It was just as good as the first time around, except this time there were babies!! Baby gibbons, baby cappabarras (giant guinea pig things whose name I can't spell), baby zebras, baby girraffes...
Unborn baby ostriches...
Protective ostrich mother chasing off the baby giraffes and then meeting her match during a staring contest with this big one.
Baby duckies!!!!
The cheetahs were out in mass catnapping in the sun.
And the llamas, or are they alpacas Sarah? Either way, here we have John cradling one by the chin.
The giant pelican birds were also present. They, like the ostriches, were also feeling territorial. They proved this while stalking us down the walkway, wings spread wide, for a good twenty feet. Really we were doing a public service by distracting them from the worried mother with two kids and a pram.
The penguins were also out sunning themselves, but I was equally entertained by all the children and their mum going "Oohhhh, penguins!"
All in all, my favorite part was probably the baby ducks. I'm a sucker for adorable fluffy baby animals, I admit it.
Next day we were at the bus station by the delightful time of 8:45. After an hour and a half long bus ride we arrived at Blarney Castle. The day was sunny and the grounds of Blarney were in full bloom.
We ascended the tower and John kissed the Blarney Stone. John's lips touched the Blarney Stone. John's lips touched the stone which has been kissed by hundreds of other nameless tourists. I need say no more. The gentleman helping tourists lean back over the dizzying height constantly shouting "Next please, next please, next please!" can be quite intimidating, so we will forgive John his moment of confusion.
Afterwards we strolled out onto the grounds and enjoyed a picnic lunch. Shortly thereafter we realized it was only around 10:30 and that long bus rides and winding castle stairways can really build up an appetite.
John was appropriately delighted with the Witch's Kitchen and the Witch's Stone.
Then he climbed this holey tree to escape the horde of loud obnoxious French children. Or for my photo-taking purposes.
Naturally we traversed the Wishing Steps. John looks optimistic about his wish.
After seeing all there was to see, we eventually departed, spending the rest of our day wandering around Cork.
Then, on Sunday, we caught our bus to Dublin at 8 AM, to arrive in Dublin around 12:30. I took him first down the oft strolled Grafton Street, still full of interesting street performers. We marveled at the architecture of St. Stephen's Green shopping center and then headed into St. Stephen's Green. The Green was also rosy with the blush of Spring. Or should I say tulip-ey?
We also decided to visit the Guinness Storehouse, one of the places we never quite made it to on our API weekend trip. To get there, we also conveniently passed Dublin's well-known Christ's Church.
The storehouse itself was interesting in many ways. First off, the center of the storehouse was built to resemble a seven-story tall pint glass. This was actually one of the features that attracted me most to the storehouse, as the head of the glass offered a 360 degree panoramic view of Dublin.
Otherwise, we learned all about the history of the Guinness brewery, viewed vintage footage of casks being hand carved and constructed, tasted roasted barley, and learned how to appreciate all the flavors of Guinness (to name a few). I've never before thought of why Guinness tastes the way it does, but apparently, the hops leaves a bitter taste at the back of the mouth, the roasted barley affects the middle of the tongue, and the malt is meant to leave a sweet flavor at the front of the tongue. To truly appreciate all this involves taking in the aroma of the beer, swirling the glass, and a bit of gargling. Kind of entertaining when a room full of people is at it.
There was also a story of the building devoted to the famous Guinness advertisements designed by one Gilroy. You may or may not recognize the "My Goodness, My Guinness" toucans.
Before long we were saying adieu to the beautiful view.
While the Dublin excursion flew by, the four hour ride home did not. The 18, 19 year old American boys riding with us were no help to speed by the hours. Let's just say, that after two hours of hearing how hot the bus was and how badly one needed to pee and watching that one guy dribble a huge mound of bread crumbs onto the floor... well, after the comfort stop, when the driver asked if everyone was back on the bus, nobody said a word about the missing boys. Don't worry, they got on right as the driver sat down. Much to everyone's chagrin.
Needless to say, today was a sleep late day. We were going to go to St. Finn Barre's, but by the time I swung by Sarah's and we headed out, we decided we were too late to see much before they closed. So we went to Tesco's and bought groceries instead. We spent the evening enjoying dinner at Curran's with Laurie's family. Yay for Chocolate Torte! We also swung by Reidy's Pub. They'll be up and out by 4 AM to catch the plane home. : ( Oh, how they will be missed. Hopefully everyone had a grand time! I also hope no one goes into tea biscuit withdrawal. This is a serious risk and, if nothing else, at least they will be able to tell me how to curve my own cravings when I return. I hadn't had any for a good month, but I've recently been using John as an excuse to sample different kinds. I know for certain I've created at least one addict.
Meanwhile, tomorrow we head to Kinsale... if John's feet don't explode... or if my legs don't melt off.
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