My fast. Part 1

No the above is no witty or tricky heading, and yes this topic is not a normal Hausfrau Róisín topic.  But it is true; earlier this month, I fasted. For a week. Nada, nothing only water FOR ONE WHOLE WEEK.

No religious reason -  I don´t ´suffer´for my religion at all well.  I can live, I can pray, I can ´do´et al for my religion, but suffer for my religion, no I cannot. -  If I were to ´suffer´ for my religion, I would feel so superior in my suffering that all the good religious vibe would be lost. So there would no good to be had for all that suffering.  ´Hut ab´or ´hat off to you´ as you non-German speakers might say to those who can ´do the Derg´  http://www.loughderg.org/ with humility and piety... but I am not there with you...  So no, it was not a religiously motivated fast.)

It was rather a health motivated fast.

And here is the no brainer, but I will say it anyway:

NO ONE WHO IS SICK TO BE BEGIN WITH, NO ONE WHO IS PREGNANT, AND NO ONE WHO IS ANOREXIC SHOULD FAST:

In addition fasting does not help with losing weight, you lose it and you gain it back as quick.  A difference between fasting and anorexic non-eating is: with fasting you have weight on your body to draw on, in the anorexic state there is no resources to draw on, one is already consuming less calories than is needed to survive.   If in doubt consult  a doctor.  A no brainer I know but there you are.

The idea came my way rather spontaneously in a slow sort of way, so to speak. Before this the longest I went without food was 19 hours of so.  I love my food, I do not like being hungry; I ALWAYS have to hand food or the means to get food should I feel the first nuance of a hunger pang.

I had often previously heard of the healing powers of fasting; digesting food it seems takes up as much of 50% of the energy our body makes.  When it can take a break from the business of digesting, the body can finally tend to other matters put on the long finger so to speak, like getting rid of excess gunge and other unwanted stuff that had been hanging about in one´s gut, blood and other organs for a lifetime.

In Germany it is not so uncommon to fast, be it for a day of for longer. In fact just about everyone with whom I for what ever reason mentioned that I was fasting, had also sometime in their life fasted, mainly for health reasons.  It occurred to me it might be a good thing to consider, but really I did not see myself going through all the pain and pangs associated with going without food.

It seems the ´average body, what ever that is, has enough nutrients to go without food for the biblical 40 days.  And people with a bit of bulk can go longer as they have more reserves.

So it was that just before holidays I was privy to a conversation between two people I know, one  a Muslim who was fasting for Ramadan and the other my German language teacher who fasts it seems for 4 to 7 days about 3 times a year.  Both were oohing an ahh-ing over the great health benefits of fasting; namely how more efficient and healthy the body is after it has had a change to get rid of  all or at least a lot of the gunge.  One of the many benefits from fasting is it seems it lowers cholesterol

 - that is what peaked my interest, because I have a cholesterol ´situation´.  That is what ultimately made me decide there and then that when I came back from my summer holidays I would go straight  into fast mode before I even stocked up the fridge.

And so how did it go..............

Ah ha gentle reader, for that you will have to tune into the next blog posting of this exciting web blog....

So its summer.....

So gentle readers, it´s summer, I am out doing summer things, as I hope you are.

Writing a new blog post can wait.  For now I am up loading a topical posting about sun blocks, which first appeared in 2012.  Worth a second look at this sunny time of year.  Enjoy!  H.R.

If you are old enough to climb out of the pram you should read this.....

Sometimes one has to (reluctantly)  admit, one can´t improve on a job well done.  This is one such case.  Fellow blogger Sarah B. Weir who blogs on Yahoo, did an excellent review on sunscreens that should be of interest to everyone who wants to enjoy the sun while avoiding the ´darker side´of sun joy. (Pun intended I am afraid). 

Ms. Weir´s blog post at:  http://shine.yahoo.com/blogs/author/sarah-b-weir-yahoo-blogger-ycn-1203705/  discusses good sunblock choices and bad, in addition to other helpful information on sunblock and its application.  All well worth a read for ladies, and gentlemen, of a certain age - which when it comes to sun protection  is everyone that is over the age of ´can get out of the pram and run in the sun´.

