We enjoyed another sumptuous breakfast similar to those at the other fine hotels on this trip. On the road, lunch is on our own – but Verle and I find that the breakfast carries us for the day, with just a snack, especially if supper is supplied as part of the tour, as it will be tonight at our hotel in Oxford.
We met our bus driver, Maria, for the next 4 days after a wait in front of the hotel with our bags. All England is watching today as England’s soccer team plays in the quarter finals competing for the World Cup.
Doug led us in a devotion on 1 Cor. 15:51 and we sang together “Oh God Our Help in Ages Past.” The day is expected to be hot so I wore shorts (85 or so – not hot like Nebraska, but it feels hot when we’re out in it.)
Our first stop was in Salisbury for a visit to the Salisbury Cathedral, built from 1220 to 1238. The builders of the Gothic church with flying buttress side supports claimed it to be “so great a church to the glory of God that those who come after us will think us mad even to have attempted it.”
This vibrant cathedral has Britain’s tallest spire (400 feet tall) and one of four surviving copies, the best preserved of the four, of the Magna Carter from 1707, considered the greatest constitutional document ever. This document provides for trial by jury, the opportunity to take even the government to court when a law is unfair, freedom of the church, and fair treatment in the application of justice. “Even a monarch must rule within the law.” Part of the original impetus for this document was the excessive demands and taxes of the tyrant, King John, after England’s war with France. After this document was adopted, Margaret Mead (1901-1978) observed that, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”Besides the beauty of the church and the Magna Carter, the delightful thing about our visit was the organ playing, the adults practicing, and the children’s choir singing Silent Night while we were there. Worship is held at the cathedral on every day of the week. A major repair program is being carried out, so much scaffolding is around one end of the church. The repair is being done using the traditional methods handed down over the centuries, employed by present day highly-skilled craftsmen.
Our other stop today was at Stonehenge, a wondrous sight, the Neolithic monument which dates to around 2800 B.C. (4500 year old structure) The bus took us part way out to the Heritage Site, and a shuttle bus took us the rest of the way. Then we walked on a trail all the way around the structure. They supplied us with phones that spoke to us at each posted number – this worked very well and was very informative. The sun was hot and I appreciated the red umbrella. Stonehenge’s builders used Pythagoras’ theorem 2000 years before Pythagoras’ discovery that the sum of squares of the two sides of a triangle will equal the square of the hypotenuse. Stones were brought by these early people from far away without the use of machinery of any kind. How did they do it? No one knows. Many theories exist as to the purpose of the site, but guesses are that it fit in with their religion, and perhaps they believed that special powers and healing powers existed at this site. People often think of our ancestors as rough cavemen, but the were also sophisticated astronomers. They were applying Pythagorean geometry over 2000 years before Pythagoras was born. Many, many burial mounds are found in a wide circle around Stonehenge. Archaeology on these sites continues to provide clues to help increase our knowledge about this archeological mystery.
Many of us took naps in the bus as we continued our drive to Oxford and our hotel there. Again, trees seemed to line both sides of the roadway most of the time, so there wasn’t much to see. As we approached Oxford, we drove through some forested area.
We had a very nice supper at the hotel and were all able to sit together around two round tables. Fun! 

Crowne Plaza Heythrop Park – Oxford, Chipping Norton, UK   011-44 1608 673 333    www.ihg.com  

Notes:
No tolls on England’s roads and bridges
Old Houses of chuda red brick or local stone
Rows of houses all alike
Buildings with massive chimneys with 1-4 or more vents each
Almost no billboards
No more than a light breeze this whole trip – no wind like in Nebraska
London people have second homes in the countryside.
Farms are larger than in Ireland, but they seldom have farmsteads.
Many buses ply the freeways, but we never see mobile homes or trailer houses.
Many very old homes, but still inhabited
Cameras control the highways and we almost never see a police car.

