Back from the Emerald Isle

I've returned after a weeklong holiday in Ireland. It was a wonderful and memorable trip, visiting numerous places and making new friends along the way.

I'm not going to inundate you with photos, but if you're interested, visit my personal Facebook page and you can view the images there. (You may as well like my author page while there!)

After landing in Shannon on a misty morning, I smiled when the guide bus pulled out of the parking lot and I saw a large "Welcome to Ireland" sign across the road.   

Street performers in Galway

My wife, Mary, and I spent two days in Galway, a small, artsy city that's great to begin a journey on the "wild side of Ireland." It's a picturesque college town that has a colorful waterfront, street performers, museums, and more. 

From there, we drove through the desolate Burrens, a limestone landscape that has been eroding for years, especially during the Ice Age. Then we walked along the Cliffs of Moher, the majestic 600-foot drop to the battering Atlantic Ocean.

Anchors in Kinsale

We spent two days near Cork, visiting the nation's second-largest city, while taking in Blarney Castle (my wife kissed the Blarney stone) and sites in and around Cobn and Kinsale. So much to see and so little time.

The iconic James Joyce statue

The last two days were in Dublin, an underrated city that I wished could have lasted several more days. We walked across the Trinity College campus, hiked to other districts such as Temple Bar, stopped to see the William Butler Yeats exhibit at the National Library of Ireland, toured St. Patrick's Cathedral, walked around St. Stephen's Green, and spent several hours at the hallowed historic grounds at Glendalough.

Ireland is a fabulous country, offering a wide array of things to see and do. I encourage others who are considering a trip to this island nation to do so. The people are friendly (maybe a couple grumbly ones like the American I encountered leaving U.S. Customs), there a many places to experience and taste (such as a pint or two of  Guinness or Murphy's).  

I hope I live long enough to make another trip across the pond and take in more of this wonderful nation. 

Until the next time . . . 

Across the Pond to Ireland

My wife and I will be flying over the pond, making our third trip to Europe in as many years. We've previously traveled to England, France, Italy, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

This time it's Ireland, the enchanting "Emerald Isle." We'll spend a week there, taking in the rural and urban areas with stops in Galway, Cork, and Dublin.

We'll also take in the otherworldly Burren, the majestic Cliffs of Moher, and other landscapes in our guided tour.

I went to Ireland 14 years ago on a writing assignment when I was editor of Kentucky Monthly magazine. I found it to be such a fascinating place, beginning with looking down at the checkered green topography and the plane approached Shannon airport.

I'm especially looking forward to Dublin and going to Trinity College, Temple Bar, St. Stephen's Green, St. Patrick's Cathedral and seeing some of the sites that celebrate the nation's rich literary history with such luminaries as Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, Jonathan Swift, and William Butler Yeats.

And, as much as anything, going to a few pubs and acquainted with some of the delightful and friendly Irish folks with a pint (or two) of creamy, smooth Guinness.

As I have in the past, I'll take lots of photographs and share them with a few posts on this blog as well as my Facebook page.

Until the next time . . .