Ring of Kerry

The Ring of Kerry is a circular driving route that is 179 km around the Iveragh peninsula. It weaves through many different landscapes and seaside towns. There are some awesome mountains and valleys carved out from glacial activity with filling of some of these areas to form inlets and bays. I took a bus tour from Cork.

Killarney National Park we used a horse drawn carriage as it was raining at the time.

Red deer.

Japanese Sika deer were brought to Killarney for hunting and for a new breed in the park.

In Killorglin, a wild male goat is captured in the mountains and held on a raised platform to reign over the the Puck Fair that is held in August. This festival is one of the oldest in Europe and has been occurring since the 4th century.

The Kerry Big Village is a little place that has ancient remnants from old Ireland (18th/19th century). It reconstructed the ways people lived and what they did to survive. There are remnants of old houses, and many antiques and (my highlight) the Irish wolfhounds they let run around with us.

Charlie Chaplin sculpture. He lived here for some time and some of his relatives are still here in Waterville.

Monument era dyed to explorers and travelers. It is a large sundial.

Traveling through Beenarourke.

Sneem. Unfortunately a lot of places are closed for the winter but the beauty of the off season is there are not a lot of people!

Sculptures created for a best town competition.

Pictures while stopping along the ring of Kerry.

The Torc waterfall. I love how everyone r where we went the moss covered the rocks and trees making it very fairy-like.

Cobh

I took a day trip to Cobh, who after Queen Victoria visited and loved so much, renamed it to Queenstown in 1849. Later, the town changed the name back in 1923. Cork harbour, which is located there, is one of the largest and safest natural harbours in the world. It is a naturally deep harbour so large ships can enter. The Vikings used it in the 9th century as well as the Normans later. From the 17th century, it was a strategic port for the British empire. Fortifications where created in the barrier islands. One of them was Spike Island, which coincidentally is where the Titanic was moored and passengers where refried from the harbour to the ship. This cut down on sailing time later (bur perhaps that might have changed the course of events.) In the 20th century it was no longer a military port and is known for tourism and transport.

The harbour was a major port of emigration for people headed to America, especially after the great famine. The first person processed at Ellis Island left from this port. Her name was Annie Moore.

Queenstown was the last port of call for the RMS Titanic in 1912.

I booked a tour at the Titanic Experience. When you enter you are given a card with the name of a person who was on the Titanic. You learn whether the person traveled 1st, 2nd, or 3rd class, and in the end whether the person loved or died in the sinking.

Spoiler alert: my person survived but even with hard times in the new world, died in 1968.

We were able to see the difference in the types of accomodations and what people would be taking the Titanic and whether they were emigrating or going on business.

The dock and in the distance where the Titanic was anchored waiting for ferried passengers.

3rd class accomodations and meeting/eating room.

2nd class accomodations. 1st class would be a suite that included a bathroom and veranda.

The sinking of the Titanic was outlined by the minute and included the actions of the owners of the White Star line and the crew.

The museum at the end had facts about the boats, icebergs, the effects of hypothermia, and stories from people aboard and those that eventually could dive and find the wreckage.

This is the information about my person and then what happened to her after she reached America.

I walked around the town. Very quiet as most of the places where closed.

The Titanic Memorial Garden.

Memorial of the owner of the White Star line who jumped into a lifeboat ahead of the women and children. He was fired and even his wife left him.

Deck of cards houses.

St. Colman’s cathedral.

The Lusitania memorial which sunk off the coast in the first world war.

Views from around town.

On the way back, pure Irish weather happened. Cold, rainy….. Made some food at the hostel and warmed up!

Kilkenny

The towns name came from the Irish word meaning church of St. Candice which was a monastery originally built in the 6th century. The town was loyal to British rule throughout but is also a major religious Catholic center. It is known for its breweries which date back to the monks at that time (water was not safe to drink back then but light fermentation killed all of the bad bacteria).

I went for New Year’s Eve and stayed for a few days. What lovely small city. It seems to be a destination from people from all over. I met people from Greece that night. They were a bunch of fun! I was staying above the Pumphouse bar, so very convenient.

The next morning I was surprised that the local brewery, Smithwicks, was open. I love their red ale and went on a tour.

The black friars gate and black Abbey was built in the 13th century. The friars had the key to the gate and charged taxes for entrance. The tower was for defense and was part of the city wall at that time.

This is St. Canices cathedral.

The black tower which was closed on New Year’s.

I also went to the Kilkenny castle. It was built in 1195 as a fortress but became a mansion in the 16th century. The Butler family owned it for 500 years until it was sold to Ireland in 1967 and preserved since.

The Chinese withdrawing room where ladies went after dinner.

The state dining room was used for formal occasions.

These are the antlers of the Irish deer, which are a prehistoric giant deer that has been extinct. These antlers were found in a bog.

The tapestry room which contain tapestries of the story of Decius Mus sacrificing himself to win a war. They were woven in the 1600’s.

The library. The wild wall coverings were able to be recreated from a scrap hiding behind furniture.

The drawing room.

View of the gardens from an upper window.

Chinese bedroom

The Moorish staircase is carved with animals and foliage and the design is used to create a stairwell in an awkwardly shaped space.

The picture gallery wing built on top of earlier foundations. It used to have a flat room that had problems and a new one was constructed that has some amazing details.

Talbots tower was built in the 13th century as part of th walls and was named after an affluent Norman family. It was a major defense point as the river nearby provided fortification at a weak point in the river crossing.

The old St. Mary’s Cathedral built in the 13th century in the Gothic style. It was damaged in the wars in the 17th century, fell into ruin, and was not repaired. It now houses a museum.

This St. Mary’s Cathedral is the newer cathedral in Kilkenny.

St. John’s Church which was a priory was also built in the 13th century.

I also went to a lot of stores for window shopping and also great places to eat and drink. One evening, I decided to open Tinder back up again and one gentleman, Paddy,drove an hour to come meet me for lunch. He was lovely to talk to.

Dublin and road trip to Northern Ireland

I can’t believe that this four and a half month trip is winding down. I am in my last country, Ireland.

Dublin was founded by the Vikings in the 9th century and was under British rule until gaining independence. The winds are a bit cool here but overall is a few degrees warmer than Germany.

I spent the first day just walking around and sightseeing. I did not pay to go into any attractions. The large tours that I have planned are not cheap and more interesting than other things I could pay for. I instead walked around the local landmarks and visited the few historic pubs for food and drink. I was also reminded by my knee that it was enough walking for the day.

St. Patrick’s cathedral.

A famous place for fish and chips. I may have to come back here before I leave Ireland. But I am going to the south and west where I also hear the seafood is great.

I did want to go to a pub that had great time reviews for Irish stew! O’Donoghue’s was pretty good!

Dublin castle. It was built in 1204 on top of a former Viking settlement and was the seat of the UK government until independence. It was rebuilt in 1684 after a fire destroyed all but one tower.

The River Liffy.

On the Ha’penny bridge which used to cost a half penny to cross.

A Christmas festival still going on in the city center.

One of the oldest bars in Dublin, the Brazen Head. I stopped at the Cobblestone first but decided to leave for this one instead. The beer price was actually cheaper.

The cue from my knee had me going back to the hostel to relax. I have an early morning the next day for a tour to Northern Ireland. It was a long bus ride to get to the northern part of Northern Ireland.

We stopped at Dunluce castle ruins which was built on top of a basalt outcrop in the late 1200’s. It is along the North Atlantic. Because of its position it was easy to defend but difficult to live in. It became the stronghold of the MacDonnell clan. Because of the harsh weather, it was a difficult place and part of the castle fell into the ocean in the 1600’s eventually being abandoned in 1690. It is magnificent with even greater scenery around it.

From there we went to the nearby Giant’s Causeway. It was formed 60 million years ago from volcanic activity. There is a out 40,000 basalt columns that are shaped like hexagons. The shape occurred when the lava came to the surface and then shrank during cooling.

For lunch we went to a place nearby, the Fullerton Arms. THeir steak pie was delicious.

They also had a door carved like the Game of Thrones insignia.

The next stop was Dark Hedges, a large number of beech trees planted in the 1700’s to create a dramatic entry to a manor. The trees have intertwined to create an arch. It was used in the series, Game of Thrones as the kings road. Sadly, many trees are falling and need to be replanted.

The final stop is an hour in Belfast to look around and walk before the final drive back to Dublin. A really long day in a bus but easier when you are short on time.

Speyer, Trier, and Landstühl

On Christmas Eve we went to Speyer which has a lovely Christmas market. I bought a feurzangenbowle where a rum soaked sugar cube is lit on fire over a glüwein.

We walked around the market and bought food to share. I had to have spatzle one more time.

The cathedral is the largest Romanesque Cathedral in Europe and built in 1093. Several German emperors are buried there.

On Christmas day we went to a lake, Vogelwoog, in Kaiserslautern. It was a good walk outside on a freezing cold day.

After Christmas we went to Trier, which is on the Luxembourg border. Everything was closed but walking around the historic district was beautiful and cold!

