Honeymoon: Euro Trip - Day 9

We got up around 6:30, got ready and packed up our stuff. We went downstairs for our reservation breakfast. We felt fancy. I had some yogurt, granola, watermelon, eggs, bacon, sausage, orange juice, beans, hashbrowns and a chocolate filled pastry. Ben had a lot of the same thing, but he tried the blood sausage and had coffee instead of orange juice. I tried a bite of the blood sausage, and it wasn't that bad. The beans for breakfast were a little weird but other than that, the food was delicious. We finished our food and went back upstairs to grab out stuff. We went into the executive lounge one more time to grab some snacks and water for the road. 

We grabbed our stuff from the room and took it downstairs. We walked over to the stadium to grab the geocache, Dublin's Stadia Series 1 - Croke Park (GC23W86). It was a quick walk but glad we had time to nab one in Dublin. 

We tried to leave but the parking garage gate wouldn't let us leave for some reason. Ben had to go get help from the front desk. It finally worked and we were now on our way towards Cashel, our first stop, avoiding tolls - there were so many roundabouts, highways and very narrow back roads. I spent some time trying to get my phone hooked up so we could listen to music as we drove. I finally succeeded and we played a bunch of stuff off my Spotify playlists.

Just before 9 am, we got to Cashel and found the parking lot. We were getting more used to the car on the highways. We walked up to the entrance, presented our tickets on our phone and went inside the grounds. We had great weather, but it was a little chilly. We had a choice of a guided tour or a self-guided tour; we chose the self-guided tour. I loved learning about the history, the architecture and the graveyard around the property were stunning. 

According to local legends, the Rock of Cashel originated in the Devil's Bit, a mounting 20 miles north of Cashel when St. Patrick banished Satan from a cave, resulting in Rock's Landing in Cashel. The picturesque complex has a character of its own and is one of the most remarkable collections of Celtic art and medieval architecture to be found anywhere in Europe. Few remnants of the early structures survive the majority of buildings on the current site date back from the 12th and 13th centuries. 

We stayed for about an hour and did a couple of geocaches, a virtual, The Rock of Cashe (GCAJG0A) and an earthcache, April: It's the Story of a Cache and a Rock (GCAQ287). 

We walked back down to the parking lot but stopped into the two gift shops to see what kind of stuff they had. It was fun to browse, and we got a couple things, including some drinks to tie us over for a while. We had a little bit of time to kill so we walked into the town of Cashel. It was everything we thought a little Irish town would look like. Most of the shops didn't open up until later. It would have been awesome to go into a bookstore. 

We walked back to the car and programmed the address for the Midleton Distillery. Off we went!

We stopped in a small town called Castlelyons to get out, stretch and to find a geocache, Castlelyons Friary (GC4GY8G). We picked one that was near some more castle ruins. The original container was missing but there was a baggie with a wet logbook inside. 

We got into Midleton early and decided to see where the distillery was. The address did take us down the wrong road and we had to turn around. We did figure out where we were supposed to go but had to figure out what to do for an hour. I looked at the map. Ben! They have an Aldi here! Let's go! He agreed. We needed to get some snacks and drinks for the next couple days. We went inside and we got some popcorn, a couple candy bars, wine gummies, bananas, chewy bars and some drinks. Of course, I had to get a really cool reusable Aldi bag.

We drove over to the distillery, parked and went inside the check in. They gave us our tickets and a badge. We were a little early for our tour time, so we wandered around, sat in the bar and pregamed. We each had a shot of whiskey and then started our tour. Our tour guide was in his late 20's and had a fantastic Irish accent. I enjoyed listening to him talk about the history of the distillery, how they made the whiskey and everything in between. It was a great tour of the facility.

He took us to a tasting room and that is where we got to do the regular whiskey tasting. We tried three different whiskeys - Jameson, Powers Gold Label and Green Spot. I've had Jameson before, but the others were good as well. The rest of the tour group was dismissed to get their free drink from the bar while the rest of us went upstairs for our premium whiskey tasting. It was us and another couple vacationing from Ohio. They were huge whiskey fans and have been to many places throughout the US.

We introduced ourselves and shared where we were from and why we were in Ireland. They placed four special whiskeys in front of us and the whiskey sommelier explained each type, how it was made, what flavors, aromas and characteristics we were to expect from them. She was available if we had any questions about any of them. We all enjoyed the specialty/rare versions of Jameson, Powers, RedBreast and Midleton. They were great whiskeys and I see why they were specialty/rare ones. 

