Kissing stones and climbing rocks

Thursday 22nd May 2014

Blog post by the mother

Our day began with great breakfast conversation with two American couples also staying at the B&B as well as the usual incredible spread of food.  The B&B hosts have all been impressed with the children's breakfast consumption.  I'm just worried that they will all come to expect the full Irish every morning once we're home again!  It really does set them up for the day though and we usually get through to about 2pm before we stop for lunch.

The lovely Anne brought out Miss 9's shoes clean and dried.  She was most taken with the girls and they were equally taken with her.  Miss 7 said it was almost like having an Irish grandmother.

I am aware that young RJ has not featured much in recent posts but please be reassured that he is safe and well and having a grand time.  He has met some Irish guide dogs and a leprechaun and has been a good cuddle substitute when everyone starts missing Rocky senior.

 



 First stop of the day was Blarney Castle.  Like Muckross house, the grounds are beautiful and it is wonderful to have the opportunity to walk through them especially with the rhododendrons in bloom.

 Everyone made it to the top of the tower and we all kissed the Blarney Stone except for Miss 9 who was not having a bar of it.  She blew a kiss in passing but that was as close as she was willing to get.  Given that she already has the gift of the gab it may have been a blessing that she didn't enhance her gift!

 The children all enjoyed exploring the castle and imagining what it would have been like to have lived in it hundreds of years ago.

 And just in case you didn't catch where it was that we went to kiss the Blarney stone ...

 After leaving Blarney we headed north and stopped at the Rock of Cashel in the early afternoon.  By this stage we had just about exhausted Miss 7's tolerance for looking at ruins but once she was made chief photographer she regained some enthusiasm. Below are a few of her photographs ending with an interior shot of the Vicar's Choral showing the roof.

From Cashel it was another couple of hours driving to get to Dublin.  We stayed the night at the Heatherview B&B in Malahide with Jim and Maura.  Once again we were given a very warm welcome and nothing was too much trouble.  We headed into Malahide Village to take a look at the beach and then to have our last pub dinner in Ireland.  After all the eating that we have done in the last week I think I may have to pay excess baggage charges at the airport - and it won't be on the luggage!