The Irish Riviera

The first thing we did today was try to leave the Hazelbrook B&B.  There was no problem checking out, it’s just that parking spaces are so tight! This was true in England too, but I seem to have forgotten it.   I had to back up and straighten out about six times before I got out of the parking lot.  The next thing we did was fill the car with gas (or petrol as they say here).  It was about 60 euros for 39.75 liters.  That works out to about $8.50/gal!  Good thing the van gets around 40 mpg.

The excursion train

Pastoral scene

Since a big part of this trip for my dad is to research the family tree, we went to Dungarvan so that he could visit the library there and search for records.  While he did this, the rest of us walked around the town.  This is one of my favorite things to do on a trip like this, because I like to find things that others might miss.  For instance, we stopped for coffee at a place called Mary’s Koffee Korner. It was up a flight of stairs in a narrow storefront next to a hairdresser’s.  I’m pretty sure we were the only Americans in the place—which I like.

Dungarvan waterfront

Dungarvan Castle

Dungarvan Castle

Next stop: the Waterford & Suir Valley Railroad.  This is a narrow-gauge excursion line that follows the Suir (pronounced like sure) River for about five miles.  It was a nice little trip, but even at 5 to 10 mph, it didn’t last long.

In the afternoon we drove to Youghal—along what is called the Irish Riviera.  I’m sure that’s a valid title, but today was cloudy and cool with rain, so it was sometimes hard to tell.  This is also our first hotel stay (the Old Imperial Hotel) on the trip and the boys were thrilled with the place.  They didn’t exactly complain about the smaller B&B’s, but I know they’re not used to them.

On the way to Youghal

Clock Tower, Youghal

Some hobo (on the right) waiting for the bus