SOUTHERN IRELAND

                                             Lovely Countryside

St. Brigit’s Well

            On the day that the Cliffs of Moher was our major destination we stopped enroute at St. Brigid’s Well. There are several spellings of Brigid but I’m using the common Irish spelling. Our guide explained, “Born in the 5^th century, Brigid’s mother was a Christian slave and her dad  a pagan chieftain. She and other slaves worked hard, but Brigid was always kind to the other slaves as well as to all animals and birds. She gave her father’s treasured sword to a poor beggar. Although angry at first, her father became proud of  his daughter and came to understand the meaning of charity.

            “Brigid built the first Irish convent by an oak tree and the church in Kildare became known as the Church of the Oak. While explaining the Passion to a dying pagan she wove a cross from rushes found in the River Shannon. Today this rush cross is placed in the rafters of cottages on the feast of St. Brigit to protect the home from evil and want. The feast day is February 1, the day Brigit died in 524. She died in Kildare. Her bones are buried with St. Patrick in Down Patrick.”

            The area is nicely landscaped and a bronze stature of Brigit stands near the well. It’s been a sacred place for centuries. It’s peaceful and quiet and seems to be in the middle of nowhere, but is actually in County Kildare not far from other activities. It is not a must see shrine or on many tourist lists, but is worth a visit, especially if you are motoring through the countryside.

Cliffs of Moher

            The majestic flat-topped ‘mountains’ known as the Cliffs of Moher rise vertically some 650 –700 feet out of the sea and are a breath taking natural site. Five different rock layers can be seen in the strata of the formations. Running five miles, north to south along the coast they are one of Ireland’s signature landmarks. O’Brien’s Tower, a brooding sentinel, is built on the cliff’s highest point. The walled steps to the right of the tower paralleling the cliff’s edge were built in 1835 by Cornelius O’Brien, the proprietor of the land.

             Remarkably the area supports large numbers of seabirds and puffins where black shale and sandstone provide sheltered ledges for the birds to nest.

            A new visitor center was being built so we had to maneuver around a fair amount of construction. The new visitor center is being built into the hillside and will be quite well camouflaged to blend in with the environment. It will be considerably larger than the present center and will house a café as well as a gift shop.     We walked up a long moderately steep incline for good viewing. It was a bit misty, but not enough to warrant opening an umbrella. The path to the Tower was closed.

            The cliffs are a popular tourist site and are really quite amazing. We saw many birds flying about, but unfortunately I was not able to identify them, as I’m not much of a birder. From all  that I’d read, I looked forward to this visit and was not disappointed. Riding the country side in a van to get there was an added plus.

CURIOSITIES

                                           Odds and Ends
  

            In 1974 a group of  Danish airline pilots bought a 1785 grain warehouse and remodeled it into the Admiral Hotel. On a second trip to Copenhagen I stayed at the Admiral. Located on the waterfront in the heart of the city, it was unique and lovely. The original granary had a rustic charm. The thick brick walls had exposed beams and the graceful brick archways were accented with 12 X 15-inch beams 200 years old. They sure built things to last in the old days and Danes save and recycle a lot of their old buildings and what a wonderful job they do of it! The hotel now is owned by a large hotel chain.

Weeping Soldier

I have visited many war memorials, cemeteries and eternal flames, but one memorial that really touched my heart was the weeping soldier in Viden, Bulgaria. The bronze statue portrays a soldier sitting on the battlefield with head bowed weeping for all the victims killed that day in battle. It is an unusual statue as most soldiers are depicted on their horse. I’ve tried unsuccessfully to find out more information about the statue. I believe it was erected in honor of WWI soldiers.

A Favorite Food

            It was a Sunday when I visited St. Andrews, Scotland. After visiting the famous golf course, which is closed on Sunday, and stepping on that legendary 18^th green, we took off  to walk about the small town. I can’t resist foreign grocery stores, so when I spotted one, I had to have a look-see. My favorite berry of all time is the raspberry, so when I spied the fresh big berries I had to buy the pint. We strolled down the main street and I ate a berry with every  step. I did offer them to my friend but she refused. By the time we reached the street corner, the berries were gone, hopefully they were organic and clean, but it didn’t matter the box was empty! The trash can on the corner was waiting for me to discard all evidence. I so enjoyed my indulgence!

A Naughty Boy

Walking down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland we stopped at the Deacon Brodie Pub to see and admire the lovely ceiling we’d heard about. The ceiling is low for an old building. It is wood with outlined squares of raised thistles and red rose motifs. It  is truly gorgeous. Brodie, the son of a cabinetmaker, was born on Brodie Close.  The wealthy pious citizen was elected to Deacon Counselor in 1781, but at night he turned into a gambler and thief.  He carried a wax plug in his pocket to press key impressions. Then when he knew the residents were not home, he used a newly made key to enter their home to steal jewelry and money. He actually was an inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde. Eventually he was caught and hanged at St. Giles in 1788. In a twist of fate he was hung by a gallows, which he had improved upon. Both his birthplace and death place are close to the tavern named for him.

And Your Age is…..

            We were told that in China they are not shy about asking anyone their age. I happened to be the oldest in our small group and after our hostess  learned this she assumed I was feeble. As we ascended a flight of stairs she grabbed my arm and nearly hauled me up the stairs. They respect age in all facets of life. Younger people yielded seats, right of way etc all the time. It was kind of nice!

Monkey Business

            At Manuel Antonio Beach in Costa Rica the light sand is fine, and the turquoise blue water clear and calm.  A group of squirrel monkeys came from the trees to the beach to visit some sunning tourists. Several carried a baby on her back. Playful they entertained us for some time. One woman was surprised when a monkey approached her towel and stole a cracker from her package then scampered off to eat it. Squirrel monkeys travel in groups and like lower tree areas. They were fearless and so much fun to watch.

More Monkey Business

            On one of my visits to the Schonbrunn in Vienna I stood in front of a painting of a lovely lady with a monkey on her head. The docent explained that centuries ago it was common for people not to bathe for months and inevitably little critters set up housekeeping in women’s long hair. The monkey provided income for its master as he made his rounds and relief from itching for the fair ladies!