Ring of Kerry

I forgot to bring my camera to the first stop of the day ~ the Catholic service here in Adare. I think we'll be going back into town tomorrow and I'll be able to snap some shots of it then. Besides a few Celtic prayers, it was business as usual.

After church, we got a slow start south towards the Ring of Kerry. It is a popular scenic drive in Southern Ireland. It is a peninsula and had really amazing views.

It took us a bit of navigating to get there, but we did arrive after what seemed like a really long time. We landed at the Muckross House and Gardens. It is a victorian house located on an immense estate. We missed the tour but peeped around for a bit and watched a movie about the state park.

Killarney National Park was the take off point for the gorgeous scenery. The windy roads were difficult to maneuver, but I wasn't driving so I had that going for me. My dear Aunt Carol, Uncle Dave, and Dad had that weighty task. It is impossible to describe the breathtaking views, but I will say that all the while my eyes were open and soaking it all up. (Uncle Rob, on the other hand, took a snooze when the sky was clear and the sun was shinning.)

We were unable to complete the 117 mile loop before the sun went down, it was merely the cliff notes tour. What we saw, we enjoyed throughly.

On our way back, we stopped off and had the best meal we've eaten in Ireland. I ate traditional Irish boiled bacon and licked my plate clean. It was an extremely hearty dish topped with a creamy parsley sauce. I also tried a bite of the prime rib, mom's pasta, stickey toffee, and the apple crumble. All were yummy .. and our drinks were the most reasonably priced I've seen. The exchange rate is really killing us over here.

The rest of the ride home went smoothly and I look forward to our last full day in Ireland tomorrow.

ps. i do need to catch up on some posting, but i'm tired... so not just yet.