Road to Waterford

As to be expected, the third night brought on the jet lag and we both slept poorly. However, the day went well anyway. We had a nice breakfast at our B&B in Laragh, then headed inland toward Kilkenny. We were soon out of the Wickford Mountains and in sheep territory; in one area they were grazing freely and standing in the road. They didn't blink an eye when I got out to photograph them.

We drove right into Kilkenny, where we wanted to see the castle. The town is known for its medieval village atmosphere, and yes, the streets are narrow. The castle was interesting, originally a 12th-century Norman fortress, but restored to its Victorian period.

U-shaped castle from the large park to its south

View of the river after exiting castle

Street of Kilkenny -- two-way plus parking!

After leaving Kilkenny, we headed southwards toward Waterford. Along the way we decided to stop at the ruins of Jerpoint Abbey. We were very impressed and so glad that we stopped. The Cistercian abbey was founded in the late 12th century and dissolved about 400 years later. It has many wonderful carvings that are still in decent condition.

These three knights look pretty good!

View of the main abbey from the far side

ANother view of the abbey from the tower

A beautiful (and large) tree in the graveyard -- it had red berries.

Thanks to our GPS and a phone call to our host, we found our B&B in Waterford. He suggested that we might like to go to Dunmore East for dinner on the coast, about 20 kilometers south. We had a nice drive (and the first real rain). We ended up at the Spinnaker restaurant and had a lovely meal.

At our table by the fireplace

Excellent fish and chips (and mushy peas)

Seafood casserole topped with mashed potatoes

After dinner as we walked back to the car, we saw this old house in the process of being rethatched. It looked like a difficult job! We stopped on the way out of town and saw the lighthouse across the bay, but it was very foggy and far away, so not worth a picture.

The trip is going really well. Yes, the roads are narrow and the shrubbery grows straight up at the edge.  We definitely prefer the countryside to the city.