This was a big day in London with so many stops. We started the day by visiting the magnificent Westminster Abbey (Anglican = Protestant) where most British kings and queens have been crowned, and the final resting place of many monarchs, heroes, and poets. Princess Diana and Prince Charles then visited the Metropolitan Tabernacle. Near the entrance we walked around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War II. Paper poppies bordered the tomb in the floor representing rebirth.
We then visited the Metropolitan Tabernacle. A screen halfway to the front of the church allows for two survices to be held at the same time.’
More about the Tabernacle:
Highest nave (ceiling) in England
Built over a 100-year period
Chandeliers: Waterford crystal
Tour group concerned that Darwin and Hocking are buried with the Christians.
The floor her is the same big black and white squares as yesterday’s cathedral
As many as 7000 attend a coronation here

We rode our bus to the changing of the guards at Buckingham palace. Traffic was our enemy causing us to use a lot of time to move from place to place in London, although our driver did an excellent job of getting us through. We got their in time to watch riders on horses and the regiment marching out past us in their bright red (hot) uniforms. We were amused to watch a garbage truck wipe up the droppings left by the horses!
The bus drove us past the homes of Prince Charles and Camielle, Winston Churchill’s home, St. James’ palace, Duke of Wellington, and the homes of several other dignitaries near the Buckingham Palace. Several times since we’ve been in London, we’ve driven near or past the round (like a ball) building that is the office of the Muslim Mayor of Longdon.
We drove past many blocks of affordable housing. Patrick explained that it is almost impossible for young folks to get a start in London – their starting income is low and housing is so high, but if you must drive into London each day, you have to pay the huge daily fee.
We stopped and walked through the Bunhill Fields burial grounds.

Our last stop of the day was the Tower of London. A wide moat had surrounded the castle. Charles II had exotic animals in the castle. We stood in line in the hot sun for a very long time. Megan shared her umbrella with me so I could share her shade from the very hot sun. After quite a long time, we reached the cool area housing the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom – impressing. Beth said this opportunity had been on her bucket list for a long time! Our information states that there were 140 royal objects — all, of course, behind glass walls. This collection is the most historically complete in the world. At coronation, the monarch is anointed using holy oil, followed by investiture with robes and ornaments, and finally the royal crown. Wives of kings are crowned as queen consort with a plainer set. The crown is usually worn at State Openings of Parliament. Also regarded as Crowm Jewels are state swords, trumpets, and other ceremonial items. These jewels are on displaiy at the Jewel House, where they are seen by approximaely 2.5 million visitors every year.
The drive back to our rooms at Greenwich went quickly. We took showers and rested, and then joined the group for another supper that was included as part of the tour.

Notes:
To let = toilet
Lidl and Abbi – supermarkets coming to US – save $
Expensive high rise apartments
Catholicism dominated Spain and France – not London
The Normans were Vikings on horseback
Upcoming: 100th anniversary of royal airforce – royal family will attend
London: men’s tailoring; Paris: Women’s fashions
Peggy: walking mostly fine – I’m so thankful
Drove past 1972 original Hard Rock Cafe
A park with lawn chairs that you have to pay to use!
London’s Leftist TV station
1665: bubonic plague – ½ of London’s population died

We met Eril, our black bus driver for the day. Our devotion leader for the morning asked Patrick to read a devotional writing by Charles Spurgeon. Patrick’s accent made us feel that it was Spurgeon himself talking and the devotion was very meaningful. It was based on Romans 1:7. The message pointed out that we all are saints whom god has called. The closer I lie to God, the more I mourn my shortcomings. Paul had the same trials and called us to be saints – to emulate them 0 that we would have the same light and grace – looking to Jesus.
As we neared the St. Paul’s Cathedral (Protestant), Patrick handed out little speakers to each of us and practiced using them with us. At the church, Patrick introduced us to our guide who spoke to us through the speakers throughout the tour. This worked marvelously, because we could always hear everything he said, and his speaking didn’t disturb the others there and the sacredness of the church.
The ticket for the church states, “Every year over a million people from around the world visit and pray here where Christians have worshipped for fourteen centuries, and in this very building for over three hundred years. We pray that you too may find God’s peace and presence in the time you spend with us.”

