Eileen, under a 600 year old Yew tree in the courtyard of Castle Adare. Yew trees made strong and flexible bows, and Irish clansmen were encouraged to plant them. Just a little trivia for your day:) We're off now, to Killarney and Kenmare, on a beautiful misty Irish morning, braving the traffic in pursuit of adventure.

We arrived safely, after a very easy flight. Shannon Airport was a pleasure, and everyone is friendly in a way that feels comfortable and real. We picked up our rental car, which is a standard, rather than the automatic Eileen arranged for. We blithely took it any way, but quickly realized that shifting with the left hand is a whole new skill to learn. Add that to driving on the left, and the distractions of a beautiful dawn driving through Ireland, and It's...