Ok ok ok

I know I'm supposed to be studying, but I feel I haven't updated in forever. So, I've picked some of my very favorite photos to give a short summary of Kinsale, St. Fin Barre's and Killarney. At Kinsale, we took the Scilly Way up to Charles' Fort. Luckily, the day started out somewhat clear, so John could admire the town's beauty. By the time we reached the Fort, however, the fog had rolled in and consumed the ocean. Anything past the waves washing ashore was hidden behind a wall of misty greyness. I suppose you could say the fog added to the historic feel of the site... or you could just say it made my hair really frizzy.


We still had a nice time.

We stopped by the Bulman (the same pub I visited when last in Kinsale). The orange cat was out and about and the toasted sandwiches were as amazing as I remember.
At one point during John's visit, we finally made it up to St. Fin Barre's. The cathedral is very lovely, inside and out.



The entire structure, all the detailing, the statues, the windows, were all constructed to the design of one man-- William Burges. I was impressed. He thought of everything, down to the last gargoyle.
Last but not least, we also visited the ever beautiful amazing wonderful Killarney. Considering how chilly and wet Kinsale was and how wet Killarney had been during our last visit, I came prepared. I had my water resistant boots on. I had my long-johns under my jeans and my rain coat. Needless to say the day was delightfully clear and blazingly hot. By the time we trekked the couple of miles from town to Muck Ross Park, we stopped in the Molly Darcy's Pub (attached to the hotel API stayed in) where I could at least ditch the long-johns. The arctic rain boots, however, continued to roast my feet, to the point where I considered going barefoot. As many horse-drawn carriages travel the same path to Muck Ross House, as well as the mountains, and Torc waterfall, there were many squishy risks that deterred me from doing so. We made it through the park, despite all. It was hot, but it was just as beautiful, perhaps even more so without the fog obstructing the view.






We rushed back towards Muck Ross hotel as quickly as possible. The last bus to Cork left at 6, so the hotel receptionist kindly called a taxi for us. We made it back with an hour to spare. Which did nothing to keep me from leading John onto the wrong bus. Luckily, our unwanted destination had one final bus headed for Cork, so the mistake only cost us an extra hour of sitting. I think that after hiking all day in the hot sun and a 9-day record of no traveling mishaps, I'm allowed at least one mess up. We finally drove back through Killarney and towards home, leaving behind a lovely sunset.


Now I'm studying hard for exams and planning a trip to London with Mika and Sarah. We asked Laurie if she wanted to come. We even double-checked, but she still feels too nervous about her exams. I admit, the timing is not ideal. The only time that could work for everyone puts the trip smack in between two of my exams. Nevertheless, when else am I going to have the opportunity to fly to Harry Potter Land for only 20 euro? I have to say, as cool as it will be to see Buckingham Palace and Big Ben and such, I'm most excited about our day trip to Oxford to see all the Harry Potter film sites. Otherwise, the changing of the guard outside Buckingham Palace is next on my list. We were lucky enough to find a hostel only 12 walking minutes from the Palace. Should be really fun. Sarah and I will be the only people I know who can say they went to London to study for their exams in Ireland. Hopefully, we'll do a better job of studying in London, than we did at the park yesterday. There was lots of sunshine and even an icecream cone, but very little studying on my part. Lets just say I know the first couple of pages of my notes very well.
Meanwhile, I suppose I must get back to studying for Celtic Religion and Mythology. If anyone has any tips for must-sees in London, let us know!