Tuesday September 24th – En route to Waterville, County Kerry
Boston, Massachusetts is widely considered one of THE worst cities on the planet to drive. I can’t even imagine what outsiders trying to drive in our fine city experience. A street grid that doesn’t make a lick of sense. Shall I say…’over zealous’ drivers repeatedly suggesting we go have relations with ourselves. And there are more single fingers raised to the air than their are after one of our great sports teams wins a championship! Obviously, I don’t take part in any of this ‘over-zealous’ tactics on the roads of Boston. I have been one of our best drivers for over 30 years. I should give a Ted Talk on parallel parking!
What I experienced yesterday driving from my hotel in Killarney to play a round of golf at one of the finest golf courses on the planet was truly terrifying. Words can not even describe the experience. It was 60+ minutes of the most sweat inducing, white-knuckle, terrifying driving experiences of my life. There is not a road in Greater Boston that compares to this. The only thing I can compare this to is the Jamaica Way. But reduce its four lanes to 1 and a half. But have cars and trucks zooming past at full speed. And drive on the left side, and not be able to see oncoming cars until 20-25 feet before they are mirror-to-mirror with you. Then also add some of the most breathtaking landscape and views you’d ever want to look at, but you can’t, because there is a cliff on your left ready to accept your car into the depths of this canyon. Get the picture?
The blue line was the long and winding road
Click HERE to watch a drone video going through the Gap of Dunloe to help you visualize what the landscape looks like…
Oh there are also thousands of sheep along the way. Grazing on the hills…but also in the road. Yes. Think for a second there being a pack of sheep in Storrow Drive, if you will. Same idea.
Much of this 52 kilometer (I have no idea what this is in miles. Still too traumatized to try and convert that. (A 5k road race is 3.2 miles. Get out your calculator, ok?) trip was on a road that had barley enough room for ONE car, let alone two! There were bridges over streams that were wide enough for most cars. Many of the SUV’s we have in the states would not fit over these bridges. In some instances, you have to slam on the breaks if an oncoming car is approaching the bridge too.
It was pure chaos. I just dont know how this is still a thing in Ireland. This road above was one of the roomier parts of the trip. And by roomy, you can clearly see that a moped would still be uncomfortable driving on the other side of the road…but yet oncoming cars, multiple trucks with horse trailers behind were zipping by.
Needless to say, it was a harrowing experience, and I obviously did not go back the same route. I don’t wish this experience on my worst enemy. It was stressful every second of the trip. Not until I pulled into the parking lot at Waterville Golf Links did I blink.
It was a picture perfect day at Waterville. Sun was sneaking in and out of the clouds. The wind was being polite, and we even got some requisite sprinkles that is, pardon, par-for-the-course for golf in Ireland. The caddy that was accompanying our foursome told us that the conditions were a 2/10 in terms of strength of wind and overall playability. We got lucky for sure!
I got paired up with a trio of older guys originally from Massachusetts. I feel like that course was teeming with New Englanders that day. They were all good enough golfers and we had a really nice time. One of the guys had a caddie with him, who was nice enough to give us local tips and read some putts for us.
I can’t imagine there being many more beautiful spots for a golf course than Waterville. Every hole on that course took your breathe away. It was a REALLY enjoyable round. This current trip to Ireland was never intended to be a ‘Golf Trip’ with the boys. But I couldn’t come to Ireland and NOT play one of the many stunning course on the Emerald Isle. I brought a dozen brand new golf balls with me, and I am taking a dozen back with me. I was very happy with the 91 that I shot, and appreciated every step of that wonderful walk.
There was a great plaque on one of the tee boxes toward the end of the road…and I thought it appropos for the quartet of golfers in our group:
If you want to take a proper look at the golf course…click HERE to look at a wonderful drone video of the track.
Tomorrow: Last Day in Killarney and Meeting Some New Friends
👆That should have been an opportunity to REALLY think about what I was getting myself into. Weeks ago, I thought it would be a great idea to check out Killarney National Park by way of horseback. (Check out Drone Footage HERE) The thinking was that a 2-hour horseback ride would be better than a 4-5 hour hike through the National Park. I learned my lesson, thats for sure.
