Time Out

I will be traveling next week so you might not see any posts.  Don't panic - I will be back the week of June 29th. 

Have a wonderful week.  Now for an Irish Blessing:

May you always have...
Walls for the winds
A roof for the rain
Tea beside the fire
Laughter to cheer you
Those you love near you
And all your heart might desire.

 

"Slainte"

Tramore Ireland

Tramore is another place in Ireland we will visit on our first full day - Sunday May 29th.

We have a very dear friend who owns a bait and tackle shop right on the water.  In fact we believe he is a real leprechaun.  Hopefully everyone will get to meet Bobby. 
 

 
 
This was Nick (Stacy) and his dad in Tramore in 2002.  They setup an amusement park during the summer months.
 
About Tramore:
 
Tramore (/trəˈmoʊr/; Irish: Trá Mhór, meaning "big strand/beach") is a seaside town in County Waterford on the southeast coast of Ireland. A small fishing village until the arrival of the railway in 1853, the town has continually expanded since. Initially the town flourished as a tourist destination and latterly it has developed as a seaside satellite town of Waterford City, which is 13 km to the North. Waterford Airport is located about 6 km northeast.
The town is situated on the north-western corner of Tramore Bay on a hill that slopes down to the strand, or sand spit, that divides the bay. Behind the spit lies the tidal lagoon known as the Back Strand. Tramore has an imposing Gothic Revival Catholic Church (which is dominated by an asymmetrical tower and spire), on a monumental site overlooking the town, built 1856–1871 by J. J. McCarthy.
The area within a 16 km (10 mi) radius of Tramore is an area rich in megalithic structures (e.g. Ballindud Cromlech; Ballynageeragh Cromlech; Knockeen Dolmen; Gaulstown Dolmen), signifying habitation long before Christianity.
 

Metal Man

A prominent feature of Tramore bay is the "Metal Man".^[5] It is a large cast-metal figure pointing seawards, set on top of one of three pillars located in Westown. It was erected in 1823 by Lloyd's of London to warn seafarers away from dangerous shallow waters. Two more pillars sit on the headland opposite, Brownstown Head. There are many myths and legends surrounding the Metal Man. One such myth is that if a woman could hop barefoot around the base of the Metal Man three times she would be married within the year. In 2006 the Irish broadcaster RTÉ had an item on its Seascapes radio programme on the history of the Metal Man and its state of repairs.^[6]

The Pickardstown Ambush

Main article: Pickardstown ambush

On the night of 6 June 1921, during the Irish War of Independence, fifty local IRA Volunteers attempted to ambush a party of forty British troops from Waterford City, who were coming to Tramore following an attack on the RIC barracks there. The ambush took place at Pickardstown, about a mile to the north of Tramore. The ambush failed to go according to plan, and two IRA men were killed and two wounded. The Tramore GAA field is named after one of the dead Volunteers.^[7]

Tourism

The town has long been associated with Irish tourists and offered a traditional seaside experience of ice-cream, fairground and sand. The beach front features a long promenade and an amusement park. It is a popular resort for tourists in the summer and has 5 km (3 mi) of beach and sand dunes looking out onto the Atlantic Ocean. Tramore has a reputation for surfing, and the T-Bay Surf club, which was established in 1967, has produced national and international surfing champions.

The Promenade, erected in 1914, serves as a popular tourist spot in Tramore and is the focus of the attractions of the strand during the summer. The Cliff Road was built in 1872 as a carriageway on the site of an old Coastguard path and provides access to Newtown Head and the men's swimming club.
 

Walks

The scenic landscape of Tramore, represented by the strand and cliffs, attracts many walkers. Walks in the locality include the Doneraile Walk, Cliff Road Walk, as well as the 5 km Strand walk commonly called 'down the back and up the front'. Another attraction between March and September every year is the set up of "The Amusements" a small amusement park with a selection of rides and other attractions opposite the beach. Otherwise known as "down-around" by the locals

 

Italian Word of the Day

Day 7 - lets count to nine now:

Six : Sei,

• segment it as se-i; pronounce it as say (hint: say). (/sεi/)

Seven : Sette,

• segment it as sett-e; pronounce it as set-teh (hint: kettle). (/sεt-te/)

Eight : Otto,

• segment it as ott-o; pronounce it as ot-toe (hint: oh, Joe). (/ɔt-to/)

