Kinsale

Yesterday we set out to explore the town of Kinsale. Originally a medieval fishing port, Kinsale is one of the most picturesque, popular, and historic towns on the south west coast of Ireland. Our first destination was Charles Fort, one of two forts built to protect mouth of the harbor n the 1670's and 80's. Charles Fort occupies 12 acres, and is a star fortification design - a your specifically designed to resist cannon fire. Walking the grounds was amazing. There were some deep, dark corners that just felt spooky. Yet, the views from the guard house and other look-outs we're awe inspiring. We spent a lot of time walking around the grounds taking tons of pictures. I found myself repeatedly shaking my head thinking about what life must have been like when the fort was fully occupied and functioning. I really enjoyed taking pictures of some of the passage ways. Something about the concept of such a strong building, built for battle, juxtaposed against such beautiful vistas intrigued me.

The entrance

View from above (in the ticket office)

The best view in the whole place

The drive to and from the Fort was exciting to say the least. Over here they have streets that are supposed to accommodate traffic in two directions, and street side parking, that I would designate as nothing more than a bike path if I were with the zoning commission. Rachael and I went ahead and folded in our mirrors just so we didn't have to worry about them reaching out and making contact with anyone or anything. We headed back into the town of Kinsale to do some shopping and grab some dinner. It is a very compact town, and is loaded with shops and restaurants. Although there are more critically acclaimed restaurants in the area, most of them are seafood focused, which makes sense for the area. However, Rach does not care for seafood, so we took the advice of one of the rangers at the fort and headed to Jim Edwards for steak. I again had seafood chowder, which was red this time, but still thick and creamy like a chowder should be. I am really enjoying trying the chowder in different cities as a way to get a taste of the local flavor. When we got back to the hotel we were both bushed. We got to FaceTime with some of our camp friends, who were at our house keeping our cat Smokey company. All in all, it was a good day, despite the driving being a bit tense.

Boats

The multi-colored houses of Kinsale

Ghost ships

Future home?

 

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