TravelStream™ news feed for member papes on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/papes en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:08:32 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/papes/1/1209498120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/papes/1/1209498120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/papes/1/1209498120/tpod.html Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:08:32 -0400 Emerald Isle here we come...!

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Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Wow! It's our last day in Ireland! I can't believe how the week has flown by. We really miss everyone back home, though. We are ready to be home although I wish we could bring a piece of Ireland with us.

This morning we set out to see the city. We were going to take a tour bus around the city. By the time we got done driving all over trying to find the bus place and fighting horrific traffic the whole time, we were ready to be out of the city. It just wasn't the Ireland we came to see. On the up side, Patrick did get to see a Dublin Firetruck.


We decided to drive to see Newgrange. We stopped off and had a little snack on the way. Newgrange is a monument built 5000 years ago. At dawn on winter solstice as the sun rises, a shaft of sunligt shoots down the corridor and illuminates the inner chamber. It is amazing! They actually let you go into it! It is 500 years older than the pyramids. I just can't get over it. The history here is so amazing and so accessible. They just let you get right up close and touch it!



After we left there we drove down toward Dublin along the coast. We found an idyllic little town right on the water and had supper watching the sea gulls land on sailboats. It is the type of scene they make puzzles out of. A perfect way to wrap up our vacation.


Tonight we go to bed early so we can be up and off to the airport by 7:30am. 15 hours later we will be home (with the 6 hour time difference we should be in Lincoln around 4:30 or 5:00pm). Can't wait to hug the kids!!!!!!! I want to thank all of you who have helped with the kids and made it possible for us to have such a wonderful time!! We really appreciate you! See you all soon!
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Armagh, United Kingdom

Today we set out in search of our ggggGreat Grandpa George Davison (add one more g for me). We know that he was born in 1747 near Armagh town and married Nelly Allen (born 1748) in 1765. They had a son in 1770 and left for the New World when he was 6 weeks old. We believe our ancestors were among the first Methodist in Armagh.

We took this information to the Armagh Ancestry office/Tourism office. They sent us to St Marks Cathedral where we met some very nice people. Caroline looked up our dates and pulled out the church record book from that time peoriod. We were actually able to touch and handle the book that baptisms, marriages, and deaths were recorded in in the mid 1700's! We did find a George Davison but the dates were wrong so I don't think he was our George.


Next we set off for the Methodist Church. It was built in 1835. This is too late for our George to have attended but perhaps his nieces and nephews went there? It was beautiful inside

We also toured the St Patrick's Cathedral of the Church of Ireland. It sits on a hill across town from the hill where the Catholic St Pat's Cathedral is located. Chruch of Ireland condiser themselves to be Catholic but not Roman Catholic. They don't follow the Pope. This church (C of I) is on the site where St Patrick had his first church in Ireland in 400 AD. It is also the site where great hero Brian Boru is burried. He is the Irish King who defeated the Vikings in 1014 but was killed as he sat down to dinner by a fleeing Viking soldier after the battle was over. There is an ancient Celtic cross in the cathedral from 11th century. There was an ancient stone carving of a man in the catedral from 1000 BC just sitting there on the floor along the side. Patrick even touched it! No special measures to protect these things!

It's amazing the difference a day can make! The city is transformed today. The shops are open and the city is bustling. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. Still a lot of English influence but things don't seem so bleak even though it is the first day we got rained on.


After our sight-seeing we went to Castle Leslie for horseback riding and a special birthday dinner for Dad. He turned 75 today. Happy Birthday, Dad!!! He got his spankings earlier in the day at the Palace Stables in Armagh.


Then it was on to Dublin. We spent the night here and will see the city on Tuesday.
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Armagh, United Kingdom

Hi, kids! Clover here again! I thought I'd send you some more pictures. I sure am having a great time! Well, we left Doolin on Saturday so I had to say good bye to Lucy the dog who guards the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at. She makes sure those noisy trucks stay away by barking at them when they go by. She sounds just like Molly.


Next we drove to Armagh and on the way we found this great place to strech my legs and have a little snack. I thought about having a swim in the stream but decided against it. I did get a drink from the nice, cold water. It came from a waterfall.


Sunday we were in Armagh. I had tea with Dad on the balcony. Everything in town was closed so we didn't have much to do. We napped and I tried to help Grandpa with his Sudoku puzzle but he said I was hogging it just because I figured out the answers before he did. We hit the hay early because it was going to be a busy day the next day. I don't know why they say I hog the bed! Dad has plenty of room!

