Boog's Blog

Tuesday May 2, warmer and partly sunny.

Rest day and a bit of planning. Admin details related to Finelite, walk to the ocean.

Our abode Monday night  and tonight.

Nice Stone bridge on the way to the ocean.

The Atlantic or sometimes called the Irish Sea.

Above at low tide.  No surfing as virtually no surf.   Easter this year a new pub opened, still smelled of fresh paint, coffee and scones and then a walk back for a nice nap.

Monday 1 May, warm and sunny, no wind.

Excellent walking day. Good paths, some rocks of course. One wrong turn; followed directions rather than map, added to the hills.

First a few words about last evening’s fine hosts. John, everyone in the valley seems to be named John, is from Newcastle area. Native language is Geordie. Very interesting, knowledgeable, and often unintelligible. Could follow the main points but the accent stumped at some interesting intersections. He used South African “smokeless” coal and peat in the heating stove. Could not understand the details of why.

Started just past Climbers Inn restaurant. Onto rocks for a short while, then along a river bank.

River bank stile. Could just lift the leg, pilates.

Lumber road followed. Here the instructions led us to a wrong turn and far too many extra kms.

Some good paths before the lumber road.

A more challenging path after getting back into the right path. 

Then onto Windy Gap, 350 meter ascent with great views and good heart pumping. First use of QB’S rescue inhaler.

First view of the Atlantic.

Another day without seeing a single squirrel. Two types here, grey and red, or so we have been told.

Smithwicks red ale at the Tower pub. Well enjoyed.

The B&B for two nights gave us a room so small we could not open the closet or get by the bed. Asked for another room and got a lovely one from the very hospitable proprietor. 

Gleinbeigh from the Tower restaurant.

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.

Saturday April 29 showers forecasted. But….we have a bit of almost everything.

Hail when we left Friars, then rain, then a bit of sun, then sustained winds of 22 mph with significantly higher gusts.  Dangerous gusts it turned out.

View of Friars Guest house of last evening. Both places we have stayed so far have been lovely and very friendly as well as helpful with advice and planning.

First a summary of the terrain. A climb up Stone steps to a waterfall, a bit more climbing until a long and somewhat boring section on a mid-plateau. Very windy. Local walkers gave up climbing.

Then into a slightly bogggy section climbing up again, except this time over sharp, very difficult rocks. Steep climb, about 45 minutes of these difficult rocks. The high gusts made the ascent quite dangerous. We should not have been doing this today. Similar days on the Southwest path of Cornwall we bagged as too dangerous.

After a section walking on good wooden boards with howling winds we finally descended. Usual Forest type descent. 

After hitting Galway bridge the winds stopped and the road was easier after a short rocky section.

Day starts at Torc waterfall, the largest in Ireland. Better picture will be on Flickr when we have improved bandwidth.

We will remember the National Park for its trees and very loud birds, oftentimes so loud we had to repeat our conversation. 

Took a carriage to the waterfall. Avoided walking back several kms over the same paths. The carriage is called a jaunting car.

Above is a view of both Muckross house and the horse.

Lunch along the way.

Some scenery follows.

Our accommodation at Hillcrest. Run by the same persons for the past 42 years. Simple, friendly, with WiFi, clean, home cooked dinner.

Kerry blackface sheep. With horns.

Friday April 28, overcast, cool but a bit warmer than yesterday

Muckross claims to be the center, of importance, of Kerry. Home to a deserted Abbey and another castle..  We are now on the officially sanctioned ring of Kerry Way.

Muckross Abby. 500 plus years old, Franciscan, stark of course. Cemetery still in use.  Many Kelleher’s buried here.

Muckross house and gardens. Built by the same family that did Filloli gardens, there is a mural of Muckross in the lobby at Filloli. The grounds here are even larger. As this is much older the trees are even more impressive​.

The trees and the quality of the marked paths are an outstanding feature of the National trust area. Very well done.

View from Dinas Cottage​ tearoom below. 

