Killarney in the Rain

The train carried us through sunshine-covered fields and sheep-filled pastures yesterday as we began our journey to Killarney, Ireland.  There are no reservation fees here for the trains, so we just jump on and wave our train pass at the conductor when he checks for tickets.  Not once have we been asked for ID, nor has a conductor even really looked closely at our passes - so really, anybody smart enough to steal a train pass from some poor tourist could easily use it or sell it to another tourist.  Clever.  But I digress.

Though we boarded the train in sunshine, we stepped off in the rain and wind.  It was bloody freezing, but we had decided to walk to our bed and breakfast and we were determined to follow through.  It took thirty minutes to reach the house and we were certainly relieved when we rounded the corner and saw the stately Crystal Springs manor.  It sat alone on an acreage that was perched along the banks of the Flesk river.  When we approached the front door, a lovely woman named Eileen came to greet us and immediately led us to our room.

The room was beautiful. We could not have been more pleased with it.  We then went back upstairs where Eileen had prepared coffee and cookies for us to enjoy while she explained the maps and amenities Killarney had to offer.  That first night we walked around town in the drizzle and grabbed a quick bite to eat.  There is obviously a great deal of tourism here as every second shop is selling the same old souvenirs at inflated prices.  But it is a lovely little town and we were excited to see how it looked in the sunlight.

St. Mary's Cathedral in the rain.  The large tree on the left marks a mass children's grave from the great famine.

Too bad we woke up to a downpour.  Our plans to rent bikes and spend the day riding around Killarney National park to see Ross Castle, Muckross House and Lough Lake were ruined.  As we sat down to breakfast we made the decision to book a last minute tour around the Ring of Kerry - if it was going to rain all day we may as well spend it in a bus.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let's go back to the breakfast.

The buffet offered cereal, granola, muesli, yogurts, a fruit salad, and the widest selection of condiments we've ever seen.  So I grabbed some fruit and muesli (I need the fibre) and sat down.  Eileen then brought us coffee and toast.  "The rest is on its way'" she said in her charming Irish lilt.  We had completely forgotten that we submitted a breakfast order form the night before.  Out came my porridge with Bailey's and Jim's fried egg and bacon. "Did you want some sausage with that as well'" asked Eileen.  Of course, Jim said yes.

He then looked at me as if we had just gotten away with robbing a bank. "this is the best breakfast we've had on this whole trip," he mused, "I wonder how much it's going to cost."  I smiled and assured him it was included here at the bed and breakfast.

The bus came at 10:00 a.m. and we were driven off on a tour of the Ring of Kerry.  

As the bus pulled out of town, the sun came out and the rest of the day was spent admiring breathtaking scenery that looked like it was out of a Lord of the Rings movie.  There were picturesque villages that sat nestled between mountain ranges and rocky coast, mossy forests and wide open, rock-covered plains.  Bright green pastures were scattered with sheep, ponies, and old decimated castles.  We drove up over mountains and down into valleys, through winding passes, over bridges and under rock tunnels - and Jim was deeply affected by all of it.  Not so much in a this-is-amazing kind of way, but more of an I'm-going-to-puke kind of way.  He slept through a good portion of the last leg of the journey but I think I took enough photos to portray it accurately.

The sun came out to play - but so did the wind!!

After seven and a half hours on the bus, we finally returned home.  I took another walk at dusk to see what kind of birdies I could find while Jim caught up on the latest Alison Redford news (about time she hit the road!). If the sun shines at all tomorrow, we'll be on our way to the park on our bicycles.