Wednesday September 19th

Early start to our day today!  Norma's travel alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m., we must have our luggage outside our hotel room's door by 7:00 a.m., go to breakfast, then depart the hotel at 8:00 a.m.  Our breakfast meal each day is included with the tour; our dinner meal is included in all but two evenings (when we are at a hotel for two consecutive nights, the second night's dinner is "on our own").  Except for the day we stopped at the "Thatch Cottage" (for stew/shepherd's pie), our lunch each day is on our own.  Norma and I usually just have a snack from our "stash" (in our daypacks) for our lunch each day.

I slept like a rock last night for 10 hours!  I feel bad that Norma did not. The beds are firmer at this hotel (what I'm used to at home) and Norma woke up with a backache, and took naproxen sodium for her pain.  Therefore she napped a lot on the bus ride this morning.  I feel really bad that I sleep so good, no matter where, when Norma does not.  I feel bad that I wake her up earlier in the morning than she would like, because I am such an early riser and she sleeps so lightly, if she hears me move about in our room, she is awakened.

Sorry, Norma!  BooBoo made me take this photo!
We sat at the very back of the bus today, so we had plenty of room to spread out, what with 5 seats straight across the back.  I liked it!  Great for snapping photos out the side windows or out the very large back window.

 Yes, we went through this tunnel!  The driver had to go slowly, right in the middle of the road, to clear the top of our bus!  Wild!

You are correct!  This Inn was located at one of the many roundabouts we passed today!

Most homes we passed had nice landscaping.  Ireland gets rain and sunshine every day so I guess it's not hard to get plants and flowers to grow profusely.

Heavy sky!

 

We visited the Blarney Castle today, where we climbed the circular stairways all the way to the top, so we could kiss the Blarney Stone.

 

 

Now this is nothing at all like I have had it pictured in my mind all my life!  I always thought that the Blarney Stone was a fairly large hunk of rock situated on a hillside, that we would be required to hike up to it to kiss it.  Well, it is nothing at all like that!  It is quite small and it is encased in the wall of the Blarney Castle!  At the top of the Castle!  Also, once you've climbed all the circular stairways to the top of the Castle, you are required to lay down on your back, grab hold of the upright bars (that have been installed to assist you), then arch your upper body backward and downward, to facilitate the actual act of "kissing the Blarney Stone" (which is quite like all the surrounding stones).  Of course, the Irish have not failed to capitalize on this opportunity, with all these tourists!  As one Irishman holds onto you (as you are arching your body over backwards over the edge of the wall), another Irishman snaps your official photo, while you are kissing the stone!  You're right, after you walk down to the ground floor of the Castle, you pass right in front of the souvenir shop where you can purchase said photo.  They got me, I purchased my photos!  Hey, it's a once in a lifetime moment!

 

BooBoo met two new friends today!  The first was "Big Red", who is a red plastic Mickey Mouse, who we met while in the line at the top of the Castle while waiting our turn to kiss the Blarney Stone.  Then as we were walking around the picturesque Castle grounds, we came upon another Tour Group and the guy who was their Tour Guide had a bear hanging on his daypack named "Teddy"!  He and I stood side by side while another tourist snapped a photo of BooBoo and Teddy.  What fun BooBoo is having in Ireland!

 

 

 

 

Don't drop BooBoo!  She's just trying to kiss the Blarney Stone!

 

As were walking along the winding creek that runs through the Castle grounds, Norma found a place to put her feet in some "Irish water" for a minute!  The creek was crystal clear and very cool.  Here she is on a footbridge, after she got her feet wet.

 

 

As we were traveling the roads today, Noel talked to us about the history of Ireland's struggles over the years, from his humble Irishman's viewpoint.  He said that President Bill Clinton was a crucial figure in negotiating a workable peace between the Republic of Ireland (in the South) and Northern Ireland.  President Clinton talked to the Irish people and sent Senator Mitchell over to Ireland to assist in the talks, and President Clinton told them that he would be available 24/7 by phone to help if needed.  Also, England's Tony Blair was instrumental in this peace process.  I was fascinated by Noel's account of the struggles of his fellow countrymen over the years.  Ireland's current unemployment is at 24% of its population.  Gas averages about $1.69 (euros) per litre; the average yearly income for factory entry level workers is approximately $20,000 (euros).  Ireland is a part of the European Union, so if one country in the Union is struggling, all the others are affected by this.

 

The Irish term for rioting or mayhem is "tuggery"; a pig farm is called a "piggery"; there are more sheep in Ireland than people.

 

After we left the Blarney Castle, we traveled around the northern edge of the city of Cork, which is a sister city to San Francisco.

 

Steeplechase originated in Ireland also!  In the 1700's, two ministers challenged each other to a horse race, from one's church to the other's church, over the hills and thru the valleys near Cork; so steeple to steeple became Steeplechase!

 

Tonight, we are at the luxurious Lyrath Estate Hotel, which is located outside the city of Kilkenney.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of our hotels on this tour have exceeded my expectations!  So luxurious!  Oh my goodness, I could get spoiled to this kind of accommodations!  Our room even has a doorbell!

 

This has been such a great experience in Ireland!  I feel blessed and very fortunate for the opportunity to travel here with my sister, Norma.  However, I am ready to go home!