Kissing the Blarney Stone

We did it.  We kissed the Blarney Stone!  

It was a quick bus ride to Blarney from Cork this morning, and when we arrived the sun was shining and for the first time in quite a few days it didn't rain.  We took this as a good sign.  The Blarney Castle is surrounding on all sides by amazing grounds: gardens, druid ruins, rock formations, fairy gardens, a lake, and stunning forests.  For 12 Euros each we entered the grounds and spent the first hour of our journey exploring the gardens.

Our entrance into the gardens was accompanied by this lovely chap.

Walk up and back down with your eyes closed while thinking about your wish and it will come true!

Dougie in the fairy garden trying to impress a fairy bird.

And making a wish.

It was then time to enter the Blarney Castle.  This was the first castle we have been in, or even been close to since being in Ireland. Though parts of it have crumbled over time, it's still incredibly impressive and awe inspiring.We walked into the front gate and began climbing the long, narrow stairwell to the top of the castle where the Blarney stone sat waiting.

Narrow doorways and short, so short.

The narrow stairwell leading to the stone at the top of the castle.

Looking down at the family room.

We passed through bedrooms, kitchens and dining halls, over drainage spouts and under murder holes (a hole above the main entrance that allowed guards to murder an unwanted guest as they came into the castle).  Once we reached the top we were surprised to see only ten people or so standing in line, waiting to be blessed with the gift of gab.  In no time at all Jim and I were bent over backwards laying wet ones on the black, polished stone.

We crawled back down the stairwell and toured the poison garden that displayed poisonous and toxic plants, as well as the fern gardens, horse graves, a beautifully quiet and still lake and surrounding forest. This truly is the Ireland everyone pictures in their minds - green, mossy, humid and crisp.

One of the horse graves int eh horse graveyard.

This is the Lion Rock - it looks like a lion laying down.

All in all, it was a wonderful day spent at a most magical place. We can't say enough great things about this country. The people are friendly and have a great sense of humor, the food is tasty and is great value for the money, the variety of landscapes are all astonishing and for completely different reasons and while the weather is completely unpredictable, it's very tolerable.  We know we'll return one day.