Day Thirty – Monday, 11 June 2012

Ludlow – Oxford

Accommodation – Gables Guesthouse, Oxford

Weather –overcast morning and then rain, rain, rain

Temperature – 11 degrees

After breakfast we wandered up to The Parish Church of St Laurence, Ludlow which is at the centre of the town.  It has been on this site since the 11^th century and retains a significant amount of the original structure including the wonderful The Lady Chapel built in 1199.  The stained glass was put in place in 1330.  Another chapel, St Catherine Chapel was built in the 14^th century and has a very interesting memorial to Dame Lady Eure which was placed there in 1612.

I think Dame Lady Eure must have been quite a character!

The carvings behind the altar - exquisite.

The bell tower has ten bells and can be played in two ways:  either hand pulled or programmed.  Each day the carillion is rung at 8am, noon, 4 and 8pm and plays a different tune each day including Bluebells of Scotland, Home Sweet Home, Psalm 113 and See the Conquering Hero.  It was this belltower which surprised us yesterday evening with God Save the Queen.  It has ten bells which is why so many diverse tunes can be played.

We wanted to hear from family so we decided on a break and visit the well-known DeGray’s Teahouse and access the free wifi.  The morning tea of scones and meringue was more successful than the wifi which was slow to load.

At the end of the market area we walked to Ludlow Castle which is a vast Norman construction of the 11^th century.  It was built in stone from the start unlike other Norman castles and the remnant of the moat, judges’ rooms, apartments, chapel and banqueting area give a good idea of times past.  We climbed the Mortimer Tower overlooking the inner bailey and the castle.  As usual, the stairs were narrow, steep and winding and it gave good views over the very green countryside and township of Ludlow.

The Shropshire countryside from the castle.

The castle showing the moat. 

The Round Chapel which is dedicated to St Mary Magdelene was built in the 12^th century and is one of the few circular naves in Britain to survive.  Original ornate carvings have survived including the typical zig-zag pattern of the period.

The Round Chapel at Ludlow Castle.

It was time to move on and head closer to London.  It was a very very wet drive and there has been a lot of discussion on the news about the flooding and traffic disruptions.  We were going to walk the streets of Burford in the Cotswolds however the weather was still poor and as there were no overhanging awnings we decided to push on to Oxford to find accommodation.

We were lucky to get the last bedroom available at a four star B&B which is warm, comfortable and very welcoming.  The landlady actually won an award as England’s best B&B host!  It is our last evening of our holiday and we will don our wet weather gear and head out for a drink and a meal and reflect on the wonderful experiences we have enjoyed in England, Wales and Ireland.

What a life we have!

Day Twenty-Nine – Sunday, 10 June 2012

Rosslare, Ireland – Ludlow, England

Accommodation – The Horse and Jockey Hotel,

Weather – occasional dry periods and rain

Temperature – 14 degrees

It was an early start with a 7.15am breakfast to join the 8am queue to catch the ferry at Rosslare to Fishguard in England.  The sea was like a mill-pond fortunately as I couldn’t find my seasick tablets!  The trip takes three and a half hours however with wifi access and a full screen television the time went very quickly.

We headed along the coastal road of Wales as far north as Aberystwyth and then went eastward to Shropshire the county that David’s grandfather and grandmother came from.  Aberystwyth made national news as it suffered from bad flooding the previous day and many holiday makers were caught unawares as their vans were near the river.  We could still see the wide stream and many areas of flooding still taking its time to ebb away. 

A Welsh valley near Coginan.....perfect!

Onibury was our first stop only  a few miles north of Ludlow.  It is a very small village - a cider house, school and hall make up the centre.  We stopped for a look around the beautiful church of St Michael's of Onibury and particularly wanted to see if any of David’s family were mentioned.  It was wonderful to see that the World War I commemorative cross near the entrance mentioned David’s great uncle who perished on the Somme. Although he had left for Australia in 1909 his name appears on the bottom of the list with A.I.F next to it – so he was not forgotten by the tiny community he’d left only a few short years before.  The church records shows David’s surname appears quite a few times and we found a gravestone where several family members were buried.

At Onibury - St Michael's.

The memorial to the sons of Onibury who perished in World War I.

