The Fourth Walsh

We woke up in Wales. And went to bed in Ireland.  In the between…

The bus tour took off at 8:15am.  Our one tourism stop in Wales was Cardiff.  It’s home to the Cardiff Castle and the Millennium Stadium.  The castle fortress is on one side of the town.  And the sleek professional rugby arena is on the other.  The charming town is this series of shoppes connected by long hallways with frosted glass ceilings called arcades. Tea rooms and coffee shops have tables and chairs in the hallways.  The vibe is very welcoming.  

Love spoons are the popular Cardiff take away.  Back in the day, men wooed the ladies by ‘spooning‘ them.  The guys were furniture makers.  When a fella went to call on a lady, he would bring her a wooden spoon illustrating his craftsmanship. All different things are carved into spoons; birds, flowers, dragons.  Since it is on their flag,   dragons are big in Wales.

It took us about 2 and half hours to get to South Wales and the town of Fishguard.  From there, we boarded a ferry to sail across the St. George’s Channel to get to Ireland.  The ferry was huge.  It was ten stories high with the lower levels big enough for busses.  There were plenty of restaurants, shoppes and even a movie to amuse us.  We crossed the Irish Sea in about 3 1/2 hours.    

En route to Waterford, we passed an immigrant ship replica.  It’s hard to imagine my ancestors sailing to the unknown land of Chicago for several weeks in that small vessel.  I just sailed for a few hours in a luxury ferry and complained about spotty wifi.  

The Walshes are from Waterford.  Our family motto is “transfixed but not dead.” In the clan wars, we survived pretending to be dead. I have told people back home that Walsh is the third most popular name in Ireland.  It’s actually the fourth according to a bookmark I found. 

The vikings established Waterford in 853.  The crest is a lion and a seahorse.  The loin denotes it’s a royal city.  The seahorse signifies its a seaport. King Henry VII granted the city their motto “the unconquered city” after it “repulsed two pretenders to his throne.” 

We arrived about 7:30pm.  Having stayed at Hiltons so far on the tour, we didn’t know what to expect at the Granville Hotel in Waterford.  It was fantastical.  Our welcoming dinner was three courses followed by an Irish Coffee demonstration by Niall.  He is the manager.  He seems more like a proprietor.  Throughout dinner, later in the bar and again at breakfast, Niall was ever present to ensure everyone was satisfied.  Speaking for the entire bus, we were more than satisfied.  We were elated.  The food and the service was superb.  My family scored a round table for ten.  At one point, we were outnumbered by the staff waiting on us.  It was a Downton Abbey moment.  I loved it!  The exceptional team made sure our experience was perfect and it really was.  I even asked for a decaf Irish Coffee and they made it special for me.

Niall provided us with the recipe for the perfect Irish Coffee.

1 1/2 t. instant coffee (right?!  instant?)

1 1/2 t. brown sugar (looked like raw sugar)

whiskey – if you use a jigger, get your fingers wet.

hot water 

top with whipped cream

Before you combine the ingredients, heat the glass with water.  After it has been made, don’t stir it.  The coffee should be sipped through the cream according to Niall.  And he should know.  The Granville placed 2nd in the Irish Coffee making championship in 2014. Delicious!!         

Following dinner, Jenny and I had a nightcap in the hotel pub.  There was live music.  Irish songs intermingled with Johnny Cash.  It was pretty cool.  Our bartenderess was delightful.  So far, every Irish person that we have met has been incredibly friendly.  Erin go Braugh!  Ireland forever!