----Ring of Kerry Excursion----
Departure, Day One. 4th of July.
This past weekend the entire program ventured into south Ireland to experience the Ring of Kerry in Killarney, County Kerry. (I know the names of cities are a mouth full here-but it's truly interesting to hear about how they see territory here...look it up!) To start things off on a great note, our charter bus had no air conditioning on what seemed to be the hottest day of the year in Ireland. Four hours on a heat consumed bus messes with your head...but overall the day was beautiful; even without out stars, stripes, and hotdogs. ***shout-out to Ashton, as I performed the miraculous act of forgetting my camera this weekend. Needless to say, she saved my butt and gave me camera privileges.***
First stop: Lismore
Here, we had the opportunity to enjoy a little fresh air as well as an interactive presentation about the life of scientist Robert Boyle. Oh yes, he travelled from the past to teach us all about gravity.
After the presentation we all headed to a local park to eat our usual lunch of sandwiches and apples as well as a fun little treat (thank you neighbors!) to celebrate 4th of July.
Oh and we saw this castle --> I truly do appreciate castles, but they all look the same so I tend to be more in love with the land they're surrounded by.
 |
| Castle doo-dad. |
 |
| I clearly loved the lake view more :) |
Next was a quick stop at the one of the first destinations of Ring of Kerry, Mukrosse.
Holy majoley. I'm absolutely positive that the air here was some of the cleanest air I have ever breathed in. And of course I had to squeeze in a jumping picture!
Next stop: Our WONDERFUL hotel, Castlerosse. Our room was ordinary yet perfect :) Not to mention, after an 86 six degree bus for four hours and countless amounts of exhausting stops thanks to girls who couldn't hold their bladders the hotel's dinner and rest was a great way to say happy 4th of July to one another.
 |
| The view from the restaurant. Yeah, it was pretty legit...kind of like that chardonnay. |
 |
| Fruit starter. |
 |
| World's most amazing salmon. |
 |
| My first Irish coffee! |
 |
| There are no words.... |
 |
| Unfortunately, Ashton and I had a serious case of insomnia. It took us like three hours to go to sleep. With a little help from story time, songs, lines from Bridesmaids, and a wonderful sleeping pill we were finally able to ignore the sunlight that was still happening at 11 p.m. and drift off. |
And then there was this just amazing breakfast at 8 a.m. Alright ya'll, I splurged a little ok? So worth it.
 |
| They love prunes here...and so do I. For this, i'm forever thankful. |
Then came the Ring of Kerry. No no, this isn't like Lord of the Rings, although i'm pretty sure half of this stuff showed up somewhere in the movie, but it is an actual "ring" of incredible sights that make Kerry infamous for it's beauty. I'm going to spare the lingo and head straight for the pictures that tell the true story.
 |
| Am I dreaming? I think I slapped myself a few times just to make sure I wasn't. |
 |
| My roomies! |
 |
| Water may have been cold, but 75 degree weather made it feel like heaven. |
 |
| fun fact: This was my first time seeing clear-blue water. |
 |
| There are sheep....EVERYWHERE. To them, it's no big deal. For me? Um hello!!! There are sheep in them there mountains! |
Okay, so there it is folks...the most grand views I have yet to encounter. Every moment was a scene from dreams and travel books. It's still really hard to grasp how the Father designed all of this. One of my favorite lines in a worship song is: "Oh God of infinite worth, with Hands that carved out the ocean". I fully believe that every sight I experienced was a carving created by the hands of the Lord.
Mmmmm. Hungry for more? No problemo...dinner, round two!
 |
| Scrumptious little fruit salad, with coconut "scent"? |
 |
| The best lamb I have ever eaten. I mean come on, after staring at lamb all day why not eat one at the end of the day. |
 |
| Veggies are family style! Love this concept. |
 |
| Pear sundae |
Ashton and I headed outside for some talk. It has been such a blessing to experience all of this with some a beautiful sister of the Lord. I can't thank her enough for going out on a limb and saying yes to this trip!
After a great run and a restful night we headed back towards "home". We ventured into Blarney....before you ask...no, I did not kiss the blarney stone. I know, I know...it's a crime. But indeed, it was also 15 U.S. dollars and a two hour line. Compared to the other option of lunch and Ireland's largest wool store with plenty of gifts for you wonderful readers...trust me you'll thank me when you receive your wonderful goods. Not to mention, obviously I speak eloquently enough that you read my blog every day.
 |
| Our final stop..a beautiful cathedral in Kerry. |
Whoa...I just took you 280 km in 30 minutes of writing time. It was quite a challenge to pick out the important moments as I saw more than a post could ever hold. More importantly, it was another step in this green journey. A step I will never regret taking.
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
-Gaelic blessing
No comments:
Post a Comment