Blarney

Up earlier today to drive 1.5 hours to Blarney. The longest short drive ever made. Lots of curvy backroads the whole way there. We were initially going to skip Blarney Castle based on what we had read in a couple of places that we trust for travel reviews, but with an 80% chance of rain, we decided to skip the ring of Kerry and head to Blarney. We went straight to the castle (which was amazing and well-preserved) and did the obligatory kiss of the Blarney stone (which is supposed to bring you eloquence as a superpower). Winston Churchill and Mick Jagger reportedly have the stone to thank, though I'm not sure how eloquent the latter actually is. They used to dangle you over the edge and you would kiss it from the side of the castle, but thankfully they removed some stones so you lie on your back, hold onto the rails and arch back to kiss the bottom stone. There was also a kind gent spotting you to make sure that you do not slip through the hole:) We then spent a lot of time in the castle and walking the grounds. We enjoyed the poison garden, the druid stone circles and jungle walk. The kids liked the playground and we actually did not get rained on, which was great. We ended up enjoying the castle and gardens so much that it was a bit late to make the trip to Cork for lunch and we found a local spot to grab lunch (a pub of course). We sat by the fire and left with full bellies. Elliot's beef and veg stew was the winner for sure. We hopped back in the car at about half past 3 and headed back to Killarney. Tige cooked for us tonight and he and I took a walk on the high street while the kids played Monopoly. Sad that the trip is nearly over and have enjoyed our time together more than anything. Tomorrow we head back to Dublin with a few fun stops on the way.En savoir plus