Guest blog from Dennis R. Blanchard: (Photo left caption: “today’s plan is already yesterday’s – the streets that were there are gone.”) Snipers were shooting at my father. This wasn’t World War II, it was Belfast, Ireland, 1969. I was doing my military duty in Germany and took leave to ride my BSA motorcycle over… Continue reading August 4: Belfast
August 3: Belfast
If only we had known that we could not get to Belfast from Clifden, we could have saved over €70 by buying the cheaper round trip bus tickets from Clifden to Galway, and then Galway to Dublin where we took the train to Belfast. We arrived in Belfast around 7 PM. There were no city… Continue reading August 3: Belfast
August 2, Clifden
Today we celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary with a kiss atop Diamond Hill in the Connemara National Park. We asked a French woman to take our picture and everyone tsked-tsked us to stop kissing. After climbing up 400 meters (over 1300 ft) in blustery 60 to 80 mph winds, we were happy to embrace and… Continue reading August 2, Clifden
August 1: Clifden
Weather predictions for today were for 100% rain; for this reason, we did not leave Clifden. We donned our rain gear and took our umbrellas to hike a 6K loop around the city. The mountains were fogged in and we did not see the Twelve Bens, a mountain range that provides a wonderful backdrop to… Continue reading August 1: Clifden
July 31: Clifden
Breakfast at the Bayberry House B & B was the best we have had in the past three months. The sideboard was filled with fruit, compote, yogurts, nuts, cheeses, cereals, homemade granola, and juice. The owner made a creamy porridge served with warm fruit compote of apples and mixed berries—the combination of flavors tantalized the… Continue reading July 31: Clifden
July 30: Galway
Helen, a recent graphic artist graduate and our “free” city tour guide, said that she was not paid for her work but was compensated by “tips” based on what we perceived was the value of the tour. She obviously did her homework, and we learned in a humorous way a lot about the city’s history… Continue reading July 30: Galway
July 29: Galway
We arrived in Galway yesterday on the 5 P.M train from Dublin and tried to find our way to the B & B in Salt Hill, an area “just a 5-minutes drive from downtown center.” With lack of street signs and our need to constantly asked for directions, it took us nearly one-and-a-half hours to… Continue reading July 29: Galway
July 26: Aberdovey
Glorious day all around. Cloudless deep-blue skies and mild temperatures (mid-60s to start, and then lower 70s) made this the perfect day to explore Aberdovey. As we waited for the bus, a local to Plas Panteidal (where we are staying) offered us a ride into town. I love how helpful people are in Wales. The… Continue reading July 26: Aberdovey
July 25: Tywyn
Today started off rainy and cool (upper 60s), but ended up glorious. We hoofed the mile to the road, and then waited almost an hour for the bus to Tywyn. (toe-in). This seaside town does not have the charm of Machynlleth, but it did have a few interesting buildings. The Market Hall (left), once known… Continue reading July 25: Tywyn
July 24: Machynlleth
We took the local bus into Machynlleth (mack-unth-leth); the bus drivers are skilled in maneuvering the bus on narrow and winding roads, sometimes skimming the bushes as we passed the on-coming vehicles. I think I have been walking too long; riding in a vehicle seems very fast, almost scary. Welsh names are difficult to pronounce,… Continue reading July 24: Machynlleth