Lonnie in Ireland, last chapter/pics

I never tired of seeing the churches, countrysides, castles, street performers, pristine towns, clean streets and general landscape of Ireland. We went to the Blarney Castle where almost everyone kisses the Blarney Stone (rumored to give you the gift of gab after you kiss it). Being a germiphobe and having a raging cold, I passed on kissing the stone.The last stop on our tour was the Guiness Brewery. Gravity Bar on top of the brewery offered a 360 degree view of Dublin. I even met sistas from L A, a brotha from London, and of course, a life-sized green leprechaun.

Later, I returned to Dublin where I was treated to a wonderful birthday dinner by my Aussie sisters. We listened to amazing musicians sing Irish folk and pub songs. The following day, I visited some museums, art galleries, and Trinity College, home of the Book of Kells and some of the oldest books in Ireland. The college is also home of the first medical and nursing school, so ancient medical instruments, devices, anatomy charts, medical books, etc. were on display. There were also videos to show how the books were hand written and custom bound...fascinating.

I know this blog is lite and brief, but suffice it to say, Ireland is a very beautiful country! I stopped in Chicago before returning to L A and the family is good, still crazy!

Lonnie in Ireland, pt 3

As we made our way around the Atlantic coast, the landscape became even more amazing, dotted with beautiful homes, country cottages, castle ruins, sheep and cows grazing on lush green rolling hills, small picturesque towns and stunning coastline. We reached 'the Cliffs of Moher' seen in so many movies and paintings, and they were more majestic than any photo can reveal.

Our beach stop allowed some of the Paddywagoners (our tour group) to go for a swim, and swim they did. It was the cure for a hangover for some of them who'd partied a lil hard the nights before.:-) My Aussie Sisters, Cathy and Kim, who excort Daisy (the bear) on the adventure, use Daisy to teach Kim's kindergarten class about places, people, events, geography, etc. I became a huge fan of Daisy, and have just about as many photos of her as I do of myself:-

Lonnie in Ireland, pt 2

Visiting Northern Ireland was a real education in Ireland history, politics, economics, religions, and conflicts. We were told of the conflicts between Irish Catholic freedom fighters vs English Protestant occupants. We took a 'black taxi' (old London cabs) tour of areas on each side that had experienced the hardest fighting during the war.

It was shoocking to see that the result is that Catholics and Protestants still live separated by tall brick and wired walls that go on for miles. These communities have gates that are locked and unlocked daily. One groups' heroes and martyrs (boldly painted on wall murals) are the other's source of hatred. Children attend separate schools and may never meet until they attend college. To further the divide, the Protestants are supporters of Israel and the Catholics support Palestinians. It was a lot to absorb, but thankfully, peace is the current order of the day.

Despite the history and current tensions, Northern Ireland is as beautiful as the rest of the country. Belfast is a large bustling city where the British pound is the currency rather than the Euro. Monica (from Spain) and I shared a beautiful B&B, and a wonderful dinner in a local pub, along with other travelers in our group.

The rest of our tour group consists of American students studying near London, singles, couples, and siblings from Germany, England, Ireland, Spain, New Zealand, S. Africa, USA, and Australia.

Lonnie in Ireland, pt 1

Arrived in Dublin last Thurs. and fell in love with the city...bustling with people, musicians, street performers, shops, cafes, traffic, big city sights and sounds. Amazingly, it's quite clean and the street cleaners, manual and machines, are on duty frequently.

I checked into a 2 bdrm apt, an upgrade from a studio that wasn't ready and had a smoker moving out. Nice apt. on the top floor in a quiet area of the city. Met up with Karima, my friend from Cologne, Germany whose considering relocating to Dublin. We hung out for a few days together and had a great time, enjoyed coffees, people watching, a train trip to Bray, a quaint seaside town, and walking all over the city.

There is a Medieval area where the buildings look Gothic and amazing. The museums, art galleries, and churches also look ancient until you get inside. Then they range from old to contemporary. I left Karima after 4 days and started an 'all over Ireland tour' which has been phenomenal! The countrysides are green rolling hills with sheep and cows everywhere. The granite mountains, jagged cliffs, sandy beaches and rugged coast offer amazing scenery.

My 6 day tour includes stops in Northern Ireland (Derry, Belfast), and will continue southeast to Galway, Dingle, Kilerney and back to Dublin with many stops in between. Will offer more details and photos later. Closing for now and off to bed...till later.