Last WAW

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 excellent views and hardly any traffic. Stopped in Ballybunion for lunch in van overlooking yet another beautiful beach. Blowing a gale onshore, so no difficult decision about swimming.

N took over driving for the afternoon, and finally we were heading a little inland and along the shore of the R Shannon, aiming for Foynes and the Flying Boat museum. What a gem this was, full of fascinating information and very well presented. Second only on this trip to the Blasket Experience. In the 30s and 40s Foynes was the busiest commercial 'airport' (airdock?) in Europe. Poole was also a big centre for flying boats doing passenger flights to Europe and the USA - who knew? We had fun in the replica 314 PANAM plane.


Then outside was the sort of car a pilot would have driven - an immaculate MGA.

From there it was goodbye to the WAW, and a half hour trip down narrow lanes with many tractors carting freshly cut hay, on to Adare campsite. Best site for ages and very quiet at 6pm. Got noisier later as people returned from their day out. This site does not allow dogs ... is there one that also doesn't allow children?!

As a postscript, the showers are great but N's phone never found the wifi. 

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