Autumn 2016 Travels in Europe: Kilkenny Plus
Saturday, October 29, and Sunday, October 30, 2016
Our time in Kilkenny, Ireland, is splendid. We have attended a national food fair, taken a coastal drive, gone to a crystal making factory and eaten wonderful fare over the past two days. What a great place!
The Food Fair was entertaining and the booths were full of organic foods, regional eateries, informative displays and cooking demonstrations. We enjoyed watching Irish television chef personalities teach us how to cook for Christmas. The set was well done with a full kitchen and large screen monitors to show the chefs at work. We all were given recipes so we could replicate the foods at home. We will definitely be making the chocolate meringue and chocolate mousse Christmas cake at our home. Wandering the booths, we had enough tastings so that we were not too hungry for a meal. Have you even tried stinging nettle pesto or stinging nettle water or apple syrup? They are good!
The House of Waterford Crystal factory was interesting. We did the tour and saw each process that led to the making of a piece of Waterford crystal. Later, we drove a coastal road and enjoyed the views, stopping for some fresh seafood at a nice restaurant situated on the coast. This was the first time I have ever eaten seafood pie. We have heard that each coastal area has its own version. This one used red cheddar cheese, something else I have never eaten. I’ll be trying other versions, I am sure, as we journey to other coastal areas.
I had heard that Irish roads can be narrow, and we found many today as we drove the coast. Our friend Allen thought I got too close to the left side of the road–the side he was sitting on–since I was driving from the right side of our vehicle. We also got our first taste of driving along rock walls through the countryside under golden trees on a nice Irish fall day. Wonderful. WEG
Autumn 2016 Travels in Europe: Bright and Beautiful
Friday, October 28, 2016 – Kilkenny, Ireland
A sunny, just right temperature day greeted us in thoroughly Irish Kilkenny. I don’t think it could get more Irish than this–Kelly green fields, signage in Gaelic, early Middle Ages architecture, Irish Pubs galore, spoon players on the street, Irish Food and Music Fair, Irish flags, castles and cathedrals–yes, this is Ireland. I even think I saw a leprechaun. 😉
We enjoyed walking the streets and looking into buildings and reading signage. Kilkenny Castle is right in the heart of the city. Magnificent. We walked the bucolic grounds, with green fields on gently rolling hills as far as the eye could see. Here and there school boys in uniform were playing the Celtic game, “hurling,” with the sharp clack of the stick on the ball. The trees boasted amazing fall colors, and our walk was delightfully peaceful, or “good for the soul,” as I phrased it.
We were in for a treat at the oldest pub in Kilkenny, known for its traditional food and music. Can you put yourself in a place that has been serving food and drink from 1324? And then hear an Irish story tune by a melancholy singer that fills the space as you eat an Irish feast? We were so blessed. It was a bright and beautiful day. WEG
Autumn 2016 Travels in Europe: The Book of Kells
Thursday, October 27, 2016 – Dublin, Ireland
We were mesmerized by the Book of Kells at Trinity University in Dublin. It was easy to see why it is acclaimed as the most precious cultural treasure of Ireland holding the largest collection of manuscripts and printed books in Ireland. First, the university itself is impressive, with massive columned buildings surrounding a huge courtyard. The Book is housed in a pavilion next to the Long Room, the main chamber of the Old Library on campus. Well over a thousand years old, the Book of Kells is an illustrated Book of the Gospels of the New Testament. Produced by three or four artists/scribes working together, the illustrations in the text are intricate and full of imagery depicting the majesty of Christ and His life. Nothing, but nothing, in the imagery is without meaning. It was obvious the artists were steeped in Christian knowledge and Biblical thought. The Book is made of vellum (calfskin) and the inks were dyed with natural ingredients and applied with stylus and quill. The Latin text is done in calligraphy, amazing in itself, but the art of the illustrations of the text on each page is what makes the eye dance. “Wow” is the best word. Obviously, because of the importance of the Book, we were able to view pages under thick protective glass, but the information in the archives gallery with blown-up facsimiles of the actual book was most informative. The Book survived the Viking invasions, many fires, thievery, and war until it was safely removed from Kells to Trinity University. Once finished, we were able to walk through the Long Room, a dramatic scene lined with marble busts placed down either side of the room. Two stories high with vaulted ceiling, over 200,000 of the ancient leather books reached heavenward in stack upon stack for over 200 feet.
