It seems as though everyday in Ireland will be an adventure. Also, it seems as though everyday in Ireland will be starting early. (Not too keen on the second sentence) We departed on our bus at 8 am with our feisty tour guide Fiona. She gets a bit mad when the group is a little late.
We started our day with a trip up to Blarney to kiss the Blarney stone and get the gift of the gab. After the two hour bus ride we were finally there and excited to explore. We quickly raced up the castle (raced is a relative word since the stairwell was a tiny winding set of stairs, slick from the rain outside) and waited our turn to kiss the stone.
The view was amazing from the top of the castle and the panic of the walk up the castle had subsided. The process to kiss the stone was a bit nerve racking since you had to lay down on your back with your head facing the stone, then scoot yourself back, tilt your head back, and kiss. Leaning off a 300 foot building is a bit scary, but the stone had to be kissed.
After we got the gift of the gab, my mom, brother, and I did a little hike through a trail on the grounds. It was beautiful. There were waterfalls, and trails littered with beautiful plants and flowers. There was even some Irish folklore legends on the trail like the wishing steps and the witches stone. The wishing steps you had to walk up and down backwards, with your eyes closed while thinking only of your wish. It was amazing learning some of the superstitious history of the Irish while enjoying the beautiful country landscape.
We left the trail to explore more and came across a huge swing just sitting in the middle of the park. Since my brother and I are such children we of course had to test it out. Needless to say we had fun.
We met up with the rest of the family and headed back to Dromoland for a family dinner. I really have enjoyed all the time that I’ve been spending with the Mullens.
The next day we woke up bright and early to head to the town of Killarney. We were greeted by a horse and buggy that was going to take us on a tour of the national park. (No, not the one from P.S I Love You) Our buggy ride stopped at this castle over looking a lake, and we got out to explore. The young ones on the trip were quickly distracted by a stream swarming with baby ducks. Of course they had to stop and feed the cute little ducks.
We did a bit more exploring and found a nice little wall to try and climb. Like I said earlier, you can group me in with the children. Just when everyone was having fun, a freak storm started and we were all caught in the rain. Since it had been sunny and nice moments earlier, no one was prepared.
We raced back to the buggies to finish out our ride. The buggy dropped us off in town and we split up to try and find somewhere to have lunch. After a quick bite of fish and chips, it was necessary to find some dessert. Fiona had told us about Murphy’s Ice Cream which was apparently the best ice cream in Ireland. I got peanut butter and chocolate and I have to say it was quite delicious. Maybe the best ice cream, but then again I haven’t tried all the ice cream in Ireland...yet.
We headed back to the bus to make our long trek back to the castle. Tomorrow I can only imagine what adventure Fiona has cooked up for us. But more on that later. Until next time!! xx
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