John & Judi                 Richmond, Virginia	Ireland  Germany Scotland  England Wales

	Thursday - April 15, 2004 We are thrilled to be "home".  We are both exhausted after a very long trip across the pond.  However, our flight status was upgraded and we were treated to first-class plane accomodations flying into London.  This included full horizontal sleeping accomodations, automans for our feet and non-stop food service including baskets of fresh hot bread, homemade pastries and hot towels for our hands.  I hope to always fly with British Airways - from start to finish, they are gracious, friendly and warm people.  Tonight we spent a little time (after a 3 hour nap) driving between Shannon & Limerick (about 20 miles apart) so John could get his bearings again driving on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car.  Somehow it always comes right back to him.  As we looked for a B&B for the night, we came across this gorgeous rainbow.
	Thursday - April 15, 2004 It will be hard to see in the picture, but this is a PERFECT double rainbow.  Two, side by side - one a bit more brilliant than the other.  I THINK I found out where the leprechauns live - in this farmhouse!  This rainbow actually spilled to the ground in the front yard of this house (John now has the pot of gold in the trunk).  I've never been able to actually see where a rainbow begins or ends - but we did today.  Awesome!
	Thursday - April 15, 2004 I had forgotten about the bands of gypsies who actually live on the sides of the roads - just about all over Ireland.  These just have recreational vehicles!  This particular domicile has the bubbled windows.  (Higher class gypsy?????)  These are found right along the side of the highways - in random locations.  You see children outside playing and laundry thrown into the trees to dry.  Very odd - but a way of life here - for some.
	Thursday - April 15, 2004 These are some of the other gypsy domiciles.  Not so bubblie  =)  Sue and Caj - you need to keep this in mind as an alternative living situation! Throw your laundry on the bushes and pee in the trees - life gets not much better!
	Thursday - April 15, 2004 After sleeping a few hours, we ventured out toward Limerick in search of Pub Grub.  The Hunter's Lodge was highly recommended and although there were two very loud and obnoxious tables of Americans in there - headed back to Stateside tomorrow, the food was delicious and the proprietor was very friendly.
	Thursday - April 15, 2004 Bunratty Castle at night.  This castle is special to us because it is the first European castle we had ever seen when we first began traveling to Europe.  We had never taken a picture of it alight at night and it's quite awesome.  Bunratty - pronounced Bahn-Rotty, in the Shannon/Limmerick area.
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 Another thing that keeps us coming back.  The thatched hut homes - often still occupied.  I'm so excited to be back here I cannot stand myself!  I'm thinkin' this would be a wonderful new habitat for Dev.
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 Nothin' like an Irish cow!  I LOVE these guys!  It means I'm home and closin' in on County Mayo and Michael and Bernie.  Don't you think they look excited to see me too????
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 The miles and mile of rock walls.  There is nothing in the world prettier.  Today we are on our way to revisit the Cliffs of Moher - there are certain things one MUST do when in Ireland - the cliffs are definately one of those things!  There is no mortar used in the building of these walls - and they are all OVER Ireland - keeping flocks separated for the farmers.
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 Yours truly standing in front of the Cliffs of Moher.  They are awesome.  It's a lovely day out today - wonderful day to do the cliffs.  Beautiful scenery.  Not as high as the ones up North we will show you - but they are truly a work of art.
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 No, the Irish wouldn't go there - but the Europeans do!  As do the Americans!  (Not THESE Americans mind you)  They like to go RIGHT to the edge of these cliffs for picture taking potential - you ask me there's potential for plenty else too!  ARGH!  Bet we wouldn't catch Halfmast out there!
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 This is the observatory castle at the top of the Cliffs.  What a gorgeous piece of work it is.  We've seen it many a time but I always love coming back to see it again.
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 We always want you to have beautiful panoramas of the Cliffs.  What a brilliant day for this - what wonderful work God does.
