Friday, May 30, 2014

Around Ireland in a Week Part 1 - Fridge Optional!


Yes, if you have a week to ´do`Ireland.  Here is one way to do it. 



This blog posting is dedicated  to Chris and Shelby - cosmopolitan world travelers from New York City and to the lads in WG_Venus in Bümpilz, Bern, Switzerland.  - And who or what WG_ Venus is, is the making of a posting all by itself, so come back soon folks to learn about the WG_Venuns

But for now, if you have never been to Ireland, but would like to go, and frankly I don´t know why the whole world does not want to go to Ireland. - Well, as I think about  it just about the whole world does want to go to Ireland!  Anyway, here you are world, this is your chance:  This is a route we took over Easter this year, which we did without hiring a car.

Overview of Trip

Thursday:                   Arrive into Dublin Airport late p.m.
Friday - Sunday         Dublin
Monday-Tuesday      Galway, the Burren & Doolin, Co.Clare
Wednesday                Bus trip: slow route from Doolin to any where.  We choose...
Thursday                   ...Kilkenny for a day. Then directly back to Dublin Airport by bus.

Thursday April 10th   Arrived into Dublin Airport 10:20 p.m.

Took free shuttle bus to Bewleys Airport Hotel.
http://www.bewleyshotels.com/dublin_airport
There are about 3 shuttle buses per hour 24 hours a day. (Finding where the Bewley´s schuttle bus picks up passengers is hard; if people don´t know which bus stop you are looking for, say it is the bus stop behind the airport church.)

Bewleys is GREAT.  The rates are reasonable and the hotel is very accommodating.  For example, because my friend was due to stay one more night before flying out, she was able to store luggage in the hotel for a week for free.  In addition Bewleys has a long and well loved history of tea houses in Dublin City, check them out.

Friday April 11th. - Sunday April 12th  Dublin

Bought Leap Card.  With that I could travel on Dublin buses for  max of €6.90 per day, as of now.   (This except for the special airport to Dublin City bus which is about €6.00 all by itself.)

Lots of options on where to stay in Dublin and around Ireland.  See notes on same in the second part of this posting.  What to do and see in Dublin is really up to you and your tastes too.  Just google one of the many list of things to do in Dublin.

Two of my favorite links on what to do and see in Dublin are:
http://www.traveladvisortips.com/top-10-dublin-tourist-attractions-locals-recommend/

b) http://builtdublin.com/ 

The website Built Dublin  was created, clearly with love, by Irish student Lisa Cassidy. It really is a joy to browse the website on Dublin´s small and not so small architectural nooks and crannies.

Don´t forget:

a) All national  art galleries, libraries and museums in Dublin are free.
 - Though a donation would be nice.   Note: Trinity College Library with the Book of Kells is not free, but worth the price of €10.00.  But I am biased, I know.

b) Walking in Dublin is a good option

A walk from Parnell Square down O`Connell Street going towards Grafton Street onto St. Stephen´s Green and back down to Merrion Square and Merrion Square Park would give you a great over view of Dublin.  That is a basic route, there are LOTS of options for detours for example: Dublin Castle, Trinity College, the National Libary, Art Gallery, History, Museum and Natural History Museums or the Kilkenny Shop in Nassau Street where I worked from 1980 to 1986.

c) In addition, I recommend a visit to Glasnevin Cemetery, a short bus ride from the City Center.  Founded by my greatest Irish hero Daniel O´Connell,  politician, lawyer, man of letters, banker, pacifist, anti-slaver, good husband and father, and your general all round Renaissance Man, Glasnevin Cemetery http://www.glasnevintrust.ie/ is dead interesting.  (Pun intended I am afraid!)

And, the pub across the road is, according to Lonely Planet, one of the best kept secrets in Europe.   http://www.thejournal.ie/lonely-planet-secret-spots-dublin-kerry-1500855-Jun2014/


Monday April 13th  - Tuesday April 14th Dublin to Galway to Doolin.


Go Bus from Georges Quay to Galway http://www.gobus.ie/ for only €10.00 one way. We took the  Dublin to Galway bus at 7:15 a.m.  This brings you into Galway Bus Station in time for some of the day tours to either Connemara or the Cliffs of Moher.  There are a few companies offering day tours right there at the bus station, all are good as far as I can see.

Then you can either arrange to stay over in Galway or do as we did.....We took a day tour that went to the Burren, the Cliffs of Moher and to Doolin. But, we got off the bus in Doolin to stay there a few days.  (Because we got off early, we paid €15.00 instead of €20.00  for the day trip).

In Doolin The Rainbow Hostel or the Rainbow B&B http://rainbowhostel.net/  are the only places to stay as far as I am concerned - no matter how many millions you have in your bank account!
There are many other places one can stay in Doolin, I know I have seen them and heard about them, but after visiting the Rainbow B&B some years ago, it was for me ´love at first overnight´!  The owners Mattie and Carmel Shannon are the gracious and accommodating hosts.  The hostel and B&B are not luxurious but they are cosy.  And the guests always seem considerate and interesting.  A really nice touch is that Mattie frequently shows slides of the area or in good weather may bring people on little trips out to local cliffs.  It is clear he loves his part of the world.

