Dingle Jingle

Dingle, Dingle. It is going to be tough to leave this beautiful and ideal town. Mama Rosen and I contemplated whether to stay another night or move on to Doolin. Ultimately, we decided some day we would come back to Dingle but it is time to move on and experience all the history and scenery in Doolin. Today felt like a California day-- sunny, warm and a hint of ocean. We started off a little later today and drove on the Connor Pass to the top. We hiked up the path on stones embedded in the grassy slope. The views were stunning-lakes, mountains, Dingle rocky ravines, waterways. We passed sheep grazing alongside the steep slopes. I nicked my hand on some barbed wire. Ouch---We then headed by to town of Dingle and out on Route 559 on the Slea Head road. Ah--yellow flowers, orange flowers, sparkling sea, sheep, cows, sheep-Oh yeah, did I mention that Mama Rosen stops everytime we see a sheep-meaning, we stop all the time!!! We stopped at Dunquin, saw Dunbeg fort. It dates from 500 B.C. As we continued along the road, we saw ruined abbeys, remains of castles and forts. Of course, we stopped for sheep, almost stopped to see ancient Bee Hives but decided against it when we not only heard, but saw bees flying. Off we went to the Corca Dhuibhne Beach on the Dingle Peninsula where Ryan's Daughter was filmed! It was a site to behold! I miss being at the beach but here the beach is so much different-- you feel like you are in a fairy tale or yet, on a beach in a similar setting to the movie "Lord of the Rings." The wind, sun and scenic view is enough to want to stay here forever. I know I constantly comment on the people in Ireland but I will tell you a small incident that just proves my point again. Mama Rosen and I had a lot of difficulty getting out of our tiny parking spot in the lot and two Irish people who wanted to come into the lot, backed all the way out, (I thought they were going to get mad) got out of their cars and came out and helped direct us on how far to turn around and told us to take our time and wishes us well as we left. Anyways, it is really nice to know that people here are patient and understanding in these circumstances. From the beach, we could see the Blasket Islands-- whose name likely came from the Vikings. Our final stop was back the Gallarus Oratory, which was very interesting to see. It dates back as far as possibly the 9th century. Little is known about the people who live there but they made their settlements with stone each stacked up on one another and slightly slanted. They managed to keep the insides of their houses dry because of this design! After the tour of the Gallarus Oratory, we passed by a few more ruined abbeys and made our way back to the Pax House in Dingle. Mama Rosen and I decided to have a cup of tea and sit outside with the other guests at the Bed and Breakfast which turned out to be quite the adventure. The owner, John, of the Pax House has a couple of chickens and a dog. Well, Mom decided to feed the chickens sugar droplets and I was freaking out the whole time because she thought it would be funny to throw them near my feet!! The one chicken got so excited to eat the sugar tablets, it started to peck hard at my leg! I tried to run away but it kept following me! Needless to say, I am terrified of chickens now. I know when Mom reads this she will laugh because that is exactly what she was doing the entire time!! Anyways, it was quite the adventure. After tea, we went into town and ate at a lovely restaurant called, "Out of the Blue" which only serves seafood. Superb. The food and environment was fantastic! Supposedly, it ranks in the top 100 restaurants in Ireland! It will be sad to leave this place but I am excited to head to Doolin and then to Galway! Thursday I start school already! I can't believe how fast this trip has gone by! I must get ready for tomorrow's big day ahead. I think we will be taking a ferry to an island in Doolin and are in talks to do other activities as well. Goodnight everyone!

Slainte is Tainte (Health and wealth)

Nicole O'Rosen