Europe

Day Trip to Sevilla, Spain

Posted on December 20, 2016 by lclalor

Many cruise passengers take an excursion to Sevilla, Spain from the port of Cádiz and we were no exception. Obviously, history nerds like Jim and me wanted to see the Real Alcázar, and yes, you guessed it, it’s another UNESCO World Heritage site and so is the cathedral and the bell tower that was once a minaret. If you’re new to UNESCO World Heritage, these are places deemed to be of universal importance which you can read more about here.

Holland America offered an all-day excursion to Sevilla that included the Alcázar for almost $200 per person. Our experience with cruise ship excursions isn’t terrible but they’re nearly always more expensive, there’s often a stop somewhere to sell us something we don’t need or want, and we’re usually fed a mediocre meal. Instead, we opted for an all-day tour through Spain Day Tours, which cost a mere 69 euros ($75) with no meal or stop to shop although we had free time to do both on our own.

The bus picked us up at the cruise port and our guide provided lots of commentary during the hour and a half ride to Sevilla. We learned that Spain is the second largest producer of almonds in the world behind the U.S., and Andalusia is one of the major locations for that crop. Even more interestingly, cork oak trees grow in this area, and incidentally, they also grow in Portugal (but no one told us about it while we were there). Harvested every nine years without harming the tree, the cork comes from the bark. I took a poor photo of cork oak trees out the bus window but I want to share it nevertheless.

I also found a photo in the public domain that shows a tree after the cork was harvested. The white area is the bark and the red is where it’s been removed.

Upon our arrival in Sevilla, our first stop was the Plaza de España, built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929. Plaza de España refers to both the plaza and the magnificent, semi-circular structure anchored by towers at either end connected by porticos. The building is constructed of brick decorated with azulejos (colored ceramic tiles).

Plaza de España showing one of the towers

Plaza de España with the other tower

Portico at Plaza de España

Columns on portico with azulejo decoration

Along the front of the building are 48 alcoves representing the provinces of Spain with benches and murals made of azulejos. Our guide showed us the alcove for Huelva, the province where Cristopher Columbus set sail for the New World.

Alcoves for the provinces along the front of the building

Alcove for the province of Huelva with mural

A canal, with four bridges representing the four ancients kingdoms of Spain, follows the curve of the building.

The canal at Plaza de España

Azulejo (ceramic tile) decoration on a bridge at Plaza de España

Following this impressive introduction to Sevilla, we walked through the old Jewish Quarter, today called Barrio Santa Cruz, to experience the charming and historic atmosphere of the old city.

Walk through the old Jewish Quarter, today called Barrio Santa Cruz

Barrio Santa Cruz, Sevilla

Barrio Santa Cruz

Barrio Santa Cruz

American author, Washington Irving, spent eight years in Spain and wrote several books about the country including Tales from the Alhambra, published in 1832. This plaque commemorates his time in Sevilla and his love of Spain.

Plaque honoring Washington Irving, Sevilla

Seeing the abundant orange trees lining the squares in this neighborhood as we had seen them in Cádiz, we inquired whether they were good to eat. Our guide explained that the bitter orange is not good to eat as is, but the bitter or Sevilla orange is used to make marmalade. You can tell if it’s a bitter orange by the leaf. If the leaf has a little bump at the base, it’s bitter.

Sevilla orange

Bitter Sevilla orange with bump at the base

Before a tour of the Real Alcázar, some historical context may be helpful. The Romans ruled the area of Sevilla from the second century, followed by the Vandals and then the Visigoths. The Moors, or Muslims, conquered the area in 711 and ruled Sevilla until 1248 when the Christians under Ferdinand III drove them out. The historical period called the Reconquista, in which Islam was expelled and Christian domination restored, wasn’t finally completed throughout Spain until 1492.

The Alcázar was originally built in Islamic style during the 10th century to house the Moorish governor. Over the years, however, the palace was rebuilt, restored, and expanded combining both Islamic and Christian elements to create an architectural style called Mudéjar.

Today, the Spanish royal family stays here when they are in Sevilla. Luckily for us, they were not in residence because the palace is closed to the public when they are present. The palace also served as a film location for several episodes in the fifth season of the HBO series, Game of Thrones. Maybe some of my photos will look familiar to enthusiasts.

Entrance to Real Alcázar

Patio del León, Alcázar

Patio de la Monteria, Real Alcázar

Real Alcázar

Sala de la Justicia, part of the original palace

Baños Doña Maria de Padilla, actually a water tank at Alcázar

Gardens at Real Alcázar

Gardens at Real Alcázar

Following our tour of Real Alcázar, we had free time to tour the cathedral, shop, or get a bite to eat. We chose to find some tapas.

Another stop for Tapas

We planned to see the Santa Maria de la Sene Cathedral of Sevilla, the burial site for Christopher Columbus. When we saw the lines, however, we didn’t want to spend our precious time standing in line so we contented ourselves with viewing the outside.

The Giralda, originally a minaret for an Islamic mosque, today it is the bell tower for the cathedral

Santa Maria de la Sede Cathedral in Sevilla

Santa Maria de la Sede Cathedral, Sevilla

El Giraldillo Weathervane outside Santa Maria de la Sene Cathedral, Sevilla

Santa Maria de la Sene Cathedral

Santa Maria de la Sene Cathedral

I’m sure there’s plenty more to see in Sevilla but our day trip was a satisfying introduction.

