By Bob Corbett
There were very few days on this trip in which we made mistakes of what to do. This may have been one, but it turned out to be a lovely day no matter. Our plan was to take the Eireann bus (public bus) to Dingle. Since our B&B was a bit out of the center, with the two bags we each had (a wheely cart and a backpack each), we would have taken a cab. With the cab fare and the bus fare together would have paid about the same as taking the Killarney -- Dingle tour, but just getting off in Dingle to stay.
Our landlady called the company and they had no objection to us bringing our luggage and getting off half way on the tour when we got to Dingle. They came and picked us up and off we went.
However, unlike the delightful John O'Neil this driver was a very poor tour guide with little to say at all of this rich and exciting land we were going through and his few feeble attempts at humor were pathetic. He mainly drove in silence. However, again unlike O'Neil, he stopped at a couple of places that didn't deserve a second look just so we might spend some money on which it was fairly clear he'd get a kick-back. It was one of our very few unpleasant experiences.
Even the trip wasn't without it's rewards. Just about 1/2 hour before one reaches Dingle is the long long beach of Inch. The bus did stop here (which the public bus would not have), and we had plenty of time to get out and walk way way out at low tide to where the water crept up on the beach. It was so beautiful and peaceful.
Eventually we got to Dingle about the same time we would have anyway. I knew a nice B&B on the main street, but while we were walking up a small hill to get there we passed an lovely arch way entrance to a courtyard, and glancing in we saw a beautiful courtyard and tables and such and realized it was a B&B. We inquired and were given a simple marvelous huge room for a modest price. We grabbed it.
Our host recommend John Denny's pub for food and we tried it. Wonderful. We were looking at the menu and decided to ask exactly what was the Irish stew, the feature of the place. Our waitress was a but curt and surly, but delightful. When I asked she replied: "It's lamb, potatoes, carrots and celery all piled up." It cracked me up and we both ordered it. Oh my oh my was it awesome. Then after dinner, while just resting a bit before going out into a slight rain and very chilly wind, we tried our first Bushmills whiskey and found it just marvelous.
Wandering around town we found an internet place and got on-line for 4 E an hour.
On our way home we found a Dunnes store (major store all over Ireland which has a huge grocery department and then even a large department store connected, it was our major shopping place for drinks and food). Most Dunnes stores have hot food and a very large salad bar with a variety of prepared salads and fruit.
We not only got some wine, but a bottle of Bushmills to carry with us, figuring rightly that it would last us many days and be many times cheaper than having a glass in a pub.
Much of the day was rainy and cold with fairly strong winds and we were tired and happy to get in not long after dark.
He, he. Not every single day was loaded with delight. This one was much more a travel day, and a bad weather day.
But oh my, do things turn back to the SPECTACULAR for the next three days. Turn in tomorrow!
Bob Corbett corbetre@webster.edu