Michelle Creasy

Michelle Creasy

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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Politics and a dinsoaur
11 octobre 2018, Irlande du Nord ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
Today was mostly about politics and the conflict in Northern Ireland. I started out with a black taxi tour. It was educational, interesting, eye opening and sobering. My driver Kevin was 9 when the Troubles started and he’s lived in Belfast all his life.
His insight was interesting and I saw much more than I did yesterday on the hop on hop off bus. He took me to the IRA museum. That was sobering, especially to think that this happened during my lifetime.
One thing that did make me laugh was one of the rules at the Armagh Women’s prison.
“Letters may not be smuggled in or out of the prison unless permission has been given beforehand”
I saw rubber and plastic bullets that were used, they are huge. I had just assumed they were normal bullet sized.
Part of the peace wall is covered in messages and graffiti. Bill Clinton was the first to write on the wall. I also wrote a message.

At the end of the tour Kevin dropped me off at the City Hall. They have a comprehensive exhibition on the history of Belfast. Again it was interesting.

From there I went to the Ulster Museum. They have “Dippy”the diplodocus carnegii dinosaur on display at the moment. He used to be in the foyer of the natural history museum so while I missed him in London I saw him here. To be honest I’m not that excited by dinosaurs but the rest of the exhibition that looked at the various differences in animal species in Ireland and the UK.
They also had a special exhibition on the events of 1968.

From the museum I caught the hop on hop off bus again. I wanted to hear what they had to say again. This time the tour guide was an older guy compared to the younger woman yesterday. They seemed to have quite different perspectives. He was not that optimistic about the removal of the peace walls. The guide yesterday tended to view it more as history, which to her it probably was.
The bus was the last one of the day so I finished up in the city. I took a walk to find Vistoria Square, a shopping centre with a dome on top that gives views of the city.
From there I got some dinner and headed back to the hotel. My phone battery was very low so I tried to find my way back using the street signs but was having no luck. Fortunately my battery lasted until I got back here.En savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Touring Belfast
10 octobre 2018, Irlande du Nord ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
Finally the rain has gone. It was a beautiful day today, cool but not cold and nice and warm in the sun.
I started out with the hop on hop off bus tour. I sat up the top on the left, as I usually do and found myself ducking whenever we went under trees.

I hadn’t realised that the city was still so divided. I was vaguely aware of the political situation when I was younger but did not really know much about it. The bus took us through both Protestant/Unionist and Catholic/Nationalist areas as well as along the peace wall which divides neighbourhoods. There is still signs of the conflict. The most sobering being the houses/flats with mesh covering the windows.
In the Catholic areas street signs are in English and Gaelic, in the Protestant areas they are in English only. The union flag and Irish flag fly in their respective areas and there are so many murals and memorials.

I got off the bus at the Titanic museum. The museum is great and very well done. It gives a history of industry and shipbuilding in Belfast and then then the building of the Titanic right through to the aftermath of the sinking. I spent quite a lot of time there looking at all the exhibits.

I also met up with another Pokémon playing internet friend. It was nice to trade Pokémon but it was even better just to talk to her, get her experience of living in Northern Ireland and hear her perspective on various topics. We chatted for quite a while before I went off and finished the museum.

I got back on the bus and the next part of the tour took us up the Parliament House. All vehicles are searched as they enter the gates although this was quite perfunctory. The guard took a look on the back seat and didn’t bother going upstairs. On the way back we again went through separated parts of the city.

I got off opposite the Europa Hotel. It’s the most bombed hotel in Europe, having been bombed over 30 times. It’s around the corner and up the street from where I am staying.En savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Giant's Causeway
9 octobre 2018, Irlande du Nord ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Today started out cloudy but with no rain and it stayed that way for most of the day. I imagined I could see the Scottish coast but I really don’t think I could see that far in this weather.
I started out at the Giant’s Causeway and I had expected it to be a lot bigger somehow. I did enjoy listening to the stories on the audio guide. I’m glad I had headphones as most of the other people with audio guides seem to be struggling to hear them. I keep the cheap headphones from the hop on hop off buses for this very purpose.
The stones in the Causeway are fascinating. Many different types in such a small area.

Yesterday the car notified me that one of the tyres had low pressure. I put air in it and we were fine until the evening when it happened again. It happened again on the way to the Giant’s Causeway and so once I was done I found a service station, put air in the tire and rang the car hire company. I was informed that I was liable for the tyre and the cheapest option would probably be to have it repaired myself. Fortunately the service station I was at had a tyre repairer attached so I soon had it sorted out. Fortunately the tyre was able to be repaired. I’m not sure what it was - probably a small piece of glass or metal as it was no longer there. At £16.50 I think I got off quite lightly.

I then wound my way down between the Glens of Antrim and the coast road to Belfast. The Glens were very pretty. Forrests mainly. I stopped at Glenariff Forrest Park and went for a short walk.

I’m in Belfast for the next three nights.En savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
1
Ireland's North
8 octobre 2018, Irlande ⋅ 🌬 14 °C
Today’s goal was to visit the Giant’s Causeway. I got a bit sidetracked and didn’t make it up here in time. I set the GPS for Ballycastle which is where I’m staying and I should have been here about 1:30pm. The drive east took me back through the National Park and while the weather wasn’t as good as Saturday it was still a lovely drive.

I got to Letterkenny and saw signs for Malin Head. Googling showed it was the most northerly point on the island of Ireland so I decided I needed to visit. It was a nice drive up there but oh so windy when I got there. On a fine day you can see the Scottish isles but I couldn’t see very far today at all. Fortunately it wasn’t raining while I was at Malin Head.

