Ring of Kerry

We left Tipperrary and went to Cork. For once we managed to stay on the right road and were not lost once. The road was even on our map which has become unussual lately.

Cork is a much larger place than I had imagined it to be. It's funny, we always seem to have an idea in our subconcious of what a place will be like even though we have no idea. The city was originally built on 14 islands in the center of the river. these islands were walled on the outside so the only way to attack was by water making it an easy place to defend. In the 1500s the built aqua ducts over the rivers and linked all the islands. Those ducts became roads and are still in use today. The river also still flows beneath them. Some of the original buildings remain and they have stairs leading up to the front door from a small downstairs room at footpath level where boats would have been moored. Amazing what they achieved in those days.

Blame the Blarney

Next we went to Blarney Castle where we bothed kissed the stone so if I start to ramble on a bit I can now blame the stone. It was a great experience, not just kissing the stone but walking through the old castle and trying to imagine what thier lives were like. I would definitely want to be the Lord of the house and not a servant / slave.

On from there with a good feeling and then the rain came down. The weather has been kind really, it only seems to rain while we are indoors or in the car.

We drove west to Kenmare which is the start of the ring of Kerry and into what was almost like tropical rain forrest. It seemed a bit out of place when you consider the climate but was stunning.

Once through this area we came onto the coast and both our jaws dropped. We were speechless for a while. Every time we thought it could not get any better we would turn a bend and be even more amazed. The coast is very rugged with steep cliffs and rocky outcrops jutting out into the sea. It is dotted with rocks or tiny islands sticking up out of the water. There are steep rocky hills on the other side of the road which disappear into the clouds.

The weather being as it was seemed to add to the beauty of the area untill we got out of the car for a better look or photo. At 1 spot I had to lean on the car to hold the camera it was that windy, but as I said it only added to what is definitely the most beautiful scenery  we have ever seen.

As I said before I'm blaming the Blarney Stone but it's been a special last few days