Porridge & Jameson

Everyday should begin with whiskey over porridge.  The Irish know how to live!  Porridge made with milk from those buzzilion cows grazing every where, add some raisins and cinnamon and pour a shot of Jameson whiskey all over it.  What a delicious way to start your day!

Your chariot awaits!  After that scrumptious breakfast...now not everyone imbibed as I did....most went for the more tamer elements of the buffet such as yogurt and soda bread and eggs...three horse drawn carriages met us outside our hotel to take us on a lovely ride through the 26,000 acres of Killarney National Park.  Our driver Mike (BTW, it seems everyone is named Mike in Ireland) was a silver tongued Irishman, as fast with the stories and retorts as I've ever seen.  Between my whiskey fueled brain and his straight faced quick whit, well, let's just say, I think ours was the most fun carriage ride.

Of the 20 in our group, 14 of us elected to bicycle as part of our next adventure.  Since bicycling was not part of any of my hip rehab, I decided that the Irish countryside might not be the place to try out the new titanium.  Dom, on the other hand, eagerly went.

The bicylcists went through the park, along the lake to the Muckross Friary, probably founded around 1445.

Dom & company met up with the rest of us at Muckross House where we had tea and treats and shopped a bit.  Muckross House is this really cool mansion ala Downton Abbey's Highclere Castle but on a bit smaller scale; complete with the whole Upstairs Downstairs thing going on.  Jane, our docent guide had a charming sense of humor.  I asked one of our fellow travelers, a chef at DisneyWorld what he thought of the kitchen and he replied that he would probably have spent most of his time stoking the oven fire.  Silly boy probably didn't realize that he'd have had people to do that for him!  Beautiful woolens are made here in Ireland using wool spun at Muckross House.  It never gets old to see the magic that happens when a puff of lamb's wool is spun and becomes yarn right before your very eyes as we witnessed today at this mansion.  Sadly, no photos are allowed in Muckross House but the grounds are lovely.

Little did we all know that we would witness a luncheon surprise.  This group of 20 is comprised of 30-70 year olds; that would be one couple of 30 year olds.  They are such a sweet couple from Boston who don't seem to mind being with the oldsters.  While at lunch at Muckross House I engage them in conversation, starting by asking if they have ever traveled together before (not on this big of a trip) and if they were good travel partners, when I get a glimpse of a glitter that was not on Amanda's hand yesterday.  I excitedly accuse them of just getting engaged and they admit "YES"; Mike (no kidding) proposed last night on bended knee right here in Killarney on a walk in the park.   Of course I scream excitedly and our guides panic, thinking something frightful had just happened to me; only to join in the joy of us all celebrating together.  I think this engagement and reveal will be a story retold many times in the future.

A free afternoon afforded us time to decompress and even to nap a bit in preparation for the evening and what an evening it was!
A short ride out of Killarney village took us to Kate Kearney's Cottage where we would spend 3 of the most fun filled hours of food, drink and music that are the epitome of Ireland's hospitality.  Now it is true that we had much to celebrate this evening with the engagement and a birthday of one of our fellow travelers but this was really a wonderfully entertaining time complete with two rounds of complimentary drinks courtesy of Mickey Mouse,  a trio of musicians and Irish dancing.

Another 7am luggage call; off to kiss the Blarney Stone in the morning and our castle awaits us in the afternoon.