A Lot of Dingle, No Berries

"Welcome to Dingle!"

When I found out there was an entire peninsula in Ireland called Dingle, I knew I had to go. Who doesn't chuckle at the thought of "dingle berry"? The problem with Dingle is that it is ALL the way on the southwest side of this tiny island. Distance, like time, is a funny relative thing. A three hour drive in Iowa seems a bit long, yes, but it won't even get you across the state. Here it gets you across the country.

view from the train

Living in the city centre next to a cinema and within walking distance of every amenity imaginable is fantastic. But I was beginning to need a break from the rubbish, daily puddles of vomit, and the other flotsam and jetsam of urban life. June 1 was the first day of "summer" and June 2 was a bank holiday, so it was a perfect time for a cross country journey.Three hours on the train through the countryside, on a sunny day, whilst drinking wine and sitting next to my favourite person was the best possible way to begin.

Dingle Harbour at 9:00 pm

Dingle town is a town of about 2000 people and is quaint enough to draw tourists but not too gimmicky to draw them by the busloads. We stayed at a little B&B off the main street and had the attic room. Huge room with great views!

view from the B&B attic window

As usual, we didn't think through our plan 100%. Walking in nature, seeing the sea, and having pints in little cozy pubs were on the list of things to do. But what we hadn't really anticipated was that to get to the top spots on the peninsula, you need a car. No trains or public transport exists.

coastal view about half way through the walk

Brave souls take 2 weeks or so from their everyday lives to walk The Dingle Way which covers all of the peninsula. We grabbed a map and knowing we'd have to circle back, tried to go as far as we could.

the biggest of Blasket Islands in the background

Along the way, we walked in the hills among farms and every so often at the top of a hill, were greeted by a stunning view of the Atlantic and the Blasket Islands. The best part for me was seeing some sheep. I'd seen many a sheep from a bus or train window but never up close and personal.

one of many groups of sheep who ignored us

 4 hours after beginning, we made it to the Famine Cottages before deciding we had to go back. I would have paid a hefty sum for someone to stop and pick me up, but a few nice surprises in the form of pubs made the 5 hour walk a bit more bearable.

pub opened by famous rival of Dublin's Gaelic football team

I didn't see the filming site of "Ryan's Daughter" nor did I see any of the famous surfing spots. But for 10 tiring, but blissful hours, I was surrounded by the low conversations of animals, the gossip of birds, and the wind. And ending the evening with a few pints and perfect fish & chips wasn't bad either.

on the Dingle Way

Dingle town at sunset

Dingle Way path

Blasket Islands

a young boy practising

cemetery!

Stephen ponders Paudie O'Shea's memorabilia

old medieval church

afternoon cloud action

hangin' with the DJs post walk

 

Dingle town at sunset

Dingle town



Fungi the town dophin

Dingle Way

view of Ventry from afar

fresh, fresh air!

happy cow

Blasket Islands

rolling farmland

the battle for blue sky

introverted sheep

2 sheep chill on a hill

and the weather clears just as we are nearly back to town

silent stretch

where's the bus stop?



home on the range

 

The Road to 40: 50/50 Vision

In 3 weeks, I will hit the top of the symbolic crest, arbitrarily determined to be the last stop before the path to oblivion. In January I set weight loss and health goals to meet before this day dawns on July 1. And well, I’m pretty much exactly where I started. The onus of failure lies completely with me and my lack of will power. However, I’m going to deflect the blame and have a little rant about the internet and how its lack of definitive answers is driving me batshit crazy.

Google Search: Is running good for weight loss?

First hit: “4 ways running is best for weight loss”

Fourth hit: “5 reasons why running may not help you lose weight”

As I’ve mentioned before, I love running. It’s outside; it’s interesting; it’s the closest I’ve gotten to meditation. But according to some health experts, it may not be so great for weight loss. Something about lactic acid and glucose and whatever. So I started only doing shorter and less frequent runs and then trying “interval training” which  when translated means, “the most boring form of torture invented”. What I found was that I started dreading going to the gym and I really missed my runs.

So, I’m going to say feck it to the experts and do what I enjoy.

Burning calories isn’t really the problem though. It’s shoving the calories in faster than they can be burned. And here is where the internet is at its most maddening.

Google search: Is fruit ok for weight loss?

Some sites say eat all the fruit you want, some say don’t eat very much, especially those evil bananas because all that sugar turns to fat. Some sites say eat only red and purple fruits and only when Jupiter is aligned with Mars. I eat a banana and an apple every day. Sometimes I throw in an orange just for the rainbow effect. So again, experts, feck it.

Google search: Are grains good for weight loss?

First hit: “Heath gains from whole grains”

Second hit: “How grains are slowly killing you.”

This tends to be a heated topic with opinions ranging from “whole grains are the foundation of a healthy diet” to “grains have made mankind less intelligent and are the root of all diseases”. I tried a no grain diet for 2 weeks and though I did feel “lighter”, I knew I wouldn’t be able to ignore the giant bag of basmati rice in my cupboard forever.

Google search: Is meat good for you?

First hit: “Meat and cheese may be as bad as smoking.”

Second hit: “Seven evidence-based health reasons to eat meat”

Ethics aside, the topic of meat and dairy seems to inspire the most vitriol in people on both sides of the healthy food debate. Some scream warnings about cancer, diabetes, and dropping dead early from a heart attack. Others shout back that we wouldn’t even be here with our current brain size if it weren’t for all that nutritious buffalo we consumed 10,000 years ago. One thing they do agree on is that meat from happy grass-fed animals that haven’t been pumped up on antibiotics is better. Trying the Paleo Diet meant a lot more meat, which was ok, but sometimes a girl needs fried paneer with peas and mushrooms in a yogurt curry sauce. Over rice.

The above is just a sampling of the type of stuff I find myself sifting through day after day. It’s exhausting and infuriating. I’m starting to feel like I'm spending all my time thinking about this stupid weight loss plan. Fretting that the exercise and food choices are being counterproductive. Impulsively changing the plan so that I can no longer even measure what's working and what isn't.  Constantly looking in the mirror and poking myself in the gut. Knowing deep down I just need more will power. Feeling bad.

According to healthcentral.com I am at my ideal body weight for my height and body frame. According to medicalnewstoday.com I’m overweight. Am I at the place of maintenance rather than weight loss? Should I just accept it and be glad that I haven’t gotten any bigger in the last 5 months?

It feels so pointless and petty. The only thing I can do, the only thing that makes sense is to do everything in moderation. Which I can manage Monday to Thursday. Weekend Erika, however, continues to have a different agenda.