Wednesday, August 31, 2011

THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mia our tour guide

Finally found a nice pony!

Famine Villages

Macgillycuddy Reeks Mountains

Day 4 (Tuesday) - Ring of Kerry

Here they have a stroll, ramble and a hike and i think we have covered all three. Started out with a long hike in Macgillycuddy Reeks Mountains with amazing views. A jaunt to the Kissane Sheep Farm to watch shearing and the dogs round up sheep was pretty interesting but feeding the lambs and the herding puppies were the best part! As we traveled around the Ring of Kerry we passed famine villages, ancient stone circles and ring forts. Ending our day visiting Derrynane House (home of Daniel O'Connell) and checking into our rooms in Portmagee, a cute little fishing village and starting point to Skellig Michael which hopefully the seas allow us a visit tomorrow.


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Lucky Irish Coffee

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Gnomie made it big in TV!!

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This may be a bad idea for me but going to do it anyway!

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Sunset in Portmagee

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Day 3 - Bantry Bay, Beara Peninsula & Kenmare

Started out today with seal spotting on Bantry Bay in Glengarriff. Yes, I got in a VERY small boat and rowed out to see them!!!!!!! I was determined to get pictures of those buggers and it was worth it. We explored Beara's stunning coastline going over Healy Pass which is one of Ireland's bendiest and bounciest roads which drained all the color out of Rob's face so everyone voted to give him the front seat! I seriously think they forgot to put shocks on our Range Rover!!!!! Landing in Kenmare for the evening we checked into the amazing Coachman Inn. Great room, food, drink and amazing music! Our tour guide, Mia (easy for me to remember her name!) has been so much fun. Our group consists of a family from Boston, two divorced women from Lansing, Michigan (of all places!) and a widow from Cleveland who is just a crack up.

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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Evening lodging - great place!!!!

Gnomie jammin

Beara Peninsula

Rude ponies! Wouldn't even look at us

Gnomie touring the stone circle

MacCarthy's Bar - Castletownbere

Day 3-Sea Kayaking in Bantry Bay

Meet Sophie

Day 3-Morning in Gougane Barra

The Superloo!

Day 2 - Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle and Gougane Barre

Our tour left Dublin this morning and headed south to the Rock of Cashel for our first stop. Rising high above the fertile Plain of Tipperary, it is one of Ireland's most historic sights. Seat of the ancient kings of Munster (c. AD 300-1100), this is where St. Patrick baptized King Aengus in about AD 450. Then it was off to Blarney Castle which I did NOT kiss!!!!! One of our group members did and after hearing why the rest of us didn't I'm pretty sure he regretted his decision. We ended our day hiking in the Gougane Barre Forest Park and a wonderful dinner in the hotel overlooking the lake. Topping off our evening in the bar we enjoyed pints of Murphy's while listening to rousing Irish renditions of Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers and summer some camp tunes like "you are my sunshine" which left us giggling and wondering if we really heard it!!!!

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Evening at Gougane Barre

Our Tour Buggy

Blarney Castle

Day 2

Day 2

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Day 1 - Dublin

After a VERY long flight we finally made it! Guess I didn't check the event calendar when booking because we flew in the same day as the very popular England vs Ireland rugby match near our hotel. We were sitting in a pub near the stadium when the game finished up (Ireland lost) and the pub filled to capacity within minutes! It was so fun listening to them talking and singing songs and drinking a LOT of beer with faces painted and game attire. Unfortunately our first meal consisted of chicken and chips due to the large crowds everywhere so the pubs had limited menus! But the Guniness more than made up for it. Early to bed so we can be ready for 5 day trek to the southwest of Ireland in the morning.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Is it a bad sign when they are not boarding your flight across the ocean because they are doing "maintenance"?
2/2: ge 3 creeper!
1/2: Well we are in Atlanta after giving up my seat to a couple traveling with kids that needed to sit together. I got stuck to REALLY talkative sta

Thursday, August 25, 2011

"My Gnomie"

Well he is Lena's but he has accompanied me on my last 3 years of travel so we have joint custody!!  He is packed and ready to go with only 22 hours to go. 

Monday, August 1, 2011

Good Stuff

Irish Quote
When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to Heaven. So, let's all get drunk and go to heaven.

Irish Drinking Toast
May your glass be ever full,
May the roof over your head be always strong,
And may you be in heaven
Half an hour before the devil knows you're dead.

25 More Days.......

25 days and counting before Rob and I venture off on our big adventure to Ireland.  Just thinking of that pint of Guinness is making my mouth water!!!!!!!