When in Rome...

do as the Romans do. When in Ireland, do what as the tourists do... kiss The Blarney Stone. Despite how unhygienic this is... I did it! hahahaha...look at this line I got off wiki: "Tripadvisor.com recently ranked the Blarney Stone as the most unhygienic tourist attraction in the world."

I love Rick Steeve's (the travel writer) write up on this tourist activity:

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/ireland/soireland.htm

Blarney Stone and Castle — The 15th-century Blarney Castle is five miles northwest of Cork (the major city of southern Ireland). The town of Blarney is of no importance and the castle is an empty hulk (with no attempt made to make it meaningful or interesting). It's only famous as the place of tourist pilgrimage where busloads line up to kiss a stone on its top rampart and get "the gift of gab." The stone's origin is shrouded in myth (it was either brought back from the Holy Land by crusaders, or perhaps was part of Scotland's royal Stone of Scone).

The best thing about this lame sight is the opportunity to watch a cranky man lower lemming tourists over the edge belly up and head back to kiss the stone while his partner snaps a photo — which will be waiting for you for purchase back at the parking lot. After a day of tour groups mindlessly climbing up here to perform this ritual, the stone is literally slathered with spit and lipstick.

The tradition goes back to the late 16th century, when Queen Elizabeth I was trying to plant loyal English settlers in Ireland to tighten her grip on the rebellious island. She demanded that the Irish clan chiefs recognize the crown, rather than the clan chiefs, as the legitimate titleholder of all lands. One of those chiefs was Cormac MacCarthy, Lord of Blarney Castle (who was supposedly loyal to the queen). He was smart enough never to disagree with the Queen — instead, he would cleverly avoid acquiescing to her demands by sending a never-ending stream of lengthy and deceptive excuses, disguised with liberal doses of flattery (while subtly maintaining his native Gaelic loyalties). In her frustration, the Queen declared his endless words nothing but "blarney." Walking back, you'll cross a stream littered with American pennies — as if the good-luck fairy can change them into euros.

On my last visit to Blarney Castle, heading back to the tour-bus parking place, a woman behind me asked her friend, "What is the Blarney Stone anyway?" Her friend said, "It's what you kiss when you come to Ireland."

More history on the stone, the ritual, etc can be found on wiki. I highly recommend reading up on it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blarney_Stone

The guy did say that they clean it every 1/2 hour...but I doubt it! haha

Here I go!!!

Check out who gave it a kiss with me!!! Vasco and Nunez!!!

This is the Blarney House which is beautiful... unfortunately they're closed on Sundays, so we didn't get a tour, but it was stunning and so were its gardens. I highly recommend a walk around the beautiful gardens.

Just outside the Gardens of the Blarney House...look what I found!!!!! A 4 leaf clover!!!!! YAYYYYYY... we took a rest after a nice walk around the gardens, I took a rest on the grass and started a wee search. Not even five seconds after my cousin says, "Well Farida, it looks like the laws of nature are against you today..." WABAM... I find my 4 leaf clover!!!! YAYYYYY!!!!
If I ever find the time... I'm going to paint this one. Stunning hills just outside of Blarney.