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Blarney

Sunday, I got up early and got ready for a day in Blarney! I grabbed my umbrella (although it was really pretty nice out!!) and headed to the bus station. I bought a ticket and waited for the bus to arrive. I got on, along with about 10 others, and headed out to Blarney, which is a small town about 30 minutes from Cork. It is, of course, home to the Blarney Castle and the Blarney Stone!!

I arrived in Blarney, paid for a ticket, and headed towards the castle. The castle sits in the middle of a massive green park....trees, a river, marshes, a lake, forests...really a spectacular area!!! The sky was blue, with some clouds rolling by every few minutes, but no rain yet!!! I walked up and through the park, over a river, and up a bit of a hill to get to the castle. I got there, and it was so pretty!!! This old stone structure, just kind of sitting upon this stone cliff! It reminded me of the castle in Edinburgh, but much smaller of course...just the way it sat on this cliff, as if the stones from the cliff were somehow forming this stone castle.

I walked around it, taking photos and enjoying the beauty of the castle and its surroundings. Then, I headed into the castle. I saw the family room, bedrooms, and living areas of the castle, which was pretty neat! I made my way up winding stairs to get to the top, where you could see green for miles and miles, dotted by little white sheep and small houses. At the top also sits the Blarney Stone. I decided there wasn't a line, I had already paid, so I may as well kiss it! You have to lie down, lean back, and kiss...there is this guy who holds onto you, and this grate under you, as well as bars for you to hold onto...you have to lean so far backwards that you can see all the way to the ground...not good if you don't like heights!!! I kissed it quickly and got back to my feet. It was an experience!

I walked around in the castle more, enjoying the scenery and the cool areas inside the castle. Then, I went out to walk around the outside of the castle. They have all these paths all over the grounds for walks, which can last 20 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on which walk you take. I did several of the walks...one took me through this forest, where everythis was COVERED in moss, so it was basically completely green!! Waterfalls and little streams followed me everywhere, and stones, covered in moss, seemed to grow out of the ground just like the massive trees.

Another walk took me out into fields and around a great big lake, which was beautiful. It began to drizzle as I was on this walk, but the weather changes so quickly here that I knew I could wait it out under a tree. A few minutes later, I was back on my way. It was muddy, but I didn't care. It was so lovely...I passed some cows and horses who watched me in boredom as I passed.

I made my way back up to the castle, through forests and around stone walls and small stone buildings that were once parts of the castle. It was so gorgeous!!! The green was just unbelievable...really no way to describe it!! A million shades of green, creeping over everything else...the brown tree trunks were covered in green moss and vines...the stones of the buildings were blanketed in moss as well...it's as if some green parasite was invading everything!! Absolutely lovely!!!

I left the castle and went into the front park area, where I had entered, to eat a little lunch. I had brought an apple, a small baguette, and some nutella with me. So I ate, read, and enjoyed the awesome view and the sound of the river running past me. I went into the gift shop to look around...didn't buy anything. And then, I headed into the little town, where there were tiny shops and pubs. One shop was MASSIVE!! It was a wool mill, and they sold souvenirs, as well as Irish made woolen products...sweaters, scarves, everything you could imagine! It was fun to look at everything and feel how soft it all was.

By the time I left this store, it was raining...shocking. I waited it out for a few minutes, and then just decided to go into it...I had to catch my bus back!!! I walked through the rain to the bus stop, and hopped on the bus as soon as it arrived!!! After a short ride back into town, I decided to walk around for a while. It was raining lightly on and off, but I didn't mind too much. I headed back up to my hostel after a while, to see if there were any pubs that I could go to that might have live music. The lady at the hostel told me a few I could try, so I read for a bit, and then headed out to see what I could find.

I went to one bar, and they had live music, but it wasn't all that great. I drank a pint, called home to say hello and to feel less alcoholic (sitting alone at a bar can make you feel like that!), and then headed out to try another bar.

The next bar I went to was great!!! I walked in, and two little terrier mixes met me at the door. I liked the place immediately!!! I went to the bar and got a pint of a local brew, Blarney Blonde. It was really good!!! Kind of a pilsner...After a while the live music started...it was traditional Irish music, and it was beautiful. I sat and drank there, listening to the music with a really big crowd, for several hours. I chatted with a couple people near me at the bar, and then eventually headed back up to my hostel. It was a fabulous day, and one that you'd have to experience yourself to really understand...I could be the best writer in the world, and still not be able to give you an accurate picture of Blarney!

Posted by GuhBuhSuh on 2009-11-04 05:01:55 | Rating: