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Europe 2018

September 2018 - May 2024
Switzerland, London and Ireland Read more
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  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018
    Day 21

    Wicklow mountains national park

    September 24, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ 🌙 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.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018
    Day 22

    Crystal and Vikings

    September 25, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018
    Day 23

    Copper Coast and Comeragh Mountains

    September 26, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ 🌙 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.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018
    Day 24

    Searching for The Vee

    September 27, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018
    Day 25

    (Half) the Ring of Kerry

    September 28, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ 🌙 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.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018
    Day 26

    The other half of the Ring of Kerry

    September 29, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018
    1
    Day 27

    To Gort

    September 30, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018
    Day 28

    Inis Oirr and the Cliffs of Moher

    October 1, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018
    Day 29

    The Burren

    October 2, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Read more

  • Michelle CreasyEurope 2018
    Day 30

    Galway and a scenic drive

    October 3, 2018 in Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Read more

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