Wanderings

Friday, January 5, 2018

Marrakech

January 4, 2018

We had a late afternoon arrival in Marrakech, which was quite warm (close to 80° F). We had a walk around the old town (medina) before heading to our hotel.

Views in the medina of Marrakech

Thursday, January 4, 2018

We took the morning train from Marrakech (the end of the line) to Rabat, the capital of Morroco. The rail car was comfortable, and the scenery pleasant. As we left Marrakech, there was a large series of hill-top fortifications visible to the east, and the landscape was quite dry. Further on, there were cultivated cactus fields (I'm not sure what one does with cultivated cactus).

As we got closer to the coast, the land became greener, and more frequent goat and sheep herds were seen. We passed a number of Mosques along the way. In other Islamic countries I have visited, the minarets were always round. Here in Morroco, these minarets were invariably square. Having climbed a narrow round minaret in Mortar, I would think I would prefer the wider, square structures.

The rail line is being straightened and upgraded, and the signs were visible throughout our journey. The crossing of roads at grade (with staffed manual crossing gates) are being replaced with bridges and the rail stations are being expanded.

We passed through Casablanca. Despite the image from the movie, the view from the trackside did nothing to encourage us to alight there.

Upon arrival at Rabat, we sought out lodging for the night. Unfortunately, the place was not marked properly on the map, so we wandered about the souk (marketplace) in ther medina (old town) for a while looking. We eventually found the place, but decided yo stay elsewhere. We wound up at a 100 year old hotel from the French Colonial era that was quite nice and had a roof-top terrace with a view of the city.

Marrakech Train Station

Hillside fortifications outside Marrakech

View of Mosque from the train

Arrival at Rabat

Souk (market) in Rabat

Rabat at dusk

Kasbah of Udayas at Night, view from hotel rooftop terrace

Fountain in Hotel lobby

Tile mosaic in Hotel lobby

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

To Dublin Airport

January 2, 2018

Shortly after leaving our rental cottage, I was stopped by the Garda (police) at a road-side checkpoint. The officer asked if I had a "full license?" I do and offered to show him. He replied that this was unnecessary "you wouldn't lie to the Garda" he said with a smile. I am pleased to report that, it being 9:00 am, I passed my random sobriety test.

We stopped at the County Clare Genealogy Center to see if we could get any more information about the family. Apparently, almost everyone who emigrated from County Clare settled in the Boston area (1). While there are a large number of Irish-American socials clubs in the Boston area, my grandmother once told me she met my grandfather not at a general Irish-American club, but at a County Clare social club in Boston.

As we drove across Ireland, we stopped for gas (petrol) at the Barack Obama service plaza. The former president had visited the small town of Moneygall while in office; one of his ancestors (presumably on his mother's side) had emigrated from Moneygall to America in the 1850s.

(1) In my travels in County Clare, people often asked me exactly where in Boston I lived. The local residents' knowledge of the geography of Eastern Massachusetts was quite impressive.

Monday, January 1, 2018

The Burren, County Clare

January 1, 2018

Being New Years Day, many shops &c. were closed, but the Doolin Cave was open. Descending 200 feet underground, we were met with the impressive sight of the third largest (known) stalactite in the world in a huge underground cavern.

The wild Atlantic Way took us along the coast through the Burren, as this rock-strewn area of Ireland is known. The ancient stone walls lining the roads attest to generations of the local inhabitants trying to eke out a living from the scrabbly soil, mainly by sheep herding.

Further up the coast, we came upon the Corcomroe Abbey, which dates back the 12th century. On the way back to our rental cottage, we passed by Kilshanny, and the house where my grandmother was born.

Stalactite, Doolin Cave

The Burren

Storm waves hitting the coast

Corcomroe Abbey

Sunset at Ballyvaughn

Sunday, December 31, 2017

Doolin, County Clare

December 31, 2017

We drove up the coastal road to Doolin to see the thatched cottage where my grandfather was born, and where my father lived for about a year when he was 12 years old. My sister knew the location.

As we arrived, we chatted with a man who lived across the street who turned out to be my father's cousin (and shared my father's name). He seemed genuinely pleased to see us. He invited us into his home, threw some peat on the fire, told us stories about the family and shared "a drop of whiskey." He is the last of the family to still live in the area and he has no children. We agreed to reach out and visit his sister (who lives outside Boston) when we returned home.

Most of his aunts and uncles (including my grandfather) emigrated to Boston in the 1920s. Back in the day, Doolin was a pretty quiet and desolate place, with little opportunity for my grandfather and his 9 brothers and sisters (1).

After visiting with him for a few hours, we drove south to the Cliffs of Moher (2) at sunset. Due to strong westerly winds, the ocean was rather fierce at the base of the cliffs, and the wind carried the spray from the water up the few hundred feet to where we were standing.

(1) Due to its location at the end of a hiking trail to the Cliffs of Moher, Doolin today is somewhat more vibrant. Although still a small town, it is known throughout the West of Ireland for its lively pub music scene.

