We woke up and ate cereal/toast at the kitchen of the hostel. We set off for the Ring of Kerry. We stopped at the north end of the Gap of Dunloe but couldn’t get very far by car. There was jaunty carts you could take but we elected to keep going. We drove first through a town (Killorglin) famous for its King Puck festival since medieval time. King Puck is a goat with a crown and there is a statue of him on the edge of town that we got pictures of. We stopped at the Rossbeigh Beach/ Strand to take in views of the bog on one side and the ocean on the other. The rain picked up and as we wondered further from the car we were getting more and more damp. Thankfully Brandon moved the car and we got in before it started pouring, but our pants were pretty soaked. We had used our towels at the hostel that morning, so they were out attempting to dry in the car window. Handy for drying off wet beach goers. Bridgit the took us the scenic way through the mountains on windy, one lane roads but we made it back to N70 eventually.

Our car we named Octavious and he has been a trooper. A few days ago he warned us of low tyre pressure but we checked it and it was fine when we got gas (diesel). It is a bit scraped up on the left side from hitting the bushes so much. It also “shuts off” when waiting to turn or at a light. It starts up again right away when Brandon steps on the gas.

We followed the coast to Cahersiveen and ate at the CafeSiveen. I had a mocha and savory quiche. It was yummy. We then drove through town to the ancient ring forts; Cahergal & Leacanabuaile. It was a short, misty, walk past sheep pastures to each one, but the rain held off and we got to explore them. We also got to see the BallyCarbery castle in the distance by the ring forts.

We stopped at the Scariff Inn for the view of the coast; called the best on the Ring of Kerry. It was shrouded in mist at first, but cleared enough to see after our bathroom break. We were going to Valentia Island via the bridge and drive up the mountain to see the views of the Skellig Islands, but the rain and mist came in and made all the views blocked. So we elected to keep going to Kenmare instead. The last part of the drive was uneventful, mostly just off the coast with semi nice views of the foggy coast every once in a while. There were a few towns where the buses stopped, full of tourists, but the crowds and the weather kept us going on.

We drove the Ring counterclockwise like the tour buses so we did not meet them on a narrow road, since the smaller vehicle gives way to the larger on Irish roads. We also got started around 9:15, since most buses start their route from 9-10. Brandon and I both agreed that the Ring of Kerry was a nice drive with pretty views; our experience was a bit muddled because of the weather. We felt that the Great Ocean Road in Australia and driving around the coast of the North Island of New Zealand is much more beautiful.

We arrived in Kenmare and wandered around town a bit. Like in Killarney, there is a cute main drag with some tourist shops but prices are higher than elsewhere being on the Ring. We checked in to our hotel, unloaded the car and scoped out early supper options. We elected to go to Tom Crean’s; a fish and wine place. I had pork in a sweet apple sauce and finally got to try Seafood chowder. Everything was delicious.

We had a 45 min rest break after dinner and then decided to go to a pub for music and adult beverages. We wondered all over and finally decided to go in to the Wander Inn Bar; the Bar that is connected under our hotel. They had a harpest and guitarist who were singing. Ciara and I had Orchard Thieves hard cider, Brandon a Jameson and Pepsi and Brad a Guinness. We turned in and are going to have a sleep in tomorrow since we don’t have too many plans. We don’t get breakfast with this hotel so we picked out a place for that too.

Restaurants here are more relaxed. Servers are not as attentive and you have to flag them down for the bill. As in Australia, you don’t necessarily tip waitstaff or bartenders since they are paid a living wage here. It is a different dining experience than in the US, less rushed and more at your own pace. I like it when we are not time dependent, but sometimes it makes everything more drawn out. Our food has always come fast and been amazing though so I am happy overall with our dining experience.