Ireland is wet! Not the raining on my parade type of wet, no not that because my drift down the west coast has been a pleasant mixture of sunshine and showers. Wet underfoot is what I mean. The hills, bogs and glens are sodden and going one inch off the tarmac is a definite no no for a three and a half ton home on wheels called Sadie. I, in a way expected this but I expected it to be more 'the norm' In the Outer Hebrides and Western Scotland. It was a genuine surprise to find those destinations had enjoyed one of the driest summer's on record whereas here in the west and south west of Ireland they have had a washout Summer.
The exposure to Ireland is working its magic though. Westport and the Conemara loop including 'Sky Road' were stunning. Couple this with a program on Radio Kerry which included a history of marriage fixing in agricultural communities alongside an item on traditional milking of cows. Gather all together in a bundle of gently and humorously spoken Irish dialect and I am hooked. I think next year my trip north will be earlier in the year and include more time for Ireland.
I am now with number two son Keith and wife Justine in Sunny, well it is today, Castle Gregory on the beautiful Magharee peninsular between Tralee and Brandon Bay. An area well known for it's superb surfing waves. Keith paints the other side of the Irish equation of how the local community are not only suffering from Ireland's general financial hardship but being an area very dependent on a robust tourist trade they are markedly affected by the dreadfully wet Summer season.
One example is the small cycle hire business that Keith and Justine run from 'Beach Box' their popular centre of village gift and souvenir shop. Saturday is a busy change over day for all the holiday cottages, hotels and B & B's. Lots of enquiries are made about hiring of bicycles. Mmmmm! Prospects look good you would surmise. Then the rain sets in, for the week. No one turns up to hire the bikes. Keith nonchalantly shrugs his shoulders and continues to expertly fling the professional steam iron across the latest batch of B & B linen to have progressed it's way through their launderette in the backroom of the shop.
Later I watch from the beach where Keith himself is put through the rinse cycle as he attempts to battle his way through ten foot breaking waves to the pristine surfing rollers behind. Again another shrug as he acknowledges defeat and accepts this evening he made the wrong choice of beach for his skill at long board surfing.
"always a good way to work off a hangover though," he throws in for good measure!
As we drove back to Keith and Justine's home in their 1973 all original blue and white Volkswagen camper Van I could understand why these vehicles have become so iconic and loved. Not, I hasten to add, iconic or loved enough to tempt me away from Sadie. I gave her a gentle pat upon our return;
"you'll do for me old girl, you'll do very nicely thank you."
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