Ballinvounig House Dingle

Well this morning we woke to heavy heads and grey skies. A quick brekkie and we were off on the bus once more. We drove along the Dingle peninsula for a while, which some breathtaking cliffs and scenery. At one stage we got off the bus to take some photos, and Mike closed the doors and drove a little way down the road - enforcing some fresh air and exercise! We also got the opportuinity to climb a rather large hill, covered in sheep ...

Well needless to say today began with a headache, after finding the craic in Galway. Armed with lots of water and my first coffee in 5 days!, we set off. <br><br>Before long we were travelling through the Buren - a wild desolate area, made of limestone with spectacular views. We visited a beautiful desolate abbey, then started making like the goats that inhabit the area and climbed some hills with spectacular views of the coastline. Michael ...

... at the Railway Hostel,in a cute three-person room and just relaxed tonight...Because ours burnt out the night before, the first thing we needed to do was find a hair straightener when we woke up because heaven forbid Haley, Nicole and I not having a straightener while backpacking. Thats just how we roll while we're backpacking. <br><br>There are sooooo many rainbows here. We saw five yesterday. The sky is pitch black with a small ray of ...

... some fun at our exense! At one point John had to pull over for another car, and we were so close to the edge that I couldn&#8217;t do anything but whimper. (Apparently, that&#8217;s how I handle terror!) Once down on conventional roads again, we made much better time getting back to Kenmare.<br><br>Dinner was once again at Foley&#8217;s. We had soup and shared a pizza while we talked with a couple from Colorado. Retired teachers, this is their last trip ...

... started coming across the buses!!!<br><br>We made our first stop just outside of town and got a horse and carriage that took us along Lough Leane past Muckross house and the old Abbey and to the Toc Waterfall. On the way around we say a huge wild strawberry plant, more like a tree than a strawberry plant and a huge Rodadendrum TREE.. lol. it was a chilly day and rained a bit on our trip around the place. Jackie ...

... br>We headed to the shops and bought a couple of beers and a bottle of red wine and headed back to watch the game. What an awesome game!! I got a bit excited though got told to keep it down by Maggie. I also spilled my wine all over the cream coloured bed linen!! Remembering Maggie as a clean freak we frantically raced for the toilet paper and dabbed it up as best we could and got it down to a dull purple stain. I felt so bad though. I had also spilled a little bit of dip ...

... red Land Rover. With our help Dad has done a fantastic job driving under very difficult circumstances. Last night we arrived with only enough time for a light dinner in the pub below our B&amp;B (every B&amp;B has a pub beneath it here) complete with a Guiness (me), Coke (guess who) and NA beer that actually bordered on enjoyable. Today we saw the Cashel Rock (you'll have to check that spelling), kissed the Blarney Stone ...

... Catholics and Protestants are still bitter rivals up north, but we are not up there. Rural Southern Ireland is a charming place to visit and its people are as hospitable and helpful as any on the planet. While the country in general is neither breathtaking nor climate friendly, the endearing people, their curious culture, amazing cuisine, rain-soaked green landscapes and captivating music all play well on a unique stage that has you wanting to come back for more, anytime.

... after sunrise, the view of Dingle Town, the emerald blue Dingle Harbor, and the green farm fields below is breathtaking and in stark contrast to the horror of the starving people who died here a century and a half ago. If you look just up the hill from the hospital you can still see the outlines of the foundation of the old "work house," where over 5,000 of these overworked starving Irish died. There is an eerie ...

... and larger meals. Times/Rates: Skellig Experience April and May: 10am to 6pm (Last admission 5:15pm) June, July, August: 10.00am to 7pm (Last admission 6pm) Sept, Oct, Nov: 10.00am to 6pm (Last admission 5:15pm) Adults &euro;4.40 Students/Senior &euro;3.80 Child &euro;2.20 Family &euro;2.20 Times/Rates: Skellig Experience and Round Skelling Cruise Adults &euro;21.50 Students/Senior&euro;19.40 Child ...