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Ireland 🇮🇪 2024
  • Fiona and Bas, the Bladerunners
  • Fiona and Bas, the Bladerunners

Ireland 🇮🇪 2024

An open-ended adventure by Fiona and Bas, Read more
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    October 12, 2024
    Fiona and Bas, the BladerunnersIreland 🇮🇪 2024Fiona and Bas, the Bladerunners
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    Iceland to Dublin and 64 Today!

    October 12, 2024 in Iceland ⋅ 🌙 -3 °C

    We were up at 5am on a flying volcano (the plane was called Katlin) to Dublin Ireland.

    On first appearances Dublin seemed rather ordinary, till we discovered its heart-beat. Dublin is about bars, Guinness and live music. It took us a good hour to fall right on top of that. We have become bar hopping, live music chasers. This could get messy!

    Bas turned 64 today and we are footloose and fancy free. Nothing intellectual or educational today. Sorry if the photos are out of focus…
    🍺🍷🥂☘️🍺    Read more

  • Fiona and Bas, the BladerunnersIreland 🇮🇪 2024Fiona and Bas, the Bladerunners
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    Settling in to Dublin

    October 13, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Today we started with a walk to EPIC, the Irish history of emigration museum that highlighted the idea of connectivity and that our Irish ancestry stays with us always. We were surprised to learn that 43 USA Presidents have Irish ancestors, amongst many other important people residing all over the world and of varying achievements from science, medicine, construction and the arts.

    I added the Heaney name to their record board and discovered 54 other Heaneys’ who had emigrated and come back to register a family member’s name.

    Next, some exploration on foot of an old canal system leading to a small internal harbour. Then we stumbled on an outdoor mall and shopping precinct. Irish ice cream is amazing. Even better, an afternoon nanna-nap 💤 🥱

    Tonight we are booked in to a stand up comedy show… nothing like a good laugh 🤣

    On the way back to the Hotel we found authentic Nepalese food. We also ordered a glass of Italian Tempranillo - an odd mixture, but it worked!    Read more

  • Fiona and Bas, the BladerunnersIreland 🇮🇪 2024Fiona and Bas, the Bladerunners
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    The Whiskey Blur

    October 14, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Driving from Dublin for 3 hrs is no different to driving anywhere in the world, and Limerick, our lunch stop, was quite unremarkable.

    Then… we arrived in Killarney and we hit gold. We found the leprechaun at the end of the rainbow. 🌈

    The Ross is a quirky and great little boutique hotel with something interesting on every wall and around every corner.

    After an early evening stroll we decided to pop into a pub for a pint. We wandered past a small bar that had a very lack lustre entry, but something piqued our interested - we noticed the glimmer of a thousand bottles. Jackpot. Bas was like a kid discovering a lolly shop.

    We had stumbled on the world’s largest collection of Whiskey. The choices of cocktails were also sensational as was the food. It’s a very worthy hangover this morning and one we can barely complain about.

    The evening was set off by the company we met, the kind of people that you stay in touch with forever!    Read more

  • Fiona and Bas, the BladerunnersIreland 🇮🇪 2024Fiona and Bas, the Bladerunners
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    Ring of Kerry

    October 14, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Today we pretended it wasn’t raining. Bas was horrified when I said YES to a toothless horseman with a shagged out horse who offered to take us on a 45 minute trip in an open buggy in the pouring rain and driving wind for 70 euros. ‼️

    It was a highlight of the day. I could not understand a word our driver said, but a lack of teeth didn’t slow down his delivery of priceless gems. Oddly, the deaf passenger (with teeth) was able to decipher his running commentary and translate for me.

    The horse was a massive fail,...it only had one job.

    We visited a wool mill, a dilapidated tower castle, lakes and coast-line. All very photogenic.

    We returned for a walk and another visit to our new-found favourite whiskey bar where we coined our first ever word. Fercullen or… you can shorten it to ‘ferc’ for all occasion usage.

    We had a furcullen good time.    Read more

  • Fiona and Bas, the BladerunnersIreland 🇮🇪 2024Fiona and Bas, the Bladerunners
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    A Castle, a Rainbow & Ruins

    October 16, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Today we had perfect blue cloud skies. The Ross Castle tour was excellent, and the tour guide gave an insight into tourism in the 1900’s and the reconstruction of the castle in the 1990’s.

    We stopped on the way to see rivers, vistas, rainbows and ruins.

