Day #17 - Belfast, Northern ireland, United Kingdom

5-1/2 hour bus ride today

Wednesday, March 31st

Today was a huge travel day for me. I got up early in Galway, Ireland and headed to the bus stop to catch the 8:45 to Derry, Ireland. I arrived in Derry at 2:10pm. Long trip - probably the longest busride I've ever taken. Pretty uneventful - so it was fine. I bounced back and forth between consciousness as we made stops along the way. Once I got to Derry, I then took the 2:55pm train to Belfast, Northern Ireland - arriving at 5:00pm.

Basically - not much to report today other than travelling. I will say that I completely underestimated the size of Belfast. I expected a smaller city, similar to Cork. What I got, was something more similar to New York City. It was 5:00pm, major traffic, I had no place to stay, and was wondering around the city with my 50+ pound pack looking for a place to hole up for the night. It was sleeting, temperatures right at freezing. I hadn't made a reservation and needed to find a spot. I thought I could walk around and make this happen; it wasn't working so well. All the walk-in places were more than I was willing to pay. I finally ducked into a little internet cafe and reserved a place. I then printed out the directions and was on my way.

I've been looking on the internet and it says that Belfast is significantly smaller in population than Dublin. Man - I just don't get how that can be true. Belfast felt double the size of Dublin. I'm not sure if they are talking main city or surrounding suburbs. There's more big buildings in 1 block in Belfast than in the whole city of Dublin.

I now have 2 kinds of money in my pockets - euro and pound. The pound conversion is 1.5 times (10 pounds equals $15). The euro is 1.3 times (10 euro equals $13). Things may be more expensive in these parts for the next couple days.

Tomorrow I'm taking another tour to Giants Causeway - a famous site in Northern Ireland. I'm really impressed with these day tours and the cost of them being only $25. I feel that is a great deal considering you're with a tour group, they provide transportation, and provide insite throughout the day. I know the other day was challenging - but it was mostly about the weather. I'm excited to see the sites again after a lengthy, tiring travel day.

Day #16 - Aran Islands - Galway, Ireland

Aran Sweater Market

Lighthouse

Unbelievable Cliffs

Traditional Irish Music

Tuesday, March 30th

Things turned around nicely today. I set off on an hour busride about 9am to a small town up the coast. Then, I took a 40 minute ferry boat to Inis Mor - the large island in the chain of 3 islands called The Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. Inis Mor is the largest of the 3, and the one most frequented by tourists.

The Aran Islands are famous for their unique way of life, where age old traditions co-exist with modern living. Galeic is the predominant language spoken. I was amazed to see sunshine today. It didn't last long, but it was enough to make it very enjoyable.

When getting out of the ferry, I decided to make my way around just by walking. Many folks rented bikes or hired a tour shuttle. We arrived at the island at 11am and our departure was set for 5pm. I knew that I could make some good ground in that amount of time.

One of the biggest draws to the Aran Islands is the Aran sweaters. I'm not much of a fashion guru; but these were great sweaters. They had a demo showing how they were made. The wool comes from the sheep and is the heart of the process. It takes roughly 60 hours to knit 1 sweater. The sweaters contain many different stitch patterns - all meaning something unique. It was said that the pattern worn by a particular family inidcated their way of life.

After visiting a few of the shops in town, I took to the road to see the sites. The island was 2 miles wide and 9 miles long. I covered about half of it during the day. There was one area where you could walk right up to the edge of the cliff. It was a bit scary. Again - very similar to the Cliffs of Moher - just less recognized. It was truly an amazing site. I can't believe people have this to look at everyday outside their window. I took some neat pictures of some old temples, a really cool light house, and a seal colony. It was a great walking/hiking day.

I took the 40 minute ferry and 1 hour bus back into Galway. I checked my email and a couple hostel friends had emailed me - they were in town. I met up with them for dinner and some traditional music. It's 11:45pm now. I need to get packed as I'll be heading out tomorrow to Northern Ireland via a long busride. I don't know all the specifics yet - but Northern Ireland is actually part of the UK. They use pound instead of euro and are protestant instead of catholic. I'm going to lay low a bit and hope to have some scoop for you in the next couple days.

Nice bounce-back day.

Day #15 - Connemara - Galway, Ireland

Pat Cohan's Bar - famous for movie - The Quiet Man

Kylemore Abbey

End of day

Monday, March 29th

If you're going to travel long enough - you're bound to run into a bad day every now and again. I'm doing this blog to keep a running account of how things are going; well, today, it was not that pleasant.

I scheduled a tour of Connemara - in Galway, Ireland. This is a one of the biggest tourist attractions on the west coast of Ireland - and - part of one of the 3 items my buddy listed as must-see.

First off - it was raining - hard - all day. I'd put the temperature at upper 30's to low 40's. Winds were gusting at over 15-40mph alot of the day. I didn't have to experience today to know that you can be in the most beautiful places in the world, but if the weather doesn't cooperate, it just doesn't matter. I have to say that I've been lucky on my trip to date. I'm so very thankful for the great pictures and experiences. This blog today is not complaining - it's just throwing out the true story.

I get on this bus at about 10am. The driver goes to a round about. He circles it saying: "Which way to Connemara?" He circles again, then again. He's pulling the Chevy Chase: "Hey kids, there's Big Ben and Parliament" act - but it wasn't funny. We made a stop 10 minutes into the trip to see if everyone was on the correct tour. Some of the bus load was supposed to be on a different tour; therefore, we transferred buses to correct the issue. There were about 25 people on my trip. It was a big, touring bus, plenty of space. I had a seat to myself. People of all ages were taking the tour. Our bus driver was an older gentlemen who supposedly had tenure.