Based on events from April 2016.

Categories: cruise, Europe, Spain, Uncategorized, UNESCO | Tags: almonds, Andalusia, azulejos, Barrio Santa Cruz, cork, Game of Thrones, Holland America, Moors, Mudejár, Plaza de España, Real Alcázar, Sevilla, Sevilla oranges, Washington Irving | 2 Comments

A Walk Around Cádiz

Posted on December 13, 2016 by lclalor

Cádiz, founded by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC, is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Spain. Located on the southwestern coast in the region of Andalucia, Cádiz occupies a long narrow peninsula that juts into the Atlantic, providing plentiful sea views and beautiful beaches. Our cruise ship, the ms Rotterdam, arrived in our third port of call at Cádiz around 4:00 in the afternoon. We had reservations for a flamenco show that evening and a tour to Sevilla the following day so we didn’t have a lot of time to explore Cádiz but fortunately, the cruise port is adjacent to the city and it was just a short walk to the historic center.

View of Cádiz from our ship, ms Rotterdam

To save time later, we first checked out the location for our evening flamenco show, a wise decision because we had some difficulty finding La Cava on a narrow cobblestone street.

La Cava, where we had reservations for the flamenco show

I’ve mentioned free walking tours in previous blog posts and Cádiz would have been a good place to have a guide to lead us and tell us about the city. Just google Cádiz free walking tour and you’ll find Panchotours.com. We arrived too late for a tour so we wandered around on our own and saw many of the same sights without the interesting commentary that a guide would provide.

Near the port, we discovered the Cortes Monument erected to commemorate Spain’s first liberal constitution established here in 1812. Cádiz has a long liberal history which is still evident today.

Cortes Monument

One of many narrow streets through Cádiz

When we spied a shop featuring jamón Ibérico, arguably the finest ham in the world which is produced in this area, we knew a stop for tapas including this delicacy was necessary.

Jamón Ibérico

A break for tapas

Jamón Ibérico

Fortified with the ham, cheese, and wine, we soldiered on.

One of many small parks in Câdiz

Interesting architecture found in the narrow lanes of Cádiz

Another park

The Plaza de las Flores (Plaza of Flowers) seemed to be the center of activity.

Plaza de las Flores

Rick and Lori at Plaza de las Flores

Cádiz Cathedral

A peek inside the cathedral

I was intrigued by the banner on City Hall that read, “For a Europe of Open Doors: Borders Kill.” Obviously a liberal reference to the refugee crisis in Europe, my later research uncovered the fact that this banner was raised by an Andalucian human rights organization, APDHA.

City Hall in Cádiz

We returned to the ship for dinner then set off for the flamenco show at La Cava with no trouble finding the taverna this time. Our reserved table was close to the stage and the venue only seats 60-70 patrons so we knew we’d have a great view of the show.

La Cava

La Cava with Lori and Jim at our table on the right

Jim and I with the stage directly behind us

Flamenco is commonly believed to have originated among gypsies, or gitanos, in Andalucia although a lack of documentation older than 200 years makes the origin difficult to substantiate. I, like most foreigners, believed that flamenco was a dance but it is actually composed of 4 elements, cante (song), baile (dance), toque (playing guitar), and jaleo (cheering and clapping). The show we experienced at La Cava exhibited each of these characteristics in a stirring authentic performance. The performers began with guitar and vocalizations followed by the dancers accompanied by clapping and cheering throughout the performance.

Our performers: 3 dancers, the vocalist, and guitarist

Flamenco dancer at La Cava

Another flamenco dancer at La Cava

Third and final flamenco dancer at La Cava

Videotaping was forbidden but I found this video on YouTube recorded at La Cava that includes the vocalist and one of the dancers we saw. Enjoy!

Based on events from April 2016.

Categories: cruise, Europe, Uncategorized | Tags: Andalucia, Cádiz, Cádiz Cathedral, flamenco, jamón Ibérico, La Cava, Plaza de las Flores, Spain | Leave a comment

Adventure in Porto, Portugal

Posted on December 6, 2016 by lclalor

I was especially excited to reach our second port of call at Porto, Portugal on the ms Rotterdam. This was my first time in Portugal and I’d read much about Porto at the mouth of the Douro River. Porto was established by the Romans in the 4th century, B.C. and in fact, Portugal was named for Porto. It’s also home to a UNESCO World Heritage site which includes the Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and the Monastery of Serra do Pilar.

We were initially faced with twin challenges at Porto. First of all, we would be in port from just 7 am to 1 pm and secondly, the cruise terminal is located in Leixoes, 10 kilometers by metro to the city center. I, nevertheless, planned an ambitious itinerary, starting on high ground in this hilly city and seeing the sights as we walked down to the river. This is the plan for Porto from my itinerary:

I wanted to include the Monastery of Serra do Pilar but time simply wouldn’t allow it. As it turned out, we skipped the bookshop, too.

In addition to the challenges we knew about, we were confronted with several frustrations throughout our short stay. First, we had difficulty finding the metro stop. At 7:00 am, there were no buses or taxis lined up outside the cruise terminal and very few people on the streets. We asked someone where to catch the metro and she waved vaguely up the street. When we finally found the metro stop about 20 minutes later, the ticket machine only accepted coins, we had only paper, and the ticket office wasn’t open. We finally got change at a nearby coffee shop and, armed with our tickets, we queued up. Nervous about whether we were at the right stop, I queried others waiting there, reassured myself we were in the correct place and obtained a promise from a family that they would tell us where to get off at the Sao Bento metro stop.

