It is only a couple of hours drive to Killarney where we check in for 2 nights, thankfully, Our room is good and will be quiet as it faces out the back alley. Unfortunately it will also be very, well, wood-smoked shall we say, because it also is above the kitchen which is in the back alley and they are smoking and grilling away. Yikes. Keeping the window open is a total tactical error! which we figure out a little too late. Hopefully the smell will die out by the time we are back from our Jaunting Car ride.

This is an optional excursion so only about 15 of us are going. Our tour guide appears and takes us out into the pouring rain and around the block to where our horse and carriages (the Jaunting Car – have no clue why it is called that!) await on a square near the Killarney National Park where we will be riding. Dividing up between 2 cars, we end up with the Florida family we had dinner with the first night. Mom, Dad and 2 adult children – they are a delight to be with, funny and silly and poking at each other. It is easy to join in the fun. The Indian contingent is in the first car, and we the 2nd as we follow them around the square, down some city streets (a little nerve-wracking in the rain with regular autos all around) and into the National Park where it is much more peaceful and calm.

We end up circling around a bit, past a neat little lodge with a thatched roof and sitting our in front of St. Mary’s Cathedral to….oh no, really? Pick up 2 of the others who were late and had to take a taxi over here to join the ride. Sigh. There’s always got to be one…or two…. Oh well, they hop in the other car, so we’re still all alone, just the 6 of us here – and we happily head out on our way.

What ensues next is an hour an a half of beautiful scenery around the National Park with our adorable 18 year old driver (the Miami “son” was shocked the driver was only 1 year younger than he) and the Miami “son” sitting up front blocking the rain from us in the back – thank you kindly. it is gorgeous and peaceful and oh so quietly soothing with just the horse’s hooves on the pavement for noise. We pass through woodland, past cow pastures and a lovely lake with Lamb’s Island in the middle and the ruins of an old monastery.

There are more lakes, and more woodland, and deer! There are lots of deer. The driver tells us that the National Park service culls the deer each year and donates the venison meat to the homeless shelters around the county. What a brilliant idea!!! One that has been duly noted and will be shared with anyone we can find when we get home.

And then we are done. Too soon in my opinion as we have toasty little blankets back here and we could continue on through the park forever. But, no. We have dinner awaiting us at the hotel, and of course, we could never miss that! So back we go, out of the park, past the horse stalls and onto the city streets that lead us back to our abode for the next nights.

Dinner is in the hotel dining room this evening and consists of a lovely pulled pork salad appetizer – never would have thought of putting pulled pork on a salad, but it worked quite nicely, a seafood chowder type soup and fish and chips. Traditional Irish fare, at least the main course was!

After dinner, we took a stroll around the town to get our bearings a bit and scope out restaurants for tomorrow night, then headed back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep before our all day Ring of Kerry tour tomorrow.