Archive for the ‘Destination Diva’ Category

You have not a care at the Adare.

The road has indeed risen to meet me, and the properties I’ve been lucky to stay in (and friends we’ve made, food we’ve eaten) have been spectacular. The food and drink are so good, in fact, that it’s a very good thing they don’t keep scales in the room! Operative word about food and drink here: fresh, pure, honest, and well presented. What the foodies in San Francisco wax poetic about (and celebrity chefs never stop talking about) is de rigueur over here. As I was told by many a GM: “In Ireland, we don’t talk about the food, we eat it.” Well said, and truer words were never spoken!

Room with a view: the gardens of Adare Manor

Adare manor is one of the top properties in the world, hosting presidents and world leaders, coining the term “Adare Style” negotiations, for informal negotiations between countries. The rooms are classic and Victorian: brocade, intricate woodwork and dark wood. The common areas are lit by candlelight and huge chandeliers, and hung with ancient tapestries, casting a majestic spell that is other world. The grounds are an Irish version of Versailles with sculpted gardens in the traditional “Big House” style of the last part of the 1800’s.

Our room is a Victorian masterpiece overlooking the topiary gardens, gargoyles perched right outside our window. I almost expect aristocrats in corsets and riding gear to come bounding by on horseback! Adare has been voted the 4th best golf resort in North America, the Caribbean & Atlantic, Ireland and Scotland in the highly prestigious Condè Nast Traveler Magazine “Top 100 Golf Resorts 2008 Readers’ Poll”. The romantic bar area, rendered in pink, red velvet, deep mahogany and vaulted ceilings harken to another time. In hushed tones, we recount our day over a Red Breast whiskey. The next day, breakfast is in the stone dining room with vaulted ceilings, a gourmet traditional Irish brekky: with puddings, eggs and rashers. Life is good….

Coastline, County Clare by Lahinch

Moving to the coast, we stayed in Lahinch, County Clare where pro surfers such as Fergal Smith shred the icy waves. Vaughan Lodge is a lovely 4-star country town house hotel, owned and operated by Michael Vaughan and his lovely wife Maria. The food is spectacular, fresh and exquisitely prepared, the room, modern and restful with sea breezes blowing in through the windows.

Breakfast of champions, pre-hike, Vaughan Lodge.

The traditional Irish breakfast (“a fry up”) is a belly buster of trad favorites like black pudding, and rashers that will hold you until dinner). Heaven is sitting by the fire in their wood paneled bar and sharing a pint. We went to a trad pub in town, the Claremont, where we were able to listen to spectacular fiddlers, and hear a group of old friends from the retirement home up the street sing much loved ballads. We made wonderful new friend named Amy Flynn, an Irish beauty in voice in demeanor (who doesn’t look a day over 60, although I’ll never reveal a woman’s age), and got hugs all around upon our departure. We met the nicest family of farmers, the McDermott’s of Galway, who specialize in Ireland’s best potatoes, on holiday. Michael and Amy, see you in SF!

Guinness by a graveyard - love black Irish humor!

We took a drive down the coast to Spanish Point in the rain and saw the gorgeous coastline in the intermittent rain and sunshine, and got to chase a beautiful rainbow (and possibly a pot of gold). Doonbeg, is a top spot for surfing, according to our new pals at Lahinch Surf Shop.

Irish charm starts with seeing things differently....

I’m going to space out the posts on Ireland because there are too many disparate, beautiful and magical places to show you, thanking Tourism Ireland. Slainte!

Quality assurance on behalf of the Guinness family.

Get off the tour bus and discover Ireland.

No GPS required, Ireland is a breeze to navigate

...and if you do get lost, help is on the way!

Hi everyone, I’m on the best press trip ever thanks to Tourism Ireland for Destination I Do Magazine. Spoiler alert: My family is Irish on all sides, from Kerry and Cork, so I’m predisposed to love it. But I haven’t been back since my backpacking days, and other than staying in 5-star 12th century castles this time around, found it to be blessedly unchanged: the friendliness, the beauty, the people (and the pints). Everything looks new and fresh  and the

Barberstown Castle: owned by kings, lords, Eric Clapton and Ken Healy.

The beer is blessed by a higher power at Castlemartyr (the bar is built in a former church!)

rain isn’t as bad as they say. I’ll let the pictures do the talking over the next two weeks, and will post as it happens. Barberstown Castle, Castlemartyr Resort, Adare Manor and Vaughan Lodge are superb and  wildy different, and the drive between them hasn’t exceeded two hours, (making Ireland the ultimate road trip for a destination wedding or honeymoon). My favorite part about staying in a castle, a resort, a manor, and a lodge is that all the venues have intriguing yet different points of view, adding dimension and texture to your trip (and avoiding the “Ground Hog Day Syndrome,” or, day-after-day blur of staying in the same place). On the drive in between resorts you’ll be rewarded tenfold, as Ireland is gorgeous: castles on the side of the road, and quaint villages to stop for lunch or explore.

Castlemartyr's Kerry Gold, potatoes, whipping cream, enough said.

Look for more expanded posts in early Sept, as I’ll be diving in with detail on all the venues, and our Spring Destination I Do issue will cover the trip in depth. At each venue, I’ve made some lovely new friends and plan on keeping in touch with them all. But that’s vintage Ireland: I’m still friends with people I met here 20 years ago! Heading out to Ballinalacken Castle in Doolin for dinner, trad music and pints. See you in Galway at the hippest hotel in town, the g, in a few days. Slainte!