We were up and at it early this morning - actually set an alarm so that we could get on the road sooner than we have been. The Internet in the hotel was topnotch so blogging was the best yet. Breakfast was a serve yourself and it had the most amazing croissants I've ever had. Mmmmmm.
The Caernarfon Castle was our first stop, about a 30 minute drive from the hotel. For the first time in two days, we drove on a straight piece of road for two whole miles! Dave says driving on the constantly curving/twisting roads is like being in a go cart. Fun for him, beautiful and adventurous for both of us because you never know what's around the next corner.
The castle is right on the water. There were a lot of sailboats there. The tide was out so some of the sailboats were literally sitting/balancing on their keels while "sitting" in the mud. Strange to see. There was lots of wind but the sun was out.
The castle was massive and consisted mostly of walls and towers used for defense. The living quarters were in two of the towers. King Edward 1 started to build it in 1283 and never finished it. It had "indoor plumbing" complete with toilets. It housed up to 600 people and the kitchen worked round the clock trying to keep them all feed. Made of grey rock it wasn't "pretty" like the French castles are. Those were mostly built to impress others. The Welsh castles were built for strategic reasons.
We, okay I, did a bit of shopping in the gift shops and then it was time to head to Holyhead to catch the ferry to Ireland. By noon the sun was warming things up to about 60. It felt good since we've been chilly a far bit.
Holyhead is at the very northern tip of Wales - actually on a little island. We boarded the Stena Line ferry, left the dock about one and arrived in Dublin about 5:30. It took the better part of the day but we're so glad we did it. Who knows if we'll ever have a chance to see Ireland again. Take advantage while you can!
We arrived in Dublin at rush hour so it was slow going. We drove about 30 miles south to the Wicklow Mountains - a beautiful region. These mountains are up to 3,100 feet high (the Cambrian Mountains in mid-Wales - the ones we loved so much - are up to 2,500 ft, and the Snowdonia Mountains - by the enchanted forest where we slept last night - are up to 3,000 ft high). The Wicklow Mountains seemed higher, rougher, and with longer slopes that the ones in Wales. Some sheep were out and about as well as some beef cows. More breaktaking scenes as we drove though what seemed to be a totally deserted landscape.
For the first time on this trip, we hadn't booked a place to stay for the night. We won't do that again. We started to head north and began to look for a place to stay. The first place we found wanted 140 Euros. Not happening! There weren't many places to choose from due to the fairly remote area. We found Rosaana's B&B in Hollywood and decided to stay there for the simple reason that it was now 8 pm, we were tired, and still had to eat. It was a very plain house. Stucco on the outside, as almost all the houses we've seen are, and beige and white on the inside (and out). Very plain but spotless.
We headed back to the Hollywood Inn (established in 1790) for a traditional Irish supper: honey roasted loin bacon with mash and veg. Translation - a very uniquely flavored ham with delicious mashed potoates with cream to pour on top of them, carrots with anise and a pretty much tasteless cabbage. It was really good! Dave had a Stonewell Cider from Cork. Apparently (hard) cider is very popular in Ireland.
The mountain behind the inn was covered in grass and had a white "Hollywood" sign to match the one found in LA. :) It had rained quite hard when we were eating. As we left, the sun was shining and everything was so lush, green, and beautiful. Just after 10 pm we were in bed with the sun shining and the rain falling (yes, at the same time) and the temps now in the high 40s. Brrrrr.
One thing I learned today: Ireland uses Euros not pounds. We'll need to get to a bank tomorrow to get some of those. Wonder what Scotland uses?
One new thing I experienced today: Driving on a 4 lane highway (doing 100 kms) with guys on bicycles riding beside us. Really strange. They obviously don't have the safety concerns that the States does.
Most powerful moment of the day: Chatting with the lovely waiter at the Hollywood Inn about American politics. He wondered if we preferred Trump or Hilary. It was mutually agreed that Trump is an embarrassment.
One pleasureable experience: In the middle of the mountains, in the middle of nowhere (just grass, sheep, and mountains) finding a sign that said, "community text alert area". Are they talking about texting as in "texting on a phone"? We'll probably never know. :)
Ireland seems to be quite different than England, landscape wise. I can't imagine on a busy highway with bikes.Elaine
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