Spoiled

Saturday, July 3, 2010
8:00 p.m.

Waking up at quarter till eight was not an easy thing to do. But, it was worth it. Our first morning at Earls Court House Bed and Breakfast meant traveling down three flights of stairs, waiting to be seated at the breakfast room and having the best breakfast meal yet to be served in Ireland. Although I was not hungry, I could not pass up the sweet-smelling, appetizing food in front of me. I knew it’d be best to eat as much as I could since we’d be going out for the late morning afterward.

A server soon greeted us at our elegantly, white dressed table, bringing us coffee and tea and instructing us that we could help ourselves to the buffet along with one breakfast item off the menu. I decided on the tomato, onion and cheese omelette, then made my way to the buffet. Dry cereals, plain yogurt, prunes and mixed fruit, porridge, miniature scones with powdered sugar, three types of breads, bite-sized cakes and fresh-squeezed orange juice all occupied the buffet. With the exception of cereal, I sampled just about everything. After checking in yesterday, I noticed a wall with a handful of awards on it. One read, “This house serves perfect porridge.” (The award was from a 2004 porridge tasting competition.) Knowing this, I had to try it. Adding a spoonful of honey into the creamy oats created a perfectly sweet, warm and mouth-watering breakfast dish, certainly living up to its 2004 title.

I was already stuffed when my omelette came out, but I ate half of it anyways. It was different than an American omelette. It wasn’t weighed down with cheese, which I enjoyed, and was thick with a light, airy texture. Nevertheless, it was satisfying. The server then came around with another coffee pot. I gladly took some more since I wanted to be as energized as possible for our morning walk to Ross Castle, where we’d be taking an open motorboat out onto the three Lakes of Killarney.

One day remains for my stay in Killarney. Rain or shine, touristy or authentic, I am grateful to be in this town and in this award winning Bed and Breakfast. I never thought I'd have the confidence to travel alone to a foreign country, let alone be part of such an engaging, surreal experience. I can't deny the fact that I am being spoiled, but I am more than grateful for the opportunity to set out on this Ireland journey.