Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Sunday 10th of July
08.30 It's Sunday and the morning is here at Sheila's Hostel (https://sheilashostel.ie) in Cork, Ireland. One of the other guests has, as previously mentioned, an unnerving voice to say the least. It will be sad to leave Cork but nice to avoid the guest with the voice.
09.28 It was a simple but perfectly okay céadphroinn (breakfast) for 4 euros. It was served in a common dining room near the reception. Now all that remains is to pack up what we own and aim for new Irish goals.
10.03 It is cool and almost completely silent at the bus station at Parnell Place. Here there will be a wait and perhaps a visit to leithreas, the toilets.
10.32 It costs to visit the men's room so it had to be later. Now we are waiting for the bus from the state company Bus Éireann to start today's journey.
11.14 The bus glides west through the Irish countryside. There is not enough space for the legs and there are many people who want to go along today.
11.23 We have stopped in small Ballyvourney and the bus is now getting completely full. Here there is a sign pointing to the Top of Coom, Ireland's highest pub.
11.43 We have left County Cork and are now in County Kerry. Here it is mountainous and beautiful.
12.36 Later than expected we reached the popular tourist town of Cill Airne, also known as Killarney. Here we are now killing some time at the bus station. The chosen lunch place we are going to visit is not open yet. They open their doors at 1pm on Sundays.
12.48 We have set ourselves in motion and are now walking along Park Road towards the upcoming meal.
15.55 It is now 3-2 to Nick Kyrgios in the third set. We stopped watching the Gaelic football match. We still don't understand the rules. Now we're going out into the sunshine to look around here in the cozy little town. Killarney has 13,426 inhabitants, making it the second largest town in Kerry.
18.14 Down by the water of Lough Leane we are now. We think about where to go next and where to eat later tonight. It's a really hot day today (+26°C) and it's nice to relax for a while in beautiful surroundings.
Monday 11th of July
Christer is having breakfast at Sheila's Hostel.
Waiting at Cork City Bus Station.
We got off the bus in Killarney.
Christer is having lunch at Mixor Kebab Killarney.
Park Road, Killarney.
Peter tries to get into the Railway Lodge.
Irish Franciscans, monastery in Killarney.
McSweeney Arms, bar and hotel.
Killarney in County Kerry.
High Street, Killarney.
Saint Mary's Cathedral, Killarney.
We will spend the afternoon in a national park.
We have a few kilometers of walking ahead of us.
You can go around the national park like this if you want.
If we had a pony we could have used this trail.
Through the forest we walk towards Ross Castle.
Ross Castle, built in the 15th century.
A girl with some mallards and swans at Ross Castle.
Lough Leane.
Riverwalk by the River Deenagh.
Late evening in Killarney.
08.36 A new week has begun. The night's sleep at the Railway Lodge in Killarney has been good. The breakfast we bought with us, it was more tasteless. Today there will be a new bus trip here on the island.
09.09 Christer has found a new transport option for today. It does not involve any change and is 11 euros cheaper. What do we do? We had originally intended to take the bus to Tralee to see that town and then continue on to Limerick. Now it feels more flexible and attractive to take the bus that goes directly from Killarney to Limerick. It also saves us both time and money. 09.22 We are here in Killarney in Ireland. Our cycling friend Roberth has woken up in Randers, a Danish city that he previously did not know existed at all. He has biked there from Grenå, the town where he disembarked after the ferry trip from Halmstad. 10.29 We are on our way out. Is it easier to get out of here than it was to get in? 10.46 It was good to get out. You just need to know that the handle must be lifted in order to unlock and lock again. It is exactly as it was at our accommodation in the Faroe Islands at Easter. 11.05 The journey's first real eleven o´clock coffee will be enjoyed at the café inside the bus station. It's simply called Killarney Bus Station Café. We have also bought bus tickets to Limerick. 11.39 The service, the coffee and also the accessories were top notch. Now we await our departure from Killarney. We would have loved to stay here longer. That's how you often feel here in Ireland.
Peter is watching TV in the room at the Railway Lodge B&B.
Christer is having coffee while waiting for the bus to depart.
Outside Limerick Colbert Train Station.
Limerick salutes the city's hurlers.
Tait's Clock and Saint Saviour's Catholic Church.
Fika Coffee, Limerick.
