To Kilkenny Castle and on to Waterford - July 3rd

The king sized bed at the Alex Hotel was great!  We needed the sleep....

Up for a great breakfast (included in the room), and we weren't disappointed.
Fresh fruits, scrambled eggs, bacon (well, it was really ham, but they call it bacon), yogurt with various toppings, croissants, good coffee, good iced tea for Gwen, and some coffee cake looking things that were wonderful.

Fed and watered, we headed for Trinity College to view the Book of Kells.  Look up the Book of Kells.  Emma had the foresight to order tickets on line, so we didn't have to wait 30 minutes to get in!

There were lotsa pics taken, but way to many to post.

It was now time to pick up the car, so off to Hertz for a reserved car at 12:00 p.m........ which wasn't there.  An hour later, and an upgrade to an Audi A8, we were off on the road.

Mind you, it was the wrong side of the road, but we were on our way.  Lotsa patchwork hills between towns.  These pictures are from different days, but you get the idea.

Driving with 3 navigators was a challenge, but we made it safely to the next stop, lunch.

In Kill (yes, the name of the town) we found a nice little place with a couple of eating choices.  (We found out that there's not many places to eat on the major highways, so we had to get off and back on.)  Names and pics to follow another day.  Gwen and Emma ate at The Canvas Cafe, with "healthy" food, named for the many paintings on the walls. Ruthanne and I opted for the fried stuff at Marsella's Diner.  My burger was very bland, while Ruthanne's fish 'n chips were ok.  The place also served pizza, but didn't start making them until 4:00!?

After a good lunch, it was off to Kilkenny Castle.  The time was getting late, and we made it to the entrance (after driving around looking for a parking spot) at 4:45, and it closed at 5:30.  We were able to see most of the castle, but didn't make the kitchen, or Butler's Gallery.

The Castle is right in town, and this picture shows just how tight an narrow most of the streets are in the towns of Ireland.  

From the Castle, we made it down to the Marina Hotel in Waterford.

Checked in, had a shower, and chilled.

Emma and I walked down the street to a Thai place, picked up some good food, and took it to the park to enjoy the time watching the people.

We even tried our hand at Boule.  Of course, beginner's luck set in and we threw some balls pretty close, to the amazement of the three young guys that graciously let us have a go.  Lotsa fun!

Back to the Marina Hotel that, as we found out, doesn't have A/C.  So........ the window is open hoping for a cool breeze from the river.

More details and pics tomorrow as we set off for Killarney, via Cork.