Maiden Voyage

So we bought a tiny house that has wheels. I don’t want to leave any standing stone in Ireland unturned nor any landscape unsavored. 

I've never been much of a traveler, but there is so much of Ireland I want to see. I forged a brief love affair with adventure when I first came here but, now that I've settled into small town life, that flame has softened into a warm glow. I'm feeling the need to throw on a few logs and see some sparks fly. So, with this little rolling house, we anticipate many years of blissful headaches as we pack the guitar, fiddle and a few incidentals into its tiny closet and take off. 

We bought our motorhome (RV) in November (or was it October?) and at that time I was just planning to keep a private diary of our travels. But I changed my mind and decided to create this new blog so I could share with you. Only one small excursion so far, so easy to catch you up. 

Besides documenting where we go and what we see and do, I hope I can convey a little of the quirky and indomitable spirit of Ireland that continues to inspire me and draw me in… the character and the characters, there’s no end to it. I am still as enchanted as ever.

To me, Ireland is beautiful everywhere. Yes, it’s always green, just like they say. The highways are adorned with noble castle and monastic ruins minding herds of sheep and cows who are oblivious to their remarkable surroundings. (I've met a few Irish folks who are the very same). There are the stone bridges, stone towers, stone walls and just lots of spectacular stones everywhere. 

The nerd in me has actually started a rock collection. I'm just trying to remember which came from where because some day my children will be thrilled with this priceless inheritance (not). 

The small towns/villages are all unique with colorful shops and pubs, historic structures of all kinds and ridiculous traffic and parking arrangements. The cuisine is generally bland but I hope to run across some more interesting morsels along the way and I'll let you know what to avoid. 

And then there's the people... yes, the people... hmmm, the people. People are people everywhere, right? All kinds! I do notice there's a gentle nature to the culture here... a way of living in the moment with contentment and gratitude. Maybe that's why the arts flourish here. I can't wait to join in some new music sessions and meet some new friends.

The weather had been totally uncooperative in November, but we decided to take the maiden voyage anyway, with all the anticipation of two excited but dubious Titanic passengers. We crossed our fingers for safe and happy travels!

We decided to go to Wexford Town, about two hours away, because that’s the only area Siobhán, the TV weather woman, said held a prayer for clear skies. We stopped on the way in New Ross because that’s where we got hungry. The good thing about moho-ing is you don’t have to plan so much. We pulled up in the first parking lot we saw on the harbor and made sandwiches. I noticed we were right in front of the Dunbrody Famine Ship… maybe a bad omen?

I had heard of this ship and really didn’t know where it was. We ate our fill staring at it out the window because it was so windy and cold outside. The irony of that experience was not lost on me. 

The Dunbrody Famine Ship is an authentic reproduction of an early 19th century vessel that sailed back and forth from New Ross to Savannah Georgia (of all places, since I’m from Georgia), carrying thousands of emigrating (starving) Irish to a new life. There are monuments and tributes to the millions of famine victims all over Ireland. The period is beyond tragic and sorrowful because there is so much more to the story than just diseased potatoes… the history they don’t teach you in school.

From New Ross we traveled on to Wexford Town and checked into the Ferrybank Motorhome Park, my first motorhome park ever. It was a nice spot on the water although there was a big fence surrounding it that interfered with the view. The moon was full and Siobhán's prediction proved correct as we walked over the bridge and into the town for supper.

We settled on Rob’s Ranch House which has a “Cowboy and Indian” theme. The burgers were great. I wish I had taken photos, but at the time I wasn’t planning to blog so didn’t see the point. It was a real bucking bronco ride back into the 60’s when TV filled us with images of Stetsons, bandanas and dangling scalps. At Rob’s, you can watch the old Westerns while you eat. Not sure it would pass the politically correct test in the US,
but I’d like to go back.

We slept pretty well although I did wake once in the night wondering if I had accidentally slipped into a giant washing machine. I was sure the wind and rain were going to jiggle through and give us a good dousing, but we stayed dry and warm. We woke up early (for us) to gray skies and drizzle. We had a simple breakfast (porridge and toast) and got ready to pull out.

So here we were miles from home, basking in our new experience and anonymity. Only a few people in sight on this cold, dreary, stay-at-home kinda day. Dixie stepped outside a moment and saw a fellow camper walking her dog. 

“Hello,” she calls. “Weren’t you in Jesus Christ Superstar about 20 years ago?” I don’t believe it! He had no idea his King Herod had made such an impression. As I’ve said so many times, everybody in Ireland knows everybody else. If we’d lingered longer, the two of them would have surely figured out how they’re blood related. 

But since the weather was deteriorating by the minute, we decided to leave quickly and turn towards home. But we took the scenic route just because it seemed a shame to go straight home.

We went back through Waterford which I’m sure we’ll go through many more times because it’s scenic, there’s lots to do there, and it has the closest beach to Thurles. This time we didn't stop. We went through the village of Dunmore East and found a fabulous spot to stop for lunch and watch the weather continue to blur our views. Then we rambled home in the pouring rain.