The church bells rang out at 5pm which was lovely – we couldn’t see anyone so it was probably automated.  The actual church is in remarkable condition as it was first built in 1196.  The 14^th century entrance is bleached oak and plaster and has not undergone any restoration which makes it so much more special.  The church is well kept and flowers adorned the end of the pews in the colours of red, white and blue – remainders of the jubilee celebrations from last weekend.  There were quite a few plaques with names and dates going back to the 1500s and 1600s.  The church has also retained large oak beams in the ceilings.

The interior of St Michael's showing the Jubilee floral displays and oak beams.

Two girls were playing in the loft above the nave and they said they lived close by.  I wondered if they appreciated the history that surrounded them or was it just the two Australians in awe of the legacy of generations of Onibury parishioners who have kept a small church intact so that it continues to play a valuable part of this tiny community.

Only a few kilometres down the road is the township of Ludlow which was a market town and now better known as tourist town for its medieval dwellings.  After settling into pub for the evening we wandered the town marvelling at the tudor buildings, the tidiness of the town and getting lost down the labyrinth of alleyways.  We laughed when we heard the Norman church ring out God Save the Queen particularly as we had tried to ring out Frere Jacques at St Anne’s in Cork and how woeful we were with that and just five notes! 

There are so many medieval buildings in Ludlow it now is a tourist attraction.

Dinner was at The Bull Inn and for the first time we enjoyed a Sunday roast including gammon, Yorkshire pudding and lots of vegetables.  As we hadn’t eaten since breakfast it went down very well.

Day Twenty-Eight – Saturday, 9 June 2012

Dublin - Rosslare

Accommodation – Marilanne B&B

Temperature – mid teens to 19degrees late afternoon

Weather – overcast to sunshine late afternoon

Our last full day in Ireland and halleluiah…..it was not raining so we headed into the city to see the gardens:  St Stephen’s Square and Merrion Square.  St Stephens’s garden is quite formal with a lake and several central fountains.  Merrion Square features more large trees and bushes however there is a central formal area with gardens and the newly turned dirt looked ready for some spring planting.  Oscar Wilde’s statue (1854 – 1900) sits on a rock in one corner and a bust of Michael Collins is near one of the entrance gates.  In the gardens is the National Memorial to members of the Defence Forces who died in the service of the state.  It is a glass pyramid enclosing four defence personnel, guns lowered, facing the eternal flame.

Pretty amazing!  The Natural History Museum is a reflection of the times.

The Natural History Museum (opened in 1875) is only a little way up the road from Merrion Gardens so we took the opportunity to visit what is known colloquially as The Dead Museum.  It is like visiting the set of the film Night at the Museum.  In the nineteenth and early twentieth century animals were collected and stuffed from all over the world.  It is probably one of the quirkiest museums I have visited and wandering among stuffed giraffes, hippopotamuses, zebras, wolves, sloths, gorillas and so on I couldn’t help but take a lot of photos.  There were also numerous skeletons including the very large extinct Irish deer and an elephant!  Over all the walls were trophies of stuffed deer, goats, zebra, and boars.  A large glass case shows kangaroos, the extinct Tasmanian tiger, platypus and a  ‘koala bear’!  The original labels describe all the animals.

After that interesting interlude in our day we walked around the corner to the National Art Gallery where a major exhibition of its important works was being held.  The exhibition was well organised with works from 1400 religious icons to early twentieth century works.  Works by Titian, Velazques, Brueghel, Rembrandt, Reynolds, Goya, Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso (two paintings) among many other artists were featured. 

As the weather remained dry we crossed the road and entered Trinity College to see what it looked like on a clear day.  Interestingly, the crowds were fewer than yesterday.

Stuffed birds!

Trinity College on a clearer day!

So after a day of parks, a museum and a gallery we had to pack up and leave Dublin for Rosslare for the night ready to catch the ferry in the morning.

As we drove out of Dublin the sun suddenly appeared……oh, Dublin – perhaps I will see you in sunshine one day!

It was a two and a half hour drive to Rosslare and we had sunshine all the way.  Our B&B was adequate but cold and I needed a hot water bottle (claiming the only one!).

