Blarney Castle & Lisselan Estate Gardens

Saturday, May 30th, 2010-05-30

Today we travelled from Cork to Killarney with stops at Blarney Castle & the Lisselan Estate Gardens. Today according to our tour guide is a “Soft day” which means a rainy day. We arrived early at the Castle as it is a popular spot for tour groups. Blarney castle is where you kiss the blarney stone and you get the gift of eloquence. Some one  had quite a sense of humour and put the stone at the very top of the castle. To get to the top of the castle you have to climb up 102 steep narrow stairs. The castle is completely open. When you first start it does not seem too bad and then it gets narrowerand then  you reach the point of no return. The stairway is so narrow that if a person wanted to go back they could not. There is another set of stairs to take you down. When you started to think how much farther you reach the light. There is one more set of stairs. At this point you realize that you are just on a narrow ledge with the outside castle wall on one side a railing on the other side and straight to the bottom on both sides. I am afraid of heights so I did  not know where to look. I decided to go closer to the wall and wait for Kevin. At this point I am still thinking I would kiss the Blarney stone. I secured my pockets, took off my glasses and put my camera in my purse and gave it to Kevin. I just could not lay on my back, have someone hold my feet and then hold two bars and put your head out an opening to kiss a rock to get the gift of the charming gab. Kevin kissed the stone. See the photos. I did not take many photos from the top but I got one that shows the middle of the castle. Coming down was another challenge. The first few steps down there is no rail so I had to talk myself in to taking that first step. I stood there for a while.I was not alone in taking the first step. Once at the bottom my legs where like rubber. Once on the ground we toured the Rock close a eirry and magical place.

Blarney Castle

Lisselan Estate Gardens

Shankskill Castle & Garden

Saturday,  May 29th, 2010

Today we left Dublin to travel to Cork.On the way we stopped at a most unusual place.  We are not sure how this place ended up on our tour.  It seems you can not always trust the E-mail write up about a place.  The place is definitely eccentric. The place is really old. The pamphlet said it had washroom facilities, which turned out to be  a very old toliet in a back shed which the door did not close and 5 to 10 people had to use before flushing the toliet. The place is a working farm.  The bus driver put a mat down at the entrance to the bus so we could wipe our feet.  Inside the house were paintings of the owner everywhere.  A very interesting collection for mature audiences I would say. The owners were away so the lead hand George an interesting fellow gave us the tour. There is  ruin of an old church which was interesting.  There were several cats, donkeys, geese, cows, ducks andchickens on the farm.  The ladies missing their cats at home were glad to see the cats.

Tour Guide

Killenny Castle

We stopped in Killenny for lunch. We bought some sandwiches and ate them in the park beside Killkenny castle. Not enough time for an inside visit.  The castle is hug and amazing. Here are a few photos.

Helen Dillion's Garden Dublin & Powerscourt Garden

Friday, May,28th, 2010

Today we visited the private walled garden of Helen Dillon's.  Helen is world renowned garden writer, plants woman, garden television star and lecturer.  We had a lovely visit to her garden. We meet Helen, her husband, and  dog. After touring the garden we had tea and biscuits (to us cookies).  There was a very cute Robin in the garden. Take a close look at the photos. Does it look like a robin to you?  Apparently our Robin is not really a Robin. The home sick English just called our Robin - Robin as it reminded them of home.  Will have to check this out when I get home,

Helen Dillion's Garden

Giant Poppy

Powerscourt House & Garden

Next we travel 20 km south of Dublin to Powerscourt  house and garden There are 47 acres of garden both formal and informal. There is a lovely  Japanese garden. What a contrast from the rest of the massive estate.  The house burned in 1970. They have rebuilt a cafe and gift shop. From the outside you would never know about the fire.

Japanese garden

Trinity College Book Of Kells

Got back in time to view the book of Kells. Amazing and image the patient and skill to create such wonderful images.

Tomorrow we travel from Dublin to Cork a four and half hour trip were told.  Monday is a bank holiday here so the roads will be busy.  We are to visit Shankskill Castle and the Old Middleton Distillery and a Woolen mill tomorrow.

Dublin Ireland & Killruddery House & Gardens

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Nice weather again today but cooler and some overcast sky. What a busy day. We started the morning with a bus tour of Dublin with stops at Dublin Castle and St. Patrick church. We realized that would need to come to visit Dublin again as there are many wonderful things to see and do here. There is 1.25 to 1.5 million people living in Dublin and half of them are under the age of 28 years old. The place is crawling with them and most are very fashionable dressed.

We toured the 5 Georgian squares. All are row houses with three stories and each with their own unique door. Our first stop off the bus was a Dublin castle. The central square was very large. Inside the castle it is nicely decorated and we were allowed to take photos but no videos. Lots of no video policy... This castle was the seat of English rule for 700 years. The Brits handed power to the Irish in 1922.

Dublin Castle

Next stop was St. Patrick's Cathedral. The core of the Gothic structure was built in the 13th century. Jonathan Swift is buried in the church. It is hard to believe that they built such buildings without cranes and other modern day equipment. The craftsmanship is superior.

St. Patrick's Catherdal

We drove through Phoenix Park and zoo. All the plants are 6 weeks behind as they had the coldest winter in one hundred years. They have hundreds of Chestnut trees in the park which are all flowering right now.