Between the first tasting, the highball at the bar and the second tasting, I was pretty much hammered and tried to keep myself from being super obvious about it. I don't drink this much very often so it hit me hard. We sat in the bar area while Ben had another shot of whiskey. The couple from Ohio came to sit next to us to chat about hockey. They saw me wearing a Pittsburgh Penguins sweatshirt earlier and apparently it was a great ice breaker for more conversation, lol. We sat there for about a half hour talking before it was time to move onto our next thing.

We visited the gift shop before we left. Ben ended up purchasing a $300 bottle of their rare Midleton whiskey. I told him it will be interesting getting it back to Portugal and then into the US. We might have to fill out paperwork, but we will see when we got to the airport in the next few days. We hopped in the car and set the GPS for our next destination, County Cork!

We got back on the highway and followed the road about 45 minutes to Blarney.  It was already starting to get dark, so we just drove to the hotel and checked ourselves in. This hotel/good store/restaurant was pretty cool. It used to be a wool mill built in 1823. We took our stuff up to our room and settled in. We thought we'd figure out some dinner plans. 

We went down to the bar and found out we needed reservations and they said they were full. Then we tried looking for a place that would deliver food, but every place was closed. Why are all the restaurants in the area closed? This area is busy and full of people. We thought it was odd. We eventually gave up and ordered food from the bar downstairs who originally said they were full but allowed us to order. We both decided on chicken wings and celery. They called us when our food was ready to go down and get. We watched Sisters, got in a shower, I wrote in my journal for a bit, did my Facebook post, relaxed and went to bed before midnight. 

Next Adventure: Honeymoon: Euro Trip - Day 10

Honeymoon: Euro Trip - Day 8

We all got up around 7:30, got ready to go and packed up the rest of the stuff we were going to bring with us to Ireland and Scotland. We tucked away the stuff we were going to leave behind so it wouldn't be in the way since they also use the bedroom for a computer room. I ate a quick breakfast of yogurt, toast and a banana. We made sure we had everything before taking it down to the car. We left around 9:15 to head to Faro, which was about a half hour drive.

We safely got to the Faro International Airport, and they dropped us off as close as they could. They told us to have a great time, and they would be back to pick us up at the end of the week. We thanked them for the ride and went inside the airport with our carry-ons. We got inside and checked the departure boards to see what gate we had to go to once through security. Our gate wasn't posted yet.

Security was quick and painless, which was nice, and then we had to go through passport check. Unfortunately, their machines weren't working so we were funneled through to another line. Once we got to one of the agents, we handed them our passport, they asked us where we were going, how long we would be there and when we were leaving, then stamped our passport and handed it back to us. I now have a Portugal stamp in my passport. We made our way down the hallway to the departure area and waited. We checked on the board a few times until it was announced, gate #324. We both used the restroom one more time and then walked upstairs to our gate.

We found a place to sit down until it was our turn to board. We were priority passengers, so we got in the quick line, they scanned our boarding passes, and she quickly checked our passports before ushering us to another room to wait in. The plane we were supposed to get on was late; therefore, we will be boarding and taking off about a half hour later than we were scheduled to. Once we were able to board, we walked down the jet bridge onto the tarmac. We had a short walk to our plane. We were happy it wasn't raining.

We got on, settled in and we were finally on our way to Ireland! The plane ride was uneventful. I worked on my job stuff and wrote in my journal for the 2-hour flight. Ben dozed off once or twice. About halfway through the flight, the flight attendants went around to see if anyone wanted to purchase food or drink, there were no complimentary snacks or beverages. You could also play the lottery on this flight, lol!

We were able to see some stuff out the window but there were some clouds obstructing the views. Most of Ireland from the air looked like a green patch work quilt. I can't believe we were almost to Ireland. I never thought I would have a chance to visit Ireland. It's always been a bucket list of mine. 

We began our descent into the Dublin International Airport, we landed, grabbed our bags in the overhead storage, deplaned, used the restroom and went through customs. We got our Ireland stamp in our passports! We figured out where we needed to go for our rental car.

We waited our turn at the counter until we were called over. The reservations were under Ben's name, so he took care of all the paperwork, signatures and legal stuff. It was cheaper to rent a car overseas in Ireland than it was to rent a car in NYC for less than five days. We were given the paperwork, basic rules and the keys. The clerk showed us where to go to pick up the car. It was literally in the next building over and all we had to do was walk across the street.

We got a white Renault Arkana. It is a compact crossover SUV known for its unique coupe like styling, blend the design of an SUV with the sleek profile of a sedan. It was first introduced in Russia in 2019 and then brought into Europe shortly after in 2020. Here's the fun part. Ireland drives on the right side of the car but on the left side of the road so, we had quite the adventure ahead of us. We threw our bags in, got comfortable and hoped that we made it to our hotel in one piece.