I’m not really sure when I crossed into Northern Ireland. Somewhere around Muff I stopped at a service station and noticed the price was advertised in Euros and also pounds for cash. Shortly after that the GPS started giving me weird speed limits - 97km/hr, 48km/hr and I realised I must be in Northern Ireland. I didn’t see a sign at all.
The other telltale sign was the increase in roundabouts. I took the A2 from Derry to Bushmills and there seemed to be roundabouts every couple of kilometres.

I’m just here for the night, I see now that I could have spent 3 nights here but I’m still glad i spent those couple of nights in the Connemara area.En savoir plus
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Just gorgeous, you are going to places in Ireland I haven’t been to! Malin head for one! We did get to the Giants Causeway before we left Ireland ro come here x
09/10/2018Répondre
VoyageurStunning pics. :)
09/10/2018Répondre
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
The Wild Atlantic Way
7 octobre 2018, Irlande ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
Today’s weather wasn’t great to say the least. If you are interested take a look at the radar or satellite for Ireland at the moment and you’ll see what I mean. It was with some misgivings that I decided to stick to my original plan and go to Arranmore.
From east of Kerry to near Londonderry the road along the coast is known and signposted as The Wild Atlantic Way. If I’d had the time if would have been wonderful to drive all 2500km of it. Up until today I’ve taken the wild to mean the wild beauty of the lamdscape. Today though I got to experience the wild weather.

Unlike other ferries that I’ve taken this one wasn’t a “roll on roll off” in which you drive on one end and drive off the other. This one you backed onto it and drove off. The tide was low and it was quite steep reversing down the ramp. I obviously didn’t look to confident as one of the ferry guys came and offered to reverse the car for me. I gladly accepted his offer.

The crossing itself was okay. The route is relatively sheltered as it finds it’s way through some small islands before arriving on the east side of Arranmore.
I set off to drive to the lighthouse but took a wrong turn and ended up on some really narrow roads where a lot of the bitumen had washed away in parts. I found my way back to Leabgarrow which is where the ferry came in. There weren’t a lot of options for lunch as nothing looked open but I found a pub that did ham and cheese toasted sandwiches (and that’s all they did) but it was fine for lunch.
After lunch I set out again to find the lighthouse. It’s on the northwestern tip of the island and the weather there was quite ferocious. The rain was coming in horizontally and quite hard. I didn’t take a lot of photos as I didn’t want to get out of the car and even winding the window down sent in stinging rain. I could barely see the ocean through the rain. I’m sure it would be amazing on a fine day. I tried to take the ring road around the island but the weather got worse and so did the road so I went back to Leabgarrow. I was concerned that the ferry might be cancelled but on the other side of the island the wind was much calmer.

As I turned the car around to reverse in the same guy as before came up to the car and I was again very happy to let him put the car on the ferry. I’m sure I could have done it but I’m equally sure he was a lot quicker than I would have been.

Once back on the mainland I headed for Inishfree island (which isn’t an island) just for a look. Again the weather was quite wild.

I finished up with a stop at a service station laundromat to do a wash before coming back to the hotel.En savoir plus
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More great photos and blog x I had amazing seafood chowder in. Pub in Burtonport last year
08/10/2018Répondre
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
1
Glenveagh National Park
6 octobre 2018, Irlande ⋅ 🌙 4 °C
Today started with a trip to Cruit Island, as recommended to me. On the way I stopped off at a boat ramp for a look. There was a bloke there, who on hearing my accent showed me his boat. It is called the Cootamundra Wattle. He said that he used to hear the song on the radio every day on his way to work and finally looked up what it was. He did ask me if I was related to the Boyds as seven sons had gone to New Zealand years ago. One had never been more than three miles from home and then he went all the way to Christchurch.

Cruit Island was beautiful. It is connected to the mainland via a bridge so easy to get to. There were a lot of reeds along the road and after seeing a video at the museum yesterday I could see it being harvested to use for weaving. I went out to the golf course (mainly because that’s all my GPS would recognise when I was looking for directions) and it is on the western edge of the island looking out onto the Atlantic Ocean. The sun was shining and the ocean was such a deep blue. The photos just don’t capture it well enough.

From there I went down to Burtonport planning to catch the car ferry to Arranmore. Unfortunately I hadn’t booked and they didn’t have anymore availability for cars today. I booked for tomorrow and headed out to the Glenveagh National Park. Like a lot of National Parks over here it is different to our National Parks. There were houses/farms in it. At one point a had to drive through a small flock of sheep. I also saw donkeys!

I always ask the GPS for two routes and I chose the long route which I think took me around the outside on the east side. I finally got there though and it was worth it. There is a castle there - Glenveagh Castle and the gardens are gorgeous. There is a walled garden with fruit trees and vegetables and then acreage with plants from around the world. I even found a gum tree! The trees all out in their autumn splendour.
To get from the car park to the castle I took a shuttle bus. I got the same driver both there and back and I’m pretty sure he was speaking Gaelic to his mate who came back with him. Obviously it could be any number of languages that I’m not familiar with but I like to think that as I’m in an Gaelic speaking area it was Gaelic. We also saw a couple of deer on the way back to the car park.