Early morning empty street in Leixoes, Portugal

We finally arrived at our destination around 8:30 without further distress. Across the street from our metro stop, we found the Sao Bento train station where we viewed exquisite blue tile work depicting the important events in Portugal’s history.

Sao Bento Train Station

Tile work in Sao Bento Train Station

The cathedral was just a short walk away but it didn’t open until 9:00 so we took our time looking about.

Market we passed en route to the cathedral

Pelourinho and overlook in Cathedral Square

View of the Douro River from Cathedral Square

Originally built in the 12th century in Romanesque style, the cathedral today combines Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque styles due to numerous additions and alterations over the years.

Porto Cathedral

Interior of Porto Cathedral

Porto Cathedral Interior

Interior of Porto Cathedral

Upon leaving the cathedral, we wound our way down through narrow medieval streets, encountering spectacular views, dead ends, wrong turns, and beautiful surprises until we reached Ribeira do Porto, the Porto Riverbank.

View of Porto with Clerigos Church Tower

Scene from Porto

Narrow medieval street in Porto

Museo de Arte Sacra e Arqueologia

Palacio da Bolsa

Ribeira

Ribeira in Porto

Walking the Ribeira in Porto

Along the Ribeira in Porto

Built in the 1880’s, the double-decker Luiz I Bridge spans the Douro River between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. The port wineries are located across the river and we intended to walk across the bridge to tour the Sandeman Winery. The top level of the bridge is for the metro and pedestrians but we were already at river level so rather than climbing up to the upper level, we crossed at river level where vehicle and pedestrian traffic are both allowed.

View of Luiz I Bridge

Luiz I Bridge

View from the Luiz I Bridge

We easily found Sandeman’s but it wasn’t open yet so we hung around outside and took more photos of Porto from that side of the river.

Rick, Lori, and I at Sandeman’s

Porto across the River Douro

The river seemed high and another couple told us the river cruises were transporting passengers by bus because of it. We even found marks next to Sandeman’s door to record the height of various past floods. Fortunately, we weren’t faced with flooding!

Marks to the left of the door showing the water level in previous floods

When Sandeman opened, we discovered there were no tours in English that morning so off we went to search for another winery nearby. Fortunately, up the hill, we found Offley and had another wait. We were the only customers awaiting a tour that morning so for 8 euros each we had a personal tour with a charming and knowledgeable guide.

Offley Cellars

Lori and I at Offley Cellars

Touring Offley Cellars

Our guide educates us

Port wine developed in this area to provide England with a source for wine when they were at war with France and unable to secure their wine from that country. Grapes grew well in Portugal but the long sea journey to England resulted in spoiled wine until the wine was fortified with grape brandy in the 17th century. Offley was established in 1737 in London by William Offley, a wine merchant who soon expanded his business to include port wine production in the Douro Valley. The company was subsequently brought to prominence by Joseph James Forrester when he took over 100 years later. Today Sogrape Vinhos owns the company.

Following our tour, we tasted Porto White, Porto Ruby, and Porto Tawny. We could definitely tell the wine was “fortified” but my husband, not a big wine drinker, liked it much better than regular wines. The white and ruby were younger wines but I think I most enjoyed the tawny, with a more robust and mature flavor.

Port tasting

All is well with a little port

View across the river to Porto from Offley Winery with Monastery of Serra do Pilar in upper right corner

By now, we were running short of time to get back to our cruise ship before departure time. Before our tour, we’d asked at the ticket office about calling us a taxi and she said they would do so after the tour. We waited for what seemed like a long time and when the driver finally arrived, he spoke no English. And I mean, no English. We finally communicated to him that we needed to go to the cruise port at Leixoes. Off we went bouncing along narrow cobblestoned streets only wide enough for one vehicle around blind curves with a toot of the horn for warning while I bit my lip and held on for dear life. Then we got stuck in a traffic jam with tour buses blocking the road. The police finally sorted it out and we were off again. When we arrived at Leixoes, we actually had the driver drop us farther away because we were confused and went the wrong way causing another delay.

We did make it back in time but I think we all felt stressed by the experience. Whenever things don’t go well or exactly as planned, my husband and I say, “Well, that was an adventure.” And it was.

Based on events from April 2016.

Categories: cruise, Europe, Uncategorized, UNESCO | Tags: Douro River, Luiz I Bridge, Offley, Oporto, port wine, Porto, Porto Cathedral, Portugal, Ribeira, Sandeman, Sao Bento Railway Station, Sogrape Vinhos | 2 Comments

Un Día en A Coruña, Spain

Posted on November 29, 2016 by lclalor

Admittedly, I had never heard of A Coruña, Spain prior to our visit. Located in the northwest corner of Spain on the Atlantic coast in the region of Galicia, A Coruña is noteworthy as the base from which the Spanish Armada set sail to conquer England in 1588. Even more importantly to me, however, it is the home of another UNESCO World Heritage site, the Tower of Hercules.

