Travels with Pat

After we crossed the river at Kilrush, we entered the Burren, a stark landscaoe in County Clare. Our destinationwas the Cliffs of Moher which rise 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.
At Rathaun Farm, a border collie herded sheep, the farmer/owner sheared a sheep and his wife served us tea and scones with jam and clotted cream.

Today we drove 112 miles around the Irish Ring of Kerry, a peninsula sticking into the Atlantic Ocean; saw ancient standing stones (ogham – 5,000 years older than the pyramids); noticed that stone walls had replaced hedges, and finished our tour by going through Killarney National Park where Kathy spotted a red deer.
Rain poured over us on our “jaunting ride” with a jarvey(driver of buggy) through Bourne Vincent National Park to Ross Castle. That evening we ate, sang and danced at a local pub.

We drove through rain, fog and intermittent sun to Killarney where Kathy climbed the narrow curving steps of the castle so she could kiss the Blarney stone as my proxy, thereby bestowing both of us with the gift of eloquence.
Back on the bus, we passed more sheep(12,000 in Ireland), picturesque towns with vine covered castles and thatched roof cottages until we reached Killarney in time for a roast lamb dinner.

Our trip guide, Kristianne, led our 18 member group on a city tour of Dublin where we saw a plethora of Georgian homes, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the statue of Molly Malone, Trinity College in the middle of the town with its huge library and the Book of Kells written on vellum by Monks in 800 A.D.
During the trip from Dublin to Kildare, Kristianne gave us a brief history lesson covering the English invasion, establishment of penal laws and the potato famine that killed 4 1/2 million people and was a major cause of emigration to the U.S.

I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland to kiss the Blarney Stone, so when the opportunity presented itself, Kathy, my Montana ER nurse daughter deized the day.
Our first night after a “short walk” to the hotel, we were rewarded with a sixth floor room overlooking the River Liffey

Janice, the CEO of the Niagara Falls Chamber of Commerce, treated us to luncheon and told us that 9 million visitors come to Niagara, not only to see the falls and Shaw Festival, but also to tour over 40 vineyards where Old World expertise is combined with some of North America’s finest quality grapes. The local wineries range from small family run operations to large state-of-the-art facilities
I would definitely recommend Niagara-on-the-Falls as the place to visit for anyone who is interested in theater, superb dining, natural beauty, history and wine.

Our next stop at Niagara Falls was the Inniskillin Winery where Graham, the special events manager, was our enthusiastic host. A picnic table with three special wine glasses for eachof us, an ice bucket with three bottles of wine and a bottle of water for cleansing our palates had been placed between rows of the vineyard. Graham emphasized that their ice wines were noted for their “intense concentrated fruit flavor.:

In preparation for our “Maid of the Mist” sailing at Niagara Falls, blue plastic ponchos were distributed as we walked down the gang plank. I found a bench on the main deck; however, the majority of the passengers stood on the top deck in order to experience the mist that emanates from million gallons of water crashing onto nearby rocks. First, our boat cruised to the base of the American Falls and then to the basin of towering Horseshoe Falls.
After our damp encounter, Gunther drove us to the source of the falls where we saw massive hydroelectric turbines that furnish electricity to Toronto and the surrounding towns.

Our accommodations for the five night stay were at the Pillar and Post, a Vintage Inn that used to house a cannery for peaches and tomatoes.
On the first day of our visit, Gunther, our personal tour escort, drove by North America’s oldest police station and golf course in addition to a butterfly conservatory, the Niagara Falls Aviary and a large Floral Clock on the way to the first sailing of “The Maid of the Mist” at Niagara Falls.

Niagara-on-the-Lake was an early Loyalist settlement, an “underground railroad” destination and the first capitol of Upper Canada. During the War of 1612, it was even invaded by American forces who occupied Fort George and the town for seven months before retreating and burning down all the buildings.
Today this charming village is full of elegant 19th century homes surrounded by beautiful gardens and is zoned against any fast food or commercial establishments.