A Vacation Tale...There and Back Again

I’m baaaack. And thankfully so. Although I had a good time, got to see some fabulous places, and met and enjoyed the company of great people, I have never been happier in my life to just be HOME. To be in your own space, to sleep comfortably in your own bed, and to just be able to be STILL and do nothing is something most of us take for granted. But trust me - when you’ve been on the go non-stop for almost 3 weeks, sharing space and rushing everywhere, always pressed for time, you appreciate the simple life even more.

Missy asked me what I would rate this vacation on a scale of 1-10. I have to give it a solid 8. Maybe an 8.5.
The reason it’s not a 10? Because nothing’s perfect, not even this fabulous, expensive, 7,200 mile trip to Ireland and the United Kingdom. Now there were days and moments that were perfect, sure, but as a whole, it was much too rushed to say the same for the entire vacation. And even though I knew it was going to be hectic even before we started, experiencing it in real time is a whole new ball game. For me, I’ve never been on a vacation that was so time sensitive…where it really was hard to relax and just enjoy being somewhere because you were always worried about the time. I think in order to really enjoy something, you need to just let you mind wander, breathe, sit still, and just appreciate everything it is. When you’re constantly looking at your watch, you can’t do that. And for me, that took away from the overall experience.
Having said that, I got to see much of what I wanted, and I had a great time doing so with friends and family. Would I do it again? Not like that, not in that way, because it was too much for me. Three to four weeks in one place, maybe two would have been much better, as it would have given us a “home base”, rather than having to pack up and move every two days.
Would I visit those places again? I’d love to go back to Scotland. England I will not miss, so I’m glad I saw it once because I’ll probably never go back. As for Ireland - there are places in Ireland that I would love to visit and see again.

Like I said - there were days and moments that were perfect, like wandering around Stonehenge while listening to ancient myths about how it was formed…or climbing to the top of the Scott Monument in Edinburgh and just enjoying the spectacular view of the city….or having a Guinness (in its home city) with family and friends, old and new….or riding through the beautiful Irish countryside listening to Irish music wafting through the overhead speakers and the tour guide, in his lovely lilt, describing the history and people of the places we motored through as we made our way around Ireland. These  are the memories I will definitely keep close to heart, and  are what made it all worthwhile.
Now for the details…

IRELAND
Ireland is beautiful. It really is. It’s what people say it is - green and lush and full of friendly people and quaint little towns. But going in with big expectations is a mistake. Yes, there are places like the Dingle Peninsula and Killarney town that make you grab the camera in hopes of capturing it’s natural beauty. The music - traditional, heartbreaking but real Irish music - is worth having a listen, and it’s a joy to walk the little harbor villages and shops with its good natured people and lively atmosphere.
But going in expecting it to be the best place ever was my mistake - it’s VERY much like Maui, or Hawaii in general. It’s the same shades of green, and it’s the same sort of beautiful drive through much of the country. There are no castles every few miles and the ones we did see, were rather small, instead of the majestic ones I assumed we’d see at practically every turn. But again, that was my fault for going in with such high expectations, and does not take away from the natural beauty and charm that is Ireland. I very much enjoyed it and would like to visit a few places again some day.
The Irish Explorer Tour we did through Cosmos was quite an experience. Despite the rather rushed pace, we got to see tons of places, hear all about them from Henry, our wonderful tour guide, and experience a great deal of Ireland without worrying about how to get there. This is something I’d recommend. And if possible, try to get on a tour conducted by Henry Brennan - lovely, funny, and quintessentially middle-aged Irish gentleman. Much more enjoyable when you have a guide like that.
The Liam O’Connor show in Killarney was really good. Apparently he’s kind of a big deal up there, and even though it sounds cheesy that he plays the accordion, he’s wonderful at it. And the musicians that back him are incredible. Not to mention the step-dancing! I FINALLY got to see REAL IRISH STEP-DANCING IN IRELAND! You have no idea how big of a deal this is for me, as it’s probably the only thing I wanted to do in Ireland. I LOVE clogging, and for me, this was one of the highlights of Ireland, for sure. The jaunting car ride in Killarney town through the park to Ross Castle was beautiful (and so was the cute Irish driver ;-), and Killarney is somewhere I would definitely like to see again.
The Bunratty Castle medieval banquet was also FABULOUS, and I thoroughly enjoyed the music and singing…particularly when the female performers sang “Danny Boy”, accompanied by a harp and fiddle. I finally listened to the lyrics and thanks to Henry, now understand what the song is really about. It’s both heartbreaking and beautiful and trying to get through the performance without crying was difficult…it’s an absolute joy to watch and listen to something that brilliantly done in person. I wish I could do it all over again.
Overall, Ireland and the Irish Explorer Tour was a lovely experience and is something I would recommend, although I would have loved it much more with a few more days added in for a slightly slower pace.

SCOTLAND
Ahh…now Scotland is spectacular. Whether it’s the incomparable majestic and sheer natural beauty of the Highlands, the gorgeous gothic cathedrals and ornate spires, the immense, imposing presence of Edinburgh Castle towering above the city, or the breathtaking drive in-between, Scotland IS every bit of a joy as I had hoped and it is by far the most beautiful place I have ever seen.  Despite the tiny rooms and elevators and the cold weather (even on a bright day), I loved every moment of being there.
The city requires at least a week to walk through and admire the little shops that sell everything from the obligatory cheesy tourist souvenirs to real medieval amour. If there’s one thing you need to do in Edinburgh - and I recommend this wholeheartedly - take one of the “haunted” walking tours offered by Mercat. Their guides are funny, the walk informative, and the underground vaults fascinating. Even if you don’t experience any of the “frights” or encounters others have claimed to, it really is a great experience…and for very little money is something worth doing.
Sightseeing and castle-finding require a few weeks in order to give yourself time to get there and back, as the drives are incredibly long.  But finding and exploring them, in particular Eilean Donan Castle, is worth the hours spent getting there. Coming around the corner and seeing something as majestic as a 600 year old castle towering above a tranquil loch on a peaceful day is absolutely breathtaking. And there is nothing like taking a tour of Edinburgh Castle, seeing the crown jewels, and experiencing every monumental and incredible aspect it has to offer.
But if I could recommend any one thing, it would be to stay in the Highlands…in particular, a charming and beautiful B&B called Braemore Country Square House. It’s way the hell up there - about 12 miles south of Ullapool - but it is worth the drive. The owners (Ed & Wendy) are as friendly and sweet as can be, the property itself is gorgeous and full of farm animals and archaeological sites that were featured on the BBC (Tanya was in heaven), and even though the place is a huge manor house, staying in the comfortable rooms catered to by such warn, friendly people reminds you of being home. If you ever go to Scotland, you must see the Highlands. And if you do go there, stay with Ed & Wendy at their B&B (there’s also self-catering apartments.) You won’t regret it.
I remember Holli saying that there are so many places to visit in this world, she hates going somewhere twice but if she were to visit somewhere again, it would be Scotland. I have to second that notion. I’d go back in a heartbeat.

ENGLAND
Ahh. London. For all the hype about it, I was rather unimpressed. I think if you go to London specifically to shop or for the theatre, it would be wonderful, as London really does have that big city, fast-paced, “live it up” feel to it. But as we didn’t have time for either shopping or the theater (which I would have loved, given another few days), it didn’t matter.  London itself, for me anyway, was just okay. The only part that I thought was actually beautiful was “Royal London”, where Buckingham Palace, Whitehall Palace, etc. are located, along with St. James Park.  Trafalgar Square was really nice, too. But other than that, it looks like any other city. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament were nice to look at, but they were about the only things that stuck out in that area. (they look better at night.) And Westminster Abbey, although beautiful, looks like every other beautiful, old cathedral in Europe. The London Eye, with its 440 ft. diameter is pretty impressive, though. We didn’t go on, but walking next to it really gives you perspective as to the grandness of it. Again - it looks better at night, as it’s completely lit up.
Outside London, however, there are some pretty towns and great scenery. For instance - the city of Bath. Coming into the city really is a spectacular view, and the town itself is full of old buildings, cute shops, and tons of amazing street musicians. Given the opportunity again, I would have just wandered around the town rather than paying to go into the Roman baths for a tour…I think I would have been much more fascinated with what was outside, rather than in.  Being at Stonehenge, however, WAS impressive and I had a great time taking tons of photos and listening to Arthurian myths and Celtic legends about how the structure was formed and why. It really is the perfect setting for story-telling. The British Museum was also something worth seeing and it is IMMENSE. We didn’t have time to walk the entire museum as that would have taken days, but we got to see the highlights, and that was good enough.
Overall, I’m glad I saw London…been there, done that….but I really have no desire to go back. It is what it is, and some things just aren’t for me. England is one of them, despite some of its fabulous offerings.

And after all that, it’s back to the grind. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be going back to work…I guess it helped that I slept pretty much all day Sunday. Nothing like a little 12 hour nap to make things better ;-)  Now I guess all that’s left is to plan the next trip. I’ll have to think twice about going to Europe again, though…perhaps 2 or 3 stops along the way would be best because doing the entire trip from Hawaii in one shot is insanely tiring. Or maybe it's just me. Either way, I'm getting too old for this...