Family Visit - Day Two: Cork to Dingle

In the morning at the Garnish House, we had one of the most fantastic breakfasts ever! It all started with a bowl of porridge that was topped with a bit of Baily's Irish Cream. Then there was a full Irish Breakfast - though once again, I skipped the pudding. Hansi, the owner, even wrapped up some freshly made scones to take with us. It was absolutely fabulous and I would highly recommend it for anyone staying overnight in Cork.

Then it was off to the Blarney Castle. During our visit we checked out the various parts of the castle grounds. It was especially pretty because of how far you could see from the top of the castle and some of the leaves were changing, which provided a colorful backdrop to the gray stone.

Of course, we were determined to kiss the Blarney Stone. So we maneuvered our way through the winding staircase, until we finally reached the top. Now, to kiss the Blarney Stone, it is really quite a process. First, you sit down on the ground with your back to the wall:Then, while holding on to some metal bars and being helped by a man holding your waist, you lower yourself backwards so that you are basically hanging upside-down over the edge:
Finally, you plant a kiss on the stone - trying not to think about all the germs:
The rest of the day was spent doing some shopping in the nearby wool/gift stores and driving on our way to the Dingle Peninsula. As I was driving, I had originally wanted to do the Ring of Kerry. Unfortunately, it would have taken too long. Plus I realized that most of the van passengers were sleeping, so there wasn't much use in taking the scenic route anyways.

However, we did make one interesting stop. I can't remember exactly what town we were in, but we decided to make a pit stop and grab a pint. That's where we met John. We walked into this pub, which was completely empty except for this guy (John) sitting at the end of the bar. Although it was only about noon, he looked like he'd been there for quite a while and was clearly drunk - like in a stupor drunk. After returning from the restrooms, I found out that he was also apparently our bartender. I don't know what John's deal was, but he acted like he had multiple personality disorder. One moment he'd be chatting away with us about how he came over from England 20 years ago, then suddenly he'd stop talking, walk away, turn up the radio, and just stare at us. It was creepy to say the least, but also quite entertaining.

Arriving in Dingle, we ended up staying in a B&B called Coastline Guesthouse. The rooms were great and had a really nice view of the water. Here's a picture from one of the room windows, which also includes a view of the big, red van. That night for dinner we went to The Dingle Pub. I never knew it, but apparently my grandma enjoys Southern Comfort straight-up ha. We originally wanted to hear some traditional music, but unfortunately it wasn't starting until several hours after we'd finished eating. So we ended up making our way back to the B&B and calling it a night.