Ireland

My amazing trip to Ireland.

It's been my dream to go to Ireland for a very long time now. Thanks to a lot of help from my parents I was able to go in May. I had such an amazing time in May. Ironman, birthday, AND Ireland! Speaking of Ironman, I am doing a go fund me campaign for a new bike for the World Championships, if nothing else you can see me make a fool of myself on a video!
http://www.gofundme.com/cvv70k 


Sunday

Got to Ireland and found my way to where to drop luggage. Then caught a traxi. I was planning on going to malaise castle but the driver said are you crazy? It's not open at this time of day!? It was 8 am. So he suggested going to Howth a little fishing village so I had him drive me there. He drove so slow (gets paid for the time driving) I commented on it and he said well I have to follow the speed limits around here. I asked again a little latter how much further? And he said oh not even two shakes of a lambs tail. Then he asked if I wanted to go on the seinic road to howth. "Ha!" Finally he pulled over and told me how to get back on the train and bus. My credit card didn't work so I had to pay in the euros I fortunately had! 30euros for that trip! He made a hissy fit about my 50e I gave him. He told me it didn't look right and asked where I got it. I said sorry that's all I have. He said well I guess I'll just have to take a chance on it!





I got out and walked around and out to the light house then up a hill to over look the harbor. I the. Went down to where the fishermen were and talked with them a little. The taxi driver told me to buy a fish from them but the two I talked to and saw didn't have luck so no fish!




I saw a little bakery so I went in and bought my mom some Irish soda bread since she had previously said she loved that stuff. Then I got on the train and then bus to get back to the airport. What a lovely morning!



I went to budget and checked to make sure they hadn't picked the car up yet. It was still there so I sat down and fell asleep on my luggage. We finally all met up and got the car and drove down to limerick to meet my cousins who were down there for a wedding the previous day. We sat and chatted forever and toured around the old hotel that used to be a convent and agriculture school and orphanage. It was also a golf course there and we went and ate at the restaurant there. It was amazing! I had salmon that was baked but flash fried on top so it had a carmalized crunchy outer layer. We then went to stay with Tom another distant relative at his house.

Monday


Tiny roads of ireland! This isn't even the narrowest road! (speed limit here? 50mph!)

We had agreed with Michael to go out around 8 so I woke up at 6 and went out running. The land was beautiful and lots of fun.








We then went and took a tour of doon and the cemetery there and the farm that my great great.... Grandfather grew up on. We went through a cemetery there and saw some dead relatives. We then went to a different cemetery and saw where my great... Grandfather was buried. John Richardson. The landscape was gorgeous! Then we drove back into Dublin to pick Megan up.

Christ Church

St. Patricks Cathedral


When all together we took the train into Dublin and walked around trinity college and then to a restaurant that I had read about on a gluten free website online  the place was fantastic I got a crepe with salmon ontop. It was amazing! We were going to go to the national museum but it was closed Monday so we went to Christ church and st Patricks  church and then to this bridge that my grandpa has a picture on. We shopped a little but didn't have any luck. Micheal invited us to dinner at his place so we went back and ate delicious Irish beef with carrots and two types of potatoes and broccoli.

Tuesday

Told Scott I found us a beach house!

I woke up and ran on the very very rocky beach. It was very pretty but horrible running surface. We ate a fantastic breakfast there of fresh yogurt, berries, smoked salmon, toast (even bought me gluten free bread) and amazing Irish cheese.








We started driving up the east coast of Ireland and went to la grange which is an old tomb or temple or both. It is positioned toward the sun so that in the winter solstice the sun hits just perfectly inside the tomb and it's lit up. There were three separate little rooms off the main room. There were basins in each room. It was an amazing structure that was water tight. It is 5,000 years old and older than stone henge!






We then went to karrick-a-rede bridge which is a rope bridge 100m above the ocean. Fishers use to go across it to go out fishing on their boats and then carry their catch back in. It was a gorgeous view and frightening as well.

We then went and checked out the giants causeway but they were closed so we went to the smugglers restaurant for dinner. They didn't have many selections for me so I just are a salad and food that I had bought from the grocery store earlier that day.



There was a Bike race earlier that month and they still had these pink bikes all over. I wish I had a picture of what we had to climb on top of to get to this gem! 



Told Scott that I found the cow Oreos come from!


Megan and I stayed in a room together.

Wednesday
Woke up and ran and saw some pretty sites. I discovered a beautiful sandy beach that was perfect for running on. I just ran along a path along the rocky beach and then in the sandy one.


We then had a traditional Irish breakfast. Delicious bacon with eggs and fruit. It was marvelous!







We went to the giants causeway which is basalt columns from an old volcano. It was absolutely amazing! The views were gorgeous and spectacular.

Megan wanted to go to the dunluce castle that was right down the road so we stopped there and walked around that castle a while.

