Cornwall, I am in heaven...

Hi All

Well I love Cornwall, it is really pretty, but most of all I have hired a car, so no more waiting for buses and losing time. I can go where I want, when I want and I love it!!! I got the car in Plymouth and have to return it there, but it was only 13 pound a day, plus petrol. I also got the extra 10 pound a day insurance, so if something happens to the car, I don't pay any extra. I thought that was worth it, I am not driving around terrified that someone will hit me or whatever, so am thoroughly enjoying myself. I have called the car Priscilla, I have no idea why, I just have, and we have been plenty of places together.


Meet priscilla, she is jusl like a dinky toy, really small.

We entered Cornwall yesterday morning and travelled to Liskeard, then down to St Austell and through to Truro. I could not believe how narrow the roads are. I had noticed in Scotland that some of the town roads are not very wide and then people park both sides so it is one lane traffic, you have to wait for each other and everyone waves to say thanks. It was different to what I am used to, but I learned and I am doing that here. I did wonder when I first arrived why all British cars are so small, almost like matchbox cars, now I know. On my way to my hotel, I passed through Stithians, I didn't expect to, but suddenly there it was. I couldn't believe it, I found the church and walked through the graveyard and investigated the church, it was awesome, just to be there. I could not find any family graves, though I do have photos of them that have been sent to me, but I didn't find one, you will see why. Luckily someone has put all the birth, death and marriages from the church online, so I can search them at my leisure. I only found them yesterday, so am pretty stoked!!. I then drove onto Scorrier, where my hotel is.

The churchyard at Stithians, the bit without the brambles!! I was thinking, don't they own a mower? I was pretty appauled by it actually. I couldn't find squat.

I booked into the hotel and got rid of my luggage then took a drive to Porthtowan and portreath, really lovely places, but all jammed in and the sand on the beach is grey. Yep grey?? Anyway I stopped and parked like the rest of them and went of to have a drink. I watched the local kids diving off different heights of the Cliff and would have taken a pic, but they were children and i didn't want people to think I was a weirdo, so you can't see what it was like, but it was great to watch. I then went to a local pub here in Scorrier for tea and retired early. The woman at the hotel warned me they had a loud party from Liverpool. For some reason I thought they would be footballers or young people at least. I was wrong!!

I have often wondered why in many of the travel novels I read they always talk about how rude the English are, I have found them to be all so kind and friendly, but I have discovered that although it would be hard to find a rude English person in everyday life, there is nothing more rude than some English people on holiday, it is like their manners go on holiday too!! I can give you some examples and they are just from breakfast today. Firstly as we headed into breakfast two English ladies broke into a run and filled both four slice toasters with bread, 8 slices for 2 people!! Okay maybe thoughtless not totally rude, but it still pissed me off!! i was hungry too. Not worth the bother though, I decided to have cereal and wait for the toaster. As the dining room was almost empty and I knew there was a bus load of people in I thought I would sit up the other end of the room, the table was for 6, but there were no small tables so I sat and had my cereal. I then went and got some toast and my eggs and bacon. When I returned a woman was sitting up the other end of the table, no problem. Suddenly this man was standing over me, he says "So, changed tables have we?" I literally had to look up at him he was standing so close. I said "Excuse me?". He repeated himself and I said "No, I have been sitting here since I first came in". He then said something about the four of them had been sitting there, and I suddenly realised he meant every other day, they had been there since Thursday. I said "You don't mean today, do you?" and he goes "No. we four have been sitting here all week". I said "And how am I meant to know that?" So I picked up my plate and moved. mumbling "How rude." as I left. But I couldn't believe it, who the hell did he think he was? How childish, the table was for 6, if they didn't want to share, they could have sat somewhere else, the restaurant was empty enough. I have come across that rude arrogance more than once, I preferred to move than put up with him, but the young man that worked there was pretty appalled. I said to him "Do you know where I can sit that will not get me into trouble?" and he was like "No I don't normally work in here". But I found another table and he came over with my teapot because I had left it on the other table, he was nice, but then he isn't on holiday is he? I went to get some jam and when I came back to my table, my toast was on the floor.... I have no idea how that happened, but I gave up, put it on my plate and left. I shall have a later breakfast tomorrow if I can to avoid the jerks. Mind you I had to put up with one of them snoring all night, the walls are paper thin.

Apart from the rude start I had an incredible day. Priscilla and I first went to Helston , I went to the Poldark mine, Priscilla stayed outside. It was great, I wanted to see what a tin mine was like as some of my ancestors had been Cornish miners. It was a fabulous place, the tour was great, only 4 of us on it, so really good. It was a great insight into my families past. I can understand why they left for Australia and became farmers, what an awful life.

Part of the mine. It was really interesting, but hard to show on here with one pic..

The guide told me the prettiest road in all Cornwall was from St Ives to St Just, so that is what I decided to do next. Well he was right. It was glorious, firstly St Ives is the prettiest village I have seen in all Cornwall, I loved it. I couldn't find a park, which is pretty typical here, probably why they all park anywhere they can. They do the same in Ireland and when I commented to Don (remember Don?)he said "In Ireland we have a high regard for the law, as it applies to other people. But don't try to make it apply to me". I think that applies here as well. Anyway as I was driving along looking for a park, the next thing I new I was out of town. It is impossible to turn around in Cornwall, believe me it really is, you will see why from my photo's. So I carried on along. Well, the roads are really narrow, luckily the cars are tiny, but even then there are so many places where I prayed I didn't meet an oncoming car and the Good Lord heard me, because I didn't, not on any of the minuscule roads at least. The countryside is beautiful, but you only get glimpses of it, as the hedges are so high either side of the road, you cannot see to the side and you cannot see what is coming around the bends, it is really quite scary. According to the Internet, Victoria is 228000 Sq Km and Cornwall is 3,563 sq km. So about 6.5 of them would fit into Victoria.. No wonder it is so quick to get from one place to another, except on the St Ives road of course. I was going so slow, they had all these signs saying SLOW, I thought if I get any slower I will be stopped altogether!! You have to drive through farmyards, the road actually goes between the farm buildings, it is bazaar.

Not sure if this was a farm, or just a house, but you can see how close you drive to the buildings, some were even closer I reacon.

Some of the little hamlets have signs saying 30, I would have had to speed up to go 30, honestly. You couldn't tell what was coming at you and sometimes these tiny roads actually had road narrows signs and I thought "Good grief, is it going to become a footpath?". It really was something, but I don't think I will do it again, too bad for the nerves. I think it was only about 18 miles, I cannot tell you exactly because the map the car firm gave me doesn't show distance, they probably don't think it is worth it, as you will be there in a minute. I swear in 10 minutes you could go through 3 to 4 villages, it is really amazing to me, coming from Australia and all. I didn't worry about getting lost, after all you could be back where you started in half an hour, so no problem, you just can't turn around.

I am not sure if this pic will give you an idea of how narrow the road is, remember I am driving something not much bigger than a Tonka toy...

From St Just we went on to Penzance, I drove along looking for a park near the beach, but no luck as usual, and then the roads were closed for roadworks, so I meandered through the village, they are really pretty but I started to think about it and you know in about 2 days I would be like "Get away from me!!". There is no space, you are living on top of one another and I really don't think I could cope. Many of them are right on the road way, so not front gardens at all. I would get very claustrophobic.


One of the towns between, St ives & St Jude, don't ask me which one, they don't want me to know!! I couldn't live like this, I need my space...

We then went on to Marazion (I think, half the places don't have signs). Anyway I walked to St Micheals Mount from there, it is really lovely, a castle on an Island just off the mainland. You can walk across at low tide. I had a drink and a piece of cake, but did not go into the castle. The Cornish are like the Irish, they hate to put up signs or notices to tell you anything, it is like information is costly or something. So I didn't even ask how much the entry fee was, I am a little over castles right now. I need to have some time without looking at old buildings... While I was sitting having my cake, the tide started to come in. I was going ot have to wade back to shore, but a bloke told me the boats would be leaving and it was only 1.50 pound, about $3, so I did that instead.

St Michaels Mount, form the distance. It really was lovely.

I then drove back to Scorrier and am now relaxing on my bed. It is only 5:30 here, but I am bushed and need to recuperate before going to dinner. I shall find somewhere else to eat to avoid the rude people below.

I will leave you with some pics and I shall work out where I am off to tomorrow...

Cheers

Lones

Buses and excursions in the night...

Hey Everyone
Well I caught the bus to London at 4pm yesterday in Cork, we arrived at 8am this morning, and I am buggered!!!! I am now waiting to catch a bus to Plymouth at 11am, we won’t arrive until 16:40 this afternoon. It is 9:30am at the moment... It will be another long day. I had very little sleep on the bus and none on the ferry, so am wearing out. But good news, I got to talk to Kearie, my sister and nephew this morning on Skype. So that was excellent, I hope to talk to them again tomorrow morning. It was great to get news from home and to see my sister and nephew again. I love Skype!!

Well I have no photos today as I figure you have all seen the inside of a bus, but I have some gossip. Yesterday the bus left at 4pm, but being me, I was there early, so I boarded about 3:30pm, I may need to see someone about this ridiculous being early fixation that I have. Before the bus driver loaded my suitcase he grabs this large plastic bag out of the luggage compartment and in it is a big red soft bag, the kind young people use to tote their clothes around in. It was left luggage, apparently they don’t have a lost luggage room in this company, they just put it in a plastic bag and leave it in the luggage compartment, to slide back and forth for the rest of eternity or until the luggage hold gets so full of left luggage that you can’t fit any passenger luggage in, whichever comes first. Anyway after me this woman boarded who could not speak English, I think she was speaking Spanish, it sounded like it. The bus driver was really rude to her and snapping and stuff. It didn’t faze her much she just shrugged at me and let it go, but he was rude. There was nobody but us on the bus and she sits right behind me, so when I reclined my seat to get some sleep (I had been up since 4am, as I couldn't sleep) she goes "HUMPH" really loud, and I had to put it back up again. I was thinking, sit somewhere else, I was here first. So I was feeling way less sorry for her by now. I moved seats myself later, but still couldn't sleep.

Anyway after a horrendously long time on the bus, we got on the ferry and 4 hours later we were in England. We had to go through customs and show our ID. I fished out my passport and in my hurry I handed it to the dude still in the plastic book thingo. On one side is my passport and on the other is information from the Government for Aussie travellers, I haven’t read that... They always insist you remove your passport and I had forgotten, so realising my mistake I said “Oh sorry do you want me to take it out.” And he looking at the front of my passport and the government information, and says “no love, that’s okay” and hands it back to me. I was thinking, you really don’t care do you? Maybe they had to get him out of bed to check us in.. Or maybe I didn’t look like a terrorist, anyway I could have had anyone’s passport in there...

We get back on the bus and take off, the next thing we know the police with flashing lights are pulling us over. I knew it wasn’t for speeding, the speed those things go, I think I could run faster sometimes, okay maybe not, but you get my drift!! Anyway they tell the driver he has left someone behind.. Yep, he forgot to count, so back we go. As we pull into the port we expected to see someone out the front, you know, all impatient like, but nothing, nobody. The bus driver gets out to find the errant passenger when another policeman appears and I heard them talking, something about “we might keep them”. Curious!! Anyway the copper (can I call him that?) asks us all to get out of the bus and remove our luggage as they were holding someone and wanted to know if they had any luggage. We all removed our luggage and he pounced on the red bag, I told him it was already there and he said yes it is left luggage, so he knew all about the company custom apparently. Anyway he took the last small remaining case and asked if it belonged to anyone, which it didn’t. We were all chatting and trying to work out who was missing. Like you do. Well all the weird passengers were still there (you know, the ones you notice, all buses have them and if you can’t spot them, it’s probably you!) the Irish drunk, check. The ageing hippie, check. The art student with the weird hair, check. Suddenly Ros, (the friend I met on the bus) calls to me. Leonie the Spanish lady is missing, and sure enough she was, the art student with the weird hair was sitting in her seat. Well, we all said, fancy that!! The copper gets back on the bus and someone says “The Spanish lady is missing? “ He says “Yes and she isn’t Spanish”. “Oooee" We all say, raising our eyebrows questioningly. But he was not giving anything away, he just thanked us and assured us we wouldn’t be late into London because of the hold up, like he knew! So he trotted off, with his prize suitcase in his hand and we drove off into the night. Leaving the not Spanish lady to her fate! So was she a smuggler, or someone trying to enter England through Ireland without the correct papers, or something more sinister altogether? I guess we will never know. Mind you we were only 10 minutes or so late, so I guess the copper did know after all.

So that is my exciting night in a nutshell, I am so tired when I read this tomorrow it probably won’t make any sense. Bear with me I need sleep............

Cheers

Lones

Happy 18th Birthday Kaylie!!!....Woohoo...

Happy Birthday Kaylie... I know it is past midnight there, but it is still the 23rd here, so I can still say it... I hope you had the best day, as I am sure you did. Have a great year sweetheart, you deserve it... Love you heaps.

I don't suppose Kaylie thought about her poor ancient aunt running around the Irish countryside on her birthday, but that is what I was doing. I caught the bus to Ballyvourney and arrived about 9:35am. You will think I am nuts, but on the bus I asked Bridget to help me, if I was on the right journey and suddenly the sun came out. It had been drizzling all morning, so I took that as a sign. Bridget and I were on a mission together. I/we proceeded to the church that I was told is the only one in Ballyvourney and apparently it was, back in 1835. So as I/we wandered up the drive, all excited like, the sun came out again. Then I heard the prayers, good grief there was a service going on!!! Well what does a person do? I snuck in the back pew and waited for it to end. Not being catholic and as half the service was in Gaelic, I had no idea what was going on, so I sat, knelt and stood when they all did, mumbled stuff under my breath and tried to look like an Irish catholic. I am not sure how successful I was, but nobody pointed and laughed so I must have done alright. I am sure my Mum will be delighted that I attended a church service, though maybe not a catholic one.. But then better a good catholic than a bad Protestant, eh?? Anyway I waited until the service ended, those Irish catholics sure like to gossip after the service, it took ages for them all to depart, standing around in little circles they were, chatting away.... I noticed the priest (he was the fella I was interested in) go into a door in a wooden box on the side of the church, ah ha I thought, confessional. So I was very patient, I wandered around the church and read the windows etc. I am not sure how long confessional should take, but he seemed to be an incredible time, all the folk had stopped gossiping and left the church. So I thought he must have escaped me somehow and rethought the whole confessional thing. Apparently the wooden box leads outside, so I shot out the front and found the good father with a pair of long garden clippers in his hand (I would have said secateurs, but I have no idea how to spell it) anyway I nabbed him right then. I asked if this was the only church and would Bridget have been baptised here, he said yes and the records would be in his house, would I like to look!!!! Would I!!! So off we went. Well there is was, the original baptism record... BUT there were no other O'Briens baptised there, so I am still not certain if it is my Bridget!! I was so hoping to find the siblings baptised there as well. So now did my O'Briens arrive there after all the other children were baptised? Where did they come from? Or is this another Bridget altogether, I still have no proof she is mine, well except the sun coming out, does that count??

Father O'Brien, yes he is an O'Brien, but not one of mine, he offered to photocopy the record for me, lovely man. I was so grateful and not sure if I should offer him any money!! I am so not catholic, I have no idea of catholic protocol. So I thanked him profusely and as I was leaving I got out my purse. He said no it is not necessary, but I wanted to show my appreciation, I only had a 5 Euro note on me, so I thrust that at him mumbled something like "for the poor" and went all red in the face. He tucked the note into his pocket and I think he thanked me, but he may have blessed me, I was too embarrassed to hear right. I bolted up the path back to the church, I was taking a picture of it, just in case she does turn out to be my Bridget, when Father O'Brien turned up again. He told me that there was a plaque in the church stating it had been built in 1827 if I wanted to see it. So I took a photo of that too, I had seen it earlier, but as it is in Gaelic I had no idea what it said. I then proceeded to walk around the village, most of the houses where too new to have been there in 1835 to 1852 when Bridget would have been there (if she is mine). So I took some photos of the countryside as that would not have changed that much. Oh I forgot to mention the church does not hold burial records (bugger..) as that would have told me if Richard and Bridget (my Bridget's parents) had died in Ballyvourney.. They only have the birth records... I am very grateful to Father O'Brien, he could not have been nicer and he did not make me feel like I was encroaching on his time, bless him.

I then came back to Cork. I had really enjoyed my day and I feel very close to Bridget, even if it turns out she isn't mine.
It is almost impossible to get out of Cork, did you know that? I have been trying to find a way to Cornwall for days, it got to the point that I was wondering the street of Cork singing to myself "I gotta get outta this place, if it's the last thing I ever do!" sing with me, "I gotta get outta this place..." Well it would cost me $300 Aus to fly to Plymouth and that wouldn't be til Friday, too much and too late. Trains are a nightmare over here, so I didn't go there. So I finally decided to take a bus. Well, if I take the bus to Cardiff it would cost me 58 pounds and arrive at 3am, or if I take the bus all the way to London it will cost me 58 pounds and arrive at 7:45am. I would much rather arrive somewhere at 7:45 than 3am, seeing as it is the same price and all. So I decided to do that. I should have less trouble getting from London to Cornwall than from Cardiff to Cornwall. So I then looked online and I have booked a bus from London to Plymouth to 18 pounds on Friday late morning. So there you are, like I said getting out of Cork is not easy...

I now have to look for accommodation in Cornwall. So til later, I hope you enjoy the pics of Ballyvourney...

Cheers
Lones


Ballyvourney Church


The local creek


A farm cottage


One view of the village

Ireland in all it's beauty...

Once again, thanks for the comments, keep them coming, it is nice to know someone is reading this out there in Internet land.... I get a giggle from them all, so cheers for that.

Today I had a great day, it was fantastic, I took another tour with Don. I am starting to suspect the company has only one bus and only one driver. Anyway Don is really nice, he just tells you lots of information and most of it is dead boring, but there are some gems in there if you can stay awake long enough. Today he gave me some real gems. As I was early (yeah, surprise, surprise) anyway we started chatting about why I was in Cork. I had realised last night that I had passed the village Bridget was supposed to have come from on my first tour with Don, so I asked him if that was right. He said yes, and then told me some of the history of the place, he also said that buses run out to there several times a day. So tomorrow that is where I am going. The church is still there, so I shall see if they have any records on site. I am not getting my hopes up as the priest will probably not be there, or they won't have nay records, but I might be able to get a contact name to write to from home. At the very least I will be walking the streets she walked, if she really did come from there. I am hoping to find out if she actually did. I am really excited, though keeping my hopes down too, if that makes sense. I have booked my room for another night and shall try to head to Cornwall on Thursday.

The tour started at 9:3o and Don talked all the way there... I nodded off for about 15 minutes but stayed awake all the rest of the day, it wasn't easy, but I soldiered on... The countryside got prettier and prettier. It was really lovely. We went to a little village on a lake called Gougane Barra. It was so picturesque, I loved it.
Here are some pics, the day wasn't very bright so the pics have suffered, sorry..


The church


I told you they don't have many seats in Ireland. They don't encourage you to sit on their walls either. Check out the wall in the foreground...

We then headed to Glengarrif, from there we took a boat to an Island garden called Garinish island. It was incredible. On the way over to the island we passed some rocks with seals sun baking, it was awesome. The pics aren't very clear at the day was so bad. I should have checked my camera setting, but I forgot!!


The seals


View from the island back to the mainland, what an awesome place to live...


The garden has lots of different areas, this is the Italian Garden.


Part of the walled garden..


Close ups of some of the flowers... gorgeous!!


One of the walks on the island.


We stopped at Bantry for a late lunch on the way home.


I saw this truckload on the way home and I thought "poor little buggers.."

I have heaps more pics, but will not bore you with them all. I hope you enjoyed these, even though the weather wasn't great. I shall let you know how I get on tomorrow and I shall keep my hopes down, way down!! Keep your fingers crossed for me...

Cheers for now guys

Lones

Ancestors and other useless info

Hi All

Well I have had a disappointing day at the library. I arrived at 10am and left at 1pm and after searching all 3 papers that were printed at the time, I found absolutely nothing. I searched all the papers for the day they were tried, the following week or 2 and all the papers that had the Assizers trials for 1852. I was saddened to think my girls had been sent off to a convict life without so much as a record of it. There were many trials recorded, some more important but a lot that were less important. So now I have no idea what to do next. If I go back to Dublin then I would only be searching the same newspapers there. The folk at the library were really wonderful, very helpful and I am very grateful to them. I would not have had the knowledge to search properly without their help. I am just very sad that nothing came to light.

There was one case that made me smile. This is how it read:-
"Ten young vagrants, none of them 14 years of age, were charged with begging. They were discharged and left the Gillen shouting.
The Bridewell Keeper said that before they left the prison, they determined on a days excursion. They preposed walking to Queenstown, where on arrival, they would commence begging. For this they would be arrested by the police, and would be sent up by statement to the county jail, where they hoped to spend the Christmas holidays."
I assume that spending Christmas in Jail meant at least they would get a meal. We really have no idea how good we have it now days, do we?

So my day has been really quiet, I had lunch in cork, which only cost me an arm, I couldn't have an alcohol drink or I would have had to hand over the leg as well... Ireland is very expensive...

So as I have no news, I shall share with you some of the useless info I have picked up since arriving in Britain.

Bumble Bees - I had heard of them, but I assumed (wrongly) that they were just like our bees. They are not, they are weird little fat suckers, the ones I have seen are almost all black, with one or two yellow stripe and they get quite big, perhaps twice the size of ours..


Bumble Bee

Dutch Courage - Well I have two different versions of what this means, the English and the Irish.
In London the guide told us that way back when, during the plaque no countries would trade with England, only the Dutch would bring their ships into the harbour and unload goods, including gin. They then loaded up their boats and headed off. This is the English version of Dutch Courage, because of the bravery of the Dutch sailors.
Yesterdays Irish guide (Don) told us that when the English king William of Orange (who was Dutch) was ruler he had high taxes on everything except Dutch gin, therefore it flowed into Ireland, hence when people got drunk and did silly things it was called Dutch courage.
See I do listen to the guide when I am still concious... You can decide whichever one you believe.