I spent quite a while there so headed back to my hotel when I was done. I’m writing this in the bar. I ate here last night and tonight - it’s much easier when I don’t have to go and find somewhere to eat. They have some good seafood here. Last night I had crab claws and kippers, tonight smoked salmon and scampi. Turns out I didn’t realise kippers were smoked herring. It was very rich and I think it will be be a long time until I try it again.
There is apparently live music her tonight but it doesn’t start until 9:30. Hopefully I can stay awake that long!En savoir plus
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Brilliant photos x so glad you enjoyed Cruit I thought you would. I was in the golf club last year and we had a pot of tea and scones
06/10/2018Répondre
VoyageurVery interesting. Photos are getting prettier I'm sure. 😃
06/10/2018Répondre
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Travel to Annagry
5 octobre 2018, Irlande ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
Today was a travel day and it took much longer than the 4 hours suggested by the GPS. It was closer to 8 hours. I’m not quite sure I’ve got the settings on the GPS correct as even from Clifden to Westport which should have been fairly straightforward along the one road but I was constantly turning off and on the various roads. Then as I got close to Annagry it took me on this really narrow road halfway up a hill just to rejoin the original road I turned off from.
I did stop at the Museum of Country Life in Turlough which while small was interesting. It was a good reminder that a lot of the traditions were necessitated through poverty and not nearly as romantic as they may seem. They also had a small exhibition on Irish Travellers. It’s the first reference I’ve seen of Travellers since I’ve been here.

The rest of the trip was pretty much just driving up. It’s a very pretty area and I’m looking forward to exploring it tomorrow.En savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
2
Connemara Loop
4 octobre 2018, Irlande ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Last night I wrote the blog sitting in a pub while I had dinner and then listed to a great duo who were playing in the pub. One played the guitar, the other what looked like a tea chest. They were very good. On finding out I was Australian they played “The Pub With No Beer”. They then played “Now I’m Easy”by Eric Bogle which was new to me. Eventually I had to leave to go to bed.
I’m now sitting in the lounge of the hotel listening to a guy on a piano. I’ve just gotten back after dinner and he was playing so I’ve sat down to listen while I write this.

I started today off with the Sky rd which is a scenic loop from Clifden. I then went down to the Connemara loop. The first stop was Kylemore Abbey and I’m still not sure how I managed to spend four hours there. It was originally built as a house/castle in the 1860s and after changing hands a couple of times was bought by the Benedictine Nuns in 1920. There was originally a wonderful walled garden which gradually became neglected until the mid 1990s when it was decided to restore it. I spoke to one of the gardeners who has been there since they started the restoration and he said it took them two years to just clear garden before they could even begin to plan and plant.
The garden is now beautiful. It’s set out in the original Victorian plan.

The house/Abbey itself is also gorgeous. Only a few rooms are open to the public but it was definitely worth it.

The rest of the grounds are gorgeous. I met a couple from Brisbane. When I meet Australians I tend to think “they don’t have an accent” rather than they are Australian. I have a terrible ear for accents. It’s the first time I’ve heard an Australian refer to Australia as Aussie. She asked me “are you from Aussie”. It was weird. So often the people I meet are surprised I’m travelling on my own and not even part of a tour. She appreciated it though as she wanted to go and see the garden but he didn’t. As a solo traveller I can do what I want when I want.

As I said yesterday the autumn colours are really coming out. I think I’ve run out of good weather. It again was cloudy and drizzly. The clouds covered the top of the mountains. After I finished at the Abbey I finished the loop. Sometimes I wasn’t sure whether it was the ocean or lakes that I was seeing but it was all lovely. It reminds me of the highlands in Scotland.En savoir plus
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Beautiful photos! Ashe
04/10/2018Répondre
VoyageurWonderful pics. The Abbey is stunning. Interesting people you are meeting with 😀 The garden is stunning. Since you can't find 4 legged dogs, you find 4 legged sheep 😄
04/10/2018Répondre
More lovely photos of another great day! Michelle you are certainly making the most of your time in Ireland 🇮🇪
04/10/2018Répondre
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Galway and a scenic drive
3 octobre 2018, Irlande ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
My original plan had me heading to Sligo today but I wanted to see more of the area so I’m spending two nights in Clifden, in the Connemara region.
I hadn’t seen Galway so that was my first stop today. I went to the Galway city museum looking to find out about the history of Galway but there was a bigger focus on the war of independence. It was still worth a look though.
Coming through Claddagh I found a little cottage as they all would have been before they were destroyed in the 1930s to try and eradicate the TB that was going through the area.

I then followed the Atlantic Way west to the island of Lettermore for no other other reason than it seemed like a nice drive and I wanted to see the islands that were connected by causeways.
They are beautiful, lots of yellow seaweed adding to the autumn colour. As I got closer to the islands the road signs began appearing in Irish only (usually they are both English and Irish). Fortunately I had my GPS so I wasn’t relying on road signs. Again some of the roads were very narrow and windy but I’m getting used to that now. It’s a choice to take the narrow, minor roads. This morning I took an M road (like a freeway/highway) from Gort to Galway and it only took 40 mins to travel to the 40km. Compare that to Monday where it took just over an hour to travel a similar distance. The minor roads are much more interesting though which plenty of places to stop and look at attractions or take photos.

I think I saw cut peat on the way to Clifden. It was dark rectangular shaped logs on the side of the road with similar shaped holes cut in the ground across the road. After googling I’m pretty sure that’s what it was. This area does feel the most remote so far but I was surprised to see the cut peat.En savoir plus
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Hi Michelle, it would have been Peat, it smells amazing when it is burnt if you eat a chance try it x you are in the Gaeltacht region which is why only Gaelic road signs. In 1998 when we went to Innis Mor we were walking to the village from the airport and a guy was walking towards us with a cap pulled down the old way, I asked him were we heading in the right direction....he said “Nil me ag caint beirleigh’ which means I don’t speak English! I was so impressed that in these times he is still able to live a traditional life on the Island. He would have been my age. Gayle Lannon
03/10/2018Répondre
VoyageurSo very interesting and pictures are lovely 🙂
03/10/2018Répondre
Definitely peat - it used to be a fairly common sight in boggy areas when I was a child. We used to burn it on our fires - gives out great heat. And as Gayle said above, you're in the Gaeltacht area, of which there are only a very few left in Ireland now. Phil
03/10/2018Répondre
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
The Burren
2 octobre 2018, Irlande ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Today was my first real wet day in Ireland. I set out to take a closer look at The Burren. The Burren is a geological area in the area that I am staying. It’s mainly limestone hits more complex than that).
I started out with a visit to the Kilmacduagh Monastery. I’d seen the ruins from the road yesterday on my way to Doolin but didn’t have time to go and take a look. It was mainly the round tower that intrigued me. Apparently they aren’t uncommon in Ireland and this one is the tallest surviving tower and has quite a lean on it.