45 minutes into the trip, we stop at this castle. Our driver gets us out and we all walk into this unfinished castle, with the rain pouring down on us. He begins to go into his 'obviously planned' speel. Part of his speel is to give jokes - lengthy ones. Unfortunately for this gentlemen, he really wasn't that funny - not at all. We're all huddling in a circle, people's umbrellas are turning inside out and this guy continues on. Not only do we not care what he is saying - but we are all praying that he stops. He comes to this little well. He asked the question: "Does anyone know what was kept in this well?" Someone threw out a response. "No, anyone else" Another response. "No, anyone else." He does this for about 5 minutes. People were beginning to angrily yell out something that could never have fitten in this well. The guy finally says: "It was fish - ha ha -- Can you believe they kept fish in this well" The guy made this statement like it was some sort of an earth-shattering discovery. Like we will forever be changed by this statement. People began to walk off. We got back in the bus and were on our way.

The road we travelled was bumpy - very bumpy. About 2 hours in - a lady 2 seats in front of me got sick. Her husband was there and very supportive to help her out. Also, their son and his girlfriend were along. Across the aisle, this overly perky girl jumps in and says: "You should have taken draminine about an hour before the trip. I'm very versed in motion sickness. I have friends that get this as well. I have a couple draminine if you want" The husband was very appreciative and the perky girl was very proud of herself for her quick witted medical knowledge.

3 hours in - the bus driver hasn't stopped talking. He's monotone and talking at such a low volume that few people could hear him. The bumps are making everyone feel a little queasy. We stop for a break at this town. The scenery would have been spectacular. Today, you could barely see the buildings. I suck down some coffee and a bagel and sprint threw the rain taking a couple photos along the way. Back on the bus. We stop for lunch at Kylemore Abbey - an unbelievable site. It's labelled as Ireland's most romantic building built in the late 19th century. There was little romance going on today. I forged into Minot, ND-like weather, risking loss of my fingers, to get a photo. Wind at this time was blowing so hard that I couldn't even stand. We made it to this cafe for lunch - powering the door open. It was at this time, the husband and wife team who were dealing with motion sickness came through. I made eye-contact with the husband. We gave each other the approving head-nod - indicating that we can make it through this. They were on their way to buy the wife clothes to change into.

I didn't even walk around to tour this unbelievable site because I physically couldn't remain uprite. The busload of people spent the next 2 hours sitting in the tour shop looking through books. We get back on the bus, ready to leave. 2 people missing. We wait around for 30 minutes until they show - nice. We're leaving lunch at 4:15pm and we're supposed to be finished with the tour at 5:00pm. We're only halfway. All the side roads and "so-called funny" stops that the driver made has delayed us bigtime.

30 minutes into the ride after lunch - the lady gets sick again. Bus driver stops. She gets out for a while. The perky girl runs up to the front of the bus: "My friends put a newspaper in front of their faces and smell it - that sometimes helps, but, they would have also taken draminine 1 hour before the trip" The husband gives her the "Yeah - point taken" look. The driver still has not stopped talking - he's now annoying everyone on the bus. People are sitting quietly, less than pleased that they are missing the unbelievable lakes and hillsides out their foggy, rain-soaked windows.

Another 30 minutes, the lady gets sick again. Bus driver stops. We wait for her to get back on. Perky girl runs up again: "I'm so sorry for this sickness, I have some ginger pills if you want them. My friends take these - but they would have also taken draminine 1 hour before the start of the trip." At this time, the son of the couple goes to front of bus to help out. He gives the perky girl this stone-cold stare for about 2 seconds. No words were spoken. But in his peering eyes he had said: "Overly perky chic, nobody cares about your quick-witted medical knowledge. Yes - perhaps my mom would have been better served by taking precautions before this trip, but right now, we are just trying to survive. Your overbearing words are not welcome. Please, stop talking, sit down, and don't ever talk to me or my family ever again." The perky girl seemed to get it - she slowly walked back to her seat and melted away. At this point, at this exact point, I found happyness (like The Pursuit of Happyness). Even though I didn't think I could be happy today - that time had arrived.

Next - someone from the front must have clued in the driver, because he asked: "Does anyone want to hear some music" Everyone bursted out a "Yessss" The rest of the trip, we sat in silence, listening to music, looking out through the raindrops. I had a smile on my face the rest of the day. We arrived 1-1/2 hours late to the bus terminal. I got out and ran back to my hotel - 2 miles in the rain to get rid of the days events from my head.

Here's to a better tomorrow.

Day #14 - Ballycroy, Ireland

Lambs - minutes after birth

Atlantic Coastline

Atlantic Coastline

Top of hill view overlooking buddy's farm & Atlantic Ocean

Sunday, March 28th

Today I spent the day on my buddy's farm in Ballycroy, Ireland. They have 180 sheep and 34 heads of cattle to look out for on their land. I had a ton of questions and learned so much about livestock farming. Everyone was so awesome showing me around - I truly felt like I was apart of the family.

Before lunch, I went for a drive with my buddy's dad to go and see the Ceide Fields. This is an area of stone formation that is said to have dated back to the Stone Age. Unfortunately, the entrance to the fields was closed down until April; however, we got to see some unbelievable views of the Atlantic coastline. I think the pictures were even better than The Cliffs of Moher. Outstanding.

