June 26, 2009

We were up very, very early (4:00 am) to catch a taxi at 5:00 am to the airport. We left Dublin on a 7:25 am flight to Munich. Both of us were very, very tired and slept well on the plane. Florian's mother (Carrie's German) was waiting for us at the airport and after a few tears (from Ronda), Carrie and Ronda went their separate ways; Carrie to Dingolfing and Ronda to Munich. Ronda took a nice long nap once she arrived at the hotel and had a light dinner before going to bed for the night. I'm looking forward to spending sometime in Munich even though I was just here in October of last year. Sorry, no pictures today. -- Ronda and Carrie

June 25, 2009

Our last day in Dublin and Ireland. Not too sad though 'cause tomorrow Carrie and I leave for Munich. Carrie is excited to see Florian and his family. Ronda is happy to leave the busses in Ireland. Today, Father Seher celebrated 11:00 am Mass at St Mary's Pro Cathedral where the boys also sang. Since 1903, the Pro-Cathedral has been the home of The Palestrina Choir, an all-male choir of boy choristers and Gentlemen of the Choir. In 2009, a Girls’ Choir will be set up, based at the Pro-Cathedral, and co-existing with The Palestrina Choir. The church serves as the Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin and was constituted in 1825. After Mass, we had more free time for last minute shopping and lunch. Carrie and I ate in a haunted pub, The Blarney Inn. While we were waiting for our lunch, a small brass pot came hurling from a corner. There was no one even close to that corner and the owner told us it was "me Grandmother" (and we think we believe him!) He set the pot on the bar facing us until we were through with our meal. What a strange incident! After lunch, we visited the Guinness Storehouse to learn how Guinness is made and sampled the brew. The boys also gave a short concert at the Storehouse. After our Guinness visit we went back to the hotel to pack and enjoy our farewell dinner. -- Ronda and Carrie

June 24, 2009

We started our first day in Dublin with a visit to Dublinia. Dublinia & The Viking World, is a heritage centre, located in central Dublin, at the heart of the medieval city. The exhibitions at Dublinia explore life as it was in the medieval city and the world of the Vikings. Pretty interesting and nice break from visiting castles. We had free time for what else, shopping and lunch. While searching for a spot for lunch, we shopped and met some of Dublin's Finest. We also found "the Tart with the Cart" as Dubliners fondly refer to the Molly Malone statue. Carrie and I found a great pub, Bruxelles, for lunch - best food so far on the trip. After a trip inside to admire the chandelier in the bar, we sat outside and enjoyed our lunch and the sunshine. By the way, earlier in the week, someone thought Carrie said her last name was Euchre. The server at lunch today, called her gorgeous. Carrie has now changed her name to Gorgeous Euchre and no longer answers to Carrie Buchert. The Elder Glee Club gave a concert at St. Patricks Cathedral then it was back to our hotel for the night. See you tomorrow - our last day before heading to Muncih. -- Ronda and Carrie

June 23, 2009

Today we started to make our way to Dublin but on the way, we made quite a few stops. Our first stop was the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary. The Rock of Cashel also known as St. Patrick's Rock or Cashel of the Kings and is reputedly the site of the conversion of Aenghus the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century AD. Before the Norman invasion The Rock of Cashel was the seat of the High Kings of Munster. Most of the buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries when the rock was gifted to the Church. A very interesting spot. Next, we made our way to Kilkenny where we had time for lunch and shopping. The poor men on our trip! We had lots of shopping stops. But not to worry... where there were shopping opportunities, there were also pubs... lots of pubs. Carrie and I found the perfect spot for lunch in Kilkenny - Subway! You wouldn't believe how good it was! In Kilkenny, we also toured Kilkenny Castle. Next onto The Merry Ploughboy for dinner and a show. It was a long, long day; finally arrived at our hotel around 11:00 pm. More updates tomorrow. -- Ronda and Carrie

June 22, 2009

Sorry, we were behind on our blogging but internet access is either expensive ($7.50 euro per hour), not available or unreliable. Ronda is in Munich now catching up on the blog after she safely delivered Carrie to her German family on Friday.

