Ireland Adventures: Day 5

We planned to Kilkenny this day. After two days of walking over 30,000 plus steps, though, my husband thought it would be best to take the morning slower to see how we felt. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I woke up early. While we had plenty of cardio, I had not done much with weights, so I decided to finish my physical therapy exercises for the week and see how I felt. Feeling good, I also followed along with the newest Nourish Move Love workout video, using the hotel gym dumbbells. While I probably could have lifted heavier, my goal was to get in some weights, and I did!

We delayed breakfast until 8:30 AM, so that we could go as a group with family. (Room members have to all go at once, and parties have to all go together.) I was hungry! This day I had porridge with all the toppings, turkey and smoked salmon for protein, a cappuccino, another cup of coffee, and more smoked salmon, tomato, and mushrooms to round this out. 

We discussed Kilkenny at breakfast. Seeing that trains left in 14 minutes, or two hours, we decided to nix it. It just did not make sense to use to leave on a noon train, ride two hours, arrive at 3 PM, spend only an hour or so there, and then need to hop on another two hour train back to the hotel, which would put arriving into the night. Instead of all that, we opted for local sightseeing.

But first we went back to Carroll's and Dunnes. We wanted more souvenirs for our friends, and I wanted Weetabix to take home as my souvenir. At six pounds ($6.85 US), importing it back into the US would be way cheaper than paying over $25 for the same box on Amazon. Knowing that we were nearing our next stop, where we would stay in a hotel without such a luscious breakfast spread, we also elected to buy some breakfast items: traditional Irish hot cross buns for my husband, and crumpets for me. We would have to wait to try them, though.

After that, it was off to see the sights. Our first destination was the Hungry Tree, an 80 year old park tree that is growing over a bench. I read about it online and thought it would be cool to see. On the way, we visited various churches (both on my wish list, and not-read about that in my Churches of Ireland post). The Hungry Tree was at Constitution Hall, so we also saw that. We took a few photos, and then set off again.

We found more churches on our route to the Jameson Distillery where various family members wanted to shop. They offered free toilet use, as well as free water, things very few in Ireland do. We didn't do their tour or anything, just looked around and continued on our way.

We viewed the rest of the main churches on my list (mostly all in a row), and then, to my surprise, were close enough to get to St. Kevin's Church Ruins. We tried to see Dublin Castle, but it was under construction and mostly blocked from view. We did catch Dublin City Hall and the Cork Hill Gate.

My husband had been hankering for a chicken fillet (a fried chicken sandwich on a hoagie roll), so we ran back to Dunnes for that. Back at the hotel, he put his feet up. I attempted to download and categorize photos from the day (something I have learned to do because my memory quickly gets convoluted and/or fades). We both napped a little. I worked on this blog. Then off to Grand Central Cafe Bar for dinner, where we would get my husband's other Ireland wish list meal, bangers and mash.

I got the Stag’s Head Signature Ham and Cheese Toastie. Note that it was on sourdough!

He got sticky toffee pudding for dessert. It was good, but also not what we expected. 

All in all, it was a very successful day of sightseeing, crossing off all of my wish-list items. I only wish it could be that way for my husband. He said he wanted to make sure I was happy so I would want to travel again. Fair point, though this trip was really for him!

Ireland Adventures: Day 4

Up and about early for day four! I just stretched in the morning, as we planned to go hiking. Having had some stomach distress the day earlier, I decided to go for a bland breakfast. I expected the Weetabix to to be like bland, dry shredded wheat, but to my surprise, found that they melted into the milk and had a slightly sweet taste. This day, I also tried muesli and yogurt and topped off the morning with a mocha made from the automatic coffee machine. Mmm!

We walked 1.62 miles through some cool neighborhoods to catch the bus. We rode two hours on the top deck, and then hopped a single bus to Glendalough Visitor's Center. This was a bit rough, as my husband got nauseous, and there was another woman on the second bus who apparently felt the same, as she vomited during our ride. That was unpleasant, probably more for them than for me, but still not great.

