We were so glad to wake up on Sunday morning to our gorgeous spot on the Kenmare River and to take on our surroundings. Kenmare is so charming, colorful pubs and shops line the quaint streets. We had lunch at Foley's pub before wandering and landing in the town square for some time to run off steam over a chocolate bar and coffee. It started to sprinkle so we made our way to Lidl for groceries which was basically a disaster. Only two of the five of us made it through the store without having to be taken out...ahhh travel exhaustion ;). If only we could convince the kids to sleep in. We returned in time to grill burgers, play soccer, and enjoy dinner on the patio with an incredible view.
We made the one hour road trip to Bantry on Monday morning, a drive with breathtaking views. We arrived in time for lunch at Brick Oven Pizza, the perfect family friendly choice (we were one of about six families with small children in the restaurant, hah!). We strolled though town after lunch, picked up meat from the local butcher and found an old water wheel before hitting the road for home. On our way over we had passed a small park and kept it in mind for the way home if it wasn't raining. Fortunately, we were able to stop and it was a major hit. The equipment was adequate for each kid and we had to fight them all to leave. We followed the GPS on our way home and ended up on the Killaha Pass which was maybe a one lane road, but two way traffic. It was an experience, glad to have it behind us. We returned for pizza, tacos, and a cookie scavenger hunt.
On Tuesday we headed west on the under appreciated Beara Peninsula while listening to Moana (the official soundtrack of our Ireland trip). It was so lovely, much less crowded than anticipated, except for Pat the Baker who raged toward us in his work truck. We drove through Eyeries to Allihies on winding roads with amazing views. We arrived in Allihies before the pub opened, but found a playground across the street (mega luck). Lunch was at O'Neills before finding a road to the beach. The first one was flooded, but the second was the one we needed. I struggled to keep Piper awake on the short 5 minute drive, and before we knew it, we had stumbled onto this little gem, Ballydonegan Beach. We splashed and played in the sand for nearly two hours before finally deciding to venture home, stopping for a few photo ops where Greta stepped in sheep shit and we all got a laugh. The sun shined all day, it was a smashing success- a Julie day in our book.
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