Services are held here morning, noon, and evening each day 8 a.m., 10:15, 11:30, 3:15, and 6 p.m. on Sunday. Moving for me was a huge book of 28,000 handwritten names of Americans who died in the war for England. A page is turned each day – it was on the S’s on page 391 today, but I didn’t see any Stahrs.
Our guide had to keep reminding other visitors that photography was not allowed in the building.
St. Paul’s Cathedral has been damaged by lightning and fires, and was bombed and damaged in WW II, but volunteer men and women of the city worked to save the building, many from the rooftop.
Christopher Wren was the architect for the present church and is buried there along with the words, “If you seek my memorial, just look around you.” Many objected to the new style – the former church was built to a totally different style than the present one.
The nave is in the shape of a cross.
In 1666 the city and the church were destroyed by fire.
The top is a dome in a dome.
Main floor is large black and white tiles
Tour members asked to see the painting of Jesus knocking on our door. Patrick commended those who asked about this – tour guides appreciate this.
The cathedral took 35 years to build.
I made a hollyhock doll for Marian sometime during these days.
Following our tour we took a 40-minute tour boat ride along the Thames River. I had left my sunglasses in my purse on the bus, and the bright sunlight and heat on the ride made it unpleasant for me. It helped when I realized that I could go downstairs to the main level of the boat where it wasn’t so bright.
Next we boarded the British Airways London Eye, the world’s highest observation wheel offering an amazing panoramic view of the capital city.
The rest of the day was free for shopping and sightseeing on our own.

Some tidbits:
A sign spells tires as tyres
Elephant and Castle stores – a funny combination
London is the financial center of Europe
The USA has more big banks in London than in New York City
Cars must pay $11.50 per day to drive in downtown London. Motorcycles free
Ornate plaster decorations on downtown buildings

We picked up sack breakfast bags prepared by the hotel, brought out bags out to the bus, and left at 6 a.m. for a 25 minute ride to the airport to fly to London. On the way, we sang the National Anthem in honor of our independence day (led by Sandy Good, who is a “Good” singer.) Arthur and Sandy left us at the London airport – they are flying home to many family plans in North Carolina.
Flying was easy with Patrick and David to make all the connections. I forgot to show my card validating my steel hip, so I had to be patted down, but it wasn’t hard. Our 9:05 flight left at 9:20, but was comfortable. We landed, got our bags, and when we got to our bus, we met 4 new couples joining us for the rest of our tour.
The first thing I noticed in our bus leaving the airport in London was the trash along the road. There hadn’t been any trash in all of Ireland, it seems to me!
A sign along the way said, “Live Life on the VEG.” What does that mean???
We spent most of the day at the wonderfully restored (and much original) Hampton Court Palace and Gardens. Traffic was heavier than usual because of a flower show near the palace.
This was the castle of Henry VIII and his 6 wives (one at a time) and was really an interesting visit. The King James Bible was commissioned at a Conference at this site in 1604. The Catholic church opposed the translation for the modern man.

The palace is very interesting for tourists. We were given individual audio players which were quite user-friendly (which means I was able to use them comfortably). They narrated two sections of the castle: Henry VIII’s Kitchens and Henry VIII’s Apartments. Each main room was shown and explained and costumed guides lent an air of reality to the experience. Of special interest to me was the Jerusalem Chamber with its wall-sized tapestries that have been prepared for display. This chamber was used by the 17 men who translated the first trhird of the King James Bible Old Testament and the last half of the New Testament.

There were kitchens and bedrooms, their church in the castle, etc. Very interesting. We walked through the gardens. I especially enjoyed the sunken garden and the rose garden.
Henry VIII’s many weddings was evidently his attempts to get a male heir; the six wives only bore him one son and 2 daughters!
Our bus took us to our hotel where we will stay for the next 3 nights at the Double Tree by Hilton London – Greenwich, in London. (011) 44 208 469 4440 It is a treat to stay more than one night in the same hotel room. I used the time at the hotel tonight to type on these notes. We had a tour supper together at the hotel.