12.09 Another visited city is now left. If we have counted correctly, we have so far visited 32 cities on this trip. At a petrol station we passed, a liter of diesel cost 2,11 euros. The surroundings have become more rural. Ireland is the green island so of course it's really green around us.
12.24 We have just stopped at Kerry Airport outside Farranfore. 13.50 The bus takes us steadily north. Today's final goal Limerick is getting closer. We travel with Bus Éireann's Expressway express bus. The route is number 14. 14.41 We finally arrive in Limerick, the Republic of Ireland's third largest city. We are about a quarter of an hour late. The bus stopped at Limerick Colbert railway station. After a short walk from the railway station, we are now sitting at a café, Fika Coffee. We went here because we saw the name on Google Maps and thought it was a good fit to have coffee at Fika. 14.53 In here there is a sign on the wall that explains the word fika. This café is quite new. They opened in the middle of the pandemic. Interesting that an Irish couple from Limerick chose to name their cafe after a Swedish word. 15.04 Pery's Hotel (https://www.perys.ie) and room 311 is our home for the next two nights. We shouldn't really stay here. We had originally booked a room at The Pier Hotel down by the river but they said they could not offer us a place these days. Therefore we rebooked to this hotel. Limerick County's hurling team are in the national final. At the railway station there were notices about it. 17.09 Something is wrong with the elements or the ventilation in this room. It's warmer than it should be. It doesn't get cold in our room. There will be no starvation either. We have a bit of a handle on some dinner restaurants we can check out later tonight.
The word fika is explained.
Pery's Hotel, Limerick.
Movable birch trees at Honan's Quay.
The River Shannon and King John's Castle.
Saint Mary's Cathedral, Limerick.
Limerick green and white flag.
17.22 Now we are out on the streets of Limerick. Unfortunately, the weather is gray and dull. We have strolled on Catherine Street, Thomas Street and O'Connell Street. Now we are at Arthur's Quay Park on the River Shannon.
17.53 Some small benches on wheels have birch trees planted on them, a handy solution. We are near the river and seagulls are screaming. As previously mentioned, Limerick is the third largest city in the country. 94,192 inhabitants live here. 18.08 After walking along the river Shannon and seeing the love padlocks we are now at Merchants Quay with Limerick City and County Council and the Anglican Saint Mary's Cathedral. Hunger is becoming an increasingly large problem. Where should we eat? 19.14 Today we have dinner at Turkmen Grill (https://turkmengrill.ie) and GIF Sundsvall has just equalized against IFK Värnamo in the Allsvenskan football back home in Sweden. 20.14 Turkmen Grill serves Middle Eastern-style food. There was a lot and it was good. The small Spar store near our hotel had a meager selection. At least we got something together that can be a breakfast tomorrow morning. Now I'm going to have a bath. It has to be done when the room has a bathtub. It is still warm in the room and airing does not help. 20.53 I keep alive my tradition of taking a bathtub bath at some point during our travels. The Norwegian women's national team is doing badly in the football European Championship. They are 6-0 down at half-time in the match against England. Now it's time for me to change my pen.
Fountain at Limerick's 1916 Commemorative Garden.
We eat tonight's dinner at Turkmen Grill.
The delicious dinner.
21.41 Christer has found the pub McGinn's Hophouse in Galway online. It sounds promising or downright hopeful. Tomorrow we are going on a day trip to Galway and the combination of very good pizzas in a good Irish pub sounds really tempting. We hope it will be as good as it sounds.
21.54 There are mixed feelings after England's 8-0 victory. Is England fantastically good or Norway really bad? In any case, it is the biggest victory in EC history. 23.07 We have traditionally followed Roberth's daily adventures on the bike, which are presented via a daily film. He is now in Aalborg in northern Jutland, Denmark. 23.42 We wonder if the heat in the room might come from the extremely hot towel dryer in the bathroom or if it is due to a lack of ventilation.
Tuesday 12th of July
08.10 We have slept the first of two nights here at Pery's Hotel. It became less warm in the room after we closed the bathroom door. It indicates that the source of the heat is the towel dryer in the bathroom that is overworking. It's cloudy today and soon we're going out on another day trip.
