MIKE AND JESS' TRAVEL DIARY
Ireland Trip
Day 4 - September 19 2018
Kinsale is a harbor town, romantic and full of character. It ended up being our favorite town of the trip. It was a cloudy, misty morning and we walked down to the nearby Cosy Café for Irish breakfasts and coffee.
I had read about the along the Scilly Coastal Walk/Run path to Fort Charles, a gorgeous collection of paths that hug the coastline heading toward the Fort. We got to stroll through gorgeous neighborhoods that reminded me of the ritzy California beach ones and through lush nature paths. It was a real treat and we didn’t cross paths with anyone the entire walk.
As we got closer to the fort and therefore the peninsula, the wind picked up and the air chilled. Perfect Irish weather. We had not initially planned to explore the fort, but it was not busy nor expensive, so we gave it a try. We were so glad we did. The fort was huge and in good condition. In each small building was a mini-museum with artifacts found in the fort and explanations of the local history. Also, we were gifted with amazing 360 views of the harbor and open ocean.
While looking out around us, we saw an older man and his dog walking along a coastal path that followed the coastline. We had to walk it and see where it lead!
The coastal path was lined with local flowers and blackberry bushes with outstanding views of the harbor and sea. About a half mile down the path was a harbor with fisherman’s boats crammed in. What a morning.
We slowly walked back, shaking our heads at how lucky we were to experience something so unique and beautiful.
Along the way back to town, we stopped at Kinsale Mead Co., did a tasting, and bought a bottle for a friend back home. This is where Mike’s new obsession, craft meads, was born. This was nothing like the overly sweet, syrupy, cheap mead we had in the past. This was refreshing, light, and wonderful.
It was afternoon when we got back to downtown Kinsale and we met up with the rest of the group at Tap Tavern, a cute pub run by a single old lady, for a couple drinks. We decided to go to a restaurant, The White House, in town for dinner. What a great decision that was.
We arrived to the restaurant just before the dinner rush and got a table in the front of the restaurant main hall. Our seats were stools and it felt a bit informal of a set up for us, but we soon learned how lucky we were to get that table. Our dinner was wonderful. I had my first pate and really enjoyed it. As we finished dinner, we see a band setting up right in front of us. Soon enough, we are listening to live Irish music, sipping on drinks at the best table in the restaurant that has filled up with people who came to hear the band. We had such a nice time, we stayed until closing.
