Sun is shining - as usual the good weather travels with us - its cousin only delivers rain if we remain stationary too long.
Into West Cork - pause at the picture card that is Rosscarberry - natter with locals - photograph them feeding the white swans - anticipation grows - we pass through Clonakilty and move on toward Skibberine - much smaller than we remember - traffic chaos hasn't changed - onto towards Baltimore.
Deviate to Lough Ine - it remains a mystical place - a sea lake in an inland environment - access it along twisty and very narrow hedged roads past the Well of St. Brigit - cast our eyes around the environment - remember the hours spent walking, climbing and wandering its environs.
On to Baltimore -
We park the car on the cliff top – we revisit the descent that we so enjoyed during our 12 weeks at Baltimore in 2000 – the 43 steps to Bushes Bar – down the lane – view the old O’Driscol Castle – round the corner – Bushes Bar – has not changed a bit save for the hordes of tourists hovering inside and out – it is as delightful as ever – still I wish the tourists were not here – I yearn for winter when the town returns to be itself.
We walk to the Beacon – Graeme impressed – Trudy impressed – the harbour waters calm and serene – the Atlantic – windy but not angry – trawlers look impressive as they exit the harbour past Clear Ireland and the harbour entrance.
I sit on the cliff edge looking down at the Atlantic – no seals to be seen today – I contemplate the afternoons I spent here – crave for the absence of even the small number of tourist who are here today.
We wander back to Bushes Bar – it remains crowded inside and out – the bar staff frantic but polite and efficient – I manage to catch up with Marian – she remembers me as having a fascination with Lough Ine – the locals still sit inside the bar – they sneer slightly at the tourists – prepared to tolerate them but anxious for them to leave – we chat with a young fellow waiting to go home on the Clear Island Ferry – he is much friendlier when we reveal our attachment to the area.We drink just a little too much of the atmosphere and product of the bar and adjourn for dinner overlooking the wharf. We adjourn to the residential rooms of Bushes Bar - generous in size and very reasonably priced
Into West Cork - pause at the picture card that is Rosscarberry - natter with locals - photograph them feeding the white swans - anticipation grows - we pass through Clonakilty and move on toward Skibberine - much smaller than we remember - traffic chaos hasn't changed - onto towards Baltimore.
Deviate to Lough Ine - it remains a mystical place - a sea lake in an inland environment - access it along twisty and very narrow hedged roads past the Well of St. Brigit - cast our eyes around the environment - remember the hours spent walking, climbing and wandering its environs.
On to Baltimore -
We park the car on the cliff top – we revisit the descent that we so enjoyed during our 12 weeks at Baltimore in 2000 – the 43 steps to Bushes Bar – down the lane – view the old O’Driscol Castle – round the corner – Bushes Bar – has not changed a bit save for the hordes of tourists hovering inside and out – it is as delightful as ever – still I wish the tourists were not here – I yearn for winter when the town returns to be itself.
We walk to the Beacon – Graeme impressed – Trudy impressed – the harbour waters calm and serene – the Atlantic – windy but not angry – trawlers look impressive as they exit the harbour past Clear Ireland and the harbour entrance.
I sit on the cliff edge looking down at the Atlantic – no seals to be seen today – I contemplate the afternoons I spent here – crave for the absence of even the small number of tourist who are here today.
We wander back to Bushes Bar – it remains crowded inside and out – the bar staff frantic but polite and efficient – I manage to catch up with Marian – she remembers me as having a fascination with Lough Ine – the locals still sit inside the bar – they sneer slightly at the tourists – prepared to tolerate them but anxious for them to leave – we chat with a young fellow waiting to go home on the Clear Island Ferry – he is much friendlier when we reveal our attachment to the area.We drink just a little too much of the atmosphere and product of the bar and adjourn for dinner overlooking the wharf. We adjourn to the residential rooms of Bushes Bar - generous in size and very reasonably priced
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