    Baltimore was a precious find, with church ruins and a cemetery set on the harbour. The people are friendly and after walking into the middle of a local fundraising committee meeting, we were invited back for the festivities next year.

    It was a big photo day. Fercullen amazing! ☘️🧚    Read more

  • Fiona and Bas, the BladerunnersIreland 🇮🇪 2024Fiona and Bas, the Bladerunners
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    Lighthouse and West County Cork

    October 16, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    It’s always good to shake up the accommodation and last night we did exactly that. We stayed in an Irish pub high on a hill above an ocean bay next to a cemetery and stone church ruin. A late night trip in the dark was scary but fun.

    We are trying to achieve 10,000 steps a day, so the plan is to walk to the lighthouse and then drive on to Cork where we will stay at The Isaacs (boutique hotel) and look for the Cork vibe to see what makes the city tick.

    Note how close the photo with my shadow is to a sheer cliff with at least a 100 metre drop, and not a warning sign in sight.

    Off now to find 🎶 and… bingo, once again we landed right in the middle of it!    Read more

  • Fiona and Bas, the BladerunnersIreland 🇮🇪 2024Fiona and Bas, the Bladerunners

    County Cork…. Now What?

    October 18, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    We are not really city people but here we are in Ireland’s second largest city with a spare day and…. it’s gray, windy and raining. How do we fill in this god-awful weather day? ☔️

    So far not much has been achieved: A walk, a chemist visit for incidentals, a quick pop in to a large church to see the ceiling and then back to the hotel for a sleep. 💤

    Bas commented ‘aye lassy, we bin to every pub on street and oonly been ear one nayt’

    No wonder they consume so much alcohol, we are hanging out for the pubs and bars to open and it’s barely lunchtime.

    The plan is so get on the road (and out of Cork) as early as possible tomorrow.

    Note for diary; stay in small picturesque villages, avoid cities.    Read more

  • Fiona and Bas, the BladerunnersIreland 🇮🇪 2024Fiona and Bas, the Bladerunners
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    Furcullen Thank The Lord

    October 19, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    We left Cork early! ☘️🎶🧚🌈
    Note the video trying to squeeze out of the parking lot without dinging the car (a lot of swearing).

    Heading to Kilkenny next.

    So…. Kilkenny is like a Disney theme park for castles. Lucky we found some great abandoned ruins on back roads before we arrived cause the castles here are like Hollywood movie sets and possibly nothing close to their original state.

    Thank goodness they had some pubs (not much music though). The Asian fusion restaurant we ate at could have benefited from our help in the kitchen. NFI. What worried us, was that it had won awards.

    Kilkenny may be slated as one of the most iconic spots, but we found it pretty fercullen ordinary.

    Heading out for a day trip tomorrow.

    Bas says I sound like a whingeing Aussie 🤣 (even though he agrees 100%)    Read more

  • Fiona and Bas, the BladerunnersIreland 🇮🇪 2024Fiona and Bas, the Bladerunners

    Church on Sunday

    October 20, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    We bailed on our lighthouse excursion due to high winds and instead walked the township of Kilkenny. Since it’s Sunday, it made sense to visit every church and cemetery - they were quite stunning and we have lots of pics.

    We also found the art gallery and some local ruins (we love a good ruin)

    Since the winds were gusting over 88kmph, we spent a little coffee and cake time. Perhaps too much. Bas has been working on a new language and we have some words to add to the collection; Fercullen (the ‘f’ word), Ish (Kinda, sorta, not sure), Striverish (cross between a steam and a river), Shittera (loo), Popoutshittera (when the building is so ancient they didn’t have a loo, so they built a pop out).

    Still adding… but a few words that may help find the right pub when you first get into town: Haste thou a puorb with bur an topen fier?

    Very important if you have your dog with you: Tis doorg orkay in tbar?

    Also important: As ther got er shittera inside or tis it popoutshittera out-back?

    Moving on: Found a brewery with the best pizza ever, back for a nap and out to a pub we found that has music from 9pm. Another late on me thinks.    Read more

  • Fiona and Bas, the BladerunnersIreland 🇮🇪 2024Fiona and Bas, the Bladerunners
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    Our Castle Stay

    October 21, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    We are in heaven! Kilkea Castle is a must do, must stay for any visit to Ireland.
    Finally Princess Fiona makes sense, and I think I was born for this next level experience (Bas is rolling his eyes). 🤣

    We will let the pictures tell the story.    Read more

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