Killarney and the Ring

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When I got back to the B&B, Mary helped hook me up with a Ring of Kerry tour. She made a phonecall and it was all settled. I'd go to Killarney to pick up the tour; that way I'd see a new town and go on the tour I wanted.

I got up early, and with Mary's salmon-and-egg breakfast I was off! I had a truly great day, talking and meeting and spending money and taking pictures in and around the Ring. I met Michael and Mary, an older Irish married couple from Kendare, I believe, who were my bus buddies and photo-taking buddies. Michael and I sat next to each other on the bus; he made himself laugh a lot with the stories he told me.

I also met fellow single gals Maria and Eileen—both in their 40s I'd guess—and the 3 of us ate lunch at the bar together. They were funny, full of vitality and spunk, both of them. Eileen, from Texas, had just come to Ireland to see a big concert with some really famous bands whose names of course escape me now. She'd decided to make a trip of it.

Maria is from San Diego, very sporty, and like me was flip flopping between visiting Ireland and Scotland for a while. We got a picture together and I think she already tagged me in something or other online.

Walking back to the B&B from the bus station I ran into the couple staying in the B&B that I'd heard Mary talk about but had not actually met yet. They are from Washington state; their daughter was there with them, who is a bit older than me but looks younger. Later we all chatted and shared stories about where we'd been and where we're going next. The couple is going to Scotland next. The daughter and I sat and talked for about an hour about life, our inclinations to be independent and in what contexts, the scheduled nature of our lives, the character of the people—she was also an English major like me so we had tons to talk about there too—eg: eBooks and books with pages. It was a nice talk. The kind of talk you'd have with a fellow traveler. You're more comfortable sharing your life, eager to connect, eager to learn. Not so much pretense, easier to crack the ice. You already have something in common if you're traveling, you're both a fish out of your usual pond. Then we both went off to bed. That night I was finally able to sleep deeply.

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Photos

Killarney bus station
well said