Oma Loves U!: Oma History

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Saturday, March 19, 2016

Our Ireland Adventure
Day 4

Paul and I arose early and enjoyed the Hawkeye Falconry Experience right in front of our hotel, the Faithlegg House. You can see from the photos below it was an awesome exciting and informative experience of the ancient sport of kings, falconry. John the falconer was personable and wonderful. We interacted with two Harris Hawks, (Dennis the Menace and Rodger Dodger) and a Barn Owl named Riley. I am not sure how we are going to top this.

The Hawkeye Falconry Experience - Faithlegg House Hotel

Since many of our destinations in Ireland do not have an address, I learned how to use longitude and latitude coordinates with the GPS. Our first stop was the world famous Waterford Crystal Factory. This was truly a must-do attraction. The history and exquisiteness of this crystal was astonishing as we were guided through the different craftsman’s work posts. Paul even held a glass football valued at 2,800 euros. It was difficult to leave without making a purchase, but we did it.

Our bed and breakfast for the next two nights, Ardfield Farmhouse was a tad disappointing. Bernadette is a gracious host and the room was small but nice. Unfortunately, the advertised free Wi-Fi was non-existent. Now for me that is a huge problem. My daily work tasks requires me to have internet. After spending an hour walking around the house searching for a connection, it became clear that I would be off-line. The beds were also a bit uncomfortable.

We met a very nice Irish couple at Kirby’s Corner where we had supper. They suggested we go to Blarney Castle and the Bells of Shandon tomorrow. We will follow their advice.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Our Ireland Adventure
Day 3

Off To The Guinness Storehouse And To Pick-Up The Renault Fluence

We had to say good bye to the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin. We highly recommend this lodging for both service and facility. It is also well situated in the city and close to everything you needed.

We visited the Guinness Storehouse before picking up our Hertz Rental car. Our friendly taxi driver took us to the section of Dublin owned primarily by the company. Our driver explained that Guinness even has their own doctors. Since we arrive just after nine in the morning, we were first in line but us tourists shortly filled the establishment.

The Guinness Tour is self-guided which was not as much fun. Nevertheless there are seven floors to explore. I enjoyed the pub station where they taught you how to pour your own glass of Guinness correctly. The bar overlooking the city was also worth the price of admission.

Opa's first stint behind the right side steering wheel!!!

The procedure at the Hertz car lot was very easy. We were assigned a brand new Renault Fluence with just 15 kms on it. Everything was explained and we were reminded several time to stay on the left side of the road. Paul was told not to worry because he would be pro after the first fifty miles

Well that was not quite how it went and just getting out of Dublin was very scary. Luckily we opted for total coverage!!!

However, our GPS was invaluable and we soon found ourselves on the highway, which was more manageable. We arrived at the Faithlegg House Hotel safe and sound.

Faithlegg House Hotel - Margaret Power Room

This hotel is a grand old country lodging offering classy en suite rooms and free WiFi, plus an 18-hole golf course. We stayed in the Margaret Power room which was huge and pretty modernized. Margaret was unhappily married and is said to return to her room nightly to search for her jewelry.

Paul was pretty tired from his stressful day behind the wheel, so I went on a walk by myself around the estate. The receptionist recommended St.Ita’s walk. It was beautiful and featured both an old church with graveyard and St. Ita’s well.

Of course, I found myself lost and had to inquire as to where the hotel was. A super nice Irish man walking his dog assisted me. Richie not only gave me directions back to Faithlegg, he walked me back to the entrance; above and beyond.

We tried to stay up for the live music which started at 10:00 p.m., but after a very nice dinner, Paul and I both fell fast asleep. Not sure, but I think I heard Margaret Power’s around 2:00 a.m. ghost!!!

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Our Ireland Adventure
Day 2

St. Patrick's Day and Old Jameson Distillery Tour

Complimentary Breakfast at the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin, Ireland

Happy St. Patrick’s Day. We returned to the Saddle Room at the Shelbourne Hotel for our complimentary breakfast. We were greeted by a very young and enthusiastic server named Patrick. The food and service was excellent. Paul had his usual eggs over easy, a hash brown patty and toast. I enjoyed the house Eggs Benedict. We split a banana for good measure.

The Old Jameson Distillery tour was next on the agenda. We had purchased a two-day “on and off” bus pass. Unfortunately, due to the holiday, the buses were parked for the day. Therefore we caught a taxi.

Old Jameson Distillery tour, Dublin, Ireland

We were there early enough for the first tour at 10:00 am. Nigel, our guide was very passionate and knowledgeable about his job. We were both very engaged the entire forty minutes. I now consider myself a Jameson aficionado. The tour ended with a tasting and then a free sample. What a great bargain at 16 euros per person.

We learned that we could not by any alcohol in the city until after noon. Paul and I embarked on a walking tour of Dublin. We headed towards the parade which was schedules to begin at noon. The television estimated that about a half a million people would attend the parade. Our taxi driver thought it would be more like a million.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Dublin, Ireland

Not sure who was correct, but there was a horde of people lining the streets everywhere. After a short time, Paul and I settled to watching the parade from the Woolshed Bar and Grill. Since there was no way we could get near enough to view the parade from the street, their big screen tv was the next best thing.

Free Silk-Screen Shirt, Old Jameson Distillery, Dublin, Ireland

Back to the Old Jameson Distillery after our lunch. Paul picked out a bottle to have personalized with our name. I found a heavily discounted discontinued T-Shirt. As we were leaving, we discovered an opportunity for a free long-sleeved shirt. It was made even better by the fact that I was able to silk-screen it myself.

We headed back to the hotel only to find out that we could not cross from the north side to the south side of Dublin until the end of the parade. Even the taxi we hailed, apologetically informed us that he could not drive to the Shelbourne until the parade traffic was cleared.

Nevertheless, we finally walked back to the hotel, asking directions from the numerous “Garda Síochána” (Irish Policeman) along the way. Exhausted but happy, we took a nap.

Paul’s Vegetarian Meal at the Doheny & Nesbitt, Dublin, Ireland

Yummy Shepard’s Pie at the Doheny & Nesbitt, Dublin, Ireland

Live Music at the Doheny & Nesbitt, Dublin, Ireland

Me with a Guinness and shot of Jameson at the Doheny & Nesbitt, Dublin, Ireland. I am wearing the cap given to me by a family of locals.

Then we walked the short distance to Doheny & Nesbitt for our evening meal. The place was hopping, but they found us a small table. We quickly began conversing with the locals at the next table. The establishment made a special meal to accommodate Paul’s vegetarian needs. Our friends at the next table were very gracious and presented me with a green cap before they left. There was live music at the bar and grill but there was no way to squeeze into the small listening area. Nevertheless he was good.

Tomorrow off to the Guinness Storehouse and our new hotel, the Faithlegg House Hotel.

Photos from our St. Patrick's Day Dublin Wandering: