Travels with the Wessels

Closing up ties in Dublin came sooner than we thought. The Wessels arrived in Dublin on Wednesday, so we both went in for our last shifts at work. Despite the original complications, we ended up with jobs that brought us friends, fun and spending money, which is all we could have asked for. It didn’t take too long to get over the lament of leaving work because the Wessel adventure was about to begin. They spent two nights in Dublin seeing our favorite sights, checking out our flat and catching a glimpse of our Dublin life. Lewis and Karen visited both of us at work then enjoyed a night out with Al while Mer ran he last shift at La Med. The next morning brought a semi-sunny day, so the four of us strolled around St. Stephen’s Green with coffee, toured the National Gallery, and took pictures at the Oscar Wilde Statue. Mer went home to pack while the Wessels toured Kilmainham Gaol, the jail that housed food robbers during the famine and saw the execution of the organizers of the Easter Rising in 1916. That evening, we were treated to a delicious meal at The Church, a medieval church-turned-restaurant, before taking our seats at Abbey Theatre to see An Ideal Husband. The theatre itself is jam-packed with history, as it was first opened by revolvers in 1907 as a venue to showcase the Irish theatre, music and entertainment that had been forbidden by the British. The play, a classic by Oscar Wilde, was well done with excellent acting and staging and heaps of quotable one-liners. We even got in a bit of good craic that night with Lew, a pint of Guinness, and some live music at The Quay’s in Temple Bar.

The next morning we took off in a rental car headed to the Wicklow Mountains with Lew as our fearless left-hand driver. We stopped at the seaside towns of Dalkey, Brea and Dun Loughaire (pronounced done leary), grabbed lunch and enjoyed the scenic winding roads through the mountains, oftentimes driving with a stone hedge grazing our left mirror and an oncoming tour bus narrowly missing our right. We checked into an adorable B&B nestled in a river valley that led to Glendalough, an ancient monastery that is visited today for its history and mystical quality. From our B&B we were able to walk the skipping-stone bridge to a pathway that followed the river into town. That night we enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Glendalough hotel followed by a stroll around the ruins and a rousing game of Scrabble back at the B&B.

These Irish people take their breakfasts very seriously, Here, it is customary to order a “Full Irish” which includes potatoes, ham, sausage, black and white pudding (mashed up meat patties), poached eggs and toast. Lew ventured for the Full while we girls stuck to eggs and boiled tomatoes. We were going to need some serious fuel for the day ahead. The Wicklow Mountains are known for breathtaking views, great hikes and perpetual rain. We managed to experience all three of these things during an epic hike. We climbed a long and narrow pathway to the top of a ledge, hiked the length of the ridge surrounded by hills of heather and sheep, then climbed a slippery rock path back down, following a waterfall toward a lake below. In all the hike was about 6 miles and it didn’t stop raining once. Always the optimists, we rallied through the storm and the soaked clothes together, singing songs to the sheep like a scene out of The Sound of Music. By the time we trudged our drenched bodies back home, we were grateful for a hot shower, dry clothes and a simple pub dinner in town. To use a great Irish phrase, we were “knackered,” so sleeping in a warm and comfy bed never felt so good.

The next morning we bid farewell to the gorgeous views of Wicklow and to Holly the dog who had become our buddy. We drove to the Rossborough House, a lavishly-decorated mansion that holds the art and antique collections of wealthy owners through the centuries. We took a tour with a knowledgeable guide who had stories behind every painting, chair, table, and statuette. Just before the last owner of the mansion died he built a hedge maze in back of the house, which we had a great time getting lost in. The hedges grow thick and green so finding the end was pretty tricky. At one point, poor lost Lew had to resort to waving his hat above his head so we could lead him around. That afternoon we toured the Rock of Cashel, another beautiful and impressive ancient castle. It was built atop a rocky hill in “the most fertile area of Ireland” which, for this country, is really significant. We also drove to Roscrea, the hometown of Al’s ancestors. We toured the castle they lived beside and walked the streets of their quaint town. Finally we drove through Cork to the south end of the island, ending at the lovely seaside town of Kinsale where we would be staying our final two nights.

The Old Presbytery B&B was beautiful, with a spacious living room, comfy beds and a delightful breakfast. Kinsale itself is a compact town and nothing is more than a ten minute walk away. We enjoyed walking the narrow, winding streets, taking in the seaside vistas and enjoying the epically good craic at night. Our first night there, we committed an Irish cardinal sin and ate Thai food. There are only so many versions of fish, chips, cabbage and stew that one can eat before one just craves some Pad Thai! After dinner we found two great live acts. Both were old Irish dudes playing guitar and belting out Irish ballads intermixed with Simon and Garfunkel, Van Morrison and Nancy Griffith tunes. We made it a habit to always request our favorite Irish tune “Galway Girl” whose charm is quickly waning after our hundredth round of it.

The next morning we set out to explore Kinsale after a great breakfast of fresh fruit crepes. Our walking tour was very informative. Not only did we learn the history of Kinsale, but we also got a refresher course on all of European History as the guide was keen on making connections between Kinsale and the fate of the world. For instance, if you think about it just the right way, without Kinsale, the United States never would have gained independence in 1776. Maybe a stretch, but at least he kept our attention. Lunchtime was spent wandering the local market where we drank amazing hot chocolate (orange flavored for Mer and praline for Al) and browsed the craft market. We spent the sunny afternoon walking to a scenic point a couple of miles away from where we got great views of the harbor and a star fort that was the reason Kinsale was such a well-protected harbor. In yet another act of Irish defiance, we dined at an Indian restaurant. Sorry Paddy, but our palates were craving some spice! We returned to the same great pub as the night before for more great entertainment. That night, an old Irish dude was telling jokes and intermittently singing a song or two. Irish people love to laugh at themselves, so most of his act was making fun of Irish people and their strange habits.

We slowly drove back to Dublin the next day, stopping for lunch at a classic pub along the way. Lew even braved the streets of the city to drop us right off at home where we bid them goodbye. Al will be going home to South Carolina before school starts, so it was only goodbye for a little while. What a great way to spend our final days in Ireland: excellent company, beautiful scenery and real good craic. Now back to Dublin for one night only!