大自然的瑰寶 A Gem of Nature - Ring of Kerry

愛爾蘭環島遊(第5天) Round Tour in Ireland (5th Day) - Killarney - Ring of Kerry

Church in Killarney 市內的教堂

這天，吃過早餐，在Killarney市內閒逛了一會，看看那裡的outlet mall，這商場店舖並不多，所以無甚收穫。
After breakfast, we walked around in the city centre of Killarney for a while as well as visiting the outlet mall there.  As number of shops in the mall was not a lot, we did not buy much.

之後我們便繼續我們Ring of Kerry 的行程。沿著Ring of Kerry這環狀旅遊路線 ，可欣賞到天然所打造的瑰寶 ─ 藍天、綠草、高山、白浪都可盡收眼簾。Ring of Kerry所伸延到達的地方包括之前那天所到的Gap of Dunloe和Ross Castle，還有這天來到Glenbeigh的Rossbeigh海灘。

Then, we started to continue our journey to Ring of Kerry.  This circular tourist route could bring visitors the gem of nature:  blue sky, green grass, tall mountain, white waves.....
Ring of Kerry could lead to many popular points including the Gap of Dunloe and Ross Castle which we had visited on the previous day as well as Rossbeigh beach at Glenbeigh which we went this day.

我們把車停在海灘旁，但海風非常大，在那裡看了一會，拍了幾張照片，便開車上附近的山上，在山上高處可俯瞰整個海灘，它很平而且很長，一直伸延到遠處。

大風得臉都被頭髮遮蓋 
Strong Wind - Face Covered by Hairs

We stopped the car next to the beach but it was very windy to stand there.  After having a view and taking some photos, we drove up to the mountain to have a birdview of the Rossbeigh beach.  It was flat and long, extending far far away.

沿著Ring of Kerry一路走，看到的風景都很美。
The scenery along Ring of Kerry was amazing.

順著Ring of Kerry，我們來到Cahersiveen小鎮。
Following Ring of Kerry, we arrived the small town Cahersiveen.






這裡的Cahersiveen Old Barracks，屹立於河邊的古蹟建築，是當地的一個地標。
The Cahersiveen Old Barracks, a heritage building sitting next to the river bank, is one of the landmarks there.

在Cahersiveen 的大街上，我們選了Cafesiveen吃了一頓不錯的簡便午餐。
On the main street of Cahersiveen, we have entered the Cafesiveen to enjoy a light lunch there.

用餐後，我們便開車前往下一到訪的沿海城市 ─ Cobh。路途上還可繼續欣賞Ring of Kerry的自然風光，離開Ring of Kerry後，在前往Cobh的路上還幸運地看到彩虹。
After lunch, we drove the car towards our next stop of seaside city, Cobh.  We continued seeing the natural scenery of Ring of Kerry along the way.  After leaving Ring of Kerry, we were lucky to have seen a rainbow.


有用網址 Useful websites:
Ring of Kerry - http://www.ringofkerrytourism.com/
Rossbeigh Beach - http://rossbeigh.com/
Cahersiveen Old Barracks - http://www.oldbarrackscahersiveen.com/


..... 待續 to be continued .....

山峽和湖泊交織的圖畫 A Picture of Gorges and Lakes

愛爾蘭環島遊(第4天) Round Tour in Ireland (4th Day) - Killarney - Gap of Dunloe (Ring of Kerry)

Gap of Dunloe

從Limerick驅車約一個半小時便到達甚受遊客愛戴的Killarney，皆因這裡有Killarney國家公園、Ring of Kerry 和Gap of Dunloe的天然美景，當到達Killarney之時，都感覺這裡較其他的城鎮熱鬧，到處都見到大大小小的酒店和旅館，有瑰麗豪華的、有平實雅致的、各式其式。After driving for about 1.5 hours from Limerick, we arrived Killarney which was a city full of tourists.  There were the famous natural attractions nearby - National Park, Ring of Kerry and Gap of Dunloe.  When entering Killarney, we could feel the bustling of the city.  There were numerous big and small hotels and inns, some being gorgeious and luxurious while the others practical and accessible.

Houses with Two-bedroom Apartment

我們這晚預訂了有兩個睡房及附有廚房、客飯廳、泊車位的公寓套間。由於到達是只是約下午4時，我們便爭取時間，盡快安頓行李，房東為我們解釋怎樣前往Gap of Dunloe並提供了地圖，趁著5月中較晚天黑，便立即出發去Gap of Dunloe。We have booked a two-bedroom apartment with kitchen, living/dining room and parking.It was almost 4pm when we arrived, we quickly settled the luggage.  The landlord explained to us the direction to Gap of Dunloe and gave us a map.  As sun set was quite late at mid May, we headed to visit Gap of Dunloe immediately.

