Day 1 Emerald Isle: G-d bless'd the green island and saw it was good

Every year, we look forward to taking our family getaway in the summer. This year is a little different - a little early and a little farther. We decided to take the girls on our first international family trip. Our destination: Ireland. Not that there's anything wrong with the Disney castle (I love Disney world!), but I wanted the girls to see real castles while they're still little -- real life castles steeped in history; high castles built of thick stone walls to protect those who lived within; castles that had been plundered and now in ruins, which would stir their minds to asking questions aplenty; hauntingly beautiful sites that would show them how people used to live.  With over 30,000 castles, ruined, regal or memorial of sort, and its green countryside, the emerald isle was the clear destination for us.

Our day started not too well with our Jet Blue MSP-BOS flight botched up by Aer Lingus.  Thankfully, the Jet Blue staff were awesome and they got us on the United flights with only 2 hours delay in our schedule. Hooray Jet Blue!  And while I've blacklisted United from my travels, I made an exception this time, and they weren't too bad...(this time). The girls were very good on the plane. Maya slept through dinner and breakfast even, then reminded me when she woke up that the crew were supposed to bring food! Thankfully, I saved her food, so she was happy and fed. We breezed through customs, and took a cab to the train station. After a ~3h train ride from Dublin to Cork, we rented a car in Cork to make our way to the Wild Atlantic Way.

Cliff by the house

Wild Driving in Ireland

Everything you've heard about driving in Ireland is true...and more. For this trip, I was the designated driver. I was excited and had my adrenaline pumping in spite of the lack of sleep. I was rented a brand new Audi just to add more pressure, or excitement, and as soon as I pulled off the rental parking lot, I knew getting the full-coverage insurance was a good idea. Whew.  I knew they drive on the other side of the road in Ireland, but...

"Opposite side driving + 100 Kph + Very narrow lanes + Cliff side + Historic stone walls + Tractors and tour buses + occasional sheep on the road = TERRIFYING!" 

Rose Cottage, Adrigole

Not to mention traffic circles also go the opposite way, and I could only guess what the road signs said. Yeah - it would have been smart to read up on those before we actually made the drive!  But hey, the soaring cliffs and epic bays on the way to the south west part of Ireland really did make for a sensational journey especially with the sheep and cows dotting the landscape. The kids enjoyed the view, and were laughing so hard at their parents trying maneuver the wild Ireland roads with me muttering to myself "KEEP LEFT" every 10 minutes or so. You can always count on them to ease the pressure. The kids were in great spirits as we stopped by Bantry to buy some groceries.  By the time we arrived in Adrigole, where we rented a house, we were exhausted but happy.  

If only we bought Guiness. 

When Erin first rose from the dark swelling flood,
God bless'd the green island and saw it was good;
The em'rald of Europe, it sparkled and shone,
In the ring of the world the most precious stone.
In her sun, in her soil, in her station thrice blest,
With her back towards Britain, her face to the West,
Erin stands proudly insular, on her steep shore,And strikes her high harp 'mid the ocean's deep roar.

By William Drennan