Saturday Ring of Kerry Bus Tour

We were standing at the front door of the hotel (Cahernane House Hotel) with two other guys from New Jersey (they were on a golfing vacation but said they needed a break from golfing) waiting for the bus to pick us up. A rather clunky looking van pulled in, but the drive didn't seem to be looking for anyone to pick up. Then a much nicer bus pulled in (not as large as a tour bus in the US, but a bus that seats 29 people) pulled in. The drive got out and asked if we were going on the Ring of Kerry tour, we said yes and we all boarded. The bus went to downtown Killarney to the tour company office and Connie went in to square away the tickets. In short order she was back out and informed me that we had gotten on the wrong bus at the hotel and our tour company was coming over to get us.

Pretty soon another ratty van showed up and we were on our way to our tour company office a few blocks away. On the way, the drive told us we'd be on a larger bus like the one we had been on, and we were relieved.

When we got on the bus it was about half full and and sat in some seats about halfway to the back. In just a couple of minutes the driver walked back and said there were two seats up front and we could move up there. We hesitated and he said, you can mover up front to these seats. The view will be better. He clearly wanted us to move up, so we did. And he was right, the view was better. I have no idea exactly why he wanted us to move up, but I'm glad he did.

Two old goats in Sneem, the center of the sheep farming area on the Ring of Kerry. The four legged goat smelled very bad. I'm not sure what the two legged goat smelled like.

After leaving Sneem, we drove along the Black River valley and eventually stopped at Ladies View. It is named that because Queen Victoria came there in the 1800s.

This intended to show the sun and shadows playing off the mountain side - at Laddie View. We saw plenty of sunshine, but I think there were always clouds in the sky. Not infrequently, it was mostly cloudy.

This was one of serveral groups of deer along the road. The driver said it was the rut, but it doesn't look anything like the rut we see in Ohio. He told us hunting is not allowed. I think my son Alex wouldn't mind bagging that buck.

Ring of Kerry tour route. There are muliple tour buses taking this route every day. I was glad to be watching someone drive, rather than driving.

We ate dinner at the Cahernane House Hotel (the B&B where we we staid). It was one price, E50 per person, for a 5 course meal. The food was excellent, and so was the service. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for this caliber of dinner.

The view from the back windows of the Cahernane house.

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