MUCK-ING ABOUT

Sept. 20, 2014
We bid our farewells to Phena, Gerry, and family after another great breakfast, which included a visit to the kitchen where we watched their son strain milk that he had just taken from his goat.  You can’t get much more farm “authentic” than that.  Gerry laid out some more route for us to follow and, with regret, we departed.  Lovely people, lovely home.  Here’s the parlor.

Our first stop was not far away.  Ross Castle, located in the Killarney National Park.
Ross was a private “tower” house, built in the late 1400’s by the O’Donnaghue family.  It originally had high walls all around it, but these were co-opted by later owners who built various appurtenant structures which themselves were subsequently destroyed.  Mostly only the original tower structure remains.  Legend has it that O'Donoghue still exists in a deep slumber under the waters of adjacent Lough Leane. On the first morning of May every seven years he rises from the lake on his magnificent white horse and circles the lake. Anyone catching a glimpse of him is said to be assured of good fortune for the rest of their lives.  We were a few months too late.  Ross Castle was the last stronghold in Munster to hold out against Cromwell. 
After Ross, we headed on around the park to a true gem of a place, Muckross House, called the best stately home in Ireland.  But first we had to contend with horrendous traffic occasioned by a local marathon being held in Killarney.  Muckross, built in 1843, sits on the edge of a gorgeous hunk of Killarney National Park.  Here’s the front view.

and, the even prettier side view that faces the park vista:

What price ambition?  The owners of the house sent an invitation to Queen Victoria to visit their manse.   She gave six years (!) notice of her intended stay at the house.  The owners  spent a couple of years preparing for the royal visit in 1861, eager to gain coveted titles and nearly bankrupting themselves in the process.  On the ground floor (she was afraid of fires) is Queen Victoria’s bedroom. The queen stayed only three nights, and her beloved Prince Albert died soon after the visit.  The grieving and depressed queen never got around to granting the hoped-for titles.  Oh, well, at least the owners got to enjoy the great view from these windows of the national parkland.

We took the tour of the house, but no photos permitted.  62 rooms in 26,000 sq ft., manned by 22 servants back in the day.  The drawing room curtains were the originals that were installed for the Queen’s visit!  The huge billiards table weighs 3 tons.  Pretty nice place and well worth the stop.  The Park Trust provides no end of things to separate you from your wallet. 
We rejected the vintage busses, although they were truly cool, and instead went back to an even earlier vintage transport . . .

This bit of local ripoff set us back more than a Central Park hansom ride, but what the heck.  It took us off into the parklands, ending up at a trail back to some waterfalls that were, well, underwhelming but pleasant.  Our drivah from the local hood (adjusting the tarp above) snapped our beaming faces.

Leaving Muckross, we left the N71 highway to follow the instructions via country lanes for getting to our next destination far down on the southern coast near Kinsale.  The Blue Horizon is our next B&B, although it actually is a small (15 rooms) hotel-pub combo with an absolutely stunning view of the coast.  Since we booked so far in advance, the four of us got the choicest of the rooms.  Not for their style, which was fairly Motel 6, but the views.  And one thing I liked – the first place in Britain we’ve been in that didn’t have dual taps in the sink.  Once faucet with blended hot and cold.  Ahhh, modern plumbing at last.

We pumped the pub’s barmaid for dining tips, as they didn’t serve dinners.  She recommended two – the Speckled Door or the Pink Elephant.  We chose the latter and followed her detailed instructions and actually found the place.  It was a good tip, at least for me.  I love mussels, and the dish below was an appetizer!  I was stuffed (no one else liked the things) before the main course arrived.  When the mains did arrive, my risotto was a bit gummy, but Loni’s duck was a true winner.  And a good end to the day.