Ireland: Day Eleven - Blarney, Cahir, Cashel and Kilkenny

I spent about an hour writing a nice long and detailed post - only to have it get deleted on me. Grrrrrr!

Last night was fun - a group of us hung out at the hotel with some people, one of which was hilarious and telling some awesome jokes. The tour guide even joined us for a bit.

Anyways, we were up early this morning to make our way to the Blarney Stone in hopes of getting a jump on the other tours. I had been looking forward to the stone and planned on kissing it, until I got there. Before we departed the guide told us it was a very bad idea to go if people were:

A) Not good with heights
or
B) Claustrophobic

I am both. So I passed. I afterward saw pictures from people who did do it and am I am super glad I didn't... I would have been really freaked out, especially with the whole laying down and someone holding your legs. Out of the 40 people on the tour maybe 10 did it.... I heard a lot of complaining about having to pay $10.00 to kiss a stone, and the people who did it were unsure if it was even a stone they were kissing. Instead, a group of us hung out and wandered around town.

Our next stop was to see the Cahir Castle which is said to be Ireland's best preserved castle. This was a really enjoyable visit. It was great to walk through and see how it would have been used and the history that surrounds it. I think dad enjoyed it, but his initial question was "Is this something with nice furniture or just another skylight?" Referencing all the castles that are basically in ruins. It was a bit of both - limited amount to furniture and some ruins. I still really enjoyed it, but can see why dad prefers visiting the more palace/modern castles. They are a little more fun.

We stopped at the Rock of Cashel for a quick photo stop --- so quick I missed it. I was actually engrossed in "The Breadboy" trying to finish it so I could give it to the guide. I didn't realize that was what we were stopping for until we left. Oops! Alvin (someone in the group of people we have been hanging out with) said he would email me a copy when we got home. (I did actually finish the book just after the stop... It was very enjoyable!)

Aside from the limited stops, we did a lot of driving today. I am officially sick of the bus. We noticed the further away from the north we go, the less sheep we see. Don't get me wrong, we still see a lot... But not millions of them like the past few days. Actually our guide was talking to a group of us last night about the sheep industry. Years ago when he was younger his family owned 200 sheep. Back then it cost $1.50 to sheer them and the wool sold for $5.00 leaving you with a $3.50 profit. Now it costs $5.00 to sheer and the wool seeks for $4.00 leaving you with a loss. Wool is only a byproduct now, as lamb meat it the focus. If I didn't already not eat lamb, I never would again. Apparently the lambs only live 90-120 days. This made me incredibly sad. When I expressed it to my lamb loving mom her response was initially, "at least they get 90 days!" Apparently I am the only one bothered through since lamb was on tonight's dinner and most people chose it. Embarrassingly enough, I also got a lesson in cows. I never realized there was a difference! A few people at the back - including Dad - had a laugh over my cluelessness. Brian definitely would have been tweeting me today :)

We got into our hotel in Kilkenny where we will be for two nights. Its a beautiful hotel, but very busy - and near enough to the downtown area I can hear a group of very likely drunk people partying from my room (as I write, I am hearing them chant "take it off" to presumably someone else in their group....)

I went for a swim but it was a disappointment. I had to buy the bathing cap for one; which I will never wear again. Plus it's a pool/gym that outside people belong to. So the pool was crowded and people kept talking to me. It was exactly the way the Pickering Rec gets in the afternoons - social time. When people heard my accent they started asking me questions, and telling me about the people they know in Canada. My swim ended up only being about 25 minutes.

After dinner dad headed to a pub with some people but I opted to stay behind... Oddly enough it's their Country Music Festival this weekend so apparently there won't be much of a chance to hear Irish music. Tomorrow I think dad and I are both bailing on the tour and staying in town. We are going to Waterford which initially I was looking forward to but I read how it's basically just a small museum and store --- a total tourist trap. Kilkenny looks really interesting, so I'd rather have a chance to really explore it....

Photo One - Another Erin store!
Photo Two-Fourteen: Cahir Castle
Photo Fifteen-Sixteen: My hotel room

Ireland: Day Ten - Killarney

Today was a very relaxing and enjoyable day in Killarney. I planned to wake up and have breakfast with my dad before going for a swim, but opted to bypass that in favour of sleeping in. It was wonderful! I woke up at 9:30 and made my way into town. (I am actually happy I didn't end up using the leisure centre here, as it turns out the only was to access it is to walk through the lobby, out the front doors and across the parking lot and then into and through their sister hotel. Getting there isn't bad, but coming back when wet from a swim wouldn't be ideal.)