Morning in A Coruña, Spain

We were ready to disembark when our ship docked at 8 am. We took bus #3 to our number one sight, the Tower of Hercules, but unfortunately, found that it didn’t open until 10 am. Instead of waiting until the opening time to climb the 234 steps to the top of the tower, we contented ourselves with a tour of the grounds and the spectacular views from the base of the tower.

Jim climbing the hill to the Tower of Hercules

The only Roman lighthouse still in existence and the oldest lighthouse in the world, the Tower of Hercules was built by the Romans in the last half of the first century, AD. Originally named Farum Brigantium by the Romans, it has served continuously as a lighthouse since its construction, marking the entrance to La Coruña Harbor. The restoration in 1789 preserved the original Roman structure resulting in its designation in 2009 as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Tower of Hercules

Tower of Hercules

View from the Tower of Hercules

View from the Tower of Hercules

The tower is surrounded by a sculpture garden in a green space comprising 116 acres. The Doors of Hercules, on either side of the tower, are among the art pieces in the collection. The bronze doors, sculpted by Francisco Leiro, contain images representing the various myths and legends about the tower.

The Doors of Hercules, a bronze sculpture by Francisco Leiro

Next to the tower, the Portrait of King Carlos III, by Pablo Serrano Aguilar, struck me as incongruous until I did a little research and learned that he was the monarch who authorized the restoration of the tower. I first thought he looked like an American Revolutionary soldier who wandered into the wrong historical setting.

Portrait of King Carlos III

Legend has it the Celts, led by Breogán, founded Brigantia and built a tower on this site prior to the Romans. When his son, Ithe, spied Ireland from the top of the tower, he set sail for the island but was killed upon his arrival by locals. When his body was brought back to Brigantia, the family decided to return to Ireland to avenge his death and settled there permanently. (Per sign on-site.) The white granite sculpture, Breogán, by José Cid, commemorates this story.

Jim, Rick, and Lori next to Breogán

The mosaic, Rosa de Los Vientos, by Javier Correa, pays tribute to the seven Celtic peoples.

View of mosaic, Rosa de Los Vientos

Finally, the sculpture, Charon, by Ramón Conde, depicts the boatman who ferried the dead to Hades in Greek mythology. Hercules defeated him in a standoff when he faced the challenge to bring the three-headed dog, Cerebus, back from Hades.

Charon

There was more to see including a Muslim cemetery and we could have spent lots more time at the tower but we wanted to get to the historic quarter and the castle. We set off to walk the 2 kilometers to the old city by way of the new promenade along the water.

Promenade along the water in A Coruña

We stopped first at San Carlos Garden in the Historic Quarter where Sir John Moore is entombed. He died in the Battle of Coruña where he defeated the French. This peaceful and beautiful park is the perfect resting place for any hero.

San Carlos Garden

Then by chance, we came upon Santa Maria del Campo Collegiate Church from the 13th century and took a peek inside.

Santa Maria del Campo Collegiate Church, A Coruña

Plaza de la Harina, today called Plaza de Azcárraga, was the main square in the old city where grain was sold.

Plaza de la Harina, aka Plaza de Azcárraga

The Church of Santiago, built in the 12th century, is one of A Coruña’s oldest buildings.

Church of Santiago

Church of Santiago, A Coruña

Santiago, in Church of Santiago

Street in the old city

Gate in the old city

The Castle of San Antón was built beginning in the 14th century as a fortress to quarantine soldiers with a disease called “the fire of San Antón.” It later served as a prison for political prisoners as well as common criminals. Today it houses the Archeological and History Museum.

View of San Antón Castle

Grounds of San Antón Castle

San Antón Castle

Cistern at San Antón Castle

Borna, a replica, at San Antón Castle

Museum at San Antón Castle

Religious and funeral art at San Antón Castle

Following our visit to the Castle of San Antón, we strolled back to the modern, attractive cruise terminal. We enjoyed our first port of call in A Coruña very much with everything conveniently located near the cruise ship terminal or a short bus or tram ride away. We didn’t take the time to see the beaches, the new city of nearly 250,000, or shopping areas but we saw the historic areas that interested us most.

Our ship, the ms Rotterdam, at A Coruña cruise port

Based on events from April/May 2016.

Categories: cruise, Europe, Uncategorized, UNESCO | Tags: A Coruña, San Antón Castle, Spain, Tower of Hercules | 1 Comment

Setting Sail on the MS Rotterdam

Posted on November 22, 2016 by lclalor

The European adventure that began with Keukenhof and Bruges took us next by train to Rotterdam in the Netherlands to board our ship, the ms Rotterdam, for a 14-day cruise to Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar.

Our ship, the ms Rotterdam

My research of ground transportation in these three countries led me to the perfect itinerary on the Holland America Line. As I’ve said before, if you want an introduction to a broad area and to sample places within it, a cruise is more efficient and affordable than arranging your own transportation, lodging, and meals. Then when you find your favorite places within the itinerary, you can always return and immerse yourself for a longer period.

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Setting sail is always exciting and this trip was no exception.

Setting sail from Rotterdam

Rotterdam from the ms Rotterdam

Charming windmill in Rotterdam through a dirty window

We enjoyed scenes of Rotterdam, a city totally rebuilt following WW2, from the ship but when we reached the North Sea, the captain announced we would turn back to deliver a passenger with a medical emergency. Then a short while later, he announced a helicopter would instead evacuate the passenger. This was the first of three medical evacuations that occurred on this cruise which caused a ship staff person to tell a friend of ours that she had worked on this ship for 10 years and had seen a total of three medical evacuations in all that time. Until now, when her experience doubled within two weeks.

