"Jaunting Cart and Muckross House" Killarney Travelogue by grandmaR

Muckross house from the back of a jaunting cart

We drove to Killarny and had a ride in a jaunting cart to Muckross house. They took pictures of us first in the jaunting cart, and I took a photo of the photographer at the same time. So our picture shows me taking a picture of the guy taking the picture.

My grandson had me take a picture of him with Muckross House apparently on the palm of his hand. He was impressed with it, and I think he expected Buckingham Palace to be similar.

The bus antennas.

I decided not to do the tour of the house so my grandson went with Ryan his family. They told the CIE tour guide that there were places to sit, but the people who did the tour said that they lied.

I bought some post cards (For instance, I bought a post card of a puffin, which we saw nesting at the Cliffs of Moher.), and then went back to the bus and sat on my cane to wait. I took 272 photos today and my grandson took 90 with his digital camera. Back at the hotel, he used the pool. He says he is eating healthier than he ever has before. My feet have gotten so that I can use shoes.

Bush jumping into the picture

Today we did the Ring of Kerry and the weather was beautiful - so clear and nice.

After breakfast at our hotel, they took a group photo of us on the steps of the hotel. Our first stop (10 minutes from Killarney) was a shopping and bathroom stop at Moriaty's just after we had viewed the Gap of Dunloe. I mostly took photos of flowers in the garden. My grandson bought a gift for his mom.

Between Beaufort village and the Gap of Dunloe we saw the Ogham Stones from the bus. These were originally the roof of a souterrain or underground passage which collapsed at the end of the last century. Ogham was the earliest form of Irish writing (third century A.D). Ogham stones are usually gravestones and bear the name of the deceased and often details of his descent.

Then we passed through Killorglin where the Puck Fair is held. This takes place on three August days and is devoted to the coronation of a goat. The statue of the goat (King Puck) is at the entrance to the town.

It was hard to take pictures though because the bus was moving so fast and there were so many trees and bushes right by the road. Scott (a man about 40 who is with his mom and aunt on the tour) joked that he was taking pictures of all the sights with a bush in the front. I did manage to get a picture from the bus (coach) of a bog where they had been cutting peat.

A little after 10, we stopped at the Red Fox (Irish Coffee and another bathroom break) in Glenbeigh at the Red Fox - again I mostly took photos of the flowers in the area. Then we had a photo-op-stop at Dingle Bay. Note: The town of Dingle is on the other side of Dingle Bay.

Before lunch we went through Cahirciveen, the birthplace of Daniel "The Liberator" O'Connell (1775 - 1847) who won Catholic representation in Parliament in 1829. There is also a modern sculpture of St. Brendan the Navigator. Next was Waterville with the statue of Charlie Chaplin. It was so clear that we could see Skellig Michael offshore.

Edge of the fixed trash bin

My grandson and the other little children (9 and 10) and Scott were playing cards in the back of the bus. I taught them a version of Crazy 8s - at least what I remembered of it.

I have big bruises on my knee and thighs - the thighs from running into the seat arms as i walk down the bus aisle and the knee from bracing myself on the trash can which is in front of me - I've been sitting in the back of the bus right behind the rear exit and there's a stationary trash bin there. This is a perfect place to sit because there is no seat in front of me, and I can also take pictures out of the rear window. Also on the right side, the edge of the road is farther away.

View from the lunch stop

We stopped for lunch at Catherdaniel - a most spectacular site. I had a Shepard's Pie and bread pudding (which were good) and my grandson had soup (which he didn't like), and chocolate cake (which he did). From Catherdaniel, we went to Sneem, getting there about 1:00 pm. where we had a chance to get out and wander around the town.

Hotel chandilier

Our last stop was about 1:45 at another scenic overlook and we got back to the hotel about 2. I went swimming after we got back while my grandson edited his pictures. I figured I packed the bathing suit, and this was the only place with a pool so I should use it.

My grandson was bored this afternoon. He tried to go swimming after he edited his photos and we went to dinner, but the pool was closed to children at 7 pm. He did go to a music store and saw a Fender guitar that he would like, but did not buy it.

Stone gate(?) on the way to Blarney

If I put my walking shoes on (which I do during the day), it pushes the fluid in my feet up into my ankles, and then it goes back down when I take the shoes off. But it is nice to have support from those shoes.

The internet situation here has not gotten any better. I have been trying to log on to write an email for 50 minutes. I can't even get to my ISP online address book without an extensive delay.

Tomorrow we leave for Blarney Castle