Powerscourt, Umm Never mind

Well, we started out for Powerscourt House and Gardens this morning at 9 AM, but when we plugged it into the GPS, it came up as a 2+ hour ride (each way!). We started in that direction, but decided en route that it didn't really make sense to drive 5 hours round trip for a 1 - 2 hour tour, especially since we haven't seen much of Kilkenny. So after turning around, getting stuck behind a herd of cattle (on the highway!), and experimenting with the GPS, we changed course and headed for Jerpoint Abbey.


Jerpoint AbbeyJerpoint Abbey is just outside of Thomastown, 11 miles south east of Kilkenny. It was built for Franciscan monks in the 12th century. After touring the Abbey, and hearing about their lives, I learned one major thing, and that is I am very glad I'm not a Franciscan monk in the 11th century. It involved vows of silence, able to warm hands for less than 1 hour a day, and a ration of 2 slices of bread and a bowl of vegetable soup a day. Then again, I think life in general was much more uncomfortable in the 11th century.


Kilkenny CastleOn the way back to Kilkenny, we stopped at "Moth to a Flame" candle workshop where we bought some really nice candles. We parked the car at the hotel and went across the street to Victor's Bar, which looks a bit shady from the outside, but is great on the inside. It was packed, which I guess is the norm, and I also think is a good sign the food is good - in this case it was. After lunch we walked up to the Black Abbey on the other side of town. We also had a pleasant tour of Kilkenny Castle before going for appetizer's and more tiramisu at our Italian restaurant. Unfortunately, they said we had to order a meal, which we really didn't feel like, so we reluctantly opted for the Marble City Bar and Grill instead. It was a great second choice - I had some delicious seafood chowder, and honey orange cheesecake for dessert. Yum!