And, the hostel and B&B, like every thing in the small village, is a walk away from pubs where you can hear some of the best Irish music in the world, yep, I kid you not, the best Irish music in the world.  And all for the price of your lemonade - or what ever you are having yourself.
So many options here in Doolin, be it a walk to the Cliffs of Moher, into the Burren, or a day trip in a boat out to the Aran Islands one option for the latter is here: http://www.cliffs-of-moher-cruises.com/



Wednesday April 15th - Doolin to where ever you want in the whole country!

Doolin is a very small village in a quite isolated area in West Co. Clare.  It is not so easy to get to without your own transport.  (Which is why taking a tour that leaves you off in Doolin is a great solution.)  But, Doolin is a very easy place to leave!

Right across the road from the Rainbow Hostel and B&B, there is a bus stop.  Between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.buses leave from this bus stop every day that can bring you with two or three bus changes at most, to just about any major airport, harbour, town or city in the country. But...it will be The Day of the Long Bus Ride, so just sit back and enjoy the trip. From a bus Ireland looks gorgeous rain or shine.

If you have come this far, you would now have been in the country for almost a week, you will have met people, and will have gotten recommendations, so you have an idea of how things work, and where you want to go from here.


For example; we wanted to get to Kilkenny.  En-route we planned a 2 hour plus stop off to tour the Rock of Cashel, and for good measure we  got in a small tour of Limerick City and Cahir Castle too. This bus trip with Bus Éireann takes almost 14 hours, and you travel through 6 of the 32 counties of Ireland. To plan your trip check this link:   http://journeyplanner.buseireann.ie/jp/bin/


Thursday April 17th.  Kilkenny - The day is yours!

An overview would be a walk from St. Canice´s Cathedral, through Irishtown with a detour to the Black Abbey, on up High Street to the Castle with a stop off in  Kilkenny Design.  If you had the time and energy I highly recommend you take a walk or cycle out to Bennetsbridge for example.  Kilkenny Cycle Tours offer great rates and are very accommodating:  http://kilkennycyclingtours.com/

Which or whether you MUST visit a pub, my favorite is Bollards just off High Street.   Langtons on John Street has won prizes and  accolades all over the place, well deserved too. Another fun place to check out is the `Hole in the Wall`, yes ...  in a hole in the wall,  just off High Street. Truth be told, this old pub is not too easy to find. But it is worth the effort of looking, and it´s not just me that has this opinion; this old pub was  frequented by the then future Duke of Wellington, before he went off to beat up Napoleon at Waterloo.   

Somewhere in Kilkenny, just like just about every where in Ireland, you will hear music in some pub every night of the week.

So here you are folks; just copy and paste above, pack your passport, your adapter for Irish plugs, your $$$,  your dainties and you are all set!


And yes, I was not on camera ´duty´so I have only these four photos of my day catching freckles in Doolin... IN APRIL...


... Oh and the thing about the fridge.... check out .....


Saturday, May 10, 2014

Advice from Moi: True, life is not fair but dealing with that is better than complaining about it.

Over the years I have accrued snippets of advice that nobody has been knocking down my front door to glean.   So I sent it to a website for young people for consideration for publication.  They got all excited until they discovered nearly ´60´ was not a type error meant to read nearly ´16`!

However one of the nice things about having a blog is you can write about things like accrued snippets of advice that nobody has been knocking down one´s front door to glean.

So here it is for the pleasure of the whole world:  My spiel on life being ´not fair´.

Life is not fair – Deal with it.

Five things a young person – or anyone else, can do to make their way in life, regardless of their circumstances. 

Chances are there is someone you know that you feel is smarter/prettier/has more talent/stuff/money/better home circumstances etc than you.  You may well be right, because the bad news is: life is not fair. 
         Now you can chose to sit there for the next 20 years sulking because life is not fair, and it won´t make things any less unfair - only  worse, because you will be now 20  years older.

         Or, and here is the good news: You can choose to accept the life circumstances you have and take steps to not let those circumstances stop you from going forward.  And more good news: You can do it starting right now - today!
Here are five things you can do to work towards a successful life - regardless of your personal circumstances.

1)   Volunteer
Volunteer and GIVE IT YOUR BEST

- In an animal shelter, the local garden group, in an old people´s home, the volunteer fire service, anywhere that appeals to you.  No one will be thinking `Oh, there´s the kid that is n´t cool` or `has a bad home situation` or whatever.  They will be seeing you in action and thinking `Wow, there is a great kid`.  Full stop.

When volunteering you will have fun, gain life experience, make contacts and meet people who may support you as you go forward in life.   And, you may discover a talent or skill that you can later turn into a full time work situation.
         If you have no idea where to start, or where you would like to volunteer, ask  a teacher or someone you admire, they will likely be delighted you did.

2)  Say `Thank you`
Being thankful and saying thank you makes you feel better and it will make your life better.

