Arboretum at Leighlinbridge

All good things must come to an end, and so it was with our trip to Kilkenny. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, especially when the weather was so wonderfully good throughout. What a terrific place it is. I'd been there several times recently during the Arts Festival, but these few days reinforced my feeling that it's one of the best places to visit in Ireland. We'll definitely be back.

I was keen to travel back through Carlow, the midland town where I grew up, and we did this, stopping on the way outside Leighlinbridge for a pit stop at Rachel's Garden Café in The Arboretum, a large garden centre we'd never heard of before. It's a good spot to stop at for something to eat even if you've no interest in gardening.

We deliberately avoided the motorway route from Kilkenny through Leighlinbridge and Carlow and were glad we did that. The roads are excellent, but the experience is more pleasant than the motorway experience. I picked up my car at Carl's and got back to my own place around 7pm.