3-week February trip report (long...sorry!)
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3-week February trip report (long...sorry!)
I've lurked a lot on this board and though I would finally post a trip report. My husband I just got back from our third trip to Ireland. We spent three weeks there, all in the west, and focused primarily on three general locations. We flew in and out of Shannon, which was a blessing; the day we arrived, the news was reporting Dublin airport as "chaotic" with over a third of the flights canceled, all because record snows in England had shut down Heathrow for nearly two days. As it was, we breezed in (literally - there was NO ONE at customs when we went through!), got our wonderful (cute, too) rental car (a Nissan Micra, with an automatic transmission), and were on the road by 7:30 am.
With our trusty Ordinance Survey map book (this is its third trip too) in hand, we headed up the N18 to Ennis for some breakfast - the airplane breakfast was, er, 'light' (croissant, coffee, juice).
Breakfast at the Snack Shack in Ennis (the only place we could find) was filling, but a tad greasy. For 11Eu (total) we got two full breakfasts and tea for two (my hubby had the 'regular, and got 2 eggs, 3 sausage, 3 rashers of bacon, I had the 'small', and got 1egg, 3 sausage and 2 rashers of bacon - we also got a basket of toast).Thus fortified, we continued on our way to Westport (Co Mayo).
It was a very frosty day (there had been snow the night before, but just a dusting and the roads were clear), but mostlysunny- we were treated to views of the snow-capped Nephin Beg range as they came into view. We did see a squall headed our way, and sure enough we had rain, sleet, snow and finally hail. It only lasted 15 minutes and then more blue sky.
We got to Westport by about 1 pm, and went straight to our B & B, the most excellent Boffin Lodge. We stayed there the last time, and knew they were open year round, so booked again. The owner, Pat Aylward was there and greeted us. Business that week was slow, it was just before Valentines and mid-term break, so he upgraded us to the four-poster room with fireplace (w/flatscreen tv above it) at no additional charge! Did I mention that this place has in-floor heating? It's so cozy and warm, wish I had that at home. Turns out we were the only guests that week (we stayed from 6 Feb through 11th).
We had a great lunch at the carvery in the Castlecourt Hotel (I think that's the name) - ham or breaded pork cutlet, mashers, carrots, celtic cabbage and tea for two for 26Eu. When I requested tea, the very motherly waitress informed me I could have it when I finished my lunch! We had a beer at Moran's and walked around town a bit, then headed back to our B&B.
Feb 8th - after our first full day, we slept like logs. The town walk along the old railway line might have helped. If you're ever there, be sure to pick up brochure of Westport Walks from the Tourist office - they are wonderful. We saw some new (for us) birds along the walk, and had no rain/snow - it was actually sunny and mild. Lunch again at the carvery, then another walk on the grounds of Westport House (which is closed this time of year, so we went in via the lower 'gate'). We waited a bit long to go to dinner, so there was no bar food available (our preference - it's usually loads cheaper). So we had to go to a 'real' restaurant. We chose (randomly, I admit) 'The West'. Food was outstanding - we shared a salad of grilled goat cheese (locally made) atop mixed greens with a (local) honey/balsamic dressing). Then we shared a smoked salmon starter that contained some of the best smoked salmon I've ever had (and I've lived in Seattle for over 20 years). It was smoked as Lox might be, but sliced thicker, and was served with more goat cheese, atop/between some savory potato pancake-like things (they had chives in them). Our bill, with two pints of hard cider, was 32Eu - not cheap, but excellent value.
We tried going into our favorite put (Mat Malloy's), but being a Saturday, it was utterly packed, so we moved on. Ended up at the Spinning Wheel, which looked old-fashioned from the outside, but had the usual two TVs going inside. We had a couple of pints, and a singing duo managed to clear the room in under 30 minutes (they weren't that bad, just not that good either). Walked home (we really try not to drive at night, and never after the pubs) and slept through the night to 7:30!