Thank God daily for what is good in your life.  Can´t think of anything to be thankful for?  How about being healthy, being able to read this article, sunshine, a favorite friend or relative….   You get the idea.

And don´t stop there. Thank other people in person, via the internet, on the phone, or best of all write a note; thank people who have been nice to you, or have helped you in some way. Even someone you may or may not know because you admire what they do.

I don´t know how or why, but somehow all that time and energy you put into thanking people will bring good things and opportunities your way.    Don´t ask me how, just try for a month and see for yourself.

3)  Read
Reading brings you the world - and you don´t even have to get out of bed! 

Books are wonderful.  Reading books gives you insight into the experiences of others - always helpful for people who want to succeed in life.  And you are always in charge!  You chose what to read and where your imagination will bring you.

Don´t know where to start?  Look through these suggestions from the English newspaper the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3670597/100-books-every-child-should-read-Pt-3.html  Many of the books suggested in this link you will find in your local library.

And not just books, read newspapers too.  You will discover a different perspective on world, and local affairs than you will see on T.V.   An excellent place to start is the Christian Science Monitor http://www.csmonitor.com/   On their website the Christian Science Monitor is described as:  `…an          international news organization that delivers thoughtful, global coverage via its website,        weekly magazine, daily news briefing, email newsletters, and mobile site.  The Monitor is global, both in practice and in spirit.`   It is all of the above. And it is   easy to read.

(Don´t be fooled by the name,  the Christian Science Monitor is not a Christian orientated newspaper;  how it came by its name is very interesting, you can read about that on the Monitor´s own webpage, or  in Wikipedia for example.)

4)  Learn about money.
Learn not just about saving, and managing money, but learn how money works.

For many adults the biggest problems for them and their families can come from the adults making bad money choices. Better to learn about money now, so you can make informed choices when you earn your own money. 
Two places I would recommend you start:  
a) Anything written by Suzie Orman.  Her books and articles on money are informative and much easier to read and understand than many other books on finances.  Importantly, the information is reliable.  You will find her books in most libraries.  You can also check out things she writes in the internet. 

b)    Investopedia  http://www.investopedia.com  is a good place to find the meaning of difficult money related words and phrases, all explained in plain English.

Both these sources are directed at adults, but that makes sense; it is usually adults who make bad money choices, not children or young people.

O.K., O.K. so learning about how money works may be a bit abstract when you don´t have much of it in your pocket.  That´s fine, there is no need to learn all about money this weekend - or even this week!   For now just learn the number one lesson, and, the most important lesson about money:

Never spend more than you have.

It seems like a no brainer, but it is amazing how many adults don´t get this and as result get into a right mess.  So for now just remember never spend more money than you have.  Other information on money you can get to when you are ready. 

But, I strongly recommend you learn about money before you make any.  Because I assure you even if you were to make a million dollars, if you don´t use it wisely, you will lose it.   Conversely you might make or earn much less than a million dollars, but used wisely it can build up to a nice fortune.

5)  Dream.
          `If you don't have a dream, how you gonna make a dream come true?`  Oscar Hammerstein II
         That simple. 

Plus one `Don´t`             
For good measure, here´s one thing not to do if you want to make your way in life.
If you don´t want it on the internet, don´t say it or do it! 
Because as sure as day follows night, whatever it is you say or do that you would rather people did not know about, someone will be there with a phone camera to record it.  And once it is on the world wide web, you just cannot take it back. -  Definitely no help to someone who has chosen to make a good way for themselves in life, regardless of their personal circumstances.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, I hope you enjoyed it, or better that you found it helpful.
Good luck!
                           ----------------------------

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Berlin is Amazing! Part 3.

The Museum Island, Mitte,  Berlin.

Figure this folks:  Humanity was creating beautiful edifices such as this beautiful gate below, in the person of  Nebuchadnezzer II around 2600 B.C.
Yes, that is 4600 years ago we humans could create such magnificence. But more than 4500 thousand years later we still have not come up with a way to treat each other like humans.  That I can not get my head around at all.



And 4600 years later the structure below is, I am told `art´too.  I say nothing...



To be honest, I found the art galleries lacking... It is of course because so much of the art work was looted.  That said, this is one picture I could have hanging on the wall!



The fun group with me below are the people I slept with while I was in Berlin!  Oh ya, I do like to get the gossip in!  No really it is true; there was a mix up in my booking so that I ended up in a mixed dorm.  I did not realise until the next morning when I notice ´she´had no bosom!  But I realised my sleeping buddys were so nice that I would be better staying put.  Here we are all out on the town one night.





I figure you have all read enough, so just look at the pictures below and enjoy Berlin.   Here private guide par excellence Big Stu gave me a great tour of ´the insiders´ Berlin.











Except I have to talk about that row of blocks on the street; they are all over Berlin and one might think they are simply street stones. They are not. They mark the places in Berlin where the wall once stood.








And on the advice of these friendly women, I had what they said was ´the best´of Berlin´s world famous curry wurst.   Let me just say somewhat tackfully; what with Berlin focusing on over coming the horrors of their recent history... perhaps they have not had the chance to focus on ´culinary developemnts´.