Anyway, the walk into Killarney is about 10 minutes which was nice since it was such a great day out. Not sunny, but bright and only requiring a sweater. I had breakfast at the little cafe called Jam which made delicious scones and hot chocolate (as based on the two things I ordered!). Then I spent 5 hours wandering through the town. Visiting all the shops and speaking with some people. Killarney is beautiful, it's not just a tourist town but a real one. So while there are the usual souvenir shops, there are also regular stores and markets. I really enjoyed getting the chance to wander through. I found a store called "Shades of Erin" so I of course had to go in and buy something because it had the name Erin in it! (Hi Mom!!)

I wandered into a bookstore and happened to find the last copy of the Paperboy they had. So I bought it and re-sold it to one of the woman on the tour who was looking for it. (No I didn't make a profit!). I am still keeping my eyes out for more copies as there are 3 others wanting it. I also found out from the clerk there was a sequel called the Breadboy that came out just last week. Excellent timing, so I bought that (which dad wants me to give to the tour guide when I finish. Guess I will be reading throughout the next four days!). I also bought a Cecelia Ahern book I hadn't seen before.

I had lunch on my way back at this little pub/cafe place. They made a really nice soup and sandwich and had free wifi! I came back to the hotel and relaxed for a bit, then went for my massage which was wonderful - especially due to all the sitting on the bus.

After dinner I helped Andy with his iPad again (third session this week!) and then we hangout with some other people. Andy joined us which was great. He is the one who is 80, been to 131 countries and still traveling, and performs marriages in his spare time. Turns out he's not only fascinating, but hilarious! The best jokes of the night (and the most colourful) were his.

Turns out a few people hated the farm today, so I am definitely glad I stayed behind. We have an early morning tomorrow, so I better head to bed. Until then!

Below are some photos of Killarney and the hotel I am at. (Today was the only day I have taken less then a hundred photos! I think I did only 20... :)

Ireland: Day Nine - Tralee, Dingle and Killarney

I managed to get on wifi this morning, but had to camp out in the lobby. It turns out today in Ireland - May 1st - is the first day of summer. I sort of feel that that is wishful thinking! Also, last night (April 30) is considered the most superstitious day of the year here. It's the night when the fairies would come out and be mischievous - but these would not be friendly fairies, rather ones that would burn down your house or play tricks that resulted in you losing your animals/livestock. I guess we are lucky we made it through! Apparently it is custom to get up very early today and chase the fairies away.... Hopefully none of us are cursed due to not knowing or adhering to the tradition.

We had breakfast at the hotel and rather then it being the usual buffet, hot foods were ordered off a menu. That was a nice change since I tend not to do the hot buffet.

Our guide has an expression he uses often - "the only difference between a tourist and a hitchhiker is a few minutes", so as such the group tends to be pretty good about getting down to the bus on time. We started our day with a visit to the Kerry Museum in Tralee. This is said to be "a voyage back through time" as its a small local museum that deals with local history - medieval through to around the 1960's or 70's. Truthfully, I found this incredibly boring and a waste of time. I found myself thinking today should have been the day I skipped. It was a lot of wax figures, written information and photos but is very information heavy. It was more like a textbook then exhibit. It chronicled the local area through time. They also recreated the smells that would be in the streets at the time... It was hard to take. I used their wifi for a few then headed to this beautiful park on Denny Street that was across from the museum. It was gorgeous... Large trees hundreds of years old, beautiful cherry blossom and amazing sculptures and art work. I came across a group of schoolchildren dressed as monks practicing for a school event so I chatted with them for a few moments. They were very happy to be outside and not in class! It was such a large, spacious and peaceful park.... If we lived nearby definitely a place I would drag Brian to for a picnic.

The town of Tralee is beautiful. Very old streets that wind around and are made of stone. Lots of cute little shops and tea rooms. I definitely notice how many tea rooms there are around Ireland. It seems everywhere we go there is one and I even saw one from the bus that was in a garden center.

We paused for a moment to get a photo of a monument in memory of the men/women killed when the Irish were fighting each other just after the war. This one was honoring one instance that was particularly brutal in the 1920. It's unfortunate just how much fighting and such have occurred between them. It's hard to comprehend at times.

Afterwards we continued for a tour of the Dingle Peninsula, "an area rich in antiquities ranging from Iron Age stone forts to beehive huts". We stopped for a bathroom break in Dingle before carrying on to look at some scenery around the Blasket Island and Slea Head. I found myself a little worn of bus drives so I opted to stay in Dingle since the group was coming back here in a few hours for the lunch break. Another woman from the tour - one of the back of the bus trouble markers/behind bar photo comrades - heard the drive was very narrow roads with steep drops and also opted to stay. The tour guide tried to talk us out of it because of the "beautiful scenery" ahead but personally he's said that a bunch of times so I was set. The bus left us and we set off. I keep falling asleep on the bus, so it was great to be outside and getting fresh air.

