Rock of Cashel

We stopped at the Rock of Cashel (also known as St. Patrick's Rock or Cashel of Kings) on the way to Kinsale.  It was hard not to be in awe of this location with its sweeping landscapes, dotted by the presences of sheep and cattle with greens so green, they appeared overly-saturated at times.  Of surprise to us, the scaffolding had recently been removed on Cormac's chapel, revealing a splendid example of Roman architecture not seen for many years due to restoration efforts.  Though our guide teased that women hop on one foot around St. Patrick's cross counter-clockwise 9 times in order to be married within a year, I was a bit bashful and decided to forego this tradition, having spied the 13th century ruins of Hore Abbey down below.  Never one to miss out on sweeping landscapes and ruins, it was a site to see!  we continued on to Kinsale afterward, sharing our first dinner together of the tour, which proved to be full of good company, lively conversation, and delicious fresh farm-to-table food.