Category: Travel

Nicaragua, Managua to Leon, 7 February 2016

Our guide, Guillermo, was waiting around for us when I went down to reception ahead of Daisy.  I could very quickly tell we would all get on well.

We set off to tour Managua on our way to Leon.  First stop, Parque Nacional de la Loma de Tiscapa with its panoramic view of Managua.  We also saw the silhouette of Sandino and the Laguna de Tiscapa.

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On the way up, Daisy stopped the car in order to take a picture, only to fall foul and then eventually fair of the soldier posted near the miltary buildings to stop people taking photographs.

Then on to the Museo Nacional, near the Casa Presidencial and the ruins of the old cathedral.  We decided that my hat looked very Sandino when we were outside the museum, even down to the “bullet holes” in the crown.  

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Guillermo wanted to give us full value in there so we tried to speed him up a bit. Saw some quite interesting modern art towards the end from the Praxis movement, in particular Armando Morales.

Daisy was feeling the heat by then, so it was good news that our next stop was the malecon where we stopped at a rancho-style place for some light refreshments.  Guillermo had lemonade, I had Coke Zero and Daisy had a beer.  We all shared some fried plantain – initially a packet thing but then a dish of fresh food with cheese and cabbage salad (we abstained from the latter).

While washing my hands I made a new friend, Dennis, who was drunk as a skunk and wanted to know if I loved his country (which I said I did so far) and wanted to tell me that he loved my country, which was nice. Unfortunately, he thought my country was the USA so he seemed a bit discombobbed when I said I was from England.  He then introduced his wife, who I realised was both very good looking and extremely unimpressed by Dennis’ desire to chat with me.  I made my excuses to them both and moved on.

Nicaragua, Arrival, 6 to 7 February 2016

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6 February, rose early to catch earlyish flight.  Left home at 7:15 – same Ethiopian driver as took us to Kim and Mickey’s recently.  He’d forgotten the conversation we’d had with him that time about our visit to Ethiopia 10 years ago, although I don’t suppose he has that sort of conversation very often.

Enjoyed the benefits of the Virgin Upper Class check in and security check, then the benefits  of the lounge. Last time we were in this lounge was 9 years ago (flying Air Jamaica to Havana) and I was not too well that day; this time I was able to enjoy the benefits of the place.  Enjoyed breakfasty stuff such as yoghurt with granola and smoked salmon bagels,

Soon enough we were in the air on our way to Atlanta, where we are to pick up our ongoing flight to Managua.

Daisy tucked into the grub more than I did, having a sort of marinated beef dish, which she enjoyed.  I just had the soup and the cheese/biscuits without a main.

Daisy slept a fair bit more than I did (probably all that food and wine) but I took advantage of the time to read about Nicaragua and watch two movies; Mistress America (on Nigel Hinks’ excellent and reliable advice) and then the Minions movie (following my own heart to the animated stuff).  Both wonderful.

Change at Atlanta – the usual US nonsense of having to enter the country merely to leave it and all the paperwork and queuing that entails.  At least the officials in Atlanta seem to have been trained to try and deal with vistors nicely, rather than the “illegal migrant” treatment we experienced transiting in Miami all those years ago.

The Delta lounge was very pleasent, not least because we could enjoy a glass of wine on the sun deck, check the cricket score to discover that England won the second ODI today and try cheese grits – perhaps the blandest savoury dish in the world.

A bit of a delay for the Managua flight, despite the “on time” message right up until we went down for boarding.  In the end, about 1 hour delay but irritating and at the end of a long journey not exactly fun.  The flight was mostly/populated by US churchy-folk off to do missionary/charity work and it was clear that some of them were known to the crew. Our cabin attendant was very friendly and attentive.

We were met by Edgar who took us straight to the hotel, which seems lovely on reflection this morning, but last night seemed a bit dingy and we struggled to get a room with double bed and air conditioning that works properly,  In the end of course we achieved both.

The breakfast was a little uninspiring, not that we needed inspiration this morning.  Daisy got excited at the sight of an espresso machine much like mine, but we were told it doesn’t work so had to make do with some fairly stewed stuff.  Daisy had bread and banana, while I tried some cake and a cinnamon bun that was pretending to be Danish.  We both had a fortified pot of yoghurt made palatable with honey.

In fact, Los Robles is a beatiful hotel and we are retrospectively pleased we chose to stay locally, avoiding yet more travel late last night and providing an opportunity to see Managua and Old Leon on our way to Leon today.  Exciting prospects indeed.

Ireland With Dumbo – 7 May to 19 May 2015 – Post Script

You are welcome to read about this trip to Ireland in reverse order, blog-stylee, but you might prefer to start with this preamble and work forwards.

Photographs from the whole of our trip to Ireland are gathered in an album on Flickr, click here.

