Breakfast at the hotel then off to drive the Ring of Kerry. We decided to drive it clockwise, since we would be going the opposite direction of the tour bus traffic.
First stop, Sneem. Coffee, souvenirs, and bought some postcards to mail to the kids. Wandered down the street and walked across a grate over a waterfall.
Took the loop for the Skellig Ring (counterclockwise). Stopped at the Staigue Stone Fort, and explored the ancient structure.
Lunch was seafood, at a restaurant on the water in Portmagee. More driving, and even though the weather was overcast we got some great views:
And of course, no trip around the Ring would be complete without a visit to the Cliffs of Kerry.
Finished the Skellig Ring at Waterville then continued on the Ring of Kerry, around and then down through the Killarney National Park.
At one point near the end of the drive, after we had stopped at some scenic thing or another, we all got back in our cars and began yet another drive up a steep, narrow road. About five minutes into our jostling drive, Chris realized something.
"I don't have my phone." He said, after having searched everywhere around him.
"Where did you have it last?" I think it was Steven who was driving, although it could have been Ryan, but the driver couldn't spare a glance at Chris in the backseat, because keeping the car off the road and out of the path of incoming traffic took quite a bit of concentration.
After a pause, Chris rolled down his window. He reached his hand out of the car, on top of the roof... AND GRABBED HIS PHONE. It was still on the roof of the car, where he had set it before getting in. Its rubberized case was the only reason it hadn't slid off into a ditch somewhere in Ireland.
After that excitement, the rest of the drive was more scenery until we arrived back at Kenmare. Had dinner at The Coachman's before a night on the town. We ended up at one of the few late-night bars. We ordered enough drinks that they eventually set the bottles of our mixers of choice on the bar top, and each time we needed a new round they would supply the glass with alcohol, we just had to add our mixers.
There was dancing. And live music. And, of all things, the song Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus (more on this later).
CONVERSATION