Irish Adventures: Part II

Having done approximately no research before my arrival in Cork, I had very little idea what to expect. The bus dropped us off on St. Patrick's Quay, a street right on the edge of the sound running into the city. The city itself is very attractive- lots of small winding roads and alleyways. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to back up these claims, since my camera spent the entire weekend running out of batteries. Rude. 
One thing I did not expect was that Blarney Castle is roughly 20 minutes outside of Cork. Yes, the Blarney Castle of Blarney Stone fame. Apparently kissing the Blarney Stone is on some list somewhere of '99 Things to do Before You Die'. Looks like I'm now 1/99 closer to being able to die experienced, worldly and fulfilled. Unfortunately I don't have any photo evidence of this either, since I was not about to pay 10€ to get a picture of me kissing a rock. Sorry everyone. But here are some pictures of other things at and around the castle to make up for it.

The walk to the castle begins.

A wall. And some trees.

A picturesque tree in a field.

The castle ice cellar. It contains a surprisingly deep pit.

Looking off the battlements. 

A surprisingly detailed molding around an interior window. Probably the fanciest piece of stonework in the whole place. 

It seems visitors to the castle used to carve their names and initials into the castle walls.

A crow in mid-flight. Or maybe a raven. Either way, a really lucky shot.

A view off the top of the castle. I told you it was sunny the whole time.

A (slightly crooked) tower.

Blarney Mansion. Not currently open to the public as the family is apparently living there at the moment.

M

The famous stone. Unfortunately it's now been made so safe that kissing it carries no chance of grievous injury. There's even an old man who assists you in the process. A little weird, and slightly disappointing.

Pictures of the gardens will follow tomorrow. They were cool enough that they deserve their own little write-up.