 

 

Ireland With Dumbo Day Twelve – 18 May 2015 and home the next day

Rose early and enjoyed the wonderful benefits of suite and view for the last time.  We both breakfasted on hake before preparing to leave.  While settling the bill, met an American couple whose TomTom experience re directions to “daft Aghadoe” had been similar to ours.

I drove the first leg, just over 100 miles, then we swapped over.  Checked in at Clontarf, then learnt that we need to catch an earlier ferry.

My type of casino, this.
My type of casino, this.

Still, back out to check out the Casino at Moreno – almost impossible to find but inexpensive by casinos standards.  Stopped off at Clontarf CC on the way home for a look around and even saw a little cricket, worthy of a King Cricket match report. 

Then fiddled with heating – possible room change – decided against.  Scrubbed up and had a lovely pub style supper of beef and guineas pie with Daisy–approved mash, washed down with an Oz Shiraz-cabernet.  Daisy also had an Irish coffee.

An early night.

19 May 2015 – Rose early to catch cruise ferry, as our catamaran had been cancelled due to inclement weather yesterday afternoon.  Still, benefited from the club class – indeed perhaps more so on the bigger boat and longer trip.  Event free drive back to London – Daisy did the longer leg.

Photographs from the whole of our trip to Ireland are gathered in an album on Flickr, click here.

Ireland With Dumbo Day Eleven – 17 May 2015

Daisy tries fish of the day, hake, for breakfast, while I tried kippers today.  Efforts to get up and out a bit earlier came to nought, so we again set off around 11:30, not that it matters.

We plug for a longer walk today, the circular around Tomies Wood along the south west side of Loch Leane, a very beautiful walk, mostly straightforward track.  Again very few other people.  One of the few remaining ancient Irish forests in all Ireland.

Walking In Tomies Wood
Walking In Tomies Wood

We considered a second short walk after returning to the car but decided against that idea in favour of the wonderful spa. There we enjoyed the several thermal whatnots – eucalyptus steam, sauna, laconium (very light steam – warm not hot) and the wonderful hammam. 

Then dinner again in the informal bar/lounge area.  The pianist really irritated Daisy this evening, although I think it was the same plonker as the first night.  Daisy had a club sandwich with chips while I had hake in a very tasty sauce with bland mash and nice veg.  We shared an apple and pear crumble desert.  Nice bottle of Californian chardonnay.  Very nice evening.

Photographs from the whole of our trip to Ireland are gathered in an album on Flickr, click here.

Ireland With Dumbo Day Ten – 16 May 2015

Fish of the day is Cod again today, so I try a “Full Irish” while Daisy tries smoked salmon and scrambled egg.

Weather much better today, so we plan a couple of walks.  First up – Muckross Abbey and Monks Wood –at lovely circular walk.  We stopped at a small car park near the Abbey where a sweet jaunting car fella tries to convince us that his services might help us, as we’ll be walking all over 3 miles if we do the round trip I describe.  We explained that it is our purpose and he wishes as well on our way.

Super circular walk taking in the Abbey, a small wood and then the Muckross House gardens.  We resisted the temptation of the cafe and press on to Derrycunnihy  church, where we do the first three stations have a wonderful mountain track route and then returned to the car having done a further 3 miles or so.  Took some superb pictures are up there too.

This isn't one of the superb pictures
This isn’t one of the superb pictures – this is Daisy trying her hand at map reading

Then return for a quick spa – it is very busy this evening and then informal meal in the bar, where we share tempura prawns, share a giant burger and share the cheese plate.  Quite substantial all in.  Lovely evening.  We don’t hear a squeak from the penthouse party above.

Photographs from the whole of our trip to Ireland are gathered in an album on Flickr, click here.

Ireland With Dumbo Day Nine – 15 May 2015

This place also has a fish of the day breakfast – hurrah!  Cod today and we both try it – served with tomato shallots and herb dressing.

Gloomy looking day with a poor weather forecast, so we decided to drive out to Dingle today.  Indeed it starts raining or more or less as soon as we set off and is a very wet on the road to Dingle –still we see nice scenery on that peninsula.

We take some pictures in the Harbour and then drive back to the town proper, parking in Dykesgate just below a quirky music/toy/cake shop, where we hear the dulcet tones of a Tipperary man who has migrated to Dingle via an English prep school, following a conspiracy between his parents and grandmother.  We buy a toy for Penny but failed to procure ukulele strings.

Dingle Town
Dingle Town

We walked the town looking at art and craft shops and try with difficulty to find good walking socks to help relieve Ged’s blisters.  We stop at a rather sad pub with an old arthritic and unfortunate looking landlady.  We also failed to buy Daisy a hat.

