The next weekend of August we decided on a trip to Waterford. When I say 'we', I'm referring to my friends Amy and David, who are also here from the states courtesy of Lilly. I'm very grateful for their company!
Waterford is considered the oldest town in Ireland; it was the first sacked by the Vikings, who gave it its name (Vedrafjord). There a fair bit of the old town walls remaining, including this round tower that was set at a corner. The main reason we went, however, like so many other people, was the crystal. Not that any of us are the type to go on a shopping spree in the gift shop, especially when there were so many gaudy things in the giftshop.
Surprisingly, the crystal was only made starting in the 1950s, and was only made in Waterford because there was easy access to birch trees. There's crystal available lots of places in Ireland, including Kinsale, because we have ample sand. The plant is closed in Waterford now, so when you visit you only see the process for how the crystal was made. Our guide was particularly bitter about the sudden closing of the plant and the loss of his pension, but it makes sense when you consider there aren't a lot of transferrable skills associated with crystal making, carving, or etching.
I've posted some pics of the factory tour here (Facebook).
After a fantastic Italian dinner (partially due to the fact that we were starving, and partially due to the fact that David found a pearl in one of the mussels served in his pasta), we traveled further east to Hook Head peninsula, which is just over the border in Co Wexford. To save time, we took a ferry, which is quite possibly the shortest ferry in existence; it takes < 5 mins to cross the river. It's a wonder there wasn't a bridge built.
Hook Head has an awesome 12th century lighthouse, perched on a bit of rocky ground that very gradually makes its way to the sea. This corner of the world is the namesake of the phrase 'By hook or by crooke'; Hook is this pensinsula, and Crooke is a town on the west side of the Ferry stop - Oliver Cromwell used the phrase to indicate his intent to capture Waterford.
The ecology of the rocks was amazing, and the more I travel the world, the more amazed I am at the diversity in rocks and plants as you move from place to place. We had traveled maybe 100 miles, and the plant life on the rocks was so different from Inchydoney beach the weekend before.
The ocean meets the land
It was a busy day, but full of beautiful views of Ireland.
sunset at church ruins on Hook Head
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