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This will be my final entry for the Scotland/Ireland blog. We are home safe and sound. After a great, but long flight from Dublin to Chicago we were delayed in Chicago for 6 hours!! We were to have landed at DFW @ 10:45 but didn't leave Chicago till midnight putting us into DFW at about 2:15 am!! Was a long day but we traveled safe and made it home. My sweet sister and Daddy picked us up and we spent the night with my parents. Visited the next morning and drove to Lubbock. Roy drove the whole way and didn't even try to drive on the other side of the road!! 

We were both excited to see our home and what a welcome sight it was. All is well in the canyon. 

So many of you have commented on the blog making it so much fun. Thank you all for being a huge part of our travels. This was my first attempt at blogging thanks to an incredible young man, Aaron who had traveled to Ireland 2 summers ago and blogged his trip. He helped me set it all up and even provided technical assistance one night while we were in Ireland!! Technology can be so much fun. 

Many of you will be sick of hearing about this trip over the coming weeks and months so I'll thank you ahead of time for listening and enduring the hundreds of photos!!  And yet, it is in the sharing and reminiscing that we keep the trip and our adventures alive. 

I asked Roy one evening while we were away; "Why is it that we travel?" I've thought a lot about that question and believe there are as many answers as there are travelers.  For me, it is to see and experience other places on this earth.  To marvel at the beauty and diversity of God's handiwork.  An awakening of sorts as to how other cultures live their lives, what makes them tick, what their homes look like, what they value and honor and coming to the realization we are all part of a huge family where some are blessed to live on the Emerald Isle and in the beautiful country of Scotland.  Every person we met on our journey was polite, friendly, engaging, accommodating and just plain good people!!  These memories will last the rest of my life.....thank you for traveling with us.

I've included a picture of the map we used while in Ireland with our 3,000 miles highlighted in yellow. The map may not be easy to see but just know we motored many, many miles!  

Till the next trip......Mary

New Grange, Slane Castle, Hill of Tara/Last Day

Our last day in Ireland taking in the sights and soaking up the last glorious bits of the beautiful countryside. 

My dear Roy bought candles last night on the sly and had Pauline and Brian present them on my scrambled eggs this morning as they all sang Happy Birthday!! I was very touched by Roy's thoughtfulness and the part this sweet couple played. Pauline just hugged and even gave me a birthday kiss. B&B's may be small but when you are blessed to find such wonderful folks that run them, the experience stays with you for a lifetime. So..that's how we started this day. Bid farewell and made our way to New Grange a few miles down the road.  New Grange is one of the most important passage graves in Europe. It predates the Great Pyramids and Stonehenge. Built in about 3200 BC!!

I could go on and on about it but will save all that for those that want to hear.  To stand on such holy ground really moved me....perfect for Sunday morning worship. Next we visited Slane Castle and our tour guide was so informative and fun. From there we visited the Hill of Tara which is another smaller passage grave and was the center of political and spiritual Celtic Ireland and the seat of the high kings until the 11th century. Roy and I continue to be in awe of such ancient ruins all over this Emerald Isle. The teacher in me wonders how any student learns ALL of the rich history steeped in this country. 

These three sights are in the Boyne Valley which was the cradle of Irish civilization. The fertile soil supported a sophisticated society in  Neolithic times.  It is the site of the Battle of the Boyne where William Orange led his troops into battle. A beautiful valley that is so lush, the cattle so fat and a river that runs all through it rich with game.  We took several pictures from the top of the Hill of Tara where we had a 360 of the entire area but as I've said before we just can't capture the true beauty of the landscape. 

Our sight seeing was done so...we had to have ice cream!! It is my birthday after all!!

We returned to Dublin with Roy Turner driving us right to the Hilton like he'd lived and driven here forever!  We didn't even let Lady G help! Checked in, unloaded and returned the rental.  Everything went so smoothly.  Sitting in the bar while Roy enjoys a last beer and I post this entry. 

