Day 4: Cycle of the Kings and Queens

So I realize that I haven't really discussed the little things of Ireland.  We have noticed that nearly every Irish person has blue eyes.  And not only blue eyes, but dark hair.  There are only a few genuine redheads and not many green eyes.  Also I am increasingly grateful for not having to drive.  The roads are very small and everyone drives really fast.  They LOVE Guinness.  It's not like they like it because it's Irish, they truly love it and drink a lot of it.  Also the only American beer we've seen is Budweiser.  In terms of American cars, we have seen mostly Fords.  I saw one Chevy.  Also the "th" sound is not present all the time.  For example, they say "tir-teen" instead of thirteen, "tir-ter" instead of theater.  Basically I'm taking notes because I want a sweet Irish accent.

So.... on to today.  Today was one of the days that I was most looking forward to.  Today we were slated to go to Killarney National Park to visit Muckross House and a waterfall.  But the best part is how we got to Muckross House.  We rode in a jaunting cart pulled by a horse named Robert.

It was a beautiful ride.  Killarney National Park is possibly one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen.

When we arrived at the Muckross House we learned a little about it's history.  It was at one point owned by the Guinness family (they have their hand in everything), but was eventually bought by a mother and father from California to give to their daughter as a wedding present.  She married an Irish man.  Sweet wedding gift!  When the daughter's husband died she gave the house to Ireland.

Following the Muckross Tour we got on some bicycles and rode to Torc Waterfall. It was the perfect day for a bike ride.  The overcast weather made it perfect.  The ride was mostly flat, so I didn't completely die.  I tell you I have been getting a lot of exercise on this trip, but today was pretty intense.  All good stuff though.  Torc Waterfall was amazing.  We could hear the water for about 10 minutes before we got to the falls. 

After the waterfall we had lunch, which by this time I was ravenous.  I had some salmon and different side salads.  The-Person-I-Am-Travelling-With filled his plate with a seafood pie and dessert.  Following lunch was shopping time and then back to the bus. 

Tonight we have free time in Killarney.  I would like to look around the shops, and we will grab some dinner.  Then off to bed early because we head to Blarney tomorrow!