Ireland for St. Patrick's Day. . . really?!?

soooo. . . kinda crazy that I can do this now . . . but back in March a co-worker and I were talking and she mentioned that St. Patrick's day was coming up next week. . . it was then that I realized I had that whole weekend off!!  After a few small adjustments to the calendar I managed to have 6 days off in a row without taking a vacation day.  I promptly called up my husband.  "Would you like to be in Ireland for St. Patrick's day?"  Two hours later we had a plane ticket, rental car and BnB set up.  That easy!!  Talk about a dream come true! . . (and relatively inexpensive I might add)!

We set out on RyanAir (cheap fares but be wary of extra hidden costs, luggage size and weight and having something peddled to you throughout your flight) and reserved a rental car for the entire 6 days.  Little did we know that the rental car would be a stick shift.  Not only did Clayton sit on the right side of the car but now he had to operate the stick shift with his left hand.  He was a tad nervous but drove impeccably throughout the week :-) 

After landing in Kerry airport we set off immediately to Glin where we spent the night in the Old Castle Bed and Breakfast.  This is a BnB close to my heart as my mother and I stayed here on my first journey to Ireland back in 2008 and loved it!!  I was not disappointed the second time!

The second day we started off on a journey to the opposite side of the Island. . . we just HAD to be in Dublin for the parade you see.  Our first stop was the Rock of Cashel where the kings of old had ruled Ireland.  It is here that the original St. Patrick's Cross is held.  Ahhh. . . what had they done to the Rock of Cashel!!!  It had none of the awe that I had remembered as one whole side of it was covered in scaffolding and tarps!  I was utterly disappointed.  This had been one of the highlights of my first visit and I was shocked, dismayed, let down and appalled that I would not have the same experience with it this time.  We decided to picture it from afar and not pay the 12 euro a person to enter. 

 

We did, however, get to enjoy Hore Abbey right at the base of the famous Rock. . . it, at least, was not defiled.

 

Onward, we went, to Cahir Castle.  This Castle was a pretty as a picture (complete with swans!).  We basically had it all to ourselves and enjoyed it thoroughly . . . until the rain set in.  Built in 1142, Cahir castle is one the largest castles in Ireland.  It was built on an island in the river Suir (thus the swans) and it's dark history includes wars, murder, sieges and treason. . . . sigh. . . .
We ended our day in a small BnB on the outskirts of Dublin city center . . tired  . . but excited for March 17th 2013!

 

St. Patrick's found us cold and wet . . . waiting for 15 minutes under a little roof for the bus to take us into the city center, walking and additional 20 minutes to get to the parade site as the roads were closed off, getting there 2 hours early and walking through the cobblestone streets . . . all in the rain!  When it came time for the parade we were able to wiggle our way, strategically I might add, to the very front line of the parade.  <more rain> What was I expecting from the Dublin St. Patrick's Day parade you might ask. . . definitely not what I received, that's for sure!  I guess the experience was worth it. . . but really??!!  Could they have possibly found more adults to be in the Parade??  And maybe a few local bands instead of all U.S. high school and junior college performers? <more rain> We decided not to stay in town after the parade was finished a few hours later. . . we were cold, soaked, and surrounded by 14 year olds all talking about how they were going to get smashed that night.  Clayton was able to snap some rather funny pictures, however, of some of the O'Heede relatives (at least that's what he called them).

 

The next day we drove south, south, south. . . through beautiful Co. Wexford (where have you been all my life) down to Johnstown Castle (cannot stress how absolutely beautiful this castle was . . especially the grounds surrounding it. . .perfectly situated) then further down to Kilmore Quay Harbor.  Such beauty met us in this small harbor town. . . the slight, salted ocean wind . . . a stroll (hand in hand) down to the harbor where seagulls were soaring overhead . . . we could have stayed there all day had it not started to get dark . . lovely!

We ended the day in Lismore where we were granted an amazing experience with Lismore Castle at night.  As we walked across a quaint bridge lit by Victorian street lights the castle was shinning like an elaborate star. 

 

 (Co. Wexford)

 

(Johnstown Castle and grounds)

 



(Kilmore Quay Harbor)

 



Lismore Castle by day was just as enchanting! Unfortunately we were not allowed inside the castle (we tried to sneak in) as it is a private residence and only opened during certain times of the year. Fine! . . we will go to Blarney then!

(Lismore Castle)

 



Blarney Castle was packed with people :-(  As Clayton did not feel the need to stand in a 2 hour long line to kiss the Blarney Stone and I have already experienced pressing my lips to said stone, we decided to enjoy the beauty of the castle grounds.  Our day ended with the drive down to Cobh.  Cobh is a small little harbor town on the southern coastline of Ireland famous for being the last port stop of the Titanic before it's fateful journey.  It was a cute town with colorful buildings.  We enjoyed a cup o'coffee, sandwiches, tea and a stroll through town and harbor before heading off again to a small town at the base of the Ring of Kerry (our next day's adventure).  We enjoyed great food at the pub as well as traditional Irish live music.  We went to bed early . . . we had a plane to catch the next day and decided to rise before the sun in order to drive the Ring of Kerry before heading back to Germany.

