To kiss, or not to kiss?

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Geo: 53.3441, -6.26749

First up this morning was the Blarney Castle visit. After a brief narrative introduction by Andras, our tour guide, we had 3 hours to discover the castle on our own. Some groups ascended the tight spiral stone staircase to kiss the Blarney Stone in hopes of securing everlasting love and the gift of the gab, while others were content to view the castle from the outside and stuck to the acres of gardens. Many enjoyed ice cream or chocolate treats before climbing back aboard the tour bus.

To break up our afternoon journey into Dublin we made two other stops at castles which are as common to Ireland as glaciers are to Banff NP. "Oh there's a castle. Oh there's another one! Look, a castle!" There were creeks to scramble around, old stone bridges, graceful swans, and tons of sunshine. Fingers crossed the weather will hold for the rest of the trip!

Dinner was at the Boar's Head pub for Irish stew and mint ice cream. Dublin is a bustling metropolis compared to the quietude of the countryside. But it is a feast for the eyes! Red doors, purple storefronts, marble statues, and crowds of people, both local and tourists alike in every manner of dress and accent. Sean and I finished the evening at a Creperie. When the ginger behind the counter asked where we were from and we told him Idaho, he said "I don't think I've ever had anyone say that to me before. You have very nice accents, much better than those people from California. Horrible, just horrible."

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Photos

Because, why not a lavender building?
Loving Irish storefronts...

Comments

[Danny]

Did you both kiss the Blarney Stone?

[egatfield]

Yes we did! Hanging upside down at the top of a castle is definitely a weird sensation.

[mike pepper]

looks like a precrious event to me!