08.34 The time has come to change old plans and make new plans. We had intended to visit the beautiful coastal cliffs Cliffs of Moher today. Christer visited these in June 2006 and it was really beautiful. However, we have read that there is an entry fee of 7 euros to enter the area. In addition, it is recommended that you book in advance to be absolutely sure of getting a seat. Also, when the weather is cloudy and rainy, we have decided to spend more time in the cities of Galway and Ennis instead. 09.09 Soon it will be time to go with an Irish train again. It felt good to get out of our sauna room. It's almost nice that it's a little chilly outside today. 09.33 We move on the rails north of Limerick. Outside the train is a green landscape with grazing cows. 10.10 The railway station in Ennis is around us right now. We have got off the train and there is a new city to see before we take a bus from here to Galway. Christer is actually going to see the city for the second time. He was here with his aunt 16 years ago. Then he arrived by taxi from Shannon Airport which is halfway between Limerick and Ennis. We are now in a new county, County Clare. Irish folk music is considered to have originated here. 10.35 We have walked from the station into the center and so far seen a cathedral, the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul and a Daniel O'Connell monument. Here he stands high on a pillar in the small square O'Connell Square. The word 'Inis' in Irish means an island. It was the original name of the present town which lies like an island in the bends of the River Fergus. There are 24,253 inhabitants here in Ennis.
We got off the train in Ennis.
O'Connell Street, Ennis.
Ennis in County Clare.
Daniel O'Connell at the top of a pillar.
Christer tries to recognize himself on the bridge over the River Fergus.
Peter visits the Insomnia Coffee Company in Ennis.
11.01 More of the city has been seen, the River Fergus has been crossed and now we're at Insomnia Coffee Company on O'Connell Street for eleven o´clock coffee. Christer has tried in vain to find where he stayed with his aunt in 2006, but since the name of the accommodation has been forgotten, it is difficult to find. In any case, it is interesting to compare photos from then and now. The buildings are the same but the facades and colors have changed in many places.
11.23 Once again we stand by a statue representing a cow. We are in Market Square. More precisely, the statues depict a buyer and seller shaking hands to finalize the sale of a cow. 11.40 From cow to K.O is a short step. We are now on the Turnpike Road at a small monument connected to a Knock Out. It is a tribute to the boxer Cassius Clay (Muhammed Ali) who has roots in the city. His great-grandfather, Abe Grady, was from here. 12.12 We are back at the combined railway and bus station. Christer has bought bus tickets to Galway. 12.26 Now that we are in the European Union again and can call and surf with the same prices as in Sweden, Christer has tried to call the Tax Agency to sort out the problem with the person who incorrectly registered on his address. However, there were so many callers that there was not even room in the telephone queue. 12.41 Before we got on board, the tickets had to be checked. Some were probably pre-purchased online and linked to certain first names. Names were read out and when Thomas was called up a brunette showed interest. The bus driver then replied with a smile, - You are one good looking Thomas! 14.27 The bus journey up to Galway was smooth. Here in Galway, however, we have the weather against us. It is overcast and raining. .
Market Square, Ennis.
Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Ennis.
Muhammed Ali Monument in Ennis.
William Street, Galway.
Galway gets a nice visit.
The River Corrib flows through Galway.
14.36 We have walked through a well-visited Galway. There are lots of tourists, troubadours and ordinary Irish people shopping here. A large cruise ship can also be seen on the horizon.
14.50 Now we have walked along the river Corrib, past the cathedral and also located the restaurant where we intend to eat later. We will return with details. Galway is Ireland's fourth largest city and has 83,456 inhabitants. Together with Rijeka in Croatia, it was the European capital of culture in 2020. It's a shame to dot it in the middle of the pandemic. 15.13 To avoid the rain, to visit a toilet and to buy train tickets, we are temporarily back at the railway station. 15.25 We just saw a lady who kind of danced on the spot. Was she training for Riverdance, Lord of the dance? Now we see Messrs. Vilde and Wilde again. The last time we saw each other was in Tartu, Estonia in 2017. So it is the writers Eduard Vilde from Estonia and Oscar Wilde from Ireland who sit together both here and in Tartu. 15.40 We have crossed a bridge covered with a few padlocks but mainly colorful ribbons. 16.00 In front of us is now the city's great cathedral, Galway Cathedral. Have we covered everything worth seeing here in Galway? Be that as it may, we must soon have the planned dinner. 16.18 I honestly don't know if we've seen everything. In any case, we will have dinner at McGinn's Hop House (http://www.mcginnshophouse.com), a large cozy pub on Woodquay Street. There will be wood-oven baked pizzas and finally big good draft beer, Smithwick's Red Ale.
