Day One - March 7, 2013

What a perfect first day it was!  After a glorious night’s rest, we had some of the fresh baked bread we picked up on our drive over.  Like everything in this country, charm and tidiness prevail, so when we stopped at a gas station last night, they were selling breads, pies, and other goodies that were baked by a local woman.  We bought some spelt bread with pumpkin seeds, which is delicious toasted with some Irish white cheddar.  So after a breakfast of that, with a little Irish Breakfast tea, we were on our way.

In Ennis with the town's cathedral in the background

We stopped into Ennis, an adorable town just up the road, to get a few things from the pharmacy.  As we were walking back to the car, we passed a sporting goods store so we figured we'd peruse the sporty-Irishy stuff and maybe get a jersey.  Well, Ted ended up finding a pair of soccer cleats and the delightful lady who helped him pronounced the brand ah-dee-dahs.  So we weren't just being coy when we pronouced it like that in high school, we were being cultural...

Someone was super excited about his Ah-dee-dahs "boots"

Next it was on to The Burren Smokehouse in Lisdoovarna.  The Burren is a largely undeveloped, protected area of land in western Clare County.  Some of the ancient Celts settled in this area and evidence of their presence is found in several of their structures which remain today.  More impressive though is the Poulna bronedolmen, a tomb still standing from the Neolithic period…we’re talkin’ BC, folks.

The Burren was deforested centuries ago, thereby changing the landscape forever.  Its hillsides are covered in limestone and it’s home to a whole range of wildflowers from subarctic to tropical terrains.  Local artisans use the flowers of the Burren to make honey and jam, which can be found at the smokehouse when in season (www.burrensmokehouse.ie). 

Ted behind the counter with Claudia

This fantastic little place ships their smoked fish and cheeses all around the world, including The White House and 10 Downing Street.  Claudia, the owner – a feisty Irish woman we grew to adore over the hour that we were in her shop – also sells tea cloths, scarfs, jewelry, books, and the like, all made in the region.   We ended up buying one of each to take back as gifts.

After bidding adieu to our first friend of the trip, we walked over the creek into town and found a great pub by the name of McNamarra’s.  Ted ordered the Beef and Guinness Stew, which we were told was a must have (and it was deemed rightfully so) and I chose the smoked fish platter, straight from the smokehouse.  If it’s good enough for the President and the Prime Minister, it’s good enough for me.



1st pint of the trip:
Smithwicks Irish Red Ale

We sat at the bar and had a quintessential Irish pub experience.  The pub owner/bartender held up his promise as being good company.  Turns out he was a rugby player for years, and had the scars to prove it, then traveled the world as a body guard.  He told us we had to see Munster (their regional rugby team) play the following night in Limerick.  Munster is currently ranked at the top in Ireland and holds their own with the internationals, so it would be a big deal to see them play in their brand new stadium....you don’t have to convince us to check out a sporting event.

We headed out from there to explore The Burren and my trusting husband let me drive.  My Achilles heel is unfortunately car sickness when I’m on super winding roads (read: roads you find in Europe).  I never had a problem with this until I moved to Italy where no road is a straight one and they’re usually clogged with vehicles that haven’t met their admission standards in three decades:

For realsies

Once I got into the drivers seat, my nausea subsided – despite getting honked at within the first 30 seconds (#sharetheroad). 

We came across an 18^th century manor that now houses a hotel and restaurant (Gregan’s Castle Hotel).  It was built along the hillside and had stunning views of the landscape and North Atlantic.  For all you L.O.T.R. nerds out there (who I realize can go straight off the acronym), J.R.R. Tolkien stayed there when he was writing the series and the influence of which allegedly came out in his writing. 

C.S. Lewis also stayed in the hotel but (full disclosure) we were just looking for a place to use the bathroom.  As you can imagine, it was a gorgeous lobby and we were very tempted to have tea by the 200-year-old fire place.  However, there was much to see and the helpful young woman at the reception suggested we drive along the coastal road then stop in at the in a Wild Honey Inn for dinner.

In the Burren

The drive was beautiful.  On our left was the rugged Burren landscape and to our right was the opposing North Atlantic and the Aran Islands.  These three barrier islands are built out in succession from the mainland and the only way to get to them is by helicopter or a ferry, which departs from the town of Doolin.  These are the home of the famous Aran sweaters, which are hand woven from wool.  They initially were made on those islands, but the craft has hopped over to the mainland. 

The Wild Honey Inn - Lisdoonvarna

Dinner at the Inn was fabulous.  We sat by the fire and enjoyed a red deer pot pie and a soufflé with goat cheese, arugula, wild mushrooms, and a delicate drops of beetroot puree dotting the rim of the white plate.  For dessert, we had a pot of tea and sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel sauce and clotted cream.  That was phenomenal; I think salted caramel is my new favorite flavor. 

The last leg of the drive home was like something out of Sleepy Hallow.  The winding roads were just barely wide enough for one car, let alone two.  I would have given anything for a tape measure to capture what we’re talking about but just imagine a bike path…with either stone walls or hedgerows on each side.  Not exactly room to skootch over when a car comes.  With no streetlamps, the only way to tell if we were in the center of the road was the strip of green grass busting through the asphalt in the center of the lane.  I kept waiting for Ichabod Crane to come riding up.  If only there were cattails blowing in the wind…



"Ichabod! Ichabod!"

Until tomorrow.