Reporting From Ireland

When I heard that Kendra Keller, our lucky 2006 Kansas City Irish Fest raffle grand prize winner had scheduled her trip to Ireland, I asked her if she might be willing to drop us an occasional line from over there so that we might travel vicariously with her. She graciously agreed. Her first dispatch is below:

Greetings from Ireland!

We touched down in Dublin yesterday afternoon, but it already feels like ages ago, we've done so much! We immediately (and some might say foolheartedly) rented a car and dove, pretty literally, into the whole driving-on-the-left-hand-side-of-the-road thing. Brian (my boyfriend and traveling companion) has done a yeoman's service taking on the task of driving, while I've served as navigator with my handy dandy atlas. It's been an interesting business getting used to roundabouts and passing on the right and driving down ridiculously narrow streets, but Brian's done a wonderful job of it - I've hardly ever had to yell "No, to the left!" at all;)! We did make a list last night of near-death driving experiences we'd had during the day, though (and there were several). [Brian here. In fact, there were 11...but who's counting. I will say this about stark raving terror when it comes to driving: it makes one very VERY alert.]

We headed straight for the West, stopping briefly at Clonmacnoise, burial place of the last kings of Ireland. Sadly, we arrived too late to go through the Visitors' Center to see the original high crosses on display there - but we did manage to wander through very green fields past some peacefully grazing cows in order to see the ruins there. They were gorgeous. [Brian again. I also found it extremely sobering to think that this place was built in the 11th century by peaceful, religious people who successfully fought off invasions for 500 years before it was brutally destroyed by the English army. It made me sad to look upon the ruins in the fading light.]

After arriving in Galway, we had a wonderful dinner at McSwiggins, an establishment that looks deceptively like your standard pub from the front entrance, but which opens up to reveal lots of rooms and stairs and floors - a very Escheresque dining experience. And perhaps more importantly, we enjoyed our first taste of "real," bona fide, made-in-Ireland Guinness (*very* tasty). This will doubtless be a daily experience.

After a good night's sleep, we headed out for the Cliffs of Moher this morning, driving the very picturesque and winding route [don't forget terrifying!] along the shore and stopping at the occasional ruined castle. It was a beautiful drive through the Burren, with its odd rock formations, and the stop at the Cliffs was breathtaking. They're building a new Visitors' Center and moving the path back a bit from the Cliffs (you can't look straight down into the water all the way along anymore), but there's still a lot of it they haven't managed to wall off yet. It was amazing.

On the way back, we took an inland route and drove by more ruins and towers, making a specific stop at Poulnabrone, a 4,000-year-old tomb (wow). Then back to Galway, some interesting street theatre involving a man juggling a chainsaw, a hand grenade and a machete, and a wonderful dinner of seafood stew and brown bread (mmm) at Martines on Quay Street. Oh, and of course, more Guinness;).

Tomorrow, we take a ferry for the Aran Islands, which should be wonderful as well - odds are, no internet connection there, though! [And I get a breather from driving!]

We feel so lucky and grateful to be here, thanks to the Irish Fest. Thanks more than we can say for this wonderful, wonderful opportunity! I'll definitely be buying another raffle ticket next year;).

Kendra