For the busy readers of this blog, I will include a list of her recommended and affordable sunscreens. - The rest of you should read Ms. Weir´s blog - now!

Ms. Weir´s 15 recommended and most affordable sunscreen products:

Coppertone Kids Pure & Simple Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50

BabyGanics Cover Up Baby Sunscreen for Face & Body, Fragrance Free, SPF 50+

Sunbow Dora the Explorer Sunscreen, Pink, SPF 30

Purple Prairie Botanicals SunStuff Mineral Lotion, SPF 30

Nature's Gate Aqua Block Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50

Solbar Shield Sunscreen, SPF 40

Caribbean Solutions Sol Kid Kare Biodegradable Sunscreen, SPF 25

Tropical Sands Broad Spectrum Sunscreen, SPF 30

Natural Sunscreen, Blue, SPF 30

Color Me Pink Baby UV/ Kids UV 100% Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30

Alba Botanica Natural Very Emollient Sunblock, Kids Mineral Protection, SPF 30

Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen, Face, SPF 30+

Healing-Scents Live Long Mineral-Based Sunscreen, SPF 25

Hara Body Care Hara Sport Sunscreen, SPF 30

Vanicream Sport Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 35.

Till next time, H.R.

Internet sites and blogs I like to browse...

I LOVE the internet; I have no time for people, except people in charge of children, who bemoan the downsides of the internet and electronic media in general. 

Electronic media like wheelbarrows, bikes and duct tape can add TREMENDOUSLY to the ease of living life.  Full Stop.  Electronic media only takes over your life if you chose to let it. Not my problem, and indeed not yours either.  If you are one of the members of humanity who is so ´inflicted´; it is  your choice.  So now that you have all heard my take on the internet and humanity´s experience with same....

..The following are my favorite internet sites - at this moment in time at least.

Built Dublin  http://builtdublin.com/http://builtdublin.com/ was created, clearly with love, by Lisa Cassidy a student of architecture.  The site presents delightful architectural nooks and crannies around Dublin.  One look in here and you are hooked!

This next site is all about love & peace and get on your bike.
http://www.eurovelo.org/http://www.eurovelo.org/  
The site links to 15 cycle trails developed, or are being developed all over Europe, linking the whole continent.  So you have the Iron Curtain Trail Route 13 for example, which is a bike path running by the border of former communist countries.  

My two favorites bike paths are No. 15, and No. 6.  The Rhine Route No. 15,  follows the Rhine from its start in the Alps to Holland where it flows into the sea. I also like No. 6.  The Atlantic - Black Sea Route.  Self explanatory.

And why do I love these bike paths, I hear you all ask!!!  
Well, No. 15 passes right by my home, and the No. 6 route I cycle when going to work - how cool is that!  Every time I am on these cycle paths, I think that I could just keep on cycling and end up in a great travel adventure.  This year for the first time I am meeting cyclists traveling the whole trails.  Great folks for an interesting chat. 

Ted Talks - Be entertained and learn: https://www.ted.com/talks/browse
Every day an interesting 18 minute talk, the range of topics is very diverse.  The only thing that the talks have in common is that they are all interesting.  No more to say on that, just check it out.  

Purr n Fur:  http://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/
Warm, fuzzy and fun pictures of cats, and their humans too sometimes.  

Seventeenth Century Lady
As with Built Dublin https://www.facebook.com/SeventeenthCenturyLady was developed with love, and in joy.  It is a beautiful place to learn about life and times in the 16th Century.  So, if you absolutely immediately need to brush up on say your Rococo -  this is the GO TO website for you!

Frugal is a lifetime choice I embrace with relish; it gives me the freedom to make choices as to how to allocate my time and $$.   I refer to many sites for tips on how to ´do´ life cheap:  http://www.everydaycheapskate.com/ is my ´flavor of the month´frugal website at the moment.  

