We park at Kate’s Cottage, the unofficial start to this hike. It’s a steep mile to the Black Lake and the
Wishing Bridge and the payoffs are obvious.
We’ve been surrounded by amazing landscapes for a week now, and yet we’re
still impressed with the sheer beauty of this place.
I’ve been blathering on about how narrow the roads are, and
half a mile past the Wishing Bridge, I figure out a way to illustrate my point:
The yellow lines on the outside of the pavement indicate
that this is a two lane, two direction road, shared by us with other cars, tour
busses and farm implements. The fences
on either side are just a bonus. The fact
that our Opal Corsa still has both mirrors is a damned miracle.
Back in the car, next stop is Inch Beach, a broad swath of
wide sand on a tongue of a peninsula jutting out into the North Atlantic. The beach is buzzing with activity. The local surf school has about two dozen
participants, and with plenty more families walking and playing on the shore. Opal is feeling a little stressed from all
the near misses, so we give him his own few minutes on the sand as well.
We finish the drive to the town of Dingle. Our room is not quite ready so have lunch at Quinn’s,
an unassuming little pub with great water views in the next little village
over. It’s the first time we’re having mackerel,
pan fried whole, lightly salted and served as an appetizer. For our main we split today’s special, a
mixed platter of John Dory and halibut, both fresh off the boat this
morning.
We check into the Greenmount B&B, home for the next two
days offering great views of the town, then set out to explore Dingle. After
a series of ridiculously charming Irish villages, this one may be the most
charming yet. We bop into Dublin Artworks,
a gallery featuring only local artists. We’ve
been in several galleries since the beginning of our trip and we’re surprised by
how much we connect with the aesthetic. Our
preconceived misconception was that all the work was going to be Celtic
inspired and heavy, but we find most work, regardless of the artist or medium,
is hopeful, airy and soulful. Mandy
connects with a small framed piece and the shopkeeper meticulously wraps and
bags it for us.
After a fine nap, it’s Ashe’s for dinner. The bleu cheese on the salad is some of the most delicate we have ever had and the crab claws are loaded with yummy garlic. Nearby we head into M. Nelligan’s for their Trad, five musicians sitting in the now familiar circle-around-a-low-table, taking turns leading a song each. This group is especially talented and the female violinist/vocalist really wins us over. We strike up a conversation with a pair of guys from Killarney, Tom and Tomas, or TomTom as they call themselves. Tomas is celebrating his 50th birthday and we end up in some really funny conversation with the duo. Crazily, Tomas has spent time in Newtown, PA, and loves Bucks County and Philadelphia. At one point, Tomas walks up to the band and asks for the mic. He makes an announcement dedicating his song “to my new friends from Yardley, PA”, then sings a fantastic rendition of a traditional song he’s used to sing with his family. No sooner then he stops singing, then a group of three guys come over to us and say “Yardley?!?! We’re from Philly”. More drinks ensue. When Mandy tells Tom that I sing a bit, he drags me up to the band. I’m very hesitant, but Tom and the band are insistent, so I ask if it would be OK if I did an American country number. They give an enthusiastic thumbs up, so I sit as they hand me the microphone. Dunno why, but I did Friends In Low Places, and by the first chorus, the entire bar is singing along. I’m shocked, but lean in. When I finish, Tom tells me that Garth Brooks is absolutely HUGE in Ireland. In fact, he just did 5 sold out stadium shows at Croke Park in Dublin this past September. Moreover, he apparently has friends in Dingle and spends time here often. We didn’t buy another beer all night.
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