After returning to the farm, I went for a hike with one of my buddy's brothers to the top of this hill which overlooks the property. You can see everything - from the ocean to adjacent towns. Wow - what a place to grow up.

Then - before dinner I got to see a lamb being born. That was really cool. This is the time of year for lambing and they have 10 females yet to give birth. I hadn't seen this before and it was very interesting. The hard work required on a livestock farm is nothing short of amazing. I also got to mark the baby lambs. You place numbers on the lambs and the corresponding mother to keep track when their out to pasture.

I didn't do much work on the farm as I was spoiled and treated like a king. What an experience on a true Irish sheep farm.

We had another unbelievable meal and then I was off. I rode with my buddy's brother and sister to a town called Galway, Ireland. New adventures on the docket for tomorrow.

Day #13 - Croagh Patrick Mountain & Westport, Ireland

Climbing Croagh Patrick - major rocks

Looking out over Atlantic Ocean - Peak of Croagh Patrick

Church at Peak of Croagh Patrick

Half-way Down - Feeling Great

Statue of St. Patrick with Croagh Patrick in background

Saturday, March 27th

The weekend began on Friday night in Castlebar, Ireland where I met up with my buddy's sister and husband at a dart tournament at a local pub. It was great to see everyone again and the tourney was pretty interesting. I'm a fan of all sports. This was the county championship. It was great to see the competition and partake in some nice conversation.

I spent the night at their house and awoke early Saturday to climb a moutain - Croagh Patrick. This is Ireland's Holy Mountain. The mountain is 2,510ft high and is a place of pilgrimage. St. Patrick is said to have spent 40 days and 40 nights on its summit, fasting, praying, and doing penance during lent of 441AD. There is an annual pilgrimage on the mountain that takes place on the last Sunday of July - known as "Reek Sunday". Croagh Patrick is one of the world's best known sites of Christian pilgrimage and identifies with all Christian faiths.

This mountain climb was no small challenge. It took me about 2-1/2 hours total for ascent/descent. 1:15 to the peak - my buddy has a 58 minute PR - I wasn't challenging that today. The fact that is truly amazing is -- many people climb this mountain bear-foot during the pilgrimage in July. As hard as I try, I cannot see how that is even possible. The scenery was absolutely spectacular. It's one of the unknown treasures in western Ireland.

After coming off the mountain, I took a bus into the town of Westport, Ireland. I walked around a bit and had a pint of Guinness at Matt Maloy's Pub. This is a famous pub - the owner being a band member of the group - The Chieftans. My buddy's sister picked me up and we headed back to get cleaned up before going to my his parent's place for the evening.

When we first arrived, we went to Saturday night mass. It's a small catholic community and reminded me alot of Bloomsdale, Mo - the town I grew up in. The town was amazingly polite and friendly. After mass, I met most of all my buddy's relatives. We went back for an unbelievably good dinner and conversation.

It was a fantastic day all around.

Day #12 - The Cliffs of Moher

Friday, March 26th

Today, I took a 2-hour bus ride to one of the best sites in all of Ireland - the Cliffs of Moher. I asked my buddy from Ireland what he would suggest as his 3 must-see things when travelling the country. He listed: 1) The Cliffs of Moher, 2) Aran Island and Connemara 3) Giant's Causeway.

I must concur with my buddies inclusion of the Cliffs of Moher. It's the Grand Canyon of Ireland. Awe-inspiring, breath-taking. I'm not sure the pictures will pull the same weight as standing there looking out over the Atlantic. There's many areas of the world you can see the ocean, very few you get to overlook such dramatic scenery.

There is really not much more I can say about this. It's just an incredible site - something that makes you appreciate things just a little more.

Fired up for the weekend -- I'm currently in Limerick and will be meeting up with Ray and Brenden (my buddies brothers) tonight for a trip to where they grew up. They gave me a phone and programmed both their numbers so I'm all set. I asked them if I could help out on their sheep farm. I said: "Give me any job, even the ones you hate to do, I'd gladly help out" They both laughed and said they could make this happen. So, on Saturday morning I'm supposed to climb some mountain near their place which overlooks the ocean and then help out on the farm for a couple days. I'll be coming back with them and dropped off in Galway, Ireland on Sunday night.

I'm really geeked about this journey. Not too many times you get to be apart of the true Irish culture. Planning to take it all in. I probably won't blog again until Sunday night (Ireland time) but I'm assured to have many great stories. We'll talk soon.

Day #11 - Dingle Peninsula & Limerick, Ireland

Thursday, March 25th

Sorry on the delayed blog - I had a very busy day on Thursday and just didn't have time to get on the internet. I kind of felt like I was in the Amazing Race, I had about 4 locations to get to and had very specific timeframes. I left Killarney via bus to Tralee, Ireland. From there, I took another bus to my main destination - the Dingle Peninsula.

The Dingle Peninsula is the most western portion of Europe. It's very much a resort area where people spend time on the water and beaches. A couple of my hostel buddies were taking the same bus; therefore, we had lunch together in Dingle and then went our separate ways. I only had a short time period and was planning an aggressive walking strategy.

A couple really interesting things stood out to me. There has been the same dolphin (called Fungi) that has been in the Dingle Bay for over 27 years. They actually have boat trips out to see the dolphin daily. The churning of the propellers brings the dolphin in. If you don't see him - you don't have to pay. This is one singular dolphin - that is bizarre. I didn't have time for the tour - but got some pics from the visitor shop.

