Mells Daffodil Day

Monday 25 April - Since today was a bank holiday we took the free time to drive to Mells and partake in the Mells Daffodil Day. Unfortunately all the daffodils have gone by but there were plenty of other lovely flowers as well as lots of excitement in Mells. The village streets were heaving with various stalls selling plants, knick knacks, antiques, food and a myriad of other items. There was a lovely walled garden with excellent views of the surrounding fields. There was a tea stall set up there for those who wanted a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle of the streets. We watched some Morris men, visited all the stalls, the vintage cars and stationary engines and other sites. We greatly enjoyed the Town crier competition which featured town criers from various towns from the south west. We had a hog roast sandwich for lunch, tried some local beer and had some chocolate cake and tea in the afternoon after which we sat in the walled garden and enjoyed the sunshine and view before heading back to Bristol.

Easter Evening

Sunday 24 April - We had Sam and Jez over for easter. It was a lovely sunny day and this allowed us to have wander out onto the balcony and to hold an Easter egg hunt in the shrubbery behind our flat. We had champagne and cheese crackers to start followed by lamb with potatoes, spinach, cauliflower salad and shrimp and avocado salad. Dessert was something that I've been meaning to try for ages, hazelnut meringues with raspberry whipped cream. Sam and Jez seemed quite pleased with their easter baskets and sam brought us a lovely one in return. An excellent evening.

Billions of Bluebells

Sunday 17 April - Ian and I, noticing that the bluebells were certainly in full force around Bristol and that we had had a spell of warm sunny weather, thought we would try Prior Wood again. We rented a car for the day and drove over. We certainly weren't disappointed. The woods glowed with a purple blue-haze. We wandered paths that took us straight through the swaths of blue. There was also a proliferation of wild garlic and some lovely daisies and dandelions. A fairy like setting for a lovely Sunday walk.

Away to the Airport

We made a long and meandering way across the country, heading along the north edge of Loch Corrib, progressing along small country roads until we reached the M6 and we rushed across to Dublin. Along the way we had some excellent scenery. Once on the motorway the skies opened and we had heavy rains for a good while but we also had our first and only Irish rainbow, a final lovely memory from Ireland.

A Connemara Climb

Our drive brought us out on the road near our B&B we rejoined the main road then made a stop at fantastic little shop, Avoca where I found lots of goodies. We managed to miss another passing shower by stopping at the shop and it was once again spectacularly sunny when we left. We drove to the Connemara National Park where we adventured along the Diamond Hill path to the top of a Ben with views of the famous 12 Bens. Although it was very sunny when we started out we could see an oncoming storm. It hit as we approached the summit and hailed upon us. Luckily, though it subdued fairly quickly and we got some stunning views at the top. We skipped and sped down the path, pack to the visitor centre, to be quickly on our way. We returned to the car and went to the Kylemore Abbey for a quick lunch before beginning the drive to Dublin and our flight home.

A Brief Beach visit

At the end of the Sky drive we took a small detour out to a small beach. It was a rock beach covered with large rounded stones. We had some fun tide pooling, finding lots of anemones, seaweed and shells before we felt some drops on our heads and hurried back to the car to avoid a passing shower.

Sky drive

We had a lovely drive along the sky drive. The views were spectacular, enhanced immeasurably by the blue sky and sunshine.

Clifden Castle

Monday 11 April - after an excellent night's sleep we had a very good breakfast before checking out of our B&B. The sky was sunny and it was warm. We decided to do the Sky drive along the coast. to begin we retraced our steps of the previous evening, in search of Clifden Castle. We managed to stumble upon it down a rutty path nestled near the harbor. It is an 18th century castle so much more delicate and ornate then others we had seen on this trip but we had a good wander around, enjoying the scenery and sunshine before returning to the car and beginning the Sky drive.