I visited the Burren Perfumery. They make everything on the premises and it was all reasonably priced. They showed a video of the The Burren and it would be beautiful to visit in the summer.

Autumn is definitely becoming evident. The leaves are changing colour, the photos don’t do it justice.En savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Inis Oirr and the Cliffs of Moher
1 octobre 2018, Irlande ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Last night I thought it would be good to take a trip to one of the Aran Islands. I didn’t consult the weather forecast and booked a trip to the smallest island Inis Oirr and then to see the Cliffs of Moher.
I wasn’t so keen when I got to Doolin Pier. It was very cold and cloudy and looked a bit choppy.
We all sat up the top in the open and it was very cold.

It was a 30 min trip to Inis Oirr which is the closest island to Doolin. We all got off and some got on another boat to go to one of the other islands and the rest of us stayed on Inis Oirr.
To get around the island we had the choice of walking, bikes, horse and cart or private car. I chose the horse and cart.

There have been people on the islands for centuries. The island is mainly limestone which has need dig up, made into walls and the soil improved with seaweed. The pony and trap took us up to the Flossy shipwreck and back around through the narrow roads to the main settlement.
We were on the island for about 3 hours. The return trip went via the Cliffs of Moher. It was a lot rougher on the way back and I spent a lot of the trip with my eyes fixed firmly on the horizon. Once we reached the Cliffs it was a bit hard to see as everyone stood up and jostled for the best position to take photos.

After we got back to Doolin I headed to see the Cliffs from the top. They were good but I’m sure they’d be magnificent in sunlight. It was still cloudy and the rain came in. Just drizzle but it did affect visibility.

Last night I ate tea in the hotel restaurant and it was ordinary at best so I had to look for somewhere different tonight. I stopped at a pub in Lisdoonvarna. It was dark by the time I finished. It was a 45km trip that was meant to take 45 mins through narrow lanes and roads. The speed limit was generally 80 km/hr but I stuck to about 30 km/hr due to the roads and darkness. It took well over an hour to get back but I saw a rabbit, multiple frogs, a hare (I think) and two badgers. The badgers made the slow trip worth it.En savoir plus
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VoyageurBeautiful country. How you finding the language are they very broad. How did the leg hold up with getting up and down on the cart??
01/10/2018Répondre
Michelle CreasyI am finding the accent quite broad, quite a few times I haven’t understood what is being said. The leg was fine as it had enough steps to get up and down.
02/10/2018Répondre
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
1
To Gort
30 septembre 2018, Irlande ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
According to google maps it should take just over 2 hours to travel from Killarney to Gort but there’s no fun in taking the direct route. I headed first to Dingle, finding a lovely beach at Inch Strand - very sandy and golden. Despite the cold cloudy day there were quite a few surfers out.
I then took the Conor Pass over to Castlegregory. Like all of the mountain passes I have taken the scenery was beautiful. The road was quite narrow in places and I had to back up quite a bit in one spot.
Up to Talbert and then I took the car ferry crossing from County Kerry into County Clare. I went up the coast to Lahinch and then across to Gort which is where I’m staying tonight. Basically I couldn’t decide between Ennis and Galway and Gort is halfway between. The hotel I’m in seems to be a hotel for business travellers as tonight is cheaper than the next two nights.En savoir plus
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Voyageur Yah what a handsome hound 😃 was he friendly 🤣🤣🤣
30/09/2018Répondre
Looks cold but still beautiful 💚
01/10/2018Répondre
Inch strand is a really beautiful beach, and I know the Connor Pass well :) I've also been on the Tarbert car ferry, many, many years ago :) Loving reading your posts. Phil
01/10/2018Répondre
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
The other half of the Ring of Kerry
29 septembre 2018, Irlande ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Today I started the Ring of Kerry clockwise. The road took me through the Killarney National Park which is just gorgeous especially the lakes.
At Molls Gap I took the minor route down to Sneem and then joined the official ring of Kerry again.

I came across Kissane Sheep Farm. I got there just in time to join a tour, unfortunately it was with a bus load of Germans and the guide was speaking German. It didn’t stop me from enjoying the sheepdog demonstration. It was traditional hill farming. The dogs were border collies and the sheep black faced Scottish mountain sheep. That much I could understand. It was a great demonstration of the dog’s skills.
After this was a shearing demonstration. That was okay but once he’d finished the guide then spoke for another half an hour and I couldn’t leave the group without appearing rude.
As I was looking in the shop another tour group appeared and this time they were Americans so I went back up to the sheep dog demonstration. It was much better with the commentary. The farm has 2000 sheep on 2500 acres, much of it mountains. A lot of it isn’t really accessible by vehicle so they still use dogs and their trainers on foot to bring the sheep in.
I again watched the shearing demonstration learning that the wool is a coarse wool and used for making carpets. All the processing is done in Leeds and Bradford in the UK.

From there I headed back to Killarney. I stopped off at the meeting of the waters, where the three lakes in the National Park meet. It was very tranquil.

