Jun
20
A couple of weeks ago, and old friend of mine introduced me to a YouTube fad of “literal videos”, which has given me a good number of laughs, whether it was looking back at the cheesiness of the 60’s
Or the 80’s
As I’ve thought about this on and off (honestly far more off than on) since then, I’ve thought of them as potentially a metaphor for how any approach to Scripture when over-applied - be it literalism, intellectualism, historicism, philosiphism, etc. - tends to sanitize it and take the impact of the story, itself, away.
Jun
7
Jun
4
From the desk of “all the news I need to know I learn on FARK”:
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has issued an unprecedented statement clarifying President Barack Obama’s demands for Israel to stop expanding Jewish communities in areas it acquired following the 1967 Six-Day War, including Jerusalem.
The statement, issued Wednesday, applies to the area known in Israel by their Biblical names, Judea and Samaria, and as the West Bank by the international community.
There are now 128 Jewish communities in these areas, with a population of almost 300,000 Jews.
Mrs. Clinton explained President Obama demands that there should be no expansion in these communities for the purpose of “natural growth.”
That would include an American demand to stop construction of kindergartens, schools and housing for young couples.
The Response?
Israeli Government Press Director Daniel Seamen reacted to this Obama administration statement by saying: “I have to admire the residents of Iroquois territory for assuming that they have a right to determine where Jews should live in Jerusalem.”
There are sometimes I just absolutely love the Israelis - and this is one of them.
May
25
The Original Plan:
Our plan for today is to head to the airport in Dublin, bright and early, where we will fly home to Chicago, via London and Frankfort (hey - no snickering! These are frequent-flyer reward tickets, so beggars can’t be choosers!) Once we land in Chicago, Matt or Chanda should be waiting for us, so we can drive another 4 hours back home to Indianapolis.
How It Worked Out:
About as planned - we woke up at 3:15 and made it to the airport (via some very helpful instructions from the concierge) without a hitch for our 6:30 flight.
We didn’t take any pictures today (too much of pain to dig cameras out, hassles with checkpoints, airport food, etc.) Zan had a jar of marmalade she’d picked up at Kylemore Abbey (a gift for her dad) confiscated at the initial checkpoint - right after we said goodbye to our checked luggage. Note to self - pack jams/jellies in suitcases, not carry-ons. She was very sad, as she’d picked it out specially for her dad’s diet.
The ride back to the US was a bit more comfortable, as we flew Lufthansa and United (who both seem to value a passenger’s legs moreso than SAS), and we had evacuation row seats on the two European legs of the trip.
Chanda picked us up at the airport and we did, indeed, drive the four hours back to Indiana - with a few times switching off drivers, blasting the AC & the radio, and keeping ourselves awake for the final leg from Lafayette to Zionsville.
Since there were no pics, I decided to include many of the “sign” pictures we took in Ireland. Zach loves sign pictures - because so many signs, everywhere, are quite funny when you stop to read them. Enjoy.
Vacation is nice, but so is home. We’re definitely glad to be back, but now we need a bit of a rest to recover from vacation…
The Good:
Being Home
The Not As Good:
Airplane seats, Airplane Food
The Wish List for “Next Time”:
Business Class
Pictures:
May
24
Description: The Clontarf Castle hotel is situated in a historic castle in one of the oldest sections of Dublin. It has been recently renovated, and is a great value for the price!
Website: Clontarf Castle Hotel
Pictures:
Cleanliness/Upkeep: 5 Absolutely beautiful hotel room, with an excellent interior design and decor.
Location: 4 About 15-20 minutes drive from the Dublin airport, close to the ocean. In walking distance of park and shopping areas, and a few seaside pubs/restaurants. Not convenient to the Dublin City Center, though, if that’s what you’re looking for.
View: 3.5 Our room looked out onto trees, grass and cement. The front views, though, would look out toward the bay and seaside area.
Breakfast: N/A - We had to leave at 4:00 a.m. to catch a flight, so we did not have breakfast here to rate it!
Amenities: 5 - king size bed, coffee/tea in room, typical higher-end hotel amenities, great desk service, bar & restaurant in hotel.
Value for Price: 5 - Cheaper than most of the hotels in Dublin, little more expensive than B&B’s. Be sure to look for online deals, because we stayed for 1/2 price.
Overall: 4.5
May
24
The Original Plan:
Our plan for today was to sight-see in Dublin, and switch locations for our final night (and our second castle) - Clontarf Castle (map link). Our plan is to see whatever we missed yesterday, along with whatever our hosts recommend. Our plane takes off early tomorrow morning, so our night will be somewhat short…
How It Worked Out:
Today we did lots (and lots) and lots of walking through Dublin. We went back to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to walk through the park and to see it in the morning sun. On the way there, we saw a well-dressed girl walking toward Grafton St., looking like she was walking home from some late night partying that had spilled over to Sunday morning. We decided, though, to make up “good stories” about the people we observed today, though, and said “she must be on her way to church…”
We then walked up to Christ Church Cathedral, which was also incredible. We had to wait for the morning services to end, and then we had about two hours inside before they started shooing everyone out before afternoon choral services. In addition to the beautiful architecture, we were also able to go through the crypts, which house a display of the church’s 16th century treasury - including lots of silver and gold accouterments.
