By noon, we’d gone from the metropolitan east coast of Ireland to the rural [...]]]>
Mr. T and I rented a car from the D4 Sixt, bright and early. For our big weekend plans, we were off to explore the Irish backroads and stay in a castle.

By noon, we’d gone from the metropolitan east coast of Ireland to the rural west. We stopped at Westport, for lunch at a place I imagine is your typical Irish-style diner. I ordered a chilli chicken sandwich (I was going for spice). I don’t really know why I keep doing this in Ireland when I should EMBRACE THE POTATO. Mr. T fared better with this shepherd’s pie thing.

We found a Fall Festival going in Westport.

After admiring their livestock, we moved right along to the coast. Mr. T’s (Irish) colleague strongly recommended we take the N59 from Westport to Clifden to Ballynahinch. Conveniently, this specific drive is also Rick Steves recommended so we had a handy Kindle guide to provide more context en coastal route. The whole shebang loops you through The Connemara, so you get a scenic drive past lakes and Kylemore Abbey and the bogs and a national park.

Our first stop out of town was the National Famine Memorial, situated near Croagh Patrick. This Croagh (mountain, not pictured) is the site where St. Patrick expelled those snakes which is very near where many Irish left for other lands to escape dire poverty. We took a photo break at the famine ship sculpture before continuing onto the boglands.

At Connemara National Park (pictured above), we got out for a brief hike to see what a bog is all about. It is this precious energy resource that looks like it could easily be taken for granted but is now protected from over-development.

I kept asking Mr. T, so is that bog? What about over there? What do you think?

We rolled on through the wilderness, past sheep and the coast and lakes and farmland.

Before nightfall, we arrived at our evening’s destination, Ballynahinch Castle, in time for an early meander around the grounds and dinner at a pub.

Pictures on the castle tomorrow.

One of the things you should know about Dublin is that as a matter of course, it punches well above its weight class with its (frequently free) museums, special libraries, and cultural activities. We are especially lucky to be visiting during September for Dublin’s [...]]]>

One of the things you should know about Dublin is that as a matter of course, it punches well above its weight class with its (frequently free) museums, special libraries, and cultural activities. We are especially lucky to be visiting during September for Dublin’s Festival Season. During our two week visit, there’s the GAA All Ireland Finals, Dublin Fringe Fest, Dublin Theatre Festival, Arthur’s Day, Culture Night 2011, Dublin Contemporary 2011, and even an Oktoberfest on the Liffey. That’s just in the city.

Today at lunch, I checked out “All Things Considered, It’s a Nice Place to Start”, a play for Dublin’s Fringe Festival. These playwrights wrote letters to 300 strangers, targeted amongst all the counties and social classes, thanking them for the good things they’d done. Then they wrote a play about the response of their attempt to combat a grim climate in a dark time, fighting cynicism with quirky Irish optimism. It was a good hour.

I also made a quick stop at the National Photographic Archive, to check out their “Irish Children through the Ages” exhibit. It’s a small space, and this year, I enjoyed the 10 minute stop more than last year.

For dinner, we discovered Dublin’s Smoked Haddock Fish and Chips, at Leo Burdock’s. We’ll be making a regular place for this in our Dublin restaurant rotation. Does anyone in Seattle make smoked haddock? They should.

We then visited The Longstone Pub, whose backroom reminded me very much of Return to Oz.

One of the city’s Fringe outdoor art installations was next door — the “I am afraid” wall.

I took this photo for the office. The next day, all chalk items were erased except for AdWords

I awoke as we descended into Ireland. My transcontinental sleep routine had been foiled by flight attendants who left the cabin lights on 2 hours longer than normal, so I wasn’t exactly bright eyed nor bushy-tailed at Customs.

I awoke as we descended into Ireland. My transcontinental sleep routine had been foiled by flight attendants who left the cabin lights on 2 hours longer than normal, so I wasn’t exactly bright eyed nor bushy-tailed at Customs.

We gave awake-ness a fair shot on this blustery (and very Seattle-gray day), starting off at our beloved Junior‘s for brunch, then continuing along the Liffey towards the new Dublin Wheel, near the ferries to England and Wales.

Funny story: while out walking, I spotted a Seattle friend on her Sunday run. She moved here two weeks ago, but I hadn’t yet emailed her I’d arrived. This kind of random thing happens to me, more often than you would expect. It’s a small world.

Later, after an unintentional 3-hour slumber, we checked out the new Ely at Grand Canal Quay. Skip it if you’re in the hood — it’s not worth going out of your way to visit.

We cut our dinner losses and returned to the hotel for the thrilling Season 2 Premiere of Downtown Abbey! Huzzah! I can’t remember the last time I watched something on the night of broadcast, on its originally intended channel.

I started out my day paddlesurfing in Andrews Bay on Lake Washington. I am proud to report I did not fall in the water once. A miracle! Although the water seemed so perfect, so maybe I should’ve gone for it.

After my lesson with Naomi, Mr. T & I took off for The Great White North. Long story short, we had a nonrefundable hotel room booked for the evening downtown, so we arrived before the rest of the crew coming tomorrow for DimSumCouver #7.

We secured reservations in advance for L’Abbatoir. It came highly recommended by LUPEC ladies who visited in March. Now that I’ve been, I understand why — the bar is right up LUPEC’s alley.

And uh, it’s right by this alley, too.

After dinner, we walked the Night Market.

Overall, a very relaxing and quiet evening in downtown — the quietest I’ve ever seen Vancouver on a Saturday night.

Nighttime over Alberni

We began our sightseeing today at the Strahov Monastery and Library, after a satisfying lunch at Pivovar Strahov, the onsite brewery.

From there, we walked back down into [...]]]>

We began our sightseeing today at the Strahov Monastery and Library, after a satisfying lunch at Pivovar Strahov, the onsite brewery.

From there, we walked back down into the main city through the Castle Grounds. En route we went past St. Vitus Cathedral.

We entered the cathedral at the perfect time of day. For all the churches I’ve seen in Europe, this is the first time, I’ve timed it so well to see all the colors reflected.

We walked downhill into old town.

The Museum of Communism is now upstairs from McDonald’s.

Our plans for the night included Aida at the State Opera.

Opera-watching’s hard work. We rewarded ourselves at the EuroFood in Wenceslas Square, a la Bourdain.

A business meeting on the west side of the Vltava motivated me across town on a sleepy, partly cloudy morning. After attending to that, and lunch at the Cafe Savoy, Mr. T and I wandered the Mala Strana.

A business meeting on the west side of the Vltava motivated me across town on a sleepy, partly cloudy morning. After attending to that, and lunch at the Cafe Savoy, Mr. T and I wandered the Mala Strana.

We soon found the Lennon wall, a constant work in progress.

Nearby, we found another remnant of Euro youth pop culture: the love locks.

A Prague visit would be incomplete without anything obviously surreal:

Soon, we needed to wrap our wanderings up, for the evening book launch party being held in conjunction with the opening art exhibition. We took the opposite of a shortcut to the apartment to make sure we paid homage to the local Gehry installation.

Seattle was robbed with that EMP blob.

We headed back to the Castle for the evening book launch party. The book’s publication was held in conjunction with the exhibition, and tonight featured speeches by descendants of the Futurists. Family stories were shared, and many family members from around the world met each other for the first time before and after the main presentations.

When the after-party finally ended, our gang of 6 made our way to Malostranska Beseda, for another typico Czech dinner. Mr. T ordered yet another pork leg, and the beer drinkers had their toast!