GregWeckenbrock-Europe

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Ireland, Julie, then Kristen

After Germany, I hopped a plane to Dublin, Ireland to meet Julie for a five day trip together. It was great from the start. Green and actually sunny, and sharp contrast to both the oft-dreary climate of central Europe, and the hot dessert-mountain regions of the Balkans. Good beer, friendly people, strange accents, something called an "Irish" breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, butter, jam, friend tomatoes, cereal, yogurt, coffee, and tea... a welcomed sight compared to the usual "full breakfast" included in most of the hostel/apartments we stayed in all summer...toast, nescafe, butter if you're lucky), and peaceful countrysides made Ireland particularly agreeable to me. The best part however was seeing Julie after two and a half months apart. It was strange to see her, but stranger still that it wasn't awkward or pressurized. It felt natural. We'd missed each other, but it wasn't desperately or extremely, rather it was simply. And here in Ireland, we were simply back together again. The overall feeling I had during the five days we spent together, was just that I was happy to be with her. That's it. Such a simple feeling and yet so meaningful. Plus we were doing one of the things we do best together, traveling. Check it out:

My first Guinness.

Near the foundation we explored on our misty hike.

A Castle in Co. Tipperary

Cliffs outside of Dublin, Julie looking on, Travis' old straw hat looking a bit more worn
.
Phantom limb! Phantom Limb!


Exploring old ruins on a misty hike through the Irish mountains. Fences, ha! They're crap!

After five days, Julie had to leave. I however stayed. An hour after Julie left, my little sis Kristen arrived. Kristen and I spend the next four days together taking Ireland by storm, Weckenbrock style! Watch out, here we come!! Rental car adventures, Weckenbrocks, go Weckenbrocks! Check it out:

Kristen's first morning in Dublin, after an overnight flight. Her first Bulmer's.

Kris outside of the Guinness factory, notice the closed gates... it was closed.

Guinness factory, outer walls.

Kris, on a bridge, in an Irish town we drove through... we actually got out at this one...

Same town.

Same town, public library, old sign, English printed above Gaelic.

Sandy beach, west coast of Ireland, North of Galway.

Kris and I on the Sky Road, North of Galway, so began our auto tour!!

Whose that giant in that tiny car?


Our tiny car was awesome, so awesome that it would later be our dinner spot our last night, in a golf course parking lot with a distant view of the Cliffs of Moher. It would also be our accommodation that night as well. It can fit anywhere... in people's driveways and they would never know it.

An Abby we tried to enter, it closed a minute before we arrived. Tried to sneak in the exit, got busted.

The road next to the Abby, not closed, good thing. This was the largest road we drove on during our 8hr auto tour that day. Two lanes, totally sweet.

A mirror on the auto tour.

Inishmore, without a doubt one of the coolest places in the world. It's an island off the coast western Ireland, facing the open Atlantic, and where Gaelic is still the first tongue. It's also one of the most nickle-and-dimey, tourist trap, a small (sometimes large) fee for everything you do getting to and from and while on the island, places I've ever been. If you go, and at the end of the day, I'd still recommend it, just expect to pay a lot in numerous small amounts throughout your entire trip. Everything but the air costs something.


Our ferry ride to Inishmore... just a training mission, and nice to know it's there, but is this really what you want to see on your ferry ride? Like all the other clueless passengers, we were confused and rushed to the back to see what was happening... don't think this is the right "procedure"... but hey, gotta check it out right? There's action, gotta check it out.


That's actually Kristen in the basket... kidding. ha ha ha.

The west coast of Inishmore.


Kissy-loo-loo pushing through a tough hill-climb on our totally sickbird rental bikes. It's the altitude...






Don't show this to mom, Inishmore.


Kissy loo loo taking the road less traveled, Inishmore.


6 minutes to catch the ferry, Kissy almost gets nailed by a speeding, crazy, out of control, wild horse and buggy.

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