Tuesday, August 7 - A busy day today - left early for Blarney Castle where some of us decided we needed the gift of blarney - We climbed to the top of Blarney Castle using winding, narrow steps that were slick from rain.  Zita, Kelly, Denny, Jimmy, Pam & Sheila were the brave ones.  You need to lay on your back, hang onto railings in the wall, and lean way over with your head upside down to kiss the stone.  We aren't sure if it made us any more eloquent but we can say we did it!  Gorgeous views from on top.  Then some shopping in the Blarney Woolen Mills before heading to Kinsale for lunch at the Crack Pot.  Another delicious meal.  A two hour bus ride home had most of us sleeping off such a big lunch.  Because it was a nice afternoon we had our group picture taken in front of the house or in the garden - will publish those pictures tomorrow.  Tonight we had Mark & Bernie Doe come to prepare a dinner for us.  We didn't start eating until 9 and finished at 10:30 - 4 fabulous courses of vegetable tarte, either salmon or lamb for the entree, 3 different kinds of potatoes, 2 kinds of tossed salads, turnips, and a selection of desserts (each person had a large plate with bread pudding with homemade butterscotch sauce, strawberry meringues, ice cream with chocolate sauce, and a lemon cream).  Bernie & Mark made it look easy and it was all delicious.