This trip has been everything we hoped it would be and more. We've travelled 3000 miles in Ireland. Roy has highlighted the routes we took so that is fun to look back on. We didn't keep track of Scotland but guess it was close to 700.  I'm thinking I'll be driving back to Lubbock!

The Irish people are so very friendly and accommodating.  They are as curious about us as we are them. Such amazing people we've met along this wonderful journey.  

Thank you for sharing our travels....

New Grange

On the road again!! Naval, Trim and castles

Well, we made it through the night at the last place....didn't even stay for the breakfast part of that B&B!!  

We headed South and a bit East passing through Killybegs, Donegal, Pettigoe where we ate a nice breakfast. Leaving Pettigoe we noticed a road sign welcoming us to Northern Ireland...YIKES!! Union Jack flags hanging on every streetlight. Realized we were on the right road and it would soon cross back into the Republic of Ireland.  We knew from reading the local paper, watching news and visiting with a couple from Belfast that we did NOT want to go any further down that road. Well, guess what? Ennisskillen was the next town and we took another wrong turn that had us headed straight to Belfast! It was interesting to see the definite dividing with a blue fence along the highway. Finally righted ourselves and made it to Linaskea where we found a car wash and a really nice, hard working young man that power washed, dried and vacuumed our rental...looks brand new to return tomorrow in Dublin....tomorrow is my birthday!! Had to squeeze that in!!

Made it to Navan and our charming B&B about 2:00. Pauline and Brian are the owners. She is wonderful..very friendly, a sweet, sweet grandma and such fun to visit with. We are in the country with sheep in the field and it is quiet. Just our kind of spot. Sitting in their lovely backyard enjoying the cool evening. Roy is drinking a beer she brought out to us and I am drinking water from a wine glass. Such fun!!

We put our stuff in the room and headed to a couple of the neighboring sites. St. Mary's Abbey in Duleek, County Meath...great old ruins in a graveyard. Next toTrim,site of the Trim Castle. This is the castle and surrounding area where much of Braveheart was filmed...Roy was in heaven. It was too funny...Roy is driving as I am trying to look for the signs to the castle. We whiz past a sign as I tell him we were to turn there and when he stopped, we were looking right at the castle...right in front of our eyes and all around us. It's the darnedest thing to look up and POOF!! there sits a castle built in the late1100s... Wild!  

We had fun wandering around the grounds.  Hunger got the best of us as we'd not eaten since 9:30 and it is now 6:00... Not even ice cream!! Found a nice restaurant in Navan and had a yummy birthday eve dinner. Looking forward to a shower and a nice bed with sheets!! The last place had no top sheet...creeps me out..slept fully clothed ( jammies) and used a clean towel to cover with...such a fussy one I can be!! 

Including pics from the St. Mary's Abbey and Trim castle...not a big picture day.

Slieve League

Bid farewell to Pat, Matty and Bob (the dog) this morning after breakfast and headed North and West to Donegal County. Before I write about the day, let me tell you what happened last night after I posted the blog. Matty, the owner of our B&B has 6 mama cows and one of them had her calf about 9:30 last night. It was quite the sight for us to see. It's truly amazing how instinct takes over. We watched her clean the calf and then witnessed his first attempts at standing and nursing. I told he and Pat they now have a 

B B&B....bed, breakfast and birthing!! The calf was doing great this morning when we left.

Our goal this day was to see Slieve League near Carrick in County Donegal. Slieve is Gaelic for mountain. It is the highest cliff face in all of Europe rising 1,972 feet above the Atlantic. WOW!! There are no words to describe what we saw today. We drove up a mountain road that scared even me....Roy was incredible. At one point it looked like we would crest the hill and drop off into the ocean because that was all you could see from the car!!  

We made our way to several viewing areas and just sat soaking in the majesty of this place. Unlike anything we've seen...even more dramatic than the Cliffs of Moher.  The words "Be still and know that I am God" kept whispering to me. We spent nearly an hour taking it all in...the dramatic cliffs of solid rock, the ocean crashing against the gigantic rocks at the base, the calm blue of the Atlantic all around us. It is so far off the beaten path, I counted 11 cars....Ireland's well kept secret. Will include a couple of pictures but as you know, pictures just don't do justice to such a beautiful place.

