I am so far behind and have so much territory to cover. Put up your feet and grab a Guinness...We said goodbye to Westport -destination Ennis County Clare with drives through the Burren, a stop at the Cliffs of Moher -pronounced More so why did they put an 'H' in there- and finally our B&B in Ennis County Clare.
We were told the weather was going to be Ok even though there was mist and wind as we left. Onward we went into the elements. We're Seattlites what's a little rain. Plus, the rain and wind guaranteed the car ride was going to be interesting -er I mean added to the adventure- er I mean made it all the more luvly.
No dual carriage roads on this ride, it was two lane rural roads all the way and of course on some occasions those two lanes became one lane which prompted yours truly to lean to the right to ward off the foliage that's ever so close to the left side of the vehicle. Anyhoo, the first stop was The Burren in County Clare - a rocky barren place somewhat due to prehistoric peoples clear cutting the area. A stark contrast to the the rest of the Emerald Isle, and it seems haunted and for good reason. A table like rock structure that the locals call a Druid altar, is just off the road via a short walk. Actually, it is a passage tomb or Dolman and is thousands of years old. The Burren is littered with the relics of people that inhabited this area long ago. This coupled with the landscape gives it an other worldly-like atmosphere. The drive through the Burren was steep with blind curves and yes, The Fella drove them too fast. Ok, just call me granny. Lean to the left! Lean to the right! Do you see that sheep! Tractor off the port bow and a big truck comin' at ya. Land ho, ahoy matey be still my bladder and heart. Where was I...we opted to skip the Burren visitor center and pressed on to the Cliffs of Moher- remember its said More with high hopes that the weather would lift. As we closed in on the Cliffs, the visibility was soupy and wet. The conditions worsened with each mile and by the time we arrived it was not worth the admission fee to sit in the parking lot and imagine what we were missing. We were welcome to purchase the ticket and it would be honored for a year. Um no, maybe next time- there is always next time.
A bit of an update here... the Navigator and The Big Fella worked through their communication issues. Yes! Although, she likes reading in the car and I don't know how she manages this without getting nauseous but it has created some tense moments. You know like when a round-a-bout pops-up! The back seat navigator is then pressed into service and well, I am usually on it -ahem. Digression over...
Disappointed that the Cliffs were invisible we pressed on to our B&B in Ennis..
Ennis is a village in County Clare with a tangle of narrow one way streets that were decked out in Clare colors (yellow and blue) to celebrate County Clare's victory in the all Ireland hurling competition. I am not 100% sure what hurling is but it might be a cross between field hockey, baseball, and soccer. And there is a good possibility it is a contact sport -so its bound to be messy. Back to Ennis...it is a fairly good sized town but not someplace where you would expect to find a Thai restaurant. Here in the middle of Ireland no less, and there are at least two Thai restaurants -maybe more. Of course we dined at one of them and the food was quite tasty. I asked the owner what brought him to Ireland. His response was to tell me the name of his home town in Thailand. Maybe my brogue-less English tripped him up. We did not expect good Thai food in Ireland so a pleasant surprise it was! Changing subjects...
Staying in bed and breakfasts has some real advantages. The other guests are often quite chatty at breakfast and offer tips about where they've been and what to avoid. We have done the same. At Ennis we met a man named John who was born in Dublin but lived in Spain and was back for an extended visit. John shuffled into the breakfast room apologizing as he was in a bit of pain. Apparently, he'd fallen out of bed while staying in the Aran Islands.While he did not explain how or why he fell out of bed, John did talk a bit about his life wincing with pain when he moved wrong. We wished him well and a speedy recovery from the back injury. Oh, and John is 85. More about John in an upcoming post because Dingle is on the agenda.
The Big Fella perused the brochures at the B&B in Ennis and found a Flying Boat Museum in Foyle. Only about an hour from where we stayed but not really on the way to Dingle, this could be trouble. The plan was to take the ferry across the River Shannon from Clare to Dingle. Our B&B host pointed out to us that really Foyle was not that far from the Dingle side of the river and... Ah nuts, the Tank Museum is coming back to haunt me. The Big Fella then asked his traveling companions what we thought? Diplomacy is required in these kinds of situations, so the Navigator eye rolls and then blurts, "No Dad!" Yours truly mumbled something about the time and we'd see once we were across the river and tried to force smile. The Fella then looked at us, shrugged and said it wasn't that important. Hoo boy that was a close one. So we set off for Dingle with no stop at the Flying Boat Museum and a sunny day to boot.
We were told the weather was going to be Ok even though there was mist and wind as we left. Onward we went into the elements. We're Seattlites what's a little rain. Plus, the rain and wind guaranteed the car ride was going to be interesting -er I mean added to the adventure- er I mean made it all the more luvly.
