April 1, Ring of Kerry

Now we're in Killarney.  The group is so large that we are booked into 2 adjoining hotels.  We're in the Randal's Court Hotel which the kids described as an "old people's hotel"  It had every imaginable Victorian statue, sconce, painting of sheep, dogs, horses, etc.  Imagine a 5 foot statue of a young girl holding a light bulb. Ingenious to make the statue into a lamp.  I babysat the grandkids while Jon and Kristin went shopping and we toured the entire 3 floors and named all the statues and some of the people in the pictures.  There was a Carlos seated on a horse named Diego, a very thin Victorian man carrying a very thin Victorian lady that Linaea named Mr and Mrs Skinny Whinny.  Aidan feel over in paroxysms of laughter at the Skinny Whinnys. Linaea dug deep to find names for all the ladies in the pictures coming up with Priscilla for one.  Aidan had a list of boy names which he had to use twice since there were so many boys

The fountain is an early indication that the inside will be very "decorative."

So begins our panoramic tour of the Ring of Kerry.  Gerry keeps up a travelog of the various historical events and geographic highlights of the area.  He also plays some Irish music CDs.

Bless those side mirrors which are tucked up very high and close in.  Otherwise, they'd be smashed on those narrow streets when we pass so close to buildings and other buses. 

 Another abandoned railway bridge

 Thank Goodness for signs.  We're stopping at Waterville for snacks and bathroom breaks

 Across the street from our Beachfront Cafe.  This area has a very popular beach.  I can't imagine it in warm weather.  We've seen so little sun.  Gerry said, "Dooon't get me staaarted on the weather'"

 There he is, the nattily attired Irish (retired) librarian complete with matching brown tweed hat, brown tweed waistcoat and faithful shellelagh.

I thought I'd include a picture of the rain in case you hadn't noticed before.  More sheep snuggled against the wall looking for protection from the wind and rain.

 Oh, if only is wasn't so foggy.

 Our Lady of the Wayside

 Enterprising Irishman with baby lambs.  He was hoping for some payment for his attraction

 Gerry recommended much handwashing

" Over hill, over dale as we hit the foggy trail and the coaches keep rolling along."

 Arriving in Sneem for lunch.

 Lunch at the Blue Bull Pub.  Jim had seafood chowder again - delicious as usual

 Only fair to get a picture with books

 Off we go to Lady's View named after Queen Victoria when she visited the area.

Back to Killarney for the Dinner Ghost Show which was held in the Dromhall Banquet  Hall again set with full china and silverware, white tablecloths, white chair covers with gray ribbon and real candles in a candelabra on each table.  The program included a wonderful Irish singer who did great justice to the Irish folk song style, and demonstrated bodram ( Irish drum),  two 12 years old River Dancers accompanied by an accordion, a fiddle and a guitar, and a Irish storyteller who did manage to tell scary ghost stories.    Off to bed to be ready for a return trip to Dublin.