I am on vacation this week in Ireland.  What a beautiful country!  The landscape is breathtaking here on the west side of the country.  We are currently in the Shannon/Limerick area, which is mostly rural and agricultural.

We started out the trip by driving to the Cliffs of Moher.  Absolutely gorgeous.  The second day included visits to Knappogue Castle and Bunratty Castle, which provide an excellent glimpse into the history of this wonderful country.

On Saturday, we drove into Limerick and saw the Elton John concert.  At 62, Elton has still "got it."  It was an amazing show at an outdoor rugby stadium that is host to the local team called Munster.

Today, we drove the Ring of Kerry and I watched the sun SET over the Atlantic Ocean.  The sites are, of course, gorgeous, but the Irish people make the trip even more fulfilling.  The Irish are so charming!  In fact, we had a little accident with the hired car (rental car).  I got too close on the left side and swiped some poor man's mirror off of his car.  When we got out and started chatting, he was so friendly.  After realizing that we were American tourists, I think the gentleman nearly invited us into his home for a spot of tea.  :-)

Tomorrow we will jaunt over to Dublin to experience Irish city life for the remainder of the trip.

Cheers!