Nine : Nove,

• segment it as nov-e; pronounce it as no-veh (hint: no way). (/nɔ-ve/)

Italian Word of the Day

Day 6 - Let's count to five today:

 

One : Uno,

• segment it to un-o; pronounce it as oo-no (hint: moo, no). (/u-no/)

Two : Due,

• segment it as du-e; pronounce it as doo-eh (hint: doer). (/du-e/)

Three : Tre,

• segment it as tr-e; pronounce it as tr-eh (hint: treble). (/tre/)

Four : Quattro,

• segment it as quatt-r-o; pronounce it as koo-at-tro (hint: swat row). (/kwat-tro/)

Five : Cinque,

• segment it as cinqu-e; pronounce it as cheen-koo-eh (hint: Sin doer). (/t∫in-kwe/)

Italian Word of the Day

Day 5 - today is a phrase -  "piacere di conoscerti."
 
 
 
Greet someone new with "piacere di conoscerti."^[7] In English, this phrase means “pleased to meet you.”
Piacere is taken from an Italian verb meaning "to please" or "to be fond of." It can also be used on its own as an interjection to say "hello," but it is not commonly used as such.

Di is a preposition that can mean "of," "to," or "for," among other things

 

Conoscerti is an informal conjugation of the Italian verb "conoscere," meaning "to know" or "to meet." Note that a more formal way to conjugate this verb would be "conoscerla."  

 

Pronounce piacere di conoscerti as pee-ah-cheh-reh dee koh-noh-shehr-tee.

Pronounce piacere di conoscerla as pee-ah-cheh-reh dee koh-no-shehr-lah

 

 

 

Italian Word of the Day

Day 4 - the word is "buonasera"

Tell someone "buonasera" in the evening. After roughly 4 PM, the polite way to greet or bid farewell to someone is with buonasera.

Pronounce like buonasera as bwoh-nah seh-rah.

Buona means "good" while sera is an Italian noun meaning "evening." Since sera is feminine, the masculine adjective "buon" takes on the feminine form "buona."

Waterford Crystal - Waterford Ireland

On our first full day in Ireland we will visit Waterford Ireland.  Waterford Ireland is known for Waterford Crystal. 

Here is a little information. 

Click on this link check out a tour.  http://www.waterfordvisitorcentre.com/waterford-crystal-factory-tour

Waterford Crystal is a manufacturer of crystal. It is named after the city of Waterford, Ireland. Waterford Crystal is owned by WWRD Group Holdings Ltd, a luxury goods group which also owns and operates the Wedgwood and Royal Doulton brands.

In January 2009 its Waterford base was closed down due to the bankruptcy of the Wedgwood Group. After several difficulties and takeovers, it re-emerged later that year. In June 2010, Waterford Crystal relocated almost back to its original roots, on The Mall in Waterford City. This new location is now home to a manufacturing facility that melts over 750 tonnes of crystal a year. This new facility offers visitors the opportunity to take guided tours of the factory and also offers a retail store, showcasing the world's largest collection of Waterford Crystal.

The origins of the crystal production in Waterford dates back to 1783^[1] when George and William Penrose started their business. It produced extremely fine flint glass that became world-renowned. However, their company closed in 1851.^[2]

In 1947, Czech immigrant Charles Bacik, grandfather of Irish senator Ivana Bacik, established a glass works in the city, due to the superb reputation of the original glassware.^{[citation needed]} Skilled crystal workers were not available in Ireland so continental Europeans were used. Aided by fellow countryman and designer Miroslav Havel,^[3] the company started operations in a depressed Ireland. By the early 1950s it had been taken over as a subsidiary of the Irish Glass Bottle company, owned by Joseph McGrath, Richard Duggan and Spencer Freeman of the Irish Hospitals' Sweepstake, heavy investors in Irish business at that time.^[4]

In 1970 John Aynsley and Sons was taken over by Waterford and renamed Aynsley China Ltd.

Jasper Conran began designing his signature range of crystal for Waterford in 1999. The endeavour has evolved into four unique lines for Waterford and a complementary tableware collection in fine bone china for Wedgwood in 2001. In May 2005, Waterford Wedgwood announced the closure of its factory in Dungarvan in order to consolidate all operations into the main factory in Kilbarry, Waterford City, where 1,000 people were employed by the company.