Feb 9 - On the recommendation of our host, we went to Turlough House (near Castlebar), also known as the Museum of Country Life. Part of the National Museum, so admission is free. The house itself (an old manor house) has only a couple of rooms open for viewing, the real treat is the museum. all the literature/signs point out that none of the grand lifestyle lived by those in the 'big house' would have been possible without the labor and sacrifice of the many laborers (nearly slaves), tenants, and servants at the beck and call of the lords there. The only drawback to our visit was that the museum is only open for three hours on Sundays, and we could easily have spent four or more hours there. We stopped after about 2.5 hrs and had a nice lunch in the cafe, ham and cheese sandwiches with a cup of veg soup (5.95 ea) and the last two pieces of Christmas cake (sold to us at 2-for-1 because one piece was a heel). We drove back right at five (when they were closing, and had exquisite light for sunset - and got in just before dark.
Malloy's pub tonight was much more to our liking. The music and craic was great - we ended up in a lock-in, and got back to Boffin Lodge quite late (nearly 1am).
Feb 10 - We're both pretty fuzzy today, so we got a late start (10-ish). Drove to Achill Island today, and made a point of going to the Cultural Center in Dooagh, only to discover that only the office is open. However, there was a very nice lady there who let us in and chatted with us for some time - there had just been a discovery of a Bronze Age round house on slopes of Slievemore (two students took shelter from the recent snow under an overhang and discovered it). During our drive, we stopped for a bit at a scenic spot, and hubby mentioned that the last time we'd been there, we'd seen ravens nearby. About a minute later, there they were - a pair of ravens came 'quorking' by on the wind! We drove out to a beach, had lunch at nearly the only place open (perfectly adequate, but nothing special - don't remember the name). Hubby went back to the pub tonight, I stayed in; he met Mat Malloy himself, and was later invited by Mick Lavelle (a local who sings there early in the evening) to lead the crowd in the chorus of one of his songs!
Feb 11 - After breakfast and dropping some clothes at Cotton's laundry (just up the road from Boffin Lodge), we headed out for another walk - this time in the Brackloon Woods (Breac Cluain - speckled meadow), about 6K outside town. It was a neat walk on an old (now closed) roadbed through mixed woods, mostly natives. We got about half-way through and it poured rain/sleet for about 15 minutes, then cleared. We heard, then saw another raven - this one was in a tree, calling softly for over 10 minutes (we never saw or heard the mate). When we finished the walk, we decided to check out the nearby Owenwee Bog (another suggested walk). We got to it and decided to just drive across. We stopped several times to soak up the quiet, and take in the great views of Croagh Patrick, capped with snow. Interestingly, parts of the bog had been cut for turf right down to the native stone, and in some cases, exposing ancient tree stumps. Back in town for a last lunch at the carvery (lamb this time, yum), then on to Malloy's for one final night.
And a brilliant night it was too. Of course, first we couldn't find food, so settled for a hotel bar, where we engaged in conversation with a man from Inis Turk. His accent, coupled with his somewhat drunken state, rendered him nearly incomprehensible at times, but we had a nice chat anyway. The music at Malloy's was great tonight - especially the fiddle player. I also got to meet Himself (he was there early, very briefly), and Mick Lavelle had made a tape of a couple of his songs for hubby - he was happy to see we made it in. Later in the evening we chatted with a fellow who said he had the words to a tune at his house - just swing by the next day and get them!
Feb12th - We got in late again (after 1), but Pat said we could take our time checking out. We picked up our laundry (a very good deal at 2 Eu/kilo, we were charged 16Eu, including two shirts ironed, everything nicely folded), then checked out and went to pick up the lyrics - which we did after chatting for almost 2.5 hours. We're on our way to Roundstone (Co Galway). We stopped in Letterfrack for lunch, and had excellent roast lamb with veg (carrots/peas) and new potatoes (11.50Eu). With a good lunch under our belts we headed on to Roundstone, via Clifden. I had forgotten how rocky and rugged it is between Do Lough and Roundstone. Truly wild and forbidding, with cottage ruins and stone walls everywhere - on the tiniest imaginable lots.
