On our first trip we sat in a restaurant at dawn waiting for our fellow tour companions to arrive and board the bus. It was still dark outside, and a long drive was ahead of us. The driver sat at a table eating a full Irish breakfast of eggs, bacon,sausage and beans. He buttered his bread, a steaming cup of tea waiting to be sipped.
Outside the rain poured down, the wind lashing at the big glass windows. Mrs. Jack looked out at the storm trying to get at us.
The driver looked up and grinned, with a wink.
“Irish weather” he said, and we smiled and laughed.
On our second go-round to Ireland we were much luckier.
It rained every day, but in stepping off the bus, it seemed to clear almost immediately. Arriving at Blarney Castle, we climbed to the top of the tower so my companions could see the “Blarney Stone.” Performing a backward dip and holding a set of bars allows visitors to kiss the stone embedded in the castle wall and as legend goes, imbues a person with the gift of eloquence and “the ability to deceive without offending.”
A sprinkle of rain passed by, not a serious threat. Above the castle a marvelous rainbow appeared. We had already been witness to several on the trip. I swear I witnessed more rainbows in Ireland that week than my entire life…
and that’s no Blarney.
An Unmapped Route: A Hiker's Blog 