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Thursday, August 30, 2012

IRELAND 3

This is our last morning in Dingle before we head out to Kerry. Our long tiresome trip will require lots of energy, so that means we'd better stock up with a traditional Irish breakfast!

grilled tomatoes, bacon, black and white pudding, mushrooms, egg, and sausage will fill anyone to the brim.

we would be crazy though not to add some country bread some farm fresh cheese, and fresh irish scones to the pile!
Our journey included several stops for pictures.. Here's a few



One stop included admission to Ireland's Smallest Petting Zoo..... in just 9 square feet you will find: baby sheep, baby reigndeer, puppies, small ratty dogs, and kittens!





a brief stop for lunch with Aidan and the gang

After lunch we hit the road for a visit to an 18th century Kerry Bog Village
 BUT FIRST..... some Irish coffee for the road.

none of that jameson in a mug nonsense



how many Irish whiskey choices do you need?

Where else would you stop for Irish coffee than Caitlin's pub hostel and B&B????
P.S. you forgot the L in Caitlin

And now the BOG VILLAGE!
Chris showing some love to the Irish Wolfhounds

Caitlin and Ashley warming the babies by the peat fire

How much peat does one need?????

mom's favorite... GOATS!
The entire week Dad has wondered what kind of tool was used to cut peat....
EUREKA!





just in case you forgot what peat was


and of course they aren't just normal horses.... they're BOG PONIES



The bog village was followed by one of the most amazing things we have ever gotten to see. Once Aidan found out we were dogophiles, he directed us to a sheep farm where they do border collie demos...
max, ready to work





even worker dogs deserve some love







you couldn't pay me to herd this goat!






Here's some video showing the dogs in action!








Anybody can see Ireland from a car.... but it takes a true adventurer to sign up for a 5 mile hike through the hills of Kerry!


what baby?



hiking belly picture!







Mom's favorite things to see in Ireland have nothing to do with history. Her favorites are small, white, and fluffy! Here she is posing with her friends




who are your friends?





our tour guide told us that it 'might get a bit boggy' on our trip.... Mom quickly found out that boggy is not a good term.

sampling the local honeysuckle.... although she swears it was fuscia



j

Irish Trolls..... "NONE SHALL PASS!"


being spied on by the guard sheep






He may have forgot his bog shoes, but at least his top half was dry!
What could be a better way to cap off the day than a rainbow sighting!!!! 
Mom did her best ND band conductor impression, climbed up to the top of the ladder, cleared the rain, and summoned a rainbow!




We trudged through bog mud, got soaked by showers, were threatened by sheep, but after we saw the rainbow, we knew it was smooth sailing ahead. Ashley and Mom washed their feet off in preparation for the dry part of the walk.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S MORE MUD?!?!?!

Let's play fill in the blank...MOM: "@&%$.... I JUST STEPPED :IN $#@%:"



After that long day, we drove into Killarney where Mom and Dad somehow managed to find the energy to read the paper...
and after resting for 30 seconds, we were off again to explore!

Ending the night with a Guinness for Patrick and a 1/2 pint (with black currant) for Debbi

Patrick had never heard of adding the black currant to guinness. He asked Aidan, and once he found out that Debbi put black currant in her guinness, he shook his head, scrunched his eyebrows and explained that it was the equivalent of eating parsley with bacon, mint with lamb, and if Guinness needed it, they would have already put it in!

Our view from lunch earlier in the day (Valentia Island)
another view of Debbi's rainbow
and another!