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 One other angle of photography for the panorama of the Cliffs.  I'm not sure that you could ever begin to take these for granted.
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 Welcome to my pad.  (Don't I wish???)  The Irish believe this is warm weather - I'm in a wool coat!  And standing picture perfect under an archway of the castle at the top of the cliffs.
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 Another amazing picture of the coastline at the cliffs.  We can just stand and stare at this for hours.  It's absolutely awesome!
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 Guess who with the Cliffs as a backdrop - this is a photographer's heaven!
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 And now the love of my life joins me - with the aid of an Irishman - we managed a picure together.  John - the most handsome of them all!
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 OH MY GOD JOHN!!!  Look how HUGE the sheep have become since we were last here.  (Ummmmmm sweetie John says - that would be a cow!)  Well he's DARN near in my window!
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 Miles and miles and miles of gorgeous stone walls.  These alone are worth the trip.
	Friday - Aril 16, 2004 This is Castle Dunguaire in Kinvara on the way to the Cliffs.  (A wee bit of backtracking here we have!)  One of the smaller ones - but quite lovely.  I'm off now to go shopping with Bernie and John's off to the Internet Cafe and we'll be in touch soon!  WE LOVE YOU!  God Bless!
	Saturday - April 17, 2004 Michael not only has a fulltime job - he is a sheep farmer.  We were delighted to get here this year during lambing season - he has 80 lambs on the ground right now.  The name of the panoramic hill they live on is Drumshinnagh which means Hill of the Fox and fox they have!  Red Fox.  Red Fox plus lambs - hmmmmmmm could this be a new recipe???  Fortunately only perhaps one out of 10 fox are killers and they lose perhaps one or two lambs a season to the red fox - amazingly one fox imparticular!  In Ireland the saying is:  "Cute as a fox" which is parallel with our saying:  "Dumb like a fox".  This is an older fox hunting lamb and no matter what Michael has tried, he has yet been able to kill him.
	Saturday - April 17, 2004 I was amazed to find out there is here also a massive mink population.  They were being raised in the North of Ireland until animal activists had their way and the mink were released into the wild.  Of course, they populated quickly and have since moved all the way into southern Ireland.  They too are hunters of lamb - of all things!  Michael tells me a mink is about the size of an average housecat - maybe 12 - 13 pounds - yet they can fell a lamb of 40 pounds.  Unlike the fox, the mink only drinks the blood of the lamb.  (Move over Dracula - you have strong competition!)  Ahhhhhhh my poor babies!
	Saturday - April 17, 2004 This would be our Michael - out feeding the sheep.  He does this twice a day for his herd of 250.  They know his voice and the ones in the lower pastures recognize the short beep he gives on his van as he pulls up to begin the feeding.  Although sheep are color blind - they come Johnny on the run when Michael shows up in his green, orange and white van.
	Saturday - April 17, 2004 This is the entrance hall to Drumshinnagh House.  Yes, it is a Bed and Breakfast-  the finest in all of Ireland as far as we are concerned, but it is also Bernie's and Michael's home.  And a gorgeous home it is!  This is the entryway with stained glass entry doors and stained glass doors leading into the parlor.  We are not treated as guests here - we are part of their family.  Bernie and I sit into the wee hours of the morning in her cozy kitchen gabbing and laughing and hugging.  I so love to come home to my Irish family.
	Saturday - April 17, 2004 This was our dinner table tonight.  No, you don't eat dinner in a Bed and Breakfast.  They serve Breakfast, of course, but as I said, we are family here.  After dinner tonight John and I decided, at Bernie's urging, to go for a long country walk.  OH MY GOD!  We got as far out as we had planned to go - and here came a FREAKING HAIL STORM!  It doesn't HAIL IN IRELAND!  POURING down rain - hail - and here are two dumb Americans out in the thick of it.  Freezing to death and with me swearing I was going to murder Bernie - we finally made it home.