We enjoyed a pub meal across the road and as Irish luck would have it there was a band playing - bagpipes and stringed instruments.  As well there were three dancers who entertained the crowd.  It was a great way to end our tour of Ireland.

PS:  photos to come....internet on the ferry was a tad slow!

Day Twenty-Seven – Friday, 8 June 2012

Dublin

Accommodation – Lansdowne Hotel

Weather – wet and windy

Temperature – mid-teens

The day started off wet and ended wet.  It also produced gusty winds and we battled on with the rest of Dublin with inverted umbrellas and rain.

In Dublin's fair city........with Molly Malone.  Even Molly's bronze baskets were full of water!

Not to be deterred we made our way to Trinity College as we thought we may as well do things that can be done indoors.  Wrong!  The tour at Trinity is all conducted outdoors and we wandered the grounds of this old university with a group of about forty sodden people hovering under ledges and an ancient tree to glean some knowledge about this old institution.  After a few minutes of the tour I stopped taking notes as the paper was too wet and the pen wouldn’t write.

The queue to see The Book of Kells.  Earlier in the week the line had worked its way around the quadrangle and up to the Trinity entrance.   I don't know what is worse.....endless queue in good weather or a shorter queue wading in water!

Our tour guide was a student of the university and was wearing one of the traditional robes (a tad modernised I’d assume) which was made optional wear in the 1980s.  Of course, once it was made optional then it quickly went out of favour.

Trinity College was built on a former monastery in 1592 by Elizabeth I.  At present there are 16000 students enrolled at the university.

Included in our tour was entry to see The Book of Kells.  It was probably written in 800AD by the monks of Iona.  It had a chequered history including attacks by the Vikings and being ‘lost’ for a significant number of years before being sent to Dublin in 1653.

Before seeing The Book of Kells tourists pass large panels of information which give an insight into how the book was made.  It appears there were four ‘writers’ after an examination of the style of writing.  Each presentation letter at the commencement of the page was the monk’s opportunity to show some artistic flair and no capital letter is the same. 

Viewing the panels is a rather higgledy-piggledy affair and we made our way through some very eager red-scarfed pilgrims who were dead keen to read every panel.  A member of the pilgrims held a portrait of the Virgin Mary as each pilgrim passed a panel or entered a room.

When we finally reached the small glass covered showcase with The Book of Kells and two other illuminated books it was difficult to position yourself to have a good view.  I was reminded of chooks pecking at a handful of feed.  I hope in high season there is some sort of order – perhaps going in a clock-wise fashion to move people along.  I wondered if a mirror over the books could provide further viewing for those people waiting for a view would have helped.

It was then on to the Trinity College Library which is very long (65metres) and houses around two hundred thousand of the library’s oldest books.  In the library is the oldest harp to survive in Ireland and dates from about the fifteenth century.  It is made out of willow and oak and is quite small compared to modern harps.  This is the national symbol of Ireland and even appears on the Guinness label.

We left Trinity College with the rain still pelting down and gusting wind and found a café at Temple Bar for a coffee and cake.  It was great to be out of the inclement weather and in some warmth.  The next stop was the National Gallery of Modern Art which was on the route of the hop-on-off bus.  The old formal garden next to the gallery is very well tended however the wind was blowing a treat so we tried to find our way inside.  Unfortunately, you are not meant to find your way inside as it is under major renovation and any other areas were unavailable as a EU conference was about to take place.

I told you the weather was bad!!! The formal gardens next to the Gallery of Modern Art.

Finally worn down by the weather we caught our city hop-on-off bus back into the city, took in the sights of the city once more and then found our way back to our hotel.  The weather never let up all day and it was great that our hotel had its own pub on the premises in the basement and we didn’t have to head out again.

I ordered a super-greasy meal of a burger and chips with a sauvignon blanc…..I figured I deserved it after today’s weather!

Day Twenty-Six – Thursday, 7 May 2012

Tullamore – Dublin

Accommodaton – Ardmore, Dublin 4

Temperature – 18 degrees

Weather – wet

We had a slow start leaving Tullamore as we only had an hour and a half drive to Dublin.  The weather was now wet, wet wet and we took our time.  Our B&B host kindly let us in early and we were able to leave the car in his yard before we set off exploring Dublin.

