Saturday, May 9, 2026   After breakfast, with John behind the wheel, we departed Devane’s Bed & Breakfast shortly after 9:00 a.m., beginning our drive north toward Doolin. Along the way we made a brief stop to photograph the striking Blennerville Windmill, Ireland’s largest working windmill, its white tower and […]

Friday, May 8, 2026 This morning Jane and I enjoyed a quick continental breakfast at the B&B—muesli, fruit, toast, coffee, and juice—before walking down to Dingle Harbour at 8:30 to catch our Great Blasket Island Wildlife Tour with Island Landing at 9:00. We arrived a little early, giving us time

Thursday, May 7, 2026   Today we gathered for breakfast at 8:00 a.m. after Geraldine warned us the night before that electricity in the area might be shut off around 9:00 due to a nearby construction project. Wanting to avoid any interruption, we made sure to finish our scrambled eggs

Wednesday, May 6, 2026 We packed up and left our Kenmare apartment shortly after 8 a.m., knowing we had a long day ahead driving the Ring of Kerry—a scenic 100+ mile loop around the Iveragh Peninsula. Following the N70 along Kenmare Bay, we passed through small towns like Tahilla, Parknasilla,

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 It was nice waking up in our Kenmare apartment, fixing our own coffee and tea, and enjoying an easy breakfast of croissants, cheese, smoked salmon, smoothies, and a biscuit donut — or was it a donut biscuit? Either way, it was a fancy donut topped with

Monday, May 4, 2026   Our Bosun breakfast was at 8 a.m. this morning so we could get an early start. Jane had the porridge and thought it was quite good. We were the only four people in the breakfast room, which made for a quiet and relaxed start to

Sunday, May 3, 2026   The prospect of rain today was fulfilled. After our 8 a.m. breakfast, we left the The Bosun by car with John driving. Just up the road, about a mile away, the Glenbrook Ferry carried us across the River Lee, linking Passage West to the R624,

Saturday, May 2, 2026   This morning, we had extra time to explore the Lawcus Farm before our scheduled 8 a.m. breakfast. We visited the chickens and, under Mark’s guidance, fed the pig the leftovers from last night’s dinner. We also spent time with their dogs and their black-and-white three-legged

Friday, May 1, 2026 We awoke refreshed this morning. Before (and again after) breakfast, we spent some time exploring the lovely grounds of Lawcus Farm Guesthouse in the soft morning sunlight. The gently trickling river, with various bridges and landings Mark had built, made for a peaceful wander. We visited

Thursday, April 30, 2026   For our last breakfast at the Schoolhouse Hotel, Jane and Nancy chose items from the buffet, while John enjoyed porridge and I ordered the banana pancakes. John had purchased tickets for the Aircoach, a bus from Dublin Center to the airport, which stopped nearby, so

Wednesday, April 29, 2026 This morning dawned bright and sunny beneath clear blue skies. No rain was expected, and none arrived. We started the day a little later than yesterday, heading down to breakfast well after 8:00 a.m. Our first destination was the Guinness Storehouse, the massive former Guinness brewery

Tuesday, April 28, 2026 We arose around 7 a.m., fully refreshed after a good night’s sleep. After enjoying a hearty breakfast in the Schoolhouse Hotel dining room, we set out on foot for the The Shelbourne Hotel near St Stephen’s Green, where we would catch our tour bus for a

Sunday & Monday, April 26-27 Last night, much-needed rain finally arrived in drought-stricken central North Carolina. As we finished packing and preparing the house for our departure, a gentle, intermittent drizzle set in—accompanied by overcast skies and refreshingly cool temperatures. By 5:45 p.m., we were ready and hailed an Uber

Saturday, April 25, 2026 Tomorrow, we set out for the Land of Saints and Scholars—Ireland. We’ll be taking advantage of Aer Lingus’s new nonstop service from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Dublin Airport, departing around 8:15 p.m. and touching down at approximately 8:45 the following morning—ready to begin our adventure. In