	Saturday - April 17, 2004 We came in wringing wet - ran upstairs to change and came back to sit by this warm, cozy fire in the dining room and sip a bit of coffee.  Then we decided - it's Saturday night - good night to go to a local pub in Westport and catch some traditional music - the fiddlers and accordians players, folk musicians.  OH THAT WAS SUCH A BAD DECISION!  LOL  Some of you may know - they have recently banned smoking in Ireland.  The pubs are about the size of my bathroom - I SWEAR they are - and there are likely 400 people CRAMMED into them - we heard one round of  music (a round in this case being ONE song) - the crowd pressed into me where I couldn't breath and I was OUT of there like a madwoman with my sanitary pad afire!  Thank GOD they don't let them smoke in there anymore!
	Saturday - April 17, 2004 This is Bernie - Michael's wife with her John.  She ADORES "her" John.  I think you might be able to see that in this picture.  Bernie and I went antiqueing today - she drove so I could fully concentrate on spending money (LOL) and out we went like mad women.  Oh I bought some BEAUTIFUL items.  A few gifts and since John has blown up my hairdryer this morning - I bought another that only works on Euro Current - so I shall have a European hairdryer and a new American one when I get home it looks like.  LOL  When we were about finished, she said - "Oh Lovey, I must get back and feed me' John!!"  I said:  "Oh yes, Bernie - he hasn't been fed for all of an hour - surely he has passed on by now!"  She loves him - but I can see why.  =)
	Sunday - April 18, 2004 Today we struck out to Achill Island - this happens to be where Bernie was born and raised.  It's a beautiful day ride - and along the way, some stunning inlets, waterfalls and of course - the lambs and sheep!
	Sunday - April 18, 2004 This precious little baby was laying just by the road trying to stay out of the wind behind this lump of rock.  =)  Of course, Mom wasn't far away, but he didn't hesitate to pose for a picture.  =)
	Sunday - April 18, 2004 One of the wonderful huts on Achill Island - the type that inspires painters such as myself.  Notice the baby lamb layin' at the door with Mom still overlooking her charge.  It was just too quaint not to stop for a picture.
	Sunday - April 18, 2004 It was extremely cold today - but that doesn't slow US down!  As we approached the mountains on Achill we couldn't believe the fresh snow on the tops.  They reminded me of freshly sprinkled cupcakes!  =)
	Sunday - April 18, 2004 This was taken as we were driving up the pass - it's looking pretty ugly out there - but in Ireland, you can have pouring horrid rain one minute and in the next five minutes the sun is out and all is clear and beautiful again.
	Sunday - April 18, 2004 There are many of these Holy statues all over Ireland - always in places you would least expect them.  This one was located around a bend on Achill Island.
	Sunday - April 18, 2004 Newport is on the way to and from Achill Island and as you enter and exit you see this gorgeous viaduct built in the late 1800's - it was surely worth a few pictures.
	Sunday - April 18, 2004 This is the famous Matt Molloy's Pub in Westport, County Mayo.  It's the one we went to the other night to hear traditional folk music being played - but I'm told it's one of the most famous in all of Ireland and Matt Molloy is famous worldwide for the Irish folk music he plays on his horn.  Only Dev could have stood being pressed meat between dozens of huge, burley Irishmen!!! The old Irish gentleman in the picture had stopped me on the street to ask me diretions somewhere.  He was blind.  I told him I was from America and clueless as to where he wanted to go - but he had his picture taken with me.  =)  Then off he went.  The outside is more fun than the inside!  LOL  The inside is a bit larger than my bathroom at home and had about 400 people packed into it the other night.  NOT my thing!  =)
	Sunday - April 18, 2004 The Chat'rnet!  Cyber Cafe (one of hundreds we'll probably see before this is over!) and the proprietor - who, of course, has fallen in love with me. LOL  NICE internet cafe - things in that department have surely looked up.
