DAY TWO
What a beautiful day to be in Dingle. After traveling most of the day on the bus from Ennis (with a stop in a quaint village called Adare), and being filled with homemade hot chocolate from a shopkeeper in town, we arrive in Dingle. George does a spectacular job of parking our bus from where we almost immediately embark on a walking tour. Rain has never stopped our wonderful guide from introducing us to