Day 6 Dingle

The first thing we had to do today was decide where we were going when we leave Dingle tomorrow. After a somewhat lively discussion about whether to go north to Galway or south to Cork, "we" decided she wanted to go to Galway.

Scrambled and Salmon

Therefore I made a reservation for two nights at a Jury hotel right downtown Galway. Once that was done it was on to breakfast. Sylvia had the specialty of the house, porridge with dark brown sugar, cream, and shot of Drambuie. I on the other hand, decided to stay sober and have scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, but I was very jealous.

With those two important things over with, we got started on a long day on a drive around the Ring of Kerry. It was similar to yesterday's drive except it was 200 miles instead of 60, One hundred and twenty of those miles would be on the Ring of Kerry. The drive from Dingle took us along some cute towns on the north shore before getting to Portmagee at the end of the peninsula. We had to go over the bridge to see what was going on in Knightstown only to find they were running a marathon around the island. We managed to get around the mess and continue up the spectacular scenery of the south shore. It was 2 o'clock when we got to the pretty little town of Kenmar. We stopped for lunch at the Atlantic Bar and had more Seafood Chowder - I was starting to get a little bit tired of it. Sylvia went for the shoe leather pork chops. We walked around town a bit and it seemed like a pretty good place to spend a few days. It was an hour and a half drive from there back to Dingle and it was nice to get back. It was hard driving with narrow twisting roads, no shoulder, and high speeds. If I had to decide which drive was best, Dingle Peninsula or Ring of Kerry, I'd have to say Dingle because it's less miles and has a somewhat more interesting history. Both are beautiful, but the south shore of the Ring has the most picturesque spots. But as you see from day 5, Dingle isn't too shabby, plus the story of the people who lived on the Blasket Islands makes your heart bleed.

For dinner we walked into town and decided on the John Benny Pub. Sylvia had corned beef and cabbage and I went for the hake and mashed potatoes again. The fish here's pretty good and without a doubt fresh. One of the things Dingle's noted for is Irish music. Every evening after 9:30 most every pub has live music and it's really good...I think. Anyhow, we stuck around for an hour or so to listen and enjoy.

Tomorrow we go to Galway for at least two days. Our stay in Dingle was great, I wish it was longer. The people here were the most friendly and happy people I've ever experienced. They just seem to enjoy being around other people. And the history of the area seems long and special. I felt privileged just being here.

Views from the south shore of The Ring of Kerry