Thatch-roofed Cottage

Adare

A little history: The village of Adare was occupied by the Anglo-Normans during the reign of Henry II of England. In the 14th century, a grant was made for the erection of the city walls. The shops and homes, in the dressed-cottage style, are primarily thanks to the work of the Earl of Dunraven (1812-71) who, unusually for the time, looked after his tenants' interests.

Our Comments: Adare was the first stop on our tour. It is often said to be the prettiest village in all of Ireland. We certainly agree that it's charming; filled with uniquely-Irish cottages, all brightly-painted and thatch-roofed, and walled, flower-covered front gardens.

Travel Log - Packing: Do as Penny says, not as Penny does - pack light! Many of the inns and B&Bs we stayed in were multi-story with no elevator. Penny started the trip with a 30 kg suitcase and ended up with a 38 kg suitcase (100 pounds)! Marge Dixon, our tour guide and Penny's best friend since high school, allowed only one suitcase per person, and rightfully so. Not to be out done, the ever resourceful Penny decided it she had to find a suitcase the size of Alaska. Jeff and Mike, Marge's son, repeatedly offered to help but Pen figured that if she brought it she should shlep it. She managed to do so too, except for one time when Jeff grabbed it before she got to it and took it up two stories (funny - it was a long time before he offered again… gee, I wonder why?) and another time when Reine saw Penny huffing at the top of the second flight of steps and told her she looked pathetic. Jeff had to drag the suitcase the final flight because Penny was laughing too hard to be of any use!