Aug 02, 2012

Fishing boats in the harbour at Castletownbere last night after dinner. The carnival was in the process of setting up behind us.

We have had a huge day getting on the bikes at 8.30am this morning and finally getting in after 3pm. The weather has been largely kind and the roads mostly dry. Our visual senses have been saturated! We started off having decided on specific sorts of photos we would stop for as the estimated travel time was 4hours 12minutes and we had barely set out when Norm pulled over and as I joined him he was digging the camera out of his pocket saying “It’s going to be a big day!’. Not many kilometres past there when we were just experiencing more and more incredible sights and experiences he pulled over again and as I caught up with him he said “I’m not taking a photo; I’m just catching my breath, WOW!!” And that folks is pretty much how the day has gone so I think I’ll let the pictures largely tell the story while apologising for not having as many as we would have liked due to weather challenges and for only catching such a small glimpse of what were hugely incredible vistas.’



On the road to Ballaghboy

Memories of the day:

• Roadside verges jam packed with flowers from the fine red fuchsias (some like small trees) and orange bulbs mixed with cream and yellow flowers and purple heather for good measure and not anywhere near farms or settlements
• Incredibly wild rugged rocks for miles and miles



Very little heather to be seen but room to pull over for a photo

• Shaggy rocks almost covered in long green grass making them look woolly and unkempt
• Heather, heather and more heather on the roadside, in the fields and crevices on the cliff faces
• Breathtaking views of safe harbours
• Swallows everywhere darting about around Ballaghboy
• Being grateful the wind was so fierce so I could decline the chance to go across the water in the cable car (being the only one that goes over sea water in Europe) but described by locals as precarious at best and it looked very much like a home-made vintage job!



And here it is

• Dramatic rugged rocky cliffs and promontories
• A cliff face covered in heather….and nowhere to stop for a photo!
• The smell of peat burning as we passed farmhouses
• Small winding roads rolling up and down and climbing around the cliff faces into and out of harbours. What sort of stubborn people built these?
• Scattered settlements of stone cottages standing firm against the elements



Around the Staigue area

• Sheep, sheep and more sheep oblivious to our passing
• A French motoring club (with an abiding hatred of the Irish) who are here in their cars in big numbers travelling at 40 – 60km on 100km roads to annoy the locals….and these two Australians. All up they (in several groups) added over an hour to our travel time today
• Rows of peat being dug up and stacked up for pick-up
• The ethereal sight of the spire of Killarney Cathedral as we rode into town
• Bustling villages with festivals in progress, my favourite title was the ‘Random acts of Kindness Festival’



Kenmar Village - a welcome coffee stop

• The lovely feeling of being enveloped in a quiet beautiful space as we checked in at our hotel. One beautiful space after another. Aaaahhhh



A lovely room and all the lounges are comfortable as well

• The Hotel Manager asking Norm to move the bikes from the parking spot they were in saying “the Hotel owner will be coming tonight and we don’t want them to get damaged”…..I kid you not! Don’t know what that says about his driving. Anyway they are safely parked under the hotel now

Bits and Bobs:

We heard on the news yesterday that the unemployment rate is 14% and after Norm had been lying on the bed for a bit he informed me that anyone on unemployment over here mustn’t be able to get a job because there’s no way they would stay home and willingly watch the crap that was on TV…could be right.

We had e delicious dinner at a Chinese Restaurant last night and I opened my fortune cookie and read ‘You are straightforward and honest’ and Norm nodded and read his (saying something a bit crass which I won’t repeat as if it was a quote). I took it off him and it read ‘Go on be naughty but nice’. Cracked us both up!

Last nights’ Accommodation:

Island View House B&B, Castletownbere, Ireland

A very nice building with great views out of the harbour to Bear Island. We had the front room which was the pick of the views. Nice comfortable bed and good shower. Comfortable sitting room and breakfast room and delicious breakfast. Obliging host but not in our face so appreciated that. Parked the bikes at the front door so appreciated that also. There were two very enthusiastic dogs in residence which were well trained and friendly but I found it off putting to go into the kitchen to pay this morning and find them well at home in the kitchen.



Island View House