Travel to Scotland Part 1

flying into Edinburgh

On May 2nd we had an ugly 6:40 AM flight from the Shannon Airport to Edinburgh. While it was hard to get up that early, we landed at 7:55 AM so we had the whole day ahead of us. We took a cab to the area of Old Town Edinburgh where our two bedroom flat was located. Because it was too early to check in, we found a nearby shop that had lockers to store our suitcases.

Since we were out of bed before dawn, the first thing we did was grab breakfast down the street from where we dropped the bags. From there it was an easy walk to Edinburgh Castle. Standing on Castle Rock, there has been a a royal castle on this location since the reign of Malcolm III in the 11th century The castle continued to be a royal residence until 1633. We wandered the area for a bit, but could only get tickets to tour the castle the next day.

Edinburgh Castle

We explored the Royal Mile, the historic district of Old Town, with its cobblestone streets and medieval architecture. It was a beautiful day, and the streets were packed with locals and tourists alike. St. Giles Cathedral, one of three cathedrals in Edinburgh, is incredibly beautiful. Founded in 1124 it was built on the eastern edge of Edinburgh and predates Old Town. There was a lot to see and do in the area.

Royal Mile

St. Giles Cathedral

We had grabbed some provisions at a small grocery store near our flat so that we could eat breakfast in the next morning. We had early tickets to tour the castle. The day was overcast with a light rain, so that kept some of the crowds away. The castle grounds contain over 20 buildings on about 9 acres, so we spent a couple hours looking around.

Edinburgh Castle tour

Following lunch we did the underground walking tour, which had been highly recommended to us. The below-street level experience allows you to explore a series of vaults constructed in the 1780s. They initially served as workspaces and storage, but the damp environment was not conducive to those activities. The vaults by the 1820s became densely populated slums, and were eventually sealed off. They are now a tourist attraction reportedly haunted by ghosts. We thought the tour was overrated, but perhaps it was just our guide.

Old Town sights

This was our last day in Edinburgh, so we had a nice dinner before packing our things once again. 

Travel to Ireland Part 1

In April we traveled to Ireland to meet up with some friends from college. We had been planning this trip for over a year, with the intent to spend a week in Ireland and a week in Scotland. It was a trip with many moving parts, and challenging because we made all the arrangements ourselves.

Both couples left the U.S. on April 26th and arrived in Dublin on the 27th. We flew on American, and had one of the crappiest planes we have been on in a long time. It had the 3/5/3 seat configuration, but the overhead storage bins were so small that our small carryons had to be put in sideways. That meant only one suitcase could fit in each bin. The entertainment units were built into the headrests, with the remotes attached to a cable. The units used only plug-in headphones that were provided by the airline. Even though we were in supposedly larger seats with more legroom, the seats were incredibly uncomfortable for a 7 1/2 hour flight.

We stayed at the Kilronan House Bed & Breakfast. where Jim and I had stayed our first time in Dublin in 1997, and I again stayed with my sister when we went in 2005. Their location is easy walking distance to the attractions we wanted to see, so we didn't need to pick up our rental car for a couple of days.

We were able to drop our luggage off at the B & B, and then began to tour Dublin. We walked to St. Stephen's Green which has 3-acre lake with numerous waterfowl, flower gardens and sculptures. We found a pub for lunch, and just enjoyed trying to walk off our jet lag.

Dublin Day 1

When we got back to the B & B it was to find that our room was located on the top floor. LOTS of stairs and no elevator. That was not fun at all, but it did help get our legs in shape for the rest of the trip - ha!

Irish breakfast

The next day we had a lovely, full Irish breakfast before heading out again. We began at St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was founded in 1191. It is said to be located on the site where the patron saint baptized converts in the 5th century. The current Gothic structure was constructed between 1120 and 1260. It serves as the National Cathedral for the Church of Ireland. It has switched back and forth from Catholicism to Anglican faith.

Our next stop was a tour of Dublin Castle. Originally built in 1204 as a medieval fortress for King John of England, it served as the seat of British rule until 1922. Today it is a major Irish government complex.

We then visited the Irish Whisky Museum. We had a wonderful docent, and enjoyed tasting three whiskeys. From there we headed to historic Temple Bar for lunch. It was named for Sir William Temple, who built a house there in the 1600s. The bar was established in 1840 and is known for having the largest collection of whiskeys in Ireland and the largest selection of pub sandwiches in the world. We enjoyed both the sandwiches and traditional Irish music being played while we were there.

