5-28-2009
Day 5 in Ireland. We got up at 6 this morning and were in the car by 7. We drove to Killarney first in search of the “James Coffey” pub. When we got there we wound around the narrow streets and found the pub along with a “Coffey’s bed and breakfast” right next store. ( sometimes I feel like my house should have a sign like that. Maybe I will paint one.) It was there in all it’s glory and my dad’s name in big letters across the front of it. The Pub itself was closed though which was discouraging. We walked across the street to a little toy store and talked to the person working there and he told us that James Coffey retired and that is why the Pub was closed. After looking around the toy store Ania and I (being good guardians Haha) dropped my grandpa off at a pub as we went and looked around the town. We got there early enough that the town was just waking up as we started our trip around the town. The city was small so we weren’t too long walking around. Once we met up with my Grandpa again we drove on to Killearney.
Killorglin >>>
We got lunch at a small bakery which had a small connecting room in which to sit and eat. After we filled our bellies we went to discover as much of the town of Killearney as we could. Our favorite part of both Killorglin and Killearney were the little bookstores that were filled with the best sort of books. We were able to find the coolest books on Irish Folk Lore and just all around good fantasy and a lot of these books were brilliantly illustrated. I got back to the house having purchased “Tales from the Perilous Realm” by J.R.R. Tolkien (who I adore) which includes “the Adventures of Tom Bombadil” “Smith Wooton Major” “Leaf by Niggle” and “Farmer Giles of Ham”. I am so excited to read it. I also bought a clay pipe and 2 little stuffed sheepies (black faced ones). I bought the sheepies because my sister and I do this thing when we travel where we buy a gift for the other person that symbolizes our favorite part of the trip. It’s like we are bringing a bit of the place back with us for the other person. It’s really cool.
^^^^^^^Killearney ^^^^^
When We got back naturally we ate dinner at the Pub, complete with Baileys a burger split in half and some baileys cheese cake.
Then Ania and I hiked up the mountain to what remained of an old copper mine. In all of our brilliance we hopped fences walked through pastures which meant stepping in thistles, and climbing up very steep rocks to get up there, only to realize that there had been a road that lead up there that we could have taken. Oh the brilliance of that discovery. When we were hiking up there we came upon some grazing sheepies. My head about exploded with the excitement of being so close to them in “the wild” haha! Again out came the 7 year old in me! The view once we got up there was exquisite! It was worth stepping on all the poky thistles. We could see everything for miles and miles. We could see out over the ocean, we could see way beyond the town of Allihies itself. The air also had a sort of green tint to it. It was the most beautiful time of day in the most unbelievable place ever. The weather was also nice enough that we took off our coats and sweaters and shoes and took it all in. On the way back we took the path, we barely made it home before dark.
It was a great experience walking up there.
When we got back it was late so we just chilled and played the mandolin and hung around the house.
*tomorrow the plan is to horse back ride in the morning and maybe visit Dursey Island.
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