It's a Small World

When we left the manor house this afternoon to do some exploring Allyn was wearing the Montreal Canada T-Shirt that Andrew brought back for him after his mission. The first person we saw as we went outside asked, "Are you from Canada?" Allyn explained that we were not from Canada, but that our son had served a mission for the church in Montreal. This man was originally from Calgary, went to college at Boise State, and now lives in Las Vegas. He was familiar with the church and we had a nice chat with him. He said he had lived around lots of "Mormons" in Idaho and that surprisingly there were also many church members in Las Vegas.


We walked into town for lunch and ate at Pat Collins Pub and Restaurant. Allyn read about it on Trip Adviser, an internet based travel site he likes to use, and it was rated as the number one Irish Pub in the area. Allyn had Irish Fish and Chips, and I had a Chicken Caesar Salad. I am the "less adventurous" eater and was hoping for a little something that reminded me of home. I was not too disappointed as the only difference was my salad contained a variety of lettuce instead of just romaine.

Dinner at the Blue Door Restaurant

Tuesday night we were on our own for dinner and decided to walk into the town of Adare. Since the town is so small we walked down the main street and looked at all the menus from each restaurant and pub. We decided to eat at the Blue Door Restaurant . . . and yes, it does have a blue door. The building the restaurant is located in has a thatched roof and is made of bricks and stone. We sat on tables in front of the restaurant and enjoyed the food and the sights.



The rock wall surrounding the restaurant had spaces cut out of the top and then flowers were planted in the spaces. It was really beautiful to have the colorful flowers against the gray rock.

The Cliffs of Moher

Today we visited the Cliffs of Moher, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland. These spectacular cliffs are on the Atlantic coastline and the western shore of the island. They are 214m high at the highest point, continue for 8 kilometers, and are made of shale and limestone. The Cliffs of Moher have been featured in many films, including in Leap Year (2010), The Princess Bride (1987), and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009). We were able to take a nice hike up to the top and then along the edge of the cliffs. You will be able to see from the pictures how close we got to the edge!






I loved the way these flowers were growing out of a crack in the side of the cliff. They were beautiful and resilient to grow where there is a lack of dirt and no protection from the harsh wind and rain that beats on the cliff. I had to zoom in quite a distance to get a decent picture of them.





As you will notice Allyn was wearing his Boston Celtic T-shirt. The local people did not realize who the Celtics were but certainly recognized the clover that was on the front of the shirt!

Hogwarts?

Yesterday I mentioned that many things about the Adare Manor House reminded me of Hogwarts, the school for wizards and witches from the Harry Potter series. One reason is that there are many narrow and winding corridors; a perfect place to lose ones way trying to get from one place to another. This morning Allyn was in meetings and I had to get to the Golf Clubhouse for breakfast and then back to my room again. I was not to worried about getting out because of the many exit signs, but finding room 418 seemed like a difficult task. Here are pictures of some of the things I saw on the route I took through the corridors to get from the Reception Area to my room.


I almost expected this guy to come down of the wall and fly around the room!




I didn't see any of the figures on the pictures or tapestries move, but you never know what can happen when you turn the corner!





If it wasn't for the exit signs, electric lights, and other modern conveniences I would think I was back in the 1800's. I can easily imagine candles lighting the halls, women walking the corridors in long, swishing dresses, and fires burning in every fireplace to provide warmth.

Luck of the Irish!

After a long day of flying, and a night which disappeared with the time change, we have finally arrived in Ireland! We landed at the Shannon Airport at 7:00 am this morning and were shuttled to Adare Manor where we are staying for the first part of our trip. My initial impression is that Ireland really is green! There were lots of trees, rolling hills, shrubs, and bushes . . . all green.


Adare Manor was built in 1832 by the Earl of Dunraven and his wife Carolyn Windham. It is huge and kind of reminds me of Hogwarts, the school from the Harry Potter series, with many corridors, tapestries, and pictures . . . an easy place to get lost in! There are 52 chimneys, 365 leaded glass windows, and 75 working fireplaces. Carved into what almost looks like railing at the spot where the roof meets the house are the words "Except the Lord build the house then labour is but lost that built it". There is also a plaque on the outside wall stating that the manor was built without incurring any debt!


Our room is on the fourth floor and very spacious. It is a corner room with two large windows, both of which overlook the river Maigue. We are in the back right hand side of the manor house so it is very quiet and peaceful. You can see where we are located on the following picture.


There is no air conditioning or central heating in the room, but with the windows open and a fan we have been very comfortable. There is a sitting area, desk, dresser, armoire, and lots of open space. The room is approximately 700 square feet!

The manor is on 848 acres of estate with sweeping parklands, cultivated gardens, and mature trees. Some of the trees are more than 300 years old and have been brought from various locations. One tree, a cedar of Lebanon, is the oldest and largest tree of its type in all of Ireland. There are lots of rock walls with ivy creeping over the ground, stones, walls, and tree trunks.


These are just two of the flowers we have seen as we walked the grounds today. The cool, humid weather is perfect for a variety of colorful flowers and green foliage.

Christmas in Cabo!

Joshua Comes Home!