Today we rode our bus 2 hours to northern Ireland to focus on the work of St. Patrick, Ireland’s well-known saint. The most interesting part of the visit was the St. Patrick’s Visitor’s center, where a guide and displays told of the life of St. Patrick, the well-know Irish Saint — there seems to be more fiction that actual known fact about him. There are no snakes in Ireland, but there is no reason to believe that Patrick is responsible.
Patrick was evidently captured by pirates from the Roman Empire as a 6-year old and taken to Ireland as a shepherd boy. He reportedly spent his time praying 100 x a day and night and became a committed follower of Christ. He ran away and returned to his family on the European mainline, but was directed in a dream to go back to Ireland and proclaim Christ to a pagan land. He died on March 17 at the age of 56, and is supposedly buried at the top of the hill above Downpatrick (I doubt it.)
We climbed the hill and spent a lot of time at the Anglican Down Patrick Catholic Cathedral there. This church is still holding Sunday services, has a huge pipe organ and an interesting seating arrangement.
I was pretty turned off by the pettiness of big names, hierarchy, and titles and the likelihood that most of what we were hearing was legend rather than fact. We sang the Doxology there, which was very special, and tour members spent a great amount of time at the Cathedral and cemetery, and were much more impressed than I was.
Someone pointed out that part of the purpose of stained glass windows was to tell the Bible stories, etc. to people who couldn’t read.
Joke: What are your 3 favorite hymns? Answer: him and him and him!
On the way home we saw smoke from 2 different fires burning in the distance – probably because of the extremely dry and hot weather.

Patrick related to us the etymology of the name, “Fuller.” Wool sheared from sheep contains unwanted lanolin. Farmers found this could be removed by putting the wool and urine in a vat and stamping on it for 7-8 hours. This produced ammonia, which was noticeable on the people named Fuller who used the process called fulling! The urine used in this process was so important that it was taxed.
The medieval town of Kilkenny in southeast Ireland has deep religious roots and many well-preserved churches and monasteries. In Kilkenny in southeast Ireland, we visited one of the largest castles in Ireland, the Cahir Castle, built by Normans in 1195 on a small island in the river Suir; the river helped to protect the castle. The castle a appears to grow from the actual rock. Mike Mihall was our very interesting guide.
The castle was the scene of sieges and bombardments for centuries, and has several special protective features. In addition to vertical slits in the walls for arrows, cross-shaped openings were cut for the use of crossbow archers. Archers could shoot as many as 12 arrows per minute. A trap door could be sprung from above trapping an intruder below. Hot sand, burning pig fat, and rocks could be dropped from above onto the trapped victim. (Hence the term “crush one’s neck.”) Because left-handedness was considered to come from the devil, everyone was trained to be right-handed, so walls were constructed to favor the right hand for soldiers within the castle – which made it very difficult for enemy soldiers coming up the stair to shoot their arrows effectively. Low doors increased defense. Round towers could be entered on ladders by castle occupants; pulling their ladders up behind them made it difficult for an invader to enter without being killed. Defense was planned to protect the castle Lord and Lady and their children in the keep (top floor) in the best way possible. A cannon ball stuck in a high was can still be seen. The first time the castle suffered a defeat was in 1599.
Michael explained that instead of the dirty sign sometimes used in America, the two fingers used to anchor an arrow are considered a dirty gesture in Ireland.
Of special interest here (as in other wealthy homes we’ve visited), were deer antlers on display above the wealthy home’s mantle. These antlers are believed to be from extinct giant Irish deer and extinct for 7000 years. It is believed that these huge creatures were trapped in a bog and preserved by acidic conditions and a lack of oxygen.
Cromwell seemed to be the general who conquered many of these old buildings. In 1650 Cromwell threatened destruction of this castle and its 10-year-old heir. The occupants surrendered to preserve the medieval building.
Verle and I and Patrick walked part-way down to the ruins of a church at the bottom of the hill.
It was interesting for us to see a big load of hay or large farm equipment moving through the small towns we went through. We wonder about such big equipment being used when so many of the farms are so small.
The last stop of our day was of very special interest to Verle and me because of Bruce and Maureen’s Bed and Breakfast! This stop was at the 1750 Ballyowen House near Kilkenny. The owners conducted a tour of the house and stables and served us tea, coffee, homemade jam, and fresh scones at the end of the tour. Deirdre and PJ Maher gave us a tour of the grounds and their home. Their story is so much like that of the Prairie Creek Inn – I hope they can meet Bruce’s some day. Their webpage address is: www.ballyowenhouse.ie They live in the house with their 3 children, aged 17, 14, and 11 and have been restoring the house and grounds for the last 16 years. The house suffered roof damage in a recent hurricane and scaffolding was set up beside the house for ongoing work to repair the roof.
They call the house a Georgian Irish Country Home in a Gothic style.
pillars like our house.
3 floors and a basement
“protected” by waterless moat
originally 2000 acres – now 60 acres productive land
Was sheep farm for food and wool (before synthetic products were available)
Race horses
Lessons offered in horse riding, jumping, fox hunting
Old walled garden- 2 1/2 acres
80 people worked here
Unique grape wall 30m long – fireplace on shade side to ripen grapes
Broken window can be replaced without government permission – others need approval
Bell pulls like Muckross house
PJ repainted gold trim in fancy ceiling and replaced spindles in stairway
Separate staircase and servant food preparation like Muckross house
Servant’s kitchen was in basement – now family kitchen main floor
Kitchen cupboards and windows had to be hand-made because of perspective for high ceilings
Dumb waiter still works but had to be disabled because of safety for DJ’s kids
Fun place for kids to grow up!
Was 30 rooms – some rooms combined for bigger bedrooms
Would like to replace window panes in kitchen but can’t without gov. Approval
We returned to Kilkenny and Patrick had arranged for us a tour of Kilkenny on a cute little train that played an explanation of all the sights as we drove by – fun and cooling. David Nyce explained to us that this was Patrick’s attempt to make up for the hot bus we’ve been riding in all these days! kilkennycitytours.com