Clifden revisited

After exploring some small peninsulas in hopes of a B&B with a scenic vista, we were about to give up and return to Clifden when we came across Sharamore B&B. We enquired and found that there was a room available which we inspected and found suitable. It was in a lovely quite area, the room overlooked the bay (a very pretty view despite the grey sky). So we took the room. We also asked for a recommended walk, the proprietors suggested heading back into Clifden to walk along the harbour which is what we did. We were aiming to get to the Clifden Castle but after a fairly long walk in which we made friends with some donkeys I was feeling quite hungry so we turned back and headed into the town for dinner. We ended up returning to Mitchell's for dinner which was an excellent decision. After a wonderful dinner we drove back to sharamore B&B and got so much needed sleep.

Traffic Jam

On leaving Kylemore we were quite amused to find that some cows had meandered out of their own field and were now trimming the grass along the road, thereby blocking the traffic. We found it quite funny but another car cam along and honked at them till they had cleared off.

Kylemore Abbey

This excellent castle/monastery is one of the sights that I visited when my mother came to Ireland and it was one of the major reasons for returning to the area. When last I visited it was a cold and grey autumn day and I was quite keen to see the massive Victorian walled garden with some flowers. We were quite lucky in that the sun held and we had a pleasant walk from the entrance gate to the garden. The Garden was just as I remembered only with the promise of summer. We enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the garden visiting the head gardeners house and the tool shed before heading back to the Abbey to visit the stately rooms on display in the Abbey. From the Abbey we walked along the lake to visit the chapel and the mausoleum. We took our time visiting the sights and strolling along the lake and then visited the gift shop before heading to the car to look for a B&B for the night

Lunching in Clifden

After much driving we arrived in the tiny town of Clifden. it is a very colorful town with lots of restaurants and some nice little shops. We stopped here and got a recommendation for lunch at one of the shops. We went to a lovely little restaurant, Mitchells for lunch where we were not disappointed. I had a delicious crab and brown bread sandwich, while Ian had fresh mussel and fries. After lunch the sun decided to finally come out and we made haste to get to Kylemore Abbey to see the gardens in the sunshine.

The long and winding path

After our success with the castle we decided to follow another brown sightseeing sign to a vista point. This however, was less of a success as we had to follow a never ending tiny road to find the view point, it started to rain as we arrived and there was no through road so we had to back track to return to the main road. We did stop and enjoy the view of loch corribb we even went down to the waters edge to see the one lonely swan there. Then it was back on the road and heading to Clifden.

Storming the Castle

Our first stop was to a 15th century castle. When we pulled into the parking lot we were greeted by two grey horses and two hunting dogs. Ian decided to try and feed the horses a rice cake which they actually ate and the dogs ate up the crumbs. After our little impromptu tea we walked on to see the castle. The path runs along a lovely little stream and there was lots of wildflowers in bloom. Unfortunately the castle was closed and we cold only see the exterior of the ruins. However, feeling a bit saucy after my rough night I decided to find a way in anyway. It was actually quite easy and we just had to climb down a few rocks and around the entrance gate to get in. We did a little gallivanting around the inside of the ruins before hoping the fence again and heading back to the car.

Back In Galway

Sunday 10 April - We had a horrible night's sleep in our hotel in Galway due to the very noisy pub below us which kept us up till after 2am and then some very noisy drunk lads in the rooms around ours who kept shouting to each other and slamming doors between 5.00 and 7.30 in the morning. We finally got out of bed from our fitful sleep around 8.30 had breakfast and decided to take a walk around the city. Amazingly not much seems to have changed on on the high street, most of the same pubs are there and most of the same shops. Unfortunately nearly everything was closed until later in the day. After the high street we walked around the Quay then along the river, which was higher than I had ever seen it and all the way to the Cathedral and then on to the my old campus. It brought back a lot of memories of when I lived in Galway. The city seems much smaller than I remember, probably because Bristol is a much larger city. After our walk we decided to check out of the hotel, even thought we had originally booked for two nights; we would take our chances trying to find a B&B. And then we were on our way out into the scenic countryside of the Connemara.