Sports wise as far as I am concerned, nothing but nothing beats a good game of hurling or camogie.  But,  I do enjoy watching any sport played at its best,  a pursuit where excellence and integrity win out over winning.   This You Tube links to moments in sport where integrity was the order of the day.  Enjoy.... but I warn you, there are some links for which you will need a double dose of Kleenix on hand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tAjxs__nkk


CELT: http://www.ucc.ie/celt/about.html

Celt blows my mind.  It is a project where they are putting on the internet all early Irish writing, literature and history.   All of it.  I repeat, all of it.  And not just for access for academics; moi found with ease information on several documents written or copied by Irish monks on the Island of Reichenau near where I live here in Germany.  

All this ´electronifications´of  old Irish texts is happening down in University College Cork U.C.C.

Lest you think I exaggerate, read CELT`s mission statement as found on their website.

Mission Statement

To bring the wealth of Irish literary and historical culture (in Irish, Latin, Anglo-Norman French, and English) to the Internet in a rigorously scholarly and user-friendly project for the widest possible range of readers and researchers. CELT (the Corpus of Electronic Texts) caters for academic scholars, teachers, students, and the general public, all over the world. Texts are accompanied by introductions, background information, graphics, translations where possible, and scholarly bibliographies. CELT is integrated into the teaching and research community of UCC, and far beyond. It draws on the resources of that community and contributes to its work. UCC has charitable status, i.e. donations which help CELT continue its work can be made tax-effectively from Ireland and the USA (see Donations webpage).

The languages used in Ireland in the historic past were many. Languages known to us through extant texts include Irish of all periods, English, Hiberno-Norman French, some Old Norse (including some runic inscriptions) and Latin. Other languages were used by clerics, political leaders, scholars, merchants, diplomats, or emigrants (Spanish, Italian, modern French, Provençal, Dutch, Danish).

So now dear readers, there you have some choices for browsing on your computer for those summer days where the days are not ideal for going out to live the world!

So, last Sunday I went for a cycle....

I set off on my bike towards Walhausen, and caught the little boat that took us from this side of the lake to Überlingen on the other side.

I cycled up towards Kloster Birnau - that pink building you see below. And popped in.....

  

Surprise!

Aha, I bet you did not expect that in our little neck of the woods!

Kloster Birnau is a Cistercian Monaster built in 1759, in the baroque style with a rococo interior.  My pictures cannot do it justice, so link here to see more pictures of Kloster Birnau, and more such beautiful churches in the region: https://www.google.de/search?q=pictures+of+birnau+monastery&rlz=1C1MDNE_deDE482DE482&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=cImwU6SNCunX7AaOnYC4BA&ved=0CCEQsAQ&biw=911&bih=429

And if you are not sure of what the difference between baroque and rococo is, then check out this delightful website: https://www.facebook.com/SeventeenthCenturyLady

After the Kloster, it was time for lunch.  Which was enjoyed with this view sitting under a shady tree...

Then a gentle cycle past this little tower, or baby towerlet at least!

ambling on down ...

passing along by these houses until...

I came to a house with what appears to be funny chimneys... but it is not a house with funny chimneys.

What you see are some of the storks that nest every year at Salam.  This year alone there are 28 pairs that have produced chicks.  - And yes folks the sky IS this blue!

This is a source of great pride to locals scientists and others who put a lot of work into making the storks welcome after their numbers declined over the last decades.  In 1978 there were only 15 breeding pairs in the whole region of Baden-Würrtemberg alone, so 28 breeding pairs in one location is a tremendous success.

The storks winter in Spain, Portugal and North Africa; it is a joy to see them flying in every spring.  And that is not to be taken for granted; one bad winter or a late cold spell can be devastating to the numbers of young storks that survive.

What is particularly amazing about these 28 breeding pairs is that....

...it is all happening above a pub!   How´s that for cool!

 So on past one of the many little crosses you see in the country side here, and the picture on the right is the nice view I saw after getting myself lost in the hills....

If you look closely below, very closely, you will see a stork flying over a plowed field looking for food.