The other interesting thing is the fact that many of the people speak Irish (Gaelic). I was talking with one of the girls at a shop and she said how her grandpa wouldn't talk with her unless she spoke Irish. I don't get the sense that most people want to speak Galeic - they would prefer English, but some traditions are just kept going.

After leaving the Peninsula, I took another bus to Limerick, Ireland. It was about a 2 hour bus ride. Just a side note on the bus terminals today. I met this older Irish lady and we were exchanging some basic pleasantries. About mid way through the conversation, she looked at me and said: "You know Kyle, I must admit that I do love that Jon Bon Jovi" I busted out laughing. You probably had to be there. But - this lady, saying what she said, in the Irish accent she said it, and when she said it -- it was one of the funniest things I've heard in a while. I said: "Do you now - that's great stuff". You just never know what you may hear.

I was set to meet 2 of my buddies brothers at the bus-stop in Limerick. Our communication was 100% via email so I hoped nothing would go wrong. In explanation, I have a friend who lives in Raleigh, NC who grew up in Ireland and spent the first 30 years of his life there. He has 5 brothers and 2 sisters. His parents still live in the home he grew up in. He has been nice enough to put me into communication with all his family while I'm here. It's been outstanding.

Things went smoothly and I arrived on time at the bus stop. We met up and went out for dinner and drinks. I really appreciated their insite and help in getting me places. It was awesome to get a true guide that could show me the ropes. They took my big backpack with them to store in their car trunk for the day. I had my daypack. I'll be meeting up with them again on Friday night.

Day #10 - Ring of Kerry

Wednesday, March 24
Today I went on an actual tour - the Ring of Kerry. We left Killarney via tour bus at 10:30am and returned at 5:00pm. The pictures should indicate - the trip had spectacular scenery. This is probable the biggest draw to this area in Ireland. There was about 30 people on the bus. It was nice to just sit back and have information provided to you versus reading it or asking questions. Our guide was great.

Some of the more memorable things I learned today were:
-- Gaelic is actually the native Irish language. Only about 3.2% of Irish people speak this (mostly in the western counties); however, they all learn Gaelic and English when in school.

-- Ireland is going through much the same as the US with economy problems. The counry has roughly 2 million homes - 365,000 of which are vacant or not finished. The unemployment rate is 12%

-- The great Irish famine resulted in mass immigration to the US. Current day, there are over 40 million Irish Americans in US. There are only 4.2 million in the country of Ireland.

-- Ireland has 2 very distinct sports - Galeic football and hurling. Both are played in all 32 counties of Ireland and each year they have a championship. Gaelic football is between rugby and soccer. Hurling is some sort of a skilled sport involving a stick - not like cricket - but maybe similar.

-- We passed through a town of 2,500 people. The town had 52 pubs.

The day was perfect for pictures. Bright blue sky, puffy white clouds, mountains, trees, green grass, the Atlantic Ocean. On our first stop we were in a location that was famous for their Irish coffee. I drank one of these (includes a shot of whiskey). We get on the tour bus, we're seeing the awesome scenery, and the guide puts on traditional Irish music. It was unbelievably peaceful. It might have arguably been the most relaxed of my entire life. Had a nice lunch with an older couple from New Jersey. Turns out the lady was a surgery center director. We discussed minimally invasive surgery over lunch. Nice.

How's the hostel going? Every person should experience a hostel at some point in their life. It should be part of sales training. Yesterday I was down in the "common lounge", just feeling things out. I was listening to conversations and quickly picking up on the dynamics of the room. One of the guys said: "Hey, dude in the hat, what's your story" I'm thinking: "Really - what's my story?" I proceeded to tell my story. From this point forward - I was in the inner circle. Next thing I know, I was at a traditional Irish dance with 5 of my closest friends jumping around like the most uncorridinated guy one good imagine. It was awesome. We danced Irish poko (or whatever it was) for about an 1-1/2 hours. Then, we hit the pubs. We found a pub playing live Irish music - it was great. We had people from Boston, Maine, Germany, Brisbane (Australia), Ireland, etc. It's unbelievable how intelligent and talented these people are. You can learn a thing or two talking with them. One of the guys plays his guitar on the streets of Killarney to pay his hostel fee for the day. That's about as close to homeless as you're going to get.

I'm currently in the "common lounge" writing this blog. A bit uncomfortable. There is 15 people with 10 different conversations going on. The only bad thing about this hostel is the fact that my bathroom is 2 levels down from where my box is. It's a community bathroom. Basically - I have no bathroom. That's fine - I've dealt with worse things in my life.

Things to do list -- check your attitude and stay at a hostel for a couple days - it is an experience of a lifetime.

Ran/walked 8 miles today after tour. Still feeling a little weak - but getting stronger.

Day #9 - Killarney, Ireland

Tuesday, March 23
Today was a very good day. Not because of the spectacular sites I saw or places I visited, but because I'm evolving - learning new things.

I took a 2-hour train ride out of Cork to Killarney, Ireland. I spent most of the day in the Killarney National Park. It was a good hiking day - checking out the sites. It wouldn't rank as one of the best National Parks I've been to (as I've seen many, many) - but it was different - so cool.