Petrol over here is really expensive, about $2.40 per litre..... I have no idea how people can afford to drive anywhere. Note to self, I owe Ally a lot of money!!

Blinds/curtains
Well nobody in England or Scotland use them, they have them , they just don't close them, even at night. I was amazed, you can see in any window you like. I asked Sheonagh and she said she thinks it is a relic from WWII when they had years of black outs and so when they could finally open their curtains they said, "right I am never closing you again" and they didn't. It was really amazing. Ireland on the other hand must not have had a black out, as they all close their curtains/blinds like we do.

In Scotland I had my first Stovie.... now your wondering what that is aren't you?? It is a potato dish, with meat and stuff in it and it was delicious. Sheonagh gave me the recipe so I shall be making that when I get home. Yummmm. I also had a Forfar Bridie, which is kind of like a pastie, but different. It was also Yummy.. You can google the recipes if you like!!

Cheers for now

Lones

Sorry no pics today...

Kenmare & Killarney

Today I walked into town, as the buses don't start running on a Sunday until 8:50am. If I'm not careful I might get fit!! Perish the thought, but it could happen...

Well Cork is not a very lively city at 7:30 on a Sunday morning, nothing was open, no cafes not even the supermarket.

See a hive of activity..

Well McDonald's was open, but as you know, I refuse to eat there in Ireland.. The Irish aren't big on advertising their opening times here in Cork, so I had no idea what time the supermarket, Hungry Jack's or anything else was going to open, so I decided to walk around Cork to get the feel of the place without all those other annoying touristy folk. Well that took all of 20 minutes!! I sat and watched the locals put up their stalls at about 8 o'clock. I was taking a tour today to Kenmare & Killarney and it didn't leave until 9:30 am, so lots of time to fill in. I was getting decidedly hungry but still nothing open, so okay! I swallowed my pride and a bacon & egg McMuffin.. but I did use their toilets too, just to make me feel better!!

Well the tour was really great. All the countries over here are so beautiful, lush and green and they have the most amazing old buildings that just take you right back. I swear some of these places you can just imagine the knights/Lords riding down from the hills. It is brilliant.

Our first stop was Kenmare, a lovely little village, I had a quick bite to eat there, it was about 11:30 when we arrived. Ireland may be small but it takes ages to get from one place to another, really amazing actually.

Kenmare Village

We then went on to Muckross house, it was very impressive. For once I didn't pay and go in, I have seen some lovely palaces, castles & homes, I wanted to see the garden, so that is what I did. I meandered around the grounds and they were spectacular. i shall post some pics.

Muckross House


Some of the gardens


More of the gardens. Lovely view in the background

After we left Muckross House we went on to Killarney and that too was a nice town. I did a bit of personal shopping, browsed the shops and had a cup of tea. That is the first time ever I have had a cup of tea handed to me in one of those plastic cups with the sipper lid they use for coffee. I am not sure if that was it, or if it was just me, but it did not taste the same, it was pretty ordinary actually.

I kept falling asleep on the bus, and Sheonagh you can tell Ally it wasn't culture fatigue. The bus driver did a running commentary the entire day and although he was really nice and a lot of what he said was really interesting, I am not the only one he put to sleep. Seriously half the bus was asleep at some points. Maybe that is how he keeps everyone from getting too rowdy, he bores them to sleep. Even the young Americans fell asleep, and they usually don't want to miss anything. But he was very nice, just monotonous, he went into way too much detail on everything, from Gaelic words to how they make hay.... He did tell us how the Purple Rhododendron is a noxious weed in Ireland, I thought that was interesting. See I did listen when I was awake.

Ireland's noxious weed

We arrived back in Cork just after five, so I took another walk around, it is a very nice city. I am now relaxing back at my hotel. I shall post some pics for you to see and then I must answer some emails

Cheers

Lones

Cork and the Irish

Well I started out rather late this morning, the bus didn't show up so I decided to walk all 2.5 miles to town. Five minutes into the walk the the bus passes me!!!! Anyway it is only a half hour walk if you are not lugging any luggage, so I coped quite well. I was off to the library to see what I could find on my Great Great Grandmother, the 16 year old convict. I searched the microfische but could find nothing, so I asked if they had any other papers. NO!! Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang (that is the sound of me hitting my head on the desk)... all the original Examiner newspapers are in the national Library, you guessed it in.......DUBLIN!!! Bugger!!! I am not impressed. They did however have the original Courier Newspapers from 1851, when Catherine (Bridgets sister) was transported. I searched through them and did not find anything (big surpride there, with my luck). BUT a lovely little old Irishman told me what to look for so I am returning Monday, I have booked the fische machine and I will search them again with my new found knowledge. I got really engrossed while reading the original Courier, I was reading all the other trials and some of them were really fabulous, well not if you were the defendant I guess, but from an outside point of view they were. I cannot tell you how many people had their clothes stolen and pawned, and all in houses of illrepute. It was hilarious just reading the excuses the people came up with as to why they were there. Needless to say the ladies stealing the clothes were the ones on trial. A really good read, several murders etc. I was enthralled for ages.

I then took the bus tour of the city, the hop on hop off bus, but the Irish haven't really got it right here in Cork. There are brochures to tell you were the stops are, but no signs in the streets, so you just have to guess whereabouts to actually stand, it was ridiculous. The tour starts at about No 18 or something, none of the stops are in numerical order, No 1 is between number 15 and number 3?? It was an experience. I did however get off the bus at stop no 1, which is halfway through the tour, it was the old prison and it was the prison that Bridget & Catherine would have been held at until their trials, so that was really awesome, sobering too. It was not a nice place to be held, the tour was really informative and I am so glad that I went.