When we sought directions to the viewing spot, we were told the best ice cream in Ireland was at the top!!! Darn the luck if they weren't 100% correct!! So funny..just can't get away from the stuff!

Left the top and drove into the tiny fishing village of Teelin where we boarded a boat that took 12 of us out to open water around and up close to Slieve League so we could see it rising above us and all around us from the water. As we were waiting for the boat, I heard a dog barking near the water so I went to the dock and there was a female that looked so much like Annie. She wanted someone to play with her. I got an empty water bottle, filled it with a little water and commenced to throwing it out into the water. She would wait patiently and then jump in, swim to the bottle, grab it and swim back. She'd take it further up into the rocks, shake and trot to the water's edge where she'd turn around, look at me, bark and wait for me to throw. The men around the water said she is there every day and would fetch all day long.  She is 15 years old!!  So, between the incredible views from land and water and playing with this sweet dog it was a glorious day.

 We met up with a couple from Norman Oklahoma that are biking their way through parts of Ireland.  We'd met them yesterday at Glencar and they were with us on the boat and again as we were looking for a place to eat dinner. There is no place open for food 

( only drink!) so we went to The Chipper....a mobile food trailer set up in a parking lot...great fish/chips. The Irish folks make a MEAN French fry!! (their chips)....haven't had a bad one the whole time!! We had a picnic with them...nice folks. 

Wished them safe travel and headed to our B&B....it's more hostel/camp than a B&B...NO charm...had reservations for tonight and tomorrow but we are getting out of Dodge in the morning!! We found a nicer one closer to Dublin so we won't have far to go on Sunday. Can't complain too loudly as we've had great accommodations the entire trip...B&B folks are as creative with "selling" their property as are real estate folks!!  Mountain and Sea views if you stand on the roof with your binoculars!! 

Till tomorrow....

Glencar Waterfall, Lough Gill, Hazelwood Forrest, Strandhill, Carramore & W.B. Yeats

Started the day with breakfast and a funny visit with Pat, the owner. She is just quirky and the expressions the Irish use make me laugh! She is delightful as is her daughter and Matty, her husband. Had to spend some time scratching Bob the big dog.  Will include a picture of him. Makes me really miss my Annie Girl.

Headed out with a sketch of the day but just wanted to meander wherever the road took us. Our first stop was at Glencar Waterfall where we encountered a serene area with a babbling mountain brook. We climbed briefly and were rewarded with a nice waterfall. Not magnificent but hey, anything is nice when one is from the land of no water or waterfalls!! 

Motored on down the "charming" country roads to Parkes Castle and more importantly a boat ride around the truly beautiful Lough (Lake) Gill. This area is steeped in myth and legend that inspired W.B Yeats to write his famous poetry. The boat ride was the highlight of the day. Not only was the scenery around the glassy lake stunning in its raw beauty but we were told stories that were followed with the recitation of some of Yeats poems directly tied to this Lake Isle of Innisfree by the boat's captain; a wonderful Irish gentleman of about 70 years young.  He also played melodic Irish music that along with everything else caused us to breathe in deeply and relish this special time. It was an idyllic afternoon.

Yeats: " I will rise and go now, and go to Innisfree."  This experience will make reading his poetry very personal. 

Drove on to Hazelwood, another secret gem in this area. The Hazelwood Forrest is beautiful as was the lake with the many ducks and ducklings that I fed. 

Moved South and West to Strandhill, a popular sea resort with sandy beaches and huge Atlantic breakers that attract many surfers. I have never thought of Ireland when I think of surfing!! We ate our late lunch/early dinner right by the water ( surprise, surprise!) and visited with one of the owners that told us about the Ireland Surfing team he and his brother were a part of. News to us but there were surfer dudes all around and a couple of surfing schools. 

