Ireland - Day 5 (Monday 4/03/2006)

Monday brought another early start (7AM). I watched a bit of television first, where these guys were making a HUGE blender, in which they were going to make a bunch of smoothies for some fitness run. It was pretty cool. A quick snack for breakfast and I was on my way.

I had a bit of trouble getting out of Kilkenny, mainly because I didn’t know where the hell I was going, but I eventually made it and was on my way to the Rock of Cashel, a 4th century fortification, perched elegantly atop this huge hill. Kings and bishops hung out here for perhaps 900 years, until around the 17th century, where it began to fall into disrepair. But still, this place was IMPRESSIVE.

By the way, try this link to view photos of my trip to Ireland. It will remain active for awhile, and all the photos are labeled. Enjoy!

So, moving on to Blarney Castle. This place is hard to find, but once you find it, it’s SO much more than just kissing the Blarney Stone. The grounds are immense, and the castle is impressive. There’s even a small cave system that, had I had a flashlight, I would have loved to check out.

And of course I HAD to kiss the Blarney Stone. I know, I know. You’re thinking, “But, Jason, people PISS on that thing!” Well, maybe they do, but what do you think happens every time you follow the old “5-second rule” when something falls on the ground, or what happens every time you eat at McDonalds? Yep, that’s right, I’ve had worse, and now I’ve had the Blarney Stone. Deal with it.

Cork wasn’t too far down the road, but once again I had trouble finding the hotel. Thank God I learned how to work my cell phone. Nothing like rolling into town, calling the hotel, and driving around trying to find it. Without that cell phone, I’d be lost. This time the hotel was right in town, on the water, and included parking. That’s what I like.

Time to explore, but first… a haircut. That bald spot was really getting to me, so I found a barber and had him shave it all off. No more hair. It felt good. That being done I walked around, chatted up some Canadian living there giving surveys, and stopped in at the Hi-B pub for a Beamish. Yummy. I didn’t feel much like doing any actual sight-seeing, so mainly I just walked around.all day. I did get some lovely photos, though. See you all tomorrow…