From Cork, we rented (or hired as they say) a car (a red Ford Focus) and drove across the country to the Dingle Peninsula on the southwest coast of Ireland. As captain of the vehicle, I was nervous at first. The roads were SUPER narrow (some two lane roads for cars could have been a two lane road for bicycles. Maybe.), I had to shift with my left hand, the signs were unfamiliar and there were a gazillion roundabouts.
However, I adjusted just fine and really enjoyed the winding drive through the quaint Irish countryside. Our first stop on the way was the Blarney Castle, home of the famous Blarney Stone. Legend has it, that if one kisses the Blarney Stone, they are gifted with eloquence. However, Ryan was very opposed to kissing this stone for fear of catching some disease (who knows who else has kissed it?!)
However, after exploring the castle and learning the history, we reached the top where the Blarney Stone was installed in 1446. Upon learning that they sanitized the stone, we all smooched it and time will tell if we have the gift of Blarney - clever, flattering or coaxing talk.
From Blarney, we continued our journey west, stopping through many small towns. My favorite was Inch, a beach town on the southern coast of the Dingle Peninsula, our last stop before Dingle - the heart of Gaeltacht country.
No comments:
Post a Comment