Day 2 - Waterford & Blarney

We slept late and got to the hotel breakfast before they took it down. Madison's English friends had given me a list of items they insisted I had to try while "on holiday". I was determined to embrace the culture on this trip and was determined to try everything. Breakfast was a buffet with hot items and cold items, juices, fruit, and pastries. I had scrambled eggs, some sausage, a triangle of hash browns, and this:

This black and white pudding had been one of the items on Hannah's list and in my excitement at finding one of the "must try" items, I neglected to remember the smirk on Hannah's face when she named this item. I asked for one of each and vaguely registered the server's odd face at my request, but I was embracing and didn't pay her any mind. 

I ate half of the black pudding first coupled with some scrambled eggs. It wasn't anything special, but I didn't think it bad. I sampled the white and found it a bit nuttier and enjoyed it too. I was happily eating them when Madison arrived for breakfast. I proudly showed her I was embracing Hannah's suggestion and she said, 

"Do you know what that is?"

I shouldn't have asked because as soon as she told me I almost threw up my breakfast. I had to ask her to stop talking so I could concentrate on keeping it all down while stuffing croissants and jelly in my mouth. Apparently, Hannah meant that as a "joke", ha ha. (Paybacks Hannah, paybacks). Here are the ingredients for black and white pudding for those like me who aren't in the know:

1 quarter pint of fresh pig's blood

I don't think I need to go any further....

Bellies full we loaded up the car, inched our way out of the narrow garage, and set off for Blarney where we had rooms in a Bed and Breakfast. Most of the drive was on the highway, but I tried to snap pictures as we left Dublin. 

     

Mary Anne and a travel agent had planned our vacation, but she was open to suggestions and so when she asked if we had any interest in stopping in Waterford I piped up and said, "yes". My mother had always loved Waterford crystal and through her I learned to appreciate it's beauty.  I was quite excited to tour the factory and so we stopped in Ireland's oldest city. 

We walked to the House of Waterford Crystal and took the tour. We learned that the company was started when two brothers, William and George Penrose, decided that glass blowing was of interest and a nice way to make a living in 1783. They grew the company into a world renowned one until it closed in 1851. It was started again in the 1950's by a Czech man named Charles Bacik and a designer named Miroslav Havel. It changed hands several more times and is now owned by a U.S. Company. 

 
The glass blowers start out as apprentices and work under the guide of craftsmen for five years. Each year they must create a certain piece. By the fifth one it must be perfection, all Waterford is, and if it isn't the piece is thrown out and the apprentice can either quit the business or start from the beginning and do another five years. We watched some apprentices on the tour.

   We watched the glass being blown and molded. I was at the end and watched the guy above while the tour guide and group were watching another man. When my guy finished his piece he put it on to a conveyor belt where it was sprayed with water. It then comes out of the belt and is taken by another man. While that guy waited at the end of the belt in front of me one of the men in our tour suddenly jumped over the railing and greeted him like a lost buddy. They were chatting when the bowl came out and both of them almost missed it. Luckily, the guy caught it with his mitts and suddenly the two of them were laughing, and I joined in.     

Apparently the guy on tour with us knew everyone. I'm not sure if he use to work there or what, but he was entertaining to watch all through the tour. We watched the etchers and the cutters. I don't know how the cutters did it as we were right up in their faces while they worked. I was sure someone was going to lose a finger, but wow they were precise. 

We got to see tons of items being worked on like the 2016 People's Choice Awards trophy that will be handed out next winter. The item above is the largest champagne glass in the world. The beauty of these items and the details are simply amazing. It was an interesting and worthwhile tour. We shopped before and after the tour, but only Mary Anne made a purchase. She bought a small pin in the shape of Waterford's seahorse and when the lady packed it in the shopping bag Mary Anne pooh poohed that and put it in her purse. The sales lady told her that most people wanted the bag and so I took it and carried it around the rest of the day. 

We had tea at the House and then we headed to Blarney. The route from there was much more scenic especially as we got closer. The roads here in Ireland are seriously narrow and Tom, driving on the opposite side of the road, tended to hug the left side. As the foliage is butt up to the side of the road we were constantly sucking in our breath and muttering as we narrowly missed scraping along walls, trees, etc. 

We arrived at our B&B after seven o'clock. It was on a large estate up a one vehicle road on the side of a huge hill. The owner, Olwen, greeted us as did her humongous dog Samson. Well, he didn't really do anything but lift his head as we maneuvered our way around him lying in the hallway. 

Maranatha Country House was gorgeous. Olwen's family had owned it for over twenty years. It had once been the location of a famous spa before her family took it over. They remodeled it and she did all of the decorating. She was very welcoming and showed us the breakfast room before taking us up the staircase to our rooms. 

We had a balcony that had just been finished two days before. The view was incredible. After dinner that night Tom and the girls walked the path into the woods where Darcy claims she saw a fox and where Tom met Olwen's husband Douglas. 

We went into Blarney and ate at the restaurant attached to the Blarney Hotel, a suggestion made by Olwen. It was delicious! Having missed lunch, we were all hungry and we ate and walked around a bit before heading back to crawl into our lovely beds in the B&B.