We finished the afternoon with a walk around Trinity College. We especially enjoyed seeing the library, which is the largest in Ireland. It opened in 1592 and is quite beautiful. The Book of Kells exhibit is very informative, and of course seeing the book itself is amazing.

After a little rest later in the afternoon, we went to an Italian restaurant recommended by our B & B host. It was delicious, and a fitting final supper for our time in Dublin.

sites around Dublin

Traveling to Insheim, Germany

Bernhard, Roland and me

Sunday evening after arriving in Speyer and checking into my room, I had some time to try and digest my whirlwind days in Switzerland before shrugging out of my Kubler Coat of Arms and into the one for my Metz family. Monday morning I took a bus to the train station, and then three trains to Insheim. I was met at the train station by Roland, our translator, and also Herbert and Bernhard. They drove me to the Rathaus, which is like our city hall, where I met with the mayor and a couple of other people. After some champagne and fresh rolls, they showed a slide presentation of some of the information they had collected about my Metz family. They also provided the data in a printed notebook, in English, which is awesome.

Following the presentation we went upstairs to the Glocken Museum, the second largest collection of bells in Germany. This collection was donated by a resident, and the town takes care of it.

Glocken Museum Insheim, Gemany

Swiss cow bell

Next we took a walking tour of the town, where they pointed out the historic buildings. We saw the Catholic Church, but as this one was built in 1912 and completed in 1914, it is not the one my ancestors would have worshiped in.

Catholic Church exterior

Catholic church interior

In Germany, the ruling king determined what religion the people practiced. So a church may have been Catholic for one reign and then protestant for the next. When that was no longer a law, then churches would sometimes allow both religions to use their building. That was the case in Insheim until the Catholics began building their own church in 1912. Here is the old church where the Metz family would have attended services. It is now Lutheran.

Lutheran Church exterior

Lutheran Church interior

The town cemetery is located next to the Lutheran Church. I took pictures of all the Metz graves that I could find. In Germany, and the same is true in Switzerland, the family rents the grave space for a maximum of 30 years. When someone stops paying or the 30 years is up, the tombstone is removed and someone else is buried there. I asked what happens to the tombstones, and was told that the family could take the stone or it would be ground up and reused. Talk about reduce, reuse, recycle!

Metz grave

Next we drove to Burg Landeck, a nature park containing a castle. There were beautiful views especially from the tower of the castle. We also had lunch at the castle restaurant.

Burg Landeck castle

View from the castle tower

Next on the agenda was a trip to Steinweiler, a small village located near Insheim. Maria Appollonia Schwein from Steinweiler married Andreas Metz from Insheim in 1777. In Steinweiler the local historians had located the house of the Schwein family from 1717. How did they know which house was theirs? It is etched right onto the house. When I saw these markings all I could think was how happy Americans would be to find out not only when the house was built but for whom, just by looking at the outside of the house. The markings also indicate that Schwein was a blacksmith.

Front of the house

Markings on the house

Inside the courtyard

Another courtyard shot

Inside the house

While we were taking photos of the front of the house the owner came home from work. When Roland explained that I was visiting from America and that my Schwein family had lived here, he invited us inside the courtyard and the kitchen area. He and his wife are having the house renovated, and the workmen were there at the time so we couldn't see more of the house itself. To say that it was a thrill to be able to cross the same threshold that my ancestors had crossed is a vast understatement. I still have goosebumps!

On the way back to Insheim we stopped at a vineyard as Roland explained to me that this part of Germany is often referred to as Little Tuscany. I can definitely see why. It is a beautiful area.

Vineyards

Grapes

Me with the Golden Book

Once we arrived back at the Rathaus I was invited to sign the Golden Book, an honor reserved for VIPs. I was flattered to be asked, and how fun to know that I have left a permanent part of myself in the town that my ancestors once called home. Then Roland and Herbert offered to drive me back to Speyer so I could avoid the three train rides and bus transfer to get back to my hotel. Since they had given me two commemorative glasses of town celebrations as well as two historical books, I was happy to take them up on their kind offer. This was another information packed day with yet another group of people who put a lot of time into looking for my family history, and making me feel welcome in their town. I feel so blessed that my family came from this wonderful little village.