I decided I wanted something with some spice for tea so stopped at a Tapas bar. The prawns in chilli oil were very bland but the other two dishes I had were very good.En savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
(Half) the Ring of Kerry
28 septembre 2018, Irlande ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
Today was the Ring of Kerry. I wanted to make sure I got an early start (for me) as everything I have read says the tour buses are painful to get stuck behind but you need to go in the same direction as them because meeting them is even worse.
I thought the buses left 10-10:30am so I thought I was okay when I hit the road just before 9am. After stuffing around trying to find the right road I left Killarney following two buses. I wasn’t terribly impressed but I turned off the route to visit Caragh Lake and lost the buses. I didn’t really come across them again as I didn’t stick to the route (the N70) road as I kept going off to look at scenery off the actual route.
At Rossbeigh I finally found public toilets that weren’t attached to a pub or restaurant. They were locked!

To visit Valentia Island there are two routes - bridge or car ferry. Obviously I chose the ferry, why go the conventional route? I’ve been on car ferries before but this time I found the experience really weird, sitting in a car that wasn’t moving but it was.
Valentia Island is reasonably large and had great views. I did take the bridge to Portmagee.

From Portmagee I took the Ring of Skellig but as I was relying on signs rather than the GPS I went a little awry. I took a turn in which the road was even narrower but all was good for 15 - 20 minutes until I ended up in someone’s driveway. The road didn’t go any further. Looking at the map know I think it was Cahereamore.
By this stage it was close to 4pm so I decided that rather than finish the full Ring of Kerry I’d go back via the Ballaghisheen Pass which basically bisects the Ring. It was worth it, especially as it was after 6pm by the time I got back to Killarney.

It’s still light until nearly 8pm so I wandered down the High st. It is very touristy but tastefully done. There are plenty of souvenir shops but also some buskers and Irish dancers. I walked past a pub and heard live music so I mustered up my courage and went in. It was just one woman with her guitar rather than a band but she was very good. She even played “The Wild Rover”. I sat there for half an hour or so listening to her. I wasn’t sure if I’d be brave enough to sit in a busy pub on my own but I found a spot on a bench opposite the singer and it was fine.En savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Searching for The Vee
27 septembre 2018, Irlande ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
This evening finds me in Killarney. As usual I looked for a scenic route rather than the quickest route. Googling showed Waterford to Lismore then to Clogheen would take me through The Vee, a pass through the Knockmealdown Mountains. From there I’d choose the route to Killarney according to how much time I had as I had to be in Killarney by 6pm.
The first part of the trip to Lismore was fine and then I set out for Clogheen. I was a bit concerned when I saw a sign for the Vee pointing in the opposite direction to which the gps was sending me. I followed the gps though and reached Clogheen without coming across the Vee although I had driven through a lot of narrow roads. When I checked google maps it said I was close to Ballymacarbry and not at Clogheen. There were no signs around to tell me which was right. So I set the gps for Lismore, choosing a different route to the one I’d just taken. One the way I found a sign pointing to the Vee and so I followed that instead. I eventually found it and while the views were remarkable the Vee itself was a bit of an anti climax.

From there I headed to Killarney without any detours and arrived in plenty of time. I’m staying right in town, on the main street in a self catering apartment.En savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Copper Coast and Comeragh Mountains
26 septembre 2018, Irlande ⋅ 🌙 13 °C
I feel like I don’t have a lot to say about today except that Ireland is beautiful. I followed a scenic drive taking in the Copper Coast and Comeragh Mountains.

I headed down to the coast firstly to Tramore and then along to Dungarvan. One the way I stop off to see Fenor Bog. It was very marshy I guess with lots of reed type plants.
The coastline was also stunning. The Tramore Strand is 5km of sandy beach and then it was followed by lots of little inlets.
I then headed inland to the Comeragh mountains. Again it was beautiful. Lots of winding, twisting narrow roads. I met a few cars coming in the opposite direction but only had to back up once.
I drove less than 200km but with stops it took me about 8 hours although that did include a walk to the Mahon falls.En savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Crystal and Vikings
25 septembre 2018, Irlande ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
I hadn’t realised before I got here that Waterford was founded by Vikings and that Waterford was once the third largest port in Europe.

I started the day at the virtual reality experience “King of the Vikings”. Unfortunately they had miscalculated the numbers and had one too many so as the single person I was asked to leave. I was quite happy to as it ran every half an hour. For being willing to give up my spot I was given complimentary passes to the two museums in Waterford.

I rebooked and then went to the House of Waterford - where Waterford Crystal is made. That tour was fascinating. Most of the crystal pieces are made by hand, a small amount of cutting is automated otherwise it’s all hand done. It’s an interesting process from the moulds that are carved from wood to the blowing of the crystal to the cutting, engraving and etching of the crystal. To become a master craftsman it takes a five year apprenticeship followed by another three years of training. Apparently a lot of the workforce has been there decades but they are gradually taking on apprentices to ensure a continuation of craftsmen.

I then went to the Bishop’s Palace which is a museum of all things Georgian in Waterford and to be honest not all that interesting. The collection is quite small.
The medieval museum was much more interesting. They’ve unearthed a choristers’ hall tha is underground and the museum follows Waterford from the oustingof the Vikings to the Georgian times. The people of Waterford were very determined to keep their protected port status, especially from nearby New Ross. I could have spent longer there but it was time to head back to the “King of the Vikings”. It was a virtual reality experience that covered the time of the Vikings in Waterford. It was my first taste of virtual reality and I enjoyed it. A bit like seeing a 3D movie but more as it surrounded you.

