Kissed The Blarney Stone, and Proud of It

Tourist attractions, every country has one. It might be a natural wonder, or possibly a man made marvel. You may think it is overrated or something only tourists do, but obviously there must be something to it or people wouldn't flock to places like the Eiffel Tower in France, The Colosseum in Italy, or the Great Pyramids in Africa. In Greece you would be remiss to not climb to the top of The Acropolis and marvel in the ancient ruins. No visit to China would be complete without trip to the Great Wall right? Visiting America? You don't want to miss the Statue of Liberty or The Golden Gate Bridge! So where do people flock to when in Ireland? Besides the pubs?

Answer: The Blarney Stone

We have been living in Ireland for almost nine months now and I am actually surprised I have not written a blog post about it, especially because the Village of Blarney and it's magical stone lies just about 10 kilometers to the northwest of us.

So what exactly is the Blarney Stone? Interestingly enough, no one really seems to know.  One legend says it was Jacob's Pillow, brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah. Some believe it to be the stone Moses struck with his staff during the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. Maybe it was a coronation stone used by the Scottish monarchs perhaps? 

The stories are many, but the most widely accepted is that the stone was given to Cormac Mc Carthy, King of Munster, in gratitude for the Irish support at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Eventually, the stone was built into the walls of Blarney Castle. The legend says that a witch saved from drowning by the King, rewarded him with a spell. If he was to kiss the stone he would gain a speech that would win all to him.

That somehow morphed into the practice of kissing the Blarney Stone today. Now it is believed that the power of eloquent speech will be bestowed upon all who kiss the stone. Who doesn't want that right? That is why thousands of visitors make the pilgrimage to Blarney Castle each year in search of the gift of gab. I am proud to count myself among those tourists. It might be a silly thing to do, but at least I can say I did it!

Kissing the stone is not for the faint of heart. Not because of the horrible rumors that the local's relieve themselves on it. I highly doubt that happens. It is because to reach the stone you must ascend a long and narrow spiral staircase to the very top of the Castle about 90 feet above the ground. Then while hanging backwards over the edge while someone holds your feet you align your head with the stone and reach back for the kiss.  Here is what it looks like.

For some it is difficult to look beyond the tourist trap that kissing the stone has become. However, if you can look past the exploitation of it this tourist attraction is absolutely worth the visit. The grounds are lovely and the castle is very much a part of the rich history of Ireland. It is a fun daytrip, and you just never know, the gift of gab may just be waiting for you!

Blarney Castle

View from the top

Silly Husband!

Croissant Craic Travel Tip #7 - Getting Around Once You Get Here.

Last week I started working on a blog post regarding the best ways to get around Ireland if you come for a holiday (vacation) as part of my on going travel tip series. Then with one wrong key stroke my post was sucked out into an internet blackhole! Of course I had saved my work, but it was hopeless, the post was gone. So, feeling frustrated by that, I decided rather than trying to rewrite the post I would just hit the highlights!

So here is my Pros & Cons list:

Irish rail map

Even though it seems the cons outweigh the pros when it comes to renting a car, referred to as car hire here, I maintain that it is the best way to go when visiting the Emerald Isle. Once you get over the initial confusion of driving on the "wrong side"of the road it's not too bad. Yes, Ireland is one of the few countries in the world where they drive on the left hand side of the road.

 Make sure when hiring a car to ask for a sat nav, short for satellite navigation, or what Americans would call GPS. Additionally, know that most rental cars in Ireland are manual transmission and renting an automatic typically cost 20-30% more and may not be available last minute!

So much of the charm and beauty of Ireland is hidden down narrow unmarked lanes and within small villages that most trains and buses don't go. In a car you can take these things in at your own pace! For example, during our recent visit with my aunt and uncle, we pulled over on the side of the road several times, got out of the car and explored many ring forts dotted along the countryside of the Dingle Peninsula.

On a bus you might just fly right by something like this, and if you go by train you may never see it at all! Of course I'm not anti-train or bus, they have their merits (see pros list above) but if you really want to get the most of your holiday hire a car!

On a final note, you can also arrange for a chauffeured car to take you on a tour. This is what my parents did when they came to visit and it was wonderful. We hired Falconer and Sons, a small family owned and operated chauffeur business. Riding around in a spacious luxury vehicle and chatting away with a knowledgeable and entertaining driver while taking in the sites is the way to go if you can afford it.

My mom posing with our hired car and the beautiful scenery.

 Hiring a chauffeured car will run you between $400-$600 a day, but it is well worth it if you want the personal feeling and freedom that renting a car brings without the hassle of driving in an unfamiliar country and worrying about getting lost. The chauffeured car option is also brilliant for a group of golfers on a golf holiday. Falconer and Sons specializes in setting up golfing tours in addition to their many other tour options.

So there you have it; you can go by  bus, train, car hire, or maybe some combination of the three. It really does not matter how you travel as long as you travel! 

Seeing More of This Place I Call Home!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that my Aunt and Uncle came for a visit. At first I was concerned about the timing of their visit because I had just spent the week prior touring around Ireland with my parents. I was concerned about seeing all the same things over again just a week apart.  However, that was not really the case. Although we did visit a few of the same places, it was different company, and therefore a different experience. Of course we did manage to see several new and different sites. Ireland may be a small country but there is sooooooo much to see!

Here are a few of the places that were first time visits for me:

Spent one day and night on the Creaden Head Peninsula in Waterford which is in the South Eastern part of Ireland.

Hook Lighthouse, Co. Waterford

Brightly shining, as usual! ; )

At the top of the Hook Lighthouse.  It was windy!

I love the shadow the lighthouse is casting in the photo.

Headed Slightly North West to check out Kilkenny

Kilkenny Castle, Co. Kilkenny

Then across to the West coast where we spent two days exploring the Dingle Peninsula.

Dingle Penisula, Co. Kerry

Dunbeg Fort a prehistoric fort on the cliff edge of the Dingle Peninsula, Co. Kerry
If it were not such a cloudy day you could see the Ring of Kerry across the inlet behind me.

Dunbeg Fort

Beehive shaped huts like these dot the landscape all over the Dingle Peninsula.

Ancient ring forts like these can be found all over the hills and along the cliffs of the Dingle Peninsula. 

An ancient sundial.

The Galarus Oratory on the Dingle Peninsula.

Part of one of the many monastic settlements, the Gallarus Oratory is believed to have been built between the 6th and 9th century.

Lots of amazing scenery!

a mountain stream flows right across the road as you head out to the tip of the  peninsula.

Looking over the edge!

Hanging over the edge!

We spent the night in Tralee at Ballyseede Castle Hotel.  My favorite part of our stay was the four legged residents that love to hang out with the guests.  An Irish Wolf Hound named Arthur was possibly the most docile dog I've ever met. A mixed breed named Einstein entertained us by fetching rocks.  Yup, rocks! Really small pebbles.  He would carry around several pebbles at once and knew exactly how many he had at any given time.  Apparently his record is 23 pebbles at once!

Einstein guarding his pebbles.

Ballyseede Hotel

Aunt Jane with Arthur the Irish Wolf Hound.

Einstein and Arthur hanging on the hotel steps.

 And as usual no trip in the Irish countryside would be complete without getting up close and personal with some of the animals!

Adam thought this was so funny and wanted me to share. He is easily entertained.

So overall it was another wonderful week visiting with family. Thank you Jane and Jim for spending time with us exploring this beautiful country we are currently calling home!