After this, we walked through the public areas of Dublin Castle - on Sunday, tours are only available from 2 - 4:30 and didn’t fit with our plans for the day.
We then went to our last room in Ireland, at the Clontarf Castle Hotel (see our review here). After checking in and leaving our things behind, we went to find the Glasnevin Cemetery, to no avail. Our guidebook only had the name of the street and a dot on the map. You would think a cemetery with 1.5 million people in it would not be easy to hide. You would be wrong.
After this, we went to the harbor area and walked around for our last stroll in Ireland, and we bought a pizza and ate it on the sea wall. We then headed back to the castle, as we have to wake up at 3:15 to make our 6:40 a.m. flight. Ack!
The Good:
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin Castle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Pizza
The Not As Good:
Not finding the cemetery, a little too much driving for such a short distance.
The Wish List for “Next Time”:
Don’t do Dublin on a Sunday - too much is closed - also, be sure to get a detailed street map. VERY detailed.
Pictures:
May
23
Description: Leeson Bridge Guest House is a historic B&B/Hotel near the city center of Dublin, about four blocks southeast of St. Stephen’s Green.
Website: Leeson Bridge Guest House
Pictures:
Cleanliness/Upkeep: 4 (Very clean, except that we got a smoking room. We did have a fan for the window, which took care of the smell. Mostly updated decor, with a nice dining room for breakfast.
Location: 4 (Downtown Dublin, about 4 blocks S/E of St. Stephen’s Green, in a fairly quiet neighborhood. It was VERY difficult to find, requiring lots of winding and switching back through one-way streets. Definitely use GPS or a detailed street map to find it, or have an experienced and not-easily-flustered navigator (which Chris was, by this stage in our experience!)
View: 4 (We had a street view from the top floor, which was very pretty.)
Breakfast: 3.5 (A continental breakfast was in the dining room. It was fairly extensive with lots of cereals, fruits, some meat/cheese, tea and coffee. If you wanted a full Irish breakfast, you received a voucher for a nearby bistro.)
Amenities: 4.5 (We had a jacuzzi tub, hair dryer, en suite bath/shower, make-up mirror, elevator and a private, locked car park.)
Value for Price: 4 (Lower cost for Dublin, and the parking was invaluable! They allowed us to park an extra couple of hours so we could wander Dublin before check-in time for our next stop)
Overall: 4.0 Lyons Stars
May
23
The Original Plan:
Our plan for today was to drive back to Dublin to our B&B for the night - The Leeson Bridge Guesthouse (map link). Possible sites to see (over today and tomorrow): National Museum, Temple Bar (shopping, art), Dublin Castle, Christchurch Cathedral, Moore St. Market, Custom House
How It Worked Out:
Our days of late nights caught up with us this morning. Our phone reset last night, and we had to reboot it and set it up again. Unfortunately, it reset to an hour earlier than the actual time. So - we ended up waking an hour late, and apologized profusely for being late to breakfast.
We drove about an hour to Dublin, and then another hour or so to find our B&B. In order to get there, we had to follow the N-11, which (literally) circled two different blocks, in opposite directions, before dropping us on (almost) the right street. After a good deal of trial and error (with more error than trial), we finally got there and checked in (see our review here). A GPS would have been very handy for this particular trek.
With Murphy safely parked and our things up in our room, we headed out toward Grafton Street and the Temple Bar area. Along the way, we saw Henry Winkler (who was in town for a book signing) watching some street performers!
We went to Trinity College and walked around the Commons for awhile before going to the Book of Kells exhibit and The Long Room library (no pictures allowed either place 
). If they would allow access to the books, I’m pretty sure I could spend days/weeks/months there. Two hours was way too short for the entire set of exhibits, but it was all we had.
From there, we walked to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where we spent about an hour and a half inside before closing time (they were shooing us out to prepare for Saturday night mass). The cathedral was very impressive, with all sorts of interesting tombs, windows and architecture.
We had supper at Martigan’s Pub (which made me think of Madmartigan), where everyone was celebrating a Rugby cup win (of some sort or another) for the Irish team. We were just glad Ireland won, as that put everyone in a good mood… From there, we walked up O’Connell street and did some last-minute shopping as the shops were closing. We thought about going to see the stage version of Shawshank Redemption that opened this week, but (after seeing the prices and times) decided to see Star Trek at the theater (cinema in Ireland) instead.
