To Dingle and Beyond

Dingle, Ireland

We arrived in the little town of Dingle after nearly four hours of driving. We were quite tired of sitting and I might say, growing rather silly as well. The narrow, winding road into town was so incredibly picturesque though that it help make the ride pass more quickly. We stayed at a little B&B outside of town. It wasn’t fancy but we had a private room, free wifi and a full Irish breakfast in the morning. Those are three things we’ve become quite thankful for in the last weeks of travel!

After our delicious breakfast we headed off to town to find some bikes and hit the road! Our plans were to bike the one road around the peninsula, a distance of approximately 26 miles. There was a marathon going the same day so we would pass runners along the way. It was a huge blessing because most motor traffic was blocked off, plus we had their mile markers to help us gauge our distance.

One of the many, many perfect rainbows we saw. This of course meant that we had to endure some rain as well but we had raincoats and a little later the sun came out again and our clothes dried nicely once more.

The first ten miles of our trip probably went the slowest because we had to stop and take photos like every half mile. Honestly, this scenery just took your breath away. I only wanted to stand and stare in awe.

Yes, I admit, we did climb a fence into some farmers’ field for this shot but it was totally worth it!

Quaint cottages dotted the hills to our right along with overgrown stone walls between the fields of sheep, cattle or horses.

We came around one bend and this popped into view. This coastline possesses such a wild, perfect beauty that I almost hate showing you photos. They just don’t do justice.

And then many long, hard, sweaty miles later we arrived! Mile twenty-two was definitely the most difficult, but as reward for that most of the rest of the trip was downhill.

We wandered around town a while until we found Murphy’s. We decided we deserved a little treat. Also, that’s my cone Mary is holding, she didn’t get to have two. 🙂

And then we hit the road again, heading east this time. We drove on the famous Ring of Kerry for just a tiny bit on our way through here. Navigation was pretty easy as long as we had these trusty signs to confirm that we were on the right track.

We drove through a bunch of these damp little towns on our way to Midleton for the night. They are so cute and the building colors in such sharp contrast to the dreary sky.

Dunmore East, Ireland

We drove to Dunmore East on Sunday morning to worship with the congregation at Dunmore East Christian Fellowship. It was such a good Sunday and felt good to worship with them. After fellowship lunch, a hymn sing and more chatting we were off for a little cliff walk.

We were shown where to catch the trail going along the cliff. As we rounded a corner near the beginning there was the most adorable little cove! Of course many photographs were necessary here.

There were lovely rocks, the dashing sea and even some hairy looking seaweed if you cared for it.

These flowers are blooming everywhere yet but I can’t imagine what the fields would look like in full bloom.

Wexford, Ireland

After some yummy Sunday afternoon popcorn, brownies & tea with a few of the single staff girls from there we headed out again. We had reserved a room in Wexford to be close to the ferry port where we had to drop our car on Monday morning. Our room ended up being a cozy little B&B. Nothing fancy and it was in a rather noisy part of town but we had our own room!

The way they grown hydrangeas in Ireland is just phenomenal! These were growing like a hedge around someone’s little front lawn. So pretty and so perfect looking!

After dropping off the car we walked around the Rosslare area then until we found this beautiful beach and decided to chill there for a few hours until our bus left for Wexford.

Along the way though we found some DEElicious blackberries growing wild along the path.

Teneika & I picked and ate to our heart’s content. They were so juicy and good!

And when we did arrived at the beach I promptly kicked off my shoes and socks and buried my toes in the sand. It was nice and warm and wonderful. There was still a good breeze blowing but the sun kept us warm. The ocean is so beautiful and ever-changing, I think I could have taken photos for hours.

After many photos I found a nice quiet spot to read and be refreshed. And then of course, I remembered the nibbles I had bought. Oh so good. 🙂

Fish ‘n Chips: as fresh as they get! We spent several hours exploring Wexford on Monday afternoon, rather unsuccessfully I might add.

We thought we should really have some authentic Fish ‘n Chips along the coast so decided its now or never! They were “Oh-so-greasy but still rather good!”

And after more walking (to get rid of all that grease) we decided to do a quick photo shoot at the bay. So many memories and I want to hang on to every one as tightly as I can!

And then we said good night to Wexford and headed to our B&B to pack up for departure the next morning. Ireland was wonderful and I think it will remain a favorite point for all of us!