I had heard of a local police chief who has free tours to tourists when he was free. I looked around for him, but he must have been out on another tour. Its unfortunate as that would have been fun. Dingle is a really cute, seaside village. There is a local dolphin - Fungie - who has lived here for 30 years (actually the anniversary party for him was on the weekend). You can do dolphin tours and 9/10 times see him. I debated it; but opted to take the time to walk around. I've been on the bus enough, I don't need to spend time on a boat where I would likely get seasick.

Daniella - the other woman - and I wandered around looking in the shops and enjoying the nice day. It was sunny with a cool breeze and no need for jackets. We wandered into a local restaurant for lunch. As we were finishing up, the group returned and dad and a few of the others joined us. We hung our for a bit and then wandered back to the streets.

I really loved this town! Everyone was so friendly and with it being near the water it was a perfect setting. The only thing that would have made it better was if I could have seen the dolphin! Daniella and I had fun, and ended up being the only two that stayed behind.

While I was in Dingle, the rest of the tour got to see views of the Lakes of Killarney from great heights and go into these little beehive type huts/homes. Apparently it was really interesting to walk through them. I saw some photos and they looked cool, but I liked my afternoon.

We stopped for some photos of the Dingle Bay which looked like an awesome place to walk along the beach. We have a new driver for today since our guide can't drive more then a certain number of days in a row. Truth be told, I will be happy when Eamon (the guide) is driving again. This guy breaks a lot and goes pretty fast. I felt like I was on a ride. Someone described it as being similar to Wonderlands Mindbuster coaster. My cousins and Brian can attest to just how much I dislike rides... Needless to say I was;
A) Glad I stayed behind in Dingle
B) Happy to return to the hotel
C) A very unhappy passenger for most of the day. He was okay for most of the morning, but his driving just kept getting worse. At one point I seriously felt like I may be sick.

Tomorrow I am skipping the tour and opting to stay in town. The tour is spending a short time in the village of Kenmare. And then going to a farm for a tour and lunch. My plan is to swim first thing in the morning, walk into town (it's 5 minutes away all on main roads) and wander around there for the day. The hotel spa had a deal on that I booked... So I will do that in the late afternoon. It's the perfect way to relax and take a break. Despite it being a vacation, it's been crazy busy so it's chance to unwind. Plus if I don't, I will only have about 2 hours in Killarney. I'd rather take my time and explore rather then feel rushed.

When I got back to the hotel I felt awful from the drive so I spent some time relaxing in my room rather then going to the pool. At dinner I opted to forgo a main and just have soup. Afterwards the group was heading to a comedy show at a pub, but I wasn't up for it. Plus I had made arrangements to help two fellow passengers with their iPads. Seriously, word is growing about Chantal's Free Tech Support. Mid-lesson the guide called me over to help him do something. Dad and everyone left, leaving me some free time which I am spending thus far in the lobby using the wifi. Crazy story - I finally met two of the new passengers and they were from a small town a few hours away. They mentioned the town and how I likely didn't know it, and I mentioned my friend Matt was from there and I did. They turned out to know his parents - what a small world!

Lastly, one woman on the tour has nicknamed my father and I --- Sweetpea and Trouble. In case anyone is wondering, I am Sweetpea!

Photo One: The Monument
Photo Two: beautiful statue in the Denny Road Park
Photo Three: Denny Road Park
Photo Four: Me at the park (I like my hair!)
Photo Five: Apparently I fell asleep and everyone got off.. And dad got a photo.
Photo Six: Giant Penguin outside the Dingle Aquarium
Photo Seven: Dingle is also apparently the Ireland's only place to get a chili dog.
Photo Eight: Dingle
Photo Nine: Dingle
Photo Ten: A statue of Fungie
Photo Eleven. Dingle
Photo Twelve: Town Donkey
Photo Thirteen: Dingle
Photo Fourteen: Dingle
Photo Fifteen. Dingle
Photo Sixteen: Dingle
Photo Seventeen: Dingle Bay
Photo Eighteen: Dingle Bay

Ireland: Day Eight - Bunratty, Limerick, Adare, and Killarney

Due to the 7 new travelers joining us today we got a later start today. We didn't have to leave the hotel until 11. Dad and I met for breakfast, and then afterward I headed down to the Blarney Mills shop. That was enjoyable! Luckily the bus was open so I didn't have to trek my packages up to the room just to come back down.

We gathered up our stuff and boarded the bus. Dad managed to keep his seat by getting our partners in crime (the other two that don't move) to sit behind him. This opened up room for the "newbies" as we have been calling them. Some of our group seems annoyed we are getting new travelers - they have been quietly complaining about the tour getting bigger and more names to learn, but it's only 7 people!

