The Sheep Roam Freely in Dingle...

For the second half of our time in Ireland we decided to rent a car and see some of the beautiful countryside. We both were a bit nervous about the whole driving situation because not only do you drive on the other side of the road but you have to drive a manual with the opposite hand as well. Needless to say I left the driving up to Matt and happily played the role of navigator with a little help from "the lady" in the GPS. I did say a little prayer as well before we started. It gave me peace of mind... but it made Matt a little more worried. 

Even though the streets are incredibly narrow, there are sheep and crazy bicyclists to veer around, and you have to drive at least 60 mph almost all the time... we survived and I have to say we had fun too!

We took the opportunity to stop and see the beautiful ruins of the Cathedral and castle grounds of the Rock of Cashel.

Inside the Cathedral of The Rock of Cashel

My favorite part was the graveyard. I could only imagine all the the stories and history buried there.

We then headed on to the cute coastal village of Dingle on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry.  

We stayed at a B&B that we found on AirB&B that was an actual sheep farm. Located right outside of the town, it had the most beautiful views of the rolling hills and farmlands all around the area. Every morning we awoke to the smells of a homemade Full Irish Breakfast with scones and tea! Yum!

Following that we donned our Welly's (rubber boots to those who don't know) and headed off to feed the friendly lambs behind their house. We also took the opportunity when we could to hike to the top of the hillside behind their farm. The views were breathtaking... of course when it wasn't raining.

It's Ireland...what did we expect!

The lambs on the sheep farm.

A homemade Full Irish Breakfast each morning while we watched the lambs in the pasture.

Course #1 tea, scones and yogurt with fruit.

Course #2 ham, sausage, eggs and potatoes. Mmmmm!

The view of an old sheep pen on the hill.

The beautiful view from the top of the hill with Dingle Harbor in the distance.

We spent the next few days exploring Dingle. 

Me and a statue of Fungi the famous Dingle dolphin that has lived in the harbor for the past 30 years.

In Ireland Craic, pronounced "crack", means fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation - not drugs.

We took the opportunity to go on a sunset kayaking trip in Dingle bay to explore some sea caves and maybe see Fungi the dolphin. It was really nice the day we before when we booked our tour for the following evening. As our luck would have it...it was pouring down rain and windy the whole time. Even though that sounds miserable it was quite serene to be out in the harbor in a kayak with the rain. Although not the best case scenario It was an interesting and one-of-a-kind experience in itself. 

The wind made it a bit of a challenge to paddle across the harbor but we worked off the fish and chip dinner along with the pint of beer we ate earlier.

The water was a little rough and I was a bit freaked out when we left the harbor and ventured into the 6 foot swells. I kept a smile on my face though!

Inside one of the sea caves.

Sunset from the harbor. Fungi didn't make an appearance this time around but we had fun just the same!

We then said goodbye to our new friends at the sheep farm and headed off to tour the Dingle Peninsula.

Chilling out with Rebel the lamb.

Driving along the Irish coastline. (See video at top)

The lady in our GPS, unbeknownst to us, took us via ferry. We just went with the flow and rode it.

Stopped to see the Cliffs of Moher.

We then headed off to stay with a really wonderful family that we met through couchsurfing on their dairy farm in Croom, County Limmerick. They went out of their way to make us feel like we were part of the family. They took us to all the local historical sites, got a first-hand experience milking the cows and they even made us dinner and a Full Irish breakfast the next morning. I couldn't believe how lovely and welcoming this family was. True Irish hospitality above and beyond!

Shane and Kevin taught us all about hurling. Needless to say neither Matt or I were any good at all!

I got to meet the ladies of the farm.

We woke up at half 6 (6:30) in the morning to bring the cows home for milking! I was much more excited then Matt!

Making new friends! Maybe it was the fact that we were giving them treats that made them happy.

Shane and Kevin's wonderful parents on their dairy farm.

We stopped by to see the breathtaking Adare Manor.

Matt on the tower top of Bunratty Castle.

All and all Ireland did not disappoint. It is a spectacular country with some of the most welcoming and kind-hearted people. I would recommend a trip to West Ireland to anyone!

Now off to London...