Day 5

The rain clouds have opened up this morning so we’ve spent most of the day relaxing in our room or downstairs in the breakfast room playing cards. We did, however, witness a capsized sailboat being rescued by the Coast Guard not too far outside our bedroom window.
We had fun last night on our evening walk towards an old British watchtower. The trail ran alongside the water’s edge and through a field of grazing cows. On the way back our trail was temporarily ‘guarded’ by 3 calves intent on not letting us pass through. It wasn’t until Brandt mock ‘charged’ them that we were able to pass through and head back home.
Hopefully the rain lets up this evening so we can enjoy another walk.

Day 4

After a full Irish breakfast we hopped in the car and set out for a drive around the 50 km Dingle Peninsula circle. We first made a quick stop at the Holden Leathergoods shop. It was a pretty amazing little place! Unfortunately, "Mr. Holden" was not at the shop this morning.

The scenery on the Dingle Peninsula was breathtaking. At one particular stop along the way we hiked around a cliff and through a field of cute sheep overlooking the ‘three sisters’ peaks and the Atlantic Ocean. It was a fantastic day!

Day 3

Today’s drive took us north and west to the Dingle Pennisula and our first Irish B&B, the Emlagh Lodge. We were able to break out the Cribbage board for the first time at Murphy’s Pub and Brandt’s hot streak continued—‘skunking’ me in the first game. We walked around the Pier afterwards and later enjoyed the sunset from our bedroom window.

Day 2

Our second day began with a short drive down to the small port town of Kinsale. From the town center we walked a couple of kilometers out to Fort Charles, a large star-shaped fort occupied by the British army up until the 1920’s.
After spending some time at the fort, we headed back into town and stopped off at the famous Spaniard Pub where we indulged in a Guinness (for Brandt) and a Cider (for me) along with our fish and chips.
Tomorrow we make our way out to the Dingle Peninsula and the west coast of Ireland!

First full day in Ireland

Greetings from Ireland!
We made it to Dublin without too much trouble on Thursday afternoon and even managed to get a full night’s sleep that night.
This morning we set off to the south for Glendalough to see the remnants of a 6th century monastic community. Along the way we stopped off in Enniskerry for a delicious coffee and scone.
After breakfast, we made a side trip through the Sally Gap to see the peat bogs of the Wicklow mountains. It was just after passing through the Sally Gap we had a bit of excitement on the road. Brandt had to get to the far side of the road to avoid a car passing in the opposite direction. While doing so, he hit a rock on the side of the front tire and blew it out.
It was Brandt’s first ever flat tire but we managed to get it changed in just a matter of minutes. We drove to the next village and thanks to the helpful advice from a few friendly Irishmen we were able to get our damaged tire replaced and resume our journey.
We did eventually make it to Glendalough and were not disappointed. We hiked around a beautiful lake and toured the ancient monastic ruins.
After eating some lunch we drove a few hours south where we arrived in Cork this evening. Tomorrow, we head just south of Cork to the scenic coastal towns of Cohb and Kinsale. More updates to follow! We miss you all and hope this finds you well.