Enjoyed the ocean's song for a bit and moved on to Carrowmore where we saw the Megalithic Cemetary with standing stones and stone circles. The oldest of them were erected around 4000 BC, several hundred years before Stonehenge was built.  The description of them and knowing how ancient they are is far more intriguing than the actual stones!! 

We ended our field trip at  Drumcliffe Church which is dedicated to Yeats, Ireland's greatest poet. Yeats is buried in sight of his beloved Benbulben mountain ( included a picture yesterday).  A simple stone slab in the church graveyard marks his grave.  It is inscribed with the epitaph taken from the last poem he wrote: Cast a cold Eye. On Life, On Death,  Horseman, pass by.

Everyone should know by now how we end our day.... I scream, you scream. We all scream for ice cream!! You guessed it!! 

Including pics of the day.  

Yes, I am in the same clothes!! It was supposed to be cold and rainy!! Thank God for laundry service!!

Powerscourt, Glendalough and Sligo

Roy and I are solo once again. Mike & Peggy left the Hilton about 6:30 this morning headed home. It is strange traveling without them. Sleeping Beauty (Roy) didn't get up till after 8:30 so we had a slow start to our day. For the record, it's not always Mary that's late!! In all fairness, he has done ALL the driving and now has the sinus crud again!! He needed to sleep. 

We loaded the car, ate breakfast and headed out of Dublin about 11 miles to Powerscourt.  Powerscourt house was built in 1731 on the site of a Norman castle.  The gardens at Powerscourt are beautiful. They are set at the foot of Great Sugar Loaf Mountain in the rugged wilderness of the Wicklow Mountains. The winding road to the gardens was sun dappled and magical....like we were on a path to the secret garden.  We spent about an hour wandering the grounds. The roses, alyssum and lavender were so fragrant and the colors exquisite.  I took several pictures to share with my flower loving friends. 

From there we headed southwest to Glendalough, the "valley of the two lakes" and home to one of Ireland's most atmospheric monastic sites. This monastic site was established by St. Kevin in the 6th century!! It just boggles the mind to think how old these ruins are and to walk on such hallowed grounds is humbling. The cemetery was fascinating...many crosses of all design with headstones dating back to 1757. Many were leaning and so weathered the date couldn't be read. To think this holy place is within an hour of bustling Dublin....it's as though 2 worlds exist.  

We exited through the remains of the Gatehouse believed to have been built between 900 & 1200! It is the original entrance to Glendalough.  Guess what was across the street from the Gatehouse?? ICE CREAM!!! A perfect way to culminate our adventure before heading to Sligo.

The road to Sligo was really nice. Very much like any highway so Roy got a respite from the "charming" roads.  

We stopped in Carrick on Shannon for dinner at a little pub we'd just read about in our travel book. The Oarsman. It's a bit unnerving to think Lady Garmin knows just where we want to go!! As we were walking to our car we spotted the now familiar ice cream cone so....you know the rest of that story!! Please refrain from any fat jokes when you next see Roy and I!! So hard to resist so we just go with it!!

Arrived at our B&B; Rowanville Lodge about 8:30. As we were driving in, the sun shining on Benbulben mountain was awesome.  After checking in with Matty and his wife Pat and meeting Lucky, a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel and Bob, the Golden Retriever, Sheep dog mix ( he's adorable!) we took a short walk down a country road to catch a glimpse of Donnegal Bay on our side of the road.  The sun was just setting so another perfect ending to our day. 

Have I mentioned that Calla Lilies grow in clumps everywhere like our Cannas?! It's such a beautiful sight to be walking along and there they are! Another stunning sight are the swans!! We have Mallard ducks, the Irish have these graceful swans gliding along in their ponds. I've teased they are the official bird!! Just some mindless ramblings before I sign off. 

Dublin...Again

This morning found us enjoying our last scrumptious breakfast prepared by Jeanette. The fresh eggs were yummy and the smoked salmon scones mouth watering! The boys had the Brioche French Toast..yum, yum.  She even shared the recipe!

