We arrived in Killarney late on our first day in Ireland due to a cancelled flight from London. Due to this, we really didn’t get a good look at the town until the next morning when we woke up to overcast skies and drizzle. What can I say? We were in Ireland!
Janie, Carla, Sandy and Debbie preparing to tour the Ring of Kerry!
We were very anxious to get started, but still had time for a quick picture at our hotel before heading off for the day.
Snow capped mountains!
Despite the overcast day, we saw a lot of beautiful sights and didn’t mind the occasional periods of rain. There were so many things to see, that Debbie always seemed to be taking a picture of something!
I loved to see the pretty little towns sprinkled throughout Ireland!
My friend Janie and I decided to hop into the driver’s seat of our bus. Do you notice anything unusual about the seat? That’s right, it’s on the opposite side from buses and cars in America. Since Janie had never driven on the opposite side of the road, she decided to leave the driving to the professional!
We were a little bit confused about driving on the opposite side of the road!
One of our first stops was for a tour of the Kerry Bog Village Museum. The village is the only one of it’s kind in Europe and give you an idea of how people lived and worked in Ireland in the 18th century.
Some things you can see here are an old blacksmith’s forge, a turf cutter’s house, stable dwelling and dairy house. You can also see a hen house, laborer’s cottage and thatcher’s dwelling.
Janie and I had a good time checking out the buildings in the village!
Shortly after the tour at the Bog Village, we stopped for lunch at a quaint little restaurant on the ring which is called the Thatch Cottage. Thatch is a very old way of making a roof where dry straw or other types of vegetation are layered in such a way that water is kept from the inner roof. If you look closely, you’ll see how the restaurant got it’s name.
We had a delicious Irish lunch at the Thatch Cottage restaurant!
Debbie had a delicious lunch of Shepherd’s pie and brown bread. She said it was wonderful! It sure looked and smelled good! All the food we’ve had so far has been excellent!
The Shepherd's pie and brown bread were wonderful!
This looks a little different from the menus I'm used to seeing!
We sure were surprised to come upon a bike race during our tour of the Ring!
Debbie and I braved the wind to get a picture of the beautiful view!
I sure saw a lot of sheep...they were everywhere!
In Waterville, in addition to beautiful scenery, we came across this little statue of Charlie Chaplin. It seems that he really enjoyed this area and visited frequently throughout his life. When he was in town, he enjoyed taking daily walks along the promenade.
Charlie Chaplin statue in Waterville!
We were hoping to take a ride on a jaunting car as a finale to our Ring of Kerry tour. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate and the driver’s were closing up for the day because of the rain which was now coming down more heavily and for longer periods of time.
Too bad the weather didn't allow us to take a ride on a jaunting car!
Jaunting cars are a great way to see the Killarney area. A light passenger wagon is pulled by a single horse and is driven by a “jarvies”, who are the owners/operators of the cars.
This ride is a relaxing and entertaining way to see sights around the area. The jarvey normally give a bit of background of the area along with local folklore and jokes. It can be quite a good time but can be pricy at times. Be sure to compare prices if you ever do a tour like this.
Our first day in Ireland ended with a delicious dinner and some quiet time before heading to bed to rejuvenate for the next day of touring!
Tags: Polly 2
June 28th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
The Shepherd’s pie looks so good, but I also would have been tempted to order the Irish Stew! Of course I remember the brown bread…yum!
June 29th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
What? No shepherd’s FLY on the menu???