The tour and the views and the landscapes were stunning, don’t get me wrong. It’s really my own fault. My ONLY issue with the experience is that my aging hips had a hard time with the ride. I did have fun for most of the ride…but it all starts with my partner in this escapade.
I introduce you to PETER THE HORSE! I am not messing with you. The horse’s name was Peter, too! I couldn’t believe it! Everyone got a kick out of it. I don’t think that Petey was giving me the stink eye in the above picture, but he clearly didn’t like what he was getting into. Getting on to the horse was not as smooth as I would have liked. Let me paint a picture for you: It was definitely not one of those old westerns where the rider was hopping on like they were on a trampoline. It was more like Herman Munster trying to get into a Fiat. My wearing jeans probably didn’t help the cause either…😆
We left from the Killarney Riding Stables, and we had a quartet of amazing guides. They were true professionals and I would recommend the stables to anyone that is coming through Killarney…as long as you aren’t nearing AARP age. I asked one of the young ladies guiding us: “How old do you think Peter is?” Her response…”Ummm…he’s not too young…he’s not too old.” I quickly responded: “JUST LIKE ME!” I don’t think the young woman appreciated that Hall of Fame response as much as I did, and I don’t think anyone else heard this all-time response!
Killarney National Park is absolutely stunning. We followed horseback riding trails through the forest mostly, and came across lots of people going for walks, some with their dogs. I REALLY like when we were just walking. Peter and I had a good understanding I think. I quickly came to realize that Peter (The Horse) had a bit of a reputation of being a little prickly at times. He marched to the beat of his own drum. Five or 10 minutes in…he started looking for opportunities to chomp on overgrown vegetation close to the path. At first, I thought it was my responsibility to keep him focused and away from his treats. Truth be told, there was very little I could do to keep the hulking beast away from the widely available assortment of greens along the way. I quickly realized that keeping Peter as happy as possible was in my best interest as well. Who am I to try and stop him from his snacks?! I like snacks. Anyone that tries to get in the way of my snacks is essentially my enemy. SO I left it up to the guides to yell at Peter. I just gave him a pat on the head and made sure he knew I was on his side!
Where things got really uncomfortable was when the guides thought that WE all wanted to start trotting with the horses. We’re not warming up for the Derby here, lady! Let’s keep things civilized, here. It got very uncomfortable quick. I don’t need to get into specifics here, but rest assured, there was a lot of discomfort here. Additionally, whereas the horses (Including and especially Peter) would relieve themselves at their convenience along the path, the riders did not have that same luxury. Peter (the rider) wasn’t very far into the ride when he would have gladly hoped off at the first sign of a port-a-potty. Therefore, the trotting was DEFINITELY not helping with that particular situation. Se La Vie…
The ride ended up nicely enough, and Peter and I got along quite well over the 2.5 hours. He got his snacks. I got back to the stables without being thrown off. That’s a ‘Win-Win’ in my book! I should note, that I was probably on the younger end of the age scale for this group of 7 riders. Most of us got off our horses and gingerly sauntered (in the most Western sense of the word, if possible) out of the barn to our cars, all seemingly having had a nice afternoon.
Tomorrow: A Drive From HELL! 😫 (and also an amazing round of golf)
My last day in Galway was pretty quiet. I purposely didn’t have anything scheduled for this day, after a busy first two days in Galway. I spent a chunk of the day wandering around. I found my morning coffee spot in the Latin Quarter, as well as a bakery right down the street. It made it hard to choose just ONE morning breakfast treat.
Just look at these options from Truffle in Galway. I was introduced to Truffle on my Food Tour on Thursday with Galway Food Tours. I could not recommend Galway Food Tours enough. While on the tour, my guide also introduced me to Little Lane Coffee (See previous blog post). Here are a couple of morning treats that they offered up!
