Another early start this morning, and quite a nice breakfast in the hotel restaurant at 7am. They even had GF toast and a separate toaster for me to toast it myself. There was also certified GF rolled oats on the buffet, and cornflakes too, but I passed on those.
We stopped for lunch in Sneem, and what a treat was in store for us! We were invited into a private guest house (the Bank House Bed and Breakfast) for an amazing home-made lunch for €10 each. We all squeezed in and found beautifully set tables, with big dishes of amazing, freshly made sandwiches - as many as we wanted, including GF ones for me and the best I've ever eaten! There was tea and coffee etc, and the others had sultana scones (again, as many as they liked), literally just out the oven and still hot. These were to be lathered in butter, homemade strawberry jam, and whipped cream (they had a couple of little cupcakes for me). We found it fascinating that the Americans in the group didn't know what sultanas were, and didn't know anything about scones with jam and cream - a completely new experience for them!
Our hosts, Noel and Margaret, were amazing people and they were keen to show us their home and the room where they'd had their friend, actress Maureen O'Hara stay for many years. Noel was keen to show us his photos of them with Maureen. After we left, we walked along the busy town street, enjoying the sights.
Back at the hotel at 3pm, we made the most of the time to wander along the busy main street of Killarney, buying some souvenirs.
Then we headed to our hotel bar where I had a lemonade, and David made the most of a voucher to sample three craft beers for €8.50, and he was soon found there by Murray, who joined him with Lorraine. The men were in beer heaven! David was adamant that the glasses weren't really as big as they looked...
We had to be ready at 8am for our optional extra experience on the 'Jaunting Car Ride' (actually a ride with horse and cart, six of us in each cart). It was a very pleasant 45 minute drive through a small, forested section of the Killarney National Park, complete with lakes and a thatched cottage, and we even saw some red deer in the distance.
The bus picked us up at 9am and we drove another 45 minutes or so up the road for a restroom break at... a jewellery store! They also offered everyone an Irish Coffee, and Michelle got me a 'virgin' Irish Coffee - ie no whiskey in it. It was really lovely. Some of the group splashed out on beautiful but expensive jewellery purchases - not us!
Off we went again, gradually heading around the peninsula called the Ring of Kerry. We passed through many small towns and villages, and could see across to the Dingle Peninsula. After one short break to stretch our legs etc at Waterville, we returned to our seats to find that Michelle had put a bag of chippies/crisps there for each of us; she'd especially gone to grab a GF packet for me too, as I couldn't have the Cheese and Onion flavour that everyone else had. This was the first ever flavoured crisp in Ireland. It turns out that Charlie Chaplin used to bring his family to stay in Waterville - we could see in the distance the little white cottage where they used to stay. Now a new golf course is being developed beside the seaside (they were shipping sand in to build up the land) - a huge undertaking.
Off we went again, gradually heading around the peninsula called the Ring of Kerry. We passed through many small towns and villages, and could see across to the Dingle Peninsula. After one short break to stretch our legs etc at Waterville, we returned to our seats to find that Michelle had put a bag of chippies/crisps there for each of us; she'd especially gone to grab a GF packet for me too, as I couldn't have the Cheese and Onion flavour that everyone else had. This was the first ever flavoured crisp in Ireland. It turns out that Charlie Chaplin used to bring his family to stay in Waterville - we could see in the distance the little white cottage where they used to stay. Now a new golf course is being developed beside the seaside (they were shipping sand in to build up the land) - a huge undertaking.
We stopped for lunch in Sneem, and what a treat was in store for us! We were invited into a private guest house (the Bank House Bed and Breakfast) for an amazing home-made lunch for €10 each. We all squeezed in and found beautifully set tables, with big dishes of amazing, freshly made sandwiches - as many as we wanted, including GF ones for me and the best I've ever eaten! There was tea and coffee etc, and the others had sultana scones (again, as many as they liked), literally just out the oven and still hot. These were to be lathered in butter, homemade strawberry jam, and whipped cream (they had a couple of little cupcakes for me). We found it fascinating that the Americans in the group didn't know what sultanas were, and didn't know anything about scones with jam and cream - a completely new experience for them!
Our hosts, Noel and Margaret, were amazing people and they were keen to show us their home and the room where they'd had their friend, actress Maureen O'Hara stay for many years. Noel was keen to show us his photos of them with Maureen. After we left, we walked along the busy town street, enjoying the sights.
Off we went again, stopping occasionally to get good photos. Eventually we found ourselves at one end of the Killarney National Park, then passing turn-offs to Muckross House and also to Ross Castle.
Back at the hotel at 3pm, we made the most of the time to wander along the busy main street of Killarney, buying some souvenirs.
Then we headed to our hotel bar where I had a lemonade, and David made the most of a voucher to sample three craft beers for €8.50, and he was soon found there by Murray, who joined him with Lorraine. The men were in beer heaven! David was adamant that the glasses weren't really as big as they looked...
At 6:05pm we all headed out for a lovely 'Dine around' dinner in our choice from four restaurants on offer. We chose Gaby's Seafood Restaurant and enjoyed a beautiful dinner, sitting at a small table with Lorraine and Murray. I enjoyed asparagus wrapped in salmon, with hollandaise sauce as an entree, with scallops and vegetables as a main, and with creme brûlée for dessert. Two drinks each were included, and everyone was wandering back to the hotel in a very cheery state just after 8pm!
We discovered that Rosita were going to stay with the tour, rather than travel back to the USA. It would be easier to manage suitcases etc, and just take it quietly with the tour and bus, than to struggle to make arrangements and find their own way back.
We discovered that Rosita were going to stay with the tour, rather than travel back to the USA. It would be easier to manage suitcases etc, and just take it quietly with the tour and bus, than to struggle to make arrangements and find their own way back.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for leaving a comment!