While I could have been happy and content to lay around that cottage with a nice fire, I also wanted to see a bit of Kilkenny and the surrounding area. Here is Kilkenny Castle - I don't have any commentary about it because we only walked the outside and didn't make a proper visit.
Charming book shop!
We did visit the original Smithwick's factory in Kilkenny. Ireland has some very famous drinks (more to come in Dublin) but Smithwick's is an ale made in this particular region of Ireland.
The factory tour here was great!! Dare I say - better than Guinness in Dublin?! Maybe just different. It was quite small but we had a tour guide which was nice. The tour told some of the history of monks making ales in the region and how the Smithwick's family came to be prominent in the business. She also explained the process of making the ale. Finally, we ended at the bar and got to pour a sample pint each!
The other sight we visited near Kilkenny was the Rock of Cashel. The tour book said that the Rock of Cashel was the "acropolis of Ireland." That's a bold statement and we wanted to see if it was true. Not far off!
The Rock is literally a small mountain (maybe a hill, but it was prominent in the landscape) that is rock. It has a fortress on top that has been used as a castle and church for over 900 years. The site has largely been in ruins since the 1700s.
This is the remains of the cathedral.
We didn't stay terribly long because the weather was very cold and windy, with a small amount of rain. But it was a really interesting visit and very scenic in spite of the wind and gray skies.
Oh yeah, in case you can't get the full effect of the wind in my fair, here it is up close. Lookin good. If I photoshopped this with a nice picture of me (as opposed to this disaster), it could be my Christmas card.
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