I asked the guy who runs/owns the hotel where I would find a laundrette and he tells me there are no coin operated laundrettes in Cork. But there is a service that picks up your laundry and returns it the same day. He also said that being Saturday it might not be returned until Monday morning, it would be about 10 or 11 Euros ($17 or $18Aus) but no choice really. I decided after breakfast to tell him I would wait to send the clothes until Monday, to save any hassle. I was looking for him when the lady of the house shows up and I explained that I had decide to wait until Monday etc. She said are you sure, I could run them through now for you and you would have them by lunch time.... Take out service.. my fat aunt, his wife or house keeper or whatever does the washing, I was really unimpressed with him. She was lovely though, so I gave her my laundry, it was on my bed when I returned tonight, now I am only waiting to see how much he charges me for the take out service... Lying little Irishman!!

Once again the McDonalds here is unbelievable, I refuse to eat at them due to their WiFi nonsense, but that does not stop me from using their bathrooms... I'll teach them!! As I went up the stairs I saw the "toilets are for customer use only" sign they always have, but these people really take it seriously. No joke, there was a guy standing at the toilets with a swipe card to let customers in!! Really, honest to God. I was gobsmacked.. Anyway he let me in, he didn't asked to see a receipt or anything, but I couldn't believe they would pay a guy to do that. So I said, "Wow you have a really interesting job, don't you?" He laughed and said only for 3 hours, they were having trouble with the door of the mens room?? So later when I went back, yes I know, but I shall abuse this system until I feel I have been repaid for all the WiFi nonsence in Dublin. So as I was saying when I went back the little guy was missing and on the swipe card thingy is a little sign, Pease ask a member of staff for assistance, well a girl was going past, she stuck out her hand and swiped me in, without me even opening my mouth. Obviously she didn't know I was the toilet bandit who uses the loo but doesn't buy anything, or else she just doesn't care. I ask you, wouldn't it be cheaper to just have normal doors and let people use the bathrooms, the trouble these people go to is ridiculous.. They take their toilets way too serious if you ask me!!

I shall post some pics that I took today, I hope you enjoy them

Cheers

Lones


The examiner on the day my Great Great Great Aunt was tried in Cork. I also got printouts from the fische. Lucky at the photos pixulate when enlarged. Cool to have though


Cork has some cool churches. Heaps of them..


The outside of Cork City Gaol. They used to have public hangings from this building...


A typical cell from the time. They had lots of dummies on display and lots of history and stories from the times. It was a good tour, really sobering, this is where my Irish Australian history began, in one of these cells. I do wonder if she ever regretted being caught, or if she thanked her lucky stars every day of her life. After all she did get the better weather and a future, which she may not have had, had she stayed in Ireland. Bridget lived to be 92 and had about 9 children so I hope that she had no regrets.


In Australia this would be classed as "the car you have when you're not having a car".. I couldn't believe it, it is even smaller than the one Sheonagh, Ally and I saw in Scotland. I love it!! It's even registered, God love 'em!!

Glasgow, Dublin and no Internet Access...

Glasgow & Dublin....
Well I was very disappointed at first with Glasgow. I got all the pamphlets and there was nothing I wanted to see. It appeared to consist of modern art & science museums, so I took the bus tour. I then found out that Glasgow had quite a lot to offer, they really should re-think those brochures.. I would recommend the hop on hop off tours they have in these places to everybody. I stayed on the bus the entire route, so I could see exactly what was on offer, then on the next trip round I got off where I wanted and I knew I wasn’t missing anything by hoping off early. The tickets are good for 2 days, but I only had one, so I wasn’t taking any chances (I hate to miss anything, as you all know). I stopped and viewed the Cathedral, it was really impressive, I also saw the oldest house in Glasgow. I was less impressed with the religious museum, but then it was an impressive display, I just found it depressing.... I decided to do the palace and the winter garden in the late afternoon. I had to be back at the hotel at 2pm to meet up with Dave, a friend from Rootschat (the family research site I am a member of). It was great to meet Dave, we have been mates for about 3 years or so, but had never met. We had some drinks at a local hotel and met two Americans, Michelle and her Mum. We spent the afternoon talking and then Dave & I went to a nice restaurant for dinner. So much for the rest of the hop on hop off tour... Dave was all for going to a nightclub, but to be honest I was almost dead on my feet, so he escorted me back to my hotel about 10pm. I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, not sure if it was all the travelling or the drinks but either way I was unconscious until ten past 2, when the bloody fire alarms started in that building close to us. I couldn’t believe it, they went on and off until after 3 am.... What?? I asked the guy at reception the next morning what it was all about and he said it was the gallery over the road and they are not supposed to test the alarms after 10 pm, but they do. He was going to ring someone about it!!! Good luck with that mate.. They were testing them, no fire, no sleep, just testing...Ggrrr. See Sheonagh, no firemen, just alarms....
I wasn’t sorry I came to Glasgow, it was great meeting Dave, but I am glad to be leaving, I really need my sleep. I caught the bus to Ireland at 10:50am and then a Ferry to Ireland, another bus to Belfast, all for 27 pound, which I thought was pretty good. I paid in Glasgow, but they don’t give you any directions on what to do enroute, so I was constantly asking drivers etc what to do... It was rather weird and they need to work on that. I wasn’t the only confused passenger. Well once I got to Belfast I decided (by looking through the bus window) that I didn’t want to stay in Belfast, it didn’t look that great, so I brought a ticket to Dublin, I was still travelling with the same people as the bus didn’t leave Belfast until 6pm and it was only 5:10pm when we arrived in Belfast. Well there was a lot of road works going on between Belfast and Dublin and our little driver was getting more agitated by the minute. I have never, ever worn a safety belt on a bus before, but I put mine on. I then noticed he was wearing his, first time I have ever seen that too, he obviously knew his own driving well. He kept asking people if people were alighting at coming stops “anyone for blah blah” and if he didn’t get an answer he said "right I’ll miss that stop..." It was really amazing, he just cut down the route to save time, God help anyone waiting at those stops to get on the bus!! Anyway I didn’t arrive in Dublin until 9pm, luckily it does not get dark here until after 10pm. There were no ATM’s at the bus station, there always is, but not in Dublin apparently, so I started walking to town. I stopped a policeman to ask about ATM’s and he pointed me in the right direction. I then had some Euro’s which was great cause you really need some money in a new town and I didn’t have any. I then asked a taxi driver to take me to my hotel. “It’s just up there, a few minutes walk.” he says. So off I set, hours later, (okay not hours, but it felt like hours) I was still walking. I finally got out the map I had brought previously and a nice little Irish man stopped to ask if I needed help (it works every time I tell you). Anyway he tells me I had gone too far, I needed to back pedal 2 blocks. I really couldn’t believe it, I had been checking every road name I had passed. So I followed his directions, candy shop etc.. And guess what. The street name is different. I can see the hotel though, but it is about 6 buildings down and it is number 2. So how does that work?? I still don’t know, there are no streets between my hotel and the corner, how does the street name change in the middle of a block? Oh yeah right, I forgot, I am in Ireland... Check it out..

