Terrafirma Travels

Drove straight through Tipperary (and no, it was not a long way) and on to Waterford, to park by the River Suir, hopefully not as dirty as it sounds. Looked v muddy. Waterford is all about the Vikings who founded it, with repro longships and much promotion of the Viking chief Ragnald, aka Reginald. Yes, unlikely name, isn't it. A photo was taken of Nic posing as the bloodthirsty Reg.  Waterford is also famous for the marriage btw Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, and Aoife, daughter of the King of Leinster, in 1170, a strategic alliance which was said to be the start of the Norman influence on Ireland - we sat in their thrones.  We found a shirt and a swimsuit in the Vincent's charity shop - more stuff to pack away! We saw lots of yachts moored on the river Suir, and a heron on a river bank. And there were numerous amazing murals everywhere. Waterford is famous for them. We had a quick look in the Church of Ireland cathedral, and then it was on the road to Rosslare, to our last cam...

We've had no condensation in the van all trip, despite the wet weather - summer campervanning is easier. Also only used the heater one morning for 30 mins, and that was more to exercise it as per manual. The kids last night were a real noisy pain, huge football game with screaming past 10pm - feeble parenting. This site seems to attract kids, so avoid it in future. L's turn to start today, through Tralee and north following the WAW as usual. First stop the ruined cathedral of St Brendan at Ardfert, which was splendid in its melancholy state. The young man from OPW was very earnest and knowledgeable so we learned about the phases of building from 10th C onwards and the adventures of St Brendan the Navigator who 'may' have discovered America 200 years before Columbus and started twenty or so monasteries all over Ireland - truly the entrepreneur of the 13th C. In Ardfert we found the perfect little cafe with tasty coffee and wonderful scones. Then on round Kerry Head with ...

As we packed up to leave the campsite, we had forgotten our plan to toddle a short distance to the Gallarus Oratory, a 1200 year old stone church, cleverly built to resemble an upturned boat. When we did remember, we in our seatbelts, were ready to leave. So we sighed, drove around the corner and there it was. (Perhaps our shortest journey so far.) It is a remarkable building. There's a door and a single small window, angled to let in light and keep out rain. It's dark and quiet inside, and you think of the monks who prayed here in the Dark Ages. Seamus Heaney wrote about it, as 'a core of old dark'. He imagined the monks leaving the confined oratory to the wild brightness of nature outside, their faith renewed: 'the sea a censer, the grass a flame'. Nic then drove us northward up the very steep Connor Pass. He likes twisty roads. At the top is a spectacular viewing area full of cars and campervans, with a great swathe of curving white beaches, green mountains a...

Did a few van jobs and had a walk on Inch Beach which despite its name is 5km long. It was dark cloudy with a chilly northerly wind, so we resisted the thought of swimming. Finally figured how to leave the table up and not trip over the bed panel that lives on the table rail; the panel stands behind driver, but how to secure it when we have no string? N bought a tatty belt from charity for €1 and it does the job.  Drove along to Ventry and had early lunch in the van. N's stomach began playing up during yday (it's happened before), so L had half of N's dinner from the pub last night. N had plain bread because he couldn't even finish his cereal and coffee this morning. We got on the Marine Tours Eco Dolphin & Whale Watching Tour boat, the Blasket Princess, at 1300. We were careful to have low expectations and were handsomely rewarded. As well as splendid views of the dramatic Blasket Islands up very close, we saw common grey seals, puffins, dolphins, a sun fish, some ...

We left the Inch campsite in the predicted haze of rain and low cloud. We drove back to Dingle, for food shopping and a venture into the two charity shops. That produced a fine silk shirt for L, and a grotty leather belt, which Nic cunningly used to secure a rigid in-fill for our bed, so it doesn't thrash about in the back. We had a coffee and flapjack stop at a disappointing cafe, and Lesley bought a beautiful woven scarf from Elisabeth Mulcahy's weavers' shop. Onwards, for yet another twisty circular drive, this time to Slea Head. There would have been spectacular views, if the cloud had lifted. We parked up at the Blasket Centre, an amazing building celebrating the nearby Blasket islands, inhabited by tough Irish-speaking fisher families, until 1953.  Some of the inhabitants wrote books, in Irish, about the culture and people of Great Blasket, that made the islands famous. One writer who visited, described the purity and poetry of their Gaelic dialect.  Many of the young...

The pizza last night from the Watch House was excellent, not too big so all crusts were eaten. Boston's Bar, the only pub in town, was a 5 min stroll. A pint and a half of Guinness was consumed. The bar was busy until the gaelic football match finished. There was talk of music later but it didn't seem certain and again we were tired so we didn't stay. The weather cleared, blue sky and distant hills were seen, and it was a lovely evening. The assessment of the Valentia campsite was not so sunny; the showers were fierce with no controls and no seat, and the WiFi was flakey then broken. This morning the cloud was back down with a vengeance, can hardly see beyond the campsite. We exited Valentia via the small ferry and continued along the Ring which frankly isn't that scenic on the sea side; maybe the hills/mountains are good but we can't see them. We diverted to Killarney to find a pharmacy open on a Sunday, to get insect repellent- we are starting to get bitten. Killa...