June 22, 2009

We spent last evening in Killarney opting to skip dinner at the hotel so we could have a few "beverages" and dinner in Killarney. We had dinner at The Danny Mann Inn (very yummy). some people had traditional Fish and Chips - the fish was a big as your arm! We were up early the next morning to do some last minute shopping in Killarney and enjoyed a ride in Jaunting Cars. The horse drawn carts took us on a tour of the city and the area around Ross Castle. Next, onto Blarney Castle. Let me tell you, the stories you've heard about the drunks and the Blarney Stone could not possibly be true....there's no way a drunk could climb up all stairs to even get close to the stone. We had lunch in a cute pub outside the castle, Mackey's Bistro, then back on the bus (ugh.... Ronda has had enough of busses to last quite a while and we still have three days to go.) We arrived in Cork and had some free time to walk the city then on to our hotel for the evening. When we arrived at our hotel, we were in for quite a surprise. The Rochestown Park Hotel was very, very nice with large rooms and very friendly staff. More adventures tomorrow - be sure to check back with us! -- Ronda and Carrie

June 21, 2009

Today we traveled the Ring of Kerry. Nonstop breath taking scenery! Narrow, winding roads, too! It is very amazing how knowledgeable the drivers are of the plants, flowers, trees, etc. They also have a full knowledge of Irish history which is very interesting. Our driver, Brian, is quite a character and today was his 50th birthday. As usual, he was in rare form sharing stories (which we don't know if we should believe or not) and jokes. Our first stop was Aghadoe where we took some time to enjoy the scenery. Our next stop was Macken of Ireland in Fossa where we enjoyed complimentary Irish Coffees (yummmmm.....)and did some shopping. (No worries....there was little, if any, whiskey in the coffee. I think they just waved the bottle over the cups!) Back on the bus, and after a stop to view the bay, we stopped for lunch at Scarriff Inn in Caherdaniel for lunch. The Inn is halfway around the Ring of Kerry and midway between Waterville and Sneem. The Inn boasts the best views of Kenmare Bay but the mist had just settled down over the mountains and visibility was zero. Of course, the fog made traveling on the winding, narrow roads even more fun. Next stop was Killarney National Park and by this time, the fog lifted and we were again enjoying the beautiful mountains and lakes. The Glee Club gave a concert at the Outlet Mall tonight and drew quite an audience. Check back tomorrow - we have a big day coming up - our visit to Blarney Castle. Ronda and Carrie.

June 20, 2009

Our first stop in Limerick this morning was King John's Castle. This was just a 'photo opportunity' - thank goodness because all of the castles are starting to run together. After leaving the castle and heading towards Killarney, our destination for tonight, we stopped at the Rathbaun Farm run by the Connolly family. The farm is located near Ardrahan outside of Killarney. We had lunch in the original 150-year-old farmhouse. But the best part was watching their dog herd sheep. It's pretty amazing, the dog doesn't bark, he just stares down the sheep and they move in the direction he wants them to go. We watched the farmer shear a sheep and Ronda hand fed a lamb after it charged her when it saw she had the bottle. We checked in at our hotel then left for the Killarney Cathedral where the Glee Club sang Mass and offered a concert after Mass. Big day today and we are very tired. Enjoy the pictures! Ronda and Carrie

June 19, 2009

Hello, family, friends and co-workers! It's hard to believe we've been gone for almost a week! We are having a great time and we're just getting started! Today we left our home for the past three nights to make our way to Limerick. On our way we visited the Cliffs of Moher - a truly spectacular sight. The wind up on the cliffs is so strong, it almost even blew Ronda away (that's alot of wind)! After the Cliffs, we made our way to Bunratty Castle. At the castle, we had, what else but, Irish Stew and potatoes and also enjoyed traditional Irish folk dancing and singing. Of course, the Elder boys were invited to give their rendition of several Irish songs. We had plenty of time to walk around, shop and enjoy Durty Nellie's Pub. We did have a bit of excitement on the way to the Castle. A truck was broken down, blocking an intersection. Our driver (Brian of the Red Bus....yeah Red Bus), tried to get around the truck and got wedged between the truck and some buildings. Yikes! Not to worry, everything worked out when a mechanic finally showed up and was able to move the truck out of the way. Not on scrath on the bus and the buildings are still standing. Tonight, we are spending the night in Limerick before traveling on to Killarney in the morning. Since the Red Bus was the first to arrive at the hotel, we will be the last to leave in the morning meaning an extra 2 hours of sleep! Enjoy the pictures and check back again tomorrow! Ronda and Carrie

June 18, 2009 Mass at Galway Cathedral

First of all, good news to report - the rest of our group finally arrived this morning including the remainder of the U.S. Banking team. They are very tired but safe and glad to finally be here. On the other hand, today was a little disappointing. Wind surfing was cancelled because of high winds. There were several other water activities cancelled, too. This morning, The boys sang the Mass at the Cathedral. The cathedral was dedicated in 1965 and JFK visited several months before he was assasinated. The cathedral is very pretty - vaulted ceilings and lots of stained glass. After Mass, we had the rest of the day to ourselves so most of us went back to walk around the city. The city is pretty small so we pretty much retraced our steps from the past two days. Tonight we all had dinner together (food is not too good). Tomorrow, we leave for Limerick. I think we will travel most of the day, stopping for sightseeing and lunch. Ahhhh....nothing better than 10 hours on a bus.... Check back tomorrow for updates! Ronda and Carrie

