We made plans to meet up with the Nugent cousins - Maureen, Kate and James - at Pichet restaurant in central Dublin. Had a really enjoyable evening with them. See pics below.
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Thursday, September 11, 2014
Dublin
After a late night at Carina's with lots of great food and drink, we finally rose to another glorious day of weather. We took the speedy M6 highway to Dublin and arrived around 4pm for a two day stay. Love being back in Dublin.
We made plans to meet up with the Nugent cousins - Maureen, Kate and James - at Pichet restaurant in central Dublin. Had a really enjoyable evening with them. See pics below.
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We made plans to meet up with the Nugent cousins - Maureen, Kate and James - at Pichet restaurant in central Dublin. Had a really enjoyable evening with them. See pics below.
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Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Quite day at Ballinasloe
Nice relaxing day at Ballinasloe. Carina hosted a great dinner for us last night with several of her and Niall's friends. Lots of excellent wines flowed. We spent most of today sitting about and talking. Did a quick drive out to see the battlefield where the Battle of Aughrim took place in 1691. It was a devastating loss for Irish Catholics and confirmed Protestant ascendency for the next 150 years. Here's a photo of Carl and I front of a memorial cross at the site.
The weather has been amazing here - today was hot and sunny again. The weather was so nice we had lunch outside in the garden - a first!
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The weather has been amazing here - today was hot and sunny again. The weather was so nice we had lunch outside in the garden - a first!
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Tuesday, September 9, 2014
The big mountain at Westport - Sept 9
Lots of driving today on Monday. We travelled 4 hours from Clogheen to the lovely town of Westport in county Mayo. As you drive into westport, you can't help but notice the massive mountain Croagh Patrick looming over the city. To me it looked the size of Mount Everest so when Carl said we are climbing to the top, I thought he was absolutely crazy! Fast forward one hour and we are in our hiking gear making our way up the mountain like the thousands of pilgrims who have gone before us trying to reach the tiny church St Patrick reputedly built at the peak. It's a challenging hike. The first half of the 2500 foot ascent is steep. The mountain is covered in loose stones so you must constantly watch your footing - thank God we brought our hiking poles! Carl has reached the top twice on previous trips and I had great intentions of reaching the peak too but alas it was not meant to be. At 2000 feet, two things happened: we realized we were going to run out of time (we didn't start the climb until 3:30) and could possibly still be on the mountain after 8pm, and I then just got plain exhausted - the last 500 feet are at a 20% grade with ridiculous amount of loose stone so we turned back. The trip down is slow because you have to watch your footing on the loose stones the whole way down. The views of Clew Bay are spectacular though and make the arduous trip worthwhile. Total length of the climb up and back was 12 kilometres.
St Patrick greeting visitors to his mountain.
Headed back to hotel to rest our aching bodies. We then spent the evening at Matt Malloy's pub (he's one of The Chieftains) watching live Irish traditional music - a real "session" - they were all very talented musicians. Before the pub we enjoyed excellent smoke salmon and fish and chips at The West restaurant. Tomorrow we head to Ballinasloe to stay with uncle Niall and meet up with Mom who is arriving there tomorrow too.
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St Patrick greeting visitors to his mountain.
Headed back to hotel to rest our aching bodies. We then spent the evening at Matt Malloy's pub (he's one of The Chieftains) watching live Irish traditional music - a real "session" - they were all very talented musicians. Before the pub we enjoyed excellent smoke salmon and fish and chips at The West restaurant. Tomorrow we head to Ballinasloe to stay with uncle Niall and meet up with Mom who is arriving there tomorrow too.
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Saturday, September 6, 2014
Donkey love!
Arrived in Dublin! Flight was good despite being delayed due to those nasty thunderstorms in Toronto on Fri night. We quickly picked up our rental car at the airport and headed for Tipperary. We are staying in the smal. Town of Clogheen at The Old Convent hotel - a former convent of the Blessed Heart order who were nurses and teachers in this area for many years. This whole area has gone mad over the final hurling championship of which the Tipperary team is a finalist. The team colours fly from almost every home and business. The final is on Sunday on Sunday.
A young American woman and her Irish chef husband bought the convent 6 years ago from the nuns and have turned it into a first rate hotel and restaurant - the food is excellent. They raise their own chickens and also have a few rescue donkeys on site. They told us a very funny story about the donkeys. They had 3 female donkeys to start and then heard of a neglected and abused male donkey who needed a home. They initially said no because the male donkey had not been neutered but relented and put the donkey in a separate pen away from the other donkeys. However despite his poor health and physical condition the male donkey got out of his pen the first night, headed for the female donkeys and managed to impregnate all 3 donkeys in one night! They now have 7 donkeys living on site.
Sunday we got up early, had a huge Irish breakfast and hit the road. We headed for Ballybacon church to visit the grave of my grandfather Richard Walsh. The church is in a remote rural area of Tipperary with stunning scenery of the Knockmealdown mountains. His grave is among many others from the Walsh family.
