We took the advice of pathfinders before us and shied from the famously crowded "Ring of Kerry" drive and headed straight to Dingle (of Berry fame?), a small seaside town of wool shops, hotels, pubs and fishermen. We made our first search for Lucky Charms and Bono in a local pub en route. No luck. All we found was pub grub, and a pint of Guinness. Not bad, though!
We went straight to John Pat Long's riding stables for a ride down to the shores. His motto is "Hold your the reins like 2 pints of Guinness!" He runs a family business and his son Sean (10) and Daughter Ceitie (7) helped us along and Rose, the Collie followed along and kept an eye on the horses, too. Here are the newbies, ready to ride like the wind:
The town in the background is Ventry. Dingle is just beyond it, a few miles down the coast. Jena was the cutest of all and rode like a pro (Sinead O'Connor maybe in the backgroud, comparing things to you):
Jeff was the most George Patton-like. He wished he had a pair of pearl-handled six shooters to fire in the air. Notice how he holds the reins like he's holding 2 pints of Guinness? Practice makes perfect!
Here's Jena fording a stream. She would have made a great cowboy in "Lonesome Dove."
Leaving John Pat Long and family behind, we noticed Dingle-berries growing next to the road. The place is COVERED in black berries. Jeff's mom would have loved it. We thought about her when we were eating them. Hopefully she can find some good picking spots in Florida. The blackberries in Dingle were sweet!
Here are Andrew and Paddy O' Goetz on the streets of Dingle. Patrick was a good traveling companion and we enjoyed his company. He did not, however, find a single leprechaun.
A view out of our very fine bed and breakfast. Sheep grazing in the background.
Guinness? We found it again! No Lucky Charms, no Bono, no pot of yellow gold. But Guinness, we found the hell out of it! This sign was posted inside O' Flagherty's bar. Brought to you by the Redundancy Bureau of the Department of Redundancy Department.
Pub crawl night was by far the best experience of our trip. We started out at O' Flagherty's bar. That's him with the white hair and the accordion just right of center. The folks playing music were locals who just showed up, pulled up chairs and joined in making the music more and more complex and rich as pieces added. What a great Friday night. We came early and sat right next to the players.
A little more crowded. Still no sign of U-2.
Listen to the 2 different styles. First is O'Flagherty's, with its folk sounds. Next is a sing-a-long at Murphy's. Both were a great time with very friendly (and tipsy) locals.
We took a drive (on the wrong side of the road) around the Ring of Dingle, stopping at several fortresses and scenic vistas. Here is Dunbeg Fort. You get a good look at the raging sea below. the wind was brutal and driving rain came and went all day...brrrr!
Jeff and Jena approaching Slea Head, the western most point in Europe. We were slowly cutting the peninsula down to a manageable area and were sure to corner the island's leprechaun population on that outcropping.
Apparently, they can swim. We drove them onto the beach (always just out of sight), but by time we got down there, there was nothing but the surf.
Notice Katie's wet pants below the knee. Lesson learned here: watch the surf, not the camera!
Well, in total, it was a short, but memorable trip. Jena got a wool sweater and Katie and Jeff wool hats. The pub scene was our fondest memory, of the many. We' d love to return someday and experience Guinness from the barrel in Dublin and meet more Irish folks. On to other journeys. Still to come: Rouse and Lynn Vallotton visit, Rothenburg, London (again) with the Hahira Crew, Greece, Bologna and Parma/Modeno, Budapest and Istanbul! Stay tuned.
No comments:
Post a Comment