No dual carriage roads on this ride, it was two lane rural roads all the way and of course on some occasions those two lanes became one lane which prompted yours truly to lean to the right to ward off the foliage that's ever so close to the left side of the vehicle. Anyhoo, the first stop was The Burren in County Clare - a rocky barren place somewhat due to prehistoric peoples clear cutting the area. A stark contrast to the the rest of the Emerald Isle, and it seems haunted and for good reason. A table like rock structure that the locals call a Druid altar, is just off the road via a short walk. Actually, it is a passage tomb or Dolman and is thousands of years old. The Burren is littered with the relics of people that inhabited this area long ago. This coupled with the landscape gives it an other worldly-like atmosphere. The drive through the Burren was steep with blind curves and yes, The Fella drove them too fast. Ok, just call me granny. Lean to the left! Lean to the right! Do you see that sheep! Tractor off the port bow and a big truck comin' at ya. Land ho, ahoy matey be still my bladder and heart. Where was I...we opted to skip the Burren visitor center and pressed on to the Cliffs of Moher- remember its said More with high hopes that the weather would lift. As we closed in on the Cliffs, the visibility was soupy and wet. The conditions worsened with each mile and by the time we arrived it was not worth the admission fee to sit in the parking lot and imagine what we were missing. We were welcome to purchase the ticket and it would be honored for a year. Um no, maybe next time- there is always next time.
A bit of an update here... the Navigator and The Big Fella worked through their communication issues. Yes! Although, she likes reading in the car and I don't know how she manages this without getting nauseous but it has created some tense moments. You know like when a round-a-bout pops-up! The back seat navigator is then pressed into service and well, I am usually on it -ahem. Digression over...
Disappointed that the Cliffs were invisible we pressed on to our B&B in Ennis..
Ennis is a village in County Clare with a tangle of narrow one way streets that were decked out in Clare colors (yellow and blue) to celebrate County Clare's victory in the all Ireland hurling competition. I am not 100% sure what hurling is but it might be a cross between field hockey, baseball, and soccer. And there is a good possibility it is a contact sport -so its bound to be messy. Back to Ennis...it is a fairly good sized town but not someplace where you would expect to find a Thai restaurant. Here in the middle of Ireland no less, and there are at least two Thai restaurants -maybe more. Of course we dined at one of them and the food was quite tasty. I asked the owner what brought him to Ireland. His response was to tell me the name of his home town in Thailand. Maybe my brogue-less English tripped him up. We did not expect good Thai food in Ireland so a pleasant surprise it was! Changing subjects...
Staying in bed and breakfasts has some real advantages. The other guests are often quite chatty at breakfast and offer tips about where they've been and what to avoid. We have done the same. At Ennis we met a man named John who was born in Dublin but lived in Spain and was back for an extended visit. John shuffled into the breakfast room apologizing as he was in a bit of pain. Apparently, he'd fallen out of bed while staying in the Aran Islands.While he did not explain how or why he fell out of bed, John did talk a bit about his life wincing with pain when he moved wrong. We wished him well and a speedy recovery from the back injury. Oh, and John is 85. More about John in an upcoming post because Dingle is on the agenda.
The Big Fella perused the brochures at the B&B in Ennis and found a Flying Boat Museum in Foyle. Only about an hour from where we stayed but not really on the way to Dingle, this could be trouble. The plan was to take the ferry across the River Shannon from Clare to Dingle. Our B&B host pointed out to us that really Foyle was not that far from the Dingle side of the river and... Ah nuts, the Tank Museum is coming back to haunt me. The Big Fella then asked his traveling companions what we thought? Diplomacy is required in these kinds of situations, so the Navigator eye rolls and then blurts, "No Dad!" Yours truly mumbled something about the time and we'd see once we were across the river and tried to force smile. The Fella then looked at us, shrugged and said it wasn't that important. Hoo boy that was a close one. So we set off for Dingle with no stop at the Flying Boat Museum and a sunny day to boot.
What can I say about the Slea Head drive -Dingle Penninsula-but wow. Prior to starting the drive, we stopped in Dingle town for lunch and an interesting lunch it was. The cafe owner was shall we say, unique and quite possibly a flower child in another life. Upon entering the eatery, he was assembling one of those dipping birds. Hmmm..
There were assorted things for sale in the cafe -mostly from India where the owner spends four months a year. Think patchouli oil. The trek to the restroom was through his garden to the garden shed that doubled as the loo. The food was good and conversation with the owner was an experience all on its own. Full of food and ready for Slea Head we were on our way.
Slea Head drive rivals California 1 and the Oregon Coast (via 101.) But unlike those two, much of it is one lane. It is stunning and has a little bit of everything to keep one engaged -from a stone age ring fort to beehive huts that look like rock igloos. Sunshine and clear skies provided gorgeous views and Skellig Michael (an island in the distance) and the Blasket Islands were visible. The Blasket Island visitor's center provides the history of the islands and its people. The Gallarus Oratory built 1300 yrs ago of stone and resembles an upturned hull of a ship. The drive is ruins and beautiful scenery, a winding one lane road, and takes 3-4 hours to do. The Navigator kept her eyes on the road for this one and kept the Big Fella from hitting a few sheep and the dog herding them."Slow down! Dad, Dad, Dad! Dog!" Our B&B was one that I stayed in 1997. It was owned by the same family which was a nice surprise for yours truly. Set just outside of town with a great view of Dingle Bay upon arrival we were ready for dinner a good night's sleep. We found a great pub. A very restful night was had by all. Breakfast was home made scones which were way too yummy. I had two. Yes, its true -two scones with jam to go along with the full Irish breakfast. Can you say calories?!? Wish we'd had two nights there just for the scones but Cashel called and we were off after breakfast. More driving, more rural roads, more teeth gritting!
Stay tuned,Cashel and the Rocky Road to Dublin are next up.
No comments:
Post a Comment