Ireland.
Kinsale
A colorfully painted harbor town with narrow winding streets, artsy shops, and many pubs for social gatherings.
Once a medieval fishing village, Kinsale is now a popular and picturesque, gourmet food capital. Located in county Cork on the south east coast of Ireland, every building is painted bright and cheerful, adding to the towns charming atmosphere.
We spent two nights here enjoying good food, live pub music, and more beautiful weather.
On our first night we gathered for a group dinner at a local pub. It was no gourmet meal but it saved our seats for the live Irish music. The evening was full of singing and many pints of beer. The beer made us a little slow for the following day, which started off with a informative historical stroll through the colorful streets lead by a local guide before heading to Fort Charles.
Rock of Cashel
On our way to Kinsale, we stopped in the town of Cashel for lunch. We then had a guided tour of the Rock of Cashel, a wonderful collection of historical buildings, including gothic cathedral, complete round tower, and romanesque chapel. For more than 1,000 years it was a symbol of power and the seat of kings in the area. Cashel's Chez Hans Cafe was also one of our best lunches; I will forever add watermelon to my Greek salads.
Charles Fort
With record high temperatures and not a cloud in the sky, we were treated to a guided tour of the 17th century star shaped fort. To say it was hot would be an understatement, but the tour was well worth the sun burn; the views of the habour were stunning. I especially enjoyed learning about the soliders and their families and life at the fort.
Afterwards Mom and I walked back to town, stopping at Bulman Pub for a refreshing drink and wonderful scallop salad. The leisurely stroll was hot, but enjoyable. We spent some time shopping in Kinsale, had a few more pints of beer and a short nap before gathering for our group dinner. Fishy Fishy is one of the top restaurants in Kinsale and the the food was excellent but I wish we could have eaten there on our own to have the full menu as an option. After supper I convinced the family to stroll to the Spanish wine bar in town instead of beer and singing. I wanted to relive my Spain trip last summer. Our time in Kinsale was a relaxing one.
Sheep Farm & Killarney National Park
The next morning, we traveled along Ireland's forests, mountains, and lakes on our way to the Dingle Peninsula. What a beautiful drive! Our first stop was a sheep farm to witness the talented sheep dogs in action. This was a highlight of my trip. I couldn't believe how smart and well trained the dogs were. It's unfortunate that there isn't a market for the wool anymore. The cost to shear and ship is constantly increasing while the price of wool is declining; the sheep are now sheared more for health reasons.
For lunch we had a few hours in Killarney National Park. We were the only ones who spent our free time touring the Muckross House, a stunning 19th century Victorian mansion. No photos inside, but trust me when I say that it was beautifully designed and decorated. I especially enjoyed the suites for Queen Victoria's visit in 1861.
Next stop