Our evening was full of Irish entertainment at a local theatre. We sang and clapped along to familiar Irish tunes and unfamiliar ones as well. The band was excellent, playing traditional Irish instruments. The dancers were energetic and tapped quite well. Now I will sleep with the Irish music beat playing in my head. WEG
Autumn 2016 Travels in Europe: “The Troubles”
Wednesday, October 27, 2016 – Belfast and Dublin
The polite name for the tumult of political, socio-economic and religious murder and mayhem that rocked Northern Ireland at the end of the 20th century, a time many of us remember, is “The Troubles.” Belfast was at the center of the troubles. What an intriguing morning we experienced, taking a “Black Cab” tour of the city that still vividly recalls those days! We went through Protestant areas of the city and saw memorials to people killed during that time. We went one major street over and drove through Catholic areas and saw memorials to people killed during that time. We drove along walls and through gates that still separate the communities. The gates still close at certain times of the evening and for major events. We stopped several times to explore and take pictures, once along a major “peace lane,” a wall erected to keep the peace. Covered with official words of peace and love, people today still write personal messages on the wall. While far too complex to describe the reasons for “The Troubles,” the issues mainly resolved with the signing of a quasi-peace treaty by major leaders of each side, whom most people trusted.
Today, Belfast and Northern Ireland are moving forward. We saw signs of growth and progress in the city. Tour boats are starting to call in the ports, and tourists have returned. Tensions have tempered considerably, while suspicions remain. As our cab driver/tour director said, “It will take two generations for this to be past history. Too many living people have fathers, uncles, sons, daughters or wives who died, many innocently, for it to go away quickly.”
Our journey via train from Belfast to Dublin was another wonderful trip through the Irish countryside. Once in Dublin, we quickly settled into our rooms in our hotel. Since it is located close to most of the major sites in the city, we walked across the bridge nearby into the Temple Bar area, noted for its many Irish pubs. Hungry, we went into one of the historic pubs, Quays, for a wonderful meal of Irish Beef Stew with Guinness broth, fish stew in a cheese broth and mussels steamed in a hearty cream and vegetable broth. As usual, Kathy opted for the dark beer, in this case Guinness, and Allen and I for the much lighter lager, this time Carlsberg. As I finish this blog and prepare for sleep, window open to let in the fresh cool breeze, I hear Irish music wafting through the air, I believe from the Temple Bar area across the river. It makes me want to dance, a good way to end an emotional and thoroughly provoking day. WEG
Autumn 2016 Travels in Europe: One Last Look
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
We boarded the train for the journey from Edinburgh to Cairnryan on the coast facing Northern Ireland. The train ride was delightful, as train rides can be. Since the train never reached a high speed, we rolled along through hill and vale. Rich green pastures held vast flocks of sheep, some with black heads and others with white heads. Farms were separated with rugged rock walls that criss-crossed the countryside. Brooks and streams meandered across the plain. In the distance we could see the high hills of the highlands. The trees were in fall color, and we marveled at the forests of “Christmas trees” that were resplendent in silver green foliage. The lochs (lakes) beckoned with icy blue water. We knew we were in lightly-traveled Scotland because tree and bush branches hit the side of the train as it passed. One friendly traveler told our friend Rhonda that this part of Scotland has not changed over the years. We were crossing a valley above the tree line on an arched stone bridge when the train slowed to a stop. It was quite scenic, although we briefly wondered what would happen if the train had a problem and we were stuck on the bridge.
