I can always count on Ireland to be cold and wet with some
sun. This is my fourth trip to Ireland
and the third time coming in June/July and every trip has been a mixed bag, but
mostly cold and damp. From what the
locals tell me this year, May and June were sunny and hot and that was probably
their summer. Fall has set in and no
complaints from me because I am still in a deficit for stormy and cold weather.
My summer plans did not include a stopover but with my
sister’s unexpected gall bladder surgery in Killarney, Ireland, I changed a few
tickets and here I am for a whole month.
Because I didn’t come here for vacation I am not in vacation mode to
spend vacation Euros. Instead I am
trying to catch up on trip letters and to plan a few trips for next year. In between sessions at the computer I do take
advantage of being in one of the top ten tourist destination in Ireland. The Killarney National Park is an easy walk
from my sister’s place and it offers a castle, a manor house, boat rides, gap
walks, and walking trails. So far I have
only been caught once in a down pour.
Besides these local activities, in the past we have climbed Skellig
Micheal, stayed at a cottage outside of Galway, had a fancy spa treatment, took
a boat to Aran Island and climbed Torc Mountain. And this is only scratching the surface. I know there will be more to explore once we
get the ball rolling.
The ball has rolled and we covered a lot of ground.
·
Dingle peninsula by car:
farmer’s market, the famous Dan Foley’s Pub, beehive huts where Far and Away
was filmed, a funky organic restaurant called Phoenix
·
County Mayo: Bunratty
castle, Durty Nelly’s, Mount Falcon Manor House for afternoon tea, Healy’s
Fishing Lodge, Westport, Cronin’s SheeBeen’s pub, climbing Croagh Patrick the
day before Reek Sunday when over 20,000 pilgrims would be making the
pilgrimage, some barefoot, the beach at Enniscrone, River Moy famous for
salmon, pouring our own pints of Guinness, driving along the coast to
Downpatrick Head, seeming the remenants of a concrete battle ship, admiring the
thatched cottages in Adare
·
Killarney: hotel castle, a
sunny day,a 14 mile walk with a local walking club, a walk along Rossbeigh beach, a horse fair at the infamous Puck Fair.
·
Solo road trip to Dingle: (details to follow)
