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Our Magnificent Journey
Chapter 11
2009
England / Scotland / Ireland

 

On the coast of Ireland  
09.26.09
Friday
Day 18
Kenmare - Kinsale
 
  

We slept very well in our cozy bed. The Driftwood B&B, owned by Peter and Mignonne Williams, is a beautifully appointed home with all modern accessories located just a short distance from the center of Kenmare. Our breakfast of homemade bread, yogurt, cereal, omelet with smoked salmon, juice and coffee was very delicious. We very highly recommend the Driftwood B&B – we wish that we had more time here.

  
Peter and Mignonne Williams, proprietors of the Driftwood B&B in Kenmare
   
David at breakfast at The Driftwood B&B in Kenmare
   

Peter, originally from England, and Mignonne, Irish all the way, were extremely gracious hosts. Before we said goodbye, Mignonne gave us several suggestions regarding interesting sights en route to Kinsale. We thanked her for her hospitality and by 9:30 am we were heading south on the N71.

  
Sign on the way to Kinsale
   

The three-hour drive to Kinsale was beautiful, serene and peaceful. We took our time and stopped at many beautiful photo-worthy spots along the way.

  
On the way to Kinsale
   
On the way to Kinsale
   

At 1:00 pm we pulled into historic Kinsale and found the lovely Desmond House B&B and the wonderful, knowledgeable and humorous proprietor, Michael Mc Laughlin, who welcomed us warmly and spent at least half an hour or more educating us on the town and its rich history.

   
Kinsale doorsKinsale doors
Kinsale doorsKinsale doors
    
The Desmond House B&B in Kinsale
   
Carol, Michael and David and The Desmond House B&B in Kinsale
   
The lovely dining room at The Desmond House B&B in Kinsale
  
Our room at the Desmond House B&B in Kinsale
   

Our room is huge, with the biggest king-sized bed we’d ever seen, and a large modern bath with a tub. We settled in, freshened up and then ventured out to explore the charms of Kinsale.

   
House in Kinsale
   
Carol in Kinsale
  
A young Italian tourist who we spoke with in Kinsale
  
David and Carol in Kinsale
  
The White House Pub in Kinsale
  

We spent the next couple of hours wandering the narrow winding alleys of Kinsale’s town center. At one point I stopped to examine a pro-EU poster referring to the upcoming controversial vote.

   
Sign in Kinsale
  

As I stood there not understanding the issues of this vote, a charming woman full of personality stopped and explained it to me. Her name was Phil, and we chatted for about 15 minutes before Carol rejoined me and we continued to chat for several more minutes. Phil had been born in Cork but moved to Kinsale at a very early age and she was happy to describe for us what the town was like in the “old days.” We could have spent more time with her but she was running errands and we planned to take the small sight-seeing train to the old Fort. So we kissed Phil goodbye and wished her well.

   
Our delightful new friend, Phil
   

We rode on the tiny train through the town and over the hills to the fort, then visited on the way back with some interesting travelers from Canada.

   
Kinsale tourist train
   
Kinsale Harbor
   
Kinsale flowers
   
Kinsale flower
  

Then we walked the few blocks to the Desmond House B&B where Carol relaxed by soaking in a steaming hot bath.

  

At 6:30 pm we walked to Crackpots for dinner. Michael had made reservations for us and we enjoyed our candle-lit dinner of soup, salad, seafood cassoulet and linguini accompanied by a delicate Sauvignon Blanc. Everything was delicious and the homemade bread was the best we’ve had in Ireland.

  
Carol at Crackpots in Kinsale
  
David at Crackpots in Kinsale
  

After dinner we did a quick stroll around Kinsale town center and by 8:30 pm we were back at the B&B, packing for tomorrow’s flight to London, and reminiscing about the past week’s adventures. By 10:00 pm, we were fast asleep on the last night of our magnificent journey through the wondrous Emerald Isle.

   

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