Ireland – Day Six – One More Walk in the Woods

The last day. It seemed like all day long we knew it was fast coming to an end.

We decided, because the weather seemed to be cooperating, that we would go once more to Killarney National Park. We had seen the park on our tour of the Ring of Kerry, but there were some walking and hiking trails near the lake we wanted to explore. We had not really spent any time in Killarney itself and that too looked interesting.

After breakfast, we walked through the town of Adare and took some final pictures of the place we called home for the last few days. It is both quaint and quiet and we all agreed that somehow, we would be back.

Alice, our friendly GPS assistant, took a nap on the way to Killarney and we managed to make it there without much trouble. Bobbie in the back with her map, and Phil, riding shotgun, with his. Teri provided colorful comments on just about everything we passed, and in no time we were in Killarney.

We parked at the tourist center, picked a few more maps of the park, and started walking. The sun was in and out for most of the morning, and by the time we made our way through the gates, it decided to call it a day and stay behind the clouds. We didn’t mind. We had been to the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher in far worse conditions.

The walk through the park was just another adventure along the way. We saw quite a bit of wildlife and at one point Bobbie and I saw some deer or elk in a field and we thought we could ‘quietly’ sneak through the woods for some pictures. There was nothing quiet about the way I clomped through the trees, but we did get fairly close and took some nice photos. Marlin Perkins would have been proud.

Teri and Phil opted to stay by the trail and keep an eye out for rangers or anything else that might be coming our way.

The walk continued for almost two hours and we left the park to make our way back to the city. It was nearing our lunch-time (2 p.m.) and we were a little thirsty and hungry.

Lunch at Laurel’s Pub was again simple but quite good. We sat near the wood fire and had soup (Fish Chowder or Mushroom) and just about the best brown bread of the trip. Oh yeah … and a pint of Guiness to wash it all down.

After lunch we worked our way from one corner of the city to the other. We saw all manner of people, shops, and sights, and at the end of it all we ended up in an Aran Island Sweater Shop. I think we all bought something.

Tired, but happy, we headed for our trusty Ford and pointed it in the direction of Adare. It has become something of a custom for us to listen to Irish ballads and other songs on the way home. I must admit we all seem to know the words and melody to the song, “The Wild Rover.” Yes, there was some singing in the car.

We had dinner tonight at Aunty Lena’s pub and then after a short walk through the town, headed back to the villa to pack, check in with the airlines, and get ready for the trip home. I know I am not alone when I say we had a great time, but we will be just as happy when we can share all of the stories in person.

I hope you like the pictures from today and see you soon. (You might even notice a picture or two of our Irish ancestors.)

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