Up next, Roundstone. (next post)
With our trusty Ordinance Survey map book (this is its third trip too) in hand, we headed up the N18 to Ennis for some breakfast - the airplane breakfast was, er, 'light' (croissant, coffee, juice).
Breakfast at the Snack Shack in Ennis (the only place we could find) was filling, but a tad greasy. For 11Eu (total) we got two full breakfasts and tea for two (my hubby had the 'regular, and got 2 eggs, 3 sausage, 3 rashers of bacon, I had the 'small', and got 1egg, 3 sausage and 2 rashers of bacon - we also got a basket of toast).Thus fortified, we continued on our way to Westport (Co Mayo).
It was a very frosty day (there had been snow the night before, but just a dusting and the roads were clear), but mostlysunny- we were treated to views of the snow-capped Nephin Beg range as they came into view. We did see a squall headed our way, and sure enough we had rain, sleet, snow and finally hail. It only lasted 15 minutes and then more blue sky.
We got to Westport by about 1 pm, and went straight to our B & B, the most excellent Boffin Lodge. We stayed there the last time, and knew they were open year round, so booked again. The owner, Pat Aylward was there and greeted us. Business that week was slow, it was just before Valentines and mid-term break, so he upgraded us to the four-poster room with fireplace (w/flatscreen tv above it) at no additional charge! Did I mention that this place has in-floor heating? It's so cozy and warm, wish I had that at home. Turns out we were the only guests that week (we stayed from 6 Feb through 11th).
We had a great lunch at the carvery in the Castlecourt Hotel (I think that's the name) - ham or breaded pork cutlet, mashers, carrots, celtic cabbage and tea for two for 26Eu. When I requested tea, the very motherly waitress informed me I could have it when I finished my lunch! We had a beer at Moran's and walked around town a bit, then headed back to our B&B.
Feb 8th - after our first full day, we slept like logs. The town walk along the old railway line might have helped. If you're ever there, be sure to pick up brochure of Westport Walks from the Tourist office - they are wonderful. We saw some new (for us) birds along the walk, and had no rain/snow - it was actually sunny and mild. Lunch again at the carvery, then another walk on the grounds of Westport House (which is closed this time of year, so we went in via the lower 'gate'). We waited a bit long to go to dinner, so there was no bar food available (our preference - it's usually loads cheaper). So we had to go to a 'real' restaurant. We chose (randomly, I admit) 'The West'. Food was outstanding - we shared a salad of grilled goat cheese (locally made) atop mixed greens with a (local) honey/balsamic dressing). Then we shared a smoked salmon starter that contained some of the best smoked salmon I've ever had (and I've lived in Seattle for over 20 years). It was smoked as Lox might be, but sliced thicker, and was served with more goat cheese, atop/between some savory potato pancake-like things (they had chives in them). Our bill, with two pints of hard cider, was 32Eu - not cheap, but excellent value.
We tried going into our favorite put (Mat Malloy's), but being a Saturday, it was utterly packed, so we moved on. Ended up at the Spinning Wheel, which looked old-fashioned from the outside, but had the usual two TVs going inside. We had a couple of pints, and a singing duo managed to clear the room in under 30 minutes (they weren't that bad, just not that good either). Walked home (we really try not to drive at night, and never after the pubs) and slept through the night to 7:30!
Feb 9 - On the recommendation of our host, we went to Turlough House (near Castlebar), also known as the Museum of Country Life. Part of the National Museum, so admission is free. The house itself (an old manor house) has only a couple of rooms open for viewing, the real treat is the museum. all the literature/signs point out that none of the grand lifestyle lived by those in the 'big house' would have been possible without the labor and sacrifice of the many laborers (nearly slaves), tenants, and servants at the beck and call of the lords there. The only drawback to our visit was that the museum is only open for three hours on Sundays, and we could easily have spent four or more hours there. We stopped after about 2.5 hrs and had a nice lunch in the cafe, ham and cheese sandwiches with a cup of veg soup (5.95 ea) and the last two pieces of Christmas cake (sold to us at 2-for-1 because one piece was a heel). We drove back right at five (when they were closing, and had exquisite light for sunset - and got in just before dark.