Rescue helicopter approaching

Following the excitement, we settled in for two days at sea which allowed us plenty of time to explore the ms Rotterdam.

Jim relaxing in our cabin

Our cabin

Our cabin

We usually cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line and this was just our second cruise on the Holland America Line. I choose cruises by a combination of itinerary and price and this one fit both criteria. Both NCL and HAL offer good service; clean, well-maintained ships; high-quality food; and good entertainment. HAL has a bit of an edge, however, with a sofa and bathtub in their standard ocean-view cabins and pay washers and dryers where passengers can do their own laundry. For a two-week cruise, that laundry option is especially important.

The ms Rotterdam, previously the Holland America Line’s flagship, is a beautiful, elegant ship with a capacity of 1400 passengers and 600 staff.

ms Rotterdam

Poolside area

Enclosed pool area with the retractable roof closed

With several sea days on this itinerary, we were able to enjoy the hot tub on the ship. None of us swam in the pool but many of the intrepid Dutch passengers seemed to enjoy it.

Lori and I ready to visit the hot tub

Jim, after the hot tub

The roof retracted on the pool deck

Art treasures on the ms Rotterdam

More original ancient art on the ms Rotterdam

ms Rotterdam

Casino on the ms Rotterdam

Entertainment in the theater

Theater on the ms Rotterdam

Rick, Lori, and I in the theater

A new offering in our cruise experience, the ms Rotterdam offered bridge lessons on our days at sea. We were “game” to try it and became regulars in class. Jeff, the instructor, was very helpful and soon became a friend and we enjoyed his company off the ship while on excursions as well.

Jim, Rick, and Lori practicing our bridge game

Our instructor, Jeff, assisting our group at bridge

View from the bow of the ms Rotterdam

We especially enjoyed the cooking demonstrations we attended with recipes provided for such dishes as Classic Spanish Paella, Saffron Shrimp and Stuffed Cherry Peppers, and Portuguese Mini Lemon-Orange Cakes.

One of several cooking demonstrations we attended

I’ll devote an entire post later to the outstanding food we enjoyed onboard but meanwhile, here are a few scenes from the main dining room.

Main Dining Room

Main Dining Room

A favorite special touch aboard the ms Rotterdam was the rug in the elevator which was changed daily. The rug announced the day of the week to us, a helpful aid on a long cruise when you have no responsibilities but enjoyment.

Day of the week rug in the elevator

After two days at sea, we felt very comfortable with our home away from home on the ms Rotterdam and ready for our first port of call, A Coruña, Spain. Come back next week to read about it.

Taken from events in April and May 2016.

Categories: cruise, Europe, Uncategorized | Tags: Holland America Line, ms Rotterdam | Leave a comment

Dublin Dining

Posted on September 1, 2015 by lclalor

If you’ve been wondering when my blog posts about Ireland will end, this is the final post…for now. Before closing our Ireland 2015 Tour, I’d be remiss, however, if I didn’t mention restaurants in Dublin and especially my favorite restaurant of the entire trip. I found the Whitefriar Grill online and immediately sent a link to my son and daughter-in-law to check it out. They had us at Ribs ‘N’ Rump. Their website says, “Whitefriar Grill’s Sunday Night Ribs ‘N’ Rump is nirvana for meat lovers everywhere! Stock up on the protein for the week ahead with a 14oz char-grilled rump steak, sticky BBQ baby back ribs, bacon ribs, honey glazed lamb ribs all served on a WFG chopping board, add to this two sides from (tobacco onions, greens, fries, balsamic onion & mushrooms) and you have a meat feast! All for 40 euros for two!” Olympic weightlifters in their spare time, Brian and Abi are definitely paleo meat lovers. It just so happened we arrived in Dublin on Sunday so Whitefriar Grill went to the top of the list.

Whitefriar Grill

Ribs ‘N’ Rump Sunday Special at the Whitefriar Grill

The food was all we hoped for and more, the atmosphere was casual with a hip vibe, the price was reasonable, and the service was outstanding. Located at 16 Aungier St., midway between St. Stephen’s Green and Dublin Castle, it was a bit of a search to find, but well worth the walk. If you visit Dublin and consider yourself a paleo carnivore, this restaurant is a must.

While in Dublin, we also ate at the Bank on College Green. We ended up at the Bank when our planned meal fell through at Gravedigger’s because they don’t serve food on Mondays, so always check the operating days and hours when choosing restaurants for your itinerary. Luckily, Brian had read about the Bank so we felt confident in our second choice. The building is very historic with Victorian architecture and comfortable furnishings and the food was good. Brian and Abi have a habit of ordering several different menu items usually from the starters and then sharing. That’s a tip I’m going to adopt because they get to try lots more dishes at no more cost.

Bank on College Green

Rack of Pork and Pork Belly

Steamed Mussels

Cote de Beouf

Our last night in Ireland, Jim and I decided to have quintessential pub grub at Oliver St. John Gogartys in the Temple Bar area. While the food was good, it was pricey due to the touristy location. Their extensive wine list gets the prize for the best wine quote: “There’s more philosophy in a bottle of wine than all the books in Trinity College.” I’ll drink to that. The restaurant is upstairs but the live trad music downstairs kept us there both before and after dinner.