The last thing on the list was washing. According to google there was a laundromat not far from the hotel. Only when I got there it was an industrial park. So I tried the next colsest. This one was in an institute of technology campus and I couldn’t find the actual laundromat. Third try brought me over to the edge of Tranmore and here at a service station I found 2 washing machines and a dryer. I’m just waiting for my clothes to finish in the dryer now.En savoir plus
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VoyageurVery interesting update. Did you buy any crystal???
25/09/2018Répondre
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Wicklow mountains national park
24 septembre 2018, Irlande ⋅ 🌙 3 °C
Today was the start of the driving part of the trip. I picked up my car in Dublin. I had originally booked an intermediate size car but upgraded to a diesel car and I think I’m glad I did. The original car looked like a station wagon. The car I have is a VW Passat. It’s a bit fancy which means it has unnecessary bells and whistles. It keyless, stops itself when I’m stopped in traffic and has a tiny handbrake which makes hill starts quite hard. The first time I parked I couldn’t get it in reverse. There is no manual and eventually I had to ring the car hire place to ask them. It turns out you need to push the gear stick down and then put it in first to put it in reverse! Who designs these things??
One thing I forgot to check before driving off was the speed limit! Fortunately I didn’t get too far before I saw a sign saying it is 50 km/hr in built up areas. Thank goodness for GPS! I don’t know where all the street signs are but I couldn’t find them. I saw three street signs, for minor streets off the major street I was driving on, on low walls. I didn’t see a sign for a major road.

I made my way to Glencree which is at the northern part of the Wicklow Mountains National Park. From there to Glendalough I took the Old Military rd which was stunning. I don’t know if it is technically moorland but that’s what it reminded me of.
The roads were every bit as narrow and windy as I had been warned they wold be. Even so I was still surprised at how long it took to get anywhere.

I stopped of in Glendalough to take a look at the upper lake and all the beautiful scenery. I would have liked to spend longer but I was still a way from Waterford. I got here about 7pm. I’m staying in the industrial area of the town but the hotel and room are fine.En savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Dublin on a Sunday
23 septembre 2018, Irlande ⋅ 🌙 5 °C
I started the day by finishing the hop on hop off tour from yesterday. I got off at Trinity College as I had a ticket to see the book of Kells. I was early though so I went and saw the Molly Malone statue again and then wandered around the college.
The whole process of the making of the book of Kells was really interesting and amusing to think of something that we now regard with such reverence was probably regarded as an unwanted chore by the monks who did the transcribing and illustrating. The only downside was the crowds. They limit the number of people per half hour but we were still shoulder to shoulder most of the time and it was even more crowded around the actual display of the book of Kells.
We went up to the long room in the library which was quite spectacular. It is still used today.
Unfortunately the long room was upstairs and going downstairs upset my leg again. It became really sore. I found somewhere for lunch which I assume was a traditional Irish pub. I had to use the light on my phone to read the menu it was so dark inside.
Sitting there for an hour didn’t help much but it did give the painkillers time to kick in.

I then went to Christchurch Cathedral for the afternoon service. On the infrequent occasions that I attend an Anglican service I always get distracted away from worship by the rituals of the service. It was nice though to attend a service with a full choir and a sermon given by a woman and the setting was stunning. I love the feeling of being in a traditional church. It is very different to the church I attend and I think both have their place. I did smile though at the thought of letting our Friday night kids loose in the cathedral to play dodge! The service was also for the ordination of a deacon so it was longer than. I was expecting. It was after 5 by the time it finished. My leg was much better by then so I made my way back to the hotel.
Tomorrow I pick up the car and start to explore the country.En savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Dublin
22 septembre 2018, Irlande ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C
So today I explored Dublin. After a very nice Irish breakfast that included potatoes and black pudding I set out to sort my phone and transport. I’m very close to the main street in Dublin and easily walked to buy a public transport card as well as get an Irish sim for my phone. I then made my way to St Stephen’s Green, a Victorian park on the other side of the river. I was meeting someone I know through an internet forum to play Pokémon Go. I’m a fairly casual player of this game (it’s a game you play on your phone for those tha aren’t familiar with it). Today was a community day so we met up to play during this time. It was nice to meet Joan and have someone to play with.

Once we separated I took a hop on hop off bus to see more of Dublin. Unfortunately I didn’t see enough as I was somehow hit on the head by a tree branch as we drove under some trees. I’m still not sure how it happened. I was sitting upstairs at the back so there was no roof. We drove under some trees and some branches hit the roof but I didn’t actually see what hit me. It hurt. Fortunately though it was fairly minor, no bleeding and more of a shock than anything else. The man sitting in front of me was a doctor and said he didn’t think it was serious all the while wanting to pour cold water on my head. Someone else went and told the driver. To make everyone happy I went and sat inside and to be honest it was better because it it was warm, unlike upstairs which was very cold.
I continued on the bus until the bus was held up and diverted (probably due to a protest over affordable housing). We were near the Temple Bar area so I got off to take a look at the area. It is full of pubs and lots of people. I went into a pub but it was full so went next door to an Irish restaurant. My fears of it being overpriced tourist fare were unfounded and I had a lovely bowl of soup.
I then went up to the Molly Malone statue and my phone died. I decided the best way to find my way back to the hotel was to get back on the hop on hop off bus as it stopped around the corner from the hotel. I’m glad I did even though I was redoing a section because this time we had the recorded commentary. On the first bus we had live commentary and it was very hard to listen to. It was also good to listen and look without worrying about taking photos.
After a couple of false starts I found my way back to the hotel.
A good day if cold. My head is fine now.En savoir plus
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How is the headache??
26/09/2018Répondre
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
To Ireland
21 septembre 2018, Irlande ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Another longish travel day. Part of me is telling myself I need to get over my dislike of flying so that I can get from A to B much quicker. The other part says enjoy the journey.
I’m currently on the Irish Ferries ship Ulysses. We are still about an hour from Dublin.

