Irish Resilience

First order of the day:  find Europe's first geocache, overlooking the Irish Sea at Bray.

Annie takes her  Seattle Sounders scarf to all parts of the world for the obligatory photo. 

Debbie's reaction when she heard me say a bad word after I dropped my camera and injured my lens.  Happily, the lens worked for this photo and those below.  So, we'll limp along with the camera and hope for the best. 

For ten years, the kind gentleman has been helping people kiss the Blarney Stone.

Irish Skunk Cabbage:  pretty stuff

For my hairdresser Sally who wants me to find fairies in Ireland.  No fairies yet, but witches' habitat; will that do, Sally?

Howz this for a welcome at one's accommodations in Killarney?

We’re in Ireland, a land---where I was reminded a couple of days ago---that remains resilient in spite of monumental struggles, which have occurred throughout its history.

I am Irish, about three quarters, in fact.  Resilience has  been ingrained within my soul throughout a lifetime of struggles.

So, now that I am in the homeland of my ancestors and faced with yet another unwelcome challenge, I must remember the importance of resilience and that other universal Irish trait, the ability to laugh.

It’s hard to laugh when you drop your camera on your trip of a lifetime, especially when the lens appears to be severely handicapped.

I did not laugh when that happened yesterday afternoon. Instead, I uttered the same expletive as Annie the day a couple of years ago when her telephoto lens fell into a waterfall in Switzerland.  The word begain with “S” and ended with . . . well, you know.

With a little fortitude, I was able to get my lens to work once it dropped on the cement at Blarney Castle.  In fact, the lens was kind enough to capture some great images of family members kissing the world famous stone, which gives us the Gift of Gab.

Later, when we arrived at the beautiful townhouse here in Killarney where the owner left us a tableful of baked goodies and other treats, I discovered that my laptop would not communicate with the modem to the Internet here at the townhouse.

The error message reads that my computer adapter has a problem.  All worked well yesterday morning in Dublin, but something major seems to be wrong here.

So, at this writing, I’m still trying to figure out what to do as a solution to this problem, and I’m doing my best to be resilient and to laugh about a miserable situation. 

After all, that’s what the Irish are supposed to do, right?  Especially when visiting Ireland, the land of the Rock of Cashel, once owned by kings and later, by the Catholic Church.

We visited the Rock of Cashel  yesterday, where architecture follows both Romanesque and Gothic features, where the fortress sits on a hilltop, overlooking the Irish countryside, as castles should. 

Last time Annie and I visited this place, the sun was shining and we took our time reading gravestones in the cemetery and walking to the monastery down below the castle.  

Yesterday, we all did the best we could to stay warm and dry in a steady, cold rain. Still, everyone remained in awe while viewing items on display from centuries ago, some dating back to the Middle Ages.

We moved on to Blarney and more rain, where, after I dropped my camera, we climbed the cold, wet, narrow, winding staircase to the top of the castle (100 steps, I'm told) and watched as some of our group kissed the stone, aided by the same Irish gentleman who assisted me three years ago.

He's been helping with the kissing process for ten years.

The day was eventful and fun, even with my technological disappointments.  And, with luck of the Irish and a little resilience, maybe I’ll get this problem figured out and then laugh about it.  That’s the Irish way, right?

P.S.  I'm now sitting in the hotel lobby across the parking lot from our townhouse AND it's not my computer. The kind staff here has allowed me to post my blog.  I'll be forever indebted and promise to smile and laugh a little the rest of the day.

Oh, did I mention that my TIVAS are hopefully safe and sound at the hotel in Dublin where I left them in the room yesterday.  Thankfully, we'll be going back there next week, and that's one area where technology, i.e, my cell phone, worked just fine yesterday.  

On to the Ring of Kerry and a better day with blue sky and no rain!