Sunday April 30. Rain threatened but a fine day without rain. Maybe muzzle.  

An interesting day, too.

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Of this date.

Terrain: started out on a rolling tarmac road. Sort of like HIIT. Just the sort to get the heart and legs warmed up.  Then into a forest path.

Moderately rocky at points but not difficult until towards the end of that section, then a rocky highway through a boggy bit.  Again, not difficult but had to pay close attention not to stumble or turn and ankle.  Pleasantly irrigated from many small streams.

Wildlife, considerable today.  Kerry Black F e sheep, mountain goats (eventually on Flickr when QB uploads), horses, European Robin (much smaller than ours,also with a red breast), cattle, many lambs.

Docent sheep led the way on some paths.

The grass in this area is not good enough quality to fatten the lambs.  Just enough to eat.  So, when lambing season finished lower down the valley those Farmers buy these lambs and bring them down for fattening.

We stopped at a farmhouse after finishing the rocky highway to ask about the next section or to get a taxi around.  Just a few kms left but Peter’s instructions indicated another rough patch at the end and QB thought it safer to avoid.  The owner could not have been nicer.

Come in for tea and biscuits. My son will drive you there.  Yes, only a few kms by foot but an hour each way by car (through the gap of Dunoe).  Yes, the section is hard. Compared to the ascent to the black valley (a three) this one is a seven.  We took him up on the offer.  

Nice conversation about local infrastructure, sheep and lamb business, US politics, usual question about making a living from a farm (not if you want a family, certainly not up this high with its poor grass).   The grass looked perfect to us. 

His son took us on a nice ride, similar in design to the Cornwall coast with its blind curves and road rally design (this is local road rally weekend).

He drove us to the B&B. Very friendly and loquatious hosts.  Tossed out packed lunch for a better one of soup and toasted ham and cheese.  These are hosts who like to cook and like to please.  

The owner has done a lot.  An awful lot. Helped rebuild a castle, rebuilt this Stone cottage, Butler(where he met the Donald three times) to Henry Ford II, traveler. 

Stepping Stones cottege, one he build from flooded dereliction.

A fine dinner with Sandy and John. Fresh lamb. Very well prepared.