It was a beautiful trip and when the train reached the end of the line and we debarked, we realized that we were pretty much in the middle of nowhere and there were no taxis or buses. We needed to get from the station to the ship port for our ferry across to Belfast, Northern Ireland. Some people might panic in that type of situation, but we are seasoned enough to remain calm. Sure enough, I asked a mother with her children how to get to the port, and she offered to call a cab for us. Yeah! In about five minutes, we were on our way.
The only way to describe our crossing of the Irish Sea via ferry is plush. We were totally surprised. Complimentary food and wine, leather chairs, spa with massage, duty free shops and casino were a few of the amenities. I promptly fell asleep in a recliner in front of a large screen showing a burning fire place. We arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the mid evening after a delightful travel day. We promptly went to the hotel restaurant for the evening meal. We knew we were in Ireland–meat pie; pork stuffed with apple and walnut, and seafood chowder. We are going to bed full and happy. WEG
Autumn 2016 Travels in Europe: Stately Edinburgh
For the past two days we have reveled in the beauty of Edinburgh, Scotland. We walked the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle high on the hill to The Palace of Holy Rude, home to the parliament of Scotland way down at the bottom of the hill. We moseyed along Princes Street with its varied shopping venues and saw the statues of the various authors and poets who have called Edinburgh home. The Scott Memorial is especially memorable because of its height and intricate stone work. We loved walking in the Princes Street Gardens with falling leaves in a golden hue and sunlight on a pleasant day.
We have found the people of Scotland extremely friendly and helpful. Occasionally, men in kilts would walk down the street and we could hear bagpipe music wafting through the air as we walked along.
We took a short train ride to Stirling, just north of Edinburgh, to experience this ancient capital of Scotland. Once again, it was up the hill to the castle and down the hill to the old town. While we did not see him, we read in the paper that Prince William was at Stirling Castle the day we were there. What, no tea and scones with the prince? If you are a fan of the movie, “Braveheart,” you would know Stirling because it was the center of the battles fought in the movie, and there is a magnificent monument just outside the city on a high hill honoring this national hero, William Wallace.
As is often true, more days in a certain place would be welcome, but the time we spent was wonderful. WEG
Autumn 2016 Travels in Europe: The Canals of…Copenhagen
Friday, October 21, 2016
It was a rainy day in the morning in Copenhagen, and we decided to take a canal ride. It is amazing how many canals there are in the city–not as many as in Venice, more like Amsterdam. We cruised by many of the city landmarks and picked out a few we wanted to revisit. When the sun came out, people filled the squares and outside cafes in order to catch the welcome rays.
We learned that the Danish people do not eat breakfast as we know it. They eat lightly. I suppose that is why we call a sweet roll a “Danish.” That is about all they eat. Try as we might, we could not find a hot breakfast anywhere.
We appreciated the cleanliness and simplicity of design that we saw around the city. The performing art centers were on the water and filled with glass and straight lines. The old buildings were also more simply designed as there is not much gothic, baroque or rococo architecture to be found.
Here are a few adjectives to describe the Copenhagen we experienced–friendly, inviting, clean, pedestrian- and bike-friendly, expensive, water-centered, confident, efficient, urbane, educated. WEG
Autumn 2016 Travels in Europe: A New Experience
Thursday, October 20, 2016 – Copenhagen, Denmark
Train rolls onto ferry; ferry crosses the Baltic; train rolls off the ferry. Yep, that’s right. Our trip from Lubeck, Germany, to Copenhagen, Denmark, was eventful and pleasant. We watched the fall colors in the trees roll by and saw the sea on all sides. Pretty cool.
Copenhagen, the capitol of Denmark, is a sophisticated city on the fun side. We have been impressed by the pleasant and friendly people we have met. Our hotel room, while quite well placed in the old town, may have the smallest room we have ever experienced. Mind you, everything is quite nice, but teeny tiny. In wonderful minimalistic Danish design, space-saving arrangement is evident. The waste baskets are on the wall–this is hard to describe–with plastic bins/bags attached to big clips that are attached to the wall. You push one end of the clip and the bag opens; you let loose and it closes. Funny thing is, when you use the toilette, you need to have the shower doors open–how do I say this delicately–I don’t think I can be delicate, so just use your imagination.
