There is seriously too much to really say about what I loved about Ireland. I do have to say that Cork was my favorite city of the four I visited but I’ll go further into the cities I visited later. two of the main destinations i wanted to visit were Fota Wildlife Park and the Blarney Stone. If you want to see one of the touristy areas of Ireland and cross something off your bucket list then you should head over to the blarney stone to acquire the gift of gab.
Blarney Castle is the home of The Blarney Stone but more than that the area around it is a beautiful park. I went in December so in the dead of winter most of the plants in the Poison Garden were dead but it was amazing just the same. There was so much to see and Acres of the property to visit. There are a few different trails of various lengths in the park but they are each beautiful and take you around different features. I loved seeing the Ice House and BAdger’s cave. but the plant life and waterfall really stole the show for me. This is going to sound incredibly stupid but I can’t think of another way to say it but the color green looks different there. It’s so much more vivid than I’ve ever seen before. Everything looked healthier and there were more shades of green than I’ve ever seen before or since. Of course the Blarney Stone is definitely something to stop by and it sits towards the top of the castle. To kiss the stone you have to lay on the ground on your back and lean toward the stone. Luckily there are some handles and two attendants to keep you from falling. It’s a very cool experience and the castle itself is awe inspiring. You can see the various different rooms and imagine what they looked like when the castle was functional.
Fota Wildlife Park may not be as well known as the Blarney Stone but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be on your to do list for your Ireland Trip! If you love animals it’s a must-see and it’s definitely a different experience than zoos you’ll find in the states. There were capybaras walking around pretty freely and they also had ducks you could feed. There were some gigantic birds that you could walk up to but since they stood almost as tall as i am i can definitely say i was a bit afraid. I was pretty proud of myself for walking relatively close to the birds because birds are terrifying and birds that are nearly my height are…. beyond terrifying. I fed ducks and didn’t lose it and to be honest i kind of felt like a Disney Princess because all of the various birds kept coming up to me even a few wild ones like a crow and an adorable robin. I saw “The Birds” as a kid though so I would have been really happy if it had been those capybaras that wanted to come close to me. It was an experience like no other to be in the park. Ring-Tailed lemurs are my absolute favorite and I got to see them up close! I would love to go back and i would definitely suggest this place to you if you’re in the area!
Well I think that’s it for this post.More to come later this week!
Sincerely Yours,
Pocket Elf Travels