Each day on the bus starts with a brief devotional and singing a hymn. Phil Good, traveler from Lancaster, has been leading these. His messages are very meaningful and his wife, Sandy, is a wonderful song leader. If we ever get to Lancaster, PA, we will attend their church.
Today we traveled north to Tarbert for a boat ride on the Shannon Dolphin Ferry across the mouth of the Shannon River to land on Clare’s shore at Killmer. Shannon is the longest river in Ireland – 250 miles long, and divides South and Northeast Ireland. The river ends in a wide estuary, requiring a boat ride to cross it. The bus drove onto the boat and we climbed the stairs to the second deck to watch the crossing.
We will stay in Limerick tonight, so tour members, especially the men, had fun trying to come up with original limericks throughout the day. E.g.: pedantic rhymes with romantic!
Note: Haven is the same as harbor in Dutch.
As the bus continued on its way, Patrick recounted much of the Irish history, but it is almost too confusing to report here. It is filled with problems with England and Spain, Protestants and Catholics. Patrick reported that the Irish weather destroyed the Spanish Armada at one point.
We made our way to the Cliffs of Moher. These majestic cliffs rise from the Atlantic Ocean to over 600 feet and extend for over 4 miles. Sea birds (puffins) live in the cliffs. Winters are wild here. The bus parked by the Visitor’s Center. It was a bit chilly, and Marian lent me her sweater while she wore a warmer wrap. From the Visitor’s Center, we could see a trail leading toward the cliffs, with people walking all over the place. I felt a bit frightened because it looked like a long walk uphill for a long way. The trail went out and up from the Visitor’s Center. On branch went off to the left above the Cliffs. From the top, one could look down on the birds below. The other branch went far out to the left to O’brian’s Tower and beyond. From this trail, the walker can get a great view of the Cliffs all along the way. The literature says it is a 15 minute walk to O’brian’s tower, but I’m sure it took us more. From the tower the trail extends much farther with a continuing great view of the cliffs and the countryside. Verle and I went much of the way on that trail, too. I was so glad that my hip wasn’t bothering me much, and we enjoyed the lovely day. We bought some ice cream on the way back down and made it back to the Center and the bus without difficulty. Whew!
We left the Cliffs of Moher and were scheduled to tor the Burren (large stones) Region, but if we drove past them, no comment seemed to be made.
As we drive along, we continue to enjoy the buildings in the towns and countryside – most are made of stone or a concrete/plaster finish in many colors. Small towns usually have blocks of rows of these buildings in a solid block with one continuous roof. One wonders if fire is a potential problem, but we haven’t seen burned buildings. As we wonder through the villages, we see thick concrete chimneys with from 2-4 or more chimney cones sticking out the top. Occasionally we see a thatched roof on an old building. One building had a thatched roof that wrapped around porch roofs and other construction features. We seldom see brick used in home construction, although there are a few brick homes in Kilkenny. We almost never see police cars as we drive through Ireland, and we don’t remember seeing any trash lying around.
Patrick passed around some yummy mints: Classic Mint Medley brand, Datos Cortados P.O. 7202 Willenhall WVJ 90JUK
Bus riding continued with limericks – David shared a limerick tribute to Patrick, our guide. Patrick continued to tell us more about Ireland. Before the 1845-49 famine, there were 8 million people in Ireland. Now there are only 5 million. A black blight on the potato crop also contributed to this problem. Potatoes are a staple crop for the Irish – Irish stew usually contains potatoes.
Irish farms are very small and the rock fences all the way around them take up more of the land.

