Dingle Diary (My trip to Ireland)

We have now been in Ireland for 36 hours. The weather was beautiful when we landed - sunny & warm. Spent most of the day just getting to the house (40 John Street) and then settling in. We had our first meal at John Benny Moriarty's, a pub right across from the Tourist Info Center.

Today it started misty, cold & windy. However it did break up & clear just as J predicted. Spent most of the day walking around the town. Unfortunately, we should have visited the Tourist Information Center yesterday as it is closed on Sundays. Now we have to waste time planning what we want to do tomorrow instead of just doing it.

We walked a very small part of the Dingle way today: just up to the Milltown Cemetary. The view was spectacular. The greens looked more intense without the darker skies.

After dinner, we went to the Small Bridge Pub (just down the road from us) where we listened to some good craic & sat by a peat fire.

My toes are blistered from my shoes but the many miles seemed worth it!

The house is on the cool side, but our bedroom windown looks out over the back yard and to the mountains behind the town. My legs are now beginning to really ache!

The day started sunny - a change from yesterday....

During the afternoon we went on an archaelogical tour with Sciurid Tours: all over the penninsula including the Slea Head Drive. It was very interesting, even if it was very cold.

Tomorrow we leave for Cork & Blarney. Early start - we have to be at the bus stop by 7 a.m. I have already warned people that they will be left behind if they are not there!

Yesterday was a day of busses - riding them, waiting for them - in a cold, windy rain of course! Because of delays, we had no opportunity to see Cork other than that out of a bus window.

The bus dropped us off at the [Jameson's] distillery - very handy. The buildings are huge and old - at least the ones they give a tour on. The tour lasted about an hour and answered my long-burning question: "What's the difference between all the whiskes?" I volunteered at the end of the tour and got to try several kinds & became an "Official Taster". I have the certificate to prove it!

So after getting wet & cold again, it was a wonderful treat to arrive at our glorious Blarney Vale B&B. It sits up on a steep driveway on the outskirts of Blarney Village. Bright yellow, it was a beacon of luxury calling us. Ann, our host, was very nice. We have the run of the place as we have all four of her rooms booked.

We left for the castle - it was sunny & crisp. Hardly anyone was there. T & I got a round of Pooh Sticks in at a fairly fast-paced stream (I won!). The grounds of the castle are gorgeous! Even though still early spring, a lot of trees were blooms as were drifts of daffodils.

The castle itself is a ruin & the climb up to the Blarney Stone fairly treacherous. A steep, narrow spiral stone staircase was the way up with ropes attached to the side to help pull yourself up. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to wait for ages on those steps during peak times. There was no waiting to kiss the stone....it was great to walk around the top & not have to be worrying about moving along. The view from the top was spectacular! We postulated how amazing it would have been to be a child & play on those grounds: little forested areas, meandering streams, upside down trees & tons of rocks to climb on.

The only trauma of the day was getting locked out of our house when we got back. T got in through the back, but we couldn't unlock the door from the inside without the front door key. So we handed our luggage in to him through a window. Just as we were getting the last case through it began to hail. I herded everyone off to the Small Bridge to wait for the front door key. The upside of this little adventure was getting to see a rainbow after the storm! No pot of gold, but heartwarming none the less. The evening ended with us sitting around the kitchen table and consuming too much cider.

It was a quiet day. We all went our separate ways. T, S & I wandered around and ended up at Dick Mack's (right across from the church). It was a shoe shop of some description at one time. It was tiny & had shoes up one wall & the bar along the other. We sat in a little nook in the front corner.

We ended the night quietly & early as we plan to be on the early bus to Tralee again in the morning. It is our day at Killarney. I am hoping that the blustery cold weather will be done for now.

Killarney was wonderful! We went to Deros Tours & they helped us plan a day. Starting at the Torc Waterfalls, Muckross House, Muckross Abbey & Ross Castle.

The waterfall was beautiful - set in a pine forest surrounded by snow-capped mountains. (Note: it snowed in Dingle right after we got on the bus. Fortunately, none of it stuck). After the waterfalls, we had a leisurely stroll down to Muckross House.
M.H. was built in the 1800's & has been refurbished in Victorian style. Queen Victoria herself stayed two nights here, & the occupants of the house had 7 years to prepare for the royal visit. The entire house was made over for the occasion, inlcuding the addition of a fire escape to the main floor in the bedroom used by the Queen. Evidently, she was terrified by fire.