Malloy's pub tonight was much more to our liking. The music and craic was great - we ended up in a lock-in, and got back to Boffin Lodge quite late (nearly 1am).
Feb 10 - We're both pretty fuzzy today, so we got a late start (10-ish). Drove to Achill Island today, and made a point of going to the Cultural Center in Dooagh, only to discover that only the office is open. However, there was a very nice lady there who let us in and chatted with us for some time - there had just been a discovery of a Bronze Age round house on slopes of Slievemore (two students took shelter from the recent snow under an overhang and discovered it). During our drive, we stopped for a bit at a scenic spot, and hubby mentioned that the last time we'd been there, we'd seen ravens nearby. About a minute later, there they were - a pair of ravens came 'quorking' by on the wind! We drove out to a beach, had lunch at nearly the only place open (perfectly adequate, but nothing special - don't remember the name). Hubby went back to the pub tonight, I stayed in; he met Mat Malloy himself, and was later invited by Mick Lavelle (a local who sings there early in the evening) to lead the crowd in the chorus of one of his songs!
Feb 11 - After breakfast and dropping some clothes at Cotton's laundry (just up the road from Boffin Lodge), we headed out for another walk - this time in the Brackloon Woods (Breac Cluain - speckled meadow), about 6K outside town. It was a neat walk on an old (now closed) roadbed through mixed woods, mostly natives. We got about half-way through and it poured rain/sleet for about 15 minutes, then cleared. We heard, then saw another raven - this one was in a tree, calling softly for over 10 minutes (we never saw or heard the mate). When we finished the walk, we decided to check out the nearby Owenwee Bog (another suggested walk). We got to it and decided to just drive across. We stopped several times to soak up the quiet, and take in the great views of Croagh Patrick, capped with snow. Interestingly, parts of the bog had been cut for turf right down to the native stone, and in some cases, exposing ancient tree stumps. Back in town for a last lunch at the carvery (lamb this time, yum), then on to Malloy's for one final night.
And a brilliant night it was too. Of course, first we couldn't find food, so settled for a hotel bar, where we engaged in conversation with a man from Inis Turk. His accent, coupled with his somewhat drunken state, rendered him nearly incomprehensible at times, but we had a nice chat anyway. The music at Malloy's was great tonight - especially the fiddle player. I also got to meet Himself (he was there early, very briefly), and Mick Lavelle had made a tape of a couple of his songs for hubby - he was happy to see we made it in. Later in the evening we chatted with a fellow who said he had the words to a tune at his house - just swing by the next day and get them!
Feb12th - We got in late again (after 1), but Pat said we could take our time checking out. We picked up our laundry (a very good deal at 2 Eu/kilo, we were charged 16Eu, including two shirts ironed, everything nicely folded), then checked out and went to pick up the lyrics - which we did after chatting for almost 2.5 hours. We're on our way to Roundstone (Co Galway). We stopped in Letterfrack for lunch, and had excellent roast lamb with veg (carrots/peas) and new potatoes (11.50Eu). With a good lunch under our belts we headed on to Roundstone, via Clifden. I had forgotten how rocky and rugged it is between Do Lough and Roundstone. Truly wild and forbidding, with cottage ruins and stone walls everywhere - on the tiniest imaginable lots.
Up next, Roundstone. (next post)
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Wonderful! Thank you for writing a trip report. It brings back great memories. We spent a week in Westport, staying at a townhouse on Church Street. We spent time in Matt Malloys and the other good pubs but didn't meet Himself. That's terrific!
A trip report tip: if you copy and paste from Word, it loses the paragraph spacing. You then have to go and add spacing in. Since there's currently no edit or preview function, there's no knowing that until you submit.
I look forward to reading where you'll be after Westport!
A trip report tip: if you copy and paste from Word, it loses the paragraph spacing. You then have to go and add spacing in. Since there's currently no edit or preview function, there's no knowing that until you submit.