This may prove to be the most enjoyable day of the whole tour as we drove the Ring of Kerry in the beautiful Killarney National Park – even though the bus was hot! The Ring of Kerry is a 100-mile panoramic drive around the islands southwestern tip. The scenery is spectacular — mountains, peat bogs, lakes, rocks, wide vistas, thick forests of oak and beech and fern abound, and magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean come often. Some evergreen can be seen in the higher mountain areas. By law, buses must drive this “ring” in a counterclockwise manner. Containing many tight turns and narrow areas, one can easily understand why buses should all drive the Ring in the same direction! Chris had a great opportunity to display his skill as a bus driver on the narrow roads meeting cars on curves that looked to be impossible! Our route followed N71 to Kenmare, N70 around the Iveragh Peninsula to Killorglin – passing through Sneem, Waterville, Cahersiveen, and Glenbeigh – before returning to Killarney via N72.
Our first stop was at Ross Castle, a 15th century tower house on the natural lake, the Lough Leane Lake – the largest of the three lakes of Killarny. This castle, the home of the O’Donoghue clan, was evidently the last one taken by Oliver Crowmwell during the Irish Confederate wars. The occupants had evidently been warned by a goat that escaped which gave them time to prepare. Cromwell accomplished his task by constructing a warship right on the lake using materials brought by boat via the River Laune.
As the bus continued on this lovely drive, cameras were constantly in use. The bus stopped several times so we could walk through the most beautiful scenery in God’s creation!
Peat beds were often in sight. Peat is half way to coal. It is found in bogs as much as 10′ deep. Pieces are dug out and allowed to dry for 3-8 months. People can either dig the peat themselves or buy it after it dries. Peat is slow-burning and makes a romantic warmth!
An interesting stop was Ladies’ View, a scenic panorama. The name stems fro the admiration of the view given by Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting during their 1861 visit, “This view should be reserved for ladies!”
Patrick says that a 100-mile bike race is held around this Ring of Kerry. For those strong enough, this would be a lovely ride. It is so lovely even from a bus window!
Another especially enjoyable stop was at the Muckross House, built for Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, Mary Balfour Herbert. Our wonderful guide, Nora, explained the huge home, which was built between 1839 and 1843, and was occupied by the Muckross family for almost 200 years. Evidently at least a part of their wealth came from mining copper. The home displays the elegant lifestyle of the nineteenth century landowning class. The landlord loved hunting in the untouched forest. Above the mantle are a priceless set of giant deer antlers, found buried from extinct deer from 10,000 years ago. The living room shutters remain closed to prevent fading – but were opened in 2007 for the visit of Prince Charles and his wife. Women could read and gather in another area where they would be shielded from the men’s activities, too masculine for their delicate eyes. Shields near the fireplace could be used to save women’s beeswax makeup — giving rise to the terms “saving face” and “mind your beeswax.”
The house reportedly has 92 rooms. Waterford chandeliers can be seen throughout. Dancing was held in the reception hall. Children were cared for and taught in the nursery by servants and apparently didn’t join their parents for activities and meals until age 11-12. They were sent away to boarding schools such as Eaton. Mary enjoyed painting – just for fun. On August 26, 1861, Queen Victoria visited the estate. Because of her fear of fire, she slept on the ground floor instead of in the upstairs bedrooms.
Many of the servants evidently gave their whole lives to caring for their masters. Of special interest were the servants’ quarters, totally separated from the eyes of the house’s occupants. A huge window was of clouded glass so the family would not have to see the servants at work outside. An elaborate bell cord system called servants to meet family members’ every need and wish. Different sounds came from different bells, allowing servants to know which room they were being called to. The butler had one of only two keys to the wine cellar. Cooking was all done in the basement, and servants carried heavy dishes of food a long way to reach the Muckross’ meal table.
The house reportedly has 62 chimneys. Our group count reached close to that. The gardens surrounding the house are lovely and elaborate. The estate was gifted to the Irish government. To the original 11,000 acres, subsequent donations raised the total acreage to 26,000 acres.
We walked to an abbey connected to the estate.
None will be able to surpass this lovely day!
All over Ireland we enjoyed the lovely homes, well-tended flowers and hanging flower baskets. We seldom saw decaying buildings except for those that were being maintained as historic memories, and junk piles and messy yards were non-existent. Even old buildings were painted and maintained well. We were struck by the fact that National Parks in the US prevent the billboards and the messes that often result from private ownership. Ireland is consistently beautiful even under private ownership.
Farm fields are small, bordered by shrub walls or rock walls – built by farmers as they cleared their small farms for farming. All across Ireland, this seems to be an identifying feature of the farming countryside, The farms all over Ireland appear to be well-tended and productive. Crops include hay, grain, truck farming, and crops that we couldn’t identify. Stock include milk dairy and beef cows, a lot of sheep, and some horses. It’s hard to believe that Ireland was once a poor country.
This year, it is very dry here – and hot for Ireland. The media reports that this was the driest June in 77 years and the warmest in 76 years. What a time to visit with a bus that isn’t cooling well! At least there must be no solution for the bus – given that David and Wanda Nyce, Pilgrim Tours owner, are part of our group!
We smile at one of Patrick’s obviously important jobs – counting tour members each time we’ve stopped – before the bus can pull back out!
Evidently Irish Kerry butter is a delicacy in the United States.
We gathered for dinner together at 8 p.m. in our hotel.

