Kinsale & Charles Fort

Our first day in Kinsale included a walking tour with Barry Maloney (who wore his Donegal tweed hat with ease and a twinkle in his eye) of this lovely seaside village.  Like much of Ireland, this location has several historical events that set it apart from the rest.  Of note is this is where the sinking of the Lusitania by a German U-boat occurred.  This event resulted in over 1,100 deaths (of the 1,900 on board), including more than 120 Americans and the subsequent entry of the USA into WWI.  We also toured Charles Fort, a wonderful example of a 17th century star fort, which reminded me of St. Augustine's version that I had recently visited in Florida (for those of you craving coffee at this point in the tour, the fort's tea shop makes an excellent cappuccino).  This fort was a significant deterrent to those wishing to infiltrate Ireland by sea.  Along with James Fort, these two stalwart locations had a heavy chain strung between them, which had anyone tried, they would have quickly found their hull sliced by this strong defense once it was quickly raised.  We also learned the history of the famous Methodist preacher, John Wesley, who spoke in the local town square in 1785, of interest to my dad who is a pastor himself.

​

The entire group decided to enjoy the unusually sunny weather and strolled along the 45 minute, scenic, and humorously-named Scilly Walk back to Kinsale for our free afternoon.  After grabbing a quick lunch of a sandwich at one of the local delis and much needed sunscreen at the local drugstore, we opted to take the harbor tour.  It was perfect as we not only were able to see the forts from the vantage of the ships that were wary to attack, but also found it a relaxing way to spend the afternoon.  Before the day was done, I took Barry's advice and purchased a box of Barry's Gold Blend tea, which I drank at every available opportunity throughout our tour.  Though most opted for coffee with breakfast, I chose this tea every time as a tea lover for many years and was able to savor the entire pot myself each morning.  Dinner at Max's Seafood Restaurant was yet another experience where I amusedly noted that people warned me about the bland food in Ireland to which the others nearby at this tour dinner laughed...we found the flavors anything but bland!  It was my first experience eating poke and a pleasure it was having been caught and purchased at the docks that morning.  Delicious!

​

I rose early the next morning to photograph the sunrise.  Though I invited every other member of the tour, not a single person took me up on the invitation.  It was their loss as it was a glorious sunrise!  Only a few of the most stalwart locals walking their dogs kept me company.  Susie wrote limericks for all of us during the trip and this early excursion inspired the one she wrote for me (thanks, Susie!):

​

Kristen goes to take photos at dawn

She stifles a bit of a yawn

She'll snap that sunrise

Through semi-closed eyes

Let's hope that her shots she'll pass on.