Trekking

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever I choose. - Walt Whitman Song of the Open Road

Travel Destination - NYC



Monday, July 13, 2009

Ireland/Scotland 2008 Travel Journal - Part III

Highlights of the Southwest of Ireland

EXPLORATORY DRIVE FROM INCH BEACH TO DINGLE PENINSULA

Sun. 7/6/08
Route R561 out of Castlemaine along the cliff's edge overlooking Dingle Bay. Then onto N86 and to R559 Slea Head Drive. From the ancient ruins of Dunbeg Fort in Ventry and the Beehive huts of Slea Head, just past the Cross at Slea Head is a magestic lookout point, where you can see Skellig Islands in the distance to the southwest (and off to the left) and the three Blasket Islands straight out ahead on the water.


Dunmore Head has a small carpark and picnic tables which look down onto the rocky beach below, where it's a hotspot for surfing. Dunmore Head appears as a large grassy hill above the Blasket Sound. We climbed the green knoll of Dunmore Head and enjoyed the view and plenty of photographs at the apex overlooking the Blasket Islands and Blasket Sound. These panoramic views are some of the best on the southwest coast.
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Ireland/Scotland 2008 Travel Journal - Part I

Travel Journal - Destination Ireland/Scotland July 2008

Ireland July 3 - 16th
Scotland July 16 - 28th

Part I - Enterring Ireland via Shannon Airport and the Southwest coast

My folks and my youngest brother arrived a day prior in Shannon. They spent the day traveling to our B&B in the Ennis area, resting, and then going on a day trip via bus to Galway.

My husband and I joined the trio at Anne's B&B near Ennis on the bus route. We rested for a bit and then headed off to Bunratty for the latter part of the day into the late evening. We explored Bunratty's Castle and then Folk Park, while the weather held off rain. As the rain began to pelt later in the afternoon, we made our way back to the Castle for the mid-hour Medieval Dinner Banquet.

The banquet began with cocktails of aromatic honey-flavored mead and salty bread as a gesture of good tidings and peace. The hall was filled with the lightly plucked instrumental song of Baroque music before we were ushered to the lower Banquet hall. Once in the lower room, we were escorted by costumed Medieval hosts to our long wooden banquet tables and benches. As the meal progressed from bread and soup to meat and wine a plenty, a duke and duchess were chosen, madrigal music elighted through the room, and "Charles" jestered with the festive crowd.