Blarney Castle

Hello my fellow Americans!

I hope you all are doing well.  I finally got my photos up of Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone.  Erik, Allison and I went to Blarney Castle and explored the ancient ruins and grounds.

Here on the left is me kissing the famous Blarney Stone for some special Irish good luck.  It was terrifying...if you can see from the photo it is a long way down.

The castle was really fun...you were free to roam around and we found lots of corridors and narrow passages.  My favorite room had to be the murder hole.  It is a little room with a hole in the floor.  Apparently if unwanted guests were 

coming in someone could throw rocks and other dangerous objects at them through the hole.  I thought that was very funny lol.

On the right is my best view of the castle.  On the left side of the picture is the watch tower and

 we walked all the way to the top of the castle to reach the Blarney stone.

There was alot of grounds for us to explore.  We found some caves, the battlements(also known as a defense wall) and a dungeon.  The three of us also discovered the the Blarney Mansion that is still occupied today so we weren't allowed inside.  I have decided that mom and I should buy the mansion and move there lol...hint hint mom!

We walked along this trail behind the mansion to a lake on the back grounds.  It was a little flooded from the rain but it was still a pretty sight.  

We were very lucky in that the rain managed to stay away our whole time on the Blarney grounds.  It only rained during our bus ride to Blarney and the way back to Cork.  I was very happy about a successful day of sight seeing.  I hope my Irish luck will stick with me throughout the rest of travels.  Although asking for less rain in Ireland is like asking for less sun in the desert.

Allison, Erik and I are planning our trip to Galway this weekend.  We're hoping to do a tour of the Kylemore Abbey one day and the Aran Islands on another day.  I wish we could spend more time there but hopefully we'll get alot in!  

Thank you all for being interested in my travels!  It's very exciting to share my experiences with so many!

You are all in my thoughts!

-Erica

Killarney, Ring of Kerry, and Tatler Jacks

Hi Everyone!

I just got back from my weekend in Killarney!  Erik, Allison and I stayed at a great Hostel right in town and we did the Ring of Kerry Tour which was beautiful despite the rain.

I had my first and probably only pint of Guinness at a bar called Tatler Jacks.  We listened to live folk music that was very Irish.  I'm sure we looked like tourists lol.

We did a paid tour that the hostel offered at a really good price.  A van came and picked us up around 10am.  The ring of Kerry is very long so the van was a good idea.  We stopped at some scenic spots for a chance to take photos.  As well as a town or two.  One town was called Bog Village and Allison and I found the Bog Pony!  Apparently this Pony is famous in Ireland...we have no idea why.  Each stop was beautiful and we could not pull ourselves away from the van windows for very long.  

The Ring of Kerry is home to the largest mountain peak in Ireland.  It had many hills, rivers, and lots of coastline.

The ocean was amazing!  The cliffs and coastline seemed endless and the water was very rough on account of the weather.  We stopped at this beach and got to walk down to the water.  The beach was filled with these beautiful stones and pebbles.  Erik, Allison and I each got some.  I picked up about 10 and all I could think was how Tammy would love to see all these stones!  Don't worry I saved some for you Tammy!

However Sunday was not as successful due to the large amounts of rain that lasted throughout the day.  We tried to walk down to Ross Castle (the main attraction in the National Park in Killarney) but due to the rain we couldn't find a bike rental place so we had to walk.  We walked what seemed like hours until we were completely soaked that our shoes were filled.  We decided to stop at a B&B to ask how much further it was.  We came to find out that the castle was closed for the day.  The people were so nice, however, that they agreed to drive us into town!  We were so happy after such a miserable day.  Once we got back to the hostel we got dry and headed back to Cork.  We might try and go back in the spring for maybe a day trip and try the national park again.

Next Saturday Allison, Erik, and I are going to Blarney Castle and are going to kiss the Blarney stone!

Jameson Distillery, Midleton, and Ballycotton

Hey Everyone!

I've been in Ireland for 

a few days now and I'm starting to settle in.  I have 5 other girls livi

ng with me and we have a nice kitchen, living room, and two bathrooms.  We do tend to use alot of hot water so I've had a few cold showers.  My room is small but comfortable and I've managed to fit my things in.  I even got a cellphone but I need to put some minutes on it.  I'm meeting some really nice people and not just

 international students either.  I'm excited about orientation tomorrow...I'm actually ready for classes to start.

I think I'm going to join the International Society because they plan lots of trips around Ireland and I think that will help alot.  Erik and I are planning on going to Killarney next weekend.  I'm trying to find the best deal to travel along with a hostel.  There is so much I want to do I feel like I'll run out of time.

I haven't really gotten a chance to explore Cork city as much as I hope but I have w

itnessed a street protest and little children gangs.  The city is packed during the day...but alot of shops and stores close pretty early which can be a hassel.

Today, a friend from Washington College named Bridget, who lives here in Ireland, took myself, Erik and our friend Allison (also from WAC) to the Jameson Distillery, her home town of Midleton for some horse racing, and Ballycotton a beautiful coastal city south of Cork.

The Jameson Factory was awesome. 

Here is a picture of the main entrance.  This is actually the old factory that is not used

 anymore...we did not get to see the new factory but we could smell the smoking coming from the distillery.

 There was a 30 minute walking tour and they served a glass of whiskey at the end.

We saw the process used to make the whiskey as well as the long time it takes to perfect the whiskey.  

You could even do a taste test and compare the whiskey to other from America and Scottland...obviously the Jameson was the smoothest and richest. 

 It was a really fun tour!

Next Bridget took us to her home in Midleton and we met some of her family.  Apparently today was the county horse racing.  She took us down to a field where there were tons of locals and even

 out of town people betting on horses and races.  It was completely different from the Harrington

 raceways that I'm used to.

I bet on a horse named Cottage Acre #4 but it only got 3rd place.  Erik's horse won and he got

 8euro.  It was really fun and the scenery was beautiful.  It was actually cloudy...which is a first

 since we've been here.  It hasn't rained yet since during the winter rain is not as common as it is in the spring.  It has been kind of cold but not nearly as bad as it gets in MD. 

Bridget's mom made us a lunch...which is probably the best meal I'll get in a while.  Her family was very friendly and welcoming.  I really enjoy the Irish hospitality.

After lunch Bridget took us to Ballycotton, a small town south of Midleton on the coast.  The scenery was breathtaking.  The cliffs and the island were amazing. 

 

I wanted to rent a little boat to take to the island and see the lighthouse but it was to late and a sunday.  

I might try and visit there during may when the weather is warmer.  A friend of Bridget's lives there, her name is Evelyn and she also goes to UCC.  She was very friendly and showed us around the town.  I decided I want to become a fisherman and move to Ballycotton and live in a little cottage.  It was so cozy and quiet...I would prefer that to the big city of Cork.

The driving here scares me to death...the roads are so small and the drivers are pretty hasty.  But the people are so friendly.  You can walk past someone on the street and they will say hello and how are you.  It's very differnt.

So classes start on tuesday and I'm sure it will be a crazy week.

I'll write something new soon.

I miss you all!

Erica