is after the Carriage Park (or trailer park to we Americans) but before the winery. We drive back again, and slow down at every B&B sign, much to the chagrin of those people behind us along the way. We finally find it, when we realize that the name we have for it is in small print under the larger print of the owner's name. Silly us. We pull in and Maread is pleased to see us since she was late to the phone, and had no way to call us back with directions. She sets us up in our room upstairs, and I haul up the luggage.
1645 GMT - It is time for the big dinner. Due to the rain we have to drive to the castle. We enter and pick up our tickets and run through the rain...quite a long way to the castle entrance. Amy gets routed off with the stroller at the entrance so she can place it in the room where we will have dinner, and we won't have to carry it. I am carrying Connor, and Eamon has a minor panic on the narrow, spiral, stone staircase. I manage to talk him through it, with the help of some kind folk behind him. We reach the top where they hand him a mug of fruit punch and me a mug of mead, or honey wine. It was the traditional drink for the bride and groom for the first month after the wedding, with reputed powers for fertility and virility. Mead's honey base, and the month length led that period tradition required for its consumption led to this period being titled the "honeymoon." We are in the great hall, and we take the opportunity to look at the castle structure itself, as well as the art throughout the room. We meet a woman from Bellingham who is visiting her daughter who is going to school in Dublin. We also meet an Irishman named Eamonn, and again Eamon is pleased to meet someone with his name, even if it is spelled with the traditional second "n." A Lord and His Lady are selected from the crowd and bestowed with their new titles, and a harpist plays some music. Suddenly, the women who have been serving the mead and punch form a choir right next to us and begin to sing quite nicely. At the first vocal note, Connor, who I am holding, whips his head around to watch them, and he does not move or make a sound until they are done. He really loves music. We are herded back downstairs, and with the kids in tow, we wait until the end of the line to make the journey. Eamon has and even harder time going down, but he makes it.
1730 GMT - We are seated at the end of a long wooden table with long wooden benches. Connor is provided a high chair at the end of the table. We are served soup which must be drunk directly from the bowl, and some bread and butter. It is quite tasty. We meet a couple from Belgium who take our photo, and seem intent on keeping my wine glass full at all times.
They are very sweet and we have nice conversation with them throughout the meal. We have a few more courses, including chicken and spare ribs. All food is eaten with the hands, and you are provided a bib and a bowl of water for your fingers. Connor is snuck some serviettes by the women who are serving dinner, as they have become VERY fond of him. Dinner is great, and after dessert, they start up the music, with the servers as performers. They are quite good, and Connor's favorite also plays the Bodhran. The women fawn over Connor the whole time, and give him a plastic, red, ball ornament from the tree, since he keeps reaching for them while they are holding him.
They try to get Eamon up on the stage for the finale, but he won't budge. He does visit the dungeon after the meal with one of them, and she tells him that he needs to come back to Ireland in a "few" years to have a pint, and they will marry him off to a good Irish girl.
Both Eamon and Connor have had a BLAST, loving every minute of the visit. Kudos to my brilliant mother for the recommendation to bring them. We head back to the B&B, and it is time for us ALL to go to sleep.
1 comment:
How was your experience at Connemara Country Cottages? We're looking at staying there later this year, 2 adults and 2 children. Thanks!
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