The donkeys were not too bothered with the stork, nor was the cock below who was more preoccupied chasing after all his hens.  That was indeed a busy scene as I past by. 

More to my liking than the noisy cock was this bucolic scene of a cob and pen and their SEVEN cygnets. 

Yep. Seven cygnets.  On a cycle full of wonders, this was extra special.  Unusually I could get quite close to the swan family with nary a hiss to be heard.  In fact I felt the parent swans were very proud that their brood were being admired.  And rightly so!

Past by the very house that I am sure Snow White and the seven dwarfs lived in....

Before stopping off to visit Peter and Lucia.

Peter and Lucia are an excellent couple, a well traveled pair who do good along the way, particular in Hungary, where they connect with fellow teachers whose circumstances are not as good as in Germany.

We met Peter and Lucia, when Romeo H. went to buy their car.  He did not.  But we keep calling back to see them in their beautiful home not just because they have a pool for a nice Abkühlung (or a cool down to you non-German speakers) but also because:  
a) They are so nice.
b) They think we are nice (excellent taste they have too).
c) They always have great stories to tell.
d) and fun little cars to drive in. 
e) and most importantly.....

Peter sings, and plays,the best version of ´I´ll tell my Ma...´ I ever heard this side of the Bodensee. 

 No lie.

It was especially nice to see Peter and Lucia this Sunday, as they had a ´surprise´for me -  your man in the hat!  The very one I thought I had left at home in the garden when I set off for my cycle earlier in the morning...

Well after tea and chat at Peter and Lucia´s, back down to the harbor to pick up the boat from Überlingen back to ´my´side of the lake.   The sun was still shining strong at 7:00 in the evening...

And if you look closely, you might see the Alps.

Then again you might not!


After reaching the harbor at Walhausen, cycled the back way to Dettingen, where this gorgeous field of corn was ripe for cutting....

And back to base where I saw a very familiar site in the summer evening sky in these parts...

Being only an hour from Zurich Airport, we often see the trails left by airplanes flying overhead.


 And then people ask me if I miss New York!

(Oh alright there are some things I miss from NYC, but you sure as heck don´t get all of this in New York when you go out for the day on your bike!)

Around Ireland in a week Part 2. With or without the fridge

All the things I wanted to say about a trip around Ireland, I just could not fit into one blog posting, so here I am again.

Notes

1)  Accommodation 

The Irish Tourist Offices provides excellent and reliable info.on Bed & Breakfasts and other overnight accommodation

Thanks to them when it is not high season or a bank holiday weekend, most times you can get accommodation without too much advance planning.  But if you are arriving any where late, DO book accommodation in advance! 

There is a tourist information center in every big city and town in the country. They are great places to get tourist information in general: http://www.discoverireland.ie/

Accommodation Options from Moi both in Dublin and farther afield.

Dublin:  Lots of options according to your budget for where to stay overnight in Dublin.

The Gresham Hotel  http://www.gresham-hotels-dublin.com/ 
or the Shelbournehttp://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dubbr-the-shelbourne-dublin-a-renaissance-hotel are pricey, but both are reeking with history but social and cultural.

And Wynns Hotel too is a good choice, and only down the road from the Abbey Theatre for the thespians amoung you.   http://www.wynnshotel.ie/

Don´t dismiss the hostel option; these days hostels offer private rooms with en suite bathrooms too.

a) Check out An Óige, the Irish affiliate of the International Youth Hostels.  Their Dublin hostel is  interesting, it used to be a convent.  An Òige youth hostels offer trips and  adventure packages too.

http://anoige.ie/Hostels/Our-Hostel-Guide/Dublin-International-Hostel.htm

b) Generator Hostels are one of my favorites private hostels.  See link to their Dublin hostel:

http://generatorhostels.com/en/destinations/dublin/#photosZbDeVonsrHnSwXikEzNCMQ

c) Couch Surfing.  couchsurfing.org.  To be honest, I have never tried it in Ireland, but I have experience of it in Germany and Switzerland.  For those with the right mind set, I´d say check it out.

d) Air B&B.  This is a good option too.  We have used Air B&B with great success.