Shepherd’s Pie with Salad and Chips

Irish Stew

Our biggest travel challenge has always been choosing restaurants. We minimize the difficulty by adopting a policy of one restaurant meal per day, usually in the evening and we try to plan ahead. I like to research restaurants and read customer reviews before taking a chance. We don’t mind paying premium prices if the food and service are outstanding but deciding on a place when the troops are hangry has led us into more than one culinary disaster. (Someday I’ll get my blog post written about searching for food while hangry on the Champs Élysée.)

On April 1, before we embarked on our Ireland 2015 tour, I tweeted, “People say the food in Ireland is terrible but we plan to prove them wrong.” And we did.

Enjoying live trad music at Temple Bar our last night in Ireland

Last look at the Liffey

Based on events of April 2015.

Categories: Ireland | Tags: Bank on College Green, Dublin, Oliver St John Gogarty's, restaurants in Dublin, Whitefriar Grill | 3 Comments

Warning: Castle Ahead

Posted on August 11, 2015 by lclalor

Castles stimulate my imagination with visions of knights in armor and dreams of medieval pageantry. Ireland is full of castles in various states of ruin and restoration which is one reason I adore this country. The Irish also allow tourists to clamber over their ruins although it seemed to me more restrictions were in place this time than 10 years ago.

Trim Castle, on the River Boyne in County Meath, is the largest Norman castle in Ireland. For those of you thinking, “What’s a Norman?” here’s a little historical context in a simplified version: The Normans were originally Vikings that invaded and settled in Normandy, France around 900 AD. They invaded England in 1066 and the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror, ascended to the throne of England. The Normans soon assimilated into England and participated in English colonization efforts in other countries including Ireland. So in 1171, when King Henry II of England invaded Ireland with the aid of an Anglo-Norman noble, Hugh de Lacy, the king rewarded him for his service with the lordship of Meath. De Lacy built a castle there in 1173, but the wooden structure was destroyed by fire, then subsequently rebuilt in stone and added to several times resulting in the castle that remains today. The poster below for sale on site shows an artist’s rendering of how the castle and grounds would have looked after various additions and renovations.

Artist rendering poster of Trim Castle

You may or may not know Trim Castle was one of the film locations for the 1995 movie, Braveheart, the story of William Wallace and the epic Scottish struggle against English domination. Ironically, Trim Castle “played” the English town of York where the Scots took the fight to England. According to Wikipedia, the last castle owners, the Dunsanys, sold the castle to the state in 1993 (Wikipedia). Filming of Braveheart took place in 1994 so I assume it was an opportune time to make use of the castle ruins prior to excavation and restoration work that occurred before the castle opened to the public in 2000. When we visited in 2005 I didn’t realize it had only been open to the public for 5 years.

The entrance fee for adults is only €4 which included a guided tour of the keep. While we waited for our tour, we wandered around the grounds reading all the signs and taking photos. The setting is idyllic with walking trails along the river and a bridge across the Boyne where the trail continues up the hill to the site where St Mary’s Abbey once stood.

Trim Castle from outside the gate

The Trim Gate

The Keep

The River Boyne at Trim Castle

Today all that remains of St Mary’s Abbey from the 14th century is the ruin of the bell tower called the Yellow Steeple.

Yellow Steeple at St Mary’s Abbey

View of Trim Castle from across the River Boyne near St Mary’s Abbey

The tour of the keep was worth the time and money so pay the extra €2 and take it. That said, while our tour guide was engaging and interesting, he seemed to still hold a grudge against the English for their colonization of Ireland. When he told my husband his family, the Lalors, were of French (Norman) descent, Jim had to bite his tongue because the O’Lalor clan was one of the seven septs (clans) of Laois and is strictly 100% Irish. We did, nevertheless, learn interesting details about the history of the castle and, as I’ve said before, we are, after all, history nerds.

Inside the keep at Trim Castle

View from the top of the keep at Trim Castle

View of the River Boyne and the Yellow Steeple from the top of the keep at Trim Castle

View of Barbican Gate at Trim Castle

Incidentally, if you read my earlier post, Ireland Beyond the Pale, you may be interested to know that Trim Castle was at the boundary of the Pale. Any areas north or west of Trim were considered beyond the Pale, that is, outside of English control. We were headed back to the Pale, aka Dublin, just 30 miles away (48 km) with our final stops in Ireland at the Hill of Tara and Newgrange.

Based on events of April 2015.

References:

Trim Castle. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved August 10, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trim_Castle

Categories: Ireland | Tags: County Meath, Hugh de Lacy, Norman castles, River Boyne, St Mary's Abbey, Trim Castle, Yellow Steeple | 4 Comments

Galway Next Time

Posted on August 4, 2015 by lclalor

The next time I visit Galway, I’ll fly into Shannon Airport. The next time I visit, I’ll also take a ferry to the Aran Islands. And next time I’ll tour Connemara. As you can tell, I’m already planning my next trip to Ireland and next time I’ll begin in Galway to do all the things we missed this time. We spent only one day and one night in Galway toward the end of our trip and it definitely wasn’t enough.