We put in the hotel address into the GPS and crossed our fingers! We only went the wrong way twice and missed our exit once, no big deal, but we got to the hotel, and no one died! We parked in the parking garage (we had to pay) underneath the hotel, grabbed our bags and went to the front desk to check in. They found out we were on our honeymoon and upgraded us so we would have access to the executive suite - free snacks and drinks! We stayed at the Croke Park Hotel. It was across the street from Croke Park, Ireland's largest stadium and serves as the headquarters for the Gaelic Athletic Association. It has a capacity of 82,300 and is a major venue for hurling, soccer, concerts and will host the country's first NFL game featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings in September.

We went up to our room, got situated and then made our way back downstairs to find out if we needed reservations for dinner or not. Luckily, we didn't need to because there were plenty of tables. We browsed through the drinks and the menu. Ben ordered a gluten free Irish beer and some Jamison, and I had a Coke Zero. For food, Ben got the Irish beef tacos, and I wanted something simple, so I ordered the burger and fries. The food was actually pretty good. 

After we were done, we went up to the executive suite and hung out in the lounge drinking our drinks. We called Trish to check in with her and to tell her about our adventure driving the car in Ireland. She told us that we were braver than she was! 

We went back to our room, got cleaned up, watched Pulp Fiction, I talked to my Mom, wrote in my journal for a little bit and then we got ready for bed. Surprisingly, we went to bed before 11. All the excitement must have caught up to us.

Next Adventure: Honeymoon: Euro Trip - Day 9

Honeymoon: Euro Trip - Day 7

That morning at 7:30, we woke up to my phone alarm and realized it was Ben's birthday. I couldn't find my right ear plug and ending up finding it in my shirt. I wished him a happy birthday, and we started getting ready for the adventure we were going to have with Brenda and Ray around the southwestern part of the Algarve region. We got dressed and loaded up a day pack.

We went into the kitchen and Brenda got a head start on making breakfast. I was in charge of making the toast and peeling an orange to share. The oranges in Portugal are way better than the ones at home. We dished up and enjoyed our scrambled eggs, toast, potato triangles and orange juice to drink. 

Brenda and Ray told us about their cache, Pegada da Leitura (GCB3H27) at the little library near the library in Pera and we were able to get first to find when we left the house. We took a few pictures and then hopped back in the car. Ray plugged in coordinates to the end of the world - Sagres. 

It was the southernly most point in continental Europe near the Sao de Vincent Lighthouse. It took us about an hour to get there. We saw a lot of fog and worried we would not have a view because of it. Once we got closer, the fog started to dissipate. We were going to get a great view of the coastline and the lighthouse. We found a place to park, got out and went to explore for about an hour. We took some great short of the cliffs, the coastline, the Atlantic Ocean and the lighthouse. We even did a couple of geocaches, a traditional, The End of the World [Sagres] (GC12CRJ) and a virtual, Farol do Cobo de Sao Vincete - Sagres (GC891F0). Both were fun to complete, and the weather was beautiful. 

We jumped back into the car and stopped at Forte do Beliche for a few minutes. Our phones were having a hard time finding service so we couldn't look for any more geocaches. 

We briefly stopped in the small community of Sagres so we could look at the pottery all over one of the shops in town. We thought it was cool and a perfect photo opportunity.

We got back in the car, and we headed towards Lagos, a historic city in the Algarve region known for its stunning Atlantic beaches, dramatic cliffs and charming walled old down with cobblestone streets, historic sites and vibrant night life. It was a key port during the Age of Discovery and offers a mix of history, a lively harbor, natural beauty and modern tourism. Sadly, this town is also known for the missing British child, Madeline McCann, who vanished from a holiday trip with her and her family in 2007. She still hasn't been found nor as a perpetrator been caught. 

We rolled into town, found a place to park (we're glad we had a few Euros on us, to park for a couple hours) and started our walk around the city. We did an adventure lab and several caches along the way. Brenda and Ray had already found most of the caches but had fun remembering where they were again, especially the traditional cache, SQ3 Praca Infante Dom Heqrique (GC872B0). There were some spectacular views of the harbor from Forte da Bandeira. 

From there, we went into the older part of the city which was surrounded by castle walls! It served as the city's primary defense dating back to the Roman era. There were a lot of residences, shops and restaurants. It was fun wandering around the old city. Ben and I found a few things including a couple postcards, stickers and Ben bought a mini futbol. We finished up, took a few more pictures of the town and then walked back to the car. We completed the adventure lab and then drove to Portimão. 

