Blarney Castle - Did we kiss the Blarney Stone?

Dear Family and Friends,

As you can see my friends, the weather was perfect for a visit to the Blarney Castle.  Considering Ireland's reputation for rain, we have had really nice weather so far this trip.  

The current Blarney Castle dates back to 1446.  The gardens surrounding it form a beautiful setting for this castle. It is most famous for the fact that the Blarney stone was built into the top of the tower.

The Blarney stone is located in the top of this tower.

As you can see, it is not like you just walk up to a stone and kiss it.  NOOOOO, you first have to climb the high tower, then the real fun begins.  We had to climb circular stone steps in a very closed in space. Not for folks who are claustrophobic.   Here are some photos:

Looking out one of the tower windows near the top.  You can see the beautiful grounds below.

A warning sign before you do the kissing.

This is the view below where your head goes to kiss the stone.

We had a friend take our pictures as we attempted to kiss the stone.  First Chuck:  Actually he got closer to the stone than this photo shows.

Then it was my turn.  I had to get down on all fours before I could turn myself over on my back.  I got the giggles and that made it even harder.  Also, I refused to kiss the stone without a mask on.

At 75 years of age, when you are hanging upside down and backwards, you don't just sit back up quickly without a lot of dizziness.  I was grabbing for anything I could hold on to as I was trying to sit up.  It was not graceful believe me.  But the important thing is WE DID IT!  

So there you have our evidence.  And now we are blessed with the gift of gab.

Until next post.

Love,

Nancy