CÚIG GHRIANGHRAF-Ireland Day 8

This was a rainy travel day as we made our way up to Limerick by way of Kenmare and Killarney.
I have to admit that when I hear the town name Killarney it immediately triggers an earworm of Bing Crosby crooning "Christmas in Killarney".
Perhaps that's fitting as Bing Crosby was absolutely my maternal grandmother's favorite singer.

Today felt like it could be Christmas time as it was cold and blustery for most of our travels. We enjoyed the change in terrain as the area became more mountainous with constant of green peppered with limestone rocks and lakes. Our drive was along the eastern section of the famous Ring of Kerry which is considered to be one of the most spectacular loops in Ireland.

We pulled off the road periodically to take photos although the 14°C chilly temps and rain caused us to retreat rather quickly to our car.

We stopped for a light lunch in Kenmare and we enjoyed a brief walk there.

We traveled in part of Killarney National Park, but we think we mostly remained on the perimeter. We enjoyed an easy walk up to Torc Falls which reminded us of waterfall walks in Maine and the Pacific NW. Throughout our trip, we have played the game "What state does it feel like we're in now?" Today's answer: The Front Range outside of Fort Collins, Colorado.

We didn't stop in Killarney. It did seem to be packed with tourists, and we were happy to miss the fray.

About an hour outside of Limerick, we noticed the land flattened out again.

We arrived around 4 pm in our Limerick hotel. We have a view of the River Shannon out of our window, and we noticed athletes training for the swimming portion of triathlon training. We haven't explored much of the city yet. This is the land of my maternal grandfather's family, and I'm looking forward to exploring the area.

We concluded the evening with pizza and beer at a local pub while watching Gaelic football a hybrid of soccer and rugby. It was interesting trying to make sense of the play and scoring.

Today marks three weeks left until we return home. We're excited to absorb more of Ireland, but we're also feeling the "tug" of home calling to us. It sounds like Portland is finally getting long overdue sun and hot temperatures.

Sweet dreams from Limerick.Read more