I obviously went with the Nutella Cronut, and more than a few people asked that I bring one home for them. (That’s not gonna happen) I also grabbed one of those raspberry croissants from Truffle, of course. I figured I would swing by Little Lane on Sunday morning to grab that Cinnamon Bun before I left the city. Much to my horror, this coffee shop didn’t open up until 10:30!! 😫. Can you imagine if Dunks or Starbucks didnt open up until 10:30 on a Sunday! There would be outright riots in the streets! I guess the folks of Galway like to sleep in on Sundays. Brings new meaning to ‘And on the seventh day…’
Sunday September 22nd
I Never Thought Driving Could be so Stressful!
I rented a car (and got taken to town on the price) for the next couple of days for my travels. I was legitimately having anxiety about driving on the other side of the road. To make things a tad easier, I rented a standard transmission car…at a significantly higher price!
Driving around the city was daunting. The roundabouts, downright traumatizing. It’s amazing how the brain reacts to something some fundamentally different than what it has been used to for 32+ years of driving. We’re just going the opposite direction. But have you ever tried brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand? Give it a shot. You’ll be there all night! I finally stopped sweating and got the hang of it out on the open road. I was taking a trip about an hour south for a night at best hotel I’ve ever stay at! (And for those of you that know me, you realize that those words have some real meaning!)
Dromoland Castle Hotel
Dromoland Castle Hotel is about 75 minutes south of Galway. As soon as you drive on the grounds, you quickly realize you are someplace special. My long time friend from Trinity College, Jonathan (Bama) Epstein is the Owner/Operator of a wonderful travel company called Celebrated Experiences. They focus on helping clients create unforgettable vacation experiences in the UK, and have recently expanded to Italy. He connected me with one of his Ireland experts and am I ever glad he did! She suggested early on that I spend a night a castle…specifically THIS castle. It would be a splurge, for sure, but well worth it! The property is absolutely stunning! Words will not do it justice, so I will try with pictures.
The hospitality here was OVER the top! Before I knew it, the bags were taken out of my car, and I had a cup of tea in front of me in one of the many luxurious ares to sit down for tea or a cocktail!
If you’re thinking to yourself…”Wow…that’s pretty fancy for a slug like Pete”…you’re not wrong. But was it special! I can see my mom sitting in one of those chairs for hours, reading her book, having several coffees, and a couple of cigs, when it was allowed to do so. She would have been in heaven.
And now…the room:
It was the best night sleep I had in a LONG time. In roughly 21 hours, I took three showers and a bath. I’ve never been cleaner! It is not lost on me, that I am way over my head here with this room and experience!
However the highlight of my quick stay there was my afternoon fishing on the pond on the grounds with one of the most interesting guys I have met in a long time!
Clem was an absolute GEM!! We spent close to three hours on that small row boat circling around the pond looking for the big catch. I had never fly-fished before and he gave me a master class in 2.5 minutes. I had a couple of nibbles, that I lost because of my inexperience…but then I finally hooked a couple after two hours of circling. It was such a pleasant afternoon out on the pond. Clem was a delight to chat with, and when I finally reeled one in…he was happier than I was! And for the record…I ended up catching TWO beautiful rainbow trout!
What a Great (quick) Stay!
My dad bought a boat for us down in Westport, a year after my mom passed. We didn’t know WTF we were doing. We had no idea how to fish…certainly no idea how to navigate. We had a ‘Perfect Storm’ experience trying to come back from Martha’s Vineyard one time. We didn’t really subscribe to the widely accepted practice of going out to catch the fish as the sun was coming up. We would usually be going out, when the real fishermen were coming in with a boat full of stripped bass! I don’t know if we EVER caught a fish of substance while on that boat.
The fun and exhilaration I had yesterday on that boat…was absolutely amazing! It was so serene out there, and I really enjoyed the conversation with Clem! Finally getting those two fish on the boat was SOOOO AMAZING! 🤩 I didn’t think that one of my priorities once I get back Stateside would be to learn how to fly fish…but here we are!
All in all, the Dromoland was a 10/10. I’m gonna start taking some extra shifts to start squirreling away a couple of bucks to book a longer stay next time!
Check back tomorrow to find out how I did on a horse named Peter! Until that time!
‘Oiche Mhaith’ – Goodnight 🇮🇪
One response to “21 Hours in a Castle!”
sharkexactly983831017c
Loving the pictures and your descriptive prose. I remember well learning to drive on the wrong side of the road when we lived in London. It got even hairier when we took our English car on the ferry to France – picture trying to pass a big truck on a small country road in France (they drive on the right side of the road like us) while driving an English car and not being able to see around the truck you’re passing. I still have nightmares about that experience!
My longtime friend from BC High, Jesse MacDonald, sent me a note after I posted a band playing in the street in Galway last night. That band was just one of the many experiences that confirmed the ‘Ireland is Magical’ theory with me. I have heard that theory many times over the years, but as Jesse continued ‘It doesn’t make sense to hear that until you’re there’, and I now subscribe to that notion ten times over. Yesterday was nothing short of BREATHTAKING for me. I booked a tour to check out The Aran Islands, The Cliffs of Moher and a quick stop for lunch in Doolin. I found the tour on http://www.viator.com…a site that offers up an array of fun tours and activities. I used them to book a horseback riding tour in Killarney in a couple of days. I recommend them highly.
Back to yesterday’s life changing experience. A couple of weeks ago, I put it out to the world on the Facebook that I was looking for suggestions for a solo trip to Ireland. One friend suggested I HAD to go to the Aran Islands; I had never heard of the Aran Islands, but I am glad he introduced me to it.
It was about a 90 minute bus right to get from Galway to just past Doolin, where we hopped on a ferry (not like a MV or Nantucket ferry: think Whale Watch boat) to go to Inisheer – the smallest of the three Aran Islands. The ferry ride took 15 minutes or so, and you get the treat of admiring the Cliffs of Moher from afar as we go. Once on the island, we had 90 minutes or so to explore. I elected to rent an e-bike to zip around the island and check things out. A couple of things about Inisheer: • It is roughly 1.8 miles x 1.2 miles • There are roughly 300 people that live on the island • There is a school, a hotel, a pub, a runway and rock walls. LOTS of rock walls.
I was told that the rock walls were built up around the island because most of the land was cover with this stone, and the people living there needed to do something with the stone in order to cultivate the land. It is quite magnificent.
As soon as I got back to my hotel later that night, I found a video on YouTube that is a drone tour of the Island. I highly recommend watching this 2+ min video. It really gives a great view of this beautiful island. ARAN ISLAND DRONE VIDEO TOUR
The Cliffs of Moher
Breathtaking is really the only word I can come up with to describe this truly magical spot. At over 800 feet tall at its highest point, it is hard to understand this natural wonder. The cliffs are truly majestic, and the pictures don’t do it justice. The sun was OUT yesterday, and it was BRIGHT! A brightness that maybe we aren’t used to in the States, due to fog and air pollution, but my sunglasses weren’t really helping with the piercing sun! Scenes from one of the Harry Potter movies was filmed here at the Cliffs. Finally, a couple that was sitting behind me on the bus got engaged on top of the cliffs! A day they will never forget, I’m sure. I didn’t get engaged up there yesterday, but it will be a day I don’t soon forget either!
The Galway Nightlife
I had heard all about the exciting Galway Nightlife all the way back in college when I was studying abroad in London. Friends gave me recommendations of pubs and restaurants that I need to check out, and the nightlife experience have lived up to all of my expectations. Everyone was just having a great time. There was this ‘joie de vivre’ in The Latin Quarter that I can’t remember experiencing anywhere else! No one was pissed off and angry like you see in Boston (for sure) and other places in the States. I ended up in one of the recommended pubs, Tig Coili…and it was exactly what I was looking to experience.
