The Ketterings Do Ireland....

Have you ever seen National Lampoon’s European Vacation? You know when Chevy Chase and family get stuck in a roundabout in London? Well I think that is a good description/image of the Kettering’s in Ireland this past week. If you need a refresher of that hysterically funny film, you can youtube “European Vacation Chevy Chase” and the roundabout scene should appear. It’s worth a look in my opinion. All jokes aside, we (mom, dad and I) had a great week in Northern Ireland and the Republic. I will try my best to recap the events and adventures of last week, however, I can only write so much. Here it goes!

Our trip started in the capital city of Belfast. There I reunited with mom and dad after a month and a half’s worth time! After an informative hop-on, hop-off bus tour of the city we dined at Barbara Kennedy’s small and cozy restaurant. It was probably one of the best meals of the trip in my opinion; however, I have been cooking for myself for the past 6 weeks so I would say I am easily impressed. After viewing Belfast for a day and for Mom and Dad two days, we bravely departed in our OWN trusty Kia vehicle to see what the island had to offer us. I will not try to hide my reservations regarding my father’s capabilities of driving on the opposite side of the road, on very narrow paths, and at times in rainy whether, however, I will say loud and clear that I was wrong! Dad did a very good job, with the help of a couple well meaning back seat drivers, and we are all safe today. (Below are two pictures....one of the road ahead we so often saw and then a picture of my reaction to the chaos that is driving in Ireland) So on the roads we went and managed to get out of Belfast alive and headed to Newcastle. Newcastle is on the eastern most part of Northern Ireland and although small, has a very nice feeling. There we visited with a friend of a friend who is a Catholic priest. We learned some new stories, new opinions, and filled up on tea and scones. After that we headed down to Dublin. We stayed just on the outskirts of Dublin, which was a perfect option because of having our own car. I would NOT have wanted to drive into Dublin. YIKES! Dublin is an interesting city. I was not too impressed to say the least. With tourists flocking in every direction I felt as though I was in another world from where I have recently spent my time. The weather was cold and a bit rainy, however, we managed to scope out a good location for a beer and some chips. (Below is a picture of mom and I sharing my first legal drink! wahhoo!) I am willing to give Dublin another chance and hopefully with nicer weather I might change my mind. I will be back there for about a week in a month or so. (Below is Mom and Dad by the River Liffy in Dublin)

Our next stop was Galway for a two night stay. The drive cross-country took us no more than 3 hours and we landed safe and sound at our hotel in a prime location right on the fast flowing river in Galway. That evening we dined at a fish and chips spot. After a week later I think I am still digesting all that grease, however, I think it was well worth it. We had beautiful weather the first day, not so great the second, however, still suitable for a little sight seeing. We decided to tag along on a bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher. Slap a fanny-pack on me and put a big map in my hands I was a tourist! Although it was not my ideal way to see various historical sights and breathtaking views, I am glad we did the tour. Within about 7 hours we saw about 8 different sights and all of us got to enjoy the view. It was a nice break for our captain and he could appreciate the green scenery as well! Our tour guide Desmond might have been the highlight of the day. The man in his late 60's was full of jokes (some a little crude and inappropriate) and was not one to be shy of his accomplishments. All in all it was a good day and the beautiful view from the Cliffs of Moher was well worth it.

After Galway, we packed up the car, said a little prayer and headed to Westport just straight to the North of Galway and on the coast. This was a great little town. Although we had rain and sunshine every other half hour, we got in a little walking and checked out what the town had to offer: small shops, more pubs than restaurants, and plenty of hotels. The Clew Bay Hotel offered a great nights sleep (with my grand own room!) and after another Irish breakfast of fried eggs, toast, bacon (really fatty stuff…not like in the states), sausage, and tea, we were ready to hit the narrow roads yet again!

Thursday was our longest drive of the trip from Westport to Londonderry/Derry about a total of 5 hours. We drove straight North and got to enjoy some views of crazy Donegal that are somehow so different than the rest of the Republic in the South. After a couple of busy roundabouts we parked the car at the City Hotel in my base city of Derry. It was a lot of fun to show the folks around the area that I call home for the moment. I brought them all over, to my flat (which was praised with “being not as bad as I expected”…by Dad), to The Junction where we visited with the soon to be 74 year old caretaker Davey, and then for a quick walk along the walls of the ‘Walled City.” I got to show a little of what I learned to the rentals and hoped they were impressed. Being back in Derry was a little bit of a shock. Coming from spending multiple days in beautiful green areas with fresh air to a city with trash, cigarette smoke, and busy traffic hit me a little hard. I guess that is what a vacation is for right?

After a single night in Derry back in the trusty Kia we went to take the northern coastal route back to Belfast. The trip took us a little longer than we expected and although the views were breathtaking, we encountered VERY narrow roads, with twists and turns that would make anyone a little dizzy. And of course, we made it to the last and final day with pretty decent driving weather and we encountered a bit of rainfall. At times the open water of the ocean was immediately to our left with only a small stone wall stopping us from falling over the edge! Yikes! Again, Dad did a superb job navigating the windy roads and fearless Northern Ireland drivers.

Our evening ended in Belfast right in front of the Budget Car Rental shop. It was as if we saw the pearly gates of heaven as we landed in the parking spot. With a hard downpour coming into the city, it was a tricky navigation. But non-the-less we were happy to be there and I was glad to see the keys leave the hands of anyone in our party! (Below you find a picture of Dad and the car...weird how he is supposed to be on the other side....that was a common occurrence during the trip.)

With a not-so-great sleep because of a loud ‘hen party’ aka bachelorette party next store, Mom and Dad got up at the crack of dawn to leave for their flight back home. I was lucky to continue sleeping and enjoyed a ‘Me Day’ in Belfast. I walked, shopped, and stopped in at the World Irish Dancing Championships. It was quite the event, lots of legs flailing about. Both boys and girls participated and to my surprise there were about 7-8 U.S. participants in every group of about 20. So, if anyone back home is looking for a new activity, I’m sure you can find an Irish dancing school somewhere near you.

After this long blog entry, I hope I have done the weeks worth of adventures, laughs, and experiences justice. No doubt we have some new family jokes and funny stories to tell. I am off to get a good nights sleep, I'm headed back to Belfast tomorrow for an internship seminar. Oh the traveling!

Love, hugs, and laughter from across the pond,

Sara

P.S. I ran out of time to blog about St. Patrick's Day weekend. It was a great experience to be in Northern Ireland for the festivties but nothing like those in the states. The highlight was my climb to the top of Mt. Errigal in Donegal. About 2500 feet! With the encouragement of a coworker, coworker's friend, and fellow student Anne, I made it to the top. I was exhausted at the end but it was well worth the view. Check it out!