People all incredibly helpful and full of kindly advice – all avenues points to the Mountain Man’s shop for those socks.  When we get there he’s closed until 15:00 so we take refuge in the tourist office where we pick up some useful information for Angela.  Then back to Mountain Man just as he is opening up, but with a multitude of “fecks” he tells us that his the supplier/delivery people have let him down re his impending order of men’s socks.

So now all avenues point towards Tralee.  We travel home via Tralee stopping at the recommended Landers’ (nice lady in McKenna’s referred us) where we both bought Bridgedale socks at okay prices.

Then back to Aghadoe Heights, and satnav coming into its own by helping us avoid some nasty traffic and a blocked road resulting from an accident.  Although we again ended up going via “Aghadoe Heights” side street in town.  Ged soon learnt how to scrub a daft reference from a my places on the satnav.

On return, we went for a swim, a Jacuzzi and then to the spa trying a variety of hammam, laconium and eucalyptus steam thingies.  Met an English/German combo from London who are due to party in the penthouse tomorrow night – seems we were not invited.

Dinner in the formal restaurant.  Shared a tiny crab starter, then Daisy had coquilet dish, I had a duck dish –all a bit “hotel standard fare”, but worth a try – Daisy found the mash bland.  Then a cheesecake to share afterwards, very nice.

Photographs from the whole of our trip to Ireland are gathered in an album on Flickr, click here.

Ireland With Dumbo Day Eight – 14 May 2015

Fish of the day at breakfast today was hake, which came a close third to seabass (winner) and monk fish (silver medal in my book).

We reluctantly said goodbye to Inchydoney and headed off  in the direction of Killarney via Siobhan’s family home near Glenfisk.  A roadwork detour combined with some confusion over the directions we had been given got us a bit lost for a while.

But by around 14:00 we arrived at the O’Donoghue/Ross home.  What a strange place- sculptures throughout the enormous garden, pictures and other art works everywhere.  Mum (Elisabeth) and sister (Deana) made us very welcome.  Tighue, as expected, nowhere to be seen.  We liked sculptures and artefacts best, some of which (glasswork, Deana and chess pieces Eoin) seem to be more down to the kids, but hey, it’s a family business.

I recognise the King Crimson 21st-century Schizoid Man in one picture and Deana coolly showed a different variant of him in another.  Nice coffee and cake and chat with the ladies before heading off to Aghadoe Heights.

The View From Aghadoe Heights
The View From Aghadoe Heights

Satnav fancied a side street in Kilarney itself but that was soon corrected.  Beautiful suite and lovely staff awaited us.  Lovely Helen gave Daisy lots of extra bits and pieces (goodies) for the room but refused a tip.  We took supper in the lounge – informal dining –wonderful seafood with chips and salad.  Too full for pud!  Very enjoyable.

Photographs from the whole of our trip to Ireland are gathered in an album on Flickr, click here.

Ireland With Dumbo Day Seven – 13 May 2015

The sun shone on us again.  Breakfast this morning was seabass, which was delightful.  After making the most of that and pottering about, we didn’t set off on our circuit of the island walk to well after 12:00, which landed us on the tricky east side around 13:30.  Tricky only at high tide, which the chart said was 13:42.

The guidebook suggested that it was a stroll at low tide and bit of a scramble on the rocks at high tide.  But we really aren’t cut out for scrambling on slippery moss-covered rocks.  Only thing for it was to wait for the tide to pull back enough for us to walk it on wet pebble/sand.  I estimated a wait until 15:00/15:30, which was pretty much spot on.  So for about 90 minutes it would have been possible to observe a pair of lesser spotted eejits on the east side of Inchydoney Island.

Round Inchydoney Island
Round Inchydoney Island

Once we got moving again it was all quite straightforward.  Daisy loved looking at the herons once we got to the bay and lagoon.  Rewarded ourselves with some R&R and a fine meal in the main restaurant.  We shared a pulled pork salad starter, then Daisy had lamb and I had beef, both done very nicely.  Daisy rounded off with an Irish coffee while I polished off the lovely Malbec wine.  Super evening again.

Photographs from the whole of our trip to Ireland are gathered in an album on Flickr, click here.

Ireland With Dumbo Day Six – 12 May 2015

Another sunny day.  Breakfast of Pollack – lovely.

Shannonvale
Shannonvale

Decided to go to Shannonvale for walk this morning, as it is very breezy on the coast.  A lovely walk – then out to Roaringwater river for a long walk and sight of Jeremy Iron’s Castle, Kilcoe.  Another super walk, then back just in time for Rasul Therapy, two types of Dead Sea mud, very nice. I sunbathe in the solarium after and Daisy swam.

Took dinner in the pub again.   Daisy had Caesar salad and chips, I had a wonderful baked salmon and mussel sauce with smoke salmon potatoes – very pleasant evening.

Photographs from the whole of our trip to Ireland are gathered in an album on Flickr, click here.