Tig Coili
The owners of this charming little pub in the heart of The Latin Quarter call it ‘a country pub, in the middle of the city.’ They have ‘Music Sessions’ on a nightly basis and it was everything that I had hoped to experience. These music sessions are basically just jame sessions. Musicians will just come in, without previously making plans to do so, and just sit in and jam with the other musicians that are already there. They set up shop in the ‘Nook’ in the front of the pub, and just play and play and play. It is absolutely brilliant. Check out the Tig Coili website HERE.
The Nook at Tig Coili
Funny story from the pub: I sat down next to a guy who was clearly a fellow American. His wife was back at the hotel and he was just enjoying a couple of pints out on the town. He and I started talking: He was from from Upstate New York and worked in marketing for years. He and I had played a bunch of the same golf courses, so there as an immediate connection. I told him I was from Boston. That’s it. His next question:
”Did you got to Trinity College?” (Hartford, not Dublin)
I told him I did. He then asked me if I knew Jay Monahan (The head of the PGA Tour) and Billy Hogan (The top guy for Liverpool Football Club). Mind officially blown! He told me he worked with both of those guys years ago when his company was a major sponsor for PGA Tour events. It is a SMALL world! My mom would have been tickled to hear that story! When I moved to Kentucky way back int he day, she said she was never worried that I would be lonely in a new place, because as she said ‘you’ll just meet someone over a beer somewhere, and you’ll be fine.’ And that is exactly what happened in Hopkinsville, and it happened again last night in Galway. Fun stuff!
Clearly the band wasn’t as impressed with me as I was with them!
Saturday’s Plan
No real plans in the books for today. Just going to wander around and see some sights. There is a Hurling match later this afternoon that I might go check out. There is a Pizza Place called The Dough Bros that apparently was named the 16th best pizza in THE WORLD! Between, Santarps, Regina’s and Papa Ginos (I’m being serious) in Boston, I will be the judge to see if this Dough Bros place is worthy of the 16th best pizza in the world. I will report back tomorrow!
I arrived in Shannon around 5:30 in the morning on Thursday. The flight itself was very nice, exceptional service from Aer Lingus. Being in Business Class certainly makes this a lot more comfortable. The flight itself was only six hours or so. I think you either have to try and sleep the whole time, or enjoy the food and movies…but it’s kind of tough to try and do both. After a bus ride to Galway, I was exhausted when I got to my hotel to drop off my bags. All I wanted was to take a quick nap, but my room would not be available until the afternoon. So I walked around this quaint city for several hours and sat down a couple of times for much needed caffeine. The city was bustling early, with students racing to class, and pubs opening up for what would be a busy day thanks to gorgeous weather! I had a food tour scheduled for 2:30 in the afternoon, so I was basically just trying to kill time.
The Food Tour: WOW!
I had some help planning this trip by a college friend of mine, Jonathan ‘Bamako’ Epstein, the owner of an amazing travel company called Celebrated Experiences, based out of Atlanta. I didn’t take advantage of all of their offerings, but they have already made a huge impact on my trip. They arranged for a private food tour of Galway and it was absolutely amazing! I would recommend Galway Food Tours to everyone! A lovely young woman guided me through 5 stops throughout the Latin Quarter and it was fantastic. From locally caught trout, to whiskey, coffee and ice cream, it was a great way to start the trip. Here is where we went:
I’m not a whiskey drinker, but they were pretty good. They also provided some local cheeses and meats, all of which were amazing. I learned that the Irish culinary scene is alive and well, and relatively new! Native Irish have spent time abroad then have come back to take what they have learned in their homeland.
Again, I am not a coffee drinker, but they had some great coffee. It is a wife & husband team that own the shop and they are REALLY passionate bout their coffee…going to great lengths to offer up beans that are far superior to their competitors at a similar price.
From the Gaelic word for bird, this Spanish inspired bakery, restaurant and restaurant is a cozy little spot with BIG flavors! They offered up two small dishes that I probably would not have ordered if I were there on my own. I can’t even describe one of the plates, but the second one was a taster that include an anchovie, an olive and a jalapeño pepper and WOW was there some flavor. Add in a great Spanish glass of wine, and this was a great stop on the tour.