The visitor's center is on the site of the round tower and monastic ruins, and we explored those first.

It was apparently school field trip day, and the place was filled with kids (as well as with other tourists). Once we moved away from them, we chose less traveled trails. I felt very good and energetic and wanted to keep walking. Somehow, we got up the Spinc trail. It was as bit steep, but had gorgeous views.

As we kept walking, we realized we were on a long trail. We thought about turning back, but my husband kind of wanted to keep going. "I don't know if we'll ever get to do this again," he said. That was good perspective. I didn't want to be fatalistic, but the truth is that life and health are not guaranteed. Who knows if we will do this again.

We went slow, but steady. I started dreading needing to turn back and retrace our steps. Thankfully, we made it: over hill, over dale, past sheep and deer; over a boardwalk, through the ruins of an old mining village, past waterfalls, and then back along the lake to the visitor center. We were definitely underprepared with only one water bottle each, and some snacks, but we did it.

The bus rides home were a little better, but with traffic took a while. It was past dinner time when we got back, so we stopped to order takeaway (take-out) fish and chips. The people of Ireland are so kind! The waitress vinegared our fish before packing it, and then helped me bag up the boxes for my walk back. On thing about Ireland: they give disposable bamboo silverware and use boxes rather than styrofoam. Yeah for sustainability! I didn't expect to eat three pieces of fried sole and an entire box of chips (French fries), but I did. I also normally don't like tartar sauce, but this was good stuff. Dinner: demolished! (And then I was hungry again later.)

This was definitely a red letter day, rough rides and all. Ireland was pretty awesome, but after this mountain-top experience, pretty much everything else, well, faded in comparison.

Ireland Adventures: Day 3

Up, up and away for day three! I thought this might be a lighter walking day, so I chose to go for a run before breakfast. The city was a bit interesting, so I decided to run on the hotel treadmill. This was in the basement of the hotel, where it felt like the catacombs. (Lights came on by motion sensor.) First up, I noticed the treadmill was in kilometers, not miles. Hmm. I used my watch to track. I came back and stretched. Then off to the breakfast buffet. Man, was it a buffet!

Staff checked us in using our room number, seated us at restaurant tables, and then let us do our thing. I went for a (partial) Irish breakfast: baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, and fried eggs. They did ask if we wanted coffee, and yes, we did, so we helped ourselves to that. I took back some baked goods for snack, because I couldn't get close to trying anywhere near what they had.

We walked to the bus stop, and then took a bus across town. Then it was a hike to the Pohlberg Lighthouse. We had planned this trip from the beginning, and even seen the lighthouse from the air. Well, the walk around the coast was gorgeous: sun glinting off the water, seeing for miles, etc. The pier, made of hewn stone, was also cool. Unfortunately, the lighthouse was underwhelming, but the experience was totally worth it. We walked 6.86 miles, and that was only the lighthouse walk. 

We made another souvenir stop on the way back to the hotel, at Weaver's of Ireland. We specifically stopped to by the knit lamb keychains that are Ireland's take on the labubu. I came back and took a nap. My husband ventured out to get some lunch, but unfortunately got accosted on the way. A man ran at him, threatened to slash his face, and told him to walk a certain way down the street. All the while, my husband said, people just kept walking by. That shook my husband up a bit, so he came back to the hotel instead of getting lunch. Later, he went and made a report to the Garda (Ireland's police). They said that if they found a man matching that description and he had a knife, they would arrest him. In Ireland, carrying a knife is apparently a crime in and of itself. My husband carried bruises from that assault through the rest of our trip.

After I woke up, we walked out to see Christ Church Cathedral and the site of Neal's Music Hall. I grew up listening to Handel's Messiah every Christmas, and this was the first place people performed it. I took lots of pictures to show my family.

