Atlantic and Europe

We went on the the Rock of Cashel, a castle begun in the fifth century by the O'Bryan clan chiefs in this part of Ireland. A huge chunk of the bishop's tower as large as a Volkswagen was sitting on the ground. It was blown out of the northeastern corner in a single storm one night in the eighteenth century. Some of the wind we felt on top of that hill convinced me that such a catastrophe was entirely possible. However, since the building was abandoned at about the same time when a new bishop wanted a new residence down in the town, there was no need to replace the fallen material. Both the palace and the chapel were beautiful, even in their ruined state. The choir room, on the other hand, has been restored. At a restaurant at the base of the hill we enjoyed a lunch of baked chicken in mustard sauce, carrots and parsnips, and potatoes. The dessert was apple pie. We also got a complimentary Guinness Stout with the meal. Just after we climbed the hill to the castle, Glenda began to feel ill. She returned to the bus and took it easy, while I went on with my photography. Our guide Annie gave a very knowledgeable running commentary on Irish history, language, politics and culture as we rode back to the ship. Returning to the Royal Princess, I got us some pizza and brought it back to our room, where Glenda is resting and trying to recover. As we shoved off from Cobh, the Cobh town band was at the dock to play for our ship. They began with "Georgia On My Mind," and "King of the Road." Just as the lines were slipped, they broke into "Anchors Aweigh." About a hundred people on the dock began swaying their arms to the music, and we waved back. One little girl amused those of us on the port side of the ship by cutting somersaults down the dockside. As we left I got some good shots of the town and the cathedral. I went to the other side of the ship to see the place where the Titanic was docked before her fateful departure. When I tried to come inside, the automatic door for the promenade deck would not open, so I had to enlist help from some other passengers and crew to get the door to open. Finally they pointed me to another door. Coming back to the stateroom, I was engaged in a short conversation with another passenger about the wonderful conditions for photos today. I summarized our adventures, and he mentioned to me that he toured Cobh in a taxi with a driver named Patty O'Roark. Among other places, Patty took him to the Lusitania graveyard, where his grandparents are buried. Glenda just roused and says she thinks she has a slight fever. The captain announced that the voyage tonight may get a bit bouncy. High winds and rough seas are in our path.Read more