Like the name purports, Ireland is still wild enough to enjoy. (Photo by KS)
Waking up to another rainy day here in Germany, I happily think back to my very recent visit to Ireland, where it rained -- at least a little bit -- every single day. Ah, what a wonder-filled, wildly beautiful, albeit too-short vacation!
Thankfully, when living in Germany one can travel to other European countries inexpensively and quickly. In the spring we booked a flight to Shannon on our favorite German airline Lufthansa, also known to be one of the most reliable, with great service (and free wine and beer!). We flew into Shannon due to its proximity to the Dingle Peninsula, the preferred destination of an American couple who were to meet us there to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. (Unfortunately for our friends, their trip of a lifetime was delayed over two days because of a not-so-reliable airline).
Shannon is located in the westerly part of the Emerald Isle and is gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way, the awe-inspiring coast road along the western part of Ireland. Our hosts in Shannon own a small bed-and-breakfast located in a purpose-built house in Ballycasey, not far from the historic village of Bunratty (and perhaps my most favorite of Irish locales, Bunratty Castle). This young couple made us feel welcome and educated us on how best to see the region.
Left: Traditional Irish breakfast served to order at Balally House B&B near Shannon.
Their Balally House was a great launching-off point for starting out a week-long vacation on the Wild Atlantic Way. Not only friendly and welcoming, the young owners assisted answered our travel questions, provided personalized bus schedules, restaurant, city stops and scenic drive recommendations, and gave us many other tips. A native of Shannon, Dawn was generous with her time by helping us find the best places at which to enjoy Ireland like the locals. Every one of her suggestions were spot-on, and outcomes of our mini-journeys exceeded all expectations. If you're planning a trip to Ireland, you can read Dawn's travel suggestions for your own Irish expedition with help from her "Diary" on the Balally House link, where you can also book rooms directly. (Go to www.balallybandbshannon.com.)
For good eats our first night there, Dawn recommended Durty Nelly's in Bunratty Folk Park, a visitor's paradise complete with the castle, restaurants, shopping, and plenty of history. In her colloquial language, she told us that Nelly's was "below" the castle. I pictured a restaurant incorporated into the castle cellar or courtyard like some here in Germany, but Durty Nelly's, originating according to legend some 400 years ago, turned out to be right next door to Bunratty Castle, towering only steps from the roadway.
We hopped on the first bus we could after depositing luggage and taking a 15-minute breather in our comfy suite at the B&B. After gazing at the striking, squarely-built tower that stretched into the gray sky over our heads. We headed into the pub -- Heinie's first Irish bar experience. Nelly's was packed -- it was Saturday night and there was a wedding somewhere on the castle grounds with guests in formal garb trickling in -- but we managed to squeeze up to the bar and order two local beers and an Irish whisky for tasting. Funny that the first customer we spoke to hailed from the States as well. He asked where I was from, and I told him Phoenix, Arizona. He said, "Me, too!" I thought he was an Irishman cracking a joke, because they have a tendency to do so, then laughed at the coincidence. He still lives there, in some overdeveloped desert paradise. I didn't envy him.
Watch this video of "The Birds" at Dunratty Castle, by Kristina Stellhorn:
The seafood chowder served with brown Irish bread was amazing, as was everything else we ate, including Heinie's Irish beef burger. The service was friendly, though staff were so busy we had to snatch a bartender mid-stride and ended up with two different waiters rushing from the beer taps to the restaurant to the tables in the bar. Little John -- in this case actually smaller than the average man, unlike the Robin Hood character -- ended up being our waiter for the rest of the night, and he was so pleasant and accommodating throughout the mayhem of a busy Saturday night at this popular destination. John could have been part leprechaun for all we knew, the first of two we encountered in Ireland. We drank enough to make our first night in Ireland our wildest so far and enjoyed the walk back to the bus stop in the rain.
Stately King John's Castle on the River Shannon, Limerick, Ireland (photo by KS)
The next morning, in preparation for our first whole day in Ireland, with more suggestions from our informative and kind hostess Dawn, we hopped on a regional bus heading to the nearby city of Limerick. It was a Sunday and things were quiet in Limerick, so we strolled leisurely through the old city, found the Milk Market and its limited yet interesting Sunday vendors, and visited 800-year-old King John's Castle on the Shannon River. It was chillier than expected, and I forgot to bring neckwear, so a Kelly green scarf purchase in the castle gift shop was in order.
After getting lost briefly in Limerick, enjoying an authentic Chinese lunch (one of the few inviting restaurants open on Sunday in downtown), we found our bus stop back to the B&B and withstood several downpours and very strong winds which turned my green umbrella inside out, just like in the cartoons. Never before had I experienced such dramatic weather changes in so little time. When we arrived "home" again, it was good to be back in our warm room, looking out the window at the continual rain instead of standing in it. That evening we "stayed in," only walking just across the street to a restaurant where we sampled our first Irish fish and chips followed by two gruelingly-competitive games of billiards in the pub's bar area. Note: there were only two colors of balls, red and yellow, with no numbers on them whatsoever, and the eight ball. A young man who appeared to be a bar regular helped us work out the rules of the game, which vary little from American pool, though the German who accompanied me still found loopholes to help him gain the lead in the second shoot-out.
The Kerry green umbrella couldn't withstand the wind very well.
Irish-style fish and chips, served with mashed
peas: "mushy peas" or "marrowfats"
as Irish friend Bronnie calls them.
The best days were yet to come: we would soon be privy to walks on rocky coasts, drives on one-lane highways overlooking steep cliffs, visits to ancient forts and castles, conversations with sheep and cows and other Irish residents, visits to many different pubs, Irish coffees, and the downing of Irish car bombs.
Ireland is a country with many wonder-filled places, and we had only just begun discovering how wild it could be.
- Kristina
Wörterbuch / Dictionary
No German words to be found in Ireland, though Gaelic sounds like German to my naive ears. After a little research, I did find that there are connections.
Here's a tip: Autobahn means "motorway" in Ireland.