I took the train from Euston station to Holyhead. That was an interesting trip although I missed the most interesting part! A lot of people had reserved seats (as did I). When I got to my seat I found a family sitting there. It turned out they had reservations next to me, across the aisle and across the table. I sat in their seat across the aisle and I had a very chatty Irish lady (Margaret) opposite me. She was very clear in telling me we were in a quiet carriage and once we got moving people weren’t allowed to speak. If your phone rang you had to take it in the corridor. I was quite happy with this until we reached Crewe. Some people got on there who kept on talking. That was the sign for everyone to start talking and so I heard a lot of the Margaret’s history. Due to the way we were seated I found it hard to look out the window and take photos without being rude. The last part of the journey was definitely the most interesting. The weather was getting wild. Some of the summer holiday places we passed looked quite forlorn in the wind and rain.
As we approached Bangor Margaret started packing up and getting organised. At one point she asked me if I was going to get ready. I think it quite stressed her out that I wasn’t standing at the door 10 minutes before we pulled into Holyhead.
We were an hour late getting into Holyhead. The trip should have been 9:10-12:50 but it was 9:15-1pm. By this stage I was infected by Margaret’s anxiety and joined the rush to het from the station to the port checkin (a short walk). Once there we found out due to the rough weather the boat was only just getting in and we would be an hour late boarding. So I stood in line for an hour before getting a boarding pass and climbing onto a bus to be driven into the ship. At no time was I asked for any ID. Apparently no one cares who leaves the country. I don’t know if there will be any passport control in Dublin.

Once on the boat I upgraded to club class which gave me a nice seat, good view and free snacks. Surprisingly the voyage hasn’t been rough at all. The boat is big and meant to be very stable but I do think things have calmed as well. In the bus we had to take to get to the boat I seemed to be surrounded by people who’d done the crossing before and were dreading it plus crossings by their other boat Swift were cancelled today. The Stenaline boat which was due to leave 20 mins before us was running 4 1/2 hours late and hadn’t come in by the time we left. A lot of those passengers transferred onto this boat.

Sitting down especially it seems quite calm. Fortunately I haven’t experienced any sea sickness. I did nap for a bit otherwise just read my book.

I had decided to take a taxi from the port to my hotel as there were only two choices - taxi or bus that drops you at one of three places. Turns out there was only one choice as there were no taxis. I was told to get off at the second stop which was the city centre. My phone had 1% battery and no service. A security guard showed me where I could catch a taxi and I was soon at my hotel. By this time it was 9pm. So it took me 13 hours to get from hotel to hotel. Fortunately they do room service here so I had a sandwich and am now ready for bed.En savoir plus
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Gee sounds rough weather but you sound like you are having an amazing time
26/09/2018Répondre
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Thames flood barrier
20 septembre 2018, Angleterre ⋅ 🌬 20 °C
Today I went down to the Thames Flood Barrier. I took a boat down to Greenwich and then down to the barrier. When I was in London 2 years ago I went down to Greenwich with a friend but was unable to go as far as the barrier due to time limitations. So this time I didn’t get off at Greenwich, just went down to the barrier and back. The trip down is still a great trip with lots to see. I’d forgotten just how plain London Bridge is and just how many bridges there are in such a short distance.

One of the reasons I wanted to see the structure was due to the Doctor Who episode “The Runaway Bride”. I find so many references in both tv and books are from the UK that it is nice to see them in real life.

I’m glad I saw and heard Big Ben last time as it is undergoing renovations so all that can be seen is one of the faces. I went around to Trafalgar Square. There was an extra lion as part of the London Design Festival. It’s fluoro orange and people were encouraged to feed it words. It would then come up with poetry using your word. It’s very garish but was an interesting activity. I submitted the word united and it came up with

United by the waters that have flown
On the high barn
(I couldn’t read the next verse as it was partially obscured by the lion’s teeth)
That music of the great winds dim and white
And the soft harvests of the starry sky
This foreigner who dares to reach the world
And saves the sun and stars are shadowy toEn savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Natural History Museum and a Chalet Meet
19 septembre 2018, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
This morning I intended to head to the Victoria and Albert Museum however my route took me past the Natural History Museum and it was such a beautiful building I decided to go in.
It would be easy to look at the exhibits through modern eyes and disapprove of the taking of so many specimens from around the world but looking at it from the times it was done it is pretty amazing. I suspect I only saw a small part of the museum, it is huge with so many exhibits.

I did get to see stuffed dodos and a great auk.
The gems were interesting. I got excited when I saw the famous diamonds but they were only models. Seeing a rough diamond and then the polished version I don’t think I’d recognise one in the wild.

The building itself is worth the visit. It was apparently designed to be a cathedral to nature and it is beautiful.

I cut my visit short as I had to go to my physio appointment. Hopefully the massage will improve things.

This evening I went to the London Chalet Meeting. Many of you already know that I collect children’s school stories from the early-mid 20th Century. One of the main series is the Chalet School. It influenced where I stayed in Switzerland as the school is set in the Interlaken region in the later books (and set in Pertisau in the earlier books, hence my visit in 2016).
It took some courage to go to a meeting of people I didn’t know but I knew they’d be “my people” and they were. I had a lovely evening discussing medical disasters in girls own books amongst other things. I did let Australia down by not having read The Silver Brumby and Ivan Southall though!
I did get to see synthetic maps (which will only be of interest to other Chalet fans). They were more or less what I imagined but it was interesting to see them in the flesh.En savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Staying Local
18 septembre 2018, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
I decided to explore the local area a bit today. I started out with Kensington gardens and palace. Even following google maps I had to turn around twice. The gardens weren’t that exciting although I didn’t explore them fully.
The palace was interesting, highlighted were William and Mary’s rooms, Victoria’s rooms and an exhibition of Diana’s outfits. I’d forgotten that Kensington Palace was where Victoria was born and raised as a child. It was all very interesting. I wasn’t all that interested in Diana’s outfits but quite enjoyed it. They looked quite different in person.

