I got up around 7:00 am and went to the Resort Deck for a cup of coffee.  We were not yet along side of the pier but we were very close.   You could see Cobh, Ireland on the port side of the ship.  We tied up to the pier via a camel next to the rail station.  I took a couple of pictures and head back to the room to shower and shave...  Carmen and I went up for breakfast around 9:00 AM. After breakfast, we went back to 7082, our room on the Vista Deck. We pick up our coats and headed to the theater.  We joined group number 16 and off to the buses we went.  Almost all the seat were full as we left for Cork, Ireland.  Cork is about 23 Kilometers from Cobh and our tour guide gave us a running information presentation as we drove thru the streets of Cork.  After touring Cork for about a half hour, we head to Blarney Castle.  They said if you kiss the Blarney stone you will have a gift for gab, I guess I just want to legalized my gift......   It is about 12 Kilometers from Cork to Blarney and the Blarney Castle.  Our tour guide continue to feed us full of information about Ireland, it's history and present: unemployment now around 4 %; about 25% of the work force is in the construction of new homes.  There has been a boom in Ireland, for the last 20 years; people are now moving back to Ireland for jobs; over 50% of all housing has been built within the last 15 years.  Prices of homes is out of control, where you will need of 360,000 euros for a single family home around 3,000 sf our around $480, 000.  Most of the new employment beside house building is in programming computers; high tech and good pay. 

We arrived at Blarney a little before 11:00 am.  The immediate area around Blarney is beautiful green grass and rolling hills.    From where the buses parked to the Blarney Castle was close to 1 Kilometer, if not more....  But that was the little part, climbing up to the top of Blarney Castle was not that easy, one of our table mates on the Constellation, said there were over 100 steps spiraling straight up to the top, and this happen after you had climbed for a long distance;  I had to stop twice to get my breath and strength back.  But, we kissed the Blarney Stone and we can now officially embellish all stores.........  Stand by!!!!!   The fields next to the Castle were beautiful and with a little stream running just before you got to the Castle.  It was a beautiful place.  After coming down from the Blarney Stone we walked around Blarney, it is a very nice town.  We stopped into one of the local store and purchased a beautiful pancho, dolls, small footballs and post cards.  We stopped in a local pub and had a couple of Guinness, I like it, Carmen didn't.  An hour ride back to the ship with both the bus driver and the tour guide singing to us.   We got back on the Constellation for a late lunch, a nap, a dancing show, a musical show and dinner.....

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