Kingsford Arms, Anna Conda, Kytler's Inn, Paris/Texas
Those are the names of some of the better pubs here in Kilkenny. Yesterday we drove down to waterford for a drama-free day. We went to the waterford crystal factory where we took the tour which was actually really interesting because they make so many of the pieces there by hand. they also have all the trophies from the derbies, tennis matches, golf tournaments etc from around the world. you can pick them up and have your picture taken with them... it was very, very tempting but my traveling companion, tara, forbid it. ad, if you are reading this *and I suspect that you are* i picked you up a little fancy at the factory....
here in kilkenny we have not met very many other tourists (i prefer the term travelers but here the term travelers refers to gypsies). our hostel is a bit more like what you'd expect from one: darker and smellier but tara and i have a very nice, clean private room with a private bath and private key. that has been nice. however, it is run by a slovakian/irish father son duo and it smells like the zeta beta tau frat house. not good.
today is the first day we've actually been able to explore kilkenny. it's considered the medieval capital of ireland and it was the capital before dublin however many centuries ago that was. there's a castel, several abbies, and a brewery that we're trying to see. they have this awesome locallly brewed beer called smithwicks (pronounced smiddicks). it's a very refreshing, clean stout. we've met one really nice aussie boy, daniel, who has shown us around a bit. he thinks our american expressions are funny and we're just grateful to talk with someone who's accent we can understand! he's here on a twelve month work visa and he just got a job at the kingsford arms pub so we've been frequenting that place because he's getting us good deals, has decent music, and is a local relaxed place.
we're here for one more day but we might drive down to wexford tomorrow. after that we leave for cork. cork is supposed to be like a mini-dublin. i love it here. it's easy to get lost in the myth of the place because you're on holiday, away from all of your responsibilities.
cheers all,
elizabeth