2)  Getting around Ireland with Public Transport.

Do your homework.  It can be surprisingly reasonable.   Don´t assume a three day package with Bus Éireann, the national bus company is the best option, as other tour operators times that may suit your schedule better.  But I would definitely recommend a nice long day on Bus Éireann buses.  You do meet interesting locals, it is amazing to see how diverse and beautiful the land is on such a small island, and the drivers can have more time to chat too at the stops. And like I said, rain or shine Ireland looks beautiful from a bus.

Train trips are delight in Ireland too: http://www.irishrail.ie/.  The option to chat or not is always there.  It is more expensive than bus travel, but for some it could be worth the difference.  And the country side is just beautiful.  (I know I know I said that before, but it is SO true it is worth repeating.)

Two good sites for planning your journey. 

a) Get There i.e. This site is great; it offers all the available options for getting from point a. to point b. in Ireland:   http://getthere.ie

b) http://www.buseireann.ie/inner.php?id=232

I always start my trips by checking the options offered on Get There i.e.  From experience I would highly recommend that you then double check with the bus companies that the bus you want runs the day you want at the time you want leave.

3) Other ways to ´do´Ireland.

- Cycling, festivals, music, G.A.A. theater, comedy, and what ever your are having your self!

With out too much effort at all, you can find LOTS of different things to do in Ireland, and different ways to enjoy Ireland.  It is worth repeating The Irish tourist board, is a great place to start looking http://www.discoverireland.ie/
For Northern Ireland http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/

Some of my favorite things to do in Ireland.

a) Walking in Ireland - recommended, even though I am a bike women myself.

i) There is a wonderful network of trails being developed all over the island.

http://www.irishtrails.ie/National_Waymarked_Trails/

ii) Ancient pilgrim routes are being revived through out the country: 
http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/landscape/our-initiatives/the-pilgrim-paths/

b) Beaches.  

Ireland at last count has over 157 Blue Flag beaches.  That is too say the water is pristine, the area clean and safe and the beach have other amenities.

http://www.discoveringireland.com/irelands-blue-flag-beaches/

c) See Gaelic Games in action.  Chances are you will see a practice in the course of your stay just by being there in Ireland; just about every weekday evening at 7:30 or so there is game practice going on in every village and town in the country.   (Hurling is my favorite. FYI: Over the long haul, my home county Kilkenny has the best hurling team in the world - with the Kilkenny Team reserves being the 2nd best team in the world!)

And finally, or almost finally: Be open, but don´t be stupid!  Be alert for your property and your personal safety.  And never be out at night just as pubs and discos are closing.

There you are folks, I have done my duty to inform my reading public - six now counting Nicole from Doolin and St. Gallan :).

FYI:  I was in Ireland touring with a friend Anita from India.  She had dreamed for over 30 years of visiting Ireland.  It was very cool to be there to see her dream come true, and with the best of weather too.  To see one´s native place with a fresh perspective is always good.   For example,  Anita brought to my attention to how nice the `Bus Éireann buses with the Irish red setter logo` are.  And she is right!  

My thanks to  the Galway clan, and all the other people we met, who helped make our trip such a fun and memorable experience.  Especially Marie, and Evelyn.

... Oh and the thing about the fridge if you don´t know about it already.... check out .....

* Fridge Optional.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_Ireland_with_a_Fridge

So folks, what are you waiting for: Start packing your passport, your adapter and your dainties!   And do let me know about your adventures if you do head off to Ireland for a week. 

.... A moment of hope .....

Pope Francis and the Presidents of Israel and Palestine Pray together for Peace.

                                                     שלום   سلام   peace  

http://www.romereports.com/pg157192-pope-to-presidents-of-israel-and-palestine-peace-takes-more-courage-than-war-en

There is nothing I can add to posting.  Only hope. And pray.

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.)

https://www.leapcard.ie/en/Home.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

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 .....

* Fridge Optional.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_Ireland_with_a_Fridge