The day started with our comfortable bus and excellent driver, Chris, driving out of Dublin, with Patrick pointing out some of the sights and explaining the plans for the day as we drove along. Some other Dublin sights pointed out by Patrick as we drove through the city on the bus included the tall, modern spire, St. Patrick’s Cathedral where Jonathan Swift is buried, and Christ’s Church Cathedral (Anglican). Because violence was forbidden in churches and cathedrals, they were considered places of refuge. At one point, two warring leaders shook hands through a hole in the wall.

Historic sketch of area given by Patrick: (probably still out of order)
Celts (Druids) back to year 0 – early Celtic cross
Druids – Pagan, Anglo-Saxon Romans before Christianity
St. Augustine (Christian) monks Celtic Christians
Ex-Vikings – marauders 9th Century – settled down – rampantly pagan
Normans = castle builders
Catholic church said Vikings destroying churches were God’s punishment
French defeated Vikings – made Vikings Christian – Spoke French – elite
Crusades – 1066
1921 north & south left Great Britain
Patrick’s miscellaneous facts:
Ireland – agriculture – different languages – Irish, Gaelic, north = French
O’_____ = son of – Mac also means son of
Dublin 1 million population; Ireland 4 million; Kilarney 15,000
Euro’s in Ireland – Pounds in England – Can change Euros to British # in London
Ireland benefits from European Union – building roads – encourages tourists
Ireland fastest growing economy – lower corporation tax – high productivity
It seemed strange to be driving on the wrong side of the road and passing on the “wrong” side. When walking, we tend to look in the wrong direction first when crossing a street.
Unfortunately the air conditioner charge did not hold and afternoons on the bus (from day 1 to day 6 when we returned to Dublin) were unpleasantly hot. It was great that it didn’t rain the whole time, but the heat was a problem while we rode the bus. We would get back to our hotel and take a shower right away each day.
Blarney Woolen Mills:
We visited the Blarney Woolen Mills. People in this area did not suffer the worst effects of the famine, due to their employment in the Woolen Mills. A fire destroyed the mills in 1869; The mill was rebuilt by 1871 and had a labor force of 222. In 1976, Chris Kelleher, a mill worker, bought the mill and transformed it into what may be the largest quality craft shop in Ireland.
As usual, we didn’t buy anything in the craft shop, but it displays lovely woolens and quality glassware, among many types of quality items, and it was interesting to browse and see some of the things purchased by our group.
Blarney Castle and Blarney Stone
Just outside the city of Cork, the 1446 Blarney Castle contains the legendary Blarney Stone, which is said to give the “gift of gab” (termed eloquence – skill at flattery!) About half of our group stood in line as they worked their way up the multitude of steps, waiting for their turn to lay on their backs upside down to kiss the Blarney stone – and to enjoy the view from the top of the 90′ tower. “There is a stone there, that whoever kisses, Oh! He never misses to grow eloquent.” Verle and I, Patrick, and others, enjoyed strolling through the ruins of the third castle erected on this site and through the grounds including the first Poison Garden that we remember visiting, which contains many plants that are poisonous, including the rhubarb – whose leaves we already knew are poisonous. We strolled through flower beds and woodlands and rested in the stable yard/gift area with other tour members. Unfortunately, we rested a little too long, and found that the way back was a bit obscure and farther than we’d realized – everyone was waiting for us, and we are afraid that we’ve gained a bad reputation so early in our tour! Added to that is the fact that we’ve been rather impatient on some earlier tours with other people who seem to be late all the time!
We spent the next two nights at The Brehon Hotel (room 412) in the lovely town of Killarney. We ate supper in the hotel cafe with Bill and Beth Henry from Ohio. We are starting to meet and know our tour members. Several from our group took taxis to the town center for their supper. Hotel: 011-353-30700, www.thebrehon.com

We arrived on schedule in Dublin, picked up our checked bags, and went through customs without incident. However, when we went out through the exit, we couldn’t find a person holding a Pilgrim Tours sign, as we had been told to expect. After checking once more, we went out to the street area where we could flag down a taxi. We got information that it was totally impossible to walk to our hotel. A taxi was available almost immediately and took us on the 20-30 minute drive to the Hilton Garden Inn Dublin Custom House.  Luckily, Verle had brought along the 40 Euros that we found in the drawer at home from our 10 year ago trip to Europe (the taxi driver would only take Euros), and the driver’s charge was 35 Euros, so Verle paid him including a tip. The taxi driver gave us a receipt so Pilgrim Tours could re-imburse us.
Our guide for the whole Pilgrim Tour, Patrick Doyle, said someone from the tour had been at the airport but we hadn’t seen him, nor he us, even though we were wearing our name tag and had the Pilgrim tour tag on our bags. We connected at 1:10 p.m. Our room wasn’t ready yet, but he told us that there were 14 people registered for our tour. When our room #303 was ready, Patrick helped us find it (the room # was mostly behind a door and we couldn’t find it at first.)   Patrick invited us to go with him on a walking tour at 2 p.m.  He left to pick up some other people from the airport.

At 2, Susan and Roger Guilmain from Rhode Island joined us on a LONG walking tour of Dublin – fun but tiring – and I hadn’t taken my cane.  An Emigration Museum is next to our hotel but we didn’t visit there – it tells about the 1845 famine in Ireland and the emigration that started then and continued into the next century, The British also shipped rebels to the Caribbean.
As far as I can tell, Celtics controlled Ireland in the 7th century, then Vikings, then the Roman invasion, Britain later took control, and now they are an independent country, but as part to the British Isles, they get financing for roads and such things, which is a great boost to tourism.

The Liffey River runs through town just outside our hotel. Dublin is a port, and cruise ships stand nearby. We walked by many things of interest including the Custom Quay Museum, the customs house, Trinity College founded in 1519 by the Queen, who was Protestant – no Catholics were allowed to attend there at first. Nora had said to be sure to visit there. It is a magnificent campus, still busy with students even in the summer time. The library has on display the Book of Kells, a famous hand-copied and decorated copy of the Bible. The line was long, and we didn’t go in the library to view the famous book. Patrick told us that it hadn’t rained for two weeks in Ireland and that the grass was turning brown. At first no women were allowed to attend. Now the student body is more than half women.
In one area, Georgian houses surrounded a private park – a common building style here. Patrick took us farther and farther from the hotel; I was glad that I had been aggressively exercising by right leg, which is still weak and somewhat unsteady since my hip replacement almost 2 years ago. It was the hottest day of the summer here, although the air still felt cool in the shade. After our long walk, we were glad to get back to the hotel. We had known that we had free time to explore Dublin on our own and had planned to join a free walking tour that I’d found on the Internet, but it was much more informative and interesting with Patrick as our guide.
We walked back across the Ha’ Penny Bridge just outside our hotel and had time to clean up before our Irish Welcome Dinner time at the hotel together with the 14 members who will be part of the tour in addition to the guide and the bus driver, Chris.
The Welcome Dinner was wonderful, but unfortunately there was no formal sharing or introductions. We did begin to meet our tour companions on our own.