Dangling on Dingle

Start: Tralee

End: A wonderful room at Dingle Gate Hostle, Annascaul, Co. Kerry

A is also for Awesome

We were glad to be quit of Tralee this morning, and on the Dingle Peninsula proper.  After a brief stop off at the hostel to let our host know that we were “around, but won’t be back for a while,” we headed out for the Slea Head drive, which I’d been particularly eager to do (ie, particularly eager for Nathan to photograph).  The weather cooperated splendidly, and it wasn’t long before we were pulling over to take shots.  I was eager to get us to a particular site, Dunbeg Fort, and when we arrived it proved well worth my enthusiasm.

 

While we were there I took one of my at-arm’s-length photos of us, and an American woman offered to take our photo.  I thanked her and started to hand over my phone, but she ignored it and went straight for Nathan’s camera, chattering on about how she used a Nikon, too, so she’d be fine.  My over-sensitive hackles went up (as they tend to do regarding my husband and his photography), but Nathan graciously handed over his machine, and then patiently explained one thing after another about how to use it to the woman, who was of the “auto settings” sort (“It’s not focusing!”).  And then we were subjected to being moved this way and that by her, including into uncomfortable (and weird-looking) half-crouches so that she could get the background in…  ::sigh::  Ah well.  And then Nathan returned the photographing favor, and her husband gave me a wryly sympathetic look and I felt better about the situation.

By that point we were starving, so we decided to just go ahead and eat at the restaurant by the fort (Stonehouse) even tho’ you never know quite what you’re going to get in such a “you have no choice but to eat here!” location.  As it turned out, what we got was ridiculously delicious food, a lot better than at many of the recommended locations (this is the point where I go on record as saying that I’m not impressed with Lonely Planet:Ireland.  It’s the first time LP has let me down in ten years, tho’, so I won’t abandon the brand… but maybe I’ll see if they might want a new contributor…)

A little further up the road we found a scenic pull off that seemed nice enough, but then discovered a trail that led down onto one of the cliffs and then it was really nice.  And I ran my fingers along one of the bits of limestone, feeling all the good hand-holds, until I couldn’t help myself and did the teensiest bit of climbing.  I get the feeling one might do some really phenomenal climbing around here…

We continued around the coast, making the occasional stop here and there, until at last we drew up to a rather impressive looking point (Waymont?).  Of course we got out and started trekking (or slogging, as the initial thirty yards was through some fairly bog-like terrain), and then scrambling, and in the end were rewarded with absolutely breathtaking sights.  I know, I know, I keep using that phrase- it keeps being true!

We spent a little over an hour there, and by that point we decided it was time to head back to the hostel (it was nearing on 1700, and we’d been at it since about 1100) and maybe see about some dinner.  After we dropped our stuff off (around 1800, because of course there were lots of stops for photos on the way back, in spite of being “done”), we made our way down to Inch Beach, where I’ve plans to surf tomorrow.  The light cooperated insanely well, so as I waded in the Atlantic up to my knees, Nathan had his best Irish sunset yet.  Eventually I dragged him away so we could have dinner at Sammy’s (at this point it was closing in on 2000).  The food was nothing memorable, but the Bailey’s hot cocoa was exactly what the chill whipping -winds had ordered. 

And now we are relaxing in our lovely little room at Dingle Gate Hostel, after some pleasant jabbering with Brian, our host.  I like him quite a bit- he’s friendly as hell and his accent is such that although I understand about 75% of what he’s saying, I straight-up have to infer the other 25%.  Ah, Ireland.  Everything about you makes me squee.