Waterford--Far from the Crystal

So, when you hear the name Waterford Crystal you know exactly what someone is talking about. It's hand-cut, beautifully designed heavy crystal that can send collectors into a frenzy. Here's the thing, neither Mom or I like it, so when we read that this was pretty much the only tour the cruise was offering ( "Hey, take a ride on one of our buses and pay big bucks for a bunch of crystal that will sit around collecting dust.")  We set about doing some research on the area, and what we found was a glorious mountain range that the cruiseline didn't even mention. We later understood why as our guide's car chugged up the one lane road (I'm being generous here) climbing the mountainside. I can honestly say, I have never seen anything this beautiful. It was breathtaking. Those of you who are suckers for the Sound of Music with Maria singing her heart out on the hilltops will appreciate this view. We hired a car for the day (ironically he was a former manager at the Waterford Crystal Company who's workforce dropped from the thousands to a handful of skilled workers carrying the reputation of a dying company on their backs.)

Here's what we saw instead

Welcome to the Wicklow Mountains








Sheep darting out in front of our car...I was yelling "It's okay, we won't hit you!" from the back seat. I commented that they seemed like happy, free-running sheep---"Not for long" our driver Harry let me know..."They're headed for the butcher before too long." <Gag>

Sure enough, when I met my friend Jeanette in a pub the next day, wicklow lamb was on the menu. I almost cried. The farmers graze the sheep on the land for free and each sheep is given a colour/number so the farmers can identify their own herd.




The road we navigated...







Wanna know what it's like to be on the edge of the world? Breathing clean air, soaking in the moment? Here's the link to a short video...

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v624/CindyM99/?action=view&current=MVI_4052.mp4

As you heard, the rain held off while we were standing there, and yes, it is a popular picnic spot.













Driving down from the mountains, along the coast --hitting Ardmore Beach...Love the thatched roofs



It was a gorgeous day--time for a little play in the Atlantic...Harry pushed my wheelchair across the hard-packed sand with little effort and Mom and I splashed in the surf..Water was coooollllddd...but refreshing.  Not tons of people as it was a weekday, but a beautiful spot to just take a breath and stretch our legs after several hrs of driving












A celebration we saw along they way to a second beach. This is what I miss everyday, the simple things, the pure joy these people get, not from material things, but from a view, a bagpiper, or a pretty front yard decked out for a party. I just don't see that here in the same simple way.



Taking the bull by the horns...This shot was taken from inside the car...close enough thanks, he was looking a little peeved. Harry told him we were friendly Canadians, but I don't think he cared.







This was no joke, a deep swimming cove for men only...




We ended our tour at Tramore beach..It was much more commercial with a "carnival" feel. You could tell it was a tourist trap...small rides, more people, more dirt..:-) Not really much to see after the beautiful day we'd had. We snapped a few pics, maybe I'll add them in later, but somehow, I want to keep this entry just like this...

We ended the day with a trip back to Harry's place as he said he had a gift for us that we "couldn't live without." It was a bootleg bottle of whisky...so strong it would knock me out for a week! We brought it back with us, and the running joke is  that everytime we tell the story of him taking us back to his townhouse for whisky. (aka Poitin--the irish nickname for illegal whisky) we have to take a swig...

I stuck my finger in it and had a taste, ummm okay, strong stuff!

Thanks Harry for a memorable day on your mountain and exploring your coast. I'm glad that everyone we come across seems to appreciate exactly where they are, and the beauty that surrounds them. Let there be no doubt as to why this gem is nicknamed the Emerald Isle, and crystal has nothing to do with it.



http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/32915/poitin-st-patricks-day-ireland-ban-alcohol-strong.html