Not Kissing the Stone: Ireland Vacation 2

On the second day, we left Dublin and began our series of rail and bus tours.  Our first major stop took us to Blarney Castle.  Where we did not kiss the stone.

I know.  That seems like a big deal to some of y'all to pass that up.  First, Alison didn't want to do it.  I can't really blame her.  Of all the things we did in Ireland, that bordered on the most 'touristy trap feeling' thing we ran across.

These were the stairs we would have to have climbed in order to reach the area where you kissed the stone.  I think there were several flights of steps like that.  Looking out later as to how people had to dangle off the edge of the castle in order to reach the spot where you kissed, it helped confirm that this was not a hard thing to skip.

But don't feel bad for us.  We spent our limited time there (the downside of bus tours is you are not in control of how long you get to visit places) instead exploring the vast and beautiful grounds around the castle.  And it was amazingly beautiful.

These waterfalls were just one of the wonderful things we discovered traveling the back trails of Blarney Castle.

We also walked the grounds close to the castle......

....and saw a second part of the castle nearby.  I also explored a cave under the castle.  I love caves, and got so engrossed checking the floor of the cave, that I hit my head on the roof of the cave.  My head hurt a little bit for days afterward.

This is one of the many beautiful, ornate churches we saw on our trip.

I don't know about your church, but this one is somewhat fancier than ours.

Traveling in trains and buses, it was sometimes difficult for me to get the right picture.  This is one that turned out better than most.

We really were in Ireland!

This is just Day 2. More posts to follow!