Peter is taking photos in Galway.
Oscar Wilde from Ireland and Eduard Vilde from Estonia.
A play you would want to see.
Galway Cathedral.
McGinn's Hop House, Galway.
Christer is waiting for pizza.
16.47 There were very good pizzas, really good beer and lovely music during the meal. Right now "Hooked on a feeling" is being played with Björn Skifs. This is one of the nicest restaurant experiences so far this summer. Too bad we have to leave here soon. One would have liked to return here again.
17.24 When we shopped at the Centra convenience store, I was in my own thoughts and didn't hear at all that I was being asked to change the till. Now we are back at the train station. Christer has just discovered that we waited at the wrong track and train. That could be the explanation for the fact that we were the only ones on the platform. Now we move to the right place. 17.57 On board the train we will now relax and travel south again. 19.27 We are still on our train, which drives us both forward and backward. We should be back at Limerick Colbert station shortly. 20.23 We have returned to Limerick and to Pery's Hotel. It is tidy and not as hot in the room. By the way, the cleaning staff has left a cloth behind. 21.41 Tomorrow's journeys by bus from Limerick and the ferry journey from Dublin are checked and planned. We want to avoid stress. Tomorrow it will be a bus first, then a walk, lunch, another bus, ferry and then check-in in Wales. 21.51 There was a knock on the room door. There was a guy from the staff who asked if we had a problem with the radiators. He went into the bathroom and turned on the towel dryer. It seems that more people than us noticed that Pery's Hotel offers a free sauna in its rooms. 22.44 At this time of day, we update ourselves as usual on where the cyclist Roberth is. He has moved to Fredrikshavn in northern Denmark. From there, he plans to continue with a ferry to Oslo.
Good beers for the pizzas.
Peter attacks today's delicious dinner.
Woodquay Street, Galway.
Ready to leave Galway.
Wednesday 13th of July
07.31 We are up early today. During the morning, Christer has been in contact with the Swedish Tax Agency at home in Sweden. It is important to call immediately when the phone time starts to get a place in the phone queue. This was done at 08:00 Swedish time, 07:00 Irish time. The call is about the person who incorrectly registered himself in the apartment at Christer's address. The matter is apparently under investigation.
08.27 With smiles on our faces we checked out and confirmed a pleasant stay. We did this despite cursing the heat in the room. Sometimes you are unnecessarily polite. Now all that remains is waiting for the bus here at Arthur's Quay Park. It's a nice sunny morning today. It is typical that the weather will be good when you are about to leave a city. 08.48 Now our bus journey with Dublin Coach line 300 starts. It is time to return back to Dublin. Thanks and hello Limerick! 09.22 Unfortunately, it is also hot in the bus. The heat makes me drowsy. 10.08 Thanks! The AC is finally running in the bus. We have stopped at a toll booth. It is around 100 kilometers to Dublin. 10.48 For the last ten minutes or so we have been standing still in Kildare. Are we waiting for the timetable or is something wrong? This date (July 13th) has had a lot of trouble in the past years. Hooray, now we're driving again. 12.11 We have arrived in Dublin and have walked from the stop near Ha´penny Bridge and are now at the intended lunch spot. Now we are thinking about whether we eat right here and how we get to the ferry terminal after the meal. 12.22 There will be a burger each at Supermac's on Talbot Street. They share premises with the pizza chain Papa John's. The restaurant is next door to the place we ate on the Christmas holiday trip in the city in 2010. Where we ate then is now a pizzeria, Star Pizza. Twelve years ago, the restaurant was called Kebab 786. 12.48 We have finally had a hearty burger. Once outside, we saw a white bus from Nolan Coaches at the stop we are going to leave from. We asked if it goes to the ferry port and how much it cost. Christer tried several times to buy a ticket from the driver but instead we were asked to just go and sit down.
Morning in Arthur's Quay Park, Limerick.
Talbot Street, Dublin.
Lunch at Supermac's.
Arrived in Stena Lines Terminal 2.
