At first the driving was easy. Three lane highway - oncoming traffic separated by a median. But then we began to travel via back roads. And that's when the fear started to kick in a bit. Yes, the roads had two lanes, but each was barely wider than our car. They also bent and curved constantly, with no shoulder. Oh yeah, and the speed limit was 100km (60mph). So there was little room, poor visibility ahead because of the twists and turns, and locals zooming by at ridiculous speeds. Hair-raising to say the least. But I adjusted quickly and it soon became fun. Hugging the turns, coasting over bumps, tearing ass down farm roads.
Eventually we made it out of the country and into the city of Kilkenny. Our first stop of the day. To see our first castle of the trip, appropriately called Kilkenny Castle. As a kid I had seen castles on TV, in books, on the internet, but there is something so magical about witnessing something first hand that was built in 1195. The craftsmanship, the weathered stones, ornate decorations spread throughout. Everything about it felt regal. The large halls, the artwork, the different themes of each room and wings. It was wonderful wandering through it, learning about the different families that once resided within its walls, how it was built, the battles it had survived. We even had some tea and coffee in the refurnished kitchen. The whole experience was pretty eye opening, really putting in perspective Ireland's lush history.
Hopping back into the car, we continued along through the countryside until we hit Waterford. By the advice of Paige, there wasn't much to see in the city. It was rather plain, kind of boring, except for of course the Waterford Crystal factory. My mom has a few of their pieces, so it was only fitting to take the tour and man was it a blast. Walking through, watching the crystal get blown, molded, cut, and detailed. From beginning to end. Learning all about how the pieces are made - being allowed to talk to the craftsmen as we wandered about. I was honestly surprised they let us see every asset of the process and I would highly recommend it to anyone in the area. Really educational and fun. I will admit though, I was slightly dissapointed. As a child I always thought crystal was some sort of rock, like limestone or marble that was pulled out of the ground and milled down. Because of the tour, I learned it is just glass with a certain level of lead in it (33% for Waterford). Bummer. This whole time I had thought it was miles apart from everyday glass. Damn.
After the tour, we walked around for a bit before we got back into the car. What came next? More driving of course! All the way to our final destination for the day, Killarney. We were staying in a cute little bed and breakfast nestled along the coast of a river. Pulling in, I couldn't believe how picturesque it was. It seemed absolutely perfect, until we met our host for the night Kathy, and it only got better. She welcomed us with open arms, a warm smile, and a thick brogue. She showed us to our room, gave us a brief tour, and let us be for the night. After doing a little research, we found a restaurant and went out to grab a bite to eat, gorging ourselves on lasagna, shepherd's pie, and chicken. Returning back to the bed and breakfast, I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow - exhausted from the driving.
Tomorrow began a new day. The Ring of Kerry, the town of Dingle, and making our way to Galway.
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