Our Ireland Adventure Day 10

St. Judes B&B and the National Aquarium of Ireland

 

It was a good day for a travel day due to the wind and cold. However, before leaving Dromoland Castle for our jaunt up to Galway, Paul met Patrick at the front of the castle for a stint of Clay Pigeon shooting. Patrick drove us to a secluded area of the castle grounds and gave instruction. Paul had thirty shots and hit quite a few targets. What fun, but it did leave his shoulder a bit sore.

The drive to Galway was an hour and twenty minutes. It is a harbor city on Ireland’s west coast and sits where the River Corrib meets the Atlantic. 

Our bed and breakfast, St. Judes offered a small room with an en-suite bathroom. Most importantly the internet worked well enough for me to get a bit of blogging and work in. It is also located just a half a mile from the beach.

You can see from the photos below that it was cold. But you cannot feel the wind that almost blew us over as we walked the city. 

Considering the weather, we picked an indoor activity, the National Aquarium of Ireland. It was eight euros per senior to enter the Galway Atlantaquaria.

Galway Atlantaquaria, National Aquarium of Ireland seeks to present a comprehensive view of the world of water through clear and interesting displays, informed helpful staff and exciting live presentations and animal interaction sessions.

It was fun and I enjoyed taking photos.

We ate an early dinner/late lunch at Da Roberta's Ristorante & Pizzeria. Yummy food, good atmosphere, friendly service but no alcohol due to the Good Friday ban. . . . . . . I did enjoy some tasty grape juice . . . . 

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Treasures Beneath Your Feet

by Stacey Kuhns 

 

For the past year or so, my boyfriend and I have been collecting rocks and gems. We are both on a very limited budget so how do we satisfy our "collection cravings?" Easy. Local mountains, beaches, roadsides all have treasures if you are willing to look.

We noticed that at the beaches, most people just walk out to the space they want to claim, plop their stuff down, and either go into the water, or settle down in their chairs. They never bother to look down or really look around them. When we see beaches, like the ones below, we think, "SCORE!"

 

What may look like a bunch of boring rocks holds a treasure trove of items, from amazing shells to quartz, citrine, jasper, jade, and other amazing finds. We always have at least 4 heavy duty bags with us, as the rocks get heavy quickly. 

We also invested in diver's booties as it is much easier to search when you do not have to worry about getting wet or worry about your shoes filling up with sand. I have found many gorgeous rocks just sitting on a mound of dry rocks and digging with my hands and feet. It is amazing what can be uncovered.

Make sure that you are collecting on a beach or mountain area that is not protected and that allows collecting (you can usually find this information on the internet or posted in the respective areas.) Make sure if you are collecting shells that they are not harboring sea life. .

Once we leave the area, we sort through our finds and choose which rocks we want to put into the rock tumbler for polishing. Many of the rocks are very smooth and beautiful due to the ocean tumbling them first. .

When you wet a rock, that is pretty much how it will look once polished. It takes one month for one polishing cycle and it is difficult to choose which rocks will go in and which ones have to be set aside for another time. Each week, the rocks are taken out of the tumbler, washed, and a new grit size polisher is added. .

This is a great hobby for kids and adults. My boyfriend has made beautiful necklaces, earrings, and paperweights from our finds. This is the type of tumbler my boyfriend uses:

Prior to putting the rocks in the tumbler for the first time, you need to check for the size. If the rocks are too big, they will not polish correctly. If they have a lot of holes or pitting, the grit and polish will get stuck in those and it is not easy to clean out. Also remember, rocks lose a lot of their mass during the tumbling process, so if they are too small, you may not be able to see or use them once the month of tumbling is complete. 

If you are tumbling rocks from the mountains, if they break easily in your hands, they are not good for tumbling. If they are layers of slate or other materials, that will not hold up in the tumbler. It takes some trial and error to find what size to use, what you like, and what you plan to do with the rocks after tumbling. .

Here is a batch of my rocks after the third week in the tumbler. These are all rocks I found on local beaches.

And after the final polishing in the tumbler at week four.

And here are some of the things you can do with the rocks.

