Waterford, and Cork; Day 2
We were on our way! I must make a couple of notes here. Before we left the U.S. I called my sister for advise on whether or not we should rent a car. She said that if we did it should be an automatic because driving a stick with the gear on the wrong side and trying to remember what side of the road you are on is way to challenging. I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for the VERY wise advise. Also, to my Mother who told me the story of her friend losing the car in the car park when they went on their trip. Also, please note, I am usually too busy to really "plan" a trip in the conventional way and like to make every day an adventure. So, you will have to ask Katie if she liked the spontaneity of it all. We took off and found our way out of Ballymun and on the way to Waterford. Had I done a "little" research I would have discovered that the factory in Waterford visitor center shut its doors one last time on January 22, 2010 and would not reopen until June, 2010.
I digress: Our day started out very sunny and we took off in the direction of Waterford. The roads were fine and well marked and we only got lost.... or rather, went too far, Once! Back on track we came upon a small village called Gowran and there was our first Church, St. Marys.
Surrounded by small homes and sitting in the center of the town with the sun shining down on it, we had to stop. The poem "Leisure" written by William H. Davies is on a tablet in the fountain and reads:
What is this life if, full of care,
We have not time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
and stare as long as sheep and cows.
No time to see in broad daylight,
streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at beautys glance
and watch her feet, how they can dance.
A poor life this if, full of care
we have no time to stand and stare.
Built in the 13th century, it was a church built on the site of a previous monastery and served by clerics who lived in a community but did not abide by monastery rules. It was not open for visits when we stopped so we pressed on to Waterford.
Our next stop was Thomastown, Kilkenny, Ireland. Located on the banks of the River Arrigle. It is another quaint 13th century village and worth a stop.
We arrived in Waterford and it was a very sad, downtrodden looking city. A lot of the doors to business were closed. There is a castle there and we tried valiantly to follow the signs, but to no avail. Round in circles we went and finally decided to stop and eat. A much better option when you cant find what you are looking for. We stopped at Fitzpatrick's Manor Lodge Restaurant. It was a buffet that served European and Irish cuisines and ranged in price for $14-$36. The food was good, that atmosphere was friendly and it was warm inside. All very important to weary travelers.
At this time, we were still not aware that the crystal factory was closed. A young lady from New York, married to the buffet chef, informed us that the factory had closed. She had moved there after 9/11 with her Irish husband and children and was glad that she was there.
Katie and I decided to press on to Cork, so after our late lunch we continued our journey.
Once we were on the road again we followed the signs to Cork and ended up in a round-about with red lights. Who puts lights in a round-about? When your checking all the little entrances, who has time to notice there are lights there? Katie quickly let me know about 5 seconds before the angry motorists! No mishaps and on we went!
Cork is a lovely town and we found an information center right next to a parking garage. A little maneuvering and I should be able to manage the garage. WRONG! I got stuck right in front of the pole separating the two sides and two lanes of cars behind me. A nice man (not bad looking!) jumped out of his car and offered to drive mine through for me. I guess he figured it would be faster than waiving me back and forth. He jumped into the car and quickly pulled through one of the gates and left me to find our own parking space. Wish we could have taken him with us as our driver! We went into the information center and got a bit of information from the girl, used the bathroom and went to walk around the town. It was closing up time but we got to see a bit of the City and liked what we saw.
Our next goal was to find a place to stay and sleep. Our lodgings for the evening was the Victoria Hotel on Patrick Street. Built in 1810 the Victoria Hotel is the oldest and most historic hotel in Cork City. Many leading Irish politicians frequented the hotel including Charles Stuart Parnell. The Landlady gave us directions for parking the car, so we headed back to the other car park to get the car and drove it to the new one.... no mishaps! Another good day for the car and it's occupants.
I digress: Our day started out very sunny and we took off in the direction of Waterford. The roads were fine and well marked and we only got lost.... or rather, went too far, Once! Back on track we came upon a small village called Gowran and there was our first Church, St. Marys.
Surrounded by small homes and sitting in the center of the town with the sun shining down on it, we had to stop. The poem "Leisure" written by William H. Davies is on a tablet in the fountain and reads:What is this life if, full of care,
We have not time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
and stare as long as sheep and cows.
No time to see in broad daylight,
streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at beautys glance
and watch her feet, how they can dance.
A poor life this if, full of care
we have no time to stand and stare.
Built in the 13th century, it was a church built on the site of a previous monastery and served by clerics who lived in a community but did not abide by monastery rules. It was not open for visits when we stopped so we pressed on to Waterford.
Our next stop was Thomastown, Kilkenny, Ireland. Located on the banks of the River Arrigle. It is another quaint 13th century village and worth a stop.
We arrived in Waterford and it was a very sad, downtrodden looking city. A lot of the doors to business were closed. There is a castle there and we tried valiantly to follow the signs, but to no avail. Round in circles we went and finally decided to stop and eat. A much better option when you cant find what you are looking for. We stopped at Fitzpatrick's Manor Lodge Restaurant. It was a buffet that served European and Irish cuisines and ranged in price for $14-$36. The food was good, that atmosphere was friendly and it was warm inside. All very important to weary travelers.
At this time, we were still not aware that the crystal factory was closed. A young lady from New York, married to the buffet chef, informed us that the factory had closed. She had moved there after 9/11 with her Irish husband and children and was glad that she was there.
Katie and I decided to press on to Cork, so after our late lunch we continued our journey.
Once we were on the road again we followed the signs to Cork and ended up in a round-about with red lights. Who puts lights in a round-about? When your checking all the little entrances, who has time to notice there are lights there? Katie quickly let me know about 5 seconds before the angry motorists! No mishaps and on we went!
Cork is a lovely town and we found an information center right next to a parking garage. A little maneuvering and I should be able to manage the garage. WRONG! I got stuck right in front of the pole separating the two sides and two lanes of cars behind me. A nice man (not bad looking!) jumped out of his car and offered to drive mine through for me. I guess he figured it would be faster than waiving me back and forth. He jumped into the car and quickly pulled through one of the gates and left me to find our own parking space. Wish we could have taken him with us as our driver! We went into the information center and got a bit of information from the girl, used the bathroom and went to walk around the town. It was closing up time but we got to see a bit of the City and liked what we saw.
Our next goal was to find a place to stay and sleep. Our lodgings for the evening was the Victoria Hotel on Patrick Street. Built in 1810 the Victoria Hotel is the oldest and most historic hotel in Cork City. Many leading Irish politicians frequented the hotel including Charles Stuart Parnell. The Landlady gave us directions for parking the car, so we headed back to the other car park to get the car and drove it to the new one.... no mishaps! Another good day for the car and it's occupants.
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