After a couple of pictures with Jeanette and her son and many hugs we set out for Dublin.  Not a bad drive...highways were a bit more like what we are used to but not at all charming. We've decided there is WAY too much visual clutter on our highways. It has been so nice to not see any...very few at best. 

Between Roy and his co-pilot, Mike, we drove directly to the hotel with no problem at all and that is no easy feat in Dublin!! Checked in and got on the public bus that took us to the Guinness Brewery.  What an interesting story, building and process. I tasted the beer and drank a bit of the pint they give you at the end. Still don't like beer but it was a fun experience. Caught a cab/tour guide back to the Hilton. The cabbie was great...he chatted the entire way as he pointed out various sights and told great facts about Dublin and the surrounding area.  Well worth the fare! 

We've just finished dinner and each of us has commented how tired we are even though we've done very little this day compared to the rest of our trip. Looking forward to spreading out a bit, washing hair  in a shower you can actually turn around in and sleeping with air conditioning. B&Bs are charming but small. 

Mike & Peggy fly out in the morning...we have had so much fun, laughed till we cried, teased and played and built memories we'll cherish for always. Not to mention, indulged in a lot of ice cream!! Blessed beyond words to travel ( literally and figuratively) with chosen family. Roy and I will leave early for Sligo on the northwest coast of this beautiful island.  I'll continue to blog till we return home next Monday night. 

FYI...5 shopping days till my birthday!! What more could a girl want than what I've lived for the past 2 weeks and still have 5 days to go? Those of you that know me, know I love to announce my birthday!! 

We've loved the comments you all are leaving and it warms my heart to know you are traveling with us.  I've read each comment aloud to Roy, Mike, Peggy and always get a giggle or response. 

Pictures are few...Jeanette at the B&B and Guinness.  

Check out the background.  What a view!

Ardmore & Waterford

We woke up to a beautiful view of the ocean in this sleepy little village. The B&B is located about a quarter mile from the town in the country.  It is so peaceful. Breakfast consisted of fresh ( hens in yard) eggs and other yummy items including fresh squeezed orange juice, home grown strawberries ( patch in back), brioche French Toast that Peggy said was the best she'd ever eaten.  I've seldom seen Peggy excited to eat ( she is tiny) and she was downright giddy about breakfast!!

Mike/Peggy opted to stay put and enjoy the cliff walk that took them some 3 miles along the water and surrounding scenery. Even saw 3 seals enjoying the warm water and sunshine.  

Mary/Roy opted to drive into Waterford ( 50 miles) to go through the factory. WOW, glass blowing at its finest. The entire tour was fascinating.  Now, I understand why every piece of Waterford is so expensive!! Of course the tour ended in their beautiful showroom where we left just a few $$$.

Shared a sandwich at an outside cafe. As we were sitting there watching folks go by, Roy jumps up and greets this couple like we were long lost friends only to find out we didn't know them at all but Roy saw that the man had on an A&M shirt!! Very nice couple that were Aggies ( we won't hold that against them) traveling around Ireland and Scotland.  We visited a bit and wished them safe travels. After lunch we did a little more shopping (surprise, surprise!) and motored back. Along the way we stopped at a roadside stand selling fresh strawberries. The man was so friendly, as EVERYONE has been. We chatted with him for quite awhile. The Irish people seem as interested in us as we are them. 

Hung out and visited for awhile when we got in from Waterford and then drove 2 min. into Ardmore for a light dinner of soup and a toastie; Irish version of our grilled cheese only they can have tuna, chicken, or ham. We've decided that they purée the soup ingredients because when you order vegetable soup, you get vegetable purée with no chunks of anything distinguishable!! Tasty but a strange texture.

As has been our routine, we are compelled to have ice cream cones after our evening meal and often in the middle of an afternoon stroll! So..we walked across the street for ice cream and then to the sea wall where we encountered many nice folks out enjoying the beautiful weather. One man, his son and his Mum stopped and chatted with us for a long time. Great folks..I've included a picture of them. He is a teacher so Peggy and I really enjoyed comparing the workings of our education systems.

