Ireland by Land

Knowing Terrapin was secure and dry inside, we headed out once again from Crosshaven, this trip would be a little longer and include the rest of Ireland.  That afternoon, we headed toward the Wicklow Mountains but not before we drove through Waterford - which is the "oldest" city in Ireland founded by the Vikings in 800 or so and home of the famous Waterford crystal.  "Oldest" is a relative term because in reality there are places in Ireland that date back to 2000 BC, so...Waterford is the oldest, modern town.

As we drove towards Glendalough, intending to have lunch there, we passed a pub called the Farrier's Inn on an old farm road.  Baxter put the car in low gear, braked quickly and pulled to a stop.  The Innkeeper walked out and said "So, yers lost, are ye?" Nope, just wondering if you were serving lunch.  He said "Oh, I'll check with the chef", came back and said his wife is ready for cookin' and he opened up just for us.  It was a tasty lunch but the best part was the experience.  He was not only the inn keeper, the bar tender, etc...He was also a farrier and told us stories about the horses he shoes and the movies being made in the area, including Little Women, Game of Thrones, and the show Vikings (if you haven't seen this yet, you should definitely check it out).  Would we have known any of this otherwise? nope.

With a full stomach, we continued on towards Dublin where we would spend the night.  Our hotel not only allowed dogs to stay overnight in the rooms, but also allowed them in the bar and restaurant, Mother Reilly's. When we asked the server just to be sure if we could bring our dog into the bar, she said "A'cars ye cen" Sometimes, the hardest part of land travel for us is finding a place that will take Kala.  Not here.  So, we headed to the pub and spent the evening talking to the girls in the bar about how great Kala is and all of her many adventures.  They talked about how they had been to the US and met lots of <air quotes>Irish people<air quotes>.

I guess there is a population in the US who like to think they are "Irish" and talk to people about potatoes, red hair, famines and those relatives with the last name Fitzgerald (for example).  One Irish person we met even said when they were in NYC, they were asked if they had running water and electricity and were told they spoke very good English - geez.

The next day we drove around Dublin to find the St James gate of the Guiness Brewery.  Guiness has been in business since 1759 and this is where it originally started.  There are several versions of the beer and the tour seemed very educational, but unfortunately this was one place Kala couldn't go, so we took lots of pictures and kept moving.  That afternoon we headed north for a trip to the UK, via Belfast.

Right side of car, left side of the road

We did it...got the Renault up to 103kph

Farriers Inn in Avoca, County Wicklow

The Uppercross House leaving treats and a bowl for Kala

St James Gate at Guiness

...and the finished product

Kala likes Guiness too

We know this guy's twin - he lives in Madison, GA

Random castle bridge on the side of the road

Really?  The oldest barbershop in Dublin?

Glad we have a small car to fit in these parking spots