Welcome to the sessions. This is a space where I will periodically journal and post updates on stuff that happens.
Friday, October 13, 2006
~Day 9: The Ring of Kerry, Part 1~
First thing we did today was head to Killarney National Park to check out Ross Castle, after which we embarked on the trip around the Ring of Kerry.
Ross Castle.
The Ring of Kerry is becoming one of the bigger touristy areas of Ireland. When you think of Ireland, what do you think of? If you picture quaint little houses sitting on rolling, emerald-green hills beneath a blue sky leading to the ocean, then you're thinking of the Ring of Kerry in southwest Ireland.
If you were to drive non-stop, it takes about 3 hours to drive around the entire route. It's a track that takes you along the edge of the Kerry Peninsula, and you definitely won't drive 3 hours straight through; there's so much to see, so much to do, you'd want to stop long and often.
It was just beautiful there; there is no way to describe it. The air was so clean and crisp, and the panoramic view was nothing short of majestic. We drove our little Yaris along the winding roads along the Kerry Peninsula, through the hills, and along coastal mountain roads. The road is well set for tourists, and whenever we saw what looked like a great look-out point, there would be an extra-wide part carved out of the road so people could pull over and look around.
Ireland has a reputation for having the world's most reckless drivers, and I can see why. The roads are extremely narrow; at some points, for two cars approaching each other to pass, the cars have to stick so far into their shoulder that the twigs from trees lining the roads whip against the car windows. There is literally just a margin of inches for you to pass people along the road; at some points, you have to just pick a wide shoulder and just pull over and let the other guy through first. Ireland must be the only place I've ever failed to reach or exceed the speed limit; the posted limit is 100 km/h, but I averaged only 70 km/h, because the roads wind so much and the curves can be suddenly very sharp. If Irish drivers regularly take these roads and curves at 100 km/h, they really deserve their rep.
Without further ado, here are pics from the day:
LEFT: A typical gas station in Kerry County. It's just a couple of stalls right on the street, in front of a store. We're used to them being attached to convenience stores, but I've seen them in front of restaurants, craft shops, jewelery shops...you name it. You tank up, go inside, and pay wherever it happens to be.
RIGHT: A road as it curves a long the mountain, at the coast of the bay. Great driving venue
RIGHT: As we drove around Valencia Island (at the western tip of the Ring of Kerry), something caught my eye up ahead....was that a cow wandering onto the road? And then another, and another one...and it became a whole herd...followed by what appeared to be a little man herding them along with a stick! We got caught behing the herd and followed it for a few minutes as the man prodded them into another field further down the road. Alfred couldn't stop laughing and swore it was a leprechaun.
The end of the world. At the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean, this is the point in Europe closest to the Americas, apparently. In the middle-right is a picture of a commemorative stone placed for the first trans-atlantic telegraph, from Newfoundland to this point. "Glory to God in the Highest, on earth peace and good will to all men."
It was insanely windy, but breathtaking. I just can't describe or capture what it's like to be there; the crash of the waves, the smell of the ocean, the fresh air, the grass bending to the wind, the setting sun on the horizon...this is the Ireland I dreamed about.
The town of Portmagee, where we pitched in for the night. It was a nice, quaint town, but it was tiny; one street, 10 buildings...that's it. It'd be a great spot to just disappear in for a week.
The Bridge Bar is where we went to grab dinner. Great food, and more importantly...
...great Guinness!
Here is it folks...the other reason I came to Ireland. Finally, at long last, the perfect pint. It blew away what I had in London, and it absolutely murders the crap we have in Toronto. Head so thick you could stand a fork in it, dark, smooth, rich, creamy, sweet aftertaste to finish...this is what Guinness is.
Look at that...just...look at that beauty...the perfect pour. Pour 3/4 pint in, and let it rest...let that smooth, creamy head build up. Just give it some time; you have to have patience for perfection like this. Once it's had time to rest a bit, go ahead and top it off, and then let it rest again. You gotta wait, because your patience will be rewarded.
And then...it's just...so...oh my goodness...the pint to end all pints...
Go ahead, take a sip. See the glass? See the rings going around? That's the sign of a good pint of Guinness. Each swig of Guinness you take leaves its distinctive mark on the glass, the ring where the head was sitting.
The thing with Guinness is that it has to be in Ireland, and the little towns in the country do a much better job perfecting it than the bigger cities like Dublin or Cork. Here, in the middle-of-nowhere Portmagee, is a bar-man artisan, a perfector of pints. He stores the Guinness at the perfect temperature, controls the gas flow, and knows what it takes for a great pour. The rumour is that Guinness changes quality as you transport it too, so the only place in the world you can have the perfect pint is here, in Ireland.
Finishing the night off with a great Irish Whiskey Cake.