What I'm most fired up for is the following:
(1) One of my buddies who lives in North Carolina is originally from Ireland. I've been in touch with his sister while over here. I'm going to meet her and her husband this Saturday in a town near Galway, Ireland. We're going to the house where my buddy grew up for dinner with his parents. I'll stay there on Saturday and hang with them on Sunday. Fired up. I actually met them at a half marathon in Virginia Beach in 2007. Their great people and I look forward to this very much.

(2) I'm staying in my first hostel tonight. I'm paying 24 euro total for 2 nights - which roughly equates to about $15/night. I've paid more for a beer before. Outstanding. I've progressed from $99 in Paris, to $85 in Dublin, to $58 in Cork, to $15 in Killarney. Strive for the best. I'm convinced I can do this trip without paying more than $100/night for a hotel. Granted, the Paris and Dublin hotels exceeded $100 with taxes, but the room rates were lower. My room consist of a 4 ft x 8ft rectangle with 1 bunk bed (see picture). It's actually a private room - so I have this beauty to myself. I wanted to go with the private room (shared bathroom) to start my hostel experience - then we'll see where it goes.

(3) I've come to the realization that I will not be able to do all 402 items in my "1,000 Things Book" Not because I'm a slacker and can't do it, but just because it's the smart thing to do. I follow the Colin Cowherd (ESPN) rule of thought that if you say something out loud and it doesn't sound right, then you probably shouldn't do it. Figuring my plans today, it was clear that I would need to spend an entire day, going from train to bus, train to bus, to get to a remote restaurant listed in the book. This would cost roughly $50 euro to make it happen. Say it out loud - this is just not a smart move. I'm a person who makes goals, strives for them, and doesn't easily back down. In this instance, I don't feel like I'm compromising my principles. I will still use my book and do most all items, but logistically, some of the restaurants and hotels in these obscure towns, are just not doable. Not to mention that I'm not a big restaruant or hotel guy. Open-mind - keep an open-mind. I'm with it - I can still have an open-mind and not go to all these hotels. It's clear that the author of this "1,000 Things Book" is fascinated by a great dinner and a warm place to sleep at night. It says as much in the book. That's great - I can appreciate that and fully respect this. It's not for me, however. AND - I'm good with it. Even though this statement may sound insignificant, it might be the most important realization I come to during this trip. The book will be a guideline - not the end-all.

(4) I'm understanding the importance of sleep and nutrition. Travelling solo offers many advantages - you can come and go when you want and you're not running into conflicts or drama with travel partners. The one key disadvantage to solo travelling is keeping yourself energized and fired up. I'm a pretty good self motivator and self-starter - but it's defintley hard on a trip like this to keep your game at a high level. Last night I got 8 solid hours of sleep from 10pm to 6am. I got up and ran 4 miles and then ate good breafast before heading out. Again, this may sound simple, but for survival - it's even more important than in your normal life. When I was running this morning, I didn't even make it the 4 miles - I just felt weak. I've probably cut 5+lbs since starting the trip (which is great and I could do another 5lbs) - it's important that I remain strong. When you're depending upon only yourself to make it happen - it's critical to be on your game.

(5) If you look good, you feel good. So, I hadn't shaved for 10+ days until this morning. I was looking at myself in the mirror saying: "Who's that scrub" I can pull off the 3-5 day no-shave look (I actually prefer it), but not the 10+ day look. You get the clue when people are hesitant to talk with you because you look like you're homeless. I was doing a little too well with the -- "dumb down look so you don't become a target". People were handing me money - literally - the lady at the front desk gave me 2 euro to catch the bus because I didn't have change.

(6) Just wear a rain jacket when you leave in the morning. Even if you watch the weather and thoughts run through your mind: "Man, I don't think I need that jacket today" Don't give in - just wear the jacket.

Sorry for the detour from the traditional blog today - but I had some things I needed to get down on paper. Tomorrow I'm doing a really cool tour called the Ring of Kerry.

Day #8 - Kinsale, Ireland & Ballymaloe House

Monday, March 22

I took 2 separate bus trips today out of Cork. I first went to a small town on the very southern coast of Ireland called Kinsale. It was about a 40 minute bus ride. This is just a little out of the way place. It's known as the culinary capital of Ireland - home to the Kinsale International Gourmet Food Festival. I just took time and walked around the cobblestone streets. It was a neat little town. Many of the buildings were oddly colored - orange, purple, etc. I relaxed in a cafe drinking some coffee and reading a book. I finished the book - "First Family" from David Baldacci. Excellent - I would recommend it. If you like mystery, action type novels - this is for you. He's a good author and I've read a couple of his books now.

I took an afternoon busride to visit The Ballymaloe House. This is a restaurant in the countryside. The best part was actually getting there. This was one of the first times I got to see the Irish countryside in good weather. Sheep farms, small cottages - etc. The daughter of the women who started the Ballymaloe House runs the country's first and most important cooking school. Ballymaloe means "place of honey" in Gaelic -- the restaurant goes for the elegant but very welcoming type atmosphere.

Heading to Killarney early tomorrrow. Need some warm weather and all-day sunshine.

Day #7 - Cork, Ireland - Blarney Stone

Sunday, March 21st
I took a 2-1/2 hour train ride to southern Ireland this morning to a town called Cork. It's actually the second biggest city in Ireland. I was talking with an older gentlemen at the pub just a little while ago and he said that the entire country of Ireland only has 4 million people. I checked - that's about right. Therefore, the state of Missouri has more people than the entire country of Ireland.

