We woke up to sunshine and lots of wind this morning. The weather from Monday made the seas too choppy to go out to the Skelligs so we had to go to Plan B. We went across a bridge to Valentia Island, where the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable was connected. The island had a lot to explore! We started on the west end by driving through steep narrow roads down to St. Brendan’s Well. We drove back out and down to Bray Tower, a lookout to the Skelligs. We parked the car and hiked an hour up the mountain to the tower at the top. Clouds and fog covered the Skelligs but we were able to snap a few good photos when the sun peeked through. After hiking back down we took the car back over to Portmagee and used their award-winning toilets (not joking!) before heading out.
We drove up the coast to exit the Ring of Kerry and entered the Dingle peninsula. What a lovely drive! The scenery is filled with mountains, random roadside waterfalls, views of the ocean, cute sheep, and lots of sharp curves in the road. I’m getting pretty good at driving more like a local but I can’t even come close to driving as fast as they do on the curvy roads (picture me going 60 km/h and the locals going 90 km/h…on a 75 degree turn). With cliffs just a few feet off the road I’m not risking it! We “topped up” the car with petrol (gasoline) for the first time today, and the process was not much different from filling up our car in the States (we even got a few snacks in the convenience store – yes, they have Dr. Pepper!).
We safely arrived at Dingle in the afternoon and after parking our car in the B&B’s lot we went right into the town to explore. We again used Rick Steves’ guidebook to show us around to sights that most tour groups don’t get to see: remnants of the western-most railroad station in Europe, a 2,000 year-old Celtic holy well, local artifacts, and a secluded Catholic graveyard. There are lots of little shops and places to eat. We ate an early dinner at a restaurant filled with locals and no tourists (that’s a first for this trip!).
Our B&B room overlooks the harbor and ocean. The room is a bit drafty but the view makes up for it. There’s another storm blowing in tonight and in fact, it has just started to rain. Tomorrow’s plans (weather permitting) include driving the Dingle Peninsula (reportedly better than the Ring of Kerry) and more exploring the town of Dingle. We’re hoping that before we leave Dingle that Ryan can get a music lesson on the Bodhran (pronounced bohr’run), a traditional Irish frame drum.