Dressed with coats and  umbrellas we found our way into the centre of the city by bus and then caught a hop-on-off bus to see the city sights.  Everyone else had this idea so we had to sit up the top just a little out of the partly covered roof so my purple umbrella sheltered us until there was a break in the weather.

Our first stop was the Guinness Store and this was a very popular tourist attraction probably once again because of the weather.  After entering we went straight to the cafeteria where I enjoyed a great Guinness stew……should be good ordering it from here.

There was a brief five minute introduction and then it is a self-directed tour with a comprehensive leaflet outlining the displays on the six floors.  It seems to be a very secretive process however only a few ingredients are needed:  hops, roasted barley, yeast and water.  We followed the arrows until we came to the tasting floor and I couldn’t pass up on this.  It was an experience……but never again….David laughed at my good effort!  On the fourth floor you have the choice of learning how to pour your own Guinness with your entry voucher or going to the Gravity Bar on the top level and having it poured for you.  David chose to learn how to pour the perfect pint so we waited ten minutes before there was a vacancy.  Randomly from the names in the group David was chosen as the guinea pig which was rather apt as he loves his Guinness.  He did a great job with a lovely rounded head on top.  Everyone in our group followed and then sat around drinking the dark beer. 

David's an expert now!

It was then on and up to the Gravity Bar which was very busy – it felt like a real party going on and Guinness beers were being served at a great rate of knots.  The best part was the view as the walls are glass and there are 360 degree views of Dublin town.  With the guide from the store we could make out the famous landmarks of the city.

We spent some time in the souvenir store – they market a lot of goods here and David bought himself a tankard and a shirt. 

The pretty pedestrian Halfpenny Bridge - so named because of the toll fee.

Temple Bar - the hub of nightlife in Dublin.

It was time to move on and we caught the last bus for the day and stopped at O’Connell Street Mall where there is a huge spire which was erected for the 2^nd millennium.  We then made our way to Temple Bar which is the hotspot for pubs, Irish entertainment and food.  We walked up and down and settled on a pizza place, Milano, which served fabulous pizza.

It was still raining when we left but undeterred we walked via Grafton Street which is the upmarket street of Dublin towards the bus-stop for home.

Dublin is a clean city with fabulously large parks which are apparently very well used on fine days. 

Tomorrow we will us our bus pass again and explore Trinity College. 

Day Twenty-five – Wednesday, 6 June 2012

Clifden – Tullamore

Accommodation – Seadew B&B

Weather – rain, showers and some sunshine

Temperature – 20 degrees

Today we started heading back to Dublin.  Our aim was to explore the Connemara further and then head towards Dublin.

The Connemara is a lovely region of Ireland and there are many villages to explore.  We followed the Sky Road which passes through the seaside villages of Balleyconnelly and Roundstone.  Fortunately, the weather was kind and the sun shone for the first time that morning as we stopped for photos.

Roundstone.....you can see the rain heading towards us!

The landscape on this route is craggy and harsh and it would endure some fierce weather being so open to the Atlantic.  Roundstone is noted for its canvas bottomed boats a couple of which we saw in the harbour.  We could see up ahead that we were in for some rain and after setting off from Roundstone we encountered the heaviest rain so far of the trip.

The Connemara is famous for its mountains – the ten Bens – and we passed by them on a minor route to Cong.  It was a very scenic drive following Lough Corrib along the way as well as streams where salmon are caught.  We deliberately chose roads we had not been on before and we were pleased with our decision to see so many parts of this pretty area.

Some of  'The Bens' in the background.

On the way we were listening to the radio which announced that Dull in Oregon has agreed to be a twin sister of Boring in Scotland!

We stopped for lunch in Cong in County Mayo made famous for the movie The Quiet Man starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara.  It is a lovely little village and I expected it to be very busy going by the guide book however it was very quiet.  We were the first customers at a great coffee shop and they were really pleased to see us.  As it had turned out they had forgotten to turn over the ‘closed’ sign and people had been walking past.  I told them we would sit in the window seat to make it look busy and sure enough people came through pretty quickly after that.

Part of the cloisters of the Augustinian Abbey at Cong.