I had lunch at the palace, soup and a slice of Victoria sponge (the Queen’s favourite). It was a bit hard to eat as there were wasps around but as no one seemed all that bothered by them I ignored them.

I headed over to Portobello rd to take a look at the market. It wasn’t one of the main days but there was still quite a lot there. I needed the toilet so ended up in a distillery. I had a very nice berry summer drink but no alcohol.

Last stop for the day was the physiotherapist. I’ve been in quite a bit of pain with my calf muscle. It’s just a sprain though and already feeling better. I’m going back tomorrow for a proper massage.En savoir plus
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VoyageurHows the weather. Looks very cloudy. Though the people in the street have got light clothes on. Love the dress 😀 nice to see they walk there dogs 😁🐶💕 Hope you get your leg under control as you have a lot more sight seeing to do. 😊 Take care and it's great being on holiday with you🤣😍😂
19/09/2018Répondre
Michelle CreasyThe weather has been quite warm. Definitely lots more to see!
19/09/2018Répondre
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
To London
17 septembre 2018, Angleterre ⋅ 🌙 18 °C
Just one night in Paris. The Eurostar was closed over the weekend for maintenance otherwise I would have travelled straight through to London. I didn’t do much in Paris. I managed to navigate my way from Gare de Lyon to Gare du Nord but I was grateful for the experience 2 years ago in using the French railway system. My hotel was by Gare du Nord, an area like many that surround train stations. I did find a really good vegetarian Indian restaurant for tea though.
The train ride was uneventful, I watched a movie “The Angels’ Share” which was set in Glasgow and came with sub titles.

My visit to London is really just a transit to Ireland but also to break up the travel. I’m staying in an interesting area. I got off the train at Paddington and to get to the hotel I passed through what look like council flats to get to Prince’s Square. The immediate surroundings are more gentrified.

I stopped for lunch at a pub. I gave the fish, chips and mushy peas a try to see if either my tastes have changed or they way they prepare the mushy peas has. Alas no, I still don’t like mushy peas. The fish and chips was okay though.

The hotel is actually serviced apartments. I’d say it is several buildings joined together and a real rabbit warren. I’m in the basement. I’d booked a studio (one room) but have a two room apartment. The kitchen/living are is connected to the bedroom/bathroom via a corridor. I also found a bed made up in the living area. It takes up most of the area and I can’t help wondering if the room was actually prepared for someone else who didn’t like it. When I stopped at reception the two people in front of me were both complaining about their rooms. I’ve asked that they return the extra bed to a sofa tomorrow. It was nice having a home cooked meal.En savoir plus
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Europe 2018 Michelle Creasy
Ruminations on Switzerland
16 septembre 2018, France ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Today I left Switzerland. I could have spent more time here, there are so many more places to explore.
Ever since I passed through Zurich two years ago I wanted to return and see more. It is expensive and it is a pain having a different currency to surrounding countries, mainly because it was hard to find a travel card that I could put Swiss francs on.

I didn’t get much chance to use any German other than danke (thank you). I only came across one person who didn’t speak English. He was the tech guy in the mobile phone shop. Most people seemed to speak more than English and German (I was in the Germany speaking areas).

I was surprised at the number of people who smoke. Especially in Zurich they seemed to be everywhere. Another weird thing - I didn’t see any Pepsi products in Switzerland. Their coke products are made in Switzerland so maybe that’s why? Also they have Coke Zero as their diet drink. I didn’t see any Diet Coke at all.
The chocolate in the supermarkets! An aisle of chocolate, the lollies were in another aisle.
There are fountains everywhere and the water in drinkable. It’s cold and tastes great. It was the one thing that was cheap in Switzerland. I don’t think I bought a bottle of water outside a restaurant.

Public transport was made easy with the SBB app. After linking my debit card I could both look up the timetable and buy the ticket through the app. I could buy my ticket as I walked on the train. Travel in Switzerland is expensive but the half-fare card (120 CHF) more than paid for itself.

The food was mostly good. Expensive, the days I had to buy lunch and dinner I budgeted 100 CHF meals and snacks. I never got to that figure, helped by not having to buy water but I did get to 80 one day. The hotels where I had half board were good, at least I got lots of veggies as it included a salad course. I got to try cheese and beef fondues and raclette. The cheese fondue was good. The beef okay and raclette is literally melted cheese served with potato. It was not as good as it should have been.

I was lucky with the weather. It was warmer than I expected but Europe has had a very hot summer. What surprised me was how warm it felt at high altitudes when the actual temperature was 0-2 degrees. It felt colder the day of low cloud and rain in Wengen.
I was also surprised at how affected I was by the altitude. I was fine at 3078m but 3135m at Gornergrat had me slightly breathless. I’ve just looked up the altitude at Jungfraujoch and it was 3571 so that explains why I was so breathless there.

My main regret is not doing as much walking as I would have liked around Wengen. I managed to injure my calf which has made walking difficult the last couple of days. My hiking poles have made a big difference as has cream from the chemist and resting but resting was hard when there was so much to see and do.

Tonight I’m in Paris, tomorrow I head to London.En savoir plus
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