Jeff and I are finally going to Europe. We are going to Ireland August 26, 2022 to September 11, 2022. The trip across the Atlantic was pleasant. We were in Delta One seats, which lay flat.

They served dinner and breakfast. The yogurt with a pack of granola was better than anything I’ve had in the states. It was not sour or watery.

We masked on the plane because there is a COVID increase happening. We were on of the few.

Getting off the plane in France was confusing. The signs were for baggage claim not other terminals. We got directions and other than going through a full bag screening it was fine. I was not prepared for another screening and failed to remove all the liquids and my camera. We got to Ireland fine. The car rental was slow and required extra insurance. Boo!
Jeff did great driving on the other side of the road. Once you are off the main road way roads are narrow

There are cows and hilly pasture

We went south of Dublin and saw some of Wicklow mountains.

Bridget at the Dales inGorrey was lovely. Her dog Belle was very friendly. There are horses and goats in the back pasture

The room is nice. Has antique furniture.

Breakfast was a full Irish breakfast. Eggs, sausage links, bacon, white bread pudding, hash brown potatoes, yogurt, fresh fruit and Irish soda bread. The fresh coffee was great.

From here we went to Glendalough monastery. There was a wonderful dog who wanted to play fetch. We got there early and missed a lot of bus traffic. The round tower was very interesting.

From there we went to Avondale House and a tree top trek. It ended in a tower with a spiral slide to the bottom. The slide was an extra 2 Euros but was well worth it.

Lunch was in Rathdrum. It was fish and chips and vegetable soup with Irish soda bread. The restaurant was called the Coffin Shed. Rathdrum had some beautiful flower baskets on the windows.

We went to New Ross to spend the night. The room at the Ferry House was lovely. They recommended Il Primo since the local pub was closed on Monday. New Ross is a pretty town.

In the morning we went to Jerpoint Abbey. The graveyard was unusual because there were recent burials. There was a pilgrimage that walked through the abbey and had Gregorian chants playing. It was lovely. Much of the abbey has deteriorated. There are flowers growing in the walls.

From there was drove to Waterford. We had breakfast at a sidewalk cafe. It was sunny and nice outside. We went to see Christ Church. It had burials in the church. There were some unusual ones.

The Medieval museum had some amazing exhibits. The vestments made in Italy, which are the oldest set in existence. There were some relics too

It was then off to the Waterford Crystal showroom. The stellar globe was beautiful.

Around the corner was the Norman tower. It had a great history of the city presented. From there we went to Kinsale. Fish and chips and mashed peas.

Kinsale had beautiful flowers. The B&B is wonderful.

Here is the view from the B&B

August 30 – Kilmacale house to Muckross Stables B & B

Today started with another full Irish Breakfast. I had a Continental breakfast- no eggs. I wish I has taken a picture of the room. It was well appointed.

We drove to Dromberg stone circle. There are many stone circles in Ireland. This one was on the Wild Atlantic Way, the coast road. On the way there was a small town.

The circle was down a narrow road, which was occupied by a tractor. He let us pass. Then it was a short walk up a foot path with fushia blooming. It was not as big as Stonehenge, but had the same purpose. People today leave offerings on the one table stone. It had a hut and cook hut located close to it.

From there we headed to Beara Peninsula to drive Beara Way. It is similar to the Ring of Kerry, but has no buses. We stopped in Bantry for coffee. Snacks are different in Ireland, but the same. It had a cute flower pot.

We followed signs to the Ogham Stone. Walking to the site we found Black berries growing wild. They were tasty. Like many Bronze Age sites the stone was on private property. The view of the county side was amazing. The stone had some markings that archeologists can’t agree on.

From there went went down Beara Way in search of sea caves. We found an old church, St. Katherine’s. They burial ground is still in use.

Beara Way is a winding road, too narrow for cars to pass without on pulling over and stopping. It did had pull off’s for scenic views. It also had free range cows.

The sea caves were not well marked. I remembered they were on a hiking trail. We found them after only one ride down a dead end. On Beara Way everything dead end’s into the ocean.

The sea caves were an adventure. I found some interesting rocks, I waded in the water, I climb on a rock in the water, then when I was leaving I lost my footing and fell in the water. It was cold. That can happen when you adventure.

It was time to go to Kenmare for dinner. There was one spot that was very narrow. We went to Paddy Folley’s. Kenmare makes a fine stout and red beer. I had a beef and Guinness stew. It was tasty. I did a little shopping and then we went to our B&B

The B&B is Muckross Riding Stables B&B. It is located in Killarney National Park. We got a little preview of the park on the way there. Beautiful woods. I saw some deer. When we checked in we were able to go to the stables and pet puppies. Adorable.