Day two of the emerald isle

Ireland plays host to some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. That is a given and well known fact. A lesser know fact is that Ireland also plays host to some of the narrowest and precarious roads in a tax paying country. I've had some adventures today. Nothing too disastrous but I will be giving Hertz some money at the end of the trip. What's a plastic hubcup and touchup pain go for anyway?

So this morning I left Cashel around 9:30 and pointed my european toyota southward towards Cork. I did have some intention of visiting Cork for a bit, but after circling their streets for a bit, being lost, and asking for directions from numerous people (they are so willing to help!) I decided to bypass it. It was kind of big anyhow, and this trip for me is all about the small hamlets dotting the landscape. So having made the decision to skip it, I drove on to Blarney.

Blarney castle can be read about here. The stone has a long history of bestowing upon those whi kiss it the gift of eloquence. It has numerous sources as to this legend but the truth is that no one really knows where it came from. I spent about two hours in the castle and surrounding park, mostly because my timing sucked and I was stuck behind a couple busses worth of people.

Upon leaving, and with the desire to bypass Cork, I asked some cabbies how to get to a specific highway. They proceeded to give me incredibly detailed instructions that took forever. They took a long time due to the fact that every detail went like this:

Tom: So then what
Cabbie: Yew take the tall diggs
Tom: Tall diggs?
Cabbie: Turd Diggs
Tom: Heh heh...what?
Cabbie: Terd degsit. Furst, tsecund, terd dexit.
Tom: Oh third exit got it.

And so on.

So found my way to the highway and headed southwest to the Drombeg Stone Circle. A random little spot, near nothing but farms, that I found on the map having had no information or prior knowledge of it. But damnit after Blarney I wanted some honest to goodness druid shit (sorry Glenda.) It was interesting archaelogical site. And kind of right up my alley in the "lets do magic in dark robes and control nature" kind of way. Druids are cool. There were only like 4 people there so it made it all the more special. Just like I had found it on my own. That was neat. What was not neat was the drive there. These roads are out of control! I mean the paving is pristine. It is incredibly well maintained. The problem is that the roads are so damn narrow that when a truck is coming your way all you can do is get over as much as possible, which puts you in the reeds more times than not. There was one precarious moment where a very larger truck, which in fact took up more than a lane and a half, was backing up at me swerving. Not fun at all.

Hopefull tomorrow's drive will be better.

So after Drombeg, I pointed my car north and headed towards the Ring of Kelly. Stopping a short distance before it in a town called Glengarriff to stay the night. It is really a wonderful little town. I am sleeping above the bar/restaurant and took a wonderful walk this afternoon in the woods and around the bay. It is the kind of place you imagine finding fairies and leprochauns in the woods.

Anyway, that's all for now.

Tomorrow the Ring of Kerry.

Tata
TW