Yesterday, we took the very scenic and very windy route into Killarney. It was gorgeous but frightening from many perspectives: the road was narrow, it wound like a serpent regardless of whether or not we were actually climbing a mountain. Most of the way along the roads, there are hedgerows which obstruct your ability to see oncoming cars and don’t allow for any perspective as to where the road goes, or who may be on it, coming from the other direction.
Eventually, we arrived at our intended destination: the local FORD dealership. (The car we rented is a Ford.) Earlier in the week, backing up the driveway at the cottage, we scraped against a cut-off tree that neither of us saw until it was too late. It resulted in a dint. With a deductible of 1600 euro, we felt it was best to try to fix it ourselves. (We’d decided to forgo the 100% deductible coverage when we picked up the car, something, by the way, that I would recommend because the roads are so narrow, and we are unaccustomed to driving so tightly to other vehicles, walls and edges of roads. The next time, I think I would make the investment because it would be so easy to have a scrape or to lose a mirror or to wreck the alignment.) It was quickly assessed at 400 euro and booked for the next day, Friday. They’d need it all day, so we decided that if we had to spend the next day in Killarney, we’d best move towards the Dingle peninsula, and the town of Dingle.
Dingle is a wonderful, quaint and colourful town of interesting stores, galleries and restaurants/bars, as well as a church a two. The weather there was horrendous to say the least; a wind that cut right through the clothing, despite layers. The temp was no more than about 12C, with occasional sprinkles of rain. Early in the trip, an Irishman told us that you can literally look one way and the sun is out, and look the other and it’s teaming rain. So I have been imagining myself with my arms outstretched, and rain hitting one arm but not the other......I know, I'm losing it!!!
We shopped in the stores, mostly for respite from the cold and wind. I have my Spyder coat that is wind and waterproof, but I couldn’t convince Mark to explore the marina area down at the water! (Oh ya, I had the wool hat on that I bought as a gift too, so I was quite comfortable actually.) At the Dingle bookstore, I bought Nuala O’Faolain’s posthumous new book, Best Love, Rosie. All the way home, after the Connor Pass experience was over, all I could think about was getting it started. I guess Frankenstein will just have to wait. (I know, I know, but I am trying to read the English classics that I missed because I studied French and French Literature my whole life!)
On the way back to the cottage, we took the Connor Pass. Well, I thought I’d have to change my pants and take a nitro pill, and I don’t suffer from incontinence or angina!!! Although gorgeous, the experience was nerve wracking as hell. Between the roads and the height, I was glad to get off of there. I kept having to remind myself to take in the beauty of it all…take in the beauty…yoga breath….take in the beauty……oh my god….take in the beauty…I can’t look down…..yoga breath….isn’t this beautiful, Mark….thank god, we’re finally off that road!!! Poor Graham would have been in VERY bad shape. In fact, there’s absolutely no possible way he could make this journey until he’s the one who can drive. Between the height (it’s on the edge, like the Avalon Peninsula in NFLD, but roads are much more narrow and in poorer shape.) and the motion sickness, we would have had to admit him to the hospital. (I’m not exaggerating, for those of us who have had the pleasure of cleaning up the car on a car ride with Graham!) Graham, if you come before you’re an adult, someone will have to stay in Dublin with you, while the others do the road trip thing!
After 6 hours of driving today, we arrived back in Waterville, and ate at our favourite pub, Fisherman’s Bar. The lamb shank was the best lamb I have ever eaten, as was the sticky butterscotch pudding that I had. It’s not what it sounds like; it was kind of like a cross between a pound cake and a Christmas cake, soaked in a warm butterscotch sauce, with whip cream and ice cream on the side. I had a big meal and then ate all of the dessert! I just couldn’t leave any of that cake…oh ya, two glasses of Murphy’s Irish beer too! Nuala and I went to bed at a reasonable hour and read for quite a while!
Eventually, we arrived at our intended destination: the local FORD dealership. (The car we rented is a Ford.) Earlier in the week, backing up the driveway at the cottage, we scraped against a cut-off tree that neither of us saw until it was too late. It resulted in a dint. With a deductible of 1600 euro, we felt it was best to try to fix it ourselves. (We’d decided to forgo the 100% deductible coverage when we picked up the car, something, by the way, that I would recommend because the roads are so narrow, and we are unaccustomed to driving so tightly to other vehicles, walls and edges of roads. The next time, I think I would make the investment because it would be so easy to have a scrape or to lose a mirror or to wreck the alignment.) It was quickly assessed at 400 euro and booked for the next day, Friday. They’d need it all day, so we decided that if we had to spend the next day in Killarney, we’d best move towards the Dingle peninsula, and the town of Dingle.
Dingle is a wonderful, quaint and colourful town of interesting stores, galleries and restaurants/bars, as well as a church a two. The weather there was horrendous to say the least; a wind that cut right through the clothing, despite layers. The temp was no more than about 12C, with occasional sprinkles of rain. Early in the trip, an Irishman told us that you can literally look one way and the sun is out, and look the other and it’s teaming rain. So I have been imagining myself with my arms outstretched, and rain hitting one arm but not the other......I know, I'm losing it!!!
We shopped in the stores, mostly for respite from the cold and wind. I have my Spyder coat that is wind and waterproof, but I couldn’t convince Mark to explore the marina area down at the water! (Oh ya, I had the wool hat on that I bought as a gift too, so I was quite comfortable actually.) At the Dingle bookstore, I bought Nuala O’Faolain’s posthumous new book, Best Love, Rosie. All the way home, after the Connor Pass experience was over, all I could think about was getting it started. I guess Frankenstein will just have to wait. (I know, I know, but I am trying to read the English classics that I missed because I studied French and French Literature my whole life!)
On the way back to the cottage, we took the Connor Pass. Well, I thought I’d have to change my pants and take a nitro pill, and I don’t suffer from incontinence or angina!!! Although gorgeous, the experience was nerve wracking as hell. Between the roads and the height, I was glad to get off of there. I kept having to remind myself to take in the beauty of it all…take in the beauty…yoga breath….take in the beauty……oh my god….take in the beauty…I can’t look down…..yoga breath….isn’t this beautiful, Mark….thank god, we’re finally off that road!!! Poor Graham would have been in VERY bad shape. In fact, there’s absolutely no possible way he could make this journey until he’s the one who can drive. Between the height (it’s on the edge, like the Avalon Peninsula in NFLD, but roads are much more narrow and in poorer shape.) and the motion sickness, we would have had to admit him to the hospital. (I’m not exaggerating, for those of us who have had the pleasure of cleaning up the car on a car ride with Graham!) Graham, if you come before you’re an adult, someone will have to stay in Dublin with you, while the others do the road trip thing!
After 6 hours of driving today, we arrived back in Waterville, and ate at our favourite pub, Fisherman’s Bar. The lamb shank was the best lamb I have ever eaten, as was the sticky butterscotch pudding that I had. It’s not what it sounds like; it was kind of like a cross between a pound cake and a Christmas cake, soaked in a warm butterscotch sauce, with whip cream and ice cream on the side. I had a big meal and then ate all of the dessert! I just couldn’t leave any of that cake…oh ya, two glasses of Murphy’s Irish beer too! Nuala and I went to bed at a reasonable hour and read for quite a while!
No comments:
Post a Comment