Ireland Day Five

We have all, at one time, seen photos or videos of Ireland and vasted in the beauty and awesomeness. That is partly what drew me to Ireland. I have always been fascinated with Irish, Scottish, and English history. Not to mention, my ancestors came from Ireland. But the scenery is what everyone thinks of when they picture Ireland. Unfortunately, photos don't do their justice. 

I made sure to set my alarm to get up earlier this morning because of the big day planned. I ate a light breakfast, then did some planning for the rest of the time here. After downing my tea, I headed to the bus station (bus station is called BusAras and bus line is called Bus Eireann). 

(Hallway to the rooms at the hostel)

I was able to get a ticket to Cashel for a return trip fairly cheaply. I waited around the train station for about 20 minutes until our bus was boarding. 

It was nearly a 2 1/2 hour ride to Cashel and the sight was awesome. This was my first glimpse of the actual "countryside". It was nothing but green hills and farmland. The sight was amazing, but wouldn't compare to my destination. What made it even better was listening to Irish music along the way. 

As we approached Cashel, my final destination could be seen: the Rock of Cashel (AKA St. Patrick's Rock). As I planned my trip, I knew this was going to be the highlight. 

Cashel is a very small town, an outskirt of Tipperary. When I say stereotypical Irish town, this is what you would think of. It's almost difficult to describe, but is a warm and friendly town. Luckily, the town is small enough, I didn't really need directions to the rock; it was pretty easy to find. 

The Rock of Cashel is actually the name for a rock that a "castle" sits on. It looks like a large grassy hill with protruding rocks. At the bottom of the road, there's a gift shop but continuing up the road was a bit of a climb. 

It only costs €7 to get in, which I think is well worth it. Once you get in, you have free reign to go on the grounds wherever you please (except the gated off rooms). I was a little surprised, being that this is a huge historical landmark in this town and it's in the middle of preservation. I was notified that if I'm at the front door at 12:30, I could get in on a guided tour. I had about 20 minutes, so I walked around the outside of the building. It is impressive to say the least. In addition to the building, since it's on a big rock, it has an awesome view of nothing but green hills and another church in ruins out in a field. 

The tour began at St. Patrick's Cross. Actually, it isn't the original. They took down the original and placed a replica to preserve the original. Since it's made of sandstone, it would be weathered pretty quickly. We learned a great deal of history about the grounds. Back in the 600's, the grounds were used for a wooden fortress. In 1101, it was changed over into a church and built out of stone. It looks like a castle, but there were a lot religious battles going then, so churches were built for defense. 

There are actually 4 buildings. Two of them are from the original structure: a round tower and the original Romanesque chapel. The chapel is made of sandstone and has been eroding. So, there is scaffolding surrounding the building, holding up a shell to protect it as they work on preserving it. Unfortunately, it hurts the view. Later on, in the 1300's, St. Patrick built a cathedral in the middle, which is the largest portion of the structure. In the 1500's, a "mansion" was built onto it for the bishop. Lastly, the bishop built a housing facility for the choir, which is now used for the ticket counter and exhibition (where the original St. Patrick's Cross is held on display). Other than the original chapel, all of the structures are a gothic design. 

(The original St. Patrick's Cross)

Outside, on the ground, is a large hunk of rock. The structure above it is damaged heavily. We were told that there was a large storm in the 1800's that destroyed the building and this rock was a part of the wall. 

Circling the structure is a tall stone wall with arrow slits. Just on the other side is a rolling hill that looks just awesome. Surrounding the whole structure is MANY grave stones. Some of them date as old as the buildings themselves with weathered off writing, and some are fairly recent. This has to be the coolest thing I've seen yet. I spent several hours there just soaking in how awesome it is, not to mention admiring the view. 

As I was getting ready to leave, I saw a walkway that goes down the hill that the structure is sitting on. About halfway down the hill, there is door leading to path that walks across the hill. If you saw the video I posted earlier, this is where it was taken. Following to the end of the path, I came to a road that I took to a large field. A walkway in the field leads to a ruin of Hore Abby, an old church. This was pretty cool. Gravel was laid down on the floor, but other than that, no restoration or preservation is being done. That means that it is in the original condition it was found. It was really cool crawling around the ruins. In the back is a small cemetery with ancient grave stones that are almost overgrown with tall grass. It looks like a place that would be eerie at night (especially with crows hanging around it). The best part? From these ruins, you get an awesome view up the hill of the Rock of Cashel. Even better, it was overcast with dark clouds, making an awesome backdrop. 

