Liz's blog: http://wheres-liz-2015.blogspot.com/2015/09/day-3-of-12-day-giant-irish-adventure.html
Our travels around Ireland pretty much ran counter clockwise around the coastal regions of the land. We visited Belfast Londonderry but most of our stops were in smaller towns and villages and out of the way roads.
As several folks have noticed, Liz and I did a lot of hiking. The Vagabonder trip was advertised for "active" folks and more than fulfilled our expectations. Throughout a particular day's travel were scheduled different hikes to see specific things and to break up the travel times. Lunches often became an excuse for a picnic "outside" to get us out of the van longer but also to avoid the crowds and time it would take to eat at a cafe or Pub. We were usually given choices but we always went for the picnic. We learned to trust Dee. Though the weather sometimes made us leery, it seemed that our Dee had magic when it came to clearing skies at all the right times. It does rain in Ireland. It rains a lot. But other than that full on down pour we experienced in Dublin all day on the first map melting Sunday, all we had throughout the following 12 days were an occasional rain that briefly moved through to leave us back with sunshine.
The grounds of the Manor were we stayed. The house and lands had housed the Marines in WWII. The officers in the Manor House and the enlisted in Quonset Huts that had been built out around the main house.
Welcome to the Manor...
We traveled on to Londonderry and walked around the walls of the city.
Our guide and historian for the tour in yellow.
A good Irish cat.....
Looking over on to the Bogside or Catholic side of the city outside the wall. Liz's blog has pictures of many of the posters and painted billboards that still reflect the troubled history of Londonderry/Derry.
And as always there are reminders of our temporariness and the history that passes before us.
During the "Bloody Sunday" riots this area was still a crazy patch work of crocked streets and houses built on the hill leading up to the city walls.
Now it is a tranquil place for a Welsh Springer to take his morning stroll.
An old narrow street inside the city walls.
The center of Londonderry with four roads leading off, one to each gate.
After our walking tour our assignment in Londonderry was to pick up a picnic lunch and shop in any of the four Charity shops that ran down one side of the street and find something for 2 Pounds of less. I found what I could use in the Oxfam shop...one scarf. It served me well.
It is raining somewhere but not on our picnic.
Still raining somewhere else. If you have the patience to continue following these posts you may find a pattern in the photos that seem to include both sunshine and rain.
But we were headed off for another wee bit of a hike....farther down a different road.
More than a few of the roads we traveled were those that the big buses don't take.
"Turf" farming. I think Dee stated that 80-90% of the bogs have already been farmed out over the passing centuries. Fields that remain are prised and held closely by families through generations. Here the cuts are stacked to dry before being hauled out.
Towards evening we make a stop at a quiet beach. Apparently it was time for us to be introduced to Irish Football. Liz and I both missed that mention on the itinerary. It was however a wonderful way to learn more about Ireland and get to know our traveling companions a little better.
I few of the locals out enjoying the evening.
Ann, Danielle and Liz. Notice a difference in their attire from that of the locals?
Like Stuart and his "squirrels" I am distracted by horses on the beach.....
I am also quickly out of the second game Dee started up.
Another adventure under our hats we headed on to the night's accommodations.
In the morning we walked down the street to visit the local weaver for a brief demonstration.
As he explained the weaving doesn't always take that long but the setting up the threads in preparation sometimes takes hours.
Who was it said they wanted to see more sheep? And probably another small but ancient stone site.....
Will be get to go? Will we, or won't we. Paddy said the seas were rough but doable but he would understand if we didn't want to go out to see the cliffs. We said yes. Later we found out that we were the first group that he had been able to take out in a week. For a small business owner that is a lot of days.
Those little white dots are more sheep. Paddy said that the sheep are also hand feed enough by the farmers that when they hear the farmer they usually will gather themselves up and the dogs gather the stragglers.
There was an opportunity to swim out by the cliffs. Liz and I declined. Dee demonstrated how it was done.
Lance and Tom tried it as did both Monica and Eileen. And yes it was cold with or without wet suits. Paddy, who is a none swimmer, always goes in when any of his passengers do. He carefully holds on to a rope and or ladder. Several of us wondered if there was anyone else on board with boat driving skills, ah, just in case.
All along the western coast of Ireland there are signal towers. From each tower, guards could see the next tower further up or down the coast. In the years that most of the towers were manned, no one ever attacked but the Irish were ready.
Clouds cover the top of the highest cliffs. The waters were a bit rough but Paddy had excellent boating skills. He apparently had other excellent features which he had no problem sharing when he changed back into dry clothes in the wheel house after his swim. Monica and Eileen had earlier gone inside the small space to change out of the wet suits. Paddy didn't bother with a silly wet suit.
We took a brief stop to stretch out legs. (Did I mention that Dee was wonderful about preplanning bathroom opportunities.) On the wharf were some fabulous boats that reminded most of us to order the fresh seafood later.
One of the larger campers that we saw. Later we would see more actual campgrounds and campers.
Lunch in the pub, just hook the leash up for a spell.
Lunch break over it was time to travel further down the road......
Settlements were deserted during the famine years. Some by choice but many by being run off by the landowners when the rent could not be paid. We pasted the remains of houses every day. I remember reading a book about the potato famine many, many years ago but I remembered enough...
Just driving through town.....
Definitely an interesting adventure.
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