Our luggage is waiting to be loaded on board.
Peter leaves Dublin by sea.
12.55 Things start to clear up. Apparently this bus is here to take passengers to another ferry, Irish Ferries. The bus journey is included in the ticket price. The driver was friendly and let us go even though we are going with Stena Line where the bus journey is not included in the ticket price. It's just a matter of thanking and accepting.
13.16 The driver of Indian origin continued his excellent service. He drove us all the way to Terminal 2 where Stena Line is located. Then he and two other passengers proceeded to Terminal 1 where this bus runs on its normal route. 13.22 We are now checked in on the ferry Stena Estrid from the shipping company Stena Line (https://www.stenalinetravel.com). The ferry will take us to Holyhead on the island of Anglesey in Wales. The bags are labeled and loaded but the luggage strap is out of order at the moment. 13.46 The luggage has been collected and taken from the terminal to the ferry. The hand luggage we carry with us is sniffed by a dog that some customs women walked around with. We are now sitting on the connecting bus that will take us inside the ferry. 13.55 There are few people on board Stena Line's ferry. It will take us about four hours to cross the sea. 15.31 It costs a lot if you want coffee, but certain things always take priority. 16.32 It's calm on board and it's also calm out on the Irish Sea. Even though there are quite a few people on board, it is a bit difficult to find some good seats indoors.
Christer on board Stena Estrid.
We get a meeting in Dublin port.
The Welsh coast can be seen on the horizon.
Soon we reach the island of Anglesey in Wales.
16.51 We are out on the starboard side of the ferry. On the horizon ahead we can see land. Soon we will be back in the UK where we will be for the rest of the trip. It's nice, but when we leave the EU, the cheap internet surfing ends and we become dependent on WiFi again.
18.02 Now the Welsh coast is clearly visible and we are surrounded by seabirds and a few smaller boats. 18.19 The ferry docks in Holyhead harbor and we await instructions on how and where to leave the ferry. 18.33 Instructions were given and these were followed. They involve disembarking on car deck, deck 5 and then boarding a connecting bus. 18.42 It is not a short bus trip from the ferry to the terminal. We've been going for a while and we're still not there.UNITED KINGDOM
18.58 There was no customs or passport police at the terminal, even though we are leaving the EU and entering Great Britain, which is outside the Union. It was then a short walk to The Edinburgh Castle pub (http://theeddie.co.uk) here in Holyhead, Wales. We entered the pub and were greeted by some happy beer drinking locals. One wondered if we came here to live or drink. When we said we were going to stay here, they still thought we should stop by and have a drink later. Some guests were asked to take out the children they brought in. The hostess then gave us a brief briefing. We now have a key to the room and also to the front door if we come after closing, which she hopes will be 10pm. We have also booked our breakfast for 09.00 tomorrow morning. It is included in the room price. This will be the third pub we stay at on this trip. The former were in Chelmsford and Saint Austell.
We are in Holyhead and in Wales.
Peter in the room at The Edinburgh Castle.
19.31 It's time to find someone who can help us with dinner tonight. Holyhead with its 11 237 inhabitants is not the most exciting place in the world, but it should be possible to find an open restaurant. If we don't go out, we won't know.
19.43 It will be a long walk on London Road out to a KFC in a shopping area on the outskirts of the city. More centrally, we only find small Take Away places. 20.19 Damn! The KFC we finally found here only has Take Away service, no chance to dine in according to the young people working here tonight. 21.10 We are shocked and still surprised by KFC's policy of denying us and four other car-borne guests to eat inside the premises. Can't they clean? It will be a loss for them of SEK 600-700 when six hungry men are not allowed to eat here. Christer and I have instead gone back into town, visited Lidl and bought something to eat in the room instead. By the way, have we been to Lidl outside of Sweden before? 22.46 What was purchased at Lidl has been consumed. It was a mixed, somewhat strange meal. My baguettes contained a lot of garlic. We have since looked at the news about continued unrest in Sri Lanka. Cyclist Roberth has been in Oslo today. His journey is almost over. We have reached half time in our journey.
You can see 66 photos from July 10 in this photoalbum.
You can see 44 photos from July 11 in this photoalbum.
You can see 82 photos from July 12 in this photoalbum.
You can see 33 photos from July 13 in this photoalbum.