Since we didn’t have enough time for the Aran Islands or Connemara, we wandered around the Latin Quarter, the old town of Galway, at a leisurely pace taking in the vibe and the culture. Starting at Eyre Square where we stayed at the Meyrick Hotel, our first stop was to view the banners of the 14 tribes. Galway is called the City of Tribes after the 14 merchant families that controlled commerce and ruled Galway during the Middle Ages and beyond.

Banners of the 14 Tribes

The most influential of the 14 was the Lynch family and their mansion, Lynch’s Castle, is the only townhouse that remains today. It was pretty much gutted and now houses AIB Bank, however.

Lynch’s Castle

Very few buildings of historical significance remain today, but the Spanish Arch and the Blind Arch next to it, constructed in 1584 as part of the city walls, are still standing. The Blind Arch is so-called because it’s actually an archway to a storage room rather than a passage.

Spanish Arch and Blind Arch

Beyond the Arch, along the River Corrib, Galway

Despite a dearth of historic buildings and monuments, several interesting current day cultural issues attracted my attention. Galway, is after all, a university town so current events demand student attention.

Political sign in Galway

Atheist Ireland Information Table

The narrow winding streets were clogged with tourists like us exploring the city. But the shops were colorful and welcoming and we did manage to shop a little for souvenirs.

Galway Latin Quarter

One of the most interesting shops in Galway was Thomas Dillon’s Claddagh Gold, home of the original Claddagh ring and the oldest jewelers in Ireland, established in 1750. There are several versions of the story of the Claddagh symbol, but it is said to have originated in a nearby fishing village named Claddagh on the River Corrib. If you’re not familiar with the Claddagh, it’s two hands (representing friendship) clasping a heart (representing love) with a crown (representing loyalty) above the heart. You can see it on the photo below. The ring is worn with the point of the heart facing outward if the wearer is available and inward if in a relationship. We ventured inside the shop and had a delightful experience witnessing an older couple buy an engagement ring to fulfill a long-held dream. Outside in front of the shop, I took several photos of them with their camera to help them commemorate the occasion.

Thomas Dillon Claddagh Gold

Then it was time for a break at Sonny’s for an Irish coffee while we watched other shoppers pass by on High Street.

Jim, Abi, and Brian: People watching at a local pub

Dinner that night was at Brasserie on the Corner to take advantage of our last chance to enjoy fresh locally-sourced seafood on the Wild Atlantic Way. Or at least some of us did. Jim is usually lured more by beef and the beef was locally-sourced, too. The meal was outstanding as you can see.

Brasserie on the Corner

Mussels

Seafood Board

Galway Chowder

Fish of the Evening

McGeough’s Sirloin

Although the nightlife in Galway is highly touted, following dinner it was back to the historic Meyrick Hotel on Eyre Square for us. The oldest hotel in Galway, the Meyrick opened its doors in 1852 as the Railway Hotel. I found a super bed and breakfast rate of €115 on Sundays only which happened to be the day of our arrival. The hotel has an old world charm and elegance that I found particularly pleasing.

Meyrick Hotel, Galway

Our room at the Meyrick Hotel

Meyrick Hotel

Mural of the Meyrick in bygone era

Lobby at the Meyrick Hotel

The sunset view from our room that evening was extra-special.

Sunset View from Meyrick Hotel April 19, 2015

And the next time I visit Galway, all these experiences are definitely worth repeating.

Based on events from April 2015.

Categories: Ireland | Tags: 14 Tribes of Galway, Blind Arch, Brasserie on the Corner, Eyre Square, Galway, Lynch's Castle, Meyrick Hotel, Spanish Arch, Thomas Dillon's Claddagh Gold | 2 Comments

Touring the Burren

Posted on July 28, 2015 by lclalor

“It is a country where there is not water enough to drown a man, wood enough to hang one, nor earth enough to bury him.” So said Englishman Edmund Ludlow in 1651 while in the Burren on a campaign to subdue the rebellious Irish. Covering an area of nearly a hundred square miles in County Clare on the west coast of Ireland, the limestone rock that comprises the Burren was formed over 350 million years ago, then polished by glaciers in the last Ice Age. The result is a stark, desolate landscape that looks almost lunar. It’s a karst landscape which is limestone terrain characterized by fissures, caves, and sinkholes caused by water eroding the soft rock. So, while the land appears arid and parched without surface lakes or rivers, rain and underground water actually carved the Burren.

The Burren

The cenotes in the Yucatán of Mexico are another example of karst landscape. (You can check out my post about cenotes here.)

The map below on the left shows our tour route of the Burren (enlarged) and the one on the right shows all of Ireland with the Burren marked in pink on the west coast.

Touring the Burren

Map of Ireland with the Burren marked in pink

Our first stop was the Burren Smokehouse at Lisdoonvarna (A on the map above), where we saw a video that explained the difference between hot smoked and cold smoked salmon. Traditional Irish smoked salmon is cold smoked (35 degrees centigrade or 95 degrees fahrenheit) but they offer both products at the Burren Smokehouse. After sampling the two, my favorite was the hot smoked. We decided to buy the sampler package that contained smoked mackerel and trout in addition to both hot and cold smoked salmon. You can find this product and others on their website here.

Burren Smokehouse

The sales staff in the shop recommended we first explore the coast drive along the Atlantic in the Burren so off we went in search of R477 (up to point B).

