Walk a mile in my underpants

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Today I visited the Ring of Kerry, a scenic route that winds through Killarney National Park and skirts the coast of the Iveragh Peninsula. It was very nice.

But it was very uneventful. To be honest, nothing really happened today. I drove around the ring. I took pictures. I stopped for lunch. I drove some more. I had some dinner. That was pretty much it.

So, in lieu of anything exciting happening, here’s a list of places that I visited on my trip with the funniest names:

Dingle
Skibereen
Sneem
Ballinspittle
Ballydehob
Ballylickey
Ballyrub
Ballinskelligs
Portmagee
MacGillycuddy’s Reeks
Inch
Inchydoney
Moneenamucky

Here are pictures from the Ring of Kerry:

Killarney National Park:

These are French Sheep:

The town of Cahersiveen:

Anyone who’s been in my house knows how much I like old rusty junk. So I was very excited when I saw this tractor parked along the side of the road to PortMagee. The mother lode:

In PortMagee, I met Leo.

He was untangling the fishing nets that are used to catch Pollock. He’s lived in PortMagee all his life. He was born and grew up in one of these houses along the water right near the fishing pier.

Lunch was at Bridge Bar across the street from the fishing pier. I ordered Grilled Black Sole with Chips and Salad. But I didn’t get Grilled Black Sole with Chips and Salad. Instead, I got Stone Crab Claws with garlic butter and chips. Damn American accent.

The rocky islands in the distance are called The Skelligs.

During summer months you can tour them. The photos are incredible. Unfortunately, the tours don’t run in November, so this is as close as I got.

PortMagee from the hilltops:

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When I drove past, these sheep were hanging out inside the house.

Unfortunately, I spooked them when I got out of the car, so this is as close as I came to getting the shot. Alas, the perfect sheep-in-the-doorway photo lives on only in my mind.

These next few photos are from the town of Ballinskelligs:

 

 

 

Heroic cow shot!

As I made my way through the last few kilometers of the Ring of Kerry, Ireland gave me another unexpected gift: a sunset AND a place to pull off the road.

 

 

Back in Kenmare, I headed out in search of dinner. But I couldn’t take the Irish food anymore. In a desperate attempt to find a plate without a potato, I went to Prego, an Italian restaurant in downtown Kenmare. But the joke was on me, as the soup special was potato leek. POTATO LEEK! IN AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT! I nearly screamed. Instead, I ordered a Margherita pizza.

It was dreadful. Like a Celeste microwave pie but with less tomato sauce and a soggier crust. It was served with a salad that was 40% onions. But I ate it all with a smile because there were no potatoes. Then went back to the hotel and brushed my teeth.

Like the Pictures? Buy the Prints. For more Ireland photos, visit Brian Eden’s gallery.