Gap of Dunloe是數百萬年前冰川所形成的山峽，位於Lakes of Killarney的西面，有分兩個入口，一個是從Kenmare山上 Molls Gap進入向下走往Black Valley，另一個較容易前往的入口則位於十九世紀的建築Kate Kearney's Cottage，臨近Beaufort高爾夫球場及Dunloe高爾夫球會，這入口有不少車伕，向到來的旅客推薦坐他們的馬車進入Gap of Dunloe欣賞風景。Gap of Dunloe的路較狹窄多彎，闊度只夠一輛車經過，最好是駕小型車進去，且要注意對頭車，大家互相退讓。在旺季或旅客太多時，有機會汽車駛不進去，要把車停泊在Kate Kearney's Cottage附近的停車場，然後步行進入。Gap of Dunloe was formed by glaciation millions of years ago.  It located at the west side of Lakes of Killarney.  There were two entrances.  One located at Black Valley, down from the Molls Gap on mountain at Kenmare.  The other entrance, where 19th Century-built Kate Kearney's Cottage lied, near the Beaufort Golf Resort and Dunloe Golf Club, was easier to access.  There were lots of carriage grooms at this entrance, asking tourists to ride on their carriage into the Gap to view the scenery.  Road in the Gap of Dunloe was narrow and winding, wide enough for only one car.  It was better to drive a small car into it and needed to watch out for cars coming in the opposite direction, give ways to each other.  During peak season or when there were too many tourists, it may be difficult to drive in.  Cars might need to be parked at the car park near Kate Kearney's Cottage and visited the Gap on foot.

從Lady's View看到的Lakes of Killarney
View of Lakes of Killarney from Lady's View

由於Gap of Dunloe有馬車接載遊客遊覽的入口可能還是有點繁忙，我們選擇了從Black Valley那邊進入，所以我們開車上山，經過Lady's View，到達Kenmare的Molls Gap後往下行駛向Black Valley；在Molls Gap路口會見到一間Avoca咖啡店及紀念品店，見到它便轉右，留意Black Valley的指示牌，便找對了在右邊往下走的小路入口。As the entrance with horse carriages might still be a little busy, we chose to enter from the Black Valley.  Hence, we drove up to the Molls Gap at Kenmare and went down to the Black Valley.  When arriving Molls Gap, there was a small building of Avoca which was a cafe and souvenir shop.  Turning right from this and keep looking for signage of Black Valley, it would be easy to find the small road at the right side, going downwards.

我們駕的是7人大車，要駛入Gap of Dunloe的窄路，便要份外小心，可幸5月中還未算旺季，我們到達時已差不多下午5時，車不算多。沿途上，間中在路旁有少許位置可避車，亦可讓我們可把車稍停下來拍照。We were driving a 7-seater which was quite big for narrow road in Gap of Dunloe.  Hence, we drove with extra care.  Luckily, there were not a lot of cars as mid May was not peak season yet and it was almost 5pm when we entered.   Intermittently, there were small spaces at the side of the road where we could stop to let the cars from opposite side go.  Also, we could stop the car at these spaces for a short while to take photos.

從Molls Gap進入Black Valley，便聞到清新的草香味，還可看到在這裡畜牧的白羊，它們都像是很自由的在山谷中覓食，它們頭頂上被噴上了少許色漆，方便各主人辨認。When entering Black Valley from Molls Gap, we could smell the refreshing scent of grass. There were flocks of sheep which wandered to feed themselves from the grassland.  The top of their heads were sprayed with a tip of colour for easy identification

穿過山谷便走進Gap of Dunloe，沿著路走，會看到山峽和湖泊所交織如圖畫的風景，加上車路的迂迴，豐富了照片的構圖。而且，一路上還有那些陪伴我們這個旅程的可愛白山羊。
After passing through the valley, we entered the Gap of Dunloe. Along the way, we saw the breathtaking views of gorges and lakes while the winding road enriched the natural scenery to form a magnificent picture.  In addition, we were accompanied by the lovely sheep hopping around on the grassland.