Path back along the loop. 

A fine large horse. Unfortunately we had no carrots or apples to share. 

Dinner at Jarveys, not nearly as good as the pubs in Killarney.

Wednesday April 27. Cold but two degrees warmer.

Loopwalk today. To Ross Castle and a bit of the National Park. This is not part of the Ring of Kerry; a side trip. 

The walk begins for us at the statue of Hugh O’Flaherty. Local priest known and admired as a pimpernel of the Vatican. 

The national Park here is quite large and scenic. Water, old trees, threatening skies, mountains, lake, bluebell woods in this season. Protected deer, both red and Sika.

Bluebells do not grow east of Germany.

Fresh garlic smells ubiquitous throughout the walk.

The first part goes to Ross Castle, 15th century. Much fought over. The castle sits on a lake with many small islands. Boat trips of many types, guided and self guided. We passed up the five hour trip. Clearly this is a major tourist area.

Large trees fallen along the path.

The trail continues to miners walk, a loop within our loop, where tin mining was commenced 4000 years ago. Started, stopped, started. Finally abandoned early 19th century due to flooding of the mines.

River Walk back to town.

Local beer, Blonde this time, followed by lamb cutlets [ are these the same as lamb chops?] and local smoked salmon dishes.

After dinner discussion about the lack of homeless in the Kerry area.  We have seen none. Cause seems to be good local services. Apparently a real problem in Dublin.

BSI Killarney day two http://blog.boogs.net/2017/04/26/bsi-killarney-day-two/

BSI Killarney day two – Boogs Blog
Wednesday April 26 another cold day after a night in the 30s. The walking portion of our trip starts on the morrow. Today is for exploring the town and area. Conversation with the owner of our guest house. My question was: will Northern Ireland and Ireland join after Brexit? His response had to do with …

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Wednesday April 26 another cold day after a night in the 30s 

The walking portion of our trip starts on the morrow. Today is for exploring the town and area.

Conversation with the owner of our guest house.  My question was: will Northern Ireland and Ireland join after Brexit? His response had to do with their history explaining it a police person stopped you and you responded that you were an atheist he would ask, a Catholic or Protestant atheist? It is not really about religion, naturally about who has power.

New street Killarney.

Housing prices a bit different here.

Clearly potato marketing is also different

Dinner again at Murphy’s. soccer on the TV. It is soccer here, not football as it is throughout Europe. Here football is Galic football.

The Guinness was good but as well liked as the local IPA had last evening.

BSI Killarney Lodge Guesthouse http://blog.boogs.net/2017/04/25/bsi-killarney-lodge-guesthouse/

BSI Killarney Lodge Guesthouse – Boogs Blog
Tuesday, April 25, rather cool morning, 45F when we left the hotel. Ah the joys of a long unlimited shower first thing in the morn. Ah. Breakfast at the English Market was twarted. Too late for one meal and too early for another. We tried to Liberty grill and had a fine breakfast; Bobby treated. Walked back to …

Check this out on Google+

Tuesday, April 25, rather cool morning, 45F when we left the hotel.
Ah the joys of a long unlimited shower first thing in the morn. Ah.

Breakfast at the English Market was twarted. Too late for one meal and too early for another. We tried to Liberty grill and had a fine breakfast; Bobby treated.

Walked back to the hotel via the University.

Then a bus ride to Killarney. The bus line starts 30 minutes early, concern about it being sold out.

Killarney Guest Lodge. Friendly place booked by the tour company. Excellent Wi-Fi, few amenities. We were much spoiled by the place in Cork.

Murphy’s Pub

Murphy’s came well recommended and we were not disappointed.  Traditional Irish pub, with excellent inexpensive food.  

The chowder was as good as it gets.  Full of fish, seafood, and shellfish; all in a fresh thin broth. Almost a taste of the sea.

QB had a traditional Irish stew after some well made mushroom soup.

Then, a short walk inturuped by hail, yes, hail!