Waterford Crystal Limited was, until March 2009, a subsidiary of Waterford Wedgwood plc, itself formed through the acquisition by the then Waterford Glass Group of the famous pottery manufacturer Josiah Wedgwood in 1986. The last chairman was Tony O'Reilly, and the CEO John Foley. The leading shareholders of the holding company were former billionaire O'Reilly and his family, joined in the last decade by O'Reilly's brother-in-law, Greek shipping heir Peter Goulandris. Waterford Wedgwood was forced into receivership in early 2009. On 5 January 2009, news of the receivership of Waterford Wedgwood Ltd. was announced in Ireland and the UK.^[5]

On 30 January 2009 it was announced that the Waterford Crystal plant in Kilbarry was to shut down immediately, despite earlier promises to discuss any such move with the unions in advance. The Kilbarry operation featured a tourist centre offering guided tours of the factory, a gift shop, café, and gallery. Many of the employees performed an unofficial sit-in^[6] The sit-in made the BBC News,^[7] hoping to prevail upon receiver Deloitte to retain those jobs.^[8] On 4 February 2009, there were protests across the city at how the workers were being treated. On 27 February 2009, the receiver, David Carson of Deloitte, confirmed US equity firm KPS Capital were to purchase certain overseas assets and businesses of the Waterford Wedgwood Group.^[9] The sit in ended in March, 2009 after workers agreed to split a payment of €10m.^[10] The fight by the workers to keep the factory open is chronicled in a PBS online documentary.^[11]

Under the receivership managed by Deloitte, ownership of most of Waterford Wedgwood plc's assets was transferred to KPS Capital Partners in March 2009. Waterford Crystal, along with Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, and other brands, were transferred to the new company WWRD Holdings Ltd.^[12] The sale did not include the factory or visitor centre in Kilbary, Ireland. The visitor centre shut its doors on 22 January 2010.^[13] A new visitor and manufacturing facility opened in June 2010.^[14]

On 11 May 2015 in a deal expected to close July 2015, the Fiskars Corporation, a Finnish maker of home products, agreed to buy 100% of the holdings of WWRD

Italian Word of the Day

Day 3 - the word is "buon pomeriggio"

State "buon pomeriggio" in the afternoon. This phrase can be used to say “good afternoon” as a greeting or farewell after noon.

Pronounce like bwohn poh-meh-ree-joh.

This phrase can be used to say “good afternoon” as a greeting or farewell after noon.

Note that you may still hear buongiorno in the afternoon, but buon pomeriggio is slightly more common and more accurate. "Buon pomeriggio" is a lot more formal than "buongiorno".

Buon means “good” and pomeriggio is a noun meaning “afternoon.”

Italian Word of the Day

Day 2 - the word is "buongiorno"

State "buongiorno" in the morning. This phrase translates into “good morning” or “good day.”

Pronounce like bwohn-jor-noh 

Buon is derived from the Italian adjective "buono," meaning "good."

Giorno is an Italian noun meaning "day."

As with many other Italian greetings, buongiorno can also mean "good-bye" depending on the context.

Buongiorno and other time-based greetings are considered the most formal way of greeting someone. That said, you can still use these phrases among friends and family.

Italian Word of the Day

Day 1 - the word is "ciao"

This is the  most common way to say hello / hi.

Pronounce like chow. 

Note that “ciao” can also be translated as “good-bye” depending on the context it is said in.

While it is a common greeting, ciao is considered fairly informal and is usually used in casual situations or among friends and family. 

Try to use the word throughout the day.

Guinness - a few facts

When you walk into a bar in Ireland you could shout across at the barman and ask for a pint of plain, the good stuff, or your best.

You could even just walk up to the bar and hold your forefinger in the air, any barman worth his salt would know that you were asking for a pint of Guinness.

Officially the most internationally recognized symbol of Ireland, Guinness is the most popular alcoholic drink in Ireland and in many other countries besides.

Here are some of many interesting facts about the black stuff.

1. Pouring a glass or pint of Guinness is a skill. A “perfect pour” should take 119.5 seconds. This is the result of pour at an angle of 45 degrees followed by a rest. This is crucial. Most Irish people would cringe if they saw anyone pour it any other way.

After a pause, long enough so what’s in the glass is a perfect black, the rest of the glass is filled, again at a 45 degree angle. What is handed across the bar should have a creamy head and should be served at exactly 42.8F.

2. It is a known fact that the Irish love to travel around the world but did you know that Guinness is brewed in more than 150 countries? These include Nigeria and Indonesia.

