First of all, I'd like to express our disappointment at not being able to get together while we were over there.  Monika said it was your fault since we were scheduled to be in your area on Saturday and Sunday.  We got home late Tuesday night and this is the first chance I've had to write.

DAY 1 TO 3: Dublin

From the beginning:  Our flight from Orlando was delayed because of the volcanic ash, arriving about 3 hours late into Dublin.  Aer Lingus was very nice ,even though a young child across the aisle decided to cry and act up until the flight was almost over.  Then, he fell asleep.  At Dublin Airport we managed to find our airport transfer and arrived at the Mont Clare Hotel without incident.  Because our arrival was delayed, our room was ready and we could unpack.  We've already filled out the on-line survey, but I would add that, while an older property, we enjoyed it very much.  True, the room was small, but it was well appointed and the bed very nice.  The breakfasts were also very nice.  We really liked the location and, on the first day, we walked around and familiarized ourselves with the city. That night saw us sampling Irish fare at Kennedy's pub. The next day, we took one of the open-topped city tour buses and, though a bit cool, the sun came out and that helped a lot.  After the tour, we walked to St Patricks Cathedral and through the Temple Bar area and the other side of the river.  We had a Pasty for lunch and then on to Trinity College for the Book of Kells Exhibit, which we deemed excellent.  We had our evening meal across the street at the Blarney Pub which I'd class as more of a tourist trap, complete with a pair of "Irish" musicians.

DAY 3:  Powerscourt and Glendalough

On day 3 we took our transportation back to the airport where we met the Hertz bus which took us to their facility.  There was quite a line, but not unacceptable.  When our turn came, they told us we'd be getting a Ford Focus Diesel which, they said was a great because of the reduced cost of diesel fuel and the better mileage.  There was only one problem - it had been turned in with damage to the right side mirror.  Part of the mirror cover was missing and the mirror itself was cracked in several places.  We decided to go ahead with it.  The rest of the cover flew off a few hours on the M10 North of Kilkenney.  It took a bit of navigating, but we finally found the road to Powerscourt.  Although not many of the flowers were in bloom, we thought it a great stop.  We also stopped at the Glendalough ruins and on the the Newlands Country House B&B for the night.  We drove into Kilkenny for supper at a very nice pub.  We liked the Kilkenny ale too.

DAY 4 & 5:  Kilkenny and Rock of Cashel

On day 4 we toured the Kilkenny Castle and the Rock of Cashel where we had a fantastic guided tour.  Overnight was at the Killarney House B&B in Blarney which was also very nice.  The lady of the house was extremely friendly and helpful, guiding us to a church for Saturday Mass.  We had supper at a local pub which was okay. 

On day 5 we toured the Blarney Castle, but we decided not to kiss the stone.  The castle and grounds were very impressive.  We then drove the Ring of Kerry (this was when we would have dropped in on you) and became acquainted with the tour buses on the narrow roads.  The scenery, though was great.  That evening, supper was at a local hotel - again okay.

DAY 6&7:  Killarney and Dingle

 Day 6 we visited the Killarney Nat'l Park and the Torc Waterfall.  Before reaching Killarney, we visited Muckross House and Gardens which was very impressive, the more so because we again had an excellent guide.  We also visited Ross Castle, which wasn't as impressive.  The next 2 nights were at the Springfield House B&B, an older property with small rooms, but still quite acceptable.  However, we were told it was an easy walk into town, but found it quite a trek.  Supper in town, again at a local pub was very good.  We had met the owner in town where he was putting up a placard and he convinced us his was the best and most reasonable place in town.  It just might have been. 

On day 7, we had our first bout of rainy weather.  Being kind of stubborn, we drove the Dingle Peninsula anyway.  It wasn't all that scenic, but we had a nice meal in the town of Dingle.

DAY 8: Bunratty Castle and Banquet

 On day 8 we drove to Bunratty and toured the Folk Park.  After checking into the Bunratty Heights B&B, which was a very nice property, we returned to the castle for the Bunratty Banquet.  The entertainment and atmosphere was first class and we really liked the Mead.  The meal was okay, but could have been better.

DAY 9: Clifss of Moher

On day 9 we toured the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren on our way to Clifden and the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel.  This proved to be a very classy property, and within easy walking distance to the town where we had supper both nights, at one of which they had a couple of very good entertainers. 

DAY 10: Connemara

On day 10 we drove through Connemara and Connemara Nat'l Park stopping at Kylemore Abbey and Gardens, a very nice property even though the tour of the house is quite limited.

HOME

The next morning, day 11, after a nice breakfast, we drove back to Dublin and turned in our rental car in plenty of time for our flight to Frankfurt.  We had a very nice time with Monika's brothers before heading back to Dublin on May 31st.  After checking in for the flight, it was announced that the flight would be making an unscheduled stop in Amsterdam where another Aer Lingus plane had mechanical problems.  We were to pick up the passengers and crew and fly them on to Dublin.  Of course, that made the flight almost 2 hours late.  Arriving in the rain, we located the shuttle to the Clarion Hotel, our least favorite property, getting there around midnight.  Why our least favorite?  Maybe the others were too good.  Maybe the fact that we arrived so late and worn out.  Anyway, the absence of a passenger elevator seemed to be an omission.  The charge of one Euro for the shuttle back to the airport didn't seem right either.

Our return flight to Orlando was one of the nicest flights we've had in recent memory.  We made a point to tell this to one of the cabin crew we met in the Orlando Airport.

All in all, it was a terrific vacation.  Now, once we get re-acclimated to our hot/humid weather and recover from our jet lag, we'll be able to look back with fond memories.  We took close to 1000 photos.  It'll be while until we get them downloaded from the camera.

We'd like to thank you and your company for making our trip a special event.  And, by the way, we found that the Irish air shrinks your clothes.  We wouldn't hesitate to recommend your services to others.

Sincerely,
Paul and Monika Schneider