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May 10, 2006
Ireland -- from Letterkenny
Categories: Travel
Greetings from Letterkenny! We're at a cybercafe in this northern college town, so no photos yet. We'll have to find a spot with wireless next time. We drove here today from Carlingford via the Giant's Causeway, which was spectacular. Sarah and I spent a few hours there today, marvelling at the rocks, ocean, and general scenery. We could even see Scotland! The weather has been wonderful so far, with sunny skies all day. Our route from the Causeway took us through Portrush, Portstewart, and Coleraine, all in Northern Ireland.
Last night we stayed in Carlingford, a great little town right on the water. It had a ruined castle, a ruined priory, and a nice little pizza place (intact). Our hostess, Wendy, was great -- she's the one that persuaded us to see the Causeway instead of returning south.
Yesterday we arrived with little incident in Dublin, tired but ready to go after a good face wash and teeth brushing in the airport bathroom. We were offered an upgrade to an automatic transmission for only 10 euros/day more and gladly took it. Smart move, as the driving is harrowing enough without having to worry about shifting. I still got raped by the car rental people though, as the on-line price didn't include lots of things that, had I argued, I probably could have gotten out of. But who has the presence of mind to argue after 12 hours of travel?
Despite our fatigue, yesterday we did see the Hill of Tara, the Hill of Slane, Slane Castle (sight of the "Unforgettable Fire" video and other big concerts), and Monasterboice ruins. The later was full of Celtic High Crosses and very cool.
Tomorrow, we have a lot of driving, as we're headed back to Dublin to pick up Harper, then down to KIlkenny. After that, we're staying for two nights in Kinsale.
Hopefully, photos next time!
Posted by Nakia at May 10, 2006 03:25 PM