Ireland - Cork, Cobh & Blarney Castle

Our first stop on the way south is Cork, apparently the second largest city in Ireland, but really nothing like Dublin.  Since we only have an afternoon there, I decided to take a trip down to the coastal town of Cobh after having seen the colourful houses there on the web.  Feeling particularly adventurous, I hopped on the first bus stopped by the quay that says COBH as its destination. Cash only and I barely have enough to cover the fare.  As it turned out, it's a commuter bus and didn't stop anywhere near the town centre.  I walked about half an hour to get myself to the waterfront considering it a good opportunity to see how the locals live.

The waterfront at Cobh doesn't disappoint as you can see below.

Other tourists come to the town for the "Titanic Experience", which I skipped as I don't have a lot of interest in canned exhibits.  Meanwhile, taking the train back to Cork was a breeze and we hit the golden hour as we head out for dinner.

The English Market, where we had lunch earlier in the day

A drive-by shot of the famous Rock of Cashel

We headed out to Blarney Castle the following morning.  The famous Blarney Stone was not much of a sight other than the hype.  It's a good thing we didn't have to line up long to see it as it was the first thing we headed to when we arrived at the castle.  I ended up taking a shot of yet another of the failed attempts to kiss the stone rather than risking my back to try it myself. 

 

Attempt to kiss the Blarney Stone (one attendant stood by with sanitizing wipe in hand to "clean" the stone after every kiss...)

More interesting is the view from the top

This gives you an idea how thick the walls are

I spent a good part of the morning at the Rock Close, described as a "mystical place, said to be on the site of an ancient druidic settlement" in the castle brochure.  Whether it is myth or fact, it is nevertheless a beautiful spot, with waterfalls, caves and mysterious rocks.  

with pathways like these, it's indeed like walking through a mystical place

ending up in front of waterfalls like these - fairyland indeed!

Mysterious rock piles

This is the mysterious stone, the Dolmen, purportedly the remains of what could be a portal tomb.  Apparently it moves but has never topped over.

Witches' Cave

Gawking at the different shades of green and the many flowers in the gardens

Awesome trees throughout the park

And the amazing Fern Garden truly made one think of Gulliver's Travels!

The Blarney Castle Gardens alone are worth the trip!