Two weeks ago, we started fall break. The first four days were for sleeping in, lazying around and playing all day. And then it was time to do what we usually do on long breaks - travel. With a few of B's cousins living here in Europe, it was just a question of who we would be going to visit. The final decision - Ireland and his cousin Carolina and her family. They have two kids exactly the same ages as our two and we thought it would be fun to get them all together for some family time. Without B though. He had Visa issues so it was just me and the girls.
Family time was wonderful (and I will post about it) but of course, we still had to get our tourist on. I did what I always do and made a list of all the things I wanted to see. I then rank them in order of what I must see the first visit (because, what if I never make it back?). That is how I we ended up with a day trip to Cork, the Blarney Castle and the Rock of Cashel.
We awoke really, really early on that Thursday morning. Our bus left at 6:45 am and we were half an hour away from our meeting point. And we still almost didn't make it. Our taxi was supposed to pick us up just past 6, and about 6:15 I called and asked where they were...and they informed me that they had cancelled my taxi. Nothing I could do about that except order another for as quickly as they could get one to us. And pray that our driver had a lead foot and that the traffic light God's were with us. As we pulled up to the meeting point, the bus we were supposed to be on, was just pulling out. Our taxi driver came to the rescue by pulling up in front of him (effectively blocking his way, running out of the cab, and knocking on the door. Needless to say, I tipped him very well!
We found our seats, after a quick apology to all of the others on our tour, and settled in for the drive. It is 3 hours from Dublin to the Blarney Castle, so we had a bit of iPad/nap time, and a bit of time to watch the famous Irish countryside pass by. And the countryside was stunning, just as they said it would be. But I didn't take many pictures because a moving bus and spotty windows do not make for good photos.
We arrived at the Blarney Castle about 10:30 and had two hours to wander the grounds. Which wasn't nearly enough time. The grounds are not only world famous but they are also vast. There was no way to see it all especially with two little girls who just wanted to run and explore. So I gave them only one condition. They could run and explore to their hearts content, but they had to first see/kiss the Blarney stone. They readily agreed but then promptly disappeared into a small fortress that had such low ceilings and narrow passageways I didn't fit (well played girls, well played). They were out in a few minutes and we meandered up to the castle to begin our climb up the stairs.
There are 40 bajillion steps up to the top of the castle, where the oft kissed stone resides. Steps that are about 2 inches wide and 2 meters high...
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| Could you imagine each step being up above your knee? |
And the stairways were narrow, with low ceilings, and only a rope for a handrail. I was right behind them the whole time with a hand out to catch anyone that feel the slightest bit off balance. But, finally, we were at the top.
And it was time to be bestowed with the gift of eloquence. We were all looking forward to it, but it turns out the Stinkerbell was a bit too short. Because the stone is on the outside wall, and you are on the inside of that wall, there is a bit of a gap. A gap that, before they installed safeguards, was the literal death of more than a few who tried to kiss the stone. They now have iron railings in place to keep you from falling to your death, but you still have to be tall enough to reach them, while lying on your back, and your tushie still needs to be able to reach the inside castle wall. Alas, Stinkerbell is still too short. She had to settle for kissing my lips after they had kissed the castle wall to be able to kiss the stone.
As for MadHatter and I -
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| The view from the stone. |
Since they had kept their end of the bargain and indulged me in kissing the stone, it was time to let them loose on the grounds...
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| The tree that we called the elephant trunk tree. It was HUGE, but also, it had the elephants face on it... |
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| The Blarney Mansion. We couldn't get in because it is closed for renovations but the outside and yard were exquisite. |
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| We threw pennies (or 1 cent euro pieces) into the river for luck... |
We were out of time so we headed back to the bus and to Cork for lunch. We only had a bit over an hour in Cork so we grabbed a quick bite, but not until after we rang the bells in Shandon Tower. The church of St. Anne was built in 1722 and the bells were cast in 1750. After climbing two stories, you arrive at a platform with rope pulleys,
Which are numbered and each sound a different bell when pulled. There is a music book provided if you would like to play a particular song, but my girls just wanted to make some noise...
After ringing the chimes, we donned our hearing protective devices and headed up a serious of precarious steps and ladders. It is obvious in the picture below why we needed the hearing aids.
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| The views were 360. |
And then we were off, again. This time to see the Rock of Cashel. According to legend (and there are a few of those in Ireland) the Rock originated in the Devils Bit about 20 miles north of Cashel. It was there that St. Patrick banished the Devil. While fighting for his life, the Devil bit the mountain, taking out a huge chunk. When he was defeated, the chunk of mountain fell out of his mouth and landed in Cashel. Hence, the Rock of Cashel. Believe it or not. But the area really was the seat of the traditional seat of the Kings of Munster until the time of the Normans.
All I know is that it was a gorgeous setting for taking a picture or two of my kids and letting them climb and play.
This was our final stop. We drove the last two hours back to Dublin. We had dinner on the famous Temple Bar and headed home. Only 15 hours after we had left. Needless to say we were a bit tired but it was well worth the memories and time spent together.