So if you are wandering on the beach, in the mountains, desert, or even in a parking lot near some rocky areas, look down. You may be surprised by what you discover.

Our Ireland Adventure Day 9

Dromoland Castle Hotel in Newmarket - On - Fergus, Co. Clare, Ireland 

 

Just a half an hour away from the Old Ground Hotel was our next stay at Dromoland Castle Hotel. Well it was actually only twenty minutes away but I goofed and we took the wrong exit on the Rotary (Traffic Circle); so we utilized the “scenic route.”

The magnificent, five star Dromoland Castle http://www.dromoland.ie prove to be beyond our expectations. We savored this majestic castle and its enchanting lake, as we passed through the castle gates. It was the ancestral home of the O’Briens of Dromoland who were the Kings of Thomond and whose lineage goes back 1,000 years to Brian Boru, the only High King of Ireland. The castle is situated on four hundred and ten (410) acres of exquisiteness in the peaceful Clare countryside.

Located well outside of any cities, the hotel offers a plethora of activities: golf, dining, a pub, spa; health club with indoor swimming pool, falconry, archery, boating, clay pigeon shooting, tennis, walking and mountain biking just to name a few. 

Our room (219) is housed in the oldest part of the castle but was fully modernized. It featured a cottage-style décor which is based on 18th-century botanical drawings, complementing the sumptuous upholstery designed by the French fabric house Pierre Frey. It truly did look like the photos in the advertisements. It was huge, comfy, and beautiful. 

After thoroughly exploring our surroundings, we enjoyed a late lunch. Mrs. White’s Tea is served between the hours of two and five in the afternoon and consists of a selection of piping hot teas with a delicious selection of freshly baked pastries and breads. It was presented with a traditional flair under sparkling Waterford Crystal Chandeliers that added to the enjoyment of the feasting event. 

There was only one item remaining on my list of “Irish Must-dos;” that was to drink Guinness in a pub will listening to live Irish music. A tired Paul and I check that off this evening. Tommy entertained us in the small pub by strumming his acoustical guitar and singing Irish melodies. The perfect end to another perfect night. 

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Our Ireland Adventure Day 8

The Cliffs Of Moher and the Old Ground Hotel

 

Today we bid adieu to the Cillcearn House. Our stay here made us feel very welcome and relaxed. We will miss our host Tom and his witty advice.

We had just one event on our agenda – a one hour cruise to The Cliffs Of Moher. Although we feared that we might arrive a tad late, when we got there we discovered our boat was delayed about fifteen minutes so we arrived in plenty of time.

We met the owner of one of the cruise business and he bought us a cup of tea and a scone as he discussed his last visited to the San Diego County area. He definitely knew his way around our town. His "lady" was born and raised in "Hell A" therefore he had visited Southern California frequently.

The cruise itself presented rough waters but the view was well worth it. Paul reminded me and a fellow passenger to keep our backs off the seat to avoid illness. I listened and am glad I did. Sadly, the other lady didn’t and suffered from sea sickness.

The Cliffs Of Moher rise to a height of over 700 feet. Our cruise set out from Doolin Pier and followed the cliffs as they climb to their magnificent height. I was awed by the epic cliffs as I learned that they have Ireland’s largest mainland nesting bird colony. The Great Sea Stack (Branaunmore) also plays host to thousands of seabirds as well.

The hour went by too quickly and we were off to our next stop at the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis.

Built in the early part of the 18th Century as a private dwelling and a hotel since 1895 the Old Ground Hotel has a long tradition and connection to the people of County Clare. Indeed the Old Ground has played its part in the Republics tumultuous beginnings and the now Town Hall once incorporated a jail.

I cannot say enough positive things about this establishment. The food was excellent and served quickly and always with a smile. The room was luxurious. The tile floor in the bathroom was heated!!!!! I loved it.

The hotel offered plenty of parking and is located in the middle of town right next to the Ennis Cathedral. The soft bells of the church rang sweetly on the hour.

Today is also the first day of our trip that we experienced any rain and it was a light rain at that. Paul and I have been very lucky travelers . . . . . knock on wood.

We spent the night walking down the narrow streets of Ennis. Unfortunately, it was after six and most of the shops had closed.

 

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