Blarney Castle & Cork, Ireland
Brian and I spent nearly a full day at the Blarney Castle and Gardens in Blarney, Ireland. Sixty acres of beautiful gardens and trails surround the historic castle. Lovely bronze animal statues decorate some of the gardens, and a poison garden is featured with each dangerous plant well marked. Flowers were abundant, even along this modern services building.
The beef stew at the courtyard cafe provided a delicious lunch. Below we are waiting in line to kiss the Blarney Stone. I tried but only blew a kiss because I felt I could not safely reach the stone. Bending backwards over an opening of some height to kiss a stone didn't feel very safe me, especially with an older gentleman (not my husband) supposedly hanging on to me. None-the-less, this was an amazing and memorable day. You can tell by our smiles.
While staying at the Blarney Caravan & Camping Park, we also took a day to explore the nearby city of Cork. The host gave us tips for parking our motorhome in Blarney and where to catch the bus into town. It was easy to get from Blarney to Cork and back again by bus.
Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral in Cork delighted us with its labyrinth in the garden and the bas-relief sculptures of the Apostles decorating the pulpit. The history and artwork did not disappoint in this three spire Anglican cathedral built in the Gothic Revival style.
Don't miss the unusual feature of a placard at the front of the cathedral that identifies the statue figures on the face of the church. How helpful! Brian is reading it in the lower right corner of the photo above. The interior of the cathedral is adorned with mosaic tile designs on the floors and walls. Because I like birds, one that especially caught my eye was that of a pelican with its chicks. I was not acquainted with the Christian medieval myth that pelicans pierce their own breasts to feed their offspring with the blood. This idea symbolized the shed blood of Christ's sacrifice for mankind's sins. I'll have to keep an eye out for that symbol in other medieval Christian art.