I look forward to reading where you'll be after Westport!
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great start, McD...waiting for more...anythine any post can bring back memories of Ireland, I look for it. Wse, too, spent a week in Westport not to long ago...at The olde Railway House (of William Makepeace Thackeray fame..and we had the Thackeray Room)..heard the hotel has been under renovation...have they completed it yet?
Also, is nostalgic* Destry's little place still there in Clifden? We enoyed lunch there a few times while in the Connemara area.
*nostalgic...only if you remember the great movie "Destry Rides Again" with Jimmy Stewart and Marlene' Dietrich...back in my youth! They are both posted accordingly in the cute little resto.
Keep it coming, McD..Thanks
stu t.
Also, is nostalgic* Destry's little place still there in Clifden? We enoyed lunch there a few times while in the Connemara area.
*nostalgic...only if you remember the great movie "Destry Rides Again" with Jimmy Stewart and Marlene' Dietrich...back in my youth! They are both posted accordingly in the cute little resto.
Keep it coming, McD..Thanks
stu t.
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First, to answer a few of the above questions:
I honestly didn't notice the Railway House hotel in Westport; most of the actual hotels were closed for at least another week (until mid-term break).
Also didn't notice Destry's in Clifden (sorry!). More on Clifden here.
On to Part II (Roundstone, Co. Galway):
Feb 12th:
We settled into our B&B (Saint Joseph's, run by Christina and Seamus - another repeat). We got the same room as before (#1, overlooking the street/harbor; #2 across the hall does the same). We toddled up to O'Dowd's pub/restaurant for a couple of pints and a Toasted Special.
Feb 13th:
Slept in til 7:30(!), had a great breakfast (Christina's cooking is wonderful, and she always has a nice selection of juices, cereals, fruit and yogurt, as well as a cooked breakfast). We set out on a walk across the lower part of the Roundstone Bog - the walk starts by going up the road next to O'Dowd's, then turning right partway up the hill. We passed through a surprisingly suburban group of summer homes, then went through a gate and on into wilder and wilder territory.
The day, which had started out so foggy we couldn't even see the harbor from our room (that is - across the street!), brightened, the clouds lifted and we had excellent views of Errisbeg and the other mountains outside town. Loads of sheep of course, a few distant cattle, and a frog, who hopped away before we could get a good look.
The walk ends by heading back into town on the main road - something we'd not do again (we'd just come back the way we came) - it's narrow and winding, which makes hearing the cars coming a bit of a challenge, and there isn't always someplace safe to jump to in the event of a car coming each way.
After making it back safely, we drove to Clifden for lunch. We ate at EJ Kings (on the square) - another repeat for us. I had the "open" smoked salmon sandwich. Served on beautiful brown bread, it was as delicious as I'd remembered two years ago. I estimate there was nearly a quarter pound of salmon on my sandwich, which made it a great value at 9.75Eu.
We stopped at the Clifden Bookshop, where we bought some postcards, and I bought the 1" map/gazetteer of the Connemarra by Tim Robinson. I'd read his first book on the Aran Islands (Pilgrimage, published by New York Times Book Review), and had bought his first book on the Connemara (Listening to the Wind) in Ennis. If you want to read evocative, lyrical, and educational works on Ireland, this is your man. I recommend anything he's written.
While in the bookshop we had a nice chat with the proprietor (be prepared for this off-season, we found the shopkeepers really want to chat, and it's rude not to engage. We always allowed a half-hour for any visit to a shop). We discussed the economy (Ireland is being hit harder than the States, it seems).
Feb 13th (Friday)
Our luck has held - at the pub last night (O'Dowds), we struck up a conversation with a man (he and his party happen to be staying where we are) - I know, shocking! that we'd be chatting in a pub! Anyway, he owns a summer cottage on Inis Leacan, an island just outside Roundstone harbor. He mentioned he'd be going over (with his brother and another worker) the next day, and would we like to spend part of the day there? The only way there is by private boat, so we jumped at the offer.
