Ireland- Day 4
We began our 4th day in Ireland with an excursion through the narrow back streets of the city of Cork (which, incidentally, the size of the city itself took us by surprise) and paid a visit to Cork City Gaol. In case, like me before planning this trip, the word Gaol is unfamiliar to you, it apparently means prison. It was hauntingly beautiful, and all the stories inside were fascinating. We learned about prisoners that stayed varied lengths of time in there, days to months to years, with various charges, some with only one and some that had racked up some 200. We even learned the story of Countess Markievicz, a revolutionary woman that was once imprisoned there. At the end of our tour, there was a wonderfully done multimedia video presentation in a room that looked like it was once a multi-story tower of some sort. It gave some of the evolution of the prison, and the end presented videos of actors depicting some of the prisoners we learned about. They urge the viewers to remember them, though they were not countesses or people of high status, some were imprisoned for months just for petty crimes and no means of paying fines. They urge the viewers to remember their names because no one else will, for they will not be in history books. Needless to say that, by the end of the tour, I was humming "Do You Hear the People Sing?" (click title for reference)
From there, our journey took us to Killarney National Park, which is FAR more than a park. It is not only grand in the amount of space it takes up on the Earth, but grand in the picturesque landscapes and interesting historical pieces it contains. We visited a heritage farm there, where they had farm houses and shops set up how they would have been for various occupations and statuses in the early 1900s. I made friends at the small pet farm they had there, of course with a little Shorthorn heifer they had for petting and, in my case, for licking my arm and trying to eat my shirt. If I could have found a pet carrier big enough, I might have tried to sneak her home, but I'm sure she gets plenty of attention and care where she is at as well. On the long but picturesque walk after the heritage farm we saw an old abbey, lakes, gardens, and a castle we were too late to tour (and I think we've had enough of tiny spiral staircases for a while).
We drove to Kenmare on a portion of the Ring of Kerry, something that was on my Ireland to-do list as well. We weren't aware at first, but after the scenery we were taking in, how could it not be? A little research confirmed this. This drive, while breathtakingly gorgeous, is not for the faint of heart, which mom and I both almost became. The road is narrow to put it mildly, and I'm pretty sure we almost met death a couple of times in the shape of other vehicle. Once we got to what they call Ladies View, though, none of that mattered. The scene looked like art, not real, and it would bring a tear to your eye. We may have risked our lives, but the view was worth it all the way through uncertainty.
This trip has been eye-opening to me in so many ways. It has changed my perspective on...if I'm honest...everything. Everything we see I think "it can't get better or more beautiful than this." And then we fund something else and I find myself thinking that all over again.
-KW
From there, our journey took us to Killarney National Park, which is FAR more than a park. It is not only grand in the amount of space it takes up on the Earth, but grand in the picturesque landscapes and interesting historical pieces it contains. We visited a heritage farm there, where they had farm houses and shops set up how they would have been for various occupations and statuses in the early 1900s. I made friends at the small pet farm they had there, of course with a little Shorthorn heifer they had for petting and, in my case, for licking my arm and trying to eat my shirt. If I could have found a pet carrier big enough, I might have tried to sneak her home, but I'm sure she gets plenty of attention and care where she is at as well. On the long but picturesque walk after the heritage farm we saw an old abbey, lakes, gardens, and a castle we were too late to tour (and I think we've had enough of tiny spiral staircases for a while).
We drove to Kenmare on a portion of the Ring of Kerry, something that was on my Ireland to-do list as well. We weren't aware at first, but after the scenery we were taking in, how could it not be? A little research confirmed this. This drive, while breathtakingly gorgeous, is not for the faint of heart, which mom and I both almost became. The road is narrow to put it mildly, and I'm pretty sure we almost met death a couple of times in the shape of other vehicle. Once we got to what they call Ladies View, though, none of that mattered. The scene looked like art, not real, and it would bring a tear to your eye. We may have risked our lives, but the view was worth it all the way through uncertainty.
This trip has been eye-opening to me in so many ways. It has changed my perspective on...if I'm honest...everything. Everything we see I think "it can't get better or more beautiful than this." And then we fund something else and I find myself thinking that all over again.
-KW
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