Waterford, Ireland

Oh, the blarney of it all. I will tell you some tall tales of days of yore. There were more conquerors over the millennium than Carter’s little pills: the Vikings, Normans, English, Romans, and fighting between local clans. The history of this medieval city goes back to its founding in the 9th century. Today, it is famous for Waterford Crystal and is both the capital city and commerce center of southeastern Ireland. And, there is a lot of old stuff here such as the Hook’s Head lighthouse (the oldest lighthouse in Europe) and Reginald’s Tower, a Viking structure dating back to 1003 and is still in use today.

I was not a good student today and did not take a lot of notes on the history as there is just too much to absorb and since I was not being graded, I just let myself enjoy the beautiful countryside as we drove from Dunmore East (where the ship anchored) into Waterford. I am not sure how far we travelled, but it took about an hour to reach the Waterford Visitor Center. More about that later. On our journey (Michael was on the same tour, different bus), there were lush green hills, lush green pastures, huge green hedges (bet you thought I was gonna say lush again!), rock walls, and green everything else. Yes, Ireland does deserve the title of the Emerald Isle. The weather was just about perfect, with mild temperatures and sunny skies.

While there are only about five million people in Ireland, there are eight million sheep. Horse breeding is a big business here. All livestock is kept outside all the time because the weather is mild year round, but it does rain a lot in the winter. Anyway, that’s what the guide said. Tourism and fishing, followed by agriculture are the primary economic drivers of this area.

The suburbs are modern looking and very tidy. There are big houses, row houses, old small houses, and cottages with thatched roofs. In the interest of keeping some old traditions, the government gives a subsidy to owners who maintain their thatched roof, which has to be replaced every 20 years. Who would have thought that thatched roofs could keep that long, especially with all the winter rain? I wonder if they get dusty, full of mildew or do bugs live in them? I didn’t think to ask those questions. Roads in Ireland are crooked because a superstition says that ghosts can only walk in a straight line, so in order to keep them away, the road designers put in bends and curves. I am happy to report that we saw lots of stone churches, but did not have to visit any.

The first stop of the day was to the brand new, just opened Waterford Crystal Factory. We were the first cruise ship to visit this new facility and how appropriate the ship is Crystal. We saw experts blow, cut and finish the crystal. Then the showroom… and boy, did people buy. Glasses we bought 25 years ago for $60 (outrageous sum then) go for $200 today. Hum, I can replace the two glasses that broke during our move to Port Ludlow or maybe I will just serve my guests using dollar store wine glasses.

Our next stop took us to Waterford Castle, which was built in the 12th century and is situated on an island. We had to leave the bus and walk on a very small ferry to get to the island, where a mini bus shuttled us to the castle (which is now a hotel) for an excellent gourmet lunch. Lunch service was s.l.o.w. so we did not have a chance to view the gardens, but we were able to see one of the guest suites. Nice; I could stay here. There is also an exclusive golf course here.

We did the ferry thing in reverse and went to the Waterford Museum of Treasures that houses valuable artifacts representing the city’s 1,000 year old history. The building was very old; I rode up to the top floor on a rickety elevator and looked down five stories and decided I had to get out of there. I am not very fond of heights and decided I have had enough of museums and old stuff, so Michael and I decided to go to the central square and browse through the town (stores). My foot is really hurting and I spent most of my shopping time limping along rather than walking. And when you limp, the other side of your body starts to hurt because you are walking funny.

The Irish people I met and talked to are very charming, friendly, and unassuming. Some had very little accent (like our guide) and others had accents that were so thick you could barely understand them. I remember my last time here in Ireland and I have very fond memories and they have to do with the people. In many of the places we have been, it has been about the sites, building, and history – stuff. Here in Ireland, I feel the people. I think that is why I was not so intent on taking notes; I was just in the here and now, and thoroughly enjoying it.