Some Monday afternoon Blarney

[byslantedlight]

Who's coming with me for the rest of the day...? *g*

When we saw her last, our heroine had just left Hook Lighthouse... ...from which she went past Loftus Hall, which I would have visited if it had been open (candidate for the most haunted house in Ireland - and B&B landlady said it was creepy even in the daytime!)

Can't resist a car ferry... *g*Besides, nipping over the water at Ballyhack saved me quite a drive back up the peninsula, so it was practical... *g*

Then I drove and I drove and I drove, until I came to Blarney Castle... ...complete with guerilla crochet! Perhaps the surprise element would have repelled invaders, back in the day... Watch out everyone - they've used crochet! It's four-ply! *g*

I queued on tiny castle stairs amidst a hundred Americans, and admired the view as we made our slow way up... ...to kiss the Blarney Stone! (Yeah, that's really me - I thought my mum might have a giggle) I am now filled with eloquence, apparently! *g*

Mind you, talk about kiss-me-quick! Very efficient they were about it - sit here, hold here, lean back, now do it... and suddenly you're back on your feet again and joining the queue for the exit! At least the steps down felt easier!

What I didn't know, was that Blarney Castle also has extensive and rather fab gardens.
I loved the Poison Garden, designed to educate visitors about poisonous plants.

There were lovely quiet woods (scented with wild garlic, gorgeous!)

Paths that led through the woods to the ice house... ...and a cool Fern Garden...

Past Blarney House itself to a gorgeous rose-topped passageway... ...and hidden buildings surrounded by flowers.

There were caves... ...and daisies. *g* It was all rather glorious. And of course there was a gift shop, where I bought postcards, a book on Irish women, and a book on Irish ghosts... *g*

Then I pointed the car west again, and headed for my next bed for the night... ...a room to myself at the Killarney IYHA. Nipped to the Golden Nugget around the corner for dinner that involved vegetables (a roasted-vegetable wrap) and red wine, back to my room, internet connection on - lush! *g*

And it's only Monday. *g* Hope you're having a good week so far too! Oh - and oddly enough, I had a text from my mobile phone chaps saying that I had "free" roaming in Ireland! Wish they'd told me that the day before, when I got here and spent time trying to work out whether I could make my phone connect without breaking my bank account (more...!) But it does mean that on my (hopefully) more relaxed day tomorrow, I might again manage multiple posts. From one extreme to the other, innit... *g*

Comments

[siskiou.livejournal.com]

How wonderful to follow along with you and visit interesting and lovely places!
Kissing the stone looks like serious business! *g*

Getting the new electronics seems to really have paid off! Did you use the phone for posting or the new, sharp-edged laptop?
It looks like you are making the most of it, and the weather is not bad, either.

Have a lovely, relaxing evening and a good nights' sleep at the hostel!
Can't wait for tomorrow's adventures! :)

[hagsrus.livejournal.com]

I'm enjoying your holiday!

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Wow, those gardens are fantastic! I think I'd rather wander through those than bother with the Blarney Stone--especially if lots of other people are there. Thank you, again, for all the photos. It's great fun to follow along. I hope you sleep well tonight!

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful day we had!
I love our hostel, and the outlook from the castle was fantastic!
Funny, the scaffolding experience continous...

Such lush gardens and all the flowers, and wouldn't the ice house make a nice hide out for a quick kissing and groping session for the Lads?

Free roaming and lots of posts to follow along are a real gift! Looking forward to it!

Oh, and thank you so much for liking my blog! I am a bit amazed that you needed? the google translator, I thought I wrote the english version in all of my latest entries... must have another look.

I wonder what an all Irish breakfast looks like. *gg*

[loxleyprince.livejournal.com]

Guerilla crochet! Omg how i laughed!
Blarney castle has it all - lovely grounds, large trees to hide behind, a super-secluded ice house for lurking in, caves for moving around in undetected, and an excruciatingly embarassing and convoluted ritual to maim tourists. If that's not enough for a story, i don't know what would be :-)
i'm very much enjoying sharing your holiday vicariously *vbg*

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Lovely pics of the plants!

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with msmoat. I would have much rather explored the gardens than put up with the crowds. That said, I probably would have wanted to explore more of the castle! Is that allowed?

[macklingirl.livejournal.com]

Thank's for the visit to Blarney Castle. I must admit that I love the garden and would have stayed in there as long as possible. The tree is really great and the poison garden is an interesting thing. I'm looking forward to the next days. :-)

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

I wish I'd seen Blarney Castle when I was a bit older than a very Small Person indeed, I think I would have appreciated it much more :-) (I'm not quite sure how old I was - could have been anywhere between 5 and 10, probably - all I can remember is thinking I was easily small enough at the time to just slip down that gap, it was quite frightening!)

Crochet and ice-houses and a Poison Garden - it's just wonderful. It wants stories written about it, probably ... *g*

[ariss-tenoh.livejournal.com]

I can't get over the haunting beauty of the Irish shoreline...

Thanks for allowing us to holiday with you!