No street between them, I ask you...

I have to say I am not very impressed with Dublin, there are no seats in the street, unless they belong to a cafe, there are no public toilets in Dublin city, I know I asked at the tourist information... What?? My Scots friends tell me they are meant to be tight, but they are so generous, the Irish are tight, really tight. This is the only McDonalds I have been to where you are limited to 30 minutes on the internet. They hand out cards and it is so hard to log on that I gave up. So no more McDonalds for me in Ireland... tight arses!! I actually used my first paying Internet cafe here, I had no choice. My wireless internet does not work in Southern I Ireland, only in the UK. So I have ensured that the hotel I am staying at in Cork tomorrow has WiFi, they better as they have advertised it. I am staying there for 5 days, I hope it is as comfortable as it looks. This place in Dublin is not great, hundreds of stairs, the windows don’t open, so it is really muggy and there is a weirdo called Patrick running around the place wanting to know if he can come to my room!!!! Yeah right..
I was in O'Connor St (I think) and I noticed the building across the road had the windows painted on!!! Yep, have a look

Is that wierd or what, but hang on, look at the building next to it...


So is this a preview of a building they are planning on building. or did it fall down and they put up a huge picture of it and hoped no-one would notice? But wait a minute. it is just a huge picture of the buiding on the other side of the fake window one. What is going on??


Look.. Oh it's all too much for me, you figure it out...

Once again I did the hop on hop off tour of Dublin, it filled in some time and I did get on and off a couple of times. I visited the famous old jail and I have no idea what it was called, my brain no longer holds useless information and I have no intention of returning to Dublin if I can avoid it.

I left Dublin at 8am today and arrived in Cork at 12.30pm. The lady at the information place told me my hotel was just over the bridge, I could walk easily. So I did.... 2.5 miles, yep miles later, I found my hotel. I was trudging along pulling that bloody luggage, that gets heavier every step, really feeling sorry for myself and cursing the girl at the tourist information place, when something dawned on me. I was in Cork, the place they transported my great great Grandmother from at the age of 16, across the world to who knows what, suddenly my little discomforts didn't seem so much after all. The hotel is lovely, I am so glad I decided to spend 5 nights here, I can really relax, the last two hotels have been less than great, though the Glasgow one was way, way better than the one in Dublin, no lifts again but plenty of stairs, and Patrick...

Enough of my ramblings, I am off to have a relaxing bath

Cheers

Lones


The terracotta fountain in Glasgow


The people of Glasgow call this building the Armadillo.. I wonder why..


Glasgow has some beautiful buildings.

Dublin


Molly Malone


Everything in Dublin is locked up at night, whoever wanted to break into a tourist information center?? The place is the pits...Not impressed with Dublin at all.


I found this interesting, they have rows of Georgian houses in Dublin and before streetlights were around, every 7th house had to have a candle burning above their doorway at night, you were fined if the candle wasn't alight. Here you can see the candle holder above the doorway, in the glass part. Interesting...

Highland Games...

Well Everyone I have now been to my first Highland Games, ever.... and it was well worth it.
Once again Ally drove us to Glamis Castle, dorpped us off and headed home. Sheonagh and I had a ball. The sound of bagpipes was everywhere, some bands were competing and some were warming up, it was magnificent. I love the sound of badpipes, played well, they are so haunting. There was also tartan everywhere, I need to look up my families tartan, because apparently to wear the wrong one is a very big Faux pas... Don't stress girls (my daughters will be freaking out!!) I shall not be wearing a kilt, but a throw or cape or something would be nice.