So, the big draw for Cork, Ireland is Blarney Castle and kissing the Blarney Stone. Now, I had definitely heard about this, but really no more than it existed. I was thinking there was some statue or something that people walked up to. Nope - you climb 127 steps to the top of the Blarney Castle, you lay on your back, have a guy hold your legs, you scootch up to the ledge of the castle (legs in, head toward the ledge), let your head fall over the side, you hold onto 2 metal posts, and kiss the Blarney Stone under this ledge that juts out from the top while doing a reverse backbend. They did have bars in the ledge so if the guy let go of your legs and your hands slipped - you wouldn't die. That got the heart pumping a little bit. I had to pull my best Mary Lue Retton to pull the move.

The Blarney Stone was the draw but the Castle and the surrounding area where awesome. I walked around for about 3-4 hours. There was one section called the "Wishing Steps" If you close your eyes and walk up this flight of about 25 steps (through a tunnell, soaked with water, on uneven rock), whatever your wishing will come true within the year. I hope my wish comes true.

Why do people kiss the Blarney Stone? Legend has it that the Stone has traditional power of conferring eloquence on all who kiss it.

The word "Blarney" was supposedly brought into the English language by Queen Elizabeth. It has been described as pleasant talk, intended to deceive without offending. Supposedly Queen Elisabeth's husband would say that he would do things around the house all the time. She stated: "That's just a bunch of blarney, blarney that is"

You've heard of: "That's a bunch of baloney" Blarney is flattery laid on just thin enough to like it. Baloney is flattery laid on so thick we hate it. A quote read: "I firmly believe that if the world had a little more Blarney and a little less baloney, it would not be in the mess it is today" ---- Interesting.

After getting back from the castle, I took a 30 minute train ride to a town called Cobh, Ireland. This town is famous for its harbour - the Cork Harbour. This was the last port of call for the Titanic before it sank. This is also the Harbour where the Lusitania sunk during WW1. The guy I talked to at the bar earlier was a ship builder from Cork for over 50 years. He went on to explain to me in full detail why the Titanic sank. He's like: "Do you know why it sank" I was like: "Didn't it hit an iceberg" He told how corners were cut in manufacturing that created the situation which led to the boat taking on water. Don't know if he knew what he was talking about - but it sounded pretty good.

Weather today was great, sunny, clear skies about 50 deg F - until I went to Cobh. Then, the temperature dropped 20 degrees, the wind starting blowing, and then the rains came - sideways. It's like watching the Bristish Open golf - the weather can change in an instant.

What am I eating? Actually - nothing too exciting right now. I'm going with the really mobile approach during the days. I grab a bottle of water here, a coffee there, another water and a quick sandwich, some bananas. I'm eating 4-5 times, but very little each time. I'm trying to do this on purpose and be healthier. I then generally eat something a little more substanial at night. I'll have to be more adventurous in this category. I'm literally just eating when I get hungry - whatever time that may be.

Day #6 - Six Nation Rugby Match - Ireland vs. Scotland

Saturday, March 20th

I went to a big-time rugby match today. The six nation series is between Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, France, and Italy. Over 80,000 fans were in attendance. I went a little early and did some tailgating. Met a nice couple from Dublin and we talked a little while. Turns out that rugby is considered to be a gentlemen's sport. Even though it's probably one of the toughest physical sports you could ever play, it's not as hard-core as soccer events (so I'm told).

Scotland ended up winning 23-20, but it was a great game to see. I compare the atmosphere to a major college football game, at night. The crowd is into it - singing, etc. No alcohol allowed in the stadium, only out in the corridors and outside. I think alot of people came early for a little pregame festivity. I don't know all the rules, but I was getting close to understanding. I was the guy who was asking the people around me: "Why did that happen" or "What are they doing now". I'm ok with looking dumb - it's a tough sport to grasp. One of the oddest things that I found was that every time one of the players (from either team), would be ready to kick a field goal, the entire stadium became completely silent. And I mean completely. If someone yelled something from the first row - you could have heard it from the upper deck. I've never heard 80,000 people become that silent. Usually, the home team may have fans go silent, but the away team would not get the same privilege.

After the game, I took in a couple pints at one of the many pubs. The weather was awesome today. The city was electric, energetic, and filled with people. It reminded me of Paddy's Day somewhat.

I've spent 4 full days in Dublin now. I think I have literally walked every inch of the city. Great place to visit.

Day #5 - St. Patrick's Cathedral & Bloomsday

Friday, March 19th
Admittedly, today was a relaxing slow day for me. I slept in late because I was up to the early morning hours on Thursday doing some planning. I'm now leaving Sunday morning for out-country Ireland.

After getting going, I hit the hotel gym and then went back into Dublin. I've never run on a treadmill recording in kilometers. I first was like: "Wow, I'm flying today" Then - I realize I was actually running pretty slow in comparison to normal. A 10K is equivalent to 6.2 miles; therefore, the kilometers go by pretty quick on a treadmill.

I went to St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was a full block of the city. There is a nice garden-like area outfront with a water statue in the middle. The cathedral is larger than the Dublin Castle. There's alot of St. Patrick stuff in this city (wouldn't you believe). Just down the road is St. Patrick Hospital and St. Patrick Holy Well.

I also went by the James Joyce Center to check out the Bloomsday exhibit. James Joyce is an Irish novelist who wrote a book called Ulysses - depicting the single memorable day in the life of Leopold Bloom (Irishman from Dublin). The actual day of the events is on June 16th. Hence, this day is celebrated each year as Bloomsday.

