Holiday Blog http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/ A collection of musings from my holidays... Copyright 2005 Sat, 21 Aug 2004 23:59:00 +0000 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.14 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss On castles and fine dining Ally's 22nd birthday began with pancakes. Many, many pancakes. Topped with all kinds of things, most of them bad for you. But what's a birthday for, if not for indulging in those things you wouldn't normally?

Top of the list of things to do on your birthday is visiting a castle. At least, if your name is Alexandra. Rob decided he wasn't feeling well, so stayed at home to get some more sleep. Hannah, Ally and Chris went off to Aughnanure castle, ancestral home of the O'Flahertys, located just outside Oughterard. We resisted the temptation to go back to the candle-makers...

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/on_castles_and.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/on_castles_and.php 4 - Ireland 2004 Sat, 21 Aug 2004 23:59:00 +0000 Relativity As I've mentioned before, late nights are followed by late mornings. Today, it was actually afternoon before we surfaced, though most of us had been awake before then, reading some of the many books we've brought with us. And what's wrong with a bit of lazy time when you're on holiday? (Of course, my parents would just say that I'm reverting to type - several of my previous summers here were spent mainly in bed or on the sofa reading books.)

After a breakfast/lunch combo, we split up for the afternoon. Hannah and Rob went on a jaunt to Clifden, to explore the area for themselves, and to buy more rations and search for the items we didn't get in Galway. And covertly to buy Ally's birthday present and cake, and ingredients for breakfast tomorrow. They didn't find a tablecloth in Clifden either.

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/relativity.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/relativity.php 4 - Ireland 2004 Fri, 20 Aug 2004 23:59:00 +0000 Burning the candle at both ends The weather couldn't last. Today is wet and grey. This is not all bad though, as we'd planned to go to Galway to do some shopping for things to dress the house with. The roads to Galway are much better than last time I was driven along them six years ago. Even the Recess Road, which is long, desolate, and surrounded by peat bog, has been widened and resurfaced.

First stop is at a candle maker's in Oughterard. Hannah picked up a leaflet for them earlier in the week, and we want to buy some candles for the living room. The candle maker is not in, but the shop is open, and we enter an Aladdin's cave of colour. Candles of all shapes, sizes and colours are stacked floor to ceiling. There's enough wax in the building to burn for a very long time.

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/burning_the_can.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/burning_the_can.php 4 - Ireland 2004 Thu, 19 Aug 2004 23:59:00 +0000 The English men and women who went up a very tall hill and came down again The weather is beginning to freak me out. Renvyle is normally wet and windy in August, and once again the day is bright and sunny. There are a few more clouds in the sky than yesterday, and the breeze is quite strong, but it's another stunning day.

This calls for a quick change in plan; we were going to climb Letter Hill - the large hill/small mountain opposite the house - later in the week, but it would be criminal to waste the weather. And Hannah waterproofed her boots yesterday, so they're ready to be worn now.

Having made some sandwiches to take with us, and checked out where we should start from, we're off.

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/the_english_men.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/the_english_men.php 4 - Ireland 2004 Wed, 18 Aug 2004 23:59:00 +0000 Car parking is an art Very late evenings are rarely followed by very early mornings, and today proved no exception. Morning was gone in the blink of an eye, and by the time we are up it is well on the way to lunchtime.

We had planned to go to Roundstone today, to visit the workshop of "Ireland's Master Bodhran make", Malachy Kearns. It's too late to make the journey worthwhile, so instead we go to Leenane. This fishing village, and the end of Killary Harbour, has been the setting for several films, most notably The Field, which starred Richard Harris and Sean Bean.

On the way we take the only road from Tully Cross that we haven't yet been down, and drive along the coast. We make a detour to Glaussilaun (pronounced Glosh-lawn) beach, and walk along the sand collecting sea-shells. The sun is out, and the sea is peaceful. Shame we didn't bring the swimming trunks and the towels. Bizarrely we manage to attract another dog, and by the time we're back to the car there are three of them. No owners in sight.

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/car_parking_is.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/car_parking_is.php 4 - Ireland 2004 Tue, 17 Aug 2004 23:59:00 +0000 Danger - path closed After a late breakfast we make our way to Kylemore Abbey, home of the Benedictine nuns in Ireland, and internationally renowned girl's boarding school. It's where my Grandma went to school (they take local girls too), and one of Ireland's most pictured tourist attractions.

Since I was last here they have drastically revamped the arrangements for visiting parties, making it much more appealing for coach parties. So appealing that the car park is virtually full, and our little Toyota is ushered into the coach park, to be dwarfed by several coaches carrying loads of German and American tourists.

We're here to climb to "the statue", a statue of Jesus that sits on the mountainside above the Abbey. It was a yearly ritual when I came here as a child, and although a strenuous walk, the view of the surrounding countryside is well worth the effort.

We pay our admission fee to gain entrance to the grounds (another innovation), and look at the map of attractions that they have given us. There is no mention of the statue. The signs from the road have gone too.

I go into the Abbey proper and find a friendly guide to ask if it is still possible to climb to it. "We don't encourage it" is the enigmatic answer. It seems that the path has become worn and the rhododendrons are taking over, and the Abbey don't want people suing them if they trip up. Having made sure that I won't be going up alone, which is reassuring, the guide reminds me where the path starts, and we make our way there.

