Our group of North Dakotans, seven strong, arrived early this morning at Shannon (western Ireland) after an overnight flight from Newark. Today was a glorious day with blue sky and sunshine---great for exploring!
We are staying at the Bunratty Hotel, a lovely old country hotel in a tiny village. At the bottom of the hotel grounds we found Bunratty Castle, which was built for the "last" time in 1425, having been sacked numerous times prior to that.
It was a defensive castle so has tiny slits or very narrow windows and the crenalations at the top are large enough for a man with a bow to hide behind. (not sure about that crenal...word---the stone trimmings on the roof!)
Joyce (a new friend from ND who came with my long-time friends) and I opted to not take a nap after being up all night on a rough flight. Instead we climbed the six stories of tiny little uneven wedge-shaped circular stone steps to get to the top of the castle.
This was the view over the River Shannon to the fields beyond...Ireland is just as green as the reputation would have you believe! Tonight we are going to a medieval banquet in the great hall of the castle, complete with serving wenches and mead. More on that in the next blog.
Meanwhile, i am enjoying the lovely hydrangeas and roses in the gardens of the hotel! Now I am off to the hotel's pub for the first Guiness of the trip---I shall toast you all!
We are staying at the Bunratty Hotel, a lovely old country hotel in a tiny village. At the bottom of the hotel grounds we found Bunratty Castle, which was built for the "last" time in 1425, having been sacked numerous times prior to that.
It was a defensive castle so has tiny slits or very narrow windows and the crenalations at the top are large enough for a man with a bow to hide behind. (not sure about that crenal...word---the stone trimmings on the roof!)
Joyce (a new friend from ND who came with my long-time friends) and I opted to not take a nap after being up all night on a rough flight. Instead we climbed the six stories of tiny little uneven wedge-shaped circular stone steps to get to the top of the castle.
This was the view over the River Shannon to the fields beyond...Ireland is just as green as the reputation would have you believe! Tonight we are going to a medieval banquet in the great hall of the castle, complete with serving wenches and mead. More on that in the next blog.
Meanwhile, i am enjoying the lovely hydrangeas and roses in the gardens of the hotel! Now I am off to the hotel's pub for the first Guiness of the trip---I shall toast you all!
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