Cliffs of Moher

on our way to Galway we made a detour to the Cliffs of Moher. It was Ian's first time visiting the cliffs and I was amazed at how much had changed. There is now a visitor centre and the edge of the cliffs are blocked off with slate fences. We arrived just before sunset so there were relatively few visitors and we even hoped the fence to see the very edge of the cliffs, as I had done on my earlier visits. It was a bit too overcast for a great sunset but we had some lovely, moody views of the cliffs before we carried on to Galway.

Oh the Oratory

The Next stop was the Gallurus Oratory, a beautiful stone building built entirely from stones that fit so perfectly there was no need for any type of mortar. The fields around the building were a riot of daisies and dandelions which set of the serious looking grey stone. we made a thorough tour of the site then were back on the road. We finished our drive and then headed bak to the mainland and then North to Galway.

Victuals and Vases

Next we stopped at the Louis Mulcahy shop which is owned by a couple, the wife a textile designer, the husband a potter. We poked a round the shop then decided to have lunch in their cafe which used locally supplied food. We had a Delicious lunch, the owners stopped in to have tea with friends at the next table over. Once we were full and refreshed we were back on the road.

A dally at the beach

After visiting some historic sites we caught a lovely view of a beach and decided to take a detour to visit it. To get to the beach we had to drive down and extremely deep hill, it was a bit doubtful weather our little Ka would make it and weather the parking break would hold once we stopped. We wandered around the on the sand and Ian made some little damns while I peered in the tide pools.

Mountain, Sea and Sheep

First stop on the Slea Head drive was Fort Beagun, a Neolithic fort just on the edge of the cliffs. Next was some of the bee hive huts which dot the countryside. We had a few drops of rain as we explored these spots but we still had some beautiful views.

Discovering Dingle

Saturday 9 April - After a fantastic breakfast we packed our things and checked out. The weather was warm, windy and overcast. We drove into Dingle town first, in hopes that the weather would improve for the Slea Head drive. We walked up and down the high street, visited a few shops and then meandered around the harbour before hopping in the car and beginning our scenic drive.

Drive to Dingle

From Blarney we took a long scenic route, along some small roads and lakes to the seacoast and up through Kilarney National Park and through Kilarney itself before reaching the Dingle Peninsula. We then drove across the peninsula, through Dingle town and reached our b&b as the sun was setting. An Raisc was everything we could want in a b&b including a dog and three cats. After settling in we drove back to Dingle town for dinner before returning to An Raisc and crashing.

The Gift of Gab

I've avoided Blarney on my previous time in Ireland, dismissing it as too touristy, however, with the sun shining and the spring flowers in bloom, Blarney was an impressive stop. The grounds of Blarney are extensive with various paths and walks, around the castle, through gardens and waterways and past fields and a lake. The castle itself is an interesting ruin but remarkably well organized. Two sets of spiral staircases run the height of the castle, one used for upward progressing visitors the other for downward travelling visitors. Each has access to various rooms, windows and offshoots. At the top we waited patiently in line to kiss the stone which is supposed to give one unfailing eloquence. One has to lie on ones back, scooch back and bend your head back and down through a whole in the castle wall to kiss the stone, while a castle employee holds one by the hips for health and safety purposes (not for the faint of heart, or those with a fear of heights). After touring the castle we walked the grounds and enjoyed the sunshine before heading west to dingle.

