The Gift of Gab and Cornish Cream Tea

Chuck and I scheduled a shore excursion called the Best of Ireland that included stops in Cobh (pronounced Cove), Kinsale, Cork and Blarney Castle.  It lived up to its name as the best.  Ireland is definitely the Emerald Isle.  We traveled by motorcoach from Cobh to Kinsale.  Kinsale is a beautiful and picturesque little town on the water.  We were able to spend about 30 minutes just walking around soaking up the atmosphere.  The morning was mostly cool and cloudy but that didn’t hamper the serenity.  The sun did peek out on occasion.  It was here that I used to cash dispensary (ATM) to get some Euros.  We had British Pounds, but Ireland is part of the EU, so we needed Euros.  We then traveled on to Cork for lunch at a hotel.  On the menu was Irish stew, fruit, soda bread and cheesecake.  We also entertainment:  an Irish duo who sang and played traditional Irish songs and Irish dancers. From there, we traveled to Blarney Castle for a chance to kiss the Blarney Stone.  Climbing the steep, narrow steps to the Blarney Stone is not for the faint hearted.  The stairs are purposely steep, different heights, uneven and rise clockwise to deter invaders.  Here’s a little information I copied from the website Specialized Travel Services (http://www.special-ireland.com/kissing-the-blarney-stone/):

The Blarney Stone, also known as the Stone of Eloquence, is located atop the castle’s tower, going up the 127 steps to the top of the castle, 37 feet high, will find the Blarney Stone, the legendary Stone of Eloquence, found at the top of the Tower. Kiss it and you’ll never again be lost for words. But don’t take our word for it – everyone from Sir Walter Scott to a host of American presidents, world leaders, and international entertainers has been eager to take advantage.

Chuck and I climbed to the top, a little winded, but we made it.  The trick to kissing the Blarney Stone is to lay on your back and slide through an opening then kiss the stone above you.  I kissed the stone pretty easily, but Chuck had a bit of a problem and ended up with a scrape on his forehead.  Chuck has already been blessed with the gift of gab, so it didn’t matter that he didn’t get a chance to kiss the stone.  After trekking down the steps, we walked around the grounds then made our way over to Blarney Mills.  This store was filled with all kinds of goodies:  wool products, Irish foods, scarves, gloves, mittens, and home furnishings.  We bought cappuccinos from the little café in the Mill and watched the world go by at an outside table waiting for our bus to take us back to the ship.  Ireland is so beautiful.  I can’t wait until we visit Dublin in July!

This is not only a bike shop, it's also a fishing/bait and tackle shop.

The next day, Saturday, we visited Cornwall. Again, it was a cool, windy, cloudy day.  To get to Falmouth from the cruise ship, you have to board a tender (a small boat) to ferry you to the pier.  The seas were a bit rough.  We got underway, then boarded our motorcoach.  Cornwall is just as beautiful and picturesque as Ireland.  We made our way to the little seaside village of Marazion to have Cornish Cream Tea at the Godolphin Inn.  It was definitely a treat.  We had the most magnificent views of St. Michael's Mount.  St. Michael's Mount is a castle on an island that only accessible by a cobblestone path during low tide.  The sun was out and the views were unbelievable.  So was the cream tea.  I had no idea what to expect.  I remember visiting Stratford on Avon when Chuck and I were stationed in Germany in the 1980s.  I had read about scones and was eager to try one only to discover that a scone was a biscuit like the ones we have in the States.  These, however, were nothing like that.  The scones were lightly sweetened and served with clotted cream and strawberry jam.  With the tea, they were so delicious (and calorie laden, but calories don't count when you're on vacation).

After our cream tea, we had some time to visit the beach to get a closer look at St. Michael's Mount and the town of Marazion.  Lots of cobblestone streets and pastel colored houses.  We wandered around taking lots of photos.  When we boarded the bus for our return to Falmouth, our guide said we had enough time to include a ride toward Penzance.  Again, the scenery was breathtaking.   We made it back to Falmouth, boarded our tender for the return trip, which was still rough, and boarded the NCL Jade for our last night on board.  Southampton, UK, here we come!

(Just a little extra piece of info that will only be of interest to my sisters and cousins: My grandmother's maiden name was Gammon. I  found out from our guide  that the word gammon (which I saw on a menu) means ham. Maybe the Gammons were originally from Cornwall.)