Real Research

Another full Irish breakfast at our Killarney B & B. I am going to have to run 10 miles a day when I get back to get into any kind of shape for summer! Eggs, bacon (which is more like Canadian bacon), sausage and blood pudding all on one plate. I didn't eat the pudding -- it didn't look like pudding at all; it looked like dry, sliced sausage. Tomorrow it is yogurt and fruit. Hmmmm.... It seems as if people here buy good coffee at coffee bars because the coffee in homes hasn't been particularly noteworthy, but the coffee off the street is wonderful.

So we took off for the Ring of Kerry drive, which is a circle of a lot of kilometers around a peninsula. Breathtaking views of the ocean and cliffs, hillside farms and small towns, sheep and castle ruins. We went off the beaten path a bit and climbed all over a 'round fort' built between 500 b.c. And 200 a.d. Out of stone but with no mortar. (dry stack) These structures are scattered around the island, and I was glad to see this ruin in such a simple way. Since it is a bit of a trek to reach, the tours don't get there, and we could see this ancient bit of life in a quiet setting among sheep dung and a farmhouse.

Robert had read that we should do the drive backwards to avoid getting stuck behind all of the tour busses, and he was so right! Donna counted busses we passed, and it was more than 50. It seems that most of the towns in this area start with a 'K' -- and many signs are printed in both English and Gaelic. The drive was gorgeous and just what I thought Ireland would be like I love to know that this place really does exist.

My research? Napping. Yes, I have gathered the data and it is possible to take two lovely naps in one day. Ireland is a great place to nap. The music in the pubs is wonderful but doesn't even begin until 11, so our early mornings seem...early. Plus, time seems weird here because it doesn't get dark until 10 o'clock. Really.

Tonight we are still in Killarney and tommorrow we are riding bikes around Killarney National Park and to Ross Castle. Then on to Limmerick area in the evening.

I am spending some time on my comps today as well. That's a good thing!

Ttfn ~slc