	Sunday - April 18, 2004 Jood and Bernie.  We had to say goodbye this morning.  Michael and John hate it - there has to be a round of tears - it's very hard to leave them.  But it won't be forever!  I'll be home again Bernie!!!
	Sunday - April 18, 2004 Every morning and evening when Michael would go to feed the sheep - I had to go too!  He caught this precious little lamb for me to hold - wasn't an EASY JOB!  (The catching - not the holding!)  But he did - and what a precious little thing it is!  Notice Lady - one of Michael's two sheepdogs at my feet wondering WHAT I am going to do with the lamb!
	Monday - April 19, 2004 Today we are on our way to Donegal and passed through a small town where we stopped for a bowl of soup and some brown bread.  The town is Bundoran - beautiful little seaport village and this is St. John's Point which laps right into the small hamlet of Bundoran.
	Monday - April 19, 2004 We're gone through Donegal and are now in the Killybegs area.  This is one of our favorite areas in all of Ireland.  Killybegs is one of Northern Ireland's largest seaports with HUGE fishing boats coming and going and the area also houses the largest cliffs in all of Europe.
	Monday - April 19, 2004 We held not much hope for seeing much at the cliffs today - the weather down in the town was horrid.  Very rainy and very windy and cold.  This fog had settled in all over everything.  This is always a MUST see proposition for us when we're here.  These are AWESOME!
	Monday - April 19, 2004 As we drove up the cliffs to where wewould begin our hike - it cleared beautifully - almost like it was just for us.  This is one of the outlets from the cliff road.
	Monday - April 19, 2004 The winds today were very very strong.  We normally are a little more aggresive about going toward the edge - however, people ARE blown over the edge from these cliffs several times a year - we opted to stay in a bit closer.  Our climb was also inhibited by the high winds - but we went up as far as we dared to go.
	Monday - April 19, 2004 This was on our descent from the cliffs (the hiking portion).  It's hard to just walk away from a sight like this.  It's absolutely and positively glorious.
	Monday - April 19, 2004 As we began our DRIVE down the cliffs - this village nestled at the bottom caught my eye and had to have a picture.  It's just all so quaint and so peaceful.  There is great peace in this region of Ireland.  Who could possibly WANT to leave?
	Monday - April 19, 2004 I'll go on about our B & B last night later on when there is more time.  But they recommended this restaurant for us last night for dinner.  It is called The Clock Tower - we were the ONLY customers and the food was magnificent!  BRAVO!
	Monday - April 19, 2004 After dinner we drove back into Killybegs and right behind the Clock Tower Restaurant we found this lovely string of Holiday Homes.  We came back to the B & B later and asked about them as they appeared unoccupied.   Most however are owned and a few can be purchased for a mere 250 - 300K.  They were just lovely.
	Monday - April 19, 2004 This was our B & B last night and is as I sit typing this for you.  It is absolutely spectacular.  It opened just after our LAST trip here - and is named the Inishduff House.  It is 3,000 square feet, owned by a young lady whose brothers were the building contractors on the house.  It was built over a 3 year period of time and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.  I'll get a picture of her Mother Mary before I leave - but she comes in to help when Ethna (her daughter and house owner) is out to sea!  She left late last night to go on a fishing boat headed for Norway - she will be gone for the next five days - she is the cook for the crew on the boat.  Her mother is 70 and we sat and talked until 1:00 this morning!  (John says I must stop making friends!)  =)
	Monday - April 19, 2004 This is the view of the Atlantic Ocean taken right out of our bedroom window.  We watched Ethna's ship go by the window last night as she left for her journey to Norway.
	Monday - April 19, 2004 This is the bedroom that we stayed in.  This room is about twice the size of my master bedroom at home.  She did a beautiful job on the house and designed large, spacious bedrooms for her guests.
	Monday - April 19, 2004 The sitting area witha small vanity - absolutely lovely accomodations - however, I think the pillows came from the rock quarry!