We made dinner reservations at Gallagher's Boxty House, my one request for the trip. My husband and I shared a boxty platter so I could try all the potato things: potato loaf, potato dumplings, traditional boxty pancake, and boxty fries. All were good, but also a little underwhelming. We shared some bread and butter pudding with a side of vanilla ice cream (less sweet again, for the win). Then it was back to the hotel to try to get some sleep before our next day's plans.

Ireland Adventures: Day 2

We arrived at our hotel, the Riu Gresham in Dublin, and since our room was not ready, chilled for a little bit with family in their room before venturing out further. Right out of our hotel, we walked past the Spire. We saw lots of statutes. We visited Stephen's Green Shopping Centre and started our souvenir buying. Then we walked through the Temple Bar district. We also visited Trinity College.

We got into our hotel room mid-afternoon, but did not sleep. Our plan was to stay awake until we could head for an early bed. We hoped that would help us adjust to the time change and maximize our time in Ireland.

I was impressed with our hotel room when we entered it. It was airy, spacious, and clean. Unlike in the US, rooms have tea service instead of coffee pots. (They provide instant coffee for use with the electric kettle, if desired. The floors were bare, but not really tile or carpet, some type of spongier in between. The bed had only two sleeping pillows and two decorative pillows. They only gave us one washcloth.

I did appreciate the sustainability efforts made by the hotel. Room service came only if requested. A sheets change required putting a note on the bed. There were no single size toiletries, rather refillable bottles on the wall. Each floor had a water filling machine, for both bottles and the carafes provided for the room. All in all the hotel setting was very nice!

We ventured back out, and first up on my bucket list, we walked to Ha'Penny Bridge. We ventured out to the Garden of Remembrance (commemorating those who died for Irish freedom) and saw Abbey Presbyterian Church before heading for dinner. 

My father in law chose Murphy's Bar and Grill for dinner. It had a darker, kind of moody vibe, but the food was delicious! I ordered seafood chowder with brown bread. My husband got a truffle Parmesan burger. As my mother-in-law pointed out, most food comes with potatoes.

I noticed right away that Ireland gives small glasses for water. There is really no waiting on the tables, either. We had to ask for more water, and when we did, they just brought us a flask to refill on our own (which I was fine with). My father-in-law wanted gelato for dessert. I was not feeling the cold, and asked if I could get a doughnut for later. The family agreed, but first, we had to go to Dunne's Food Store. There were perused the local goods and picked up a few more items. Then it was off to The Rolling Doughnut and back to the hotel to eat and sleep! 

I got the Kinder deluxe doughnut. It was not amazing, but not bad, either. I did notice that desserts in Ireland are less sweet than in the US. Hallelujah for that, as I like my treats that way. And that was the end of Day 2.

                                                        

International Travel Adventures: Day 1

I have travelled overseas only a handful of times in my life: to the Philippines before I was 2 (I don't remember it), and to the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Honduras, and Mexico on cruises. That's it. So when my husband wanted to go to Ireland for his fortieth birthday, I hesitantly agreed. I felt a little anxious and uncertain, but with a lot of prayer, and in the Lord's strength, we went.

I decided to run before we left. (Thank you, Lord, that I can run!) Then I showered and finished packing, to depart for the airport at 7:50 AM. My husband's uncle kindly drove us to the airport, which made for a much smoother experience. Since our first flight was domestic, we didn't have to arrive early.

We checked three bags. (Thanks, Delta credit card for two bags being free. Plus, the agent offered to check my our carryons. My husband agreed. I wanted to keep mine.) We breezed through security and were off to our gate. The gate agent kept asking people to check bags, and by our boarding group seven, they were forcing checks. Bummer. This was a very full flight!

I had eaten some before I ran, and drank a protein shake on the way to the airport, but I snacked more on this flight to make the time pass. Thankfully, I was able to step over the lady night to me once to get to the restroom. That also helped pass the time.