(2) My father's cousin told us the cliffs are the second most popular tourist spot in Ireland. Number 1, of course, is the Guiness Beer Factory in Dublin.

The old family home, Doolin

Painting of the old family home above the fireplace mantle

Coastal Road, Doolin

Doonagore Castle

The Cliffs of Moher

Wind-driven spray from the sea cresting the top of the cliffs (look closely at the second indentation on the cliff face)

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Dingle, County Kerry

December 30, 2017

We drove up the West coast of Ireland to the windswept Dingle Penninsula. The winds were actually blowing a gale today, so the sea was rather impressive. We stopped at west-facing Inch Beach, where surfing lessons are offered, although not (for some reason) during Christmas week.

Upon arrival at the village of Dingle, the tourist booth told us we should drive out to Slea Head. The road was carved into the hillsides, and had continuous sea views. Scattered about the hillsides, there were a number of stone beehive huts (1), known as clochán in Irish. Dating is uncertain, but they are believed to be from about 1200.

We stopped at as sign to hold a baby lamb. The woman at the house told us that we could not because "He's at a Wedding today." We were unsure whether she was referring to her husband (who presumably runs the lamb-holding business), or the lamb itself. We did not enquire whether the lamb was a guest or the main course.

To return to the main road along the coast, we decided to take the road along the north coast of the Penninsula, which involved a drive over 1,496 foot-high Connor Pass ("An Chonair" in Gaelic). This is apparently the highest mountain pass in Ireland with a paved road.

We drove north to the Shannon ferry, crossing to County Clare. We drove on to Liscannor where we will stay the next few days. Liscannor has the distinction of having the most pubs per capita in Ireland.

(1) There must be something uniquely useful about the beehive design. I have seen many beehive huts in Swaziland in southern Africa also. Although the traditional Swazi design has earthern walls and thatched roofs.

Scenes of Dingle Penninsula

Inch Beach

Beehive hut

Not today, "He's at a Wedding"

Sea-side Sheep on the road to Slea Head

End of the Dingley Penninsula

Descending from Conner Pass (2 way road)

Always good advise

The Shannon Ferry

Friday, December 29, 2017

Cobh & Kinsale, County Cork

December 29, 2017

We drove to the ferry to take us across the channel from Douglas to Cobh (pronounced Cove). Unfortunately, the ferry was not running from Chistmas to New Years, so we drove around. About 1/2 hour later we were on the other side of the channel, which looks to be about 250 yards from where we had tried to board the ferry.

We went to the Irish Emigrant Heritage Center at the old Cobh train/ship boarding station. Two of my grandparents emigrated from here in 1921 (they met later in Boston). Before leaving on a ship, the family and friends of the emigrants would often gather in Queenstown (as Cobh was known until 1922) for an "American Wake," as they never expected to see each other again after the emigrés left for America.

Cobh was the Titanic's final port of call before its rendezvous with an Iceberg southeast of Newfoundland in 1912. The Titanic exhibition included a note in a bottle recovered on the Irish coast that was thrown overboard by Jeremiah Burke (1), one of the victims of the Titanic sinking.

My father (who was born in the US) lived in Ireland for a little over a year beginning in 1938. When World War 2 broke out in September, 1939 the family returned to the U.S. At the Heritage Center, there is a picture of a ship leaving Cobh in 1939 that was chartered by the American government to bring U.S. citizens home from war-time Europe. My father (then 12 years old) was probably on the ship.

We then proceeded to a sea-side town called Kinsale for dinner. The Ocean Liner Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U -Boat off Kinsale Head in 1917. The loss of American lives in this sinking was a major contributing factor to the U.S. entry into the First World War.

(1) Coincidentally, this was the name of the high school in Boston where my aunt (from the other side of the family) taught for many years.

The ship Acadia leaving Cobh to repatriate Americans living in Ireland upon the outbreak of war in 1939. My father was probably on board

Kinsale

Blarney, County Cork

December 28, 2017

On the Ireland portion of this trip, I am very pleased to have my whole family and my sister with me. After an early morning arrival at Cork we had some breakfast and got ourselves oriented. We decided to visit Blarney Castle, which is a short drive from Cork. It was rather cold and as we arrived at Blarney Castle it started to snow (1). We climbed up to the top of the Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone to receive the gift of gab. To do so, you must hang upside down over the edge of the Castle.

The story is that Queen Elizabeth kept asking Lord Blarney for assurances of his loyalty and received nice sounding, but equivocal responses. She became exasperated with some other member of the aristocracy for similar equivocation and exclaimed what he was saying was "all Blarney." Hence began the legend of kissing the Blarney Stone, and the use of the word "Blarney" to signify nice sounding words with little meaning.

(1) Snow is fairly rare in this part of Southern Ireland. The Irish weather service posted warnings for 2 cms of snow, which is slightly less than an inch.