Killarney

The Lonely Planet guidebook describes Killarney as "a well-oiled tourism machine in the middle of the sublime scenery of its namesake national park. Its twee-ness is renowned." We weren't sure what "twee-ness" was, but we did find Killarney quaint and charming during our half day there. Maybe it was just "twee" during the high season.

We began our tour with the huge, neo-Gothic St. Mary's Cathedral, filled with heavy rock and bright stained glass.

I never tire of the grandeur of European churches. After checking out our email at the ever-important internet cafe...

we visited Killarney National Park. We walked a mile through a deep forest...

past the ruins of an abbey...

past a lake...

along a path shared with horse carts...

to Muckross House, one of Ireland's great country estates.

The rooms were filled with art and antiques provided by English and American owners during the 19th and early 20th centuries. One recent owner was the daughter of a rich Philadelphia businessman . She married an Irish aristocrat, and Daddy bought the house as a wedding present.

Muckross House had its own weavers, who sold tweed hats and scarves in the gift shop.

We saved the waterfall (another five miles to hike) for another trip.