{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter P

P is for ... Pocket watch

I started this hobby after I inherited my grandfather's pocket watch (Left of the photo)

I have always been fascinated by that era of old-world sophistication.

I can imagine back to a time where the men would pull out the watch and exclaim, "Dear me, it's time that we were on our way"

I bought my 1st pocket watch in Switzerland, it took me hours to choose the perfect piece. That is the Matterhorn mountain depicted on the front and the back has a beautifully engraved pattern.

The 2nd pocket watch is a recent acquisition from Ireland, made from Mullingar Pewter (1 of the 1D members actually hail from Mullingar, so I took it as a sign that this was the right one for me)

I loved the Celtic Trinity inside the clover design.

The 3 watches currently hang from my wooden tulips (bought in The Netherlands) but I sometimes wish I could actually use them instead of simply displaying them.

Do you collect any interesting articles? Are they displayed or do you use them?

{Travel Tuesday} Highlights of Ireland - Part 2

If you have missed part 1, click here to catch up

When travelling alone, you always seem to find another traveler to team up with. I met a Canadian named Andrea - she is as camera mad as I am - perfect match!

Everybody speaks about the beauty of the Ring of Kerry, and they are not exaggerating! A true delight to take photos.

After stopping off in a little coastal town called Waterville for some scones, we took some photos of the Charlie Chaplin murals (Waterville was 1 of his holiday towns) and capturing the pebbled beach on camera, we continued on to another little town where we were afforded another photo opportunity.

(the name of the town escapes me because all I wanted was medication - I ended up being very sick with bronchitis & most of the names of towns & places became a bit jumbled thanks to their potent cough medicines)

After spending most of our free time snapping some photos, we walked across the bridge and discovered a colourful little village with perfect scenery and that was the beginning of our joke; "things are always prettier on the other side of the bridge"

Thereafter, at every stop, we immediately walked across a bridge just in case we were missing out!

We took a Ferry across the Shannon Estuary and entered County Clare, on our way to the place I had been waiting for: The Cliffs of Moher (pronounced "more")

These cliffs are too beautiful for words.

There is an exhibition centre, but we knew that we would be taking a whole lot of photos, so we set off along the walkway to get started.

We passed through a little crack in the fence and continued along a walkway without fencing.

I was feeling extremely daring (I blame the medicine) and proceeded to dangle my feet over the edge. I was so scared of being blown off that I never sat up straight, I kept my top body at a 45 degree angle back so that I couldn't topple off. I took my obligatory foot photo and proceeded to almost roll on my belly back up to a safer part of the path.

Andrea was almost thrown off the cliff thanks to an extremely rude German woman who ploughed along using her elbows to move anybody who was unfortunate enough to be in her way.

With great reluctance we moved on from the Cliffs to Bunratty Castle, a folk park offering a peak into what life was like in the 18th & 19th century.

The Castle was built in 1425. In 1954 it was restored to its former medieval grandeur.
When exploring inside, you will discover furniture, tapestries and other bits and pieces from the 15th and 16th century. It is sad to note that because the public are allowed to touch some of the furniture, it is not in pristine condition anymore.

I found the castle to be too chaotic and the tour guide was not engaging enough to hold my attention for very long.
A horrid little plaque on the wall is thought to bring fertility to anyone who touches it (for themselves, or for someone close to them)
The plaque depicts a woman in the throes of childbirth. I made sure to steer clear of that!

The grounds are simply gorgeous, Tree lined roads make it a wonderful walk, the green lushness of the trees and flowing river water made me feel instantly calm. Worth a visit, even if you don't venture into the castle at all.

That night we moved onto Limerick and were treated to a traditional medieval castle banquet - in an actual castle!

Wine was served by the jugful and the food was very tasty. Steer clear of the tea and coffee after dinner though, very weak and not enjoyable at all!
While eating, we were treated to Irish dancers and folk songs interspersed with the court jester's entertainment.

Our last day was spent visiting the beautiful Galway Cathedral. Stained glass windows and a peaceful interior - I was especially taken with the gorgeous pews. There is something about the Celtic Cross, so pretty!

Andrea and I spent some time walking through the town doing some last minute shopping. I saw some beautiful celtic wall adornments, but never found the one that felt right to bring home. Looking back I wish I had bought any of the others anyway as it would have made a really nice souvenir on the wall.
I did manage to buy a gorgeous pocket watch to add to my collection, so all in all I at least managed to buy a quality souvenir.

We ate lunch in a little pub - I had a yummy seafood chowder and an Irish coffee to help sooth my chest and throat -they were not shy with the whiskey!

 

Exclusive to Trafalgar Tours is a feature called Be My Guest Farewell Dinner. The theory behind it all is that you visit a local countryman/woman and experience their hospitality with a home-cooked meal. They share stories of their country and other interesting information.
We were treated to dinner at the Catherine Fulvio (Irish celebrity chef) cooking school at Ballyknocken House.
The food was divine, and a final opportunity to chat to fellow travelers before heading home.