3. Though the Irish obviously love a pint of plain 40 percent of all Guinness is sold in Africa. Who would have thought that in such a hot climate it would go down so well!

4. Over 10 million glasses are sold every day. Are you doing your part? That’s quite a high quota to fill.

5. Guinness is the perfect diet drink. A pint of the good stuff contains only 198 calories. That’s less than most light beers, wine, orange juice or even low fat milk.

6. Guinness does not contain oatmeal, contrary to a popular myth. This wonderful stuff is made of roasted malted barley, hops, yeast, and water. Also it’s not black. It actually a very nice dark ruby red.

7. The famous advertisement slogan "Guinness is Good For You" is still used around the world. Though Guinness is now officially on the record as denying this claim some research does support that Guinness is good for your heart.

It was not so long ago in Ireland that pregnant women were told to drink a glass of Guinness every day to fortify themselves and their baby.

8. St. James’ Gate Brewery, in Dublin City, was leased for 9,000 years at an annual fee of about $65.

In 1759 when Arthur Guinness was just starting out in the brewing business he had such confidence in his product that he knew his brewery would still be running in 9000 years’ time. Well that’s 251 years over with. I’m pretty sure Guinness will make it the next 8,750.

9. When the Guinness breweries in Counties Louth and Kilkenny shutdown in 2013, there was also talk of closing down the Dublin brewery and moving back it to Leixlip, in Kildare, where Arthur’s career in stout making began.

A national outcry ensued. Guinness will be staying put on the banks of the River Liffey and multi-billion renovations will begin soon.

10. On September 24, 2009 at 5.50 (or 17.59 in the 24 hour clock) Ireland and the world celebrated 250 years of Guinness with “Arthur’s Day”.

The time 17.59 was cleverly chosen as 1759 was the year that Arthur signed his lease on St. James’ Gate. It also gave most people enough time to finish up work and meet their friends at their favorite pub.

It may have been nothing more than massive marketing ploy but it was also one of the largest united parties every held in the world. In almost every country across the globe merry makers raised their glasses and cheered “To Arthur”. 

Passport Fees

Passport Fees:

Adult First Time Applicants (Age 16 Years and Older)

What Are You Applying For?	Application Fee Payment Instructions	*Execution Fee Payment Instructions	Use Form
Adult Passport Book & Card	$140 +	$25	DS-11
Adult Passport Book	$110 +	$25	DS-11
Adult Passport Card If you do NOT currently hold a valid Passport Book or Card	$30 +	$25	DS-11
All first time applicants must apply in person at a Passport Agency,an authorized Passport Application Acceptance Facility, U.S. Embassy or Consulate. *The passport execution fee is charged to passport applicants applying on Form DS-11 to recover the costs of executing the passport application, such as administering the oath, verifying the applicant's identity, and transmitting the applications.  The execution fee must be paid at the time of application execution.

Adult Renewals (Age 16 Years and Older)

What Are You Renewing?	Renewal Fee Payment Instructions	Use Form
Adult Passport Book & Card	$140	DS-82
Adult Passport Book	$110	DS-82
Adult Passport Card If you currently hold a valid Passport Book or Card	$30	DS-82
Adult renewal applicants residing in the U.S. may apply by Mail (recommended), or in person at a Passport Agency. Adult renewal applicants residing abroad (except those residing in Canada) must apply at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Adult renewal applicants residing in Canada may submit Form DS-82: Application for U.S. Passport by Mail to the address listed on the form.  The $25 Execution Fee is not required with the Form DS-82.

All Minor Applicants (Under Age 16)

What Are You Applying For or Renewing?	Application Fee Payment Instructions	*Execution Fee Payment Instructions	Use Form
Minor Passport Book & Card	$95 +	$25	DS-11
Minor Passport Book	$80 +	$25	DS-11
Minor Passport Card	$15 +	$25	DS-11
All Minor applicants, including renewals, must apply in person at a Passport Agency, authorized Passport Application Acceptance Facility, U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Please see Special Requirements for Children Under Age 16. *The passport execution fee is charged to passport applicants applying on Form DS-11 to recover the costs of executing the passport application, such as administering the oath, verifying the applicant's identity, and transmitting the applications.  The execution fee must be paid at the time of application execution.