	Tuesday - April 20, 2004 I know you were just dying to see the ceiling in the dining room of this wonderful B & B - so since I aim to please- here is the ceiling along with the wonderful recessed lighting that I have all over my own house.  It was too pretty not to have a picture of.
	Tuesday - April 20, 2004 This is the breakfast room in its entirety which also overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.  It was a quick breakfast for us as we were off to Northern Ireland today and then East to the Antrim Coast.  Keep in mind that we are headed for the Belfast area - not really an area we wish to be in as it is a fairly dangerous area just now - that and Dublin - so we will be looking for a ferry port perhaps short of Belfast.  We are some of the few Americans who ever come North and we have yet to run into any others in our past trip and likely won't this one until we sail over to Scotland.
	Tuesday - April 20, 2004 This is Mary, mother to Ethna - the girl who owned the B & B.  Since Ethna (as I told you earlier) had to go to sea, Mary and I stayed up and talked long into the night.  She was born and raised in the Killybegs area and is 70 years of age.  The older people in Ireland have a very thick brogue, but after about 30 minutes of conversation, I understood her well.  We talked about family ethics, the events of September 11th, raising children (she had 5) - the situation in Iraq and threw a few hours of American and Irish Politics into the mix.  As in America, we learn from our elderly - Mary was a wellspring of delightful intelligence and integrity, and is a very noble and honorable Irishwoman.  We will make it a point to be back within the next year to be with Mary once again.  She is a new and valued friend.
	Tuesday - April 20, 2004 I don't know exactly how to describe the day that "happened to us" upon leaving the Killybegs area.  We had picked up a hired car in Shannon when we arrived which we will put on a ferry with us to Scotland in the morning.  As we traveled to the North today, we have changed the type of currency we use three times.  Northern Ireland is governed by England.  To bring a car from Southern Ireland into Northern Ireland, (and on to Scotland, Wales and mainland UK) you have to purchase what is equivalent to our AAA Motor Club in the USA.  A simple phone call was all that was needed.  SURE!  Picture this:  I'm in a foreign phone booth with an international calling card and a list of numbers that could make a bookie cry.  The conversation with the AA (only two a's here) Motor Club went something like this: ME:  Hello - I need to purchase AA Motor Recovery Insurance to take my car into the UK.  Please advise. THEM:  Where in the United States are you??? ME:  I am in Donegal Towne in Ireland. THEM:  Are you with Ballintongue? ME:  No, I am with my husband!  (Incredible laughter on the other end) THEM:  Are you IN Ballintongue?? ME:  No, I told you I am in Donegal Towne in Southern Ireland.  (More mountains of giggling on their end) THEM:  Are you in Hitch? ME:  HOLD ON A MINUTE!  (I then THROW open the door of the phone boothe and scream to passersby - WHAT IS THE NAME OF THIS TOWN???????) ME:  NO - I AM IN DONEGAL TOWNE in SOUTHERN IRELAND.  THEM:  Would you be having anything following yer motor car?? ME:  Not if I can help it!!! THEM:  Is anything behind your car ye' could load up? ME:  DO YOU MEAN AM I TOWING SOMETHING???? THEM:  Aye ME:  Why didn't you just ASK me that?  I'm not towing JACK - I just need AA Motor Rescue Insurance for my vehicle for the UK. THEM:  That will be 84 Euro and I will need a credit card number from ye'. My 5 minute phone call lasted an hour.  The babies that go with this picture are the year old neices of DerryAire in our own bingo room.  She has not seen this picture yet.  After securing AA Motor Recovery insurance for my "motor car" that was not in Ballintongue (ball and tongue that turned out to be) nor did it have any hitches - we went on up north to Derry to meet and visit with Rose's (Derryaire's) sister.  The twin on the left is Hannah Mary and the twin on the right is Chloe.  We took a picture of a picture so that Rose could see them.