We drove south and stopped at an asda which is apparently walmart out here. It was amazing! They had an awesome selection of gluten free food and it was so cheap! I wish we had something that cheap in America!

We took our food to Donnygall estuary and foot path and ate it on a lake. We were looking for a castle when my dad just turned down a small road and it ended up being a pretty place next to a lake. Oh the memories we make!

I mentioned that I wanted to get a piece of pottery to be able to take home. Just a new tradition scott and I had started in Sweden. So I spotted a pottery sign in Sligon. We stopped and there was a little pottery place that had pretty pottery and we met the potter and talked with him a little. It was so fun. I love to meet the actual potter and buy his/her art.

Now we are making our way past gallway to our hotel that is on the Cliffs of Moore. I'll be able to go run on the cliffs tomorrow which has been my dream forever! And then we will bike around the Aaron islands! Oh my Ireland! This has been an amazing and wonderful trip! I keep saying delicious and beautiful so those words seem to sum up the trip so far quiet nicely!



We walked down to then beach and watched the sunset around 10pm it was a beautiful and colorful sunset.

Thursday
I woke up early and took a trail up to the Cliffs of Moore. The trail went right along side the cliffs and was breath taking! It was a dream come true! The sky was clear and the lightening was perfect. The trail went in the outside of farm land and there were several sheep that had gotten out of their pasture. While I ran, I ran them right back inside the pasture. This was by far my favorite part of the whole trip. It was amazing! I really think heaven is Ireland! I don't have the pictures from this since they are on my mom's phone because I ran with that incase anything happened. 

Everyone else drove in the car a little later and I met them at the visitors center. Then we went back to Atlantic view hotel and ate a delicious Irish breakfast. Haddock with a poached egg and cheese platter. Also yogurt and gluten free cereal!






We caught the 1000 ferry to go out to the Aran islands. The ferry took 90 minutes to get out to the largest one. We rented two tandum bikes. Megan's and I went together and had problems strapping our bag to the back. We had to stop and a worker with a Texas A&M hat helped us tie it on. He was a former fisherman who had a lot of knot tricks. Mom and dad left us and we didn't know which way they went and went the wrong way. We pulled over and called then and had to back track a lot. We went to a fort that was constructed in 2,000 bc and then to the worm hole which was a blow hole that was a perfect rectangle. It looked just like a swimming pool. We were running out of time so Megan and I booked it back to the bike rental so we could look a little at shops. There was an adorable sweater with a hood that looked perfect for Emi so I bought that and Megan got a bracelet for herself. I fell asleep on the way back on the ferry. We drove all the way to doon to send the night at Tom Hayes.

Friday



We woke up just whenever and I went running on a little trail close to the house. We then were able to go to my great grandfathers homestead and got a preice of the original Slate roof. We then went to Lanka farm which was my great uncles land he bought because of 500 winnings from fateful kitty a greyhound. 



Tom Hayes and his family went out to lunch with us to a pub which was delicious! It was a cafeteria line type thing and I asked if they had anything gluten free and he said everything! They even had a merengue dessert that was gluten free. 



 Yes, I was in a winter coat and these guys where in shorts and t-shirts!

We then took off to Connor pass and down around the coast. It was a gorgeous drive! We ate out and there was a guy who said some funny things at the table next to us.

The way to get rid of the gluten from bread is to have all the parasites eat it.

The best way to get rid of gluten in bread is to throw the bread away.



We ended up driving around the peninsula and it was pretty but we didn't get home till 12:30.

Saturday



Went running on country roads of Ireland. Then we went to do the galltee challenge. It was hiking up a mountain and back down for the MS society. Tom Hayes put it on so we were supporting him. It was fun to do as well. We went shopping afterward and got Emi a little train and also I got Scott a bento box and crystal bowl and a wall hanging with the Irish blessing on it. Everything I wanted!!! Megan later said she was praying for me to be able to find stuff for Scott and other things I wanted. It was all perfect! I was so happy with everything! Such an answer to prayers! We went back to the house and packed up and then walked to the pub that there was a barbeque at for the MS stuff. I could only eat the potatoes and later found out from the grumpy Irish chef that I could eat the coleslaw and potato salad. He mocked me out loud when I said I was very sensitive to gluten. It was the first unpleasant Irish experience I had so sad it was on our last night. The food wasn't awesome and it was super loud. Megan and I went to a different pub and chated with Michael and Josephine Cotter till 9:20 and then headed back to the other pub because there was supposed to be live music. The guy wasn't quiet ready yet and it didn't sound like it was going to be that great so we just walked home. I took a shower and went to bed at 11.

 I was on top of the world! This trip was so amazing. Dreams come true :)


Sunday

I got up at 6:10 and we left at 6:50. Everything went as smoothly as possible. My flight got delayed but we are leaving now! Can't wait to see my family!