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Published: June 13th 2013
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Days 10, 11 & 12
After we stayed overnight in Galway, it was decided that in order to fit in as many sights as possible before we had to get back to Dublin to drop Dale off at the airport for her flight, we would skip seeing the Cliffs of Moher, as it would take us a while to drive there and back and see as much as we were planning to.
Onward march to Limerick where we stopped for a quick look and some tea. The castle was being renovated so we couldn't go inside but we admired the lovely bridge and scattered with plants growing out of it, it looked quite beautiful - an effect a landscape designer tries to recreate often in a garden and here it is growing naturally! Then we headed for the Ring of Kerry. The closer we got to Killarney, the more mountainous it became and around every corner the scenery was equally if not more beautiful. Driving around the Ring of Kerry made up for missing the cliffs near Galway as the scenery was absolutely stunning. There was some mist along the way, but for the most part it
was sunny and that gave us wonderful views of the vistas, bays and inlets around Kerry. We stopped at one of the bays, which had a lovely beach, with some sand and not just pebbles. I could spend a few days exploring this area, but I don't think I would pack my swimsuit for a dip in the sea because it still looks rather cold, especially with a brisk breeze blowing and in case you forgot, I prefer to swim in warmer seas!
We stopped for a delicious seafood dinner in Sneem. While eating, a small tour group was listening to an explanation by their tour leader about the widget in Guinness, so Clive promptly took out his pocket knife, sliced open the tin and passed the widget around. The look of delight complete with ooh's and aah's was quite entertaining. The cheese we bought at Sneem for a snack must have gold in it though, because it was extremely expensive We spent the night in Killarney, a typical tourist town, looking very picturesque. The area surrounding it is so beautiful, it would be hard pressed for anyone not to like it.
Then on
to find the Blarney Stone! Will it give me the gift of the gab as it claims to do? Yet another beautiful place with its ancient ruins and of course kissing the Blarney Stone is very much a tourist trap, but how can one travel all that way and not be part of this Irish quirk? One has to be a bit of a contortionist to kiss the stone, but at least we weren't dangled by our ankles, up side down, over the edge of the castle, as was done in the past to perform this ritual.
After our escapades at the Blarney castle we headed for Waterford, famous for its crystal. Another beautiful town on the banks of the Suir. That evening we walked high and low looking for a restaurant for our dinner, but most of them were closed. Eventually we found one where we had lovely food. Heading back to our hotel, we found that if we had taken a left turn instead of right, we would have found plenty of restaurants near the hotel. But then we would have missed out on a delicious dinner. The view from our hotel room was once again special,
overlooking the river. Well chosen, Clive & Karen!
Our last stop in Ireland, back to Dublin, on the Liffey with its canals, reminded us of Amsterdam. Very much a cosmopolitan feel, but still with a bit of Irish for good measure. After all the walking around the streets, what better way to quench our thirst by going to the Guinness brewery where this Irish stout originated from. After the tour a non beer drinker (yours truly!), could even appreciate this dark ale. In fact, I enjoyed quite a few ales throughout our trip, instead of my usual tipple. Look out for the new beer connoisseur!
Time to say goodbye to Dale, who was leaving for Germany to start her own travels. The rest of the trip we missed her sense of humour from the 'back of the bus'!
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