因途中不時停下來影相，我們在Gap of Dunloe停留了差不多兩個小時，可到達Kate Kearney's Cottage那邊的出口時天還未黑，在回Killarney市中心時，我們還先去一趟Ross Castle.  這城堡建於十五世紀，屹立於Killarney湖邊。其實，城堡後有一小碼頭，可參加一些坐船的導覽團，欣賞這裡湖上的風光.
We had spent almost two hours at Gap of Dunloe, including the time for photo-taking.  When we arrived Kate Kearney's Cottage, it was not dark yet.  Hence, we have gone to Ross Castle before arriving back Killarney city centre.  The castle was built in the 15th century, next to the Killarney's lower lake.  In fact, at the back of the castle, there was a small pier.  People could join some guided boat tour to discover the beauty of the lake.

有用網址 Useful websites:
Killarney - http://www.killarney.ie/
Kate Kearney's Cottage - http://katekearneyscottage.com/
Ross Castle - http://www.killarneynationalpark.ie/Ross%20Castle/Ross%20Castle.htm

有關Gap of Dunloe:
- http://www.discoverireland.ie/Activities-Adventure/gap-of-dunloe-cycle-route/71399
- http://www.chooseireland.com/kerry/gap-dunloe/

- http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Ireland/Things_To_Do-Ireland-Gap_of_Dunloe-BR-1.html

- http://gapofdunloecamping.com/

- http://www.karenbrown.com/Attractions_Guide/Ireland/Munster/Dunloe/Scenic_Areas_and_Drives/Gap_of_Dunloe/1708.php

..... 待續 to be continued .....

Azur Restaurant, Limerick - 一個喜出望外的午餐 A Surprisingly Delicious Lunch

愛爾蘭環島遊(第4天) Round Tour in Ireland (4th Day) - Limerick

Limerick

離開Cliffs of Moher，我們便向另一熱門旅遊城市Killarney進發。前往Killarney途中，我們開車約1個小時，先停靠於Limerick市，在Azur餐廳吃午飯。
(Azur Restaurant:  http://azurrestaurant.ie/)

After leaving Cliffs of Moher, we aimed to go to another popular destination - Killarney.  On the way, we stopped by Limerick which could be reached with about an hour drive and had lunch at Azur Restaurant.
(Azur Restaurant:  http://azurrestaurant.ie/)

餐廳分別有用餐區，亦有酒吧區，提供歐陸菜式，而招牌菜是海鮮及牛扒。平日它都是晚上營業，提供晚餐，只會於星期日才會提供午餐。今次剛好我們是星期日到來，可以嘗試一下。
There were dining area and bar in the restaurant which offered European cuisine with signature dishes of seafood and steak.  Normally it opened in the evening, serving dinner and would only offer lunch on Sunday.  Luckily, we went there on Sunday so that we could try the taste there.

午餐比晚餐更便宜，午間的套餐都是14.5歐元，頗化算。套餐包括前菜及主菜，加4.5歐元還可配上甜品。

Lunch was offered at lower prices than those of dinner.  The set lunch was good value for money at Euro14.5 including starter and main course; addition of Euro4.5 included dessert as well.

24小時慢煮脆皮燒豬腩
24-hour roasted pork belly

菜單有五款前菜及五款主菜供選擇。主菜，我們選了一些有海鮮的，亦選了慢煮牛肉及標榜慢煮24小時的脆皮燒豬腩，各款菜式都賣相精緻，而且美味。

The set lunch menu offered 5 starters and 5 main courses for selection.  For main course, we chose some seafood dishes, slow cooked braised beef and the 24-hour roasted pork belly.  All dishes were nicely presented and very delicious.

Rhubarb Cheesecake

我們也沒有放過甜品的機會，點了兩款甜品，黑朱古力布朗尼的味道濃郁，值得一提的是Rhubarb 芝士餅，由於加有Rhubarb，芝士餅甜甜酸酸，感覺清新。

Of course, we carried on with desserts.  The dark chocolate brownie was rich.  The rhubarb cheesecake was outstanding.  With rhubarb, the cheesecake was sweet with a tint of sour ..... a refreshing taste.

美味午餐過後，我們便離開Limerick，前往Killarney。
After having the yummy lunch, we departed Limerick for Killarney.








..... 待續 to be continued .....