Incidentally, our tour guide's name was Ann Hickey, a local Irish singer (had her own CD which she played for us) lovely lady who had a wealth of knowledge.

Regardless of the fast that I was ill, I will always look back on Ireland with very fond memories & highly recommend that you go if ever given the chance.

{Travel Tuesday} Highlights of Ireland - Part 1

"Hi, my name is Chantelle & I am a Wanderluster"

I suffer from chronic wanderlust. Always have.

I have a bucket list of all the places I would like to travel across the globe, which basically entails almost every country.

I also have a short list of "musts" to see before I die. 

Let me tell you about 1 of my "musts" -  Ireland

I was doing this trip alone and opted for a coach holiday.
I chose Trafalgar Tours & I loved everything about it.
The guides are friendly and knowledgeable and the coaches are extremely well-kept and very comfortable for discovering the wonders of Ireland.
Best of all, this holiday was so affordable & it offered all sorts of surprises such as Be My Guest, & Hidden Treasures.
To find out what I am talking about, visit their website & begin your holiday planning!

How does one whittle down an amazing holiday into a few "highlights"

Ireland has a charm all of its' own that is so hard to explain unless you have been there. South Africans are a friendly nation, but Irish are charming.

They radiate warmth and friendliness & their accent makes them sound happy all the time.

We took a bus tour of Dublin. We drove past The Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Dublin. We saw the artists displaying their paintings, learnt a bit about the pretty doorways as well as the reason for the the different size windows on each level of the house.

We visited the breathtaking Trinity College. The smell of old books and knowledge is almost overwhelming.

Through County Wicklow & County Wexford we drove as we learnt the tragic story of Irish Emigrants & visited an exact replica of a famine ship named Dunbrody - the vessel has the smallest cramped spaces for entire families and the living conditions were atrocious.

It made me thankful to be who I am in this day and age and not having to withstand that type of poverty and desperation.

On to Waterford where we had 2 really fun and interesting tours:

Waterford Crystal - hand crafted glasses, chandeliers, candlesticks, trophies and ornaments. The attention to detail and quality of workmanship was astounding. I walked out of there with a new respect for these products and an intense wish for a better exchange rate as I would loved to have bought myself a souvenir.

Jack Burtchaell Waterford Walking Tours

An hour spent learning the history of the town by 1 of the wittiest & knowledgeable tour guides I have ever encountered. He is rated as the Number 1 tourist attraction on Trip Advisor.

I was even a queen in one of his story re-enactments (unfortunately married to an ugly old king)

One of the sites we visited was Reginald's Tower. Originally built from wood in 1003, it was later rebuilt in the 1200's.

Built by the Vikings (Waterford has some of the 1st known Vikings ) from a combination of stone, human hair, animal blood and dung. The tower is one of the oldest buildings in Ireland.

Off to our next stop, to Kiss the Blarney Stone!

I was not prepared for the beauty of Blarney Castle and its' surrounds. I could have spent hours taking in the scenery. There is a lot to see; including a poisonous plants garden, some waterfalls and a small gift shop.

Luscious greenery is everywhere and the random stream and flowers were picture-perfect.

Beware: the line up the castle to kiss the Blarney Stone is a long one, try to go really early or late if possible, or else do that first and then take your time to explore the gardens and streams. 

While you are waiting in the queue, you are inside the castle ruins; you will see the remnants of fireplaces and rooms. There are plaques mounted around to give you more information about the purpose of the room and it's placement.

Tips for when you do go:

Wear a shirt that does not ride up as they photograph you when you are bending upside down to kiss the stone. 

Wear shoes with a good grip as some of the stairs are extremely narrow to step on.

Killarney was my favourite part of Ireland, the scenery along the way (Ring of Kerry) was spectacular and the town had a wonderful feel about it.

We visited Muckross House, built in 1843, home to water-colourist, Mary Balfour Herbert and her husband Henry. (3 Mary Herbert watercolours are displayed at Windsor Castle)

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert spent 2 nights there in 1861.

No photos were allowed inside as the original furnishings are still there - including a 2 ton billiards table!

Muckross House is situated on in Killarney National Park. No cars are allowed in the park. All transportation is by way of Jaunty Cart (Horse and Cart)

Tip: Guided tours are by appointment only. Pack something warm as cart rides tend to be a bit cold.

Recommended Hotel: Killarney International A traditional hotel with wooden floors and plush furnishings. There is a pub on the premises otherwise some lovely restaurants and little gift shops to explore.

If you are on a budget, look out for the pizza place across the road - great deals for 2 pizzas and drinks - a fraction of the cost of a restaurant.

Stay tuned for Part 2 next week.