As promised, another update is underway! So here we go! Last week I attempted to find a town called Lismore...of course, as per usual I missed the turn off at a round-a-bout and ended up in Whiting Bay instead! Turns out, Whiting Bay is gorgeous! It's a long stretch of sandy beach so I really just spent the afternoon relaxing, felt the sand between my toes and took in the smell of the sea. 
The following day, I drove out to Ardmore which is about 30mins from Midleton. Ardmore is a small little coastal town, home of the famous Cliff House Hotel. This hotel is set on a cliff, and the entire side of the hotel is glass. In the rooms, there are skylights everywhere, including in the bathrooms. So, if your showering, you can look out onto the sea!! Fancy! This got me thinking...wouldn't it be great to have a skylight above your bed, so at night you could look out onto the stars?!! And then you could have it timed, so that @ 4am, the blackout shade covers it so that the sun doesn't wake you up! I think it's genius..I definitely want one some day!! Anyways, back to Ardmore. I explored the town a bit and then went on the cliff walk. This walk takes about 40mins, and the narrow path takes you on the very edge of the cliff and all around the little island. 
Below to the left is the famous Fr. O'Donnell's Well. Just a few yards to sea is where the wreck of the crane ship 'The Samson' washed to shore in 1987. Below to the right is the watch tower that was associated with Napoleonic defences.
On Tuesday, I went with my host family to Lismore, which was where I was trying to get that wknd! We had a picnic lunch in this really nice park, chased away wasps and took the kids to the playground. 
I like the sign to the above right...aka no fun!! We then walked thru the old town a bit, and found an old church with a creepy looking graveyard. The headstones were so old that the concrete was crumbling away, so I walked thru it and took a few photos. I got spooked when out of nowhere a man appeared who had been visiting the site as well...creepy!!!
On Friday I took the kids to the Fota Gardens. Its this giant park full of ferns, trees, flowers, ponds etc. My favorite part was this narrow, rocky pathway with giant ferns on either side. It felt like you were walking thru a rain forest! 
Ireland has been having some fabulous weather lately..no rain for the past few weeks! :O It gets up to around 24° C, with a slight breeze. I'm praying for snow this winter. I'm told it has only snowed twice in the past decade but...there's always hope! I want a white Christmas!!!! It'll snow....
I've also started training for a mini-marathon in Cork...omg! The marathon is the end of September so we'll see how things go. If I'm not dead before I hit the finish line, there may be photos taken of the event...maybe. Let's just hope I don't trip and fall flat on my face and take everyone down with me!!! I saw this sign the other day and HAD to take a picture. Only in Ireland would you see a pig as a prize...lol Yesterday, Marine (another Au pair from France) and I drove out to Ballycotton in search for Mr. Johnny Depp himself. He was in the small town visiting, which is only 20mins away from me!! Back in 1995, Johnny and the rest of the crew rolled into the small town to make a film called "Divine Rapture". The money fell through, but the crew loved the area & the locals so much that they stayed an extra month vacationing. Johnny still visits and usually stays in the Bayview hotel...thus my reason for stalking the town dry that day. Word on the street is that Mr. Depp was here meeting Sean Penne. My plan...was to "accidentally" take a video of the two, and then take a real photo, with me sandwiched in between. I searched everywhere...the famous Blackbird pub where famous celebrities are known to drop in and play some tunes, the hotel, the harbour, the mainsteets, even the Ballymaloe House! Still no sign of him. So whatever...I tried me best, but I guess I need to improve my stalking skills! hehe
To finish the week off, last night I went for a run in the country side, and then drove out to Easy Ferry to capture some sunset shots. It was the first 'real' sunset I've seen here in Ireland since I arrived 6 weeks ago, so I was pretty excited! Gotta run, I'm off to the Jamesons Irish Whiskey Distillery. Check back next wknd for updates on that, and my day in Dingle!!
I love you all. Missing you in Ireland...
XOXO
K
