Off to Shannon and The Wild Atlantic Way!

Today we are bound for the Shannon Airport by Irish Rail and bus to pick up our rental car and have some fun learning a new skill.  Driving on the left!  Staying LEFT, using LEFT as the slow lane, passing by pulling RIGHT and yes, going around the round abouts....backwards!  

We get to Heuston Station a little early for our train and look around for coffee.

We find the coffee alright!

Then we find the right train, and heft “Big Blue” and “Giant Grey” from the platform, onto the train and roll them up to the shelf.

Yes, our trendy back packs are doing fine being wheeled around inside these cases.  Not the initial plan, but it’s working.

Irish Rail has a very snazzy system for seat reservations.

Today the destination is Killarney, an hour and a half drive from Shannon.  All connections go well, and the driving did too!  

We find our hotel for the next two nights and mentally prepare ourselves to drive The Ring of Kerry tomorrow....all day...on...well, you know, “the other” side of the road.

Our car is little, automatic and PERFECT!  We set out on Friday morning to see what we can see.

Killarney National Park is first on the list.  We are so glad to be back in a place that is wildly beautiful.  We have NO idea how real the “wild” part will be by the end of the day!

Who knows what’s around the bend?

Just another traveler in the park.

Laugh Leane and Upper Lake.  Sheep farm coming up....

Not all the sheep are transiting on the “correct” side of the road!  What?  Irish sheep after all!

Sometimes you just have to get out and LOOK....for a long time.

Ballinskelligs Bay where you look out, way out, and see the Skellig Islands rise out of the sea.

And look we do....

On our way again headed toward the southern tip of the Iveragh Peninsula...

Thinking the little town of Portmagee will make a great lunch stop we make a plan to stop there.  

We have no idea that there will be so much more than lunch!  There’s a reason to  call this route “The Wild Atlantic Way!”