We then headed off to search for the Walsh "ancestral home" near Ardfinnan where my grandfather, his parents and 8 siblings lived. We got a bit lost and asked a woman walking along the road for directions. Turned out she is married to my second cousin Paddy Duggan whose mother was a niece of my grandfathers. Within minutes we brought to their home introduced to everyone, plied with wine and had 2 hours of hilarious conversation. Here are some pics of Paddy, his wife Nora and daughter Ellen
After all that we finally arrived at the Walsh ancestral home where Anne Walsh who married a nephew of my grandfather still lives.
The place is a bit dilapidated with farm animals wandering about (see horse above). Only in Ireland would someone say about their home "the house seems a bit small but we built an extension on in 1901"! I learned quite a bit more geneological information about the Walshes from Anne which was great. Then we drove on to the Condon ancestral home, an ancient Norman keep near Mitchelstown. Very interesting and rare tower built with curved corners
On tomorrow to Westport to hopefully climb Croagh Patrick. Weather has been amazing - sunny and warm both days. Even the locals can't believe it!
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A young American woman and her Irish chef husband bought the convent 6 years ago from the nuns and have turned it into a first rate hotel and restaurant - the food is excellent. They raise their own chickens and also have a few rescue donkeys on site. They told us a very funny story about the donkeys. They had 3 female donkeys to start and then heard of a neglected and abused male donkey who needed a home. They initially said no because the male donkey had not been neutered but relented and put the donkey in a separate pen away from the other donkeys. However despite his poor health and physical condition the male donkey got out of his pen the first night, headed for the female donkeys and managed to impregnate all 3 donkeys in one night! They now have 7 donkeys living on site.
Sunday we got up early, had a huge Irish breakfast and hit the road. We headed for Ballybacon church to visit the grave of my grandfather Richard Walsh. The church is in a remote rural area of Tipperary with stunning scenery of the Knockmealdown mountains. His grave is among many others from the Walsh family.
We then headed off to search for the Walsh "ancestral home" near Ardfinnan where my grandfather, his parents and 8 siblings lived. We got a bit lost and asked a woman walking along the road for directions. Turned out she is married to my second cousin Paddy Duggan whose mother was a niece of my grandfathers. Within minutes we brought to their home introduced to everyone, plied with wine and had 2 hours of hilarious conversation. Here are some pics of Paddy, his wife Nora and daughter Ellen
After all that we finally arrived at the Walsh ancestral home where Anne Walsh who married a nephew of my grandfather still lives.
The place is a bit dilapidated with farm animals wandering about (see horse above). Only in Ireland would someone say about their home "the house seems a bit small but we built an extension on in 1901"! I learned quite a bit more geneological information about the Walshes from Anne which was great. Then we drove on to the Condon ancestral home, an ancient Norman keep near Mitchelstown. Very interesting and rare tower built with curved corners
On tomorrow to Westport to hopefully climb Croagh Patrick. Weather has been amazing - sunny and warm both days. Even the locals can't believe it!
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Thursday, September 19, 2013
Thursday September 19, 2013
Sadly...our last day of this amazing vacation. Today we visited Europe's largest department store, KaDaWe, is immense with a spectacular selection of clothes from every designer and clothing line imaginable! The Gendarmenmarkt is a beautiful square, with matching Lutheran and Huguenot churches flanking the concert hall, all rebuilt - one of Europe's best. Currywurst Express is Berlin's native fast food restaurant - German sausages with a curry tomato sauce...and Carl's favourite. The Ritter museum, home of the Ritter chocolate bar ... Fiona's favourite.
This afternoon, we took Cormac's advice and went to see the Egypt exhibits at the Neues Museum. It was quite good especially for those of us who have been King Tutted to death.
It got its name because it only reopened in 2009, another victim of the war. Like any older building here, its exterior bears the marks of battle. One sees facades pock marked with bullet holes on quiet side streets.
Auf Wiedersehen Berlin!
Fiona & Carl
This afternoon, we took Cormac's advice and went to see the Egypt exhibits at the Neues Museum. It was quite good especially for those of us who have been King Tutted to death.
It got its name because it only reopened in 2009, another victim of the war. Like any older building here, its exterior bears the marks of battle. One sees facades pock marked with bullet holes on quiet side streets.
Auf Wiedersehen Berlin!
Fiona & Carl
Location:Berlin
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Wednesday September 18, 2013
A cold & rainy day in Berlin, so a good one to head to the Gemaldegallerie. Berlin's old masters gallery has first rate paintings but is notable for its large spaces and low attendance, making it an especially enjoyable experience.
We lasted there until our bodies gave out and then headed around the corner to the Resistance museum. There were a series of individual stories but the focus was on the Valkyrie plot most recently dramatized by Tom Cruise as Count von Stauffenberg. It is situated on the square where he was executed after the bomb he planted failed to kill Hitler. As with Sachsenhausen, the museum was full of 16 year olds.
Dinner tonight in a tiny gem of a place called Bandol Sur Mere on Torstrasse with cousin Cormac.
