Kninja Knitter

However, my adventure has been extended slightly thanks to a flight delay. This meant I was able to grab breakfast at the hotel rather than a box of stuff I probably wouldn’t eat. But I did miss saying goodbye to some of my traveling companions who left on the earlier transport.

This trip has truly been amazing though it’s such a whirlwind. This week has been dashing around Ireland. We had two nights in Dublin with one full day of sightseeing. I also managed to meet up with a couple work colleagues for a delightful dinner. Our tour director then made some adjustments to our itinerary.

In Dublin, we got to step inside Saint Patrick’s Cathedral where, among others, Jonathan Swift is buried. The rest of that tour was spent on the bus, which makes photo opportunities challenging. I was on the “right” side of the bus for some things at least.

I also visited a yarn store nestled in an industrial complex outside of the city center…will share the yarn porn separately at a later time! And the tour at the Guinness Storehouse was definitely a highlight!

After riding out of Dublin, we made our way across the country to the Cliffs of Moher. Wonder of wonders, we had beautiful weather over there!

From the west coast, we made our way south to County Kerry where we stayed for the next two nights. Through all the driving, it’s abundantly obvious why Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle.

On Thursday, we began our day with a jaunting car ride through Killarney National Park. John, our driver, was a delight, and very funny!

Our primary tour this day was traversing the Ring of Kerry which took most of the day. The rain finally caught up with us, though, so photos were not an option for a good part of the tour. Still, we made stops along the way. Bing Crosby loved this area and introduced Charlie Chaplin to its beauty.

Again, I may share more about this part of our tour after I review my photos at home.

The last day of our tour was spent heading back towards Dublin and included a major stop at Blarney Castle and Gardens. This site is full of history as well as incredible beauty, housing more than one arboretum as well as dozens of landscaped stops! I didn’t climb up in the castle since there was so much to see and only a couple hours to explore. Then we also had time to visit the Blarney Woollen Mills where I bought two sweaters (some assembly required 😂) and other souvenirs. I bought enough to get free shipping to the US, though that means I won’t have my stuff for a few weeks. Stay tuned for updates!

Our last stop of note on the day’s journey was at the Rock of Cashel, the site of several stone structures. We didn’t have much time here though as it was only a bathroom break.

Once we made it to Dublin, it took time to get everyone settled at the hotel. Then we all headed to Murray’s for our farewell dinner. I’m still waiting for photos to be shared from that event. Sadly, we did not arrange for a group photo. Of course, with 38 people including our tour director and driver, there aren’t many places that could be accomplished. :shrugs in mild disappointment:

There you have it, or at least highlights! I finished one pair of socks, started another pair, and made good progress on the other two WIPs I brought with me. We’ll see what I manage during today’s travel time, too.

Knit on. 🧶