I almost bought the Ulysses book - but it was too big for my backpack. This must be one powerful book. What I understand, due to the writings of this novel, their is a day celebrated each year in the city, there is a statue of James Joyce in a prominent area in Dublin, they have a center which details every aspect of the book, and there is a 10 day celebration around Bloomsday each year where people walk every step of the way Leopold Bloom walked in the novel. Wow - now that must be one impressive book.

I then met up with a ticket broker and purchased tickets to the Ireland versus Scotland rugby match on Saturday night. This is a 6-nation match --- a very popular sporting event in Ireland. I also got my train tickets worked out. I purchased a 15 day pass for complete travel throughout Ireland. This includes all trains and buses. It was 245 euro (I didn't think this was too bad). You can only travel; however, 8 of the 15 days. That's OK though, I'll be staying in some spots for a couple days.

Note - when coming to Europe, it's best to get your Euroail pass ahead of time. I thought I would be able to go to the stations and buy on site. This was not happening. Therefore, I had to buy this Ireland-only pass for now and have the Eurail pass sent to Ireland station for me. Not a big deal because the Irish pass worked out great - but something to consider. They told me it used to be different, that all Eurail passes could be purchased at station. They even had info booths set up in past to help people get around Europe. The Eurail pass is a pass that can be purchased (up to 3 months) for complete travel throughout any of 21 countries in Europe. If you're planning to go everywhere - it's a really good deal.

I ended the day watching the MU versus Clemson basketball game on my computer. I'm going through sports withdrawal over here. It's soccer and rugby - that's pretty much it. This is the first time I have not filled out an NCAA Final Four bracket in probably 30 years. It's probably for the best. I would have picked the Chickenhawks to win it all - and then I would have a cheering dilemma on my hands. Congrats to MU - and good luck versus West Virginia.

On to Saturday and the Irish/Scotland rugby match - fired up.

Day #4 - Guinness Brewery, Dublin Castle, Book of Kells

Thursday, March 18

Before I start my post today, let me explain something. I do have a plan here in Europe with my travels. I have built in flexibility, but do have an itinerary. Have you ever heard of the book - "1,000 Places to See Before You Die". There is 402 of these places in Europe. My goal is to see them all. Pretty aggressive, let's see if I can do it.

Now, I will say that there are a lot of restaurants and hotels in the book that I will not necessarily dine at or stay at; however, my intentions are to at least do a fly-by of all items. It's kind of like a major scavenger hunt. Here's 402 things to find/do -- go get it done. I've been following this book for a few years now. For the most part, it's pretty good. I would certainly add some things and remove others - but it does a nice job of providing an overall feel. Why do I follow this? It gives me some targets. It opens my mind up to new things and new possibilities. I will promise you that I would never even consider going to see some of these things if not for the book. I said from day 1 - keep an open mind and you'll be open to learning new things. Hopefully that will ultimately make me a better person.

All right then, today I hit the streets of downtown Dublin again. I went by the Guinness Brewery and the Dublin Castle to start the day. Guinness is the beer of choice in Ireland. I've read that 7 out of 10 beers poured in Dublin is a Guinness. The other night I was at the hotel bar. A guy came up to the bartender and said there was something in his beer - could he please have another. The bartender was very apologetic and asked the gentlemen to take a seat and he would bring one right over. The guy said that he would wait. The bartender pleaded a couple more times: "Sir, please grab a seat, I'll bring the beer right over to you - so sorry about this". I was thinking, "Dude, just pour the guy a beer and get it over with already". Not so fast my friend. A properly poured Guinness takes about 5 minutes to pour from the tap. You first pour about a third of the beer and allow it to settle for a couple minutes, then you pour another third, let it settle for a couple more minutes, and then finish it off. That, my friends, is the perfectly poured Guinness beer. This was not happening at Paddy's Day yesterday because of the crowds, however, the proper technique takes some time.

I also visited Trinity College (Ireland's oldest university) and toured the Book of Kells. This is something from my book. Basically, what I understand, the Book of Kells is a lavishly decorated copy, in Latin, of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Now, this was a little over my head, but it was interesting to see. All I know is that these books were VERY old and I couldn't read a lick of it.

I also went by the Restaurant Patrick Guilaud and The Shelbourne Hotel. These are the 2 fanciest restaurant and hotel in Dublin. The book states these 2 places are helping recreate the image of Dublin from something more than a pub-grub-only destination.

Tonight I have to do some major research as I plan to hit the outskirts of Ireland via train starting tomorrow. I'm not sure the direction I will go first - I need to hit the books. I anticipate the fast paced action to cool off some; however, I expect the sites and scenery to only be enhanced. Stay tuned.

Day #3 - St. Patrick's Day - Dublin, Ireland

Wednesday, March 17th
Wow! I spent yesterday at one of the biggest celebrations one could ever imagine. I'm in Dublin where I arrived late on Tuesday night by plane from Paris. I'm staying at the Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport for 3 nights.

I talked with a few people at the hotel concerning "Paddy's Day" events on Tuesday night. The parade started at noon - so I panned to get there around 11am. I took the #41 bus into town - toook about 30 minutes. Right from the get-go, the atmosphere was electric. Paddy's Day is a national bank holiday in Ireland - basically meaning everyone is off work. On the bus, there were both young and old fired up for the day. It was a double decker bus. The crew on top were doing Irish chants and stumping the floor as we drove into town. My nearest example of this is at the Ryder Cup in golf - when the Europenas would beat the Americans and celebrate afterwards.

