Saturday, August 7, 2010

Waterford (home to more than just crystal)


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

Monday, August 2, 2010

Bank Holiday!

It has been awhile since I've posted. . During the month of August, I have been really taking advantage of my time. Let's see....

Since my last post, I think the highlight was the bank holiday weekend at the beginning of August. No one seems to know what bank holidays are, but we all get a day off work so no one complains. It seems that people don't usually travel the way that we Americans do on our 3-day weekends; the locals seem to enjoy just taking time to relax.

The weekend started with a trip to the bars in Cork to celebrate a co-worker's maternity leave (this was her idea), and to welcome me and another American who was visiting for just the week. Numerous beers were had, possibly too many, and I haven't had a wild night out since.

Bank Holiday weekend also was a visit to West Cork, to Clonakilty, which is home to a brand of black pudding, and more importantly, Michael Collins, a (rebel, according to the English) leader for Irish independence in the 1920s. Clon has a beautiful beach just outside it.



To finish the long weekend I went sea kayaking around Old Head and near Kinsale (but I didn't bring a camera!) Around the coast, there are lots of small caves, which are smelly but impressive. I saw jellyfish, anemonies, and maybe a crab or two. Nothing very exotic, but a great introduction to what's in the water around me. The course was part of a certification program, so we had to show proficiency at certain skills such as water rescue. So, I got my first taste (and feel) of the Atlantic Ocean in Ireland! Freezing!



A taste of the West Cork coastline at Inchydoney beach


Another common site in West Cork; stone cirles like this one in Drombeg