在懸崖遊走的早上 A Walk on The Cliffs in the Morning

愛爾蘭環島遊(第4天) Round Tour in Ireland (4th Day) - 愛爾蘭西海岸 West Coast of Ireland

早上我們在Elements B&B享用了Christina and Keith精心烹煮的早餐，他們有一個寬敞且設備齊全而很有家的感覺的廚房，我們坐於廚房旁雅致的用餐區，透過落地玻璃可看到後花園。

In the morning, we had breakfasts at the Elements B&B which were nicely prepared by Christina and Keith. They had a large, fully-equipped and a homey kitchen.  We sat at the lovely dining room, looking over the back garden via the windows

.

除了那整套豐富的愛爾蘭式早餐，他們在餐桌上放有多款自家製果醬及愛爾蘭麵包，有新鮮蒸餾的咖啡，還有在旁邊廚櫃上放滿了各式穀類早餐及楓樹糖漿、朱古力醬等等，這個早餐吃得我們超滿足！

Apart from the delicious full set of Irish breakfasts, there were homemade jam of various flavours and Irish breads on the dining tables, freshly brewed coffee as well as many kinds of cereals, maple syrup & chocolate sauce on the sideboard for our selection.

這天的第一個要去的地方仍然是Cliffs of Moher。由於提前上網購買入場劵可享有折扣，我們於B&B先上網購票。The first mission of the day was still Cliffs of Moher.  As advance online purchase of admission tickets could enjoy a small discount, we access the website to purchase tickets using the wifi at the B&B.
早餐後，我們便離開Lisdoovarna，先駕車去Cliffs of Moher。  After breakfasts, we left Lisdoovarna and headed to Cliffs of Moher.

到了Cliffs of Moher的停車場，我們出示確認訂票的電郵，便讓我們駛進泊車。
Upon arriving the carpark at Cliffs of Moher, we presented the confirmation email of admission tickets purchase.  We were then allowed to drive in and park.

我們選擇了行右邊的步道，這步道就是位於懸崖邊上。

We chose to walk for the trail on the right side which was just above the cliffs there.

在步道起點走不遠，有一個紀念碑，紀念在這懸崖死亡的人士，可見這懸崖的陡峭。
There was a memorial plaque near the start of this trail, commemorating those people who had lost their lives at the cliffs; showing how steep the cliffs were.

為安全起見，最好是沿著步道，在石塊圍欄之內行走。有一些遊客走出步道，離懸崖邊緣較近，有些崖邊頗為大風，需更小心。To be safe, it was better to walk on the trail behind the line of stone slabs.  Some people did walk outside the trail which was much closer to the edge of cliffs but some of the places were very windy.  Extra attention was needed on safety.

沿著步道可看到各懸崖海岸的景致。
Scenery of the different cliffs could be seen when walking along the trail.

步行約一個多小時便會看到一個非常貼近崖邊的小湖，看過去像是與大海相連似的。我這膽小畏高人就乖乖的沿步道，在湖近岸的一邊行走，有些膽大的遊客就沿湖近崖邊的小路走。

After walking along the trail for about an hour, we saw a small lake which was very close to the edge of a cliff.  It looked as if connected to the sea.  Being timid, I still followed the trail along the inner edge of the lake which was closer to the grassland.  There were some tourists choosing to walk along the outer edge of the lake.

行了個多小時，經過了幾個崖頂，我們便開始掉頭折返回起點。在折返途中，發覺陸續有旅行團到來，比較人多擁擠。Cliffs of Moher 是一熱門旅遊景點，可幸我們來得較早，約9:30便到達，可以較優哉悠哉地欣賞風景及遠足。After walking across a few cliffs in about 1.5hours, we turned around and return back to the starting point.  On the way back, as it was getting late in the morning, more tour groups had arrived and the trails were started to be a bit crowded.  As Cliffs of Moher was a very popular tourist spot, we were lucky to have arrived earlier at around 9:30am to enjoy the scenery and hiking.

如將來有機會再來，我們便可選擇行左邊的步道，以另一角度觀看懸崖。
If coming again in the future, we would choose to try the trail on the left side on which we could view the cliffs from a different angle.

在離開前，我們先前去位於遊客中心的洗手間，中心內亦設有關於Cliffs of Moher的展覽、有餐廳，以及數間賣紀念品的店舖。Before leaving, we went to the washrooms at visitor centre.  In the centre, there were also an exhibition about Cliffs of Moher, a cafeteria as well as a few souvenir shops.

然後，我們便出發前往下一個目的地。Then, we started to head for the next destination.

有用網址 Useful websites:
Elements B&B - http://elementsbnb.com/ or http://www.booking.com/hotel/ie/elements-guest-house.en-gb.html
Cliffs of Moher - http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/

..... 待續 to be continued .....