We met at breakfast this morning and headed out in overcast weather, but with the water like glass. Fifteen minutes later, we'd landed and were off the boat. Our man's house is about a fifteen minute walk in one direction, so we headed the opposite way and walked around the island.
It's not especially large, only 450 acres, but once was home to nearly 500 people (our hostess' family included). Now there are only two habitable homes (both only used part of the time). Over-run with rabbits and sheep, there were also couple of donkeys and one pony to keep us company.
The shore on the far side of the island was tough going, and would have been tougher had it not been an outgoing tide. Very rocky, indeed (the name means "Isle of the rocky shelf"). We scrambled over slabs of stone, storm beach, and even salt-hardened peat.
We got to the cottage in a couple of hours, where there was tea waiting. Refreshed, we set out to the boat and got a ride back to the village.
Back to Clifden for lunch again (EJ Kings again - love that salmon!).
Sat Feb 14th (Valentine's day)
Today we headed out onto the Roundstone Bog road, with the intention of walking part of the road, and exploring some close-in bits of the bog.
We parked at the old quarry, and walked to the ruins of the Halfway House and walked up to it. There's less to see there than I might have thought (Tim Robinson discusses the Roundstone Bog at length in "Listening to the Wind"). We walked back to our car, hiking out to about four different outcroppings of stone - good thing my hubby is a natural-born bog-trotter! This bog is actually somewhat dangerous, there are voids beneath the bog, some quite deep, so it's important to watch every step. Our weather today was windy, with a chill and the sun only threatened to break through. Still, we had a nice walk.
We had a nice walk, and had a good lunch at Eldon's Hotel (recently under new management, and open on weekends through the winter). Then we had a *real* treat - Christina (our hostess) had made a call and arranged for us to go meet Tim Robinson! He was very gracious, autographed the map for me, and chatted with us for over an hour.
Then we walked over to the Roundstone Pottery (on the grounds of the old Monastary), we'd had a great chat with Rosie, one of the owners, in O'Dowd's. We bought a mug from here, and she encouraged my hubby to show his drawings of crows to her husband.
Dinner this evening at O'Dowds. It was excellent - hubby had a seafood gratin (salmon, crab, mussels, scallops, and other fish as well), I had Plaice, and we shared some steamed wild mussels (sweet and lovely). Our meal was accompanied by *perfectly* boiled new potatoes. We finished with raspberry-apple crumble. Then into the bar for a final pint and a bit more craic.
We'll leave Roundstone tomorrow - more to come in Part III.
I honestly didn't notice the Railway House hotel in Westport; most of the actual hotels were closed for at least another week (until mid-term break).
Also didn't notice Destry's in Clifden (sorry!). More on Clifden here.
On to Part II (Roundstone, Co. Galway):
Feb 12th:
We settled into our B&B (Saint Joseph's, run by Christina and Seamus - another repeat). We got the same room as before (#1, overlooking the street/harbor; #2 across the hall does the same). We toddled up to O'Dowd's pub/restaurant for a couple of pints and a Toasted Special.
Feb 13th:
Slept in til 7:30(!), had a great breakfast (Christina's cooking is wonderful, and she always has a nice selection of juices, cereals, fruit and yogurt, as well as a cooked breakfast). We set out on a walk across the lower part of the Roundstone Bog - the walk starts by going up the road next to O'Dowd's, then turning right partway up the hill. We passed through a surprisingly suburban group of summer homes, then went through a gate and on into wilder and wilder territory.
The day, which had started out so foggy we couldn't even see the harbor from our room (that is - across the street!), brightened, the clouds lifted and we had excellent views of Errisbeg and the other mountains outside town. Loads of sheep of course, a few distant cattle, and a frog, who hopped away before we could get a good look.
The walk ends by heading back into town on the main road - something we'd not do again (we'd just come back the way we came) - it's narrow and winding, which makes hearing the cars coming a bit of a challenge, and there isn't always someplace safe to jump to in the event of a car coming each way.
