Glendine House B&B, Arthurstown, County Wexford, Ireland

We spent two nights at Glendine Country House during our last trip to Ireland. If you are traveling from Dublin the trip will take approximately 3 hours. If you are coming from Waterford City Glendine House is only 10k via car ferry (a great adventure for little ones!)

We arrived at Glendine House quite tired from the flight, the driving (and getting lost) and exploring Glendalough. We were warmly greeted by Rita who showed us our very nicely appointed rooms and prepared a lovely tea with scones and jam for us in the parlor.

Glendine House, owned by Ann and Tom Crosbie, is a Georgian Manor built in 1830 and has a wonderful history: (from their website) The 18th Century former Dower House of the Marquis of Donegal was built in 1830. It was first occupied by the Chichester family and later by land agents until one of them absconded with a Nursery Nurse causing a great scandal. Home to the Crosbie family for over 60 years, Glendine retains many of its original 1830 features and is full of old world charm.

The rooms are filled with antiques and are quite spacious. All have ensuite bathrooms (also quite spacious) with shower, sink and toilet. The room Doug & I shared with our youngest daughter had a double bed, amoire, dresser with mirror and a wonderful sitting area in the alcove with a view of the Barrow Estuary and a field of sheep. A television was almost hidden in an upper corner of the room. We requested a cot (pack and play) for our daughter and were very pleased with the crib and bedding that was set up.

The room my mother and eldest daughter shared had two twin beds, an antique dresser and a chair in the small alcove. My mother doesn't remember a TV being in that room but I'm guessing that Brenna kept her too busy to notice it. This room was next to ours and also had a beautiful view.

Our rooms were in the older portion of the house and had a lovely sitting area in a wide hallway where we could relax together. Glendine House was completely renovated in 2005 and has 6 "new" rooms as well, also very nicely turned out. For a romantic getaway I recommend their suite. I snuck a peek at it and it's wonderful.

If you wish to be a bit more "on your own" Glendine House also offers cottages with a full kitchen.

A full breakfast was offered every morning in the dining room, also filled with antiques. The cold buffet included cereal, fruit and yogurt. Cooked breakfasts included the "Full Irish"- quite tasty (and filling), smoked salmon and French toast as well as yummy brown bread and toast.

Of course all of this makes for a wonderful stay but the reason I chose Glendine House really had to do with my daughters. They have an outdoor play area, Highland cattle, Jacob Sheep and Fallow deer (which can be hand fed carrots).

If you're like me and ship items ahead Ann and her assistant Joan will make sure they are waiting in your room when you arrive.

Glendine House has something for absolutely everyone.

Dining while at Glendine House:

Our first night at Glendine House we had been traveling for about 28 hours. All we wanted was food and bed. Luckily there is a Centra (grocery) about two miles from Glendine House. We picked up some bread, meats, cheese and other odds and ends and had a "picnic" in the parlor. Rita brought us more scones, jam and tea, as well.

Our second night, after wandering the countyside, we asked for a recommendation and were directed to The Hollow Bar. The night we went was Mother's Day (the fourth Sunday in the month of Lent) and the place was packed. We were able to be seated in the bar area at a very small table with barely enough room for the 5 of us. Because it was a holiday I will give them a pass on being out of a few of the dishes on the menu. What we were served, however, was nothing memorable. The steak was very fatty and overcooked (I know you don't order steak in Ireland- but they were out of the fish.) The service was slow (again because of the holiday?) and the waitress we had seemed overwhelmed. All in all it was a mediocre meal that cost over $100.

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Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ireland

Glendalough is about two hours south of the Dublin airport. Gleann dá locha literally means the ‘Glen of the two lakes’ as the ancient monastic community lies in a beautiful valley in the middle of the Wicklow Mountains.

If you are heading to Glendalough from Dublin I highly recommend printing off this map as we used a road map and went in a very scenic back way. We got terribly lost as we missed signs that were hidden in hedgerows or could only be seen from one direction. At least it was an adventure and getting lost in Ireland is one of my greatest joys.

Glendalough was founded in the 6th century by St. Kevin, a hermit priest. It was destroyed in 1398 by English troops. St. Kevin chose the site due to it's remoteness but was soon joined by several men wanting to follow his teachings. The site soon became an important school.

As you arrive at Glendalough you can begin trail walking or view the ruins without stopping at the visitor center. The visitor's center does have a great exhibition (with interactive round tower and depiction of that the surrounding village may have looked like), a short film about the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and wonderful carved stones found at the site. If you decide to enter the visitor center (and have other sites on your list) look into an OPW Heritage Card. This card covers many of Ireland's greatest sites and is good for one year from date of purchase. It can be purchased at any OPW site, the Dublin or Shannon airports and certain tourist offices.

Directly behind the visitor center is the Glendalough Hotel. Because we were hungry after our extra long excursion we stepped in for a hot drink and some food. In retrospect I would have rather eaten from the cart serving hamburgers. But the service was quite good and they were great with the girls.