I finished The Correspondent on this leg of the trip, a great book for reading before Ireland, since the author went to Trinity College in Ireland for her masters degree. I also played Quordle since the plane had WiFi.

Hartsfield-Jackson airport was a little bit interesting. We walked the long way through what felt like catacombs to get from the domestic to the international gates. I thought I lost the lightning cord I needed to charge my phone, searching for it everywhere, only to find that I put it in my crossbody bag to prepare for the flight. Go figure.

My husband got some food here. I snacked more. I found greeters in the bathroom. Interesting!

Winds and an airway switcheroo delayed our 8 PM departure to 9 PM. I was tired and wanted to sleep, but also wanted food. That took a while to come. I thought it was coming, but that was the drinks. And then a hot towel, which was nice, but I was hungry! When the food finally did come, it was good: a cold chickpea salad (a little dry, but flavorful), and warm vegetarian ravioli. I was honestly impressed with what they served. (They also added a roll with butter and a cookie on the side.) I made a trip to the bathroom and then tried to sleep.

Sleeping was...uncomfortable. We originally had a seat with extra legroom, but moved due to stewardess request. I reclined and wrapped the headrest around my head, but it was hard. I told myself just to lay there, though, and I think I dozed off for bits off and on (a total of about four hours from when I forced myself to close my eyes to when I woke up).

I woke up to the sunrise! It took me a little bit to orient, and to help, I asked for some coffee. It was strong! Thankfully my husband had some Splenda to offer me to offset the bitterness. (Normally, I don't sweeten my coffee, but desperate times call for desperate measures!) The plane served a breakfast of Greek yogurt and a Mediterranean egg and cheese calzone. I didn't really feel hungry, but ate the yogurt and stowed the calzone. Then we landed in our first destination: Ireland.

We had to go through immigration before getting our luggage. All we really did was show our passports and say we were there for "pleasure," and then right on through we went. I was desperate for water, and not finding any places to fill our bottles, settled on buying some from the vending machine-my first Euros purchase. Somehow, I bought Fanta the first time, but managed to get water the second time. Our luggage came pretty quickly, and then it was off to find the city bus. That took a little bit. The zipper on my brand new suitcase broke. (Thankfully, the suitcase held everything in, and I switched to using the other zipper.) We got on the bus and headed for our hotel.

Around us, I saw signs of the US everywhere: Krispy Kreme, a TCU football sign, a Texas sandwich at Burger king, etc. It sort of looked like the US (at least the east coast), but people drive in the opposite lanes. I noticed a lot of people biking and walking, but also a lot of people smoking: a strange contradiction! 

With our hotel room not ready until afternoon, we ventured out to see some of the sights. Officially, we were on day two of our vacation.

Ireland and Scotland Packing List (Used and Not Used)

I researched before packing for this trip. And then Ireland's forecast seemed much warmer than expected, so I took out my sweaters and sweats and opted for lighter clothes. That was a good move for Ireland, not for Scotland. Overall, what I packed did work. In case it is helpful to others (and so I have record for next time), here's what I packed, what I used, and what I wished I would have had.

Clothing:

All my clean socks and underwear (I wore all of the socks for sure!)
Dry wicking run shirt

Three dresses (one short-sleeve, one 3/4 sleeve, and one long sleeve)

One pair of jeans (that I really did not need)

Five pairs of leggings (one I did not wear)
Pajama shirt and shorts

Tanktop and shorts for the gym

Four long sleeve shirts

Four sports bras (all I wore with all of our traveling)

T-shirt for traveling home

Two pairs of yoga capri pants (for running and traveling)

Outerwear:

Front tie coat

Hoka shoes

Sunglasses (used minimally, but helpful when I did wear them)

Warm waterproof shoes

Windbreaker

Luggage:

Backpack with laptop sleeve

Crossbody bag

Hard sided suitcase (important in the rainy climate-those with fabric suitcases had wet clothes after our Ireland to Scotland flight)

What I wished I had:

Allergy medicine (to combat that cold or infection I got from the room?)