Today we did a bunch of family history stuff. I looked at the map and found a great place to have some real fun and meet some interesting folks. We went to a place called Castle Leslie and met Mobey. He had a really silly mustache. I wanted to go out for a trail ride but couldn't find any boots in the boot room to fit me! Oh well, Mom and Dad had a great time riding through the countryside.
We took Grandpa out for a special Birthday dinner.
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Armagh, United Kingdom

Today was pretty uneventful. We have no good maps of the city so we spent what seemed like hours driving around in circles looking for the Armagh Ancestry / Tourist Info Centre. We never did find what we were looking for. We found out that everything shuts down on Sundays here except for filling stations and a very few restaurants so it wouldn't have helped to find it anyway. The town just lacks the charm we found in Republic of Ireland. I don't know if it is because of the political unrest of the area or due to it being a larger city. It has a definite English influence that you don't find in the South. I don't think they get many tourists here.

We did see St Patrick's Cathedral (catholic) and St Patrick's Church (originally catholic but taken over by the protestants). We were driving around on Sunday morning so we got to see everyone dressed up and going to Mass/Service. Armagh was St Patrick's home base in Ireland. It has great historical/religious significance. It was the base of the pagan religion before Patrick and then the base of the Protestants after they took over. We also visited a ruin that was a Fransiscan Friary. Not sure how old, though. One thing is for sure, we can tell you where the public toilets are located in town because we looped around by them about 20 times! The roads are narrow, curvy and some are one way. Very confusing!


Because we were having such a frustrating time driving around town, we decided to drive into the countryside in the direction we suspect our ancestors lived. It is beautiful rolling country with green hills, shrub hedges outlining the fields where sheep and cattle graze. Very pretty.


Most a good part of the day we just relaxed at the hotel. It is very busy! There is a convention center attached and there is a Jehovah's Witness convention this weekend. Those people dress nice!! Later today there was a big party for a bunch of kids who had their first communion. The girls looked like little brides in their beautiful white gowns. That party went on and on and on! Must be a very big deal around here!!

Tomorrow is Dad's 75th Birthday! Feel free to e-mail Patrick and wish him Happy Birthday!! Or post a comment to this blog.

That's a long post for no more than we did today! Hopefully tomorrow will bring more excitement and a better sense of direction!


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Armagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Today we said goodbye to Doolin and set off for Armagh. We were sad to go and would recommend it as a destination for anyone. Sea View House was great - delicious breakfast, clean rooms, nice view of Doolin and the ocean. Darrah is a wonderful hostess and excellent cook!

We headed North to Armagh by way of Sligo and Enniskillen. We were a little delayed by a local traffic jam. The drive from Sligo to Enniskillen is gorgeous! The landscape is totally different from the Doolin area. We tripped across a gorgeous lake and took an impromptu side trip to check out a waterfall. It turned out to be the highlight of the drive.

After a second traffic jam we were on our way again.

Patrick has a work associate who grew up in Enniskillen and still has family there. When she heard we were going right through there she sent us a bottle of wine to deliver to her cousin. He owns a bar, restaurant and a deli/wine store. They were all so cool in their own style. He insisted on treating us to dinner at his restaurant. It was the fanciest place I have ever eaten in my life! Gourmet all the way but not a bit stuffy. It is in the cellar (think wine cellar with arched brick ceilings) below the bar he runs. The bar has been in his family for generations and he turned the cellar into a gourmet restaurant. The place was packed. Here is a picture of two ornery Irishmen. The photo is taken showing a cheap bottle of wine with a screw top. The actual bottle was quite expensive. They are going to show this to the cousin who sent the wine to make her think we took the good stuff and delivered this cheap wine. Notice they have the same twinkle in their mischievous eyes!

Dad found a restaurant that was just his speed, too! It is the only chain restaurant we have seen here. We did see a Subway sign. It is funny because most things are foreign but every so often you run across something you recognize - Palmolive, Shell, Heinz, Super Valu.

Now we are in Northern Ireland. It is a whole different country than Republic of Ireland. It is actually part of the United Kingdom. Ireland on the other hand, is independently governed and part of the European Union (EU). UK is not part of the EU. You can really tell the difference in the cities from Ireland to NI. NI is much more industrial, less tourist activity, more gritty urban. The cities we have seen in NI are larger than the ones we were in while in Ireland. The overall feel is just different.

Time for bed! Lots to do tomorrow searching out our Davison family history!! Good Night!
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Doolin, Ireland

Hi, Kids!! This is Clover typing. I am having a real adventure here, in Ireland! I wanted to share some of the fun things I have been able to do and friends I have made...

Here is a picture of me with my new best friend. I met him when we were traveling around the Burren. He is really nice.


After we left there we saw lots of pretty scenery...


All that fresh air gave me a big appetite!


Mom and Dad met these two Irish Wolf Hounds but they were afraid the dogs might think I was a chew-toy so they wouldn't let me go play with them.


There are lots of funny signs around here...


We have seen lots of OLD castle ruins.


Today I met two of my distant cousins. They were almost as fluffy and round as me! They must get the big ears from the other side of their family!


I tried to call you but couldn't get through...