Back at the B&B which is named Dunncrone after Jeanette ( owner) her married name; Dunn and maiden name; Crone, we visited in the backyard with Jeanette, Pat ( hubby) and their 12 year old son, Paul. What a life they live in the country on this beautiful island. 

Not a big picture day but have included a picture of our B&B, the view from our window and a couple from the Waterford Crystal Factory.  

Headed back to Dublin for the night as Mike/Peggy are leaving us on Wednesday. Roy and I will be moving North and West to County Sligo...

To show how narrow these country roads are!! 

View from our room looking out on the ocean

Cobh & Ardmore

This Sunday morning found us walking 2 blocks to a Methodist church we'd been past several times. Roy really wanted to go to church while we are here in Ireland. As we walked into the foyer of this 100 year old church we saw regular folding chairs, a computer with all the trappings of a Power Point presentation! My first comment was " This is not where we want to be!" We ventured on in and to our dismay the service was a sing-along to words on the screen with several chapters/verses from the Bible. All of 10 people were in attendance (I counted!)  So not what we were wanting.  We were very disappointed. Went back to our B&B where Mike/Peggy were ready to roll. We loaded up and headed toward Ardmore, our next home for 2 nights. Along the way we veered off the route Lady Garmin had for us and found ourselves in Blarney. We drove to the Blarney Castle home of the Blarney Stone. As we were standing in line for our ticket (felt like an amusement park when we first arrived) Roy announced that he didn't come all the way to Ireland and not kiss the Blarney Stone so we purchased our ticket and away we trekked up the hill into the castle, up 100 spiraling steps to the very top and by golly Roy Turner has officially kissed the Blarney Stone!! No small feat for a man that's deathly afraid of heights!!  I was the official photographer...had no interest in laying on my back while someone shoves me forward to kiss a stone a million other people have put their lips on!! One official Turner is enough.

Mike/Peggy went up to the top but thought better of kissing when they saw how you had to contort your body. Mike wasn't game to carry Peggy down the 100 spiral steps when her back decided to spasm!! 

Left the Blarney and drove to the wonderful seaside village of Cobh (pronounced "cove").  We ate lunch near the water and strolled down to the Heritage Center where we read about and took pictures of Annie Moore. She along with her brothers were the first immigrants to enter Ellis Island after it opened in the late 1800s...I can't recall the details and my info is packed. Cobh was the last stop for the Titanic before its doomed Atlantic crossing in 1912. St. Coleman's Cathedral was by far the most beautiful cathedral we've seen thus far. Have included a couple of pictures. As Roy and I walked out of the cathedral, a man stopped me and asked if I liked music to which I said yes...he invited us to a concert the choir was performing this evening from 7-8!! It is the same music they will be performing at the Vatican next Sunday(which just so happens to be my birthday!) ...I digress!! Roy and I went back in and what a treat....more than made up for the morning's disappointment. What are the chances of that happening?? AND..we were treated to a Carillon concert earlier in the afternoon as we walked around . It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  Oh, did I mention we strolled to an ice cream spot and of course we thoroughly enjoyed yet another cone!! Peggy and I decided we are coming home fat and tan!! Beautiful sunny weather and lots of ice cream cones.

I have to apologize for the grammatical errors in last night's blog..I read it aloud to Mike and Roy this morning!! Good Grief...MIke said I could blame it on drinking too much but I don't drink so I'm just plain goofy!! Please look over my mistakes and just enjoy the ride.

We've arrived at our new B&B in Ardmore. A lovely spot near the ocean. Wish we could stay here 5 nights rather than2. 

The Ring of Kerry

Another yummy breakfast that consisted of Christine's (proprietor) pancakes that were more like crepes. So tasty. Another something I could get used to...breakfast served to me as I sat down at the   table!  We loaded up and motored on down the narrow curved roads that make up the Ring of Kerry.