Ross Castle is on the lake & looks very well preserved. To see the castle you have to take a tour.

The ride from Tralee to Dingle was the prettiest one yet on that bus. For once, it wasn't raining & the views were glorious. We thought the driver must have had a hot date because the ride (which usually takes 75 minutes) took only about 45. There were several times when only half the wheels were in contact with the road!

We ended up at O'Flaherty's that night. After we had been there for 1/2 hour, one of the bartenders got out his guitar & joined up with a woman on a flute for an impromptu jam session. Later they were joined by a drummer & a tin whistle. The perfect Irish pub experience!

After lunch we took a cab out to the Blasket Island Interpretive Center. The Center was very quiet as hardly anyone was there. It was a long, narrow building - similar to the design of houses on the island. Except of course with taller ceilings & about 10 times as long. There were a lot of artifacts & information. They had a model of a main room of a Blasket Island House. There was also a boat that they used to travel from the island to mainland. We learned a little bit of Irish. For instance, I now know that "bui" is pronounced "bwee" & I believe means "flower".

We tried walking to the Pauper's Grave in the hills above Dingle, but we couldn't find it. The view of the harbor was pretty fantastic. On the way back down the hill, I was met by a herd of sheep. As I was contemplating how I would make a quick exit if they should become territorial, they started bleating at me & moved a little ways down the road. I kept walking. They started bleating again, then moved even further down the road. I had never been a shepherd before! They eventually moved back into the fields, but I could tell they were still upset with me about having to move off the road.

We tried going into Foxy Browns for a drink while we waited for others to catch up. Oddly, they all seemed drunk (inluding the barman) & we didn't get served, so we moved on.

We stopped for a drink at the Small Bridge since we heard they sometimes had Sunday 5pm music sessions. What we got was a drunk Irishman who told L. she must have been an actor, then proposed to my mom (her second proposal on the trip). He asked me what I did, then decided for himself that I must work with the CIA and had found him at last. I told him "Yes, and I'm giving you a five minute head start to make a clean getaway!" With a dramatic swirl, I walked away leaving him howling with laughter at the bar.

Took the bus to Ventry Cross to go to the beach. There was a strong wind, but it didn't feel cold. We ambled for about a mile along the beach, looking for "Kerry Diamonds" and collecting shells.

In the afternoon, T & I set off for the beach & waterfall by Hussey's Folly. The views of the cliff were amazing. I stupidly forgot to bring the extra camera memory card, so I was sparing with the pictures.

After dinner, we went for a drink at a "local" (not touristy) pub. I don't remember the name, but it was up the Connor Pass road, first pub on the left after the Small Bridge. The publican was the friendliest we have met so far. She came out & talked to us before we left. I would like to go back there again before we leave.

We went to Tralee to see the Museum of County Kerry (formally known as Kerry the Kindgom). Standing in line to get our entrance tickets, I noticed a really obnixious odor - like someone hadn't cleaned the toilets in a really long time. Turns out that the last display was a representation of a street in Medieval Tralee, including the sights, sounds & smells. That poor ticket lady has to breath in that stench every day!

The Medieval exhibit was very elaborate & set up as a street at dawn. It was kind of creepy since I went through it by myself. Fortunately, the smell only lasted for the first half of the display - it was truly nauseating! (I find it hard to believe that people sat around a table & agreed with someone who said "Know what I think would be a great exhibit idea? Medieval Stink!")

We walked along the harbor to Hussey's Folly & the lighthouse. It was very mucky from all the rain, and there was sheep poo everywhere. We got rained on again, but we were able to take shelter at the folly until it passed. The vews of the harbor cliffs were beautiful and we had fun on a little beach just past the folly. We collected a few shells & rocks, but no Kerry Diamonds. The cliffs were more dramatic closer to the lighthouse. There was an access at the lighthouse that led to stone steps down to the cliffs. The first step was a doozie, so I stayed at the top. I was tempted to follow the path along the hill toward the beat we were at, but the pubs were a'callin. We stopped & walked along the beach closer to the coast guard station. There I found many diamonds & loaded my pack down. We saw a rainbow over Connor Pass on our way to the pub!

We went to the jazz club after dinner where for the first time in 3 months they had no live jazz. We enjoyed our forgetable wine on comfy sofas, then left. We stopped at the Small Bridge for one last drink before flying home. There was a Japanese film crew taping the musicians. We sat in a new corner of the bar. A lovely end to a wonderful vacation!