After my Victoria sponge, David’s banana cake and some great coffees we headed off to explore the village.  A fantastic old abbey is still standing although roofless.  It was founded in 1120AD and is known as the Royal Augustinian Abbey of Cong.  The last high king of Ireland was buried here in 1198 however is body was removed later on.  The abbey has Gothic and Romanesque features and is built on the original site of a 6^th century church.

Wandering behind the abbey we found the Monk’s Fishing House which was built in the 15^th or 16^th centuries.  It is built on a platform over a small arch which allows for water to flow underneath.  A trapdoor in the floor may have been used for a net and the monks could sit by a small fireplace in cold weather waiting for their catch.  It was a very peaceful scene with smooth water and green overhanging trees encircling the stream.

The Monk's Fishing House at Cong.

It was now nearly 3pm and we had to put in a couple of hours driving to head towards Dublin.  After County Mayo we noticed a big difference in the area – we had become used to stone fences and a more rural landscape but we now were heading towards bigger areas (we saw our first MacDonald’s sign).

Tullamore is a rural town not noted for its tourism however we managed to find very comfortable accommodation not far from the town’s centre.  After a walk around we settled on a pub meal.

We’ll miss the west coast of Ireland but there are more adventures ahead – Dublin tomorrow!

Day Twenty four – Tuesday, 5 June 2012

Doolin – Clifden

Accommodation – Kingston House B&B

Weather – wet and miserable with dryer patches in the afternoon

Temperature – maximum 16 degrees

When we looked out at the weather from our bedroom window we knew we wouldn’t be boating to the Aran Islands as it was very wet and windy.  We deliberated a while deciding whether to stay on and give tomorrow a chance but the rest of the week in Ireland is not looking good so we pressed on.

McDermott's pub where we had an authentic Irish experience with Blackie and the boys playing a bagpipe and banjos.  The place was packed and the music fantastic!

After some guidance from Maeve, our lovely B&B hostess, we cut a route through the Burren which is  a craggy limestone area backing the coastal area of Northern Clare.    There are acres and acres of limestone patches interspersed with hardy grasses and plants.  The fences are are sharp and plentiful and you have to marvel at the tenacity of the people who tried to eke out an existence here.  The Burren is dotted with many old churches, medieval ruins and interesting pieces of history including the ancient Poulnabrone Dolmen an old burial chamber which predates the Egyptian pyramids.  The capstone weighs about five tonnes and was constructed of giant slabs of limestone 5000 years ago.  Archaeologists found the remains of 33 men, women and children who died between 4200 and 2900 BC placing them in the New Stone Age.  The tomb contained polished stones, axes, stone beads and flint weapons as well as fragments of pottery.

This gives a good idea of the harshness of The Burren.

Poulnabrone Dolmen

An example of the stone fences separating sparse fields.

The derelict Carran Church....so many buildings like this dotted over The Burren.

The Burren Centre at Kilfenora was very busy but we were able to obtain directions to the village church which contains the some of the largest Celtic crosses in Ireland.  The little cathedral lost its roof only last century but it has been replaced with a glass one to prevent erosion of the crosses as well as to keep visitors dry I think!

The road then lead over the Corkscrew Pass which was very aptly named as on the northern side there are many hairpin bends.  It was first built during the Great Famine to provide employment and the life must have been tough for the workers on The Burren.

We had a late lunch at Kilvara and for the first time I tried deep fried brie with marmalade sauce and salad.  It appears on all the menus and I have resisted so far….but it was delicious!

The rain was still drizzling but it wasn’t cold thank goodness.  We had a long drive ahead of us as we were making our way across the Connemara to Clifden in County Galway.  The area is very beautiful and we followed a couple of large lakes along the way......if only it was sunny.  The area and small village of Cong was used for the film The Quiet Man in 1951 starring Maureen o’Hara and John Wayne.

The recommended accommodation was found easily and we parked the car on the street.  The weather had cleared and we walked the triangular section of the main centre before settling down to a great dinner of Cajun salmon and crab claws washed down with a Chilean sauvignon blanc. 

It was a long day driving but we did manage to see some beautiful parts of the Counties Clare and Galway.