On a spontaneous whim one winter evening my friend called me up, inviting me on her dream trip of travelling to Ireland. I thought, “why not?”, and one week later flights were booked for that coming spring.

Visiting Blarney Castle, although one of the major tourist spots in Ireland, was one of my favorite experiences during the trip. Even though kissing the Blarney stone is probably the most popular attraction at the castle, I had the best time just wandering the gardens. On a bright, sunny, spring day the gardens were gorgeous and colorful. I spent hours there and even that wasn’t enough time to see everything.

This photo was taken shortly before a harrowing battle with a rock in which I lost miserably. Shoes with no traction and a wet, muddy countryside do not mix very well. I slipped, lost my balance, and dislocated my kneecap. My first exclamation as my friend ran over was “Is my camera okay?!”. Being lifted into our car by strangers, driving an hour to reach the nearest clinic, and having my knee assessed by a questionable MD all while trying to keep control over my emotions was not how I would have wanted to spend my Sunday afternoon. All complaining and some relatively serious swelling aside, my knee was re-set, and we successfully finished out the remaining days of our trip.

We completed the remaining portion of Slea Head drive the following day on our way up to the Cliffs of Moher. There’s a running joke that Americans can’t understand anything older than 500 years and on that day by Kilmalkedar Church I certainly felt that. A couple of stones stood around the grounds featuring the Early Medieval ogham alphabet – composed of a series of lines connecting and crisscrossing against each other. The rugged landscape surrounding the church and it’s adjacent cemetery really emphasized the ancient nature of that site for me.

See more of my photos from the trip here.