Today we left Dublin and traveled south to Kilkenny for a brief visit. Such a lovely town! We got off the bus and into a tram for a ride around the historic area. Our driver, Paul, was a lovely wee man, full of jokes and fun. As he drove us through neighborhoods and past shops, he rang his bell and was greeted by locals each time - clearly he's a popular guy around here!
After this introduction to all the sights, we began walking to a few of them. One stop was at the farmer's market that springs up every Thursday on the broad promenade outside the walls of Kilkenny Castle. At Paul's recommendation, we stopped at the Irish bog oak kiosk, operated by a farmer and his wife, he a wood carver and she a jewelry maker. The oak comes from the peat bog on their farm and is as old as 7,000 years. Preserved by the bog, the wood is carvable and beautiful. I did feel compelled to purchase some earrings ....
Next we poked into Kilkenny Castle, entering the keep and wandering around admiring the flowers and the acres of back lawn. Then we exited the grounds, crossed the street, and went into the Irish Design Centre, where the castle outbuildings have been converted to artisan workshops. So interesting to poke around in an exhibit of very modern sculpture (all for sale, and averaging around 2200 Euros) right in the midst of this medieval city!
After a light lunch and a stroll around some of the narrow streets, poking into a bookshop and peering into City Hall, we headed back to our bus and embarked for Waterford.
Ireland's oldest city, Waterford was first settled by Vikings. Situated perfectly for defense inside a triangle of two rivers and a stout city wall, the Norse settlement of Vedrafjoror was established in 853 A.D. Morphing into Waterford, the city lost a third of its inhabitants to the plague in the Dark Ages, but has flourished ever since. The inhabitants are proud to claim many superlatives - oldest, best, most wonderful artifacts, and so on. We found it hard to argue as we did a walking tour then a guided tour of the Medieval Museum. In the Oldest Wine Vault in Ireland, we had a tasting. We were awed by the golden vestments that are said to be the second-most valuable artifact in the country (couldn't quite beat out the Book of Kells). And our guide was absolutely delightful - very knowledgeable and noticeably proud to be born and bred in this marvelous city.
Tonight we stay at the Granville Hotel, which was once the home of Thomas Meagher, the man responsible for the Irish national flag. The building dates from the 18th century and was purchased and restored and opened as a hotel in 1979. It is delightful. Our room overlooks Meagher's Quay and the Nore River, with a view of the Gothic Revival clock tower erected in 1863. We dined in the Tapestry Room, with an Irish coffee demonstration to top off a fabulous meal, and of course our very own Irish coffees to drink!
OLLI at FSU trips in conjunction with Collette Tours are always packed with adventures and much learning. This has proven to be the case so far here in Ireland. Tomorrow - Blarney Castle, Killarney, and a boat ride!
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