The adventure continues! First of all, I have to tell you
that Noreen O’Mahoney, the owner of Mystical Rose B&B, is lovely, kind, and
so much fun! When she greeted us last night, she was happy to see us—she said
she’d thought we weren’t coming since we didn’t get there till around 8:00 or
so that evening. She gave me a kiss and pulled us all in. She even let us have
two rooms—one for me and Cherie and one for Matt—since we were the only guests
there that night! Talk about hospitality!
The next thing I have to tell you is that each and every
time I think of Killarney, and especially while we stayed there, the song
“Christmas in Killarney” by Bing Crosby gets stuck in my head! Google it if you
don’t know what I’m talking about. =)
Wednesday night was a cold one for us because there was a
snafu involving the heat. But never fear! I brought my hand warmers and ended
up being snug as a bug in a rug with one in each hand and one between two
layers of socks on my feet! The covers were very effective in keeping the heat
in!
Thursday morning, we awoke a bit late and sat down to a
lovely breakfast around 9:00 or so. The tea was delicious (I should have asked
her what kind it was), orange juice was waiting for us at the table, and again
we had the traditional Irish breakfast, guaranteed to last us the day: two
poached eggs, three slices of thick bacon, two sausages, tomatoes, and Noreen’s
homemade brown bread, which she said was mostly nuts. She giggled when she told
us that once a man asked her what the green things were in the bread, and she
told him MOLD! Of course they’re really pumpkin seeds, but we all had a laugh
over that!
She told us before we left that we needed to not miss the
Lakes of Killarney before we left, so we were on our way! Next stop: Muckross
House and gardens. We’re so glad we stopped there! Not only was it beautiful in
the final weeks of the fall-colored trees, we also got to take a lovely
“Jaunting Car” ride—or horse and buggy—to the beautiful Torc Waterfall! We got
lots of pictures there! Robert, our guide, and Suzie, the horse, made the
experience wonderful.
I believe Robert said he’s 68, and he looked like a true
Irishman in his sweater, corduroy pants, driving cap and curly red and grey
hair; bless his heart, the man had almost no teeth, but he sure was a
sweetheart! He sang bits of Irish tunes and told us all about the Muckross
grounds. He even knew all the tree names and knew exactly where the good places
were to stop for pictures. Apparently, there’s a vein of brown marble somewhere
in the lake of Killarney, and he pointed out the general area to us. He stopped
at the base of a pedestrian trail and told us where to walk to get up to the
Torc Waterfall. It was well worth the trip!
Then it was time to head back! We saw a few more sights
along the way, and Robert got a picture of the three of us sitting in the
jaunting car with Suzie in front of the Muckross mansion. Time for County Cork!
We’ve experienced some rather narrow roads throughout the
trip of course, but none quite like the ones we experienced on the drive from
Killarney to Blarney! The scenery was lovely, but we were definitely getting
friendly with the stone walls! ;)
Onward to kiss the Blarney Stone! To me, this is one of the
most Irish things we had to do while in the country. The castle isn’t the only
thing to see there. I was surprised when we looked around at how much else
there is to see! The flora all around was very pretty, with lots of moss to
make even a dreary, overcast, fallish day seem pretty! There are some “wishing
steps” that are supposedly bewitched. The Witch of Blarney Castle takes
firewood from the castle grounds for her fire each evening. As payment, she
grants wishes to those who walk up and back down a set of stone stairs—with
their eyes closed! Matt and I tried it out. Our wishes should come true within
a year!
We also saw the witch’s kitchen and a rock bearing her
likeness. Quite the bewitching place! We also saw a glen where “faeries” live,
and a druid’s hut, which made my first studio apartment in Old Town look like a
mansion! Please enjoy the pictures. =)
And finally… into Blarney Castle! We found out that the
difference in “baloney” and “blarney” is that “baloney” is a flat out lie
disguised as flattery; “blarney” is the varnished truth! An example they gave
was this:
See the difference? ;)
Up and up and up we climbed the tiny stairs. The passage up
to the top of the castle was quite the tight squeeze, but we made it with
minimal difficulty! All along the way there were signs to explain what certain
rooms had been, as well as bits of history scattered about. When we got up to
the top, we assumed we wouldn’t be able to take our own pictures. But this must
have been our lucky day! The man helping people lean back to kiss the stone was
not only allowing folks to take personal pictures, he was also telling them
exactly where to stand to get the best shot! He seemed to be a sweet older
gentleman who just enjoyed his job. I love the jovialness we’ve seen among the
Irish throughout our stay so far!
And back down we went! We bought a few souvenirs and went on
our way. We passed by the Poison Garden (didn’t linger too long there!) on the
way out and found a cave where supposedly some people had dug tunnels to escape
from the Castle in days gone by. All in all, it was a successful day! Next
stop: Checking in to our B&B, eating supper, and meeting up with the church
folk!
Now those who know me well know this is one of the very best
things about traveling for me. It’s such an eye-opener and an encouragement to
me to see how Christians in other countries worship. We’re all using the same
book, and we all have the same examples, but there are always little nuances
brought on by culture that leave an impression on me. For example, Ireland is
predominantly a Catholic nation. That holds much weight in their approach to religious
discussions with their neighbors and with each other. What’s really funny is
that they were doing their Bible study using materials from Gene Taylor, the
preacher at the church where Cherie grew up in Tallahassee, FL! Small world. =)
We stayed a while after for dessert and to talk. They seemed
very happy to have visitors, and we were happy to be there! It’s so nice
traveling the world and truly having family just about anywhere you go. Carrigalin
is the name of the congregation, and Mic and Glen are the men to get in touch with
if you’re ever in the area and want to find a church!
And then it was time to drive home! The drive back to the
B&B was much better than the drive out. There are much fewer cars out at
11:00 pm and thus fewer cars to avoid! I got to drive again, which was actually
quite fun! Hehe.
And for our next adventure: Cork City! We’ll visit the old
jail (called a “gaol”), do some shopping at the English market, and head on up
to Dublin for our final few days! Please join us!
Pictures to come!
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