Ireland, part 2

We took a long cab ride from DT Dublin to Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire [pron. Doon Leery] , a suburb on the coast southeast of the city, arriving around 3:00 but we didn't get into our tiny, tiny room until 4:00 or 4:30. While waiting for the room, we wandered around the marina area and then went back to have a drink in a clubby-feeling part of the lobby. After a while, a man came in and started playing the piano; a little later I went to the front desk to ask if our room was ready yet (“No”) and while there, I asked the young woman behind the desk the name of the song the pianist was playing. I was curious to see whether she would say “Danny Boy” or “Londonderry Air.” Her answer: “I'm sorry, sir; I don't know what that is.”

“For God's sake,” I shouted, "It's Danny Boy, you twit!”

For supper, we walked up to Rasam, a highly rated Indian Restaurant about a mile or so away. Our tiny appetizers were Chicken Tikki for TWW and aloo chole for me; entrees were Lamb Something-or-other for TTW and Chicken Tikki for me.

Friday morning, after eating and packing our bags, I walked a couple miles to Sixt Rental Car, arriving at noon. It took a while before anyone was available to help me. Filling out the paperwork took some time and then I had to wait for someone to bring our Toyota Yaris around, so I didn't get back to the hotel until around 1:00. TWW was waiting for me in the driveway, so we tossed the bags in the car (two in the “boot” and two in the back seat) and headed off to Newlands Lodge, arriving around 3:00. Much of the way, we were on divided highways, and even when we weren't, the roads were relatively wide, with well-marked lanes. Until we were 20 minutes or so from the lodge, that is.  At which time the roads narrowed, the lane markings disappeared, and 7-foot high hedgerows (or, sometimes, 4 foot high stone walls) sprang up next to the asphalt. TWW had been nervous before, but now she was a wreck!  And I can't say I blame her.

After checking in to Newlands and relaxing for a few minutes we were back in the car, driving the 15 minutes into Kilkenny. We walked along the River Nore and its canal, around the Castle and its walled park, looked through some shops in the nearby tourist area, and ate supper and enjoyed an hour or so of some jiggy Irish music (3 guys, 2 guitars, 1 harmonica, 1 drum, and 1 fiddle) at Kyteker's Inn, which our hostess at Newlands had recommended. TWW had soup and lamb stew; I settled for fish and chips. The food was OK; the music was a real treat.

Back to Newlands, which was was beautiful, clean, and spacious. Hosts, Jimmy and Mairead (we never did figure out how to pronounce her name), were nice, though she talked nonstop.*  Our large, comfortable room had three mismatched chairs (one of which, a wicker, was close to falling apart). I showered that first afternoon with no problem, but when TWW tried it in the morning, she had no hot water, presumably because someone in the room above us was using the shower at the same time.

After breakfast the next day, we checked out and drove to nearby Kells Priory to wander around a bit before heading out to the Rock of Cashel and then on to Cork. We arrived at the Rock just as a tour was about to start. James was our guide -- a nice young man who spoke very well. You can follow the link to read about the Rock if you have any interest. What struck me most about the place was the view of Tipperary in “the Golden Vale”; I'd been reading a wonderful book about the horror that was World War I. Those god-forsaken trenches in France sure as hell were “a long, long, way from Tipperary.”

Thence to Cork International Airoport Hotel. Five stars! Wonderful room -- the size of two normal hotel rooms. After securing our room, we drove to Kinsale, 25 minutes away, walked the town, strolled around the castle, and had another of those early bird, fixed-price dinner at Hoby's: me, stuffed mushrooms and stuffed sole; TWW, breaded mussels and grilled cod.

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* Mairead had been a banker before the crash.