Down vest (for Scotland)

Envelopes to sort receipts (We had a lot!)
Face cream (I had my sunscreen face cream, but not my night cream. The cold and wind plus blowing my nose a lot chapped my face.)

More veggies (I ate the sweet potato sticks I brought, but would have appreciated more fresh or dried vegetables. Fresh agricultural products, dairy, and meat are no-gos through customs.)
My phone's power block (Although we had an adapter, it did not handle the lightning cord well on its own)

Shopping bags (We consistently bought more souvenirs than expected, and the UK charges for bags. Bringing our own bags could have saved us money.)

A warm scarf for our day in Scotland (which I have now thanks to a gift my husband purchased for me)

What I didn't use:

Dress boots (We walked too much for me to think about anything other than tennis shoes.)
Hair straightener (I put my hair up every day.)

Raincoat (I needed a packable coat, not this big one, as I needed to take it on and off.)

Sunscreen (though we might should have used it)

Umbrella (because I kept forgetting to pack it, and my crossbody bag did not have room for it)

Other packing notes:

I like having my nails done for special occasions and trips. Normally, I use Sally Hansen gel polish, and that keeps for a week. But what to do this time about the two week trip? Enter nail decals. A friend of ours uses them, and I decided to try. It was a little bit of a learning curve to figure out how to apply them, but once I did, added the top coat, and let them cure for a few hours, they were solid. When I got home, I peeled them off, showered and washed my hands to remove the adhesive, and voila! No more nails. So easy! I used the forest walk nail wraps from Lily & Fox and am a big fan. Yes, they are a little more expensive than a coat of polish, but WAY cheaper than an actual manicure or fake nails.

I took a lot of medicine in case one of us got sick. That had not happened on our previous vacations, but I feared for my husband because one of his medications lowers his immunity. Well, this time, someone got sick, and that person was me. I was very thankful for the Emergen-C (off-brand), vitamin C, and zinc I had with me. At least that helped me feel like I was doing something about my symptoms. 

I needed snacks. Some people don't, but I made good use of my dehydrated sweet potatoes, fruit strips, and protein bars. They were snacks and meals and fill-ins, even with buying more food in country. I also took a refillable water bottle with me. That was very needed! While I did refill a throwaway bottle to carry in my crossbody bag while out and about, I also used my Nalgene bottle a lot.

My husband bought and brought with us an adapter. This is absolutely necessary! There are no US style plugs anywhere that I saw.

It is VERY helpful to have a Visa credit card that converts currency. This saves a lot of money and prevents needing to get out cash. We either tapped to pay, or used our phones to pay everywhere (even Aldi, which normally takes only debit cards in the US). As a bonus, it's helpful if that card earns points. Vacationing is expensive!

Final thoughts:

I will probably pack a little differently if we go to Europe again. Overall, however, this was not the worst job ever. I realized I also have enough clothes in my closet for almost anything (even if I did donate quite a few pieces in my year of less). I think with the right research, I can keep shopping the wardrobe I have for vacation clothes, saving our money for more adventures!

What We Cooked and Ate (Week 40)

This Week's Eats:

French toast casserole cups (Meal Prep in an Instant)

Instant Pot chicken Alfredo spaghetti squash (365 Days of Crockpot)

Lemony orzo chickpea soup (Gimme Some Oven)

Lightened-up lemon bars (Meal Prep in an Instant)

Noteworthy Repeats:

Egg bake casserole (Food 52)

Freezer Pull-Outs:

Artisan pumpkin sourdough bread (The Pantry Mama)

Fluffy sourdough pumpkin pancakes with chocolate chips (Chasing Our Simple)

Sourdough pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies (The Pantry Mama)

Soft pumpkin sourdough bread (Drive Me Hungry)