Killarney plus 1

Another substantial breakfast, and this will be a more leisurely day. Several of us band together to take the road less traveled, meaning we do not join the more serious hikers, who are off on a modest hike of four or five miles into the mountains. Our fearless leaders are with them, and they set off on a short boat ride across the lake to a trail head while we are still breakfasting and the breakfast hour lasts until 11, although we’re back in the room earlier for preparations and some writing.

Our grouplet resolves to gather in the lobby at 11:30 and hike along the path taken the day before by the jaunting cars through the national park. The jaunting cars offered only a few opportunities for photos, and we all want to go through Muckross House, so six of us set out with cameras and good walking shoes to make the 12:40 tour.

Along the way is Muckross Abbey, sort of an open air place suffering from deferred maintenance.

Muckross House is the ancestral home of the Herbert family, built at the end of the 1700’s. Of the thousands of grand homes built by the titled and wealthy English across Ireland and the UK, about 200 remain, mostly as showplaces. This is one of them. And this was one of many that ran into financial straits, to be bailed out by marriage into American money. The California parents bought the estate as a wedding gift for their daughter, who had fallen for an Irish judge posted to Zanzibar, as a way to lure him and her back to civilization, but on a homeward trip to see her parents, she became ill on the crossing and died in New York. A few years later the parents and the spouse transferred the estate to to the people of Ireland to be a national park.

No pictures of the interior allowed, as in most great houses, but we are told that about 70% of the furnishings are original to the house. In 1861, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert made a two night visit to the Herberts, as he was a member of Parliament, and the royals were on a visit to Ireland with 100 of their most indispensable servants, staff and advisors. The Herberts had about six years notice in order to prepare, so a lot of what you see on the ground floor in the house was constructed or purchased for the Queen’s visit, including portraits, decor, furniture, and tableware. A royal visit was a severe strain on the pocketbook. But there was also great pressure to keep things as they were, as Albert died in December of that same year, and the cult of mourning and memory continued for decades.

During the tour, we’re joined by another couple from our group, and there is general agreement that we do not need to prove anything by walking back, and jaunting cars for eight would cost 80 euros, while two cabs would cost about 25 total. So a couple of cabs are called after some confusion about the operation of pay and cell phones. Back to the hotel in time for naps, then cocktails, then dinner. Gathering in the bar, we reconnect with the hikers, who were out for a seven mile hike when all was done, the last two thirds in the rain. But a day without rain in Ireland is like a day without sunshine.

Dinner is followed by music, and we (meaning Jim, accompanied by hysterical laughter by Paula) introduce the group to a happy chorus song.