All through the night, the cool air drifting in our open window from the verdant hills and still waters of Dingle Bay was like a drink of water to a man stranded in the desert dying of thirst. All too soon, we will find ourselves back in the end-of-summer fireball of Tucson. We slept well.

At breakfast (Michael’s breakfasts are out-of-this-world) we met a couple from San Francisco and another couple from New Jersey and we enjoyed swapping travel tales.

Then it was time to bid sad farewells to Barbara and Michael Carroll and their lovely Milestone House B&B. Their generous hospitality, patience, guidance and assistance cannot be overstated. We highly recommend them and their B&B to anyone traveling to the Dingle Peninsula.

We packed our little red car, said our goodbyes and thank yous, then found our way out of Dingle and pointed ourselves in the direction of Killarney, destination Kenmare, in County Kerry. We managed to get lost a couple of times but mentioned previously, we actually enjoy that and we eventually find our way.

Michael had suggested that we take the scenic Gap of Dunloe and we were glad we took his advice. We stopped at Kate Kearney’s Cottage for soup, sandwich and cider near the aromatic peat-burning fireplace.

After the terrific lunch we discovered that we had to turn around and retrace the last few miles since cars were not allowed past Kate Kearney’s Cottage. So back we drove into Killarney, and after some confusion we were able to find N71 and headed south.

We stopped to admire the magnificent Muckross House and nearby lake, then continued along the popular Ring of Kerry, stopping at several scenic points to snap photos.

Reunited with our friends, we set out to explore the town. While Carol and Mandy shopped, John and I met an interesting couple, Bill and Irene, originally from Australia but now residing in Sligo in the northwest of Ireland. We enjoyed chatting with them for about half an hour, them our wives showed up (not empty-handed) and we bid farewell to our Aussie/Irish friends and then wandered into a pub for pints of brew and to relax and learn more about each other.

Then we wandered through town a bit more until we stopped and enjoyed a delicious meal at a tapas restaurant. It was a fun dinner but at 9:30 pm we had to say our goodbyes. We leave in the morning for Kinsale, and John and Mandy will stay another day in Kenmare before heading to Kinsale. Although we probably won’t see them again on this trip, we know that we have made a lasting friendship and we know we will see them again in the future.

After sad farewells and hugs, we drove to our fantastic B&B, The Driftwood. The proprietor, Peter, is most gracious and hospitable. We fell into the large soft bed and drifted off into a deep sleep. It has been another magic day in a truly enchanting land.

Next Day