Trailing Off....: 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.