After such a busy day I am really tired and ready for a good night's sleep! Good Night! I love you and miss you! ( Mom and Dad say to tell you they love you and really miss you too!!)XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

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Doolin, Ireland

Today there was a threat of rain so we decided to visit Bunratty Castle and Folk Park thinking it would be all inside. Turns out that the Folk Park is like an Irish version of New Salem (for those of you who know what that is) so we were outside a lot. Our Irish luck held out and it barely rained at all. The Castle is a renovated 1425 castle with furnishings. Pretty amazing! The floor is all original. The castle was in really bad shape and they restored it in 1960. Now they have medieval banquets there every night with live singers, actors, and musicians.
We decided that if we were going to see the Cliffs of Moher close up this was our last chance. It was VERY windy and cold but we persevered and made it to the top. Very impressive! Pictures and words just don't do it justice.

From there we happened across a small restaurant called The Stonecutters Kitchen. We finally got to engage a local Doolin resident in conversation! We got an ear full all about government and health care. They have a mixed socialized and private health care system in Ireland. She says 40% of the employees are in administration and the hospitals are running at half capacity because there are not enough doctors and nurses to take care of the people. Scary to think of what could happen in the US if we go that direction. Anyway, the food was great and the conversation interesting. Patrick had a hamburger that he says is the best of his entire life!
Next we took off for Gus O'Conner's for Guinness and music. We drug Mom and Dad along tonight to get a taste of the local night life. One of the musicians we heard last night was world-renowned and I guess it was a really big deal that he was there. Doolin is like the mecca of traditional Irish music. Every night there is a live music jam session (not a performance) with different musicians playing in a reserved booth. Everyone gathers around and soaks it in. Tonight we met a couple from Donegal, a guy from Minnesota, a couple from France and a couple from Seattle. What a great time!

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Doolin, Ireland

This morning we got up and had a delicious "Full Irish Breakfast" that traditionally includes a fried egg, toast, bacon (more like Canadian Bacon), light/white pudding (what we would call sausage links) served with assorted home-baked breads including the famous brown bread which is very hearty and full-grain. Wonderful!

Next we drove to "Doolin Pitch and Put" where Pat got to golf. It had amazing views of the Atlantic and Cliffs of Moher in the backgroud. A pitch and put is a links style course just with all the holes fairly close together so that there are no long drives to make. What is unusual is how hilly this course was - more like huge bumps or berms all over. I think they just covered up all the rocks on the site with a bunch of dirt and planted grass over it!

Mom and Dad hung out at the Doolin Pier and watched the waves roll in while we golfed.

After that we took off for the Burren Perfumery. It was an all-day trip with stops all along the way. At Kilforna we stopped to see ancient Celtic crosses from the 11th and 12th centuries. A lady gave us directions to the perfumery that went something like this; "Go East until you come to the Castle ruin then turn left. Follow that road until just before the 'Ring Fort' where you will turn right". Nothing you would hear in the States! The Castle ruin was from 1480. The Ring Fort was old too, but we didn't get past their Tea Room before they closed! Yum, Guinness Cake and Scones! After that we visited the Portal Tomb Dolman. It is an ancient grave site from 3000BC yes, BC!

The Burren is an amazing landscpe of limestone rock. I can't even describe it... think of the Moon. It mostly looks like someone spilled concrete mix everywhere with deep grooves running through it. This is where the flowers and plants grow. Then there are huge boulders scattered around. This goes on for miles and miles. At the perfumery they make perfume, lotions and soaps from the flowers of the Burren. It is the only place on earth where tropical flowers bloom next to arctic flowers.

We are getting ready to call the kids and head out for a night on the town. Gus O'Conners has live traditional Irish music every night starting at 9:00. It is one of the three hot-spot Pubs in Doolin.

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Doolin, County Clare, Ireland

Today was a very long and exciting day! I can't believe all we have seen and it's only our first day! We drove around the area and got a feel for what things are like and what we want to see more of. The Cliffs of Moher are amazing! Hopefully we can take a boat tour of them and get up close. We also drove along the Burren for several miles. It is like something from another planet. Everywhere you go there is stone fence. There are enough miles of stone fence to circle the globe about 20 times! You can't go anywhere without seeing stone fence everywhere. We ate a delicious dinner at Gus O' Conners Pub - DELICIOUS! Right now we are going to call the kids and then hit the hay! Check out the pictures...more to come!
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Lincoln, United States

We arrived on time in Shannon this morning, picked up the car and made
our way to Doolin. The scenery is amazing! Hard to look at the scenery
and drive on the opposite side of the car and road! Our B&B is really
nice and our room looks right out over the town of Doolin on one side
and the ocean on the other side. Will post pictures soon. We have been
up for 25 hours and plan to take a quick power nap.We arrived on time in Shannon this morning, picked up the
car and made our way to Doolin. The scenery is amazing! Hard to
look at the scenery and drive on the opposite side of the car and road! Our
B&B is really nice and our room looks right out over the town of Doolin on
one side and the ocean on the other side. Will post pictures soon.
We have been up for 25 hours and plan to take a quick power nap.
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