Read, Write, Ramble

 We had a later start to the day today, with breakfast at 8:30 am, before setting off for the Blasket Centre; a heritage and cultural museum dealing with the history of the stunning islands that had dominated so much of our view during yesterday’s walk.  The people who had lived there until the islands were abandoned in 1953, had been isolated, not so much by distance from the mainland, but by the harshness of the environment and the often impassable seas. They existed on subsistence farming and fishing, speaking only the Irish language.  When all the young people eventually left for a life of opportunity in other countries however, there were no men to man the fishing boats, and those remaining were forced to admit they could not survive there any longer.  It was a moving story told through comprehensive interactive displays, and we spent a couple of hours immersed in the experience.  After a coffee, we finally set out for today’s leg of the walk to Ballyferrit...

 It was the first day of our walk on the Dingle Way and we set out in perfect conditions  Despite the widespread heat warnings for the area, we felt that the forecast 21 degrees and sunshine made for perfect walking weather.  Our B&B in Dingle provided us with a delicious cooked breakfast and we were ready in time for our taxi transfer to Ventry, a mere 10 minutes away, where we would pick up the Dingle Way, a 179 km circular walking route on the breathtaking Dingle Peninsula. Jutting into the Atlantic from the Southwest coast of Ireland, the area is famed for its coastal beauty, ancient archaeological sites and Gaelic culture. The path follows quiet country lanes, beaches and mountain trails with ever changing views of the ocean and nearby islands.  In Ventry, we purchased some fresh cheese rolls from the local cafe to take with us for lunch, crossed the road to the first way-marker and set off down a narrow path lined with fuchsia hedges, that spilled us out on...

 Today was the day our hiking adventure was to begin. It was actually our pre-hike day; a day of travel from Cork to Dingle, in readiness for what we trust will be a scenic and enjoyable three-day hike.  We were up early to wash sheets and towels so they could dry while we are away for the next five days - drying washing is an issue in our apartment, as is guaranteeing a supply of hot water for showers (but that’s another story!)  The taxi was booked for 11:30, but being the people we are, we were ready to go at 10:30. At the Cork bus station we bought sandwiches for lunch and waited in vain for the display board to change and tell us which bay our first bus to Killarney would depart from.  No such information was forthcoming so Wallsy did a reconnaissance and found it was Bay 12.  Boarding was a little delayed by the last minute arrival of the driver, who seemed to be teaching a new driver the ropes, but we quickly loaded our luggage and boarded. We were about ...