The Ring of Kerry is the vernacular tourist title for the Grand Atlantic Coast Tour of County Kerry's central peninsula of Iveragh. For those of you impressed with my verbiage...hold the praise as I copied that verbatim from our guide map!! HA!

We started here in Killarney with our first stop at Kell's bay. You'll see a pic of Peggy and I looking "adorable" in the water! We thought it was lovely. Little did we know what was waiting ahead. We drove through the little hamlet of Cahersiveen stopping off for a Coke.

Next stop, Portmagee where we were WOWED by the Skellig Cliffs...every bit as dramatic as the Cliffs of Moher. Exquisite scenery at every turn. We hiked up a short ways to get a better view of this dramatic view of the sheer cliff coast line that drops into the Atlantic. In the distance we could see the Skellig Islands. The largest one is Skellig Michael that we were hoping to see by boat but all tours were booked with the weather being so warm and the waters so calm.  Skellig Michael was a monastic settlement that was inhabited my monks from the 6th to the12th century. The island is completely isolated and quite inhospitable but stark in its beauty. Leaving such beauty was not easy but we forged ahead on a VERY narrow, steep road that took as past some of the most gorgeous scenery any of us had ever seen. Bear in mind, we have the dramatic ocean views to our right and a patchwork of green rolling pastureland to our right. We looked up at one point to find sheep so far up the hill that Roy said if one slipped, he wouldn't stop till he reached the road!!

We were rewarded with the Skellig Chocolate Factory...OMG!! We were the only people in there and the tasting samples were flowing freely. After spending way too much for chocolate, Eileen (older lady with a great Irish lilt to her voice) proceeded to explain a whole lot about making novelty chocolate items like a full size soccer ball filled with mouthwatering flavored insides and a high heel shoe made of 71% pure chocolate.. Our eyes were sugar glazed by the time we departed!

Our next stop was Waterville. A charming village right on the water. For you golfers, you know the area for the Waterville Golf Links. Anyway, we had to have fresh seafood so we had a bite of lunch at The Smuggler's Inn. When I asked our wait person if the lobster was fresh, she looked out to sea to point out the boat!! It was indeed fresh as were Peggy's oysters, Mike's Hake ( white salmon) and Roy's crab legs. The day was exquisite not only for the sheer beauty we experienced but also by the fact that there were very few people at every stop. It was a wonderful surprise. Peggy and I strolled at the water's edge after lunch (the boys went to check out the golf course)and commented on how few people there were at the beach. 

Just when we thought it couldn't get any better we experienced the "Amen" to our day when we crested a hill and found our next location which is just minutes from Killarney in the National Forest...an area called The Ladies View. I will try to make it the last picture so you'll see why. 

As I said yesterday, I am running out of creative adjectives to describe what we are seeing...like Cecilee Echols told me, you can't begin to imagine the myriad of greens you'll see. She is so right. I find myself thanking God for His artistry. For me, each panoramic vista is another of His many gifts to us. We are blessed.  I am pleasantly tired but have to say....This was quite the day!

The "Amen"

Dingle Peninsula

After a nice breakfast at our B&B, this day took us to the scenic drive around the Dingle Peninsula. I really need someone to send me a thesaurus as I am running out of adjectives for describing the amazing beauty of this country.

As we ascended the terrain along the winding roads we stopped to gaze at a green patchwork quilt that makes up the mountains and valleys. The weather was (blessedly) cooler and the clouds danced ever lower across the Atlantic and the breathtaking coastline. At one point, Roy couldn't take any pictures and literally minutes later, the coastline came into view. I've included a picture. The drive is a loop that brought us back to Dingle. We just drove through as there were way too many cars and people. We made our way through Tralee and Killorglin, two charming towns. The flowers are everywhere...a riot of color at every turn. 

We motored back into Killarney where we visited the Ross Castle in the Killarney National Park. I've included pictures from it. This castle was the last Irish stronghold that Cromwell defeated in the late 1600s. It was fascinating in that so much of the structure is still intact, including the spiral staircase. Peggy and I discussed the market for Castle restorers!! Not a trade we have a need for!