The monastic site sits by the Lower Lake; you enter by climbing steps and walking through a wonderful gateway arch. Walk past the tents set up to sell trinkets. You'll be able to get souveniers like that anywhere.

Most people who come to the site wish to see the wonderfully restored round tower and "St. Kevin's Kitchen", located directly behind the visitor's center.

The round tower is 33 meters high and the entrance is 3.5 meters from the ground. The cone roof was rebuilt in 1876 using original stones. It once has 6 wooden floors connected by ladders and was mainly used as a bell tower and storage although it could be used for safety during attacks.

St. Kevin's Church, also called St.Kevin's Kitchen, is a small and charming nave built in the 12th century. The roof is stone (a center wall in a small chamber above the church prevents it from sagging). The small round tower was used as a belfry and was added after the church was completed.

The view from the monastic settlement into the valley is quite lovely, even on a cold and sleeting day.

On a lovely day there are dozens of trails to walk (there is some good information here) and many more sites to see near the Upper Lake. Bring sturdy walking shoes or boots. And a stroller if you have a little one- the main trails are paved.

The girls enjoyed Glendalough because it was really our first stop- after a 7 hour plane ride and about 3 hours of sleep in the car they were ready to run around. Brenna was astounded by the tower's door being so high off the ground so the village minature in the visitor center was a great visual for her.

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Locking Your Luggage

In all honesty I had no plans to write this post until we were preparing to load luggage and head to the airport. I asked my mom if she had her luggage locked and ready to go. She said no, that she didn't think you were supposed to lock luggage in case it had to be searched.

I was kind of surprised that she hadn't heard of TSA approved locks. The TSA combo locks I have can be set to your own combination and have a key hole at the bottom so TSA can search your bag and re-lock it. The latches don't seem like they insert far into the lock, but since they are a combo lock and not a "clicking" lock they don't need to insert far to work. I've used mine 4 times on overseas flights and at least that many times on US flights and have never had a problem.

I also found a TSA approved travel strap with a combo lock that works the same way. A great idea if your luggage is packed tight and you're afraid for your zipper (been there!) or for identification purposes.

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A Bit About Car Rentals in Europe

On our recent trip to Ireland I booked as much stuff as I could before we left and paid with US dollars. It's just more economical with the exchange rate.

So when I was able to book a mini van for a week for $440.35 through Hertz I jumped on it. What I was told to expect was a Ford Galaxy or similar. OK, that looks like it should work for 3 adults, 2 children (in carseats) and luggage.

When we arrived to pick up the car we found that mini van translates to "7 passenger vehicle" in Ireland. Which is not the same as a mini van. (I wish I could tell you what it was, but they don't show it on their website) It's more like a small station wagon (think Subaru Outback). Needless to say, there was no way we could fit my mom in the back seat with two carseats. It was narrow and had low clearance. With all the driving we had planned there was just no way we could use it for a week.

After walking through the lot with an agent and looking at all the cars in the class we had chosen Doug & I were forced to admit that they were all too small; we would have to upgrade. Luckily there was one Land Rover with a manual transmission. You pay much more for an automatic transmission in Europe.

We took it- and paid in euros (therefore almost tripling our car rental costs).

Now I want to let you know that it was about the best decision we could have made. The ride was comfortable and there was plenty of room. We didn't complain one bit about the extra cost.

But just so you don't make the same mistake as I did... I highly recommend calling the rental company a couple of days before you leave, just to confirm your reservation. At that time ask what kind of car you can expect- there are many European cars that we just don't have here in the US. Go online and research that car. If it just won't do for your family and plans call back and see what is available for an upgrade. And make your change online if possible. Or through your travel agent if you have used one. But be sure to pay in US dollars if at all possible. Until the exchange rate evens out it's your best bet.

And remember that European cars are often smaller. Gas is much more expensive over there- it averaged €1.27 litre while we were there. That's close to $6 per gallon. And larger vehicles use more gas.

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A Great Travel Booster

During our recent holiday in Ireland we stayed in B&Bs. And while all of them had a cot (that's a pack & play here in the US) only one had a high chair for our one-year-old. Thankfully I had sent our First Years On The Go booster seat ahead. It is one travel product that we just can't be without!

The seat itself is made of a nylon material that is super easy to clean. The base inflates easily to add height and the straps allow it to fit almost any chair. I say "almost any" because it does not work with folding chairs or chairs that have no back support.

The booster weighs very little- under 4 lbs- and folds quite compactly. With the straps you can easily toss it over your shoulder like a bag. It has a net pocket for bibs or utensils and a velcro closure.
I've used this for both of my girls and it has been a lifesaver. We leave it in our truck because it takes up very little room and both girls have preferred it to restaurant high chairs.

Security straps adjust to fit children 9-36 months.

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