the turquoise trail

{Friday October 10th} We got up around 7:30a this morning again to get ready. We didn't leave the hotel until around 9a, and headed to the Lyon's department store in downtown Sligo. They have a cafe on the second level of the store which was recommended to us.   Paul ordered the traditional Irish breakfast; bacon, sausage, beans, toast, and tomato. I got French toast served with maple syrup... both were very good. After breakfast, we headed towards the Marble Arch Caves. We had a very unceremonious entry to Northern Ireland, lacking even a sign.  Marble Arch Caves We arrived at the caves shortly before 11a and were lucky enough to have a private tour.  Because of the recent rain, the water levels were too high to take the short boat ride in, but we were able to walk into the cave. The water level last week was far above our heads, so we were lucky they were opened again.  The caves are quite extensive and we went through several chambers following the p...

{Wednesday October 8th} We got up around 7a for breakfast at 8a again this morning. We were served a delicious pancake breakfast with fresh fruit at our table overlooking St Finans Bay.  We left the B & B shortly before 9a, and headed around the southern part of the Ring of Kerry. We passed by Muckross House again, and decided to see if the timing for a tour would be any better today.  Ring of Kerry Sights It was, so we had a quick look around the gift shop and then began our guided tour of the house at 12p.  The house was built in 1847. We started our tour in the Victorian-era Dining room. The elaborate drapes were a gift from Queen Victoria when she visited in 1861, along with a large hand-carved, commissioned head board. The dining room table measures 6m x 2m.  All chandeliers in the house are Irish Waterford crystal, and many of tables and desks are traditional Killarney inlay furniture; they have very intricate designs inlaid in diff...

{Monday October 6th} Got up shortly before 8a this morning to have a shower and get ready for the day.   We left the house shortly before 9a and headed into New Ross. Our first stop was at the Dunbrody Emigrant Ship.  Since the first tour was going to be in German, the guy gave us a discounted entrance fee.   We headed out to the ship and met up with another tour guide and couple doing an English tour, so we joined them and got a tour after all.  The emigrant ship was built in Quebec to carry cargo, but carried many people during the Irish potato famine. 95 percent of passengers were second class and would have spent all day - with the exception of half an hour - below deck with absolutely no light.  25 to 50 percent of passengers died on route, hence why the ships became known as coffin ships.  They had two actresses playing the parts of a first class passenger and a second class passenger, who did a great job of showing what life on the ship w...

{Sunday October 5th} We got up around 7a this morning to get ready and head back to the airport. We checked out of our room and called the airport to confirm that the bag had arrived, which it indeed has...  always a good sign.  We got to the airport shortly after 8a and I dropped Paul off to go and get the bag. It a was about 8:40a by the time we left the airport, but we were glad to have the bag back.   From the airport, we worked our way towards the south end of the city, passing through some very nice neighbourhoods  and past Aviva Stadium. We found a little newsstand/deli to get some breakfast, which was a bagel with some bacon (peameal), sausage and cheese on it. It was a little sketchy, but it tasted delicious and fit in with our quest to not eat anywhere "recognizable".   Dun Leary Pier From there we continued on towards Brighton Hall and got to Laura and Elliott's for church around 10a. We were able to borrow a pair of scissors ...

{Thursday October 31st}  We got up around 7:30 again this morning and got ready for the day. We had a slightly different breakfast this morning.. Same basics but we also had an egg and vegetable casserole. We left our hotel around 9 and headed towards Pamukkale.  This morning we started with a Turkish language lesson. The English language belongs to the Europe-indo language group. The Turkish language belongs to the Altaic group of languages.  English is an inflectional language meaning we have root words, with exceptions (for example stood; root word stand is not found within stood).  Turkish is an aglotinitive language meaning you have a root word and then many suffixes (for example root word eye, plus one suffix is glasses, plus two suffixes is optometrist - no exceptions) After about an hour and a half, we stopped at a gas station with a store for a bathroom break. I bought some really nice lotion with olive oil in it (smells amazing!) and got some...

{Wednesday October 30th} We got up at 7:30 this morning and went for breakfast in the dinning room around 8. It was fairly similar with lots of cheese, olives, cucumbers and tomatoes, and honey.  We left the hotel at 9 this morning to head towards our first stop at the temple of Artemis.  Temple of Artemis We stopped for a 'quick' stop at a coffee shop that happened to have wifi so that was a bonus!  There is no such thing at take-out or coffee to-go here.  Around 10 we then stopped at the temple of Artemis; one of the wonders of the ancient world. It was destroyed by a crazy man who wanted to make history, but the Ephesians had it rebuilt.  Kybele, the goddess of fertility, later transformed into the goddess Artemis. To the Romans, she was Diana.  The ruins of the city of Ephesus that we will be visiting is the third city. It was built in the beginning of the 4th century bc. It is said that Ephesus was either named after an amazon q...

{Tuesday October 29th} October 29th is Republican Day in Turkey; 90 years since the Republic of Turkey was formed!  We got up this morning around 6:30 to get ready for the day and went to the dinning room for a buffet breakfast at 7am. There was a very nice variety of foods this morning, including pizza, helva, and lots of cheeses. After breakfast we gathered our things and met at the bus at 8am. Before we boarded the bus, there was a lady selling knit socks and mom bought a pair.  Once we were all on the bus, we travelled 35km out of the town of çanakkale towards Troia (Troy). Along the way we got some mythological and historical information.  Trojan horse used in the movie 'Troy' The inhabitants of Troy are referred to as Trojans, and the Greeks are referred to as Acheans.  The wife of the Priam, king of Troy, had a fire in her stomach, so she sought the advice of the oracle. The oracle advised her that the son she would bear would cause trouble, so...