First, the Good News

Sandy and I are home again and then there is the other stuff. We haven't been able to pay the tour guide because I cannot fathom Paypal, practically all of our pictures of the trip have been lost, we are sick as dogs and thoroughly worn out and everything that we needed to do had we been home still needs to be done.

Now that we are all on the same page, the highlights of the trip included marvelous work by our esteemed tour guide, host and friend (at least if I can work it out with Paypal). It was some of the best money we ever spent to have John Cunningham as our tour guide. There is no doubt whatsoever that we saw many more things of interest due to John's deep and abiding love for ferMannah (Fermanagh) and his knowledge of what to see when time is short than had we chosen to rent and drive a car. Someone has to be aware of the meaning of what is being seen and interpreting it. In my opinion, had we survived renting a car and driving it in a way that would be understood by other drivers, out trip would not have been anywhere near as informative and productive had we not had John's interpretive explanations.

John not only knows his subjects in great depth, but he explains it so that it is easily understood. John doesn't lead safaris. All his work is done in a Renault turbo charged diesel passenger car which has a maximum capacity of 3 big fat fellers. Every where we went
there were people who knew and liked John. He is the only man I know who would send his wife along to chaperone his daughter and an 80 year old man. Now, I consider that an extreme measure to make your clients feel young again.

We visited every county in Northern Ireland, UK, plus Counties Cavan, Leitrim, and Donegal. We visited or drove through every parish in Fermanagh, visited and walked through two castles and saw more castles as well. We saw the island where Robert the Bruce watched the spider fail at finishing his web and finally succdeeding. We had our picture taken in front of Enniskillen Castle, visited Devenish Island with it's religious ruins dating back to 650 AD. Saw Connemara ponies at the Hamilton Castle ruin in Monea and saw Sorley Boy MacDonald's castle, the Giant's Causeway, visited several Catholic and Church of Ireland churches and cemeteries as well as Holy Wells. Then on the second day--
just kidding, but John works all day every day and makes sure that his clients get their moneys worth even if it kills them. I will continue this post when I am sufficiently recovered.