Éire and Alba

by - Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Sounds like a name of a great indie group eh?

Well... it's not... it is Ireland and Scotland.

I am researching people! I am going to make this real!

And... I am going to kiss the Blarney Stone (which I just found out was near Cork... which is near where my "people" came from).

And... if I can ever find the website again, I may take a ferry to Norway. Or Sweden. Or Denmark. I can't remember which one cause I can't find that damn website again.

Here's my general plan...

Fly Calgary to Manchester (or London Gatwick) and take a cheap Ryanair flight to Dublin. Tour around Dublin (going south to Cork for the Blarney Stone), and (due my deep love of the movie P.S. I Love You) I need to go to Galway before heading up to Belfast. Yes, I know that they are not even close together. This is why I travel alone - it only has to make sense in my mind.

Spend a couple of days in Belfast trying not to get killed. I have no idea if my last name is a good or a bad one to have in Belfast. I also have no idea if my family is Catholic or Protestant. It could be interesting.

Take the ferry over to Glasgow. Stay a couple days... then head to Edinburgh. I want to head to the Scottish highlands for at least a day trip and I must see Loch Ness...

Then, board some sort of moving object (I am thinking a train) to get back to Manchester to fly back to Canada.

It isn't as grand as my Europe trip a couple of years ago, but I'm looking forward to spending a couple of days in each place...

Now... should I buy the plane ticket now, or wait?

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4 Comments

  1. Anonymous4:35 PM

    My Mom's Dad Thomas McEwan was born in Eire, Scotland. My cousin Kim was in England & Scotland last fall and got a copy of the family crest. She sent a copy to me for Christmas. She is really into the family history on the McEwan side. Sounds like a great trip, I should go with you, but I couldn't keep up with your long sride. Love Mo

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  2. Ahhhhh, so exciting. This is my Jealous Face!!!

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  3. so exciting! i have added a trip to ireland to my must-do list ... my family is from county armaugh in the south and i would love to see it. oh, and you should stop by alba nuadh sometime, too. :)

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  4. I just got back from Ireland on Saturday (and I've been lurking on your blog for a few months). My husband was there on business, and I was touristing it up. We stayed in Cork, and here are the things I would say you shouldn't miss:

    - Blarney
    - Killarney National Park
    - The Cliffs of Moher (in County Clare)
    - Galway Bay

    Guinness is orders of magnitude better than in Canada but I liked Murphy's more. Driving is terrifying and hilarious, and the country is absolutely gorgeous. Have a great time!

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