I got dropped off and just followed the people. 600,000-700,000 people that is. It wasn't too difficult to find the parade route. There were people 10-20 deep lining the entire parade section. I couldn't see great - but neither could anyone else. I looked around me and watched the crowd. Paddy's Day is like a rite of passage for the Irish folk. The young kids sitting on the backs of their dads as well as the older couples standing back and watching. I was particularly amazed of this. How many 60-70+ year old people would stand for 3-5 hours to see very little. They were not there because of their kids, they were there because they could be there. It was like everyone wanted to be part of the celebration. Also, the number of Irish flags and shirts were amazing. That's awesome to see the pride the Irish have for their country and culture. The parade itself was good. I'm not a big parade-guy, but I can appreciate the time and effort put into the day's events. I heard a figure that the parade cost $3 million dollars to put on. The parage last for about 2-1/2 hours, with green everywhere.

The after parade is when the real stuff goes down. The 600,000-700,000 people filter throughout the city at easily the largest collection of bars I have ever seen. It was Mardi Gras - just with green. I headed to the Temple Bar area - the popular spot I've been told. It was crazy. I went into the actual Temple Bar itself. This bar is legendary. I went in and drank a frosty Heinekin and than got out. I couldn't move - but it was fun to see everyone. I looked up and saw a sign that read - 600 people capacity. I'm pretty sure this may have been exceeded slightly. I then hit the streets and mingled around a bit. The greatest was seeing the Irish songs being played with people dancing and singing. I bar hopped for most of the day. I basically took it all in. it was a very fun day.

My take away is that the Irish are really good people, very proud of their culture, have strong traditions, and don't mind a pint or 2 of an adult beverage every now and again. Now that is the Irish dream.

Day #2 - Eiffel Tower & Arc de Triomphe

Tuesday, March 16.
I got up really early this morning and felt great off some solid sleep. Perfect sunny day, temperatures around 40-50 deg F. I kept my pack in the hotel and hit the streets - really mobile today. I grabbed a huge bottle of water and a cookie - I was off.

I asked the lady at the hotel if I could walk to the Eiffel Tower from here. She looked at me like I was crazy and said, "No sir, that's a LONG way". I heeded her words and took the #13 Metro to the Arc de Triomphe. From here, I walked to the Eiffel Tower taking pictures along the way. I went across the bridges that you see on movies and pictures. I took a pic directly under the Eiffel Tower. That's a neat symbol of Paris. From here, I walked back to the Arc de Triomphe via a different route through the streets.

Walking up the Champs-Elysees to the Arc De Triomphe was awesome. The streets were lined with trees, cafes, shops, etc. My only real point of reference concerning the Champs-Elysees is that this is where the Tour de France ends. The riders drink champaigne while riding the last stretch.

After checking out the Arc, I was on a roll so I decided to walk back to my hotel. Not bad at all. A few miles north - but very nice. My hotel is in Porte de Clichy - the Comfort Hotel Median Paris Congres.

I'm going to be checking out here in another 30 minutes. I'm flying to Dublin tonight for St. Patrick's Day tomorrow. The only reason I started my journey in Paris was due to constraints of the Schengen Visa requirements for US citizens. US citiizens do not need a tourist VISA when travelling to most countries in western Europe. You are however, only allowed to stay 90 days out of a 180 day period. Anything in addition to this - you would require a student VISA or residence VISA. The clock starts on day #1 that you enter a Schengen country. France is Schengen, Ireland is not. I wanted to start the clock on the Schengen 180 days right away so my travel in Ireland would count as the 90 days out of the area. This is a bit confusing, but I'm just trying to follow the rules.

The Schengen countries consist of Austria, Begium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia. The NON-Schengen countries I will be visiting include the UK, Ireland, Russia, Romania, Egypt, and Israel.

I had a really good morning. Paris is very nice. I keep saying the words - Elegant, Distinguished, Classy. If I ever were to get married, I could see why you would want to come here. It's a clean city with old history and culture. I know I've really only spent a few hours here (I did walk for many miles however) - but this place has a good feel about it. That's without question.

To Ireland I go -- and perhaps an adult green beverage or two.

Day #1 - Paris

Monday, March 15th

Well, let's get this party started. It's 3pm on Monday, March 15th and I just checked into my hotel in Paris. I'm currently running on adrenaline only. I drove from Minneapolis to Bloomsdale on Saturday for 10 hours. I stayed up until 2am (time change helped) to complete packing. Got up at 6am on Sunday for 7am mass. Flew out at 3:30pm on Sunday afternoon. I connected through Atlanta to Paris. I got a litttle sleep on the plane rides - but not much.

So far so good. I have 1 pack that has everything. I'd say it goes 50+ pounds. I booked a hotel room on Saturday night off travelocity - a 3-star for $90. It's not bad, but very basic. It appears to be in a pretty good location. I do not feel threatened walking around. I took 3 different trains to get to the hotel - 8.50 euros. The info booth told me the stop to get out on. When I came to street level I didn't know where to go and street signs weren't availble. I ended up walking around for about an hour with my 50+ pound pack on no sleep.

I'm impressed so far on the kindness of the locals. I went into a cafe and asked for directions and stopped a cabby and he put the hotel address in his GPS for me (and I didn't even take the cab).

Right now - I need to get a couple hours of shut-eye. It's probably not the safest thing for me to be walking aorund half conscious.

Hang with me on these blogs. I realize this one is pretty lame. I promise to make some things happen. Pictures will follow.