Ireland trip – Day 4
Hugs everyone!
Looks like I’m going to write much more than I’m going to manage to post.. Internet not being readily available (and us having problems convincing the computer to connect to the cellphone..)
I remember now why Castleview Farms isn’t a good place to stay – there is *absolutely no water pressure* and very little hot water.. It was exceedingly *not fun* to wash my hair there – nor did I enjoy tepid to cold water while doing so..
I hope this new place has decent water pressure.. Otherwise, I’m not going to suggest sleeping here either, even though they serve porridge with breakfast! 🙂
But, I’m getting ahead of myself.. Cahir Castle is a great place to get to know castle life.. Walk up stairs that only have one side (the other is open to the drop) or winding stairs that are uneven (to better trip up invaders), go through the castle looking at how where they lived and such.. Lots and lots of fun, though not really good for my fear of heights *or* stairs.. We missed the tour, which was a shame, but it means we’re definitely coming back here next time! Also, when we got there, there was a beautiful bird (possibly a heron but I’m no sure) sitting and preening directly across from the stone eagle that welcomes visitors to the castle! We’ll see how the pictures turn out when we have time to organize them..
After Cahir (pronounced care, as far as I could tell), we decided to go off to Blarney.. Except we *thought* we were going to Cork.. You can guess what happened, right? Especially when we started off by taking a road that Google Maps (which is what we’re using as a GPS) doesn’t recognize – so we’re driving off the map! – and then when Google Maps wanted us to take the toll road instead of the country ones.. We decided to figure it out ourselves – which, for those of you know know our ability to navigate – or have met me – is not a good way of getting there fast..
Then again, we saw the most incredible sunset I’ve ever seen in my life – and about an hour before that, 50 different colours of sunset over a small hidden valley along the way.. We *tried* to get pictures, and I hope they came out, but who knows..
I love my man – besides being the most amazing, patient, caring, helpful guy in the *universe*, he’s also spontaneous and fun! For one, I was sighing over the picture-perfect valley that we saw while driving on the highway – so he stopped, U-turned and parked on the side of the road so we could take pictures! Then, if that’s not enough, we drove by a sign about some castle – I think it was Barryscourt Castle – so we decided to detour and see it.. Which meant, of course, U-turning on the highway, driving into a small forgotten town and then getting lost *on the same road* 4 or 5 times until we found it.. This included trying to get Google to tell us where it was, following Google’s instructions and when Google told us we were *right there* looking around and seeing ourselves in a construction equipment company’s backyard! Apparently, Google doesn’t do to well with really rural (not major tourist attraction) places..
Anyway, we got to that castle about an hour after it closed, so other than attempting pictures of the glorious sunset, we continued on our way to attempt to find Blarney..
Love my man! 🙂
We finally got to Blarney, but for reasons unknown (maybe just because the weekend, maybe a wedding, maybe the Cork Film Festival) Blarney’s B&Bs are totally booked.. We finally find this one place that claims it’s 5 km out of Blarney.. Garrycloyne Lodge.. Oded gets instructions, which he doesn’t understand and promptly ignores and turns to his trusted friend Google Maps to help us out..
Boy was that wrong.. First of all, it took us on such a long and roundabout route that 5 km became 20.. Literally.. And that’s *without* the wrong turns and the driving up and down the same streets.. Then, if that’s not enough, it has the gall to run out of batteries and aggressively *die* at the point in which we are the most completely lost! Several phone calls and numerous wrong turns later (one of which included driving about a km or so on a spectacularly beautiful road straight to the middle of nowhere and then deciding – correctly – that we’re going in the wrong direction and using someone’s front entrance as a way to turn around) we finally arrive at our B&B.. Seems that once again we’re getting confused because of the distances between signs.. In Israel, a sign for a turn will be about 15-200 meters before the turn itself.. Here, we drove 3.5 KM from where the sign said the place is to the first turn (it’s another 1/2 KM or so after that turn)..
Blarney seems like a cool place to hang around in, though we got to town just as everything was closing.. We’ll be there tomorrow so Oded can kiss the Blarney Stone and get the Gift of Gab, so I’ll be able to tell you more about the town then..
Some other random funniness – I have a tendency to read things very, very wrong, do a double take and then figure out what they *really* say.. For example, in an elevator in London there was a commercial for this breathtaking theatrical experience called “Lunar Sex” – What? Huh? Seriously? No – Lunar Sea. I need to learn how to read.. Then, in Dublin, we stop at a light and I ask Oded “Oded, why are they selling Body Parts?” What? Huh? Oded looks around and starts laughing.. Taking a second look at that store name, I see it’s BoyleSports.. Seriously, I’ve got to learn how to read! LOL!
Anyway, I’ve been promised a PowerShower – so I *hope* that means I have decent water pressure – and porridge tomorrow morning!
Sloan! (Good luck in Gaelic)
Hugs!
Karen