	Tuesday - April 20, 2004 We were going to have Mary (standing here with me inside her flat) meet us in Derry for lunch.  We arrived in Derry two hours late because of the Ball and Tongue Incident.  LOL  When we came into town, we stopped at a bank to exchange US Dollars into Sterling as we had only needed Euro to this point.  While there, a taxi driver came into the bank and we were introduced to him by the President of the Bank (?????).  Don't ask- these things just happen to me.  I asked if he could direct us to Mary's address and he said - ahhhhhhh no, I shall take you there.  He put us in his cab with his 100 year old sister (she was probably really TWO hundred) - drove us back to our car and proceeded across the river to Mary's - with us following.  When we arrived, he knocked on a half dozen windows yelling:  DO YE' KNOW Mary O'Reilley????  Sheeeeeeeesh I was hoping we wouldn't be shot.  LOL
	Tuesday - April 20, 2004 Mary and John - Rose insisted on these pictures - we were delighted to deliver.  Mary is in her uniform preparing to scoot to work soon so we enjoyed an hour or so of conversation and a cappucino and with hugs and well wishes - she sent us on our way further north.  She says that her sister, Derryaire, has the "cheek of the devil" to make us come into Derry to find and meet someone we don't even know.  (She doesn't realize this is normal behavior for us anyway!)  She was delightful and we were very happy to meet her and take time to visit with her briefly in Derry.  Sorry Rose, there was no dried seaweed at the market this morning - nor were there pictures. You'll know what I mean.  =)
	Tuesday - April 20, 2004 This was one of the gorgeous scenic views  past Derry as we continued up into the far far North.  The countryside changes dramatically from South to North - but both are equally as lovely.  Very quaint - I can see why Ireland has inspired so many great writers and artists.
	Tuesday - April 20, 2004 Back to one of our very favorite sites in the North - the Giant's Causeway.  These artistically esthetic formations were accurately formed not by man - but by nature.  Caused by volcanic eruptions and the wearing of the sea - they are perfectly formed as though man himself laid them out in a glorious landscape.  They are absolutely awesome, and it was actually a beautiful day to be out on the slippery rock formations for special Kodak moments.  This, along with the highest cliffs in Europe that we saw again yesterday are two sites we cannot leave off our itinery when we're here.
	Tuesday - April 20, 2004 My own special giant sitting on the rocks in the Causeway.  This is called the Giant's Chair formation.  It's quite a walk out - but it's always worth it.
	Tuesday - April 20, 2004 One of the craggy inlets at the Causeway - the ocean has been very choppy since we've been here as there have been very high winds - but I think it only makes it more awesome and glorious.
	Tuesday - April 20, 2004 These are some of the mountain formations in the Causeway.  The craggy cliffs and formations made by waves and wind are supposed to depict a baby's cradle, a pipe organ and men standing on the cliff overviews.  They are really remarkable.
	Tuesday - April 20, 2004 Just another extremely pretty area of the causeway and yet another great Kodak moment.  We took no other pictures today afer leaving the Causeway as we were making our way into unchartered territory for us as we made our way into the Belfast area to find the docks where we need to be to sail to Scotland tomorrow.  We have actually checked into a very pretty hotel within 5 minutes of the harbor in Larne (along the Antrim Coast in Northern Ireland) and tomorrow will sail to Troon, Scotland.  From here on out - a REAL adventure begins - as we have no CLUE what we're doing!  LOL  (But there was a time when we were also clueless in Ireland and now it's quite familiar to us and feels like home!)  As they say over here - CHEERS!  We'll be in touch as soon as we find the Internet Cafes in Scotland.  God Bless you all!

Stay tuned for more to come!

	Go to Home Page for this trip
	Go to Scotland - April 22 thru April 24, 2001
	Go to England - April 24 thru April 25, 2004
	Go to Wales - April 25 thru April 29, 2004
	Return to Ireland - April 29 thru May 5, 2004
	Go to Germany - May 5, 2004 thru May 15, 2004

 
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