A final breakfast at Murphy's and we're ready to drive back to the Cork airport so we can fly back to spend a couple of days in London with Jamie and Carla before they return home to Kentucky.
But first we stop in a local shop, buy some Irish wool stuff, and an old-timer tells us there's an ancient sacred well, St. Mary's Well, just a block or two away. We find it in an alley between two buildings.
If this well has been a place of pilgrimage since 1302, it's probably been known for a lot longer than that.
Ancient wells get a lot of love from these two.
Driving to Cork we pass through the village of Macroom (which has a castle in the middle of town) and decide to look for a place to eat lunch before we get to the airport. I see a parking spot and say "park here." Vaughan's Cafe is right in front of us so we decide to give it a try.
The castle from the cafe's window.
According to Peggy (below), the castle was the first thing built in Macroom, then everything else was built around it later. In recent years all but the exterior wall was torn down for safety.
The best and freshest scones I've ever had.
Soup and sandwiches, please. They had just finished serving a bus load of musicians from Philadelphia.
Peggy is our friendly and helpful host. If she made the scones, she's also a genius. The egg-mayo sandwiches were fabulous too. Take my word for it, if you're ever passing through Macroom, stop here at Vaughan's Cafe. Great atmosphere. Great food. Love it.
Exactly the kind of Irish dining experience I hoped for when we planned this trip.
Jamie, Carla, and Robin socialize while I snap away. Or as we iPhone photographers say, "tap away."
Still lots more to come...