Lost in a Fog

Friday 8 April- We woke after a peaceful nights sleep to a lovely, if quiet breakfast. I had scrabbled eggs with smoked salmon on toast and Ian had the ubiquitous Irish breakfast. The most striking thing about breakfast was that our juice was served in stemmed glasses on a saucer, complete with doily. We finished our dinner then decided to tackle the town. When we stepped out of the house we were surprised to find the streets shrouded in fog. The harbor looked entirely different from the evening before and we could just make out a few boats here and there. We wandered around the town, poking in a few shops and waiting for other to open; took a walk up to Esmond Castle and the carmelite monastery then circled back to the post office, which seemed to be the main attraction of the town, at least for the locals, so we had to queue for awhile to purchase stamps. We walked along the harbor as the fog began to lift and the sun soon made an appearance. We joined a walking tour of Kinsale and learned of its many connections to Bristol (the two both being major port towns) including the Kinsale/Bristol giant. After our tour we checked out of the B&B and made our way back through cork to Blarney.

Arriving in Kinsale

After much driving and a brief tour through Cork, we arrived in Kinsale. What a lovely, peaceful little town. Nestled around a harbour full of picturesque boats the town hosts a number of promising restaurants, quaint shops and scenic views. We checked into out guesthouse which despite being quite close to the harbour and main road promised to be much more peaceful than the previous evening. We got some recommendations for restaurants then made our way into town (everything in Kinsale, our host told us, is about 5 minutes walk from everything else). We examined our options for dinner and settled on the highly praised Fishy Fishy Cafe. We had an excellent meal there (oysters and champagne to start, A spicy seafood salad for me and brown bread and smoked salmon for Ian followed by sticky toffee pudding and rhubarb and custard) and were practically falling asleep while they tallied up our bill. A brief walk back to the guesthouse, a few presents to open then some much needed sleep.

Cashel and Caramel

We left Dublin at about quarter to one and were headed to a small port town south of Cork, Kinsale. However the halfway point on this journey was a stop at the Rock of Cashel. We could see the impressive structure atop the hill as we approached the city. The fields all around were bursting with late daffodils and carpeted with dandelions as we walked up to the Rock. We joined a tour that had just started and our guide was excellent. After the tour we roamed around the rock on our own. Then we walked to the nearby monastery ruins. On our return to the rock we walked toward town and decided to treat ourselves with sweets at a little cafe. The desserts were quite fancy and an excellent stand in for birthday cake. Ian had a hazelnut brownie with vanilla ice cream and berries and I had homemade caramel ice cream with caramelized bananas, hazelnuts and caramel sauce. Then we did a tour of the village. At which point the sun decided to come out and we rushed back to get some sunny photos of the rock and neighboring monastery before pushing on further south

Guinness is good for you

Thursday 7 April - Despite our less than relaxing night, we got up early and made the most of it. Our guesthouse was just down the road from St. Stephen's Green and this was our first stop of the morning. We enjoyed the warm spring air and all the lovely flowers in bloom. We had breakfast at a lovely Oriental cafe on the high street. After our pastry and coffee we visited the campus of Trinity College and saw the Book of Kells which is housed at the college. Next on the list of Dublin attractions was St. James Gate and the Guinness brewery. We had a very good, if slightly rushed tour through the Guinness factory, splitting a pint at the skybar before rushing back to the guesthouse to check out in time.

Away in Ireland

Wednesday 6 April - To celebrate my birthday, Ian whisked me off to Ireland. We flew into Dublin late on Wednesday night. We got horribly lost driving in Dublin as the street signs are so small and washed out that they are near impossible to read in the dark. To further complicate the matter most of the streets in Dublin are one way and for our purposes that was generally the wrong way. Nevertheless we made it to our Guesthouse and had dinner. After dinner we walked to Temple bar and had a drink at the Auld Dubliner before calling it a night and returning to the guesthouse. We had rather a rough night of it as there were loads of clubs along the street so we didn't get much sleep.

A Pretty Posy

Saturday 2 April - We had a very relaxed weekend as we are getting ready for my birthday trip to Ireland. However, we did make it to the farmer's market where we picked up some nice vegetables and Ian bought me this lovely posy of spring anemones. We visited our usual charity shops and I picked up a number of lovely and interesting books.