We stayed the last two nights at a bed and breakfast in Killarney Ireland. Killarney is in the Kingdom of Kerry. Yes, they really call it that. So far our time here has been my favorite.

Yesterday we had a leisurely morning and then went on the Gap of Dunloe Tour. The tour company coached us out to the end of the main road a ways out into nowhere and dropped us off. We then had the option of hiring a horse and trap or to go on foot through the gap some 9km. Too bad when we arrived we did NOT have the option. There was no one to hire to take us the distance! Thankfully we talked to a lady in a little deli who gave someone a call to take us through.

It was really spectacular. The scenery was beautiful. It was rocky and craggy. 🙂 The guide explained to us his sheep farming business along the way. In fact we learned from him that his family has had the color orange to tag the sheep  for the last 25+ years. Huh. He was great company. Eden had a wonderful time the whole way!

We had a chance to roam around a bit and then we boarded a boat that motored us across 3 lakes and 2 rivers to Ross Castle. It was pretty cold. The weather was great so I do not know how people stay comfortable on the days the weather is only so-so.

In the afternoon we made some short stops at Torc waterfall and Muckross House. It was nice but we are spoiled in the NW with beautiful waterfalls so it wasn’t so impressive. Then we walked around Muckross House, a fancy-shmancy manor from the 1800s. At the end of the day we had a big bowl of “toffee” (dulce de leche) dessert with whipped cream and graham cracker and banana. People serve up some seriously strong desserts here. Chad also picked out a very yummy goat cheese salad. It had balsamic and peppers and lettuce. Oh it was so good. We had a great day.

Day two Ireland. The three of us got back on the road and headed around the Dingle Peninsula. The weather was much prettier but it was still a bit cold. We drove along the coast and saw some windy beaches from the car mostly. Staying in the car just sounded like more fun. Along the way we kept spotting herds of sheep. Punk rocker sheep. I do not know what the deal is with al these sheep being spayed pink or blue of orange or a mixture of colors. Poor humiliated sheep. 

Then we headed up the Conor Pass. YIKES! The once 1 and a half car wide road went down to just barely 1 car wide. And there were big crazy rocks poking all around. It was great. Driving for a couple hours would make my eyes so tired. I must not be used to it anymore. Americans are so accustomed to being in their cars. We had almost made it to the summit when we realized we were practically on empty. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. We made it to the top and the trip down made our gas take look a lot more generous. We had lunch in Dingle. Cute town. I found Daniel an awesome sweater jacket and then decided to buy it later at a different store. What a bummer idea. Sorry Daniel, no present for you. 😥 Before we went on our way to see the rest of the peninsula and head out to Killarney we grabbed some honeycomb ice cream. If you ever see it offered any where, get it!

After our poor timing in Great Britain we made it to Ireland and started out the day without a hitch. That is except for the driving. After reading forums online we expected the roads to be poor and narrow and the driving to be crazy. After the UK and their narrow backroads we were in for a real treat. NOT! There are few main roads in Ireland. The ones that are main roads are wide enough for 1 and a half cars. They have uneven, shoddy, potholey paving. The roads are sided by brush covered rock walls giving the impression of a soft shoulder when in fact it is very very hard. Either people are used to that amount of space so they come whizzing by or they are just reckless and they take up the entire “one-lane” on their side giving you no choice but to brace yourself and hope you and the car emerge unscathed. Poor Chad had to deal with my nerves while he drove. That couldn’t have made it any easier. Soon after we started we were going through a city street with only about 4 inches clearance on either side of the car. A parked car had their front wheels turned out into the street a few inches, and I hit their tire as we passed. Not to mention they were parked 2+ feet from the curb. They were just asking for damage. We were unhappy–but then happier when we saw that we had only touched the rubber on their tire. It sure gave us a scare though.

The weather was pretty nasty that day. It reminded us of Seattle. We drove through the Burren whick is a very different looking area. It was super rocky. I do not know how anyone could live there. The land would be so difficult to do anything with. It was pretty though. We stopped at a seafood restaurant that was reccommended to us by Ian, one of Chad’s co-workers. It was alright. We must have had high expectations.

The only big stop that day was at the Cliffs of Moher. The pictures were really pretty there. But it was COLD and windy. Poor Eden was not having a good time, even bundled up in her stroller. She hadn’t slept very well in the car either, so she was grumpy. Or so we thought. We haven’t done a very good job of keeping track of time. As we were leaving, we did a quick calculation and realized that she hadn’t eaten in about 4 hours. She normally would eat after 3 hours. So the poor thing was just cold and tired and so hungry. She’s such a trooper.

After that we waited for a ferry to take us along our route. We stopped and had yummy hamburgers again. Then we arrived at our Castle for the night. Yes, our castle! We were impressed by the fancy old building and had a good night together. They had a really big castley dog. I want one when I grow up.