Chapter 10

The Ring of Kerry

"Time is rushing us through this month, and even though our time here is almost over, every once in a while we look at each other and say, "We're in Ireland...." with disbelief. "
~from an email home.

Several people had warned us not to drive the Ring of Kerry. One kind lady in particular gave us the wise advise most emphatically... "You will NOT drive the Ring of Kerry!! !" But we kept going back and forth between the pros and cons of driving it ourselves or taking a bus. Even up to the night before when a couple staying in the hostel with us looked wonderingly at us and asked, "Are you really going to drive the Ring of Kerry???" Course, all of that made us really wonder if we shouldn't, but we couldn't understand how the roads could be any narrower than what we'd been on. So we made THE decision....we would get up early, before there was really a crowd; we would go the opposite direction of most of the tour busses; and, we would drive!!! So with much trepidation we left before anyone else was up - again!!! - and started on what is known as one of the most beautiful drives in the world. And do you know, the roads weren't much narrower than many we had driven on already, and we didn't have a single problem all day long! There were pull-offs spaced throughout the drive, and, because it was off season we only passed a few busses. If it were the height of summer, and if the vehicle was much bigger than what we were driving, I would feel differently, I'm sure!!!

The day was windy...extremely windy...and cool. We had scattered showers and partly sunshine throughout. Did I mention how extremely windy it was???

With ocean views of many vibrant hues of green and gray and blue...complimented by lush, green, stone-walled pastures...little white cottages blending into the grayness of the morning... enchanting, mist-shrouded islands and foamy white waves crashing and splashing on time-worn rockiness, we enjoyed every moment of our journey. After seeing some postcard pictures of the Dingle Peninsula, felt brave enough to try that as well -though it was rumored to be a worse road than Kerry's. It wasn't too bad, and when asked which we liked better, I think we both lean toward Dingle, though Kerry is spectacular!!! The wind and weather were not exactly conducive to lingering, and the first part of the day saw Tera and I stopping, jumping out of the car, snapping shots and jumping back in again. We repeated that scenerio several dozen times, but finally in the early afternoon we decided we were going to take a walk up a certain particularly lush hill regardless of the weather or the consequences. The sun came out and we loved it!!!

I knelt down on one of those pillowy looking bumps in the grass to get the above shot, and was surprised and dismayed to find that it was a prickly plant underneath!!! I had stickers poking in my jeans for two days after that!!

I love the above photo...there is so much going on!!! It shows the changeable weather; the narrow, hedge-bordered road; AND the green arrow reflecting in the windshield that was supposed to remind tourists like myself which side of the road to stay on!!!

Many of the hedges we saw that day were made up of fuchsia flowers...so beautiful!!!

Even with the grayness of the day, the colors around us were so vibrant...the bright greens that make the name "Emerald Isle" very obvious, the marine colors of the sea, the earth toned hues of the bracken and stones. It was all gorgeous!!!

We continued our travels northward, ferried over the River Shannon, drove through the Burren and ended up at the Cliffs of Moher right at sunset. What sheer breath-taking, tear-jerking beauty!!! And that wasn't just because of the wind, either!!! We kept hoping the sun would peak out from behind the clouds before it set completely, but it never quite did. Guess we'll just have to go back!!!!

Coming soon...

Chapter 11

Doolin, Donegal, Dublin, and We're Done

(Done with Ireland, that is!)

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