Notice how I skipped Day 3. Not a good day so I thought I'd spare you my journal's angst and frustration and move on to day four!

Day Four Dingle

We awoke with sun after a pleasant nights rest at Friars Glen B & B. I love this secluded inn hosted by Mary and John, two very kind people who made us feel welcome and soothed our frustrations after our Day 3 difficulties trying and failing to drive in Ireland. Their inn is beautiful, clean, quiet and exactly what I want in a place to stay. Wash cloths and toiletries are provided here, beds are cozy and comfy, the heater is directly beneath the towel rack so drying a few things is easy, the sitting room boasts a cozy fireplace and we were greeted with tea and raisin bread and all kinds of advice on things to do and see without a car. There was a tiny bit of noice from the stairs during the night but as we were in room one right beside the stairs, I'm surprised we didn't hear more. All in all, quiet and restful for someone who is sensitive to every noise. 

 On awakening, we made our way to the breakfast room. Tables set with pristine linens looked out through a wall of windows over a park-like yard where several deer grazed, backlit by the mountains. This morning was a bit misty and damp with the threat of rain. We couldnt complain considering that it usually rains every day in Ireland and wed been there three days without so much as a drop.

Marys helper, Bridget, brought us coffee and tea, told us to help ourselves from the very generously stocked sideboard of fruits, cold cereals, and breads. This was the best breakfast and the best coffee we had in all of Ireland. Perfectly prepared and served. After asking about our plans for the day, Bridget suggested that we tour Dingle instead. We agreed and Bridget booked a day tour for us and took our breakfast order of full Irish which consists of eggs, rashers, sausage, black pudding, tomatoes and mushrooms. I opted out of the sausage and pudding.

A tour van picked us up at the B & B and away we went. Dingle is said to be the most beautiful place on earth. Unfortunately, the clouds, mist and fog kept us from verifying that claim. We did the tour, stopping for some antiquities but our tour guide wasnt too knowledgeable. Being a writer I love detail which he couldnt give. I think I drove him crazy asking questions. This probably wasnt the best Dingle tour available as the van was over-crowded and not too clean and the driver appeared in a rush, eager to just get us around the tour and be done with it. I think perhaps a person who is actually from Dingle would do a better job.

We stopped at a cluster of beehive huts or clochans, dry stone dwellings that date from 2000 BC! The Irish are interesting in that ancient artifacts can be on private land. Such was the case of these huts. A very old Irish woman living in a rundown shack of a farmhouse came to the door to collect 2 Euros before we could explore the huts. I felt sorry for her, eeking out a living in this remote place and didnt mind the money. We also stopped at 'Gallarus Oratory', a dry stone church similar to the beehive huts. The charge here, I think, is too much unless you have a lot of time to explore and you are especially interested in a small, old church. There truly wasnt much to see or learn here.

The route around Dingle takes you along the waters edge much of the time. Roads are skinny narrow, more than anywhere else we saw, which is saying a lot! My daughter kept saying, You actually thought we could drive this?! J Im glad we didnt try.

Out in the water near one of the beaches, I spotted door-like holes dug into the side of a jutting peninsula and was fascinated when the guide said these were supposedly fort/castles from early times when Ireland was constantly being invaded. I wondered if he was correct as it was a fascinating thought.

Dingle, which still speaks the Irish language, is supposed to be a tour of many, many archeological sites. Unfortunately, our tour guide didnt seem to know about them and we missed out on seeing holy wells, hill forts, ring forts, ogham stones, etc. that Im told should be seen on this drive. But we enjoyed our soggy day anyway, even if I was a tad disappointed in Dingle Peninsula overall and wouldnt opt to return there.

At noon, we stopped in the tiny fishing village of Dingle and shared a hearty lunch of pork, dressing, and veggies at Murphys Pub (about 10 Euro, if I remember. Quite reasonable and large helpings). There doesnt seem to be much of anything in the little town, other than a short row of businesses, mostly pubs, and a few fishing boats in the harbor. I liked the solitude but didnt find it particularly interesting or pretty. We wandered around a bit, visited a shop or two.

Later we saw a large hump of land the driver called a fairy fort. He told us that to disturb a fairy fort is very bad luck. He claimed to know of two people who had died after touching one. He was very serious, and said the Irish know better than to disturb one, even if its on their land. He wasnt able to tell me how one knows if a hump of dirt is a fairy fort but that fairies live beneath the mounds and are mostly good. They just dont like to be disturbed. This was only the second story about Irelands magical, mystical history that we heard, and I would love to have heard more.

We stopped at Inch Beach where the old movie, Ryans Daughter was filmed. Its not much except a single store and a few scattered homes clinging to the hillside above a small beach. The rain had set in by now and clouds obscured the off shore islands. Because of the weather and inability to see farther than a few yards, Sundy and I opted against a rainy beach stroll in the fog and instead browsed the little store, noting one section of normal items for the locals and a section of souvenirs, leprechauns, etc. for the tourists. Prices were the cheapest we found anywhere and we bought a few items for the kids back home.

At the end of the day, the driver kindly dropped us near the Torc Waterfall in Killarney Park, a beautiful, serene falls in a perfect setting of greens and moss-covered trees. It rained a little on us but we popped the umbrella and enjoyed the walk. Killarney N. P. is just spectacularly beautiful. After exploring some of the park and basking in the peace and tranquility of the waterfall, we headed to Molly DArcys for a scone and tea before calling it a day and walking the short distance to Friar's Glen.ons on