Day Eight: That's a bunch of Blarney...

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Today we said goodbye to Cork and headed for our first stop of the day, the Blarney Castle; today we visited a few spots on our way to Kenmare.

Blarney Castle

The Blarney Castle is a popular destination when visiting Ireland. Legend says that if you kiss the Blarney Stone you are given the gift of gab. There are a couple things to know before you decide to make the journey to the stone. The Blarney Stone is on the top of the Blarney Castle. You have to climb about 120 steps to the top to reach the stone. The stone steps are skinny, uneven and can be slippery. The good thing is it's usually a slow climb because of the line to get to the top. There are a couple of spots along the journey up that you can step into and take a break if needed.



When you actually get to the stone the way you have to kiss it can be a little tricky. You must lay backwards and kiss it upside down. Thankfully there are bars underneath you so you wont fall to your death if you slip; as well as, as handles to grab onto and a nice irish man to hold you as you scoot back to kiss the stone and help you up when your done. 



Obviously I don't believe in the superstition but the views from the top of the castle alone are worth the hike up. The castle opens at 9:00am and I suggest getting there as soon as it opens. There was almost no wait to get up to the stone and as we were walking back from the castle (around 10am) multiple tour busses pulled in and the line grew exponentially. 

  




After the Blarney Castle we headed towards Kenmare with a few stops along the way. Getting there "Jane" (the name we gave Jennifer's GPS on her phone) took us on some questionable roads, but we made it and we got some pretty awesome views of the Irish countryside.  

These roads are all two way roads by the way. 
Be careful around the bends, you might go head to head with another car. 







Clonakilty

This cute little town was our stop for lunch. The shops that line the street are a rainbow of colors. We ate at Aris Cafe on one of the corners of the main square. They had seating outside, in the square, which was an excellent spot for people watching. The food was fresh and flavorful, like all of our culinary experiences in Ireland. After lunch we strolled up and down the streets, visited a few shops, like the candy shop across from Aris, and then got back on the road.


Mizen Head

Our next stop was the most south-westerly point in Ireland. We actually didn't make it all the way to the head. From my reasearch I knew that we probably wouldn't. According to their web site "from the Car park and Visitor Centre, the Signal Station is a ten minute walk along the path, down the 99 steps and across the Arched Bridge" (http://mizenhead.net/). This was a time I decided to save my knee and our money for something else. The views from the car park were pretty great anyway, and (not knowing it then) the views from other points on tomorrows journey would be breathtaking and not as far of a walk.





To visit Mizen Head it was a small detour off our route to Kenmare, but the drive was beautiful; the coast of Ireland is stunning. Again if you are in Ireland rent a car! The best part was the views while we were driving. Here are some more pictures from the rest of the drive to Kenmare.




Tonight's dinner was some things we picked up at a little store on the way to our hostel in Kenmare. We got to the hostel that evening, checked in, ate our dinner, Skyped with my mom, tried to write on our blog (we did a few entries while we were traveling last year but keeping up with it after traveling all day was impossible), and then went to bed. Tomorrow we had a full day of driving, so we wanted our rest. Here's the thing about hostels, it's not for people who want their rest. Jen and I did pay the extra for a private room with en-suit bathroom, however, the walls are thin and the lively atmosphere of a hostel makes it hard to fall asleep when your a light sleeper. If your young, extraverted, love meeting new people and making friends, this is the place for you. And hostels in Europe are generally cleaner and nicer than you would think. The one we stayed in was perfectly nice, clean and safe, just not super quite until late late at night. I am definitely an introvert and after a long day of driving, walking, sightseeing, I have no energy left to make new friends (which I wish I did but that's just me), so thankfully we only stayed in one hostel on our trip. 



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