We started our day by eating a traditional breakfast consisting of sausages, eggs, beans, and tomatoes. There was also the option to have black and white pudding, but when they mentioned to us that it involved blood we decided not to include it in our meal.
We grabbed our belongings and headed to Rineen Woods where we took a hike known for having small “fairy” houses. It was not exactly what we expected but it was fun nonetheless.
For lunch we trekked down the highway and stopped at a small diner. To the right of the diner we walked to Leap Waterfall. It had small wooden houses, statues made of rocks, and chair and plack that encouraged people to make a wish.
Our next stop was in Killarney National Forest, a massive green forest with waterfalls, foliage, and very narrow roads. The first site we visited was Torc Waterfall. It was quite lovely (a phrase I have often heard since we have been here). If you travel up past the waterfall you can get another vantage point above the waterfall. On our way back to the car, Cora and I also took the opportunity to climb a tree.
Further down the road we took a pit stop at Ladies View. This site was named when the Queen instructed her ladies to find the best view in Ireland after Ireland was conquered by the English. When we arrived it was drizzling, but we got out and hiked around the area. At one point, Cora fell in a hole- I followed suit as I fell in a hole before we left. The area is covered in long grass and large rocks. The grass covered the ground so it was hard to notice if you were going to have good footing or not.
For dinner we headed to Killarney, where we ate at a pub with live music. I enjoyed eating a meat pie, chips, and fresh vegetables. The other dishes consisted of pasta arribitta and a sausage dish with mashed potatoes called bangers and mash. After dinner, we headed down main street and picked up some creamy ice cream from a candy store.
We didn’t end up checking into our loft in Ardfert until about 11:30pm.