Unfortunately, today was not a great photo-day. There was lots of fog throughout the hills and lakes which impeded the view, but added an ambiance, too.
We arrived at the Muckross house just in time for our scheduled tour. The mansion, which has an amazing history, was restored and amazing to see. Queen Victoria stayed there for two nights and one day just before the death of her husband, and her suite of rooms are still intact. No pictures were allowed to be taken in the house itself, so as to not disturb the value and quality of the artwork, wallpaper, and other furniture. But I think the outside of the home is quite lovely too.
After the tour we got some lunch at the onsite restaurant and did a bit of shopping before exploring the grounds in Jaunting Cars. There’s no better way to take in the countryside on a windy, rainy, day that in a horse drawn buggy. The drivers were all lovely, though, and gave us some history, told stories, and some even sang songs for us.
The Jaunting Cars brought us to the Torc Waterfall. Some students felt strong and brave enough to do a 2 km hike around the falls while others chose to stay closer to the busses.
After another short bus ride we found ourselves in Tralee at the Brandon Hotel. We checked into our fourth set of rooms and immediately had dinner. The greatest disappointment for the accommodations is that the pool has restricted hours – but I am told that several students intend on waking up especially early tomorrow to be there when the doors open at 7am.
Once we were finished with dinner we traveled literally across the street to watch a performance by Simasa Tire, the national folk theatre of Ireland. Tonight they told the story of Clann Lir through traditional song and dance. It was a beautiful show, but maybe a bit too quiet for many of the tired kids on the trip.
We leave Tralee first thing in the morning to head towards Ennistymon and complete our last full day here in Ireland. All of the kids, and adults, are expressing mixed feelings about the quickly approaching flight home. I am discovering that one of the favorite topics of conversation as of late is what American food is being missed the most.
I don’t know yet if we are going to be able to have access to the Internet while at Ennistymon. Hopefully you will hear from me tomorrow before we depart Ireland Saturday morning. Regardless – those interested should continue to check back in to the website after we have returned home, especially as I get the photos from Wendy Robinson posted online. She is going to get to me well over 2000 images to post for all to see and enjoy – all I ask is for your patience!
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