We started with a brief tour of Limerick City, mainly in and around it’s heritage precinct. It was okay, but there really wasn't much to be seen there. The older buildings that were part of the castles and the churches were beautiful, but I'm glad we didn't spend much time in the city. We went through the area the author Frank McCourt was born in and saw the pub and church that he mentions.

After that we traveled to Adare where thatched cottages line the main street. I loved it! Not a large area but such a cute little village - and I loved the cottages. There wasn't a lot that the area consisted of, but it was a really great stop. We walked around and took some photos of the cottages. I would love to live in a cottage like that! They are perfect Chantal height. :)

We ate lunch with our fellow "back of of the bus troublemakers" as we are referred to. It was an okay place - family run with a limited menu for picky people like me, so I stuck with soup which was good.

On our way into town we passed the area Golf Club and heard how it was named after a local lord who had a large estate beside the property. The Lord and his family were heavily involved with the town and its people and were honored to have the club named after them. However the estate eventually was sold to Americans who developed in into a large luxury hotel. They took offense to the golf club having the same name as the estate and went after them in court to try and force them to change the name. Luckily they lost, and the club remains as is. Apparently the townspeople aren't all that thrilled with this hotel. I think it's sad that so many people and corporations go in to these towns and try and change their history. That one think I love about Ireland - it doesn't have strip malls and plazas on every corner.

We made a brief photo stop at St. Bridget's well - one of those holy, healing water sites I mentioned a few days ago. This one was peaceful and serene and didn't have the rag bush attached to it.

We stopped for photos about an hour later at this beautiful area just outside Killarney. It offered incredible views of the mountains and lakes. I was drifting in and out on the bus - a lot of us feel there is something about the bus or the guides voice that make us sleepy because many of us tend to fall sleep quite often.

We made one more stop at a store that sold jewelry and gifts. They are friends of the guide and one of them took a group photo of all of us. They also gave us all Irish Coffee which was delicious. I don't think I have ever had one before - but they are really good. It definitely woke me up!

Our hotel is the Dromhill in Killarney and we are here for 3 nights. It's a nice hotel - but a little nicer in the lobby then the rooms. The room is a little worn and the toilet flushes weirdly. But the staff are super friendly, and the rooms comfortable and clean. There is only wifi in the lobby which is a downfall (that's the reason this post is so late). They actually misplaced my bags when I got here - I waited over and hour but thankfully they showed up.

The hotel has laundry services which is good because I need some clothes washed. They also have a spa/leisure center next door that I hope to check out tomorrow.

After diner I spent some time helping one of the fellow travelers with his iPad. He wanted to learn how to use the kindle and overdrive apps. We have another "lesson" scheduled for tomorrow. I seriously could make a career out of on-tour tech support apparently!

A group of us (dad included) decided to walk into town and check our the streets and try and find some Irish music. We started at a local pub that had some excellent music being played. It was packed but we stayed there for a bit and talked to a few other patrons. Afterward we made our way further into town and stopped at another pub. What a difference - it also had music but songs included "Cotton Eye Joe" and "Satisfaction". It was also empty save for two people from Iowa who left shortly after we arrived. We didn't want to be rude so we sat down. A few minutes later the band took a break and them and the bartender went for a break. We seriously had this entire pub to ourselves. When the bartender came back we joked about how we should have gotten a picture behind the bar, so dad went up and asked him - and he said sure! So the 6 of us piled behind the bar for some photos and a chance to pour some Guiness. We all would have made horrible bartenders as we poured into a Coors glass and messed up the pour which made it come out all wrong. It was still a really fun experience and photo to show a different Ireland experience.

We walked around town for a bit but it got pretty quiet early in the evening. Our guide claims this is the "Las Vegas of Ireland" without all the gambling. If that's the case, it's shows how quiet, laid back and safe Ireland is. I am looking forward to exploring the city more on Thursday when I take a break from the tour. It looks gorgeous with lots of streets, shops and places to explore. I plan on going in early - around 10:00am and then heading back to the hotel for 3:00. Just enough time to look around without getting too worn out or bored.

Photo One: Cool Phone Booth
Photo Two: Church in Limerick
Photo Three: Limerick
Photo Four: Limerick
Photo Five: Bar that Frank McCourt mentions
Photo Six: Castle ruins
Photo Seven: Adare
Photo Eight: Adare
Photo Nine. Dad and I
Photo Ten: Me
Photo Eleven. Adare
Photo Twelve: Adare
Photo Thirteen: Well
Photo Fourteen: Veiw of Killarney
Photo Fifteen: Me (not a selfie!)
Photo Sixteen: Killarney Views
Photo Seventeen: Chruch in Killarny
Photo Eighteen: My room
Photo Nineteen: Place that had good Irish music
Photo Twenty: Group Behind the Bar Photo
Photo Twenty-One: Dad as a Bartender