The Good:
Book of Kells, Trinity College, St. Patrick’s Cathedral,
The Not As Good:
90 minutes driving in Dublin, Getting up late
The Wish List for “Next Time”:
Megalithic Burial Grounds near Oldcastle, Cadburry Egg McFlurry (only available at Easter time)
Pictures:
May
22
The Original Plan:
Our plan for today was to drive to County Meath, in the center of Ireland, to our first castle stay - Ross Castle (map link). This is likely to be our longest driving day (3 1/2 hours), so we’ll likely pick up something we missed yesterday and wing it, depending on our energy level and the weather.
How It Worked Out:
This morning we prepared for a long day of driving with only one planned stop, Kylemore Abbey. Since the guidebook said it was probably a 1.5-2 hour stop, we figure it should be a 3-hour one. It ended up being a four-hour tour that we finished up by rushing toward the end in order to make sure we’d be to our B&B by 6:00 (when the host was scheduled to meet us there).
Kylemore Abbey was about 20 minutes from Clifden, and was in an absolutely stunning setting, on a lake shore at the foot of a steep mountain slope, with mists rising from the lake a few hundred feet above the lake surface. Almost a fairy-tale setting.
We first went through the Victorian Gardens, having it almost completely to ourselves for the first half hour or so. It originally had 19 greenhouses and vast gardens of period flowers, along with vegetables to supply the Abbey community. Two of the greenhouses have been restored (with more being worked on), and the gardens have been completely replanted, both with flowers (in the main section) and produce (in the back section).
Next, we toured the abbey and the miniature Gothic cathedral - both of which were stunning in their design and accessories. We probably could have stayed a couple hours more, but after a brief stop at the gift shop (where we picked up a number of things, including some music for traditional song books which had some of my favorites, including “Wild Mountain Thyme”) we had to hit the road.
We then started our cross-Ireland drive on the N5. About an hour in, we hit a miles (and miles) long backup - most likely from an accident of some sort. So, we took a 30 km detour around the holdup, and made it to our B&B - Ross Castle (see review here) about 30 minutes late, at 6:30.
After checking in and walking around the grounds for a bit, we drove to Oldcastle and ate at the Naper Arms Bar for supper (we had “bar food” - which is code for inexpensive ‘fast food’ at a pub), and watched multiple horse races on the TV in the Pub. They did not have banoffi pie, but we split apple crumble for dessert (though Suzanne was mean and ate the bigger half. Honest.) (Zan say, “huh?”)
On the way back, we stopped down by Lough Sheelin, just below Ross Castle, and watched the sun set across the water. It was a gorgeous evening, and the sunset just put a wonderful exclamation point on it.
Ireland Travel Tip #4: Roads which look like interstates on the map are more like US state highways, which stop in most little towns along the way, and which plug up forever if there is an accident. Buy a detailed driving map (unlike us) if you’re headed to Ireland - it will make finding alternate routes MUCH easier!
The Good:
Kylemore Abbey & Gardens, Ross Castle, Naper Arms Bar, Apple Crumble, sunsets
The Not As Good:
Road delays/detours suck
The Wish List for “Next Time”:
It was a great day - we did everything we planned. So, other than needing a little more time at Kylemore Abbey, it was perfect
Pictures:
May
22
Description: Ross Castle B&B is a restored 16th Century Tower House/Castle in County Meath, Ireland, just outside of Oldcastle. It sits in a picturesque countryside in central Ireland, with nearby lakes, woods and rolling fields.
Website: Ross Castle B&B, County Meath
Pictures:
Cleanliness/Upkeep: 4 (Keep in mind that this is an old castle, with a guesthouse (where we stayed) built into it in the 1960’s. Our room and bath were well cared for, with antiques and beautiful furnishings in them, and very clean. The beds, though, were in poor shape, if you have back problems.
Location: 3.5 (15 minutes from Oldcastle and about 30 minutes from Kells. There were some good pubs and shops in Oldcastle. For us, it was just an overnight stay on the way to Dublin, so we weren’t prepared to explore the area - the score might go up if we knew more of the area around it. There is a beautiful lake, Lough Sheelin, within walking distance of the castle.)
View: 4 from our room (probably a 5 if you have one of the rooms in the castle tower). The back castle yard was not manicured, but very green and natural, with horses in the pasture next to it. We found out later that the horses actually belonged to the castle manager and were just here for a few days.
Breakfast: 4.5 (Granola, coffee, toast, brown bread and marmalade. Chris had the full Irish breakfast (5 Euro additional), and finally got potato cakes (and no black pudding!). Very tasty and not very greasy.
Amenities: 4.0 (No bathroom/shower en suite. Coffee/Tea in room, but no heater for water. The castle environment and history were very nice, and we had wonderful access to the hostess, who was very personable and helpful in helping us with our planning and in the culture/history of the area.)
Value for Price: 5 (Great price for a castle stay - though more expensive than most B&B’s. We were very pleased with our experience.)
Overall: 4.0 (Reviewer’s Tilt - 4.5)
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