#19 - Monday 23/7 in Galway but Ring of Kerry 10.5hr drive

I woke at 7am and thought another 15-30mins would be ok, however when I next looked at the clock it was 9am... Darn. My plan was to be up at 8am for breaky and a few phone calls then on the road by 9am: 3hrs drive down to Kilarney to start the Ring of Kerry, 12-3pm on that, then back at the hotel by 6pm. Ambitious somewhat... that proved correct. I rang Hertz after getting organised and realised I had booked the return of my Audi to Dublin city, not that airport. Fixed that up and booked it for an extra day as the place I am staying at is 45min south of Dublin. Incidentally I got the 5 star hotel 'Druids' (very Harry Potter) €40 cheaper through the hotel website than the same room on Expedia.com. Glad I worked out that trick four days before the end of my month long trip! I filled up with petrol (not diesel, as the fuel cap instructs...) with the bowser on the right of the vehicle (dont ask) and found out that there is no lever for the fuel hatch - you have to press the cap in for it to be released (much like mine, you'd think it would not be a problem). After realizing my travel MasterCard was still in my jeans pocket from last night, I was relieved to see enough cash in my wallet - I was off! 11:45am. Great. I prob wouldn't be backup till sundown. Even though the sun goes down at around 9:30-10pm. Lunch in Killarney was Yummo - a hot. Hickey sandwich with salad, but I couldn't resist the apple and blueberry muffin on the counter, which is unlike me. It was brilliant! I sat on some moldy/licheny brick wall circa 1650 and consumed by the flowing river on the edge of theKillarney National Park. Incidentally a herd of deer still live there, trapped from the last ice ago or something. I know - who would have though?! On my travels I jagged seeing a few signs for the Ring of Kerry - After research last night I knew you had to go anti-clockwise, but I was guessing the direction from Killarney! One way to find out! By one of the signs was a MASSIVE cathedral -Ireland and England have heaps of these old cathedrals, either beautiful kept or falling apart. This one was the former! Long story short, I travelled the Ring of Kerry the correct way, but the signs seemed to diminish somewhat at the tip of the point and I needed Seamus on my NavMan to help out a little. That leprechaun knows his streets. The Ring of Kerry is unbelievable. I only wish I booked a night half way around as it would have been an awesome setting for a meal or to wake up to. I will have to let the photos and video and panoramas speak for themselves. Words can't describe. The scenery is amazing everywhere you look. From the waterfalls roadside, to the massive mountains surging from relatively flat earth. The tight roads which scare you into belief that you will lose your €1600 deposit on the hire car, and the clouds dancing on the road surface. Wow! Just when you think it's coming to an end as you reach back to Killarney, the lake and rocky mountains make you think again. I'm not one for pulling over etc. (that's why it was good for me to do this in one day) but I had to pull over, and at one stage turned around and went back. The Germans arriving at one of the stopovers were friendly too - not unbelievable as the scenery but somewhat pleasing as they took my photo. Thanks Hans and Fredrina. Glad to see stereotypes still exist in the hire car industry too as the got out of the VolksWagon. Having said that I was booked in for a Nissan Micra originally so not sure what that makes me...! The drive back was boring! Satnav has the speed limit on it which was handy. Occasionally Seamus the voiceover guy didn't know so it was good to have a second opinion! As well as an ETA. Ireland radio drove me to play my iPhone playlist. The Gaelic channel was probably the most interesting thing of all! After arriving back t 9pm exactly, I was straight in the shower and down for dinner - a beautiful Chicken Stir fry. It was also the third night on Bulmers cider (called Magners back home). Makes a pleasant change from using a knife and fork to eat a Guinness! Urgh... So thick and filling. Staff are a bit grumpier than last night/arvo's crew. I assume it's because they expected me earlier...