Killarney and Candy

     We left Friday morning just after 10am for Killarney, Co. Kerry. The bus my group boarded stopped in Limerick to pick up more American students, and our Weekend Coordinator shared a few limericks with us. Limericks, for those who are rusty on their poetic forms, are 5-line poems, with the rhyme scheme AABBA, and usually involve a character and an event/occupation. They're humorous and can be funny, bawdy, dirty, clean, you name it! Limerick also earned the reputation of "stab city" a few years ago, which is only interesting because A.) the media blew it out of proportion and B.) by American standards, Limerick's criminal activity is minimal. Also, when asked what we thought of first when we heard the word "Limerick" we replied first stab city, then the poetry.
     After we collected the remainder of our group, we departed for Muckross House in Killarney. Unfortunately, we were unable to take photographs inside the mansion, but the grounds outside were fair play. The house is beautiful though, and was luckily donated after the last owner passed away, in her memory. If you ever get out to Killarney, I recommend checking it out if you like history and old buildings.
     If you prefer the outdoors, the gardens and lakes are beyond beautiful. We (and when I say we, I mean a core group of 7 of us) got "lost" in a maze on top of a hill. If we were destined to stumble upon the Otherworld, that would've been the place. However, we just ended up getting in the way of some children running along the paths.
     Eventually, we made our way back in to town, and checked into Neptune's Hostel. Hostels are great if you have a large group and can be reasonably sure you're sharing a room with people you know, but if you plan to travel on your own, a hotel may be safer and more comfortable. The shower I took there Saturday night was among the most awkward experiences of my life. Like the sink faucets you press down on to run water, this shower would only run for about 30 seconds before turning off. It also went from freezing cold to scalding hot, and had no temperature control.
     We'll leave it at "it was an experience."
     The next morning, we left for the Gap of Dunloe and when we arrived, horse-drawn jaunty-carts were ready for us to board - 4 to a cart. The name of our guide was Jury, and our horse was named Starry. She is 22 years old, and had one baby (who passed us) in our caravan. Leg one of our journey lasted about 1.5 hours, and between the striking mountains and deep lakes, we felt like someone placed us in Lord of the Rings or something. Also, it rained the entire day.
     By lunch, we were ready to enjoy a nice cup of tea somewhere warm and dry. Somewhere inside. So of course, we had a picnic lunch outside . . . but at least we were covered under the patio. And we did get our tea, before we embarked on the last leg of the trip - on 12-passenger boats across the lakes. I think that everyone who took pictures that day commented on how their film didn't do Ireland justice. I can only imagine how beautiful the trip would've been had the weather been nice. I feel it's important to note that usually the horse and boat trips don't begin until the middle or end of March, so it's kind of our own fault for going so early in the year. Luckily, we had tarps to keep off the majority of the rain.
     At least, our group did. My sister ended up on a different boat than me, so her jeans were soaked. To keep warm while we waited for the bus to show up, a handful of students (including myself) walked around the ruins of a castle on the lake shore. There were canon reproductions, and intact stairs and doorways, so we just messed around and took silly photos. Most importantly, we kept warm!
     By then, it was about 4pm. We returned to the hostel where most of us promptly took a nap, only to be roused for dinner at 6:45pm. After we ate, we went out to a few pubs, but I don't believe any one had much - mostly we were just tired. Being the good sports, we decided to check out a Traditional Irish Music Pub, which was amazing. One of the girls who came with us (I don't know her too well) requested a song, and then was invited to play a song and sing, which was pretty cool. It was her first time for a live audience and the nerves got to her, but most every one was still impressed with her effort.
     The next morning got off to a slow start. By this point we were all exhausted (did I mention the pillows were thin and the beds rock hard? No? Well, they are). The last thing we did in Killarney was visit a candy shop and meet a consummate salesman who made a bundle off of us that day. He was great fun to talk to - and the homemade bonbons were delicious! That's what I call a win-win.
     Yet, however good the homemade candies are, they can never compare to receiving a care package from my Mom and Dad. Which was delivered right after I left on Friday.
     I think I ate the entire box of Samoas in about 4 hours. Totally worth it. So, thank you Mom and Dad! You are the best - love you!

     Thus ends the trip to Co. Kerry. This week is Rag Week in Galway, so I imagine you'll hear from me later in the week.

♥C