The black gate, Porta Nigra, was a beautiful entrance to the area and was built in 170 AD. Trier is known as the Roman capital north of the Alps and many emperors lived here.

The Nanstein castle built in Landstühl in 1150 protected the trade routes through the Palatine forest. The medieval knights declined in power in 1523 after the knight, Franz von Sickingen, who lived in the castle tried and failed to overthrow princes and the church. He had fortified the castle with a round tower and gunpowder was used for defense. He died in the fighting.

On the walk up we saw several forest witches (Hexe in German) made from forest and everyday materials. These are made by locals to add a little of mystery to the walk to the castle. In Germany there ar many stories inspired by the Grimm, but these ar just for fun.

This was pretty ingenuous. There is a hole on each side of the wall but they cannot see each other. On the inside of the castle entrance it is a hole that gives a wide view of people on the other side.

Today there is a large regional medical center in Landstühl that cares for the American military stationed in nearby Kaiserslautern and elsewhere in the world.

I ate at IKEA, recommended by Nicole because of the red cabbage and duck served there. It was pretty good. I never tried the Kartoffelknödel which is really potato and a flour mixed together then formed into a ball. It was a doughy, sticky potato that I had seen in some of the Christmas markets.

Heidelberg

Heidelberg was also settled by the Romans and considered a Roman frontier. The Heidelberg castle was constructed in the 13th century. It became the residence of the powerful rulers (Electors of the Palatinate) of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1386, Heidelberg University was founded and it is the oldest university in Germany. The city was the center of learning, humanism, and the protestant reformation. In the 17th century, Heidelberg sustained heavy damage in the 30 years war and the War of the Palatine Succession when the French troops destroyed much of the city and the Castle. In the 18th and 19th centuries it was no longer a political center but increased fame as a center of Romanticism, and therefore attracted poets, philosophers, and artists. It was spared the destruction that happened to most German cities in WWII.

The Old Bridge has some fascinating artifacts. On the bridge are flood water depths and dates of the massive flooding that occurs on the Neckar River. The monkey statue dates back to the 15th century when there used to be a stone statue of the monkey. It was considered a mischievous and provocative creature. It’s bare backside is facing across the River to antagonize and mock the Bishops of Mainz (the rival territory on the other side of the river.) The monkey also holds a mirror, which is meant to reflect the viewers own nature and to encourage self-reflection. In the Palatinate War, France claimed rights to the power in the area. When other countries challenged this, the French used scorched earth tactics and destroyed parts of the city and the castle. During the Palatinate War of Succession, both the bridge and the monkey were destroyed. The monkey was not replaced for three centuries though there was many stories told about it over the years. The current Brückenaffe is popular. Rubbing the mirror is said to bring prosperity.

The statue of Prince Karl Theodore with deities. He commissioned the present stone bridge in 1786.

Heidelberg is seen as a place where opposing ideas were debated and led to the shaping of European thought. One of the professors was Hegel who refined and taught his system of philosophy. His way of thinking, the dialectical method, consisted of an initial idea (thesis), a conflicting or opposing idea (antithesis), and some higher understanding that resolves the conflict (synthesis). The terms in parentheses were given later, but the central way of thinking was part of his history of German philosophy. I took a philosophy walk across the bridge and up the hill on the other side then down to another bridge. I think you are meant to ponder and debate as you walk. I did see the city walls.

The church of the holy Spirit was built between 1398 and 1515. An older Roman church used to be on this site.

St. Peter’s Church is the oldest surviving church dating back to 1196.

i also toured the castle.

They also have a pharmacy museum in a section of the castle.

In the gift shop they had funny candies for “remedies”.

And of course I went to the Christmas market as well.

On the way back to the train station, I saw more of the plaques in the sidewalk commemorating Jewish people and what happened to the during WWII.

Kaiserslautern

I traveled to this city to see my friend Nicole. We worked together the first year in China and I have not seen her for 6 years. Actually the last time was the Christmas before COVID started…

The area was settled by the Celt’s and then the Romans (structures can still be seen today). In the 12th century, Roman emperor Fredrick I “Barbarossa” built an imperial palace Kaierpfalz, which is the ruins in one of the pictures below. He named the city using Kaiser (emperor) and Lautern (of the river). The city became protestant during the Reformation and was heavily damaged during the 30 years war and the French and Germany.

During the Napoleanic wars, it was under control of the French. After the defeat of Napolean, it became part of Bavaria. It is known for its textile production and was heavily damaged during WWII.