After making it back safely, we drove to Clifden for lunch. We ate at EJ Kings (on the square) - another repeat for us. I had the "open" smoked salmon sandwich. Served on beautiful brown bread, it was as delicious as I'd remembered two years ago. I estimate there was nearly a quarter pound of salmon on my sandwich, which made it a great value at 9.75Eu.
We stopped at the Clifden Bookshop, where we bought some postcards, and I bought the 1" map/gazetteer of the Connemarra by Tim Robinson. I'd read his first book on the Aran Islands (Pilgrimage, published by New York Times Book Review), and had bought his first book on the Connemara (Listening to the Wind) in Ennis. If you want to read evocative, lyrical, and educational works on Ireland, this is your man. I recommend anything he's written.
While in the bookshop we had a nice chat with the proprietor (be prepared for this off-season, we found the shopkeepers really want to chat, and it's rude not to engage. We always allowed a half-hour for any visit to a shop). We discussed the economy (Ireland is being hit harder than the States, it seems).
Feb 13th (Friday)
Our luck has held - at the pub last night (O'Dowds), we struck up a conversation with a man (he and his party happen to be staying where we are) - I know, shocking! that we'd be chatting in a pub! Anyway, he owns a summer cottage on Inis Leacan, an island just outside Roundstone harbor. He mentioned he'd be going over (with his brother and another worker) the next day, and would we like to spend part of the day there? The only way there is by private boat, so we jumped at the offer.
We met at breakfast this morning and headed out in overcast weather, but with the water like glass. Fifteen minutes later, we'd landed and were off the boat. Our man's house is about a fifteen minute walk in one direction, so we headed the opposite way and walked around the island.
It's not especially large, only 450 acres, but once was home to nearly 500 people (our hostess' family included). Now there are only two habitable homes (both only used part of the time). Over-run with rabbits and sheep, there were also couple of donkeys and one pony to keep us company.
The shore on the far side of the island was tough going, and would have been tougher had it not been an outgoing tide. Very rocky, indeed (the name means "Isle of the rocky shelf"). We scrambled over slabs of stone, storm beach, and even salt-hardened peat.
We got to the cottage in a couple of hours, where there was tea waiting. Refreshed, we set out to the boat and got a ride back to the village.
Back to Clifden for lunch again (EJ Kings again - love that salmon!).
Sat Feb 14th (Valentine's day)
Today we headed out onto the Roundstone Bog road, with the intention of walking part of the road, and exploring some close-in bits of the bog.
We parked at the old quarry, and walked to the ruins of the Halfway House and walked up to it. There's less to see there than I might have thought (Tim Robinson discusses the Roundstone Bog at length in "Listening to the Wind"). We walked back to our car, hiking out to about four different outcroppings of stone - good thing my hubby is a natural-born bog-trotter! This bog is actually somewhat dangerous, there are voids beneath the bog, some quite deep, so it's important to watch every step. Our weather today was windy, with a chill and the sun only threatened to break through. Still, we had a nice walk.
We had a nice walk, and had a good lunch at Eldon's Hotel (recently under new management, and open on weekends through the winter). Then we had a *real* treat - Christina (our hostess) had made a call and arranged for us to go meet Tim Robinson! He was very gracious, autographed the map for me, and chatted with us for over an hour.
Then we walked over to the Roundstone Pottery (on the grounds of the old Monastary), we'd had a great chat with Rosie, one of the owners, in O'Dowd's. We bought a mug from here, and she encouraged my hubby to show his drawings of crows to her husband.
Dinner this evening at O'Dowds. It was excellent - hubby had a seafood gratin (salmon, crab, mussels, scallops, and other fish as well), I had Plaice, and we shared some steamed wild mussels (sweet and lovely). Our meal was accompanied by *perfectly* boiled new potatoes. We finished with raspberry-apple crumble. Then into the bar for a final pint and a bit more craic.
We'll leave Roundstone tomorrow - more to come in Part III.
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Mar 22nd, 2010 02:07 PM