Tuesday 31 March 2009

ABC Wednesday - K

K is for Kerry

A beautiful part of Ireland. There are sandy bays, wild cliffs, craggy islands, mountains and moorland. Busy towns and sleepy villages. Here you are on the Atlantic's edge, next stop America (where so may Irish travelled in the past to escape poverty and famine).

We were lucky with warm sunny weather in a year where rain predominated over sun. The couple whose cottage we stayed in said we had brought the good weather with us. The Irish have a way with words.

The photo at the top is Bantry and the one below Bantry Bay (famous for its mussels)

Near the Kerry Way

Macgillycuddy's Reeks

There are a lot of rare plants here due to the moderate oceanic climate. On our way up Corran Tuathail or Carrauntoohil (whichever way you spell it's Ireland's highest mountain) we fell in with a climber who pointed out some of these plants. I also fell in a bog, that t-shirt was never the same afterwards.

I have few photographs of this holiday as my camera got rather smashed up in the first week so no pictures of the Devil's Staircase, Hag's Tooth or the Dingle and Iveragh coast. It is a place I would love to go back to so maybe I'll get another chance. The scenery will live in my memory as well as the scrumptious food, ice cream and afternoon teas. Ah the dozens of different pancakes at Strawberry Field, the apple and blackberry pie at Skelligs Mist bakery and coffeshop, Valentia Island, apple crumble and ice cream at Molly Gallivan's Cottage on Moll's Gap. Oh no I'm starting to hallucinate.

Here is the last picture I took with my ex-camera in the Gearhanagour valley (well I did take some with my mobile phone but have never worked out how to get them on to my computer).

Katch more K's at Mrs Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday

12 comments:

Sylvia K said...

Really great post for K day! Your photos are breathtaking! Thanks for sharing!

Jane Hards Photography said...

It's like a bigger, better version of my island. Gorgeous.

Tumblewords: said...

Gorgeous, gorgeous! Looks peaceful and green.

Carolina said...

Beautiful scenery. I'd love to go to Ireland some day *sigh*

mrsnesbitt said...

We visited Ireland in 2005! We would love to return one day. We visited the giant's Causeway.....such beauty!
Thanks for participating! I do not always have the time to visit everybody but I do appreciate your time and effort.

Denise

Mo said...

Oh, I want to see Ireland so very badly! Thanks for the glimpse!

Miss_Yves said...

Great landscapes : ideal for walking and ...photographying ! perfect choice .

Roger Owen Green said...

I'm about 1/128 Irish. I'd love to go to the old country someday.

Cindy said...

Really beautiful photos! And I see you have forsythia blooming already. (or as I call them, for"cynthia")
Thanks for reading my essay - I appreciate your stopping by.

Jay said...

Oh, what a shame to break your camera early in the holiday! I do love the photo of Bantry Bay with the knapweed in the foreground - it's beautiful!

You fell in a bog! LOL! I'm glad you got out OK!

Unknown said...

What a fun trip! I love your pictures! So breathtaking!

pictureeachday said...

Gorgeous photos! The one of the bay is especially stunning. I have always wanted to visit Ireland.. thanks for sharing these with those of us who can only visit over the internet (for now!) :)

Strawberry Fields looks adorable, and even the name sounds delicious..