Blarney Castle

Last weekend we decided on a whim to drive to Cork with Tom and Missy to check out the city and see the Blarney Castle.  It's only a 2.5 hour drive from Dublin and Tom has a car so we were happy to jump in and check it off the list!

Cork was...nice.  Bustling Irish city with a small towny feel.  Lots of pubs and bars and restaurants and good food, and a pretty river runs right through town.  Several people have told me that they absolutely LOVE Cork and I...didn't.  I mean it was fine and I'm glad I went.  But I don't think it's the most charming place I've ever been.  But it served it's purpose for a fun weekend and here are some pics from the Blarney Castle!

The Blarney Castle was built in the 1400s by Cormac MacCarthy, a cheiftan leader in the old days.  The legend has it that ol' Cormac was on his way to talk to the queen about having his land taken away, and an old woman told him to kiss this particular stone in Blarney Castle.  He did, received the "gift of gab", and won back the rights to his land.  The "gift of gab" basically means great eloquence or skill at flattery - and it's been a big deal ever since.  

The grounds are really gorgeous - tons of greenery, small creeks, caves, gardens, lakes, etc.  It was drizzling pretty much the whole time we were there so we couldn't see as MUCH as we wanted, but we still saw some beauty.  

The place was all decked out from Halloween and this huge Grim Reaper greeted us in the main hall.

So...you ascend this tiny ass winding staircase all the way to the very top of the castle and then...lie down and lean back.

It's scary.  I made Drew go first.  

I talked a big game, like I wasn't scared, but then you're leaning over this precipice with nothing under you except 2 thin steel bars, it's unsettling.  

Nostril shot.

That's....the ground.  From way up.   Ahhh!

Pretty mansion on the grounds.

Missy and I

Inner courtyard

Irish fall foliage

Engagement pics!  Or that's what it felt like the rest of the day for both of us!  

Creepy caves under the castle!  

We ate brunch at a delicious place and had a lovely dinner, and went to a seaside town called Cobh for some seafood chowder, and drove back by Sunday afternoon.  It was a fun weekend with friends and now I evidently have the gift of gab and flattery.  Cheers!

It's for the Birds

On the Sunday morning of our trip to the Cotswolds, we went over to the Cotswolds Falconry Centre in Chipping Camden!  It was the number one attraction on Trip Advisor for the Cotswolds and we've both been wanting to go to a falconry since we've been in Ireland so we made dreams come true.

So...falconries are places that house cool birds, usually put on shows with the birds for tourists, and sometimes give people the option to handle the birds and fly them on and off your arm all while getting a thorough bird education!

I was skeptical about this type of situation, because I'm an animal lover and generally feel bad for animals in zoos and places they train animals to perform for humans, BUT this was different.  They are TECHNICALLY tethered to their little stands but they are well fed and flown multiple times a day and are treated really well!  I made sure of it.

Scenic drive into the falconry!

A plethora of large exotic birds of prey.  The one next to the eagle was huge and scary!  But you can't tell from the picture.

'Merica

Here I am with Declan the falcon!  What a cutie.

Drew and Declan

Showdown.  He's gettin' his wings up.

This was an eagle of some sort but I don't know what kind.  He kept spreading his wings like this and barking at us.  Kinda scary but kinda funny.

"Now Drew, this is a relatively new bird to the falconry, and he's not entirely comfortable around humans yet.  So you're essentially helping us train him.  I hope this goes well."  - direct quote from Richard, our bird handler.

He seems to be doing ok with us...though I deleted the picture where he's flapping his wings about to hit me in the head and my face is all scrunched up.

Look at this cutie barn owl!!  I wanted to pet it and smooch it's cheeks but I was told I shouldn't.

He's shakin' and I'm kookin'.
"I don't know why you think owls are cute!  They're killers just like the huge eagles are!"
- another direct quote from ol' Richie

Drew and the pretty cutie owl birdie face.

We then got to wander out to this pretty field for flying lessons with the falcons!

Oh, and there was a herd of red-tailed deer under the nearby tree.  #isthisreallife

So....we'd hold the falcon and kinda lift our arm up while gently "flinging" the bird off, and he'd fly to a  tree close by.

"We feed our birds nice fresh meat now, I hope you're prepared!" - Richie
"Over my dead body will I feed them live mice or rats.  I'm not kidding, I'm out." - Lauren

Luckily it was just really really raw chicken.  Like chicken feet with pieces of their leg attached and what not.  

Rich would put it on our glove and Declan the falcon would see and then he'd zoooooooom down from his branch and land on our arms.  

Rich also told us that birds are lazy, they have no feelings, no loyalty, no NOTHIN - their only motivation is  their STOMACHS and getting food in them as quickly and easily as possible.

I'm looking skeptical but its fun!

Ahhh!  Talons!!!

Then....he said we'd have time at the end to hold the bald eagle!!  EEEEeeeeeeee!  Cooool!

He's about to hand him off to me and I'm scared.  Look at him here!  He might as well be posing for a United States dollar bill or something.

So...it's a huge bird, and while he only weighed 8 lbs, when you're holding your arm directly out to the side and an 8 lb. bird is standing on it, it's hard.  Like REALLY difficult.

With the smaller falcons you could kinda fold your arm in close to you to make it more bearable, and they only weigh a pound or two.  I wasn't getting his huge pointy beak any closer to my eyeballs than this.

AMERICA!  and Drew.

We had so much fun here and I'd HIGHLY recommend visiting a falconry to anyone, whether it be in the States or in Europe!  Two thumbs way up!