I could not believe how many things were going on at once. The bands were competing, as were the single pipers, the girls and boys were dancing, the heavies (seriously that's what they called them) were throwing hammers and stuff, there was running and cycling and tug of wars. It was amazing. I tried to get some shots to show what was happening at one time, but hard to get it all in. I shall post a couple though. I did get to see cable tossing too, the "heavies" threw the hammers (big long things, not real hammers, you goose) some kind of fat weight weighing 25 kilo's, little hammers, I think they were called ham's and then the cables... Brilliant. It was a really great day, Sheonagh actually said she could feel her face burning, I had removed my coat and jumper at this time (though only for about 20 minutes), but still had two long sleeve tops on. I couldn't believe it. I looked at the sky and the sun was almost out from behind the cloud, almost but it never really made it, just a very poor attempt. Then of course the rain started, so we made a run for it and Ally took us home.

We went to the Golf Club for tea and then headed home. It has been a wonderful stay in Scotland and I am returning for a few days in October. Sheonagh and Ally have been kind enough to say that is okay, which is great as I have left a lot of my excess clothes there. My suitcase was really getting beyond a joke, it was so heavy it was a nightmare. So I have removed all the things I do not think I will need and I may have saved the life of my suitcase, the wheels looked like they were going to give up and collapse at any moment. So now it is way more manageable and I am feeling much better about it.

I left Forfar this morning and it was sad to go, Sheonagh and Ally have been so wonderful to me, they took me to so many places that I would never have seen otherwise and nothing was too much trouble. I cannot thank them enough for all that they did for me. They are really wonderful people. So thank you once again, both of you.

I am meeting a friend tomorrow for a cuppa and I shall see as much as I can of Glasgow tomorrow as well. Then I am heading off the next day. I am not sure yet if it will be North Yorkshire/Duram or Ireland. I shall see which is the easiest to get to from here. I need to go to both places so it really doesn't matter which order it is in.

Glasgow is a funny place, or perhaps it is just this hotel, but it is odd. I was sitting in my room today after I arrived and I heard a fire alarm in one of the adjacent buildings, it went on and on. Not really a problem, but just now the fire alarm in my room started screaming so I looked out and no one was in the corridor, I tried to call reception 3 times and when I finally got through I asked if I should be alarmed and he's like, "No, just the kitchen, chips burning". Well I hope they don't cook in the night, cause that thing would wake the dead and I need my beauty sleep, like I really need it, it is way overdue. I wonder if fire alarms go off all the time in Glasgow or just because I am here? I could say it's because I'm so hot, but that would be 20 years too late!!

Anyway I hope you enjoy the pics

Cheers

Lones


Bands warming up


Cyclist's, tug of war snd shot put in the background. See I told you!!


The cable has just been tossed in the background, you can see it has not landed yet.


These young girls have finished their dancing, look how small they are.. Adorable


A "heavie" throwing a hammer


Okay another close up of the tug-of-war boys, just for the girls...

A much needed quiet day...

Hi All

Yesterday Sheonagh and I had a very quiet day. Which we both needed I think. We did laundry and walked to the local Golf Club for lunch, I then slept a good part of the afternoon, my nanna nap was wonderful. Last night Sheonagh and Ally's (found out the correct spelling, Doh!!) daughter and her family joined us for dinner at another Aussie restaurant called Roos Leap. Mind you there were only about 3 or 4 actual Aussie meals on the menu, BUT they did have aussie hamburgers, Oh the wonder of it!! A real hamburger, I tell you this because when I was in London I ordered a hamburger and you should see what they call a hamburger over here. I got on my plate a hamburger roll (dry, no butter or anything and not very fresh) and the hamburger patty (also dry), what else you ask? Nothing!! On the plate was a side salad consisting of mostly cucumber (Yuk!!) a bit of lettuce, some capsicum (double Yuk!!) and a quarter of tomato. I tried to save it as best I could, I cut up the tomato, added tomato sauce, put on some lettuce.. But it was pretty disgusting. However last night I had a real hamburger, yep, Roll, patty, bacon, onion, tomato, egg, lettuce, sauce and chips.... yummmm..It was delicious. Out the front of the restaurant they have made their lawn into the shape of a kangaroo, yep, I didn't believe it either, but they have. I took some snaps but couldn't get it all in. I shall post one though so you get the idea. It was rather good.


The Kangaroo Lawn

Sheonagh and Ally have 2 lovely grandchildren, James loves Australia and so we had a chat. I explained how it can take 2 days to get from one place to another and he asked "is that walking?" You gotta love the difference in sizes of our countries... I expect to see more of James in the future as he plans on travelling to Aus when he gets older, I have booked his bed at my house already. Jaye is into the soccer and was keeping an eye on the game all evening. She doesn't really care who wins as long as they beat England, from what I can gather. The poor little thing was sunburned on her neck, she really was, I saw it, but I am still really confused as to how she got sunburned without sun. But they tell me she was on a trip about an hour away and there was sun, I must find out where that is... We had a lovely evening, the Scots are the friendliest people and they have all made me feel incredibly welcome.

I have taken some pics of some of the postcards I have brought at the different places I have been telling you about so have decided to post them so that you can see some of what I have seen.

Mary king's Close, the close itself, not inside the homes


Inside of the homes in Mary king's close

Inside the Rosslyn Chapel. This is the apprentice Column. There is a master column too and the story is that the master had finished a column and was asked to carve this circular one, he did not feel confident and asked to be sent to Europe to study the master carvers. He left and studied for 4 years, upon his return he found the column already carved. He was furios to find out it had been carved by his apprentice and picked up a mallet and hit him on the head, killing the apprentice. He was tried and convicted of the crime he was put to death.. So the two columns in the chapel actually cost the lives of two excellent craftsmen.


The outside of Rosslyn Chapel, from the post card


The Queen's pew in Crathie church. where Princess Ann was married, just outside Balmoral

Okay, that's all for today, we are off to the Highland Games today at Glamis Castle...

Cheers

Lones