June 17, 2009 First Concert in Ireland, Shopping and Boat Ride on Loch Corrib

Another early morning...sort of...Carrie and I overslept a bit but we still made it to breakfast. We left the hotel for the city where the boys were going to give their first concert. We had an hour or so before the concert, so Carrie and I went hat shopping. I thought I looked like Minnie Pearl but, of course, Carrie is too young to know who Minnie Pearl was. The boys gave their first concert in Eyre Square -- they were outstanding! Next we left for Connemara for lunch. Then onto Loch Corrib for a boat ride. We had a great time on the boat ride, it was windy and chilly but we laughed so hard it was easy to stay warm. Made lots of new friends today but we're a little sad, some of our friends from Cincinnati are still not here yet. Check back tomorrow - we have a big day planned - windsurfing is on the agenda. -- Ronda and Carrie

June 16, 2009 Meeting the Group at the Dublin Airport

We checked out of our hotel in Dublin early and were waiting at the Dublin Airport when some of the flights with the Cincinnati folks started arriving. The people arriving were very tired which made us even happier that we left a few days earlier. Unfortunately, we quickly learned quite a few people missed connecting flights and would be delayed at least a day getting to Dublin. Unfortunately, some of my co-workers from U.S. Bank were among those who would not arrive. Those of us already at the airport boarded the busses and started our trip to Galway. About half way there, we stopped for lunch in a town called Moate. After a quick lunch we continuned onto Galway. We checked into our hotel and got together for a walking tour of the city. Galway is on the coast due west of Dublin. In Midieval times, Galway was a wealthy, walled city. When they were building Eyre Square Shopping Center in Galway, they discovered two of fourteen wall towers which have since been restored. Today, while shopping, you can have a look at the towers for a history lesson. We also visited Galway Cathedral where the boys will be singing on Thursday. We had our first dinner as a group and then early to bed. Check back again! -- Ronda and Carrie

June 15, 2009 Sightseeing in Dublin

We were up early for breakfast and out the door soon after to start our adventure into Dublin's City Center. We rode the bus to downtown Dublin from our hotel - didn't get lost once! One bus did pass us by because we weren't standing out by the street. But, that's part of the fun of traveling, learning how they do things in other countries. When we got to the city, we bought tickets for the Dublin Hop on / Hop off bus and our first stop was Trinity College. We had a very nice tour given by one of the students. He provided a unique insight into the College and its rich history coupled with a bit of comedic sarcasm and humor. Good job, Evan! Our final stop at the college was the exhibition hall which houses the Book of Kells. The Book of Kells dates back to 700 A.D. (Carrie says the books are older than her Dad!). The books were all made by Monks who used pigments from plants and minerals from all over the world to make their ink. The artwork is really amazaing and intricate. Our next stop was St Patricks Cathedral and then to Burger King for lunch (I know...Burger King....but it was quick and hassle free!). Next we did some shopping in the rain then caught the bus back to our hotel. We are looking forward to tomorrow when the rest of the group gets here. Check in tomorrow for further adventures. -- Ronda and Carrie

June 14, 2009 We're in Dublin!

We left Atlanta promptly at 9:05 pm and minutes later, after we were in the air, were served our "hot cocktail nuts" This snack is one of the perks of Business Class or Business Elite Class depending on if you were sitting in 2A or 2B. Seems Carrie was in Business Elite Class while Ronda, sitting next to her, was simply in Business Class. After dinner and a few glasses of wine and 2 mimosas, Ronda slept like a baby while Carrie stayed awake to take care of any unrulies who might make their way into our area. After a smooth flight, We arrived in Dublin early and were greated by the famous Irish weather. We spent most of the day catching up on sleep and relaxing. Carrie's international clock isn't quite right yet but I'm sure by tomorrow she will be normal and sleeping when appropriate. Please check back tomorrow for our notes on Dublin. Tomorrow, We have big plans for sightseeing and riding public transportation! -- Carrie and Ronda

June 13, 2009 Today Is the Day!

We left Cincinnati at 4:30 this afternoon but first, of course, there had to some drama. Ronda's new passport got a thorough inspection, and I mean thorough inspection, by the TSA agent. He pulled out a special eyeglass to inspect the first page (maybe he was impressed by the beautiful picture) then he proceeded to hold up each page to the light to be sure there was a watermark. The flight was great, kudos to the student pilot, it was a smooth landing. We're sitting in the Atlanta airport, having snacks, waiting to board our flight to Dublin. Carrie is now a "Blackberry Wizard", she now has a good grasp of the functions that will keep her in touch with the world for the next couple of weeks. With the Blackberry and
"Mr Bear" and "Mr Piggy" in tow, Carrie is ready for the trip. Hello to everyone back in Cincinnati (yes, David, that means you). Can't wait to see the rest of the group on Tuesday morning. Check back tomorrow for our comments on our fight and our first impressions of Dublin!!