The entrance to the school, where the path begins is marked "private". The start of the path proper, whose sign is still extant, has a gate with a new sign: "Danger - Path closed". They really don't want to "encourage" you to go up!

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/danger_path_clo.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/danger_path_clo.php 4 - Ireland 2004 Mon, 16 Aug 2004 23:59:00 +0000 The Unknown Five at the Beach. [to be written in the style of Enid Blyton, by Hannah and Alex]

Up late
Breakfast
Car tour
Renvyle House Hotel
Renvyle Beach - rocks - Timmy
Shop - cleaning stuff
Fridge/Freezer
Dinner - Sausages/mash

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/the_unknown_fiv.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/the_unknown_fiv.php 4 - Ireland 2004 Sun, 15 Aug 2004 23:59:00 +0000 We're all going on a summer holiday 6:30am. Today begins another "Chris and Rob Holiday Adventure(TM)", to Connemara on the west coast of Ireland. This time we've brought Hannah and her sister Ally along, to stop Hannah complaining that she always gets left behind.

We're flying from Nottingham East Midlands to Knock airport in Ireland. The airports at both ends are unusually conveniently located for our start and end points… but we've managed to create a logistical headache for ourselves.

Yesterday, Friday 13th, Chris, Rob and Hannah were at a friend's wedding and reception in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. We spent the afternoon -- between singing beautifully in the choir (we can say that because the priest, bride, and groom all said it to us) and dancing wildly in the marquee -- doing last minute shopping for the trip - including buying a suitcase for Chris, and shorts for Hannah. After returning from the wedding, Chris left his suitcase at Rob's house, so that he could catch the bus from Nottingham to the airport without having to manage a case through multiple bus changes, and Rob, Hannah and Ally could get to the airport without adding the 30 mile round-trip detour to pick Chris (and luggage) up from his home. After final packing, we all eventually made our separate ways to bed at about 2:30am. Why is it not possible to get a full night's sleep before travelling?

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/were_all_going.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2004/08/were_all_going.php 4 - Ireland 2004 Sat, 14 Aug 2004 23:59:00 +0000 Photos published The photos that I know you've all been waiting for have arrived. There are a selection on most of the entry pages, at the end of the day's journal. A smaller selection than last time; when you've looked through 1000 you can be a little more choosy than when you are reviewing all at once. If anyone wants any more photos of waterfalls, trees, tall buildings, or midtown Manhattan at night, just shout...

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/photos_publishe.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/photos_publishe.php 3. New York Mon, 27 Oct 2003 22:14:28 +0000 Early to bed... At some stupid hour in the morning, the stewardesses bring breakfast. It's about 8am, and 40 minutes before the in-flight information system thinks we're going to land at Heathrow. We've made good time across the Atlantic, and we're running 25 minutes early.

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/early_to_bed.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/early_to_bed.php 3. New York Sun, 19 Oct 2003 12:00:00 +0000 How many people? Got up late, after a full night's sleep. It's the last we're going to get for a couple of days. After finishing packing (everything fit, but only because Rob bought a new suitcase yesterday), we proceed downstairs to check-out. We leave the bags with the hotel porter, for a fee, and go on our final trek around the Big Apple.

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/how_many_people.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/how_many_people.php 3. New York Sat, 18 Oct 2003 23:59:00 +0000 <![CDATA["The lunch at these here parties"]]> A day of loose-end tying today. In true Witches of Eastwick style, we intended to find out what beats the pants off lunch at Sardi's, but we found that the prices on the menu took the biscuit, and went elsewhere.

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/the_lunch_at_th.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/the_lunch_at_th.php 3. New York Fri, 17 Oct 2003 23:59:00 +0000 An Engineer's Dream Meanwhile, with another hour until dusk, Rob further explores the area around City Hall - a few boutique-style stores, bargain basements and a trip to Dunkin' Donuts later it is time to begin the journey over the bridge. After seeking assurances as to the safety of Brooklyn Heights from a passing Police Officer, Rob ventures all the way to the other side and down to the side of the East River to a reassuringly familiar viewing platform. Several evening, dusk, sunset and night photos later it is time to make the return journey - pausing only for some more photos part way across the bridge.

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/an_engineers_dr.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/an_engineers_dr.php 3. New York Thu, 16 Oct 2003 23:59:30 +0000 Those magnificent men in their flying machines Today is Downtown Manhattan day. Despite the fact that the subway line that we want runs directly under Broadway, it takes us about 10 minutes to find an entrance; those damn signs again. A train comes shortly after we get on the platform - it must be at least a block long. A few minutes later we get out at our station, and get something to drink, and a light bite.

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/those_magnifice.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/those_magnifice.php 3. New York Thu, 16 Oct 2003 23:59:00 +0000 An itinerary. It's perfect. Let's change it. We get up late-ish, and work out what we are going to do in NY. Today we're going to walk to the Lincoln Centre, and then across Central Park to the UN. Then we'll go and see I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, a musical "off-broadway". As we're leaving the hotel, we look at the flyer for the show and spot that they only have a matinee performance on a Wednesday, and no performance at all on Thursdays.

]]> http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/an_itinerary_it.php http://www.chrisrees.org.uk/blog/holidays/2003/10/an_itinerary_it.php 3. New York Wed, 15 Oct 2003 23:59:00 +0000