Bob and Ann in Ireland 2013

We had another wonderful breakfast at The Old Presbytery. I had a crepe that was stuffed with fresh fruit and covered with maple syrup and cinnamon. A side of bacon, a scone, juice and coffee rounded it out. Ann had scrambled eggs with cheese, juice and coffee. If we are ever back in Kinsale, we will stay here. It was the best B&B we have ever stayed in.

We were on the road mid-morning and traveled on the coast route on secondary roads. The vegetation was lush and usually reached the edge of the road as a high barrier to keep errant autos from careening into farmers' fields. Traffic was light which made driving less tense. The weather was perfect - partly cloudy in the 60s. We chose this route because we had all day to get to Kenmare and we wanted to view good scenery.

We made one minor mistake at a turn but we faked it by stopping at a gas station to fill our tank. This gave us time to determine where we were. After that we got back on route and stopped in Glengarriff for lunch. My roast beef sandwich and potato salad were OK. Ann's roast lamb with potatoes and vegetables was better.

The highlight of the drive for me was our detour at Glengarriff from the main road onto the Beara Peninsula. We drove about 1/3 of the way down the southern side of the peninsula and then turned north to go over The Healy Pass. This is a very isolated almost one-lane road that climbs over the mountains that run down the middle of the peninsula. I told Ann that if we were to meet a truck coming the other way, we would be in trouble. No worries, though. The first thing we met were two horseback riders. The second things we met were some cows and calves being herded by a couple of border collies. After that, we saw very few vehicles.

The view of both sides of the pass at the summit was spectacular.

Kenmare Main Street We arrived in Kenmare mid-afternoon and checked into our room at the Hawthorn House. After loading our luggage into our room, we took a stroll through town. It was not as picturesque as the other towns we stayed in, but it was a good jumping off spot for the Ring Of Kerry. We stopped at Foley's Pub for refreshments. I had a good Murphy's Stout. Ann had a glass of Bulmer's Cider.

Musicians At The Coachman's Dinner tonight was at The Coachman's. It was recommended by our hostess and she was right to do so. I had a pint of Beamish Stout while Ann had another Bulmer's Cider. I ordered Irish lamb stew while Ann had a cottage pie. The best part of the meal was the live Irish music. We sat next to the stage. There were two local men, one playing an Irish accordion and the other playing a ten-string guitar-like instrument. We listened to several Irish tunes and ballads. We were happy for finding this pub with its good music. Back to the room by 8:00, we began to prepare for an early start to our drive tomorrow around the Ring of Kerry.

Here is today's animated slideshow.

Here is a link to today's photo gallery.