When Brenda and Ray first moved to Portugal, they lived in Portimão. While they lived there, they placed a few geocaches near their apartment. They took us to several of them while we were in town. The first place they took us was Green Lung (GCB1MYP), a new urban green space for the community to utilize. It has a small amphitheater, a workout area and even has free public Wi-Fi. We got out and we nabbed the nano cache. It was a nice-looking public park.

Lil Red Reading Booth (GCAHA1D) was just a few blocks up the road. Trying to find parking was interesting but because it was their caches, they stayed with the car while Ben and I went into the telephone booth to look for their cache, which was also a nano. They wanted to show us their last apartment, so we drove over towards that part of town. Woah, they lived in a busy part of town next to several grocery stores and a McDonalds!

I was so excited to find out they lived next to an Aldi!  I've never been to an Aldi before but have heard a lot about it! Our closest Aldi in the states is probably Nevada or California. I asked Brenda and Ray if we could go to Aldi to get some snacks and they said yes. I was super stoked to visit my first Aldi! We went inside and was blown away on the amount of cool stuff there was. I grabbed various drinks, snacks, and yes, a donut. I had to have a European donut from their bakery, and it was soooo good! We even found a couple gluten free snacks for Ben. 

We found a quick place to park, and we let Brenda and Ray lead the way while we looked at our caching app to see how close we were getting to their Portimão TB Hotel (GCAH9Q7). They gave us a hint though. It was easier to grab it from above than from below. We found it and set it down on the walkway since it was connected to a lock. We looked through it, signed it and left our own trackables behind. I even released one of my new ones to see where it would go. We put it back where we found it and they showed us the apartment they used to live. They told us a few stories about when they lived there. They were happy to move away to somewhere quieter and less busy.

We walked back to the car, and they drove us to the beach. We parked near the old fort. We explored it for about a half hour while we found two geocaches, a virtual, Forte de Santa Catarina (GC9P7F3) and a traditional, Fortaleza de Santa Catarina [Portimão] (GCWMCG) and goofed around. We walked down to the boardwalk. We walked the boardwalk as they told us about the times they walked down there while living in Portimão. Ray took lots of morning walks there. We used the restroom at one of the restaurants and then continued down the boardwalk.

Up ahead, I noticed the pretty curry-colored cliffs that southern Portugal was known for. I asked Brenda and Ray if we could go explore them. They said Ben and I could, but they wanted to rest for a bit. We took off our shoes and socks and ran across the perfectly manicured beach sand to the cliffs. There was an arch we could walk through over to the other side. The weather was perfect for a February beach stroll. We took a bunch of pictures and enjoyed a few minutes of silence just watching the waves move in and out of the shoreline. I am grateful that I got to enjoy this moment with Ben. I hope we have a lot more moments like this in the future. We walked back towards Brenda and Ray at the boardwalk after about 20 minutes.

It was getting late and we were all getting hungry. We put our shoes and socks back on and walked up the staircase onto the street level We stopped by a viewpoint for a few minutes to enjoy the view from the top. Ray explained this was a busy street at night due to all the restaurants, dance clubs, bars and storefronts. Ben found a really cool bracelet for Amy in one of the shops on the way back to the car.

We left Portimão and started making our way back to Pera. We stopped at a pottery place in Porches to take a look around. Their pottery was beautiful, and they were in there making it right in front of you. It was a fun experience. Ben wanted to find something for his mom and ended up finding the perfect gift to bring home to her. He paid and we left. We saw there was a geocache nearby and pulled over to grab it. Benvindo A Porches (GC8FJWH), was off the road, slightly up the hillside. I got out and quickly grabbed it.

Brenda and Ray wanted to take us to one of their favorite German restaurants for Ben's birthday. We parked and went inside. We were seated and ordered drinks. Of course you get a German beer at a German restaurant, duh! We took turns using the restroom to wash our hands. Our drinks arrived and we ordered some food. I got the half chicken and fries. it was delicious! We were there for about an hour and drive the short distance to their apartment.

We needed to wash laundry before our trip to Ireland and Scotland. Their washer and dryer were too small for our clothes, so Ray did some research for the best laundromat in the area and found one. We gathered up all of our clothes and we headed out. Brenda stayed behind to do their small load of laundry. It took a few minutes to get there and immediately got our stuff washing. Luckily, we were the only ones there most of the time. We talked about our trip to Ireland and Scotland and geocaching the hour and a half we were there. I do not miss having to use laundromats. We threw our laundry into our bags and drove back to their apartment.

We spent the next couple hours folding our laundry and packing for our trip. We both got in quick showers, I wrote in my journal for a bit, and we all went to bed just before 1 a.m. I was excited to see a new country with Ben!

Happy Birthday Ben!

Next Adventure: Honeymoon: Euro Trip - Day 8