Ireland 2016

[Drunk Monk]

We visited two abbey ruins today but I'm to spent to remember. One was between Tara and Trim and the abbess was raped. The other was a graveyard that held an early Celtic cross (I will never look at those the same way again). Shyte, it was a long day and I haven't had a good nights sleep in over a week, so I'm not remembering everything that well right now. Waiting for the damn laundry to finish. It isnt even mine.

Hard to take a bad pic in Irish ruins, unless another tourist gets in the way.

Btw, I must commend you for driving here. Driving is insane. You are a far superior driver than I for even daring. 

My quest at the Guinness storehouse is done. The pour there isn't nearly as good as the JJ pubs and the gift shop would take all my money if I let it.

[Greg]

Was it Bective Abbey? That is out in that area.

My big question is how does a badly pulled (They don't pour) pint compared to one in Cali? I'm just saying.

[Drunk Monk]

Bective - that sounds right.

True, even the poorly pulled Guinness here is far superior than anything back home. For one thing, it's unpasteurized. But why settle for a mediocre one with a gaggle of tourists who can't even finish their feckin pints when you can have a proper one at a geniune pub that's sweeter than mothers milk? I will say that the food at the storehouse was superb, not overpriced like any American tourist spot. 

However, I'm moving on. There's a world of other fyne pints that I can't even get in the U.S here to sample. And then, of course....the whiskeys.

[Greg]

Onward, Christian Soldiers.

I hear you are supposed to try Powers Whiskey as that is only available in Ireland.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Fer fucks sake.

[Drunk Monk]

Powers is like the Jim Beam of whiskey out here. That being said, there are top shelf Powers, but there's an insane amount of rare Irish whiskeys ive never seen before. The pub I had diner at just now had an Irish whiskey tasting menu, some 70+ bottles behind the bar and a cert-plaque outside as a whiskey place that was cut in stone. Powers was like 4€, the cheapest one, cheaper than basic Jameson (there were some rare jamesons going for 25+€, that's per shot).

So we're in galway now but we're all sick. Tara and Stacy had persistent coughs coming into this. Tara had been sick a week prior and Stacy got it just before. It's a nasty dry cough, a post nasal drip. Now after the freezing celt tour, Tara has a horribly stuffed nose and Stacy has a bad cold. I have a cough and a sneeze, but am keeping lubricated and numb. There was talk about bailing and catching the next flight home, but we'd lose a lot of money. Tomorrow we're just going to chill.

The lighthouse b&b has gone downhill since the Lynchs were here. Maybe it's an off season thing. We've had to complain to get hot water and heat in our rooms and I think we are the only guests here. I can pee with more pressure than the shower even through a showerhead. There was no soap in the shower either so I washed with hand soap and now smell like candy fake coconut.

But Galway looks fun. I broke away from Guinness and tried Galway gold, a Guinness produled ale. It was good but I'd rather my Guinness. The streets are all Xmased up and t-day dinners are offered (I thought that was a U.s. Only thing). It's all about pub food.

[Greg]

Hopefully my burning jealousy of your trip will spur you to continue. Then again, nothing sucks more than being sick on vacation.

Have you tracked down any poteen yet? My father always stuck to Black Bush or better, as far as whiskeys go.

[Drunk Monk]

Funny you should mention poteen as I was just reading something on that in that pub whiskey list. I think I might do a tourist whiskey tasting as if I just starting self selecting, that would be astronomically pricey and we're already way over budget (absurd when this started as a free trip). I've achieved my major goals here already - the rest is all gravy. Getting Tara back to the Hill of Tara has become a mission. Getting everyone healthy is a priority. There's a finale mission too, but I don't want to jinx it, so I'll reveal that after the fact if successful.

Stacy is asleep now. Tara is working on homework between sniffling and coughing. I'm charging stuff and posting here obviously. I used to write copious notes, but now I just post here. It's more efficient and I don't publically blog because I'd prolly piss off a lot of my mag readers, or at least befuddle them too much to stay subscribed.

Despite the sickness, I'm really enjoying Ireland. The weather has been with us in that we've dodged most of the rain. The historic sites have all exceeded expectations. I've really been enjoying pub culture  - I've bar hopped all around this world, but nothing compares to the warmth of an Irish pub.

[Greg]

Turf fires are your friend. It gives Ireland a distinctive aroma in the winter and helps ward off the chill. There's a lot to be said for huddling around a turf fire in a pub. You'll  notice in the gift shops they sell turf scented incense to take home. But I'm guessing that the smell is an acquired taste.

Galway, oddly enough, is also where the nephew and I spotted the Bruce Lee Chinese restaurant over on Bridge Street. Sadly, it had closed up shop by the time the Queen and I were there.

I should stop giving out drinking ideas like I know what I'm talking about. Good luck with the Tara to Tara mission.

[Drunk Monk]

Yeah, the drinking part I'm working out on my own. It has always been one of my Kung fu skills, thus my DOOM forum moniker.

Somewhere on the celt tour there was an explanation of turf...the other ancient burial mound, the one with the hags chair. Shyte, I'm gonna hafta wiki my trip after to add the proper names. There was an old thatch house where a tour guide explained turf - thought he called it something else...

Tara 2 Tara is really the sequel. But we found a tour that goes to Newgrange, so that would pull me in.

[Greg]

Some people call it Peat. It's basically cut up bog. It used to be people in Ireland would claim a spot in the bog where they would cut the peat to heat their homes. They don't have a lot of wood in Ireland. If you go north to Connemara or south towards the Burren (Where there are some nice Dolmens!), you can see lots of bogs and places where they cut turf.

[Drunk Monk]

Yeah, peat. I knew that. Peatiness is a major flavor distinguishing characteristic of single malt whiskey. It's like hoppiness for beer nowadays. Tara just went to bed and I'm doing the same now. Need rest. Almost on Ireland time now. Hopefully my whole family gets a solid nights sleep tonight.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Jameson Crested 10, FWIW.

[thatguy]

I recommend hot toddies for the coughs and sniffles. I'm sure someone here can accommodate.

--tg

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Also, Irish Coffee in Ireland is really good. It's the cream.