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Sun 1/18/2004 5:23 PM
Hello from Ireland; home of Frodo and Gandolf, at least, hundreds of years ago.
And the Ireland of Lord of the Rings is the Ireland of today - a country steeped in tradition, mythology, storytelling, and characters abound...
This may be the most beautiful place I have ever been. The country was formed by volcanoes and glaciers, add to that it is at the crossroads of the easterly, warm gulf stream and the northerly, freezing eastern-Atlantic winds, then throw in either really long or really short days (it is higher in latitude than Vancouver or Newfoundland), plus an incredibly volatile political history, and you have a pretty hectic place! And people strong and warm enough to handle it.
There is no good way to describe it!
BELFAST
The city we know from riots and the IRA. They are not over it. People you don't know will talk about "he's a catholic" or "that's a protestant street" (really). The place looks war-torn. Hopefully the cease fire will hold and Belfast can fix some its war-torn streets and buildings.
GIANT'S CAUSEWAY
Felt like I knew what God is. Steep, huge, limestone cliffs towering over the ocean in strange formations.
DERRY
Another Northern Ireland town, the place where the Bloody Sunday massacre occurred. And yet, this town seems to have moved on from that. People still talk about Catholics vs. protestants, but as long as you have a pint in your hands, it is all good. This is a walled, medieval city and it still reflects that character. Met a couple of people there, the bartender invited me to stay in the pub after closing, and four of us played guitar and sang songs with pints of beer into the morning. Stayed in a B&B run by a really whacky woman who yelled at me for getting home so late. (no, I did not wake her up!!!) She said, "You stay away from those pubs!! Those people don't have jobs!!" I didn't tell her that I also do not have a job.
CLAREMORRIS
Our hometown in Ireland! At least, one of them. Julie, people were sweating when it was 50 degrees outside, so, yes, we Brauns are definitely Irish!! Had (or, at least, ordered) Chinese food in this hick town of 1,000 people - what was I thinking!!!! I couldn't eat it!
DUBLIN
Arrived Friday to a really good B&B. Got my bearings and then set off for my birthday weekend extravaganza... Sprained my ankle that night, the jury is still out about whether the pints had anything to do with it. Spent Saturday with an elevated ankle, but managed to hobble off to a pub later in the day.
Got a personalized tour of Dublin from some people I met, everyone here is so nice you wouldn't believe. (Actually, on that note, four different people over the last two weeks offered for me to stay at their places, rather than pay for a guesthouse. This is normal here.)
This is the most expensive city I have ever been too. Pasta with tomato sauce (no meat), with soup and a coke was equiv $30!!! No, that was not at a fancy place. Hamburger, fries, and coke at a diner --> $18!
GALWAY
A town on the west cost where to this day some of the population speak Irish instead of English. It is a university town with lots of artists and fisherman, so it is a little wacky. Hooked up with an American girl who told me about a shady-looking place to get a used phone - €50 later, I have a phone that will work around the world!! And in NYC that would have been $150 plus $50 a month service. Met a guy named Shawn, son of the former mayor, he showed me around town and knew everyone, so I felt like I got a taste of the town that tourists wouldn't normally get. Went to the Spiritualized concert, really liked it.
DINGLE
See comments for Giant's Causeway. This place called O'Connell Pass is amazing... you are driving thousands of feet in the air on the side of mountains, overlooking the ocean and some inlets; there are sheep perched above you, sometimes blocking the road. You don't see many people out here. Once I can send pictures you will understand!!
ENNIS
Where Fergus lives; Kerry (his girlfriend and my good friend from NYC) flew out here to join for the weekend. We saw more amazing sights, including this one (notice the people at the top of the first picture):
Tonight we had dinner with Fergus's mother, grandmother, and assorted other old and extremely talkative Irish people from his family.
Flying to London tomorrow, staying overnight, then flying out to India on Tuesday morning. India is 10 1/2 hours ahead of Cuyahoga Falls (and, it seems, 2,000 years behind). Am looking forward to losing 10 to 20 pounds, which numerous people have told me will definitely happen (the "scoots"). Will upload pix when I find a fast connection COMBINED WITH Windows XP!!!
Steve
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