Anyone that has had an ice cream with me, knows that I am pretty basic and usually order the same flavor from my all-time fave spot, The Ice Creamsmith. I tasted the Dingle Sea Salt and eventually had a scoop of the Fresh Irish Strawberry and they were both tremdous. Rest assured, I will be back there again to try out a couple other flavors! What flavor would you pick? (Answer below in Comments Section!)
Of course I had to grab a couple of pints on day 1, and they were as good as I imagined they would be! I stopped by The Kings Head pub on High Street. Apparently the Kings head is only 800 years old, so they know a thing or two about thirsty visitors. I reckon I will stop by for another pint before I leave on Sunday AM.
My Favorite Thing of the Day (Really my 2nd favorite thing) The food tour was clearly the favorite part of my day on Thursday. I loved the bustle of the streets in the Latin Quarter. The sun was out, so people (and plenty of tourists) were sitting outside of the ubiquitous pubs in the city, having a coffee, a pint, a butt or all of the above. I was tickled by how many street musicians there were in the neighborhood. It seemed like there was someone playing the guitar every hundred yards (meters) or so. Young kids, old timers. They just added a really nice soundtrack to the hum of the busy streets.
Etc…
After a VERY long day…I called it a night early and hit the sack. It was a fantastic first day and have already fallen in love with this charming little city. Frida’s agenda includes a boat cruise to check out the Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands and lunch in the sea side town of Doolin. Stay Tune! Have a great Friday!
2 responses to “Hey Galway! Nice to meet you!”
kellydayroberts
Pete – You definitely have to go to The King’s Head for a pint on Sunday before you leave. They have an incredible (and very long-running) jazz session on Sundays.
Sounds like a great introduction! There is no doubt that Irish cuisine has radically improved over the last 50 years or so with, as you say, a lot of European influence. I could go for the Dingle Sea Salt
A man from Boston, one with plenty of Irish ancestry in his blood, should NOT be taking his first trip to Ireland in his early 50’s! I don’t have any reasonable explanation. I spent a semester in college ‘studying’ in London; a quick and inexpensive flight I was told. Plenty of my schoolmates took weekend jaunts to Dublin or Galway. I heard all the brilliant stories…but never ended up booking that trip. I have regretted that decision of YEARS!
30+ years later…I am finally taking that trip…likely with fewer pub crawls and earlier bed times however. To say I am excited is a proper understatement. It will be great to visit the homeland, but more importantly the catalyst for, what I hope will be, more traveling.
“We have always found the Irish a bit odd. They refuse to be English.”
-Winston Churchill
I will be traveling alone this trip, but at no point do I anticipate being alone. I am looking at this trip as a gift from my father, Terry, who passed last December. He would be absolutely tickled that I am taking this trip and would want to hear about every last detail on this 8-night visit. The special hotels I am staying in, the views from the Cliffs of Moher (above), the pubs, the pints, the people. I only wish he were going on this trip with me…but he will be with me every step I take!
I thought I would publish this blog to share my experiences with my friends and family. I want to share the sights, the sounds, the people, the food and the pints. I have planned a trip that is going to be a nice introduction to Ireland for me. I am not trying to see EVERYTHING! I see this trip as just the appetizer for future trips to Ireland!
I will be departing Boston next Wednesday, September 18th and flying into Shannon. I will be spending 3 nights in Galway before heading south to visit some smaller cities and towns. My plan is to write a blog everyday during the trip…to share the sites, the sounds, the food and new friends that I meet along the way. I do have a return flight on Friday the 27th of September. I am planning on being on that flight, but plenty of people of told me that I may just want to stay! My weekend golf buddies may need to find a 4th for that last weekend of September…but I am sure they will understand my absence!
2 responses to “A Long Overdue Trip”
Tanya Folk
Can’t wait to watch your travels! Have the best time! Bon Voyage!
Pete's Wanderings of Ireland! 
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