With the Blarney Castle so close to Cork,
we couldn't really pass up the opportunity to visit. The remains of the
castle are set within a beautiful green garden - exactly what you think
of when you envision the Emerald Isle. The Castle itself is undergoing
some significant repairs and restoration - not so much to bring it back
to how it was, but rather to prevent further deterioration.
A lookout tower near the castle - no stairs or floors in it any more - just the shell remains
Crows
(or similar birds) have made their nests high up thecastle's
superstructure - as Jemima and I climbed up to the top (to kiss the
Blarney stone), we watched them fly into their nests and out again -
their nexts perched more precariously over a sheer drop than the Blarney
stone itself.
Getting
to the top of the castle took a bit of effort - only Jemima and I were
game. Sharon and Max both waited for us at ground level. When we
finally got to the stone, Jemima decided that she didn't want to kiss
the stone after all, so I was the only one of all of us that made the
plunge. There were a couple of locals sitting at the opening over which
the Blarney stone is suspened - preventing any visitors from falling to
their death I presume. The chap in the red parka talked me through the
process - grip the two bars, shuffle back, kiss the stone then helped
with the 'ascent' back up. Jemima had the camera and snapped a few
shots, unfortunately for me, I made a poor choice in what to wear that
day and too much of my gut is showing in the other photos, so this one
will have to suffice as proof that I kissed the stone.
The view from the top of the castle of the grounds.
At
the base of the tower, the walls were tremendously think - I'd guess
2.5 metres - this shot illustrates that, but without a size comparison,
It's hard to just the scale - you'll need to take my work on this one.
One of the towers on the castle
Some of the original features of the castle
Looking
across the open castle towards the Blarney Stone - you can see the chap
in the red parka sitting with his legs dangling down the gap between
the wall and the stone.
A
view of the Blarney stone from below showing the gap over which you
have to lean to kiss the stone. Having kissed the stone, apparently I
will have the Gift of the Blarney (aka the Gift of the Gab) which is
probably not such a bad thing in my line of work.
In
the grounds of the castle, they had a Poison Garden - the intent was
originally to educate visitors about some of the poisonous plants in the
Blarney Castle grounds, but ti's been expanded to include other plants
as well - if you think the plant in the big cage above looks like Mary
Jane, you'd be right - that is Marijuana.
Some
other plans in the garden might be familiar to Harry Potter fans -
plants such as Wormwood and Mandrake (which are nowhere near as magical
as they appear in the stories.
A
small lookout behind the castle - not exactly sure how such a short
lookout would have been useful given how high the castle is, but there
you go.
Some of the magnificent trees in the gardens.
The orange colour of these trees prompted the kids to call then "fire-wood" - get it?
Throughout the gardens are sculptures - some made from old tree stumps like these owls, and some free standing ...
... like this piece.
I noticed this tree has a horizontal branch that joins both trunks making an Irish Harp shape in the cavity.
Being
winter, and with most of the trees deciduous, it was east to spot birds
nests where there were clumps of sticks bundled together high in the
branches - I suspect something different is happening with these trees
though; but it did look like giant nests.
Sharon's favourite sheep (black faced white wool) were contained in a field on the grounds.
Kinsale
After
the Blarney Castle, we drove down to a small village called Kinsale
(South of Cork). While the weather could have been clearer, it was
certainly a picturesque township - for some reason many of the shops
were painted in bright colours, yet the normal homes were not. I'm not
sure what's going on there but it made the town centre stand out. We
stopped to have lunch in a seafood cafe - easily the best Fish and Chips
while we were in either England or Ireland.
Some of the bright shop colours
Guinness gives you strength apparently - I tested the theory, but am yet to see a substantial change in my strength. :(
More bright shops in the centre of town.
Cobh
After lunch, we visited another seaside town - Cobh.
Obviously, fishing is key to their income, but I get the feeling that
tourism is pretty important too over the summer months. Cobh is famous
for being the last port of call for the Titanic before she sunk on her
maiden Atlantic crossing. I'm guessing that she pulled up in deep water
and tenders loaded passengers and goods before she set sail that final
time. Also in town were tributes to the Lusitania - the predecessor
ship of the Titanic (the Titanic was a larger Olympic class ship) that
was sunk by a torpedo from the German U-boat U-20 on Friday 7 May 1915.
The wreck lies approximately 18 km off the Old Head of Kinsale
Lighthouse.
The memorial to the Lusitania and all those that lost their lives.
The Cunard Steamship Company still have a building in Cobh.
Some of the boats in the harbour
I
was struck by the size of the church - almost a cathedral in this small
town. It may not look that big here, but the church is set quite a
long way back behind the main street along the shore line - this church
is HUGE!
The main street along the shoreline.
Some of the row houses overlooking the waterways around Cobh.
After Hastings, we drove up to Windsor for a few days. Sharon's uncle Albert and auntie Anna live in nearby Ascot - you know... where the horse racing is. We rented a "cottage" in Windsor which was supposedly fit for a family of four. While we did fit, it was very snug. The cottage turned out to be a converted single car garage, so by the time there was a double bed, another single bed and trundle, a kitchenette, en suite style bathroom, table and four chairs plus all our luggage, it's fair to say there was not a lot of room to spare. It did the job however as mainly a place to sleep and not much else.
Once we settled into our accommodation in Windsor, we had intended to jump in a train at Windsor and catch the train into the west end to attend the production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, however Windsor was teaming with people and parking was at a premium. After some unsuccessful searching for a car park close to the station we gave up in that idea and drive to nearby Slough, got a park easily and caught the train from there instead.
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane where we went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory courtesy of Santa. What a wonderful production! The sets were incredible, the casting and performances wonderful - we had a fantastic evening, even with the hour and a bit in the train each way from Windsor.
It was quite late by the time we got back to Windsor and the fog had rolled in by then.
The fog would last pretty much the whole day, not burning off at all. Luckily, we had planned to be with Albert & Anna for much if the day rather than sightseeing. Albert took us to a local pub where we had a great meal - easily the best since arriving in the UK.
Albert reflecting on his time in Her Magesty's Prison Service
The following morning, we caught the train into London (this time from Ascot station - much easier parking than Windsor. It was yet another chilly morning but hot chocolates from the kiosk at the station helped.
London street views
The obligatory photo with he English phone booth - outside the British Museum.
Panorama view of the front of the British Museum.
Proof we were there
The inside courtyard for the original museum has been filled with a circular structure housing restaurant, kiosks, shops and other ancillary bits and bobs. A metal lattice overhead filled with glass panels mean that the centre courtyard is now completely enclosed. Quite a transformation for the old building. The square surround and the circular inner form a bold architectural statement.
Naturally, the exhibitions were incredible. We concentrated on the Egyptian section figuring it would hold the most interest for Max and Jemima.
he Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone Detail
Rosetta Stone detail
Rosetta Stone Detail
This is Cleopatra's mummy
Cleopatra's mummy - the face looks old English to me rather than Egyptian
Hieroglyphics
Jemima wasn't feeling well at the museum, so we decided to leave to allow her to get some fresh air - we walked down to Covent Garden with the hope of getting some lunch, perhaps visiting the T-Shirt stand the kids got some things at the night before we saw Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.
Covent Garden Christmas Tree
Covent Garden
Pie time at Covent Garden
A bit of live music at Covent Garden
Sharon looking her cutest with a London beanie
Jemima sampling some of the Tourist-wear
Back at Windsor
Sharon's Favourite shop - Kath Kidston
Queen Victoria, Windsor Castle and a Christmas Tree
Queen Victoria
Via Oxford to Nicole & Rob's
Sharon had wanted to see where Inspector Morse and latterly Lewis solved all their murder cases, so on our way to see my sister and family, we decided to go via Oxford. Much of Oxford could have been any suburb of London, but the old part where the churches, colleges and halls are did not disappoint.
