Hello from the south coast of Ireland! I’m in Kinsale — a charming town of 5,000 people, 25 pubs, and a super-sized history. I’m here with a wonderful group of travelers on a Best of Ireland in 14 Days Tour. I had a lot of fun surprising them at the welcome meeting (I signed up under a pseudonym) and now we’re well on our way.
This little clip really shows the joy of a Rick Steves tour: great group, great local guide, great small town, no stress, and lots of learning and efficiency. Our local guide, the wonderful Barry Moloney, has just shown us the clever “Tumbler Cart” — an 18th-century service vehicle that made the rounds picking up the townfolk’s sewage, then went into the nearby fields to provide the farmers with fresh fertilizer. Now he’s explaining how, in a kind of “Cuban Missile Crisis of the 17th century” for Britain, the Spanish nearly took over this town, which would have given them the naval equivalent of the high ground over England.
This is Day 66 of my “100 Days in Europe” series. As I travel with Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences across Europe. Still to come: England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and more. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.