January 16, 2004



The Ring of Kerry, which comprised most of today's journey, was unbelievably beautiful. The view looking out over the Dingle peninsula was the most spectacular. I loved to see all of the scenery: the mountains, the water, and the greenery all come together. I wouldn't want to drive the ring myself. And it's not for the weak of stomach or those who get motion sick. I'm not one of those people, but the winding road on the backstretch almost got to me.

The Muckross House was a site to see. It was a change from the castles and the abbeys that we've been looking at. This estate was my kind of place. The kind of place one would go to hunt and fish. I was surprised at just how large the house was on the inside. There were something like 40 bells in the servant quarters that would ring in from other rooms in the house. Queen Victoria had once visited the house, and the story about the visit was outrageous. The family prepared for the visit for three years and spent a lot of time and money to get the place ready, and she only spent two nights there.