Fiona & Carl
We lasted there until our bodies gave out and then headed around the corner to the Resistance museum. There were a series of individual stories but the focus was on the Valkyrie plot most recently dramatized by Tom Cruise as Count von Stauffenberg. It is situated on the square where he was executed after the bomb he planted failed to kill Hitler. As with Sachsenhausen, the museum was full of 16 year olds.
Dinner tonight in a tiny gem of a place called Bandol Sur Mere on Torstrasse with cousin Cormac.
Fiona & Carl
Location:Berlin
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Tuesday September 17, 2013
We got on the subway aka U-Bahn this morning and took the U2 to Zoo Station (they call it that, no kidding for you fans of Achtung Baby!)
where we met up with the tour of Sachsenhausen concentration camp -just north of Berlin. It was 10 years ago we went to Dachau near Munich and it must be said that the East Germans have done a much better job of memorializing the Holocaust. You will wonder why we would confront such horrors. Since we cannot describe it ourselves, we will leave it at they cannot be ignored or avoided. But we went immediately to a bar upon our return to Berlin with a Cleveland lady we befriended on the tour.
(Nicolai, our tour guide. He was excellent)
Last night we ate the cheap Berlin specialty currywurst. Tonight, it was a tasting menu at a fantastic wine bar - Winebar Rutz. Each has its merits. The Rieslings were a delight but there is something special about a tasty sausage.
Fiona & Carl
where we met up with the tour of Sachsenhausen concentration camp -just north of Berlin. It was 10 years ago we went to Dachau near Munich and it must be said that the East Germans have done a much better job of memorializing the Holocaust. You will wonder why we would confront such horrors. Since we cannot describe it ourselves, we will leave it at they cannot be ignored or avoided. But we went immediately to a bar upon our return to Berlin with a Cleveland lady we befriended on the tour.
(Nicolai, our tour guide. He was excellent)
Last night we ate the cheap Berlin specialty currywurst. Tonight, it was a tasting menu at a fantastic wine bar - Winebar Rutz. Each has its merits. The Rieslings were a delight but there is something special about a tasty sausage.
Fiona & Carl
Location:Berlin
Monday, September 16, 2013
Sunday & Monday, September 15 & 16
Arrived in Berlin around 2pm on Sunday. On our way from Dresden to Berlin we stopped at the town of Colditz. Colditz is famous for its castle which housed, during the war, Allied officers who were considered flight risks - several books and movies done on this subject. The castle was considered escape proof but as we found out that was not always the case. We joined a British tour group and got a guided tour of the castle. Many of the methods used by the officers to escape were quite ingenious - see photo of French officer dressed as a woman (didn't work though).
It's great to be back in Berlin - really love this city. Rainy day but we got up early today for an early appointment to see the Reichstag. Visited the local bakery to get a quick chocolate croissant and coffee. High security at the Reichstag...you have register at a website first...then show ID...get searched at the entrance etc. The huge glass dome at the top is an architectural wonder and gives impressive panoramic views of Berlin.
(View of the Brandenberg Gates from the Reichstag)
Then back to the bakery for a 2nd visit...From there we headed to the former Checkpoint Charlie - the best known crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The museum there is quite good - gives a very detailed account of the postwar period in Berlin...quite fascinating accounts of all the escape attempts to the West.
(Carl standing at the old checkpoint)
Then on to a 3rd bakery visit. From there we headed to the Jewish History Museum. Daniel Libeskind designed the new wing of this museum - very dramatic and thought provoking...integrates and personalizes well the Jewish experience of the past 2000 years. Included a visit to the Holocaust Tower - an empty 80 foot high concrete silo lit only by a small slit near the top - in this unheated structure you stand and contemplate the victims of the Holocaust.
(Photo of old and new wing of Jewish museum. Looks a bit odd from the outside but the interiors blend very well)
And then on to our 4th bakery visit...and maybe not our last today.
Tschuss (Bye) for now!
Fiona & Carl
It's great to be back in Berlin - really love this city. Rainy day but we got up early today for an early appointment to see the Reichstag. Visited the local bakery to get a quick chocolate croissant and coffee. High security at the Reichstag...you have register at a website first...then show ID...get searched at the entrance etc. The huge glass dome at the top is an architectural wonder and gives impressive panoramic views of Berlin.
(View of the Brandenberg Gates from the Reichstag)
Then back to the bakery for a 2nd visit...From there we headed to the former Checkpoint Charlie - the best known crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The museum there is quite good - gives a very detailed account of the postwar period in Berlin...quite fascinating accounts of all the escape attempts to the West.
(Carl standing at the old checkpoint)
Then on to a 3rd bakery visit. From there we headed to the Jewish History Museum. Daniel Libeskind designed the new wing of this museum - very dramatic and thought provoking...integrates and personalizes well the Jewish experience of the past 2000 years. Included a visit to the Holocaust Tower - an empty 80 foot high concrete silo lit only by a small slit near the top - in this unheated structure you stand and contemplate the victims of the Holocaust.
(Photo of old and new wing of Jewish museum. Looks a bit odd from the outside but the interiors blend very well)
And then on to our 4th bakery visit...and maybe not our last today.
Tschuss (Bye) for now!
Fiona & Carl
Location:Berlin, Germany
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