Starving once again so we headed back to Laurel's for our very late lunch/very early evening meal. I have to describe the appetizer of fried Brie cheese chunks that you dip in a raspberry sauce...Yum, Yum!! 

When we finished, we did some window and store shopping as we are in the center of town

with our B&B a 5 min. walk away. Of course Roy and Miss Piggy had to have an ice cream cone at Murphy's again!  Mike/Peggy had finished shopping and headed back early to rest up for another go at the pub. You must rest before an evening of drinking and Irish music!! The boys have left and we'll join them in a bit. Wanted to get this day's blog posted before our late evening. Till tomorrow ...

Killarney

No rest for the weary blogger!!

We left our B&B in Lisdoonvarna after a yummy breakfast and picking up our laundry. One could get used to that kind of service and it appears our clothes were not shrunk to Peggy's wee size!

Traveled a really nice route to Killarney. Not very scenic but gave Roy a bit of a break from the curves and Mike needed a respite from the hair ( literally, one hair!) raising curves and stone walls.

Arrived at our new B&B in Killarney about 2:30. Unloaded, visited with Christine the owner and headed off to find lunch. We have been so very blessed to find excellent little lunch spots. Yesterday (July 11) found us at Laurel's, a little pub on High Street that has been owned by the same Irish family for over100 years. 

Wandered around the bustling street for a few minutes and then drove to the Killarney National Park (2 min. away) as we wanted to take in Muckross House and the Troc Waterfall. What a fun surprise when we walked up to the main gate and were greeted by an Irishman that offered us a horse driven wagon ride through the park to take in the sights. Much better than the 2 mile walk in and out!!  Our wagon was manned by Nealie O'Leary ( had 1 tooth in his mouth!!) and his trusty Irish Draft horse, Charlie. Poor Charlie groaned as each of us except Peggy loaded into his wagon!!

The park consists of 29,000 acres of God's exquisite handiwork. The lakes are so beautiful, the vegetation akin to a rainforest and the mountains majestic. As with any picture, you can't capture the sheer beauty but wow, do we have some nice memories to call up when we view them later.

We trotted up to the Troc waterfall that was for us dry land folks mesmerizing in its beauty and sound. For me, the water lover,they could have left me till morning. Walked back to our wagon and journeyed through the lush landscape to the Muckross House. It was built by a man after he purchased the 29,000 acres from the Irish Government in early 1800s. It has 365 windows and 52 chimneys ( do you sense a theme?!) The walled gardens were beautiful and full of fragrant roses and other blooming beauties. He had no family and gave it back to the Irish Government upon his death. Such a deal! It was fun to see all the people enjoying the grounds. Jogging, walking with dogs, biking, throwing frisbees and laying on blankets. A very serene setting. We bid farewell to Neely and Charlie. If horses could talk, Charlie would have strongly suggested Weight Watchers or trot your selves up on your own two legs!!

We drove back to the B&B, parked the car and walked back down to the center of town where we found a yummy ice cream shop and commenced to devour delectable ice cream. Baileys Irish Cream, Carmel and Butterscotch were the favors we chose. 

Made our way to the Grand Hotel where we were again blessed to get a great table and listen to 2 hours of traditional Irish music. We watched the pub swell to capacity with much drinking and lots of laughter along with one older gentleman treating the place to Irish dancing. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Roy struck up a conversation with two young guys, Jason and Michael (brothers) from Belfast on holiday. Well, they were huge John Wayne fans and the conversation between them, Mike and Roy was quite entertaining. We learned you can't buy an Irishman a drink because it just comes right back at you..many beers were consumed along with a couple glasses of throat warming whiskey. The whiskey made Peggy downright giddy. 

Meandered back to our place and crashed! A long, exhilarating day is my excuse for not posting last night....will try to do better tonight.

We are currently enroute to the Dingle Peninsula for the day. Taking in the mighty Atlantic on our left and mountains to our right.

Including pics from the Killarney National Park.