It has a 2000 year history shaped by emperor’s, wars, and rebuilding.

We spent the first day going around the Christmas markets and some of the sights. This city actually has an American Air base (Rammstein) and a university so it is very international. Both have heavily influenced the economy and culture.

The next morning we went to walk in the Palatinate Forest to a very old stone tower (Humbergtum) to look at the views.

It was a beautiful day and the views from the top were amazing.

We also noticed that there were some holes in the ground, possibly a badger or hedgehog.

This one had fresh dirt outside the entrance.

Weisbaden

Wiesbaden is a short train ride from Mainz. It was founded in 6 CE and became an important spa town for the Romans. in fact, there is a fountain where the hot spring runs near the surface, called Thermalquelle Kochbrunnen.

It has been and is still known as a spa town and is one of the wealthiest in Germany. It suffered less damage during WWII and has generally been a protestant city.

Roman wall

Schloss Biebrich. I really wanted to visit this palatial house but it was closed for the season.

Mainz

Mainz was founded by the Romans in 13 BCE and called it Mogontiacum. It had a large population as it was a military and administrative center, helping to protect Roman front lines to the north through the use of the Rhine River. Roman walls were found when excavating for construction.

It became an important Christian city in the 8th century. In 1450, Gutenberg revolutionized printing by using moveable type. He was born here and there is a great museum in his name here. It uses many different types of the chnology to explore and explain printing changes through the years and how people’s lives have changed. They have some very old books in their possession including two original Gutenberg bibles. Of the 180 that were printed. Only 49 have survived. Two of them ar hermano in a vault that you can see. Each column has 42 lines of text. These were printed d in 1454.

I found the different maps that were on exhibit fascinating. Depending upon the printer, it showed what was known of that day or what that person believed was most important. For example, there is no Americas in this map as it had not been “discovered” yet (1493).

The Hammer of Witches was printed for those to identify and deal with witches. It unfortunately was used heavily after printing in 1486.

They used a special media card that would display information when placed under the scanner.

There are other museums in the area. Landed museum Mainz has Roman and medieval history.

Kurfürstliches Schloss, a 17th century palace.

Schlosstor, Castle gate that is beside the Rhine.

Other sights in Mainz:

Fort Josef

I had not tried wienerschnitzel yet, and I found a restaurant (Stadthaus Schänke) with a peppercorn one. It was delicious.

And of course the Christmas markets

Like other areas of West Germany, they were under Napoleanic rule, part of Prussia, and largely destroyed in WWII.

Aachen (vía Stommeln)

I have been pet sitting in Stommeln, taking care of two adorable cats and a whole bunch of poultry: chickens, ducks, and geese. In some ways I have missed having a farm (but not being unable to vacation often). It was a also a good time to relax, get back into an exercise routine, and catch up with shows and emails, etc. There was a small Christmas market over the weekend.

Sylvia and Thorsten were wonderful and even had me stay an extra day to visit Aachen which is a town close to the Belgium border and the opposite direction action if where I would be traveling next. When I learned that Aachen is known for its gingerbread called printen. It is not like American gingerbread, with less spices and orange zest in the cookie. It was delicious.

Aachen is one of Germany’s oldest cities having been founded by the Romans (it was called Aquae Granni) as there were natural thermal spring waters here. Roman baths were constructed. In 742, Charlemagne made it his primary residence and the center of the Frankish Empire. in 800, he built the Palantine temple. He was buried in the walls after his death and the present day Cathedral expanded upon those walls.

From the 10th through the 16th centuries, German kings were coronated in the cathedral. Because of the history and the relics here, it is also a major site of pilgrimage. It fell into decline after the 16th century, was under the rule of Napoleon and Prussia, and heavily damaged in WWII.

The inside of the cathedral:

The sarcophagus continuing the remains of Charlemagne.

The Aachener Domschatz is the location of the relics from before and the early years of the cathedral built in 1215.

The skullcap of Charlemagne.

The gilded arm that belonged to Charlemagne actually contains a radius and ulna bones that have been analyzed and believed to be that of Charlemagne.

The Rathaus is the town hall and was built on the foundation of the palace of Charlemagne.

In the upstairs, it has an impressive view of the cathedral and the square where the palace stood. Of course, there is a Christmas market there!

It is still known as a highly regarded spa town with the Caroluus thermen spa. Yes, I went to the spa and enjoyed some great relaxing thermal waters. In

Other photos from Aachen.

I also met with a friend of Sylvia’s to help her practice her English. She is an artist using metals and enamel. She wanted to show me how to make a necklace and gifted it to me which was so nice.