For starters. I have kissed the Blarney Stone. Let me set the scene. The wind was blowing quite profusely while the steady rain blew in from the open windows as I climbed the spiral staircase. Along the way, rooms belonging to the 15th century provided diversion from the real goal of this sojourn. At the top of the castle, the true force of the wind was no longer a memory as it pelted me with rain. Around the parapet I walked as the line to the stone shrank before me. The cold, wet, and perilous trek up the tight, winding, spiral staircase was met by this Spiderman-esque make-out with a rock. Totally worth it! The whole day was rainy, windy, and chilly, but I didn't let that stop me from exploring. I had no idea of the amount of grounds and gardens that Blarney Castle contained. There were literally acres upon acres of gardens and pathways that lead to more and more exciting things. One of my favorites was the Poison Garden.
It had all manner of plants that would kill you. Which is completely fascinating! But this was really only the beginning of the different areas on the grounds. Perhaps the other most thrilling portion of this hike was through the Rock Close. Here were the Wishing Steps where the Blarney Witch would grant a wish to anyone who walked down and up these steps with their eyes closed. I did have to make two tries of it, but in the end, I succeeded! As well as hitting my head on the opening. (Side note: I have banged my head on, now, six different occasions so far; 4 on the bus, 1 on the wishing steps, and 1 in the Badger's Cave under Blarney Castle. I also fell while taking a slippery path in the Gardens. All good though!) There were so many amazing things I got to see, and this is just a small sampling. When I get some more time, I'll flesh this out with some more pictures, but for now, I have more adventuring to do!
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