Chauffeurdrive vacations in Ireland

A Double Irish Rainbow

Just in case anybody thought that my first photo of a rainbow was just a lucky shot, this is another photo i took of a double rainbow. I had to stop to take this shot and, by the time i did, it was fading a little. We do get spectacular rainbows here but then you had better come and see for yourself.
Our wonderful spell of sunshine and blue skies continues and what a lovely introduction to Spring we are getting. I had a couple of days touring this week and it was most enjoyable. The skies during the day are cloudless and the visibility is crystal clear as there is little moisture in the air. The clear skies at night are truly heavenly as a million stars shine brightly in the cold clear air. Long may it last.
In my last post i said that i would tell you a little more about the lovely meals i had on the road last week. The first night we went to Jim Edwards pub in Kinsale and this is one of my favourite restaurants in this town. There are many fine restaurants here and it is no wonder it is known as the gourmet capitol of Ireland. Being a harbour town it is well known for its fresh fish and seafood. We had fish and it was excellent. I had deep fried breaded mushrooms with a garlic dip for my starter and they were really delicious. The fish was baked haddock with herb flavoring served with garlic potatoes, broccolli and cauliflower, baby boiled new potatoes, sugar peas and baby carrots and of course a helping of French fries. To finish off i had vanilla icecream with hot raspberries and this was mouth-watering. The restaurant itself is right in the heart of Kinsale and is well worth a visit. Our hotel was the Kinsale Carlton which is a lovely hotel on the outskirts of the town in a really nice location. I would recommend this hotel highly and the food there is also top quality. On arrival at the hotel in the afternoon we had sea-food chowder which was just full of seafood and as good a chowder as you can find. I did not need a second bowl but i could have managed it.
In Killarney we stayed at the Killarney Plaza which is one of my own favourites. This hotel is located right in the heart of the town and is central to everything and has underground parking. We were tired this evening and decided to have our dinner at the hotel and this was an excellent decision. My starter here was goats cheese on a bed of spinach on top of a Portobello mushroom.There were actually two Portobello mushrooms, and they were large, so there was more than enough in this starter. For my main course i had rack of lamb. This was cooked just to my taste, medium rare, and it was exquisite. We had a wonderful selection of vegetables including carrots and cauliflower and broccolli and green beans along with garlic potatoes and French fries and it took me all my time to plough through the lot. I did have help and i would have to say that it was not penance. For dessert we had the most wonderful Creme Brulee. If you do get to the Plaza make sure you have this dessert. I have never had a better one than here and it is always my choice as they always have it on their menu. I am not surprised as it must be in great demand.
I have travelled abroad quiet a bit myself but i can honestly say that the best meals i have ever had were here in Ireland. Our steaks and lamb are all free-range and have a flavour you can only get from animals reared in the open air. Do not be afraid to drink the water here and they will always provide you with a large jug of water with ice at your table if you ask. There is no need to buy the bottled water but do not drink the water from the taps in your bedrooms as this comes from the storage tanks in the roof space and can be contaminated there. It is no harm to buy a large bottle of water in a supermarket for use in your bedroom at night. Forget about your dieting while you are here on holiday....you can take it up again when you go home.
Now that you are salivating i will make my exit. If you are looking for a car and driver in the west of Ireland, at Shannon airport, Galway airport, Cork airport, or anywhere in Ireland, and one who knows where to eat, just give me a call. Yes, i do like my food.
Comments welcome.

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