Back to the hotel to have a quick lunch and then off to Bray to visit Killruddery house and gardens. Inside the house no photos were allowed but outside was fine. Killruddery is home to the Brabazon Family - The Earls of Meath. The Gardens at Killruddery are the oldest in Ireland still surviving their original 17th century unique style with 18th and19th century additions

We arrived back at our hotel with no planned suppers or group activity this evening. Kevin and I headed downtown to St. Stephen's park, then to Grafton Street, Trinity College and back to the hotel by the way of the Georgian buildings.

Trinity College 

Killruddery

What a day!! Tomorrow we visit Helen Dillon's Garden and Powerscourt House and Garden.

llandudno Wales to Ireland

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Today was a travel day.  We took the Ferry from Holyhead to Ireland.  We took the Johnathon Swift Ferry which is one of the closed in faster ones. First time ever I had a bit of motion sickness when I was walking around the ship.  It was windy today. Arrived in Dublin to sunny skies. If you think Toronto is busy just go downtown in Dublin at 5:30 pm. Buses and fast moving young people everywhere.

Tomorrow a tour of Dublin & St, Peter's church & a castle.

Goodnight. From my computer 7 pm there and midnight here.

Bodnant Gardens & Caernarfon Castle Wales

Caenarfon

Tuesday, May 25

I am trying to catchup on my missing days, but is getting late.  Bodnart gardens is the best garden so far. It was very busy with lots of tour buses and many local garden groups.

Caernarfon is where Prince Charles became the Prince of Wales.

Portmeirion Village & Conway Castle

Monday, May 24th

Potmeirion Village - Flight of Fantasy

What a place. It is hard to believe that this place exist. This unique village is set on its own private peninsula on the southern shores of Snowdonia. Some say it is Clough Williams-Ellis Flight of Fantasy. He rescued house & buildings from all over the world and made it into a village. It is amazing not only the buildings but the garden surrounding the village. Their are 50 to 60 feet tall Rhododendrons bushes. They are all flowering right now and some are so fragrant.

Portmeirion

Conway Castle

This is my favourite castle so far. Conway is the classic walled town, with a circuit of walls over three quarters of a mile long and guarded by no less than 22 towers. they say that the town of Conway still looks similar to the town Edward 1 envisioned some 700 years ago.

Welshpool, Wrexham, Llandudno - Wales

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

Powis Castle

Another warm and sunny day.  Today we travelled from the south shore of Wales to the north coast of Wales.  It was a long day but a good one.   In Welshpool we visited Powis Castle and Garden.  The castle is high a top of a hill and overlooks the country side. Since it is such a beautiful day we started with the gardens.  The gardens start at the top with terraces and are very formal then go into woodlands then back to formal gardens.  It is 450 feet down to the bottom garden. Going down was great coming up the last few stair cases were hard especially with 30 plus temperatures.  After the gardens we quickly toured the castle and I got told no photos as the castle is a national trust.   I have included  a photo of castle.

Off to Wrexman and Chirk Castle

Rhododendrons

Chirk Castle

Due to the twisted and curvy roads in Wales we arrive at the castle just when they were closing at 5 pm. Our tour guide ran to the entrance to get them to keep it open. We had a quick tour about 15 minutes.  We were able to tour the gardens until 6 pm.  This castle again starts with formal gardens.  Note the cedars that are all trimmed. It takes three gardeners days to prune them.  The woodlands were breath taking with many blooming Rhododendrons.  The white one really stood out this time of day. After the garden we continued to the hotel which took hours due to traffic and windy steep roads. Very rugged countryside.  Finally arrived at 8 pm just in time for supper.  Our hotel is across from the Irish sea.

Visit to National Botanical Gardens & Aberglasney

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Saturday,  May 22, 2010

Feeling more rested this morning. It is another sunny and very warm day.  Too bad I did not pack any shorts.  Today we visited the National Botanical Gardens of Wales. This year is their 10th Anniversary.  Very impressive.  They have lovely Japanese Gardens and the largest Glass house in the world.  I have included a few photos for you to view. 

After the visit to the Botanical Gardens we travelled to Aberglassney.  We were to have lunch  there for about an hour and then tour the gardens.  Lunch took over 3 hours long. Very nice day with lots of tourists and they just could not handle a group. Our tour guide kept coming to check on us.  We were to leave at 3:30 pm and that is when  our tour started.  What a lovely place.  It is restored garden that had been neglected. They even have orange trees. Part of the house collapsed so they covered it and converted it to an inside tropical garden,

Travel Day

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Departed Canada for London England at 8:40 pm. Good flight but what does not able to sleep on the plane. Funny how at home I can sleep easily on the couch and miss the entire 11 o'clock news.  We arrive in London at 8:30 a.m London on Friday,  May 21st.  It is a beautiful sunny & warm day. This is the first warm weather they have had all spring. All the plants are several weeks behind their normal schedule.

We get on the tour bus to travel to Wales.  Take the M4 expressway and go over the Cause Way Bridge to get to Wales.  Lunch at "The King of Prussia" restaurant.  Served a very English meal of Pork & Applesauce with Apple pie covered in custard for dessert.  I certainly could has pasted on the custard which smothered the pie.

After lunch we went to a private garden of Mrs. Boyle.  This garden is recommended by the Royal botanical gardens as  one to have on your to see list.  It was amazing.  Everything grows so much larger here.  Leave the garden at 4 pm for a three hour bus ride to Swansea which ison the south coast of Wales. We think we might go out to explore the city but after being awake for30 hours that did not happen. We feel asleep and woke up at 10:30 pm. We then watched some local T.V. until around 1 a.m and then went back to sleep.