R477 in the Burren

In spite of the rocky bareness, we were delighted to discover flora that maintained a tenuous hold providing an added element of beauty to the landscape.

The Burren flora

When we reached the coast and saw the Burren with the backdrop of the Atlantic, it was positively breathtaking. We stopped at every opportunity to enjoy one captivating view after another.

The Burren

The Burren with the Atlantic Ocean

The Burren

The Burren along the Wild Atlantic Way

The Burren

We even spotted rock climbers scaling the walls of the Burren, although we didn’t see any of the wild mountain goats that also inhabit the area.

The Burren

At the ring fort at Caherconnell (point D), we spotted a number of rats scurrying about the fields among the cattle (which frankly, kind of freaked me out. ) They also advertise sheepdog demonstrations onsite but we passed on that.

Caherconnell Ring Fort

Caherconnell Fort

Our final stop in the Burren was at Poulnabrone Dolmen (point E), a portal tomb over 5000 years old that contained the remains of over 30 people when excavation began in 1986. A dolmen, or portal tomb, is a burial site marked by a capstone supported by surrounding stone columns. There are over 100 such burial chambers mostly in the northern part of Ireland but this, I believe, is the best known and most thoroughly excavated.

Poulnabrone Dolmen

If you visit the western coast of Ireland, check out the Burren. It’s less than a half hour drive from the Cliffs of Moher and less than an hour from Galway. We found it was a memorable experience.

Based on events from April, 2015.

Categories: Ireland | Tags: Burren Smokehouse, Caherconnell Fort, karst, Lisdoovarna, Poulnabrone Dolmen, the Burren | 2 Comments

The Craic Was Ninety in Doolin

Posted on July 21, 2015 by lclalor

People that know me well may be surprised by this post. I’m about to gush over a small, and I mean a really small town. As a rule, I’m not a big fan of small towns and my worst nightmare would be to live in one. So, what’s so great about the village of Doolin, in County Clare, Ireland, with a population of less than 500? It was the craic (pronounced crack), of course, among other things.

First of all, it’s along the Wild Atlantic Way and perfectly situated to visit the Cliffs of Moher, covered in my last post, and the Burren, which will be the subject of my next post. We could have stayed at least a week and found plenty to see and do to keep us busy.

Our B&B, the Roadford House, owned and run by Frank and Marian Sheedy, was a gem. Our party of four stayed in a suite which was really two bedrooms separated by a hallway with a full bath and another half bath downstairs. It was comfortable but not fancy and cost €140 per night. But the best part was the restaurant. We enjoyed some of the finest food of our entire trip at the Roadford House Restaurant in this small village. With locally sourced, organic ingredients, the dishes were delicious and beautifully presented in a bright modern setting.

Pre-dinner bread selection

Salad

Monkfish

Aged Irish sirloin

The Roadford House Restaurant

Breakfast the following morning was just as pleasing to the eye and palate. But the pièce de résistance was the gourmet egg dish with salmon, beet root, brie, and basil pesto. Without a doubt, it was the loveliest, most colorful egg dish I’ve ever seen and it was delicious, too.

Scrambled eggs with salmon

Traditional Irish breakfast

Gourmet breakfast with eggs, salmon, brie, beet root and basil

If you haven’t already assumed as much, this is a hearty endorsement for the Roadford House (with no remuneration). I know they’ve appeared on lots of lists and received plenty of impressive awards but I’ll just add my two cents worth. Frank and Marian are lovely local people who are knowledgeable about the hospitality industry with experience working in Europe and the U.S. They returned to their home area to put their talents to good use building their own business with hard work and top-notch skills. If you visit this area, be sure to at least eat here if not stay and eat. By the way, they also have a lovely dog named Beans and a neighbor cow whose name we didn’t get but it might be Hamburger.

Brian and Abi with the cow next door to Roadford House

Doolin calls itself the traditional music capital of Ireland so a visit wouldn’t be complete without checking out the pubs featuring live trad music. Here’s where the craic really got started. Craic is an Gaelic word that means fun and there’s a lot of craic to be had in the pubs in Doolin. After dinner we went first to McDermott’s where we shared a table with German tourists who I was told arrive by the busload to Doolin.

McDermott’s Pub with German tourists

They spoke very little English and we speak no German but in a pub with live music and Guinness flowing, that didn’t matter. Then it was on to McGann’s Pub for another round and more live music.

McGann’s Pub

The village of Doolin taught me the meaning of the song “The Craic was Ninety in the Isle of Man.” I have listened to that song for over 30 years and never understood what it meant until now. The craic (fun) was mighty in the Isle of Man (an island between Ireland and Great Britain). Have a listen to it as sung by the Dubliners. It’s grand.

The craic was ninety in Doolin of the Emerald Isle.

Based on events in April, 2015.

Categories: Ireland | Tags: craic, Doolin, McDermott's Pub, McGann's Pub, Roadford House, The Craic was Ninety in the Isle of Man | 5 Comments

Europe

Day Trip to Sevilla, Spain

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A Walk Around Cádiz

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Adventure in Porto, Portugal

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Un Día en A Coruña, Spain

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Setting Sail on the MS Rotterdam

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Dublin Dining

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Warning: Castle Ahead

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Galway Next Time

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Touring the Burren

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The Craic Was Ninety in Doolin

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