Fun Facts about Venice

 

Ok some fun facts about Venice:

1) Venice is made up of a collection of approx 115 tiny islands 2) There are 400+ pedestrian footbridges spanning the canals 3) Venice has about 150 canals 4) There are a little over 400 gondoliers in Venice 5) Venice got its first female gondolier in 2010 6) By the 18th century, there were over 200 churches in Venice 7) Over 15 million visitors flock to Venice every year 8) Venice has over 450 palaces (palazzi) and important buildings built in a mixture of styles, Gothic, Byzantine, Baroque etc. 9) Venice is sinking at the rate of 1-2 millimeters a year Rialto Bridge10) You could visit ten thousand times and never run out of new things to discover

Fun Facts about the Irish

 

How about some fun Irish facts today:

1. The average height of Irish men is 5' 8".

2. The average height of Irish women is 5'5".
3. 90% of Irish nationals are Catholic, but only 30% ever attend church.
4. The Irish report the lowest annual number of UFO sightings in Europe.
5. 70% of married Irish women would consider having an affair while on a foreign holiday without their spouse or children.
6. 90% of all Irish men would do the same.
7. 73% of Americans are unable to locate Ireland on a map bereft of country names.
8. Raymond O'Brien was the shortest person in Irish history. The dwarf, who died in 1795, was one foot eleven inches tall.
9. Only 9% of the Irish population are natural redheads.
10. May is generally the driest month of the year in Ireland.
11. RTE's "The Late Late Show" is the world's longest running talk show.
12. 57% of Irish people wear glasses or contact lenses.
13. Cats now outnumber dogs by two to one as Ireland's most popular pet.
14. Dublin boasts one pub for every 100 head of population.
15. Irish marriages last an average of 13 years, although the majority do not end in divorce. Irish couples prefer to separate and live in sin with their new partners rather than go through costly legal proceedings.
16. A song only needs to sell 5,000 copies to top the Irish music charts.
17. A book only needs to sell 3,000 copies to top the Irish bestseller list.
18. The Canary Islands are the most popular sunshine holiday destination with retired Irish citizens.
19. The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland or Britain.
20. The heaviest Irish person on record was Aine Gowan. At the time of her death she weighed over 600 pounds.

One of the places on our list to visit is Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle - Click this link to checkout their website

Booking Your International Flight

I have had several people ask - when is the best time to book a flight.  Here is what I found.  I have always had the best luck with pricing around 3 months prior.

The self-proclaimed "airfare geeks" at CheapAir.com have analyzed 560,611,868 domestic airfare searches from 2012 and have some interesting, if qualified, conclusions.
Their findings seek to answer every traveler's No. 1 question regarding airfares: How far in advance should I book to get the cheapest fare? And they do. Sort of.
The short answer: Seven weeks before takeoff. On average, fares bottomed out 49 days before the flight, then increased slightly, but remained steady until about a month out. After that, prices climbed as the travel date approached.
But too much advance planning isn't good for the bottom line, either. Though, not surprisingly, the highest fares, came with bookings made 11 or fewer days in advance, the next worst timing was 208, 209, and 210 days out, according to the analysis.
"For practical purposes, it's best to take this information as a guideline and not a rule," says CheapAir.com CEO Jeff Klee, noting that "a million caveats apply … For any given flight, the actual best time to buy might vary, depending on the market, the time of year, the day of week, and other factors."
Another interesting take away from the analysis: Purchasing a ticket on a particular day of the week (Tuesdays or Wednesdays, according to conventional wisdom) doesn't necessarily mean getting a lower fare. Yes, many airlines announce sales on those days, notes Klee, but there are enough unpublished sales on other days to offset any pattern.
For international flights, the lowest prices came 81 days out — or 11 to 12 weeks in advance.
As for peak travel periods like Thanksgiving, the analysis found the best time to buy was 96 days — almost 14 weeks — in advance.

Let's get this started!

 

 

 

June 4, 2015

 

We are just starting to plan our vow renewal for 2016.  I am super excited.  The vow renewal will take place in Glenmore Ireland with a reception at the Glen Bar. 

 

We will spend 6 nights in Ireland and then travel on to Venice Italy.

 

I just reserved two apartments for our stay.  I wanted to make sure I had a couple 5 bedroom apartments reserved.  I will reserve the remainder closer to the travel dates.

 

Apartment Bolovo - click on this link to check it out

Apartment Ca Del Doge - click on this link to check it out