We enjoyed walking on this clear, sunny day. We saw the Holmen’s Church (Lutheran) dedicated to the Danish navy. The woodwork was splendid. Balconies, pews, altar and pulpit were hand-carved and crafted in intricate detail. A large wooden sailing ship model hung in the middle of the church over the baptismal font. This is probably the finest woodwork I have ever seen in a church.
Our lunch was an experience. Since our train arrived in early afternoon, we wanted a light lunch, and sandwiches sounded good. Our receptionist at the hotel recommended an authentic Danish place that “had a base of rye bread and a selection of Danish favorite toppings.” I heard sandwich shop. Wrong! We were seated in an elegant space with long wool chair covers, linen table cloths and lighted candles. The muted colors and modern lights said “posh.” The traditional Danish food is not cheap. Our waiter suggested a sample menu from a smorgasbord that included four different foods. So, we ate marinated herring (using nutmeg, I’m sure) with capers and organic cream. Next came the smoked salmon topped with an egg salad. Then came the beef slices with a roulade of who knows what and fried potato salad, and finally, chicken with root vegetables. The waiter suggested schnapps as the traditional drink, but we were not into that. Local brewed beer was great. The bill was astronomical. I am pretty sure we had been directed to one of the priciest joints around and we thought we were just getting a simple sandwich. By the way, each course did come with a thick rye bread. I must say, it was a great food experience. WEG
Autumn 2016 Travels in Europe: North Germany
Wednesday, October 20, 2016 – Lubeck, Germany
Our travel experience turned decidedly north as we went to Lubeck, Germany, along the Baltic coast. Lubeck is a charming city, built mainly of brick. The use of brick as a building material was early used in Lubeck, thus charting the way for the use of brick in other cities. As the leading member of the Hanseatic League, cities allied for merchant and commercial purposes and whose craft guilds regulated trade in a large swath of Europe, Lubeck had great wealth. That is reflected in its old town. Brick trading halls, now trendy shopping venues, and brick Lutheran churches with tall spires dominate the surroundings. An ancient brick gate guards the entry. A canal river runs through the city and beautiful buildings from the 1400s, now upscale living spaces, line its way. Walking the city is quite enjoyable. We wished we had another day in this wonderful city of which travel guides offer little space, but we were blessed by the day we enjoyed. WEG
Autumn 2016 Travels in Europe: A Pleasant Surprise
I had low expectations for our trip to Eisenach. I thought it was a backwater and had nothing to offer other than the Wartburg Castle, which was the reason for our visit. What a surprise was in store! The city is very German in architecture and atmosphere. Quaint, yet with really good eating establishments and shopping streets. Walking about is easy and public transportation is easy to figure out. Our accommodations are excellent. We have throughly enjoyed our visit.
We took a city bus up the high hill on which the Wartburg Castle sits. When we debarked, we discovered that the castle was still a ways up and the only way to get there was to climb the steep staircase. Once accomplished, we found magnificent views over the countryside and also the city below. The trees are turning fall colors and that made the views even more spectacular.
We spent time looking at some of the castle’s treasures, some dating back a thousand years. The collection of paintings by Cranach the Elder were especially pleasing. We then wound our way to the Luther rooms where the 16th century religious reformer hid out in protective custody when the Pope declared him a heretic and the Emperor declared him an outlaw. During this time he standardized the disparate German language by translating the Bible’s New Testament into a common German so that the people could read it for themselves. Thus, by protecting Luther, the castle played a significant part in history.
Tomorrow, Mike and Sandra and Sherlene head to Frankfurt where they will board a plane for their trip home. Allen and Rhonda and Kathy and I will continue on our adventure. We have had a wonderful time together over the past month. WEG
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