The fields here are what you would think of when you picture Ireland. Medium-to-tall lush green grass with absolutely no weeds. I'm not sure what type of grass it is, but it has a soft, cushioned feel to it. What I find cool is that all of the walkways in the fields (except the one cement that is in the above photo) are just matted down paths. No cement or gravel. I think that makes it look even more authentic and awesome. Not to mention, walking on the paths feel like walking on thick carpet. 

After the ruins, I made my way back to the bus station where I waited only 20 minutes or so. Luckily, because the bus only comes through every 2 hours. Along the way, I came across the ruins of St. Dominic's friary. It is in the middle of restoration, so I was unable to go in.

It was the same 2 1/2 hours back. Overall, I put in about 15 miles of walking in Cashel so I was beat and slept part of the way back. 

Being that we were in the countryside, we were able to see the farmland. I didn't see much planting, but much of the farmland looked to be used to keep cows, horses, and LOTS of sheep. Each pasture is surrounded by stone walls. I did see a couple bugs today. I think that makes it a total of only 5 bugs that I've seen in Ireland. I could get used to that. 

I must have been gone longer than I thought because it was getting late by time I arrived at the hostel. I went out for a little walk in Dublin before getting dinner while walking, there were some more street performers out.

As I said before, the photos just don't do their justice. You just have to be here to really appreciate the beauty and awesomeness of Ireland. (Awesomeness is probably the best word to describe it). In fact, when I was on the walkway on the hill (where I got the video), I was there for a good 25 minutes and didn't want to leave. It's one of those sights that you could just enjoy for hours. Tomorrow I plan to see Trim Castle so keep posted. Dia duit. 

(Unfortunately I was unable post all of my photos, but I hope you enjoy these ones)

Ireland Day Four

Today was focused more on seeing a little more around Dublin. It was a pretty good day, though it had some drawbacks. 

I woke a little early to get breakfast in. The original plan was to try to get to a local church this morning. I unlocked my bike and pulled it from the storage shed they have here for parking the bikes. I was ready for the day. Camelback full, snacks in the backpack, and full camera battery. 

On my way to the church, I realized that I had a flat tyre. I pulled over at a park to sit on a bench and fix it. When I took the tyre off, I couldn't find the leak so I replaced the tube itself. As I inspected the tyre itself, I didn't see any defects. This was my first time field changing a tyre and I'd say it went well. By time I finished with the tyre, it was too late to make it to the church. 

My next destination planned was a castle in Dundrum. It took me a little bit, but I found it. Turns out, it was remodeled into a private residence. I was able to see it, but it definitely looked restored. 

Next up was Drimmagh Castle. It took me some time to get to it as well, but luckily, there were signs directing how to get there. The castle looked awesome. It was a little smaller than what most people think of when they hear "castle". The walls were about 10-12 feet high, though the tower was much higher. It also had a moat which was cool. Unfortunately, they don't do tours on weekends so I'll go back in the week. It isn't too far from the hostel so that shouldn't be a problem. (And Adventure Bear photo bombed my picture)

On my my way to Drimnagh, I passed through many sub-sections of Dublin including Donnybrook. The ride from Dundrum to Drimnagh was a bout 30 minutes. It was quite a different view than downtown Dublin. During that ride, my tyre went flat again. Luckily, I was able to find the hole and patch it. I also found the hole in the tyre itself and apparently a piece of glass got wedged in the tyre which caused the first flat and since I didn't find it before, caused the second flat. I removed the glass and used duct tape to seal the hole. 

Well, after Drimnagh, it began to rain lightly. It was nothing too uncomfortable and was actually a nice ride. It would drizzle here and there, but what made it nice was the awesome look of the sky. 

By a series of unfortunate events, my tyre went flat a third time. I assume it was from the patch getting wet and losing its seal. I ended up walking it back to Dublin and went to one of the bike shops I knew of (fortunately it wasn't a long walk). I think bike shops must be closed on Sunday's because not a single one was open. I took the bike back and locked it up for the day at the hostel. As far as "riding" miles, I put in about 20. Overall mileage was around 27. 

The weather today went from dark and rainy to sunny and warm. I decided that it was time for a shower because of the sweating from the humidity. The shower did feel good. 

The last thing on my itinerary was Ashtown Castle. The castle is about a 30 minute walk from the the hostel, but the sun was starting to set. Since it's so close, I decided I would wait until another day to get there.

I started to get hungry by this point and went to a restaurant called Flanagans. It was a nicer, upscale restaurant with exceptionally friendly staff. I was finally able to get my fish n chips I was planning on having this trip. It was delicious to say the least. And you can't have fish n chips without Irish tea. In the middle of my restaurant search, a couple street performers were out. A three piece group was doing a blues performance while a guy down the street was playing bagpipes. I enjoyed listening to both. While walking, I also came across some pretty cool churches and cathedrals. 

Plans for tomorrow is to go to Cashel. The Rock of Cashel is one of the coolest castles so that will be be fun. However, it's a 2 1/2 hour bus ride, so I figured I would need to bring food. I stopped at a local grocery store to pick up food and snacks a returned to the hostel. Tomorrow is also bank holiday which means a lot of businesses will be closed. I'm not sure if grocery stores will be closed but I thought I would stock up just in case. 

At the hostel, I snacked a little, while refitting my pack for tomorrow. I hung around the hostel for a bit then our youth group called on FaceTime so I could talk to them. It was nice seeing all of them. 

Today, even though I had multiple flat tyres, was a pretty good day. I was able to see some of the country I hadn't experienced yet. It only gets better from here so keep posted! :)

Ireland Day Three

Today was one of the not so great days. I woke up hearing rain. I did prepare for rain and was ready but wasn't to excited about being out in it all day. I barely woke up in time for breakfast, then got ready for the day. During breakfast, I met guy from Australia named Steve. We probably talked for about 10 minutes or so. 

I prepared for the cold by wearing my underarmour and had my rain gear. Carrying around a 5 1/2 kg backpack can be a killer on the shoulders when you have been carrying It for 3 days. So, today I decided to go light. My waterproof panniers came with a shoulder strap so I packed my essentials and headed out. It was only a light rain and in the 40's. It actually didn't feel that cold despite the fact that I could see my breath. 

Today is free comic book day and being the nerd that I am, I can't pass that up. So I hit 3 stores and walked out with a couple comics. The comic book stores here are much more involved and bigger than in America. The walk started feel like it was taking longer when my rain pants and jacket decided to start leaking. When wet, it's easy to get cold faster, though it helps to keep moving. The only thing on the itinerary today was to go to the comic book shops and find other attractions throughout the day. I decided to visit the Guiness brewery. The line was quite long and took nearly a half-hour to get in. It was interesting seeing the history behind it. We ended the tour at the "Guiness Academy" where we learned to pour "the perfect pint". 

I spent a couple hours at the brewery before heading out. I was going to stop at the Dublinia, but they were near closing so I budgeted that into another day. Stay posted for what that is. 

By this point, I was starting to get a little cold and thought it was time to dry out. On my way back to the hostel, I stopped at a gift shop to get a sweatshirt. When I got to O'Hare airport, I realized I had forgot my sweatshirt. Up to this point, I didn't really need one, but today was a little chilly. I also stopped at a local grocery store. 

When I got back, I quickly changed and hung my clothes to dry. I switched my stuff back to the backpack then fixed something to eat in the kitchen here. 

I had yet to map my route thoroughly for tomorrow so I spent some time doing that. Tomorrow is when the real sightseeing starts. Let's just hope it doesn't rain. 

After mapping my routes, I put some clothes in the washer. I waited probably 1 1/2 hours for that to finish. In the meantime, I enjoyed some tea and some reading. 

As it got later and laundry finished up, I went out for a quick dinner of which I brought back to the hostel. Luckily, the rain pretty well settled. I think tonight I will turn in early to rest up for the big day tomorrow. 

Note: I apologize for the lack pictures. My phone camera both died early on.  

Ireland Day Two

Today was a busy day but as easy as yesterday was. My first three days here are scheduled to be easier days, then I ride out and start seeing the cool stuff! The itinerary today was not too eventful: take the free Dublin walking tour, go to the olde jail, and do an evening bus tour. 

I woke up fairly early to catch a light breakfast provided by the hostel. Breakfast here is 7:30-9:30. Following, I repacked my backpack for the day. The free Dublin tour was to start at 10:30, so I waited in the common room until then. The common room is nice. Actually there's more than one, but the one I'm referring to is the main one at the entrance of the hostel. This gave a chance to get some reading done. When 10:00 came around, the tour guide came in and announced that we were ready to head out. 

Along the way, we stopped at 2 other hostels to pick up other tour groups. From the last one, we headed to an upscale pub called the Mercantile. Being that we were in the tour group, we all got free coffee or tea. Irish tea is nothing like what we have in America. It has a distinct aroma and taste that is difficult to explain but is satisfying. 

At the pub, we were seperated into 2 groups: English and Spanish. From there, we made our way to Dublin Castle. I had already been there but the history and stories behind it were interesting. All that's really left of the castle is the tower. The tower was used in the 15th century to house prisoners and was also used as a torture facility. Later on, a chapel was built onto it. To get to the castle, we walked through the original city gates of which there's remnants of throughout Dublin. 

The gates actually lead to a courtyard surrounded by administrative buildings. Our guide also pointed out the building where the Irish Crown Jewels would be housed... If they knew where they were. If you don't know the story behind the Irish Crown Jewels, it's worth looking up. It's quite humorous. Within the courtyard, we also saw the building where Bram Stoker wrote Dracula. 

Behind the castle, is the Dubh Linn Garden that we visited. Dublin has many gardens that are just awesome. Next to the garden is the coach house which was once a stable. We continued to tour around the castle for a bit which was a lot I already saw but the guide gave interesting stories about it. 

From there, we briefly visited a Greece style amphitheatre where we got a chance to stand in the middle and hear our voices echo. 

For a short break, we stopped at a pub called "The Storehouse" where we all could get a drink. I decided to try the Irish coffee. We were there for maybe 25 minutes before we took off for Trinity College. To be honest, I never gave a thought to visiting the college, but I'm glad we did. It was originally built and used in 1592. At the time, Catholics weren't allowed to attend the college which is funny because one of their slogans now encourages acceptance of everyone. The entrance is the original one as well as the campanlle. All of the buildings in the college are very ornate including the library (of which I went back to). 

We then visited Christ Church Cathedral, of which I was at yesterday. We heard many stories behind this cool building. We also learned that the field nearby used to be a Viking village. As they were excavating to build some office buildings, they found the village underground and perfectly preserved. Unfortunately, all that remains is a large grassy yard. We heard many stories of the Vikings. I did not know that Dublin was the Viking town in Ireland. We learned many things including that England did not like fighting the Vikings or the Celts because of their unpredictable and fierce combat techniques. Apparently, the Celtic priest used to give the soldiers hallucinogenic mushrooms before battle. 

We didn't have much time so we briefly saw the Leinnster house which is Ireland's political headquarters. Lastly, we ended in St. Francis Park which was awesome. We thanked our tour guide and gave him something for his time. 

Immediately, I went back to the Trinity College to tour through there. In the library, is housed 2 copies of the Book of Kells. This book is the 4 gospels of the Bible, written in Latin by priests as early as the 600's. Unfortunately, I was unable to take pictures of them because photography is not allowed. However, I must say that the books are well preserved. 

Another section of the library contained the "Long Room". This is the portion that houses over 200,00 books, including some of the originals from Aristotle and Homer. This is where George Lucas got the idea to use the library as the Jedi library in Star Wars. He was denied but he took pictures and had the whole library done in CGI for The Empire Strikes Back. Later on, the actual library was used for the filming of Harry Potter as the Hogwarts library. Housed in the library is also the harp used on the back of the Irish penny and the Guiness symbol. 

From there, I didn't have a whole lot of time before the bus tour. I came back to the hostel for a cup of tea and put on some more under armour because a part of the tour was to be outside at night. 

Well, we were to meet out side of the Brazen Head, Ireland's oldest pub. I decided to head over there early for dinner and had an Irish beef stew with tea. After dinner, I waited for the bus until I realized the tour was cancelled. So instead, I walked down the street and saw St. Patrick's cathedral. By this time it was too late to visit the jail. However, I heard that it wasn't much to see. Luckily, because of the walking tour, I have things I added to my list of things to see.  

It started to cool down a bit so I decided to head back to the hostel. The weather is much different from back home. When we landed yesterday, it was cold enough to see my breath, but felt warm. It also seems like the temperature doesn't change much day to day. It's been in the high 40's but feels like 60. When walking or biking, it's almost too hot for long sleeves, but if you just sit on a bench, it feels cold enough to start shivering. On the other side, when there's clouds and wind, it feels like the temp is in the 50's but as soon as the sun comes out, it feels like 70. Ireland also has a distinct smell. I'm not sure how to describe it. It smells like... Well, Ireland. 

And that's where I am now. Stay tuned to keep updated on the trip.