(Blarney Castle grounds)

(cute, colorful, fated city of Cobh)

 



5 o'clock am. . . . ugh. . . why did I agree to this.  The car is empty of gas. . . the gas station doesn't open until 7 o'clock. . . sigh . . .

It was worth it . . . the sun rising over the vast beauty of that rugged country had this California girl in awe . . almost in tears.  Some of my favorite shots of the whole weekend were taken here . . . a monolithic grave sight. . . a lone sheep on a rocky crest . .  (there were four to begin with. . . I was trying to pet at least one, climbed up the face of the crest, scared three off)  . . . Ireland, Oh Ireland. . . how I love thee . .

 

(Monolithic Burial site)

 



 (lone sheep on a rocky crest)

Ballycarberry Castle was the perfect ending to our trip. . . a deserted castle with no entrance fees (just a small fence and a "private property" sign we had to bypass).  It as like and adult playground with half crumbled staircases, no railings, hidden rooms and a beautiful view of the countryside. Clayton had himself a very happy traveler this day.

After much thought I have decided what my next dream in life should be . . I would like to own a cottage in Co. Kerry and would like to spend at least one month a year there.  It would do wonders for my mind . . body. . spirit. 

Until then, it was back to Germany and LRMC . . .
 

In Memoriam . . .

Several weeks ago Clayton and I had the opportunity to visit the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial in honor of those who had lost their lives during WW2, most during the Battle of the Bulge which was fought in the winter of 1944 and spring of 1945. There are 5,076 headstones set in 9 plots of land.  It is in this cemetery where General George S. Patton Jr. is laid to rest.





As we walked throughout the cemetery we encountered several brothers who are buried side by side . . . there were also headstones with the Stars of David in honor of those Jewish soldiers who had fallen during battle.  It is customary for those family members visiting the graves of a Jewish kin to leave a small stone on the top of the headstone.

We also visited the nearby German cemetery and were struck by the comparison. There double the amount of graves (10.913) and one fourth the amount of headstones as there were four names to each headstone.  The headstones were not white marble, as was the American Cemetery, but rather made of cement.

We left with a heaviness in our spirits . . . remembering and thanking those who gave their lives . . .

"Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression"

"Take unto thyself O Lord the souls of the valorous that they may dwell in thy glory"

 

WWII history weekend

(Mardasson Memorial)

 

Along with the walk in the steps of the 82nd Airborne Division we also visited several sites of WWII history that weekend.  One such site was in Bastogne, Belgium.  Bastogne was critical to the success of the American forces in the Battle of the Bulge and it was here that the 101st division (famous in the Band of Brothers series) held off the advances of the German Army until relieved by General Patton.  There is a memorial set up in Bastogne (Mardasson Memorial) in honor the 76,890 American soldiers who were hurt or killed during the Battle of the Bulge. 

 (Sherman Tank "Thunderbolt" at the Mardasson Memorial)

We also found a memorial in honor of the 101st Airborne and more specifically "E" company. 

We then visited the forest on the outskirts of Foy where "E" company was camped and withstood the bombings of the German forces.  Many foxholes that were dug during the war are still present today and we heard if you take a metal detector you can even find some shrapnel left over. . . . we did not have a metal detector however, so Clayton took to digging with his hands . . hehe. . . the only bit of metal we were able to find was a can of Red Bull.

 

 

 

 (trees blow apart at Foy. . . not sure how much was original and how much was created for tourists) 

 (foxhole in the forest outside of Foy)

 

 

(our trek into the forest . . . you can tell we weren't the only ones to visit the site)

 

(another large foxhole we found)

In the footsteps of the 82nd Airborne Division

On February 23rd Clayton and I decided to undertake a 13.6 mile walk through snow, mud, ice and treacherous terrain in retracing the steps of the 82nd Airborne during the Battle of the Bulge (more specifically the 505th parachute infantry regiment and the 551st parachute infantry battalion). Boy, what an experience it was!! The path we took lead us through the villages of Basse-Bodeux, Fosse, Grand-Halleux, Rochelinval, Dairomont and Reharmont. With nothing more than a few snacks packed in a backpack and a cup of vegetable soup for lunch, we proceeded to cover the same ground that these parachute infantries covered in a span of 4 days . . . only we did it in a total of 6 hours (of course we were not fighting for our lives at the time).

One of the highlights of the trip was a remembrance ceremony that took place in Fosse where we were able to meet two veterans of the 505th parachute infantry regiment who fought there.

The battle in Rochelinval cost the 551st more than half of its remaining men as the 551st were ordered to attack the village over open ground ant without artillery support. After this battle the 551st was absorbed into the 82nd Airborne Division as out of the initial strength of 800 officers and enlisted only 110 were left. The battalion was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation in 2001 recognizing its accomplishment. According to paratrooper Don Garrigues their first days in the Battle of the Bulge were miserable: "no sleep, frozen feet, trench foot, knee deep snot, cold food and hallucinations." The frozen feet and knee deep snow we were first hand witness to.

 

Arriving back to the mini we were thoroughly soaked, freezing, exhausted and convinced that we did not wish to experience any more "steps" in anyone’s division.

 

(Special thank you to my co-worker Ann Shields for posting the announcement at work and for the many handouts/books she gave me on the subject.  You Rock!!)

Amsterdam in a day

On January 5 we went to the city of Amsterdam (the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands) . . . . what can I say about Amsterdam that is not inappropriate to post on my blog. . ?!?

I guess I could tell you about the historical buildings of Amsterdam . . . It was here in Amsterdam that the Frank family hid in the walls of one small house and where the diary of Anne Frank was written.  We were able to view that same house from the outside as well as a statue of Anne Frank.  Had we wanted to see the inside bad enough we could have stood in a line that was several hours long . . . we decided, however, that it would be more beneficial to see the rest of the city as we were only there on a day tour.

Westerkerk is a protestant chrurch built from 1620-1631.  It is here in this church where the famous artist Rembrandt Van Rijn is buried. We were able to find a bit of piece inside this church as we sat and enjoyed the music and remaining Christmas decorations.

 

 

We walked by the Royal Palace, which is one of three palaces in the Netherlands at the disposal of Queen Beatrix by Act of Parliament. The palace was built as a city hall during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. The palace is open to visitors most of the year . . . just not when we were there. . .

Amsterdam is built on a series of canals which makes the city quite lovely.  There are also more bikes than cars.

 

There is a 1956 World War 2 monument set up on Dam Square which was quite moving. In the words of Wikipedia,” The central element of the monument is a concrete conical pillar 22 metres in height, covered entirely by white travertine stone. On the front of the pillar is a relief entitled De Vrede ("Peace"), consisting of four chained male figures, representing the suffering endured during the war. To either side of these central figures are two male sculptures representing members of the Dutch resistance, the left figure symbolizing the resistance by the intelligentsia and the right figure symbolizing the resistance by the working classes. Weeping dogs are at their feet, representing suffering and loyalty. Above the central relief is a sculpture of a woman with a child in her arms and doves flying around her, representing victory, peace, and new life. A relief of the back side of the pillar shows doves ascending into the sky, symbolizing the liberation.”

 

The red light district is as crazy as everything you have heard . . . and we witness it all . . . probably not going back.  *yikes* There are comfy “coffee shops” which specialize in a product other than “coffee”.  Window shopping has a whole new meaning in Amsterdam.  *double yikes* Even the tourist shops throughout the city held many different items that should only be seen in the back corner of some dark, dingy, heavily guarded against anyone-younger-than-18 store.  I was in a state of shock and it was with a sigh of relief that I left that city . . . it is probably a lovely place in the summer . . I just don’t think I will go back to see if it is or not . . . 

On the way to the city, our tour bus stopped at a cheese factory that also produced the classic wooden clogs.  It was delightful! We were given demonstrations of how the clogs were made as well as the cheese.  We also received samples of the cheese which caused us to break down a buy a few.  I also bought a neat half-made shoe for the storage of my pens and pencils.

Salzburg, Austria

While on our "Christmas" tour of Bavaria we decided on a little visit to Salzburg. The main highlight of this trip was to see the Hohensalzburg Castle . . . as well as the lovely Christmas market I was told about. We used our handy-dandy GPS to get us into the country but had no idea where to go after that. There were no clearly marked signs for Hohensalzburg Castle and we ended up driving in circles for about 30 min or so. We finally parked in the first place we could find at the base of the mountain and figured if we kept walking up we would eventually find it. . . and we did!! It was a little deserted as it was the day after Christmas and it was raining, but we were able to eat lunch as well as visit several rooms inside the fortress which were more like a museum of various items that would have been found during that time period.

 

(view of the Alps from inside the castle)

 

 

(Salzurg city)

 

 

(another view of the Alps)

Hohensalzburg is one of the largest castles in all of Europe and construction originally began in 1077. It was built atop the Festungsberg mountain (of which we managed to walk both up AND down) and has some interesting history. In the 19th century, it was used as barracks, storage depot and dungeon before being abandoned as a military outpost in 1861. It also served as a prison during World War I.

 

We then walked down into the city center for the fabulous Christmas market. It was huge!! My husband bought me a smallish ceramic mushroom for our house and we were able to visit the Salzburg Cathedral. We then walked all the way back to our car on the other side of the city. . . we must have walked about 4-5 miles that day. . .no joke!! I just asked Clayton! (he keeps me from exaggerating too much)