Real Ireland

Monday morning we had a little break from the traditional breakfast and had crepes. We then drove to Cork and went on a walking tour of the city. This statue represented the 700 years of Ireland's freedom with one bird for every hundred years. Crazy to think America would only have two. It was appropriately Memorial Day in the U.S. The wreath below was left for a soldier who died in France. This was Father Matthew, the apostle of temperence... I'm sure he was really popular in Ireland.

We were trying hard to take a picture of this Church of Saints Peter and Paul. It's in a small, curved alley, so it was challenging. This cute old man walking by told us that we should go inside. We took a few more pictures and as we walked up to the doors, he was coming out. He stopped and walked back in with us to show us the handcarved confessionals and point out the organ on the second floor. It was amazingly beautiful.

We got a kick out of this judge with his coattails on the courthouse steps.

One thing I loved about Ireland was all of the flowers growing on everything. It always brings a smile to my face to see tiny flowers poking out of a crack in the wall or sidewalk.This cathedral was very gothic......and creepy. Check out one of the gargoyles.We wandered through the English Market, contemplating what we should try. The breads......or fresh and unusual fruits......or cheeses or other treats. I settled on this:It is a pastry made of yesterday's leftover cakecrumbs, so tastes different every day. Different, but tasty. Michelle decided on some stinky cheese.
We left Cork and headed towards Kenmore, pausing in Macroom. We didn't stay long because parking was a challenge. We had no change for the meter, then got blocked in by a truck, and then almost hit a man when trying to back out to leave. We left there in a hurry. :)
We found Kenmare to be lovely. The B&B was called the Lissyclearig Thatched Cottage and was simply adorable.Complete with the sheep dog in the door.I loved the room keys we had... reminded me of the keys we had in Russia.

In town, we went to the museum and saw the area specialty... lace. This is a sampler that contained all the different kinds they made. It was used to show people making orders.

Next we found an ancient stone circle.

We tried to find a shortcut to a bridge, but the huge cliffs blocking the way weren't on the map. I didn't mind, though. We walked through this field of wild daisies. We looked a little harder and found Cromwell's Bridge. I'm not sure how many people actually crossed it. That arch is taller than I am, so pretty steep coming down. Next we found Our Lady's Well.

The center of the town is an "X", where we wandered the streets, shopped, and had dinner. It seriously is one of the cutest places.

We realized at dinner that night that the waiter-diner relationship requires a lot of communication. We kept having trouble getting our check when we were done eating. I guess people like to sit and chat a while there?