Our day consisted of a drive with stops at a couple Abbeys, each of which would be amazing absent Henry VIII. Notice, however, we have some roof in the chancel allowing better preserved remains. This portion of the Abbey dates from a bit after the Norman conquest in the 11th Century.
We sadly departed Dublin without kids on the 12th with Bird and HP just moping along. Otherwise day was okay, warm with folks of heat in the A couple of days later when in Portmagee, jumping off point for Skellig Michael, a Yellow Flag warning was issued for temperature as on 16 July it was to rise to a blistering 73F. Honest Abe folksYellow Flag. Chatted with an Airbnb host one afternoon and she warns temp may reach the intolerable levels of the eighties with no rain. She didnt say but one would imagine, they blame the U.S. and China for the bulk of climate change. Countries in Europe by and large are doing the work to reduce carbon, but the big boys do little. At any rate visited a couple of demolished Abbeys (thanks again to that sleazeball Henry) and the medieval town of Kilkenney. Ruined Abbeys were nice as was the town, which is billed as the best preserved medieval town in Ireland. The locals make a wonderful presentation as flowers abound everywhere, and as spotless as any town in Switzerland.
of us (apparently the snobby one) to fess up and apologize. The Irish (at least in rural areas) were anticipated to be the rednecks of Western Europe, a bit like Estonians displaced from Northeastern Europe to the far west. Well no. Like all Europeans, perhaps excepting the French, they are very friendly and helpful. These people are not rednecks. Apology tendered. May also offer a bit about housing. British housing, while very attractive, is a bit alien to us and closely packed. In rural areas housing in Ireland is very spacious with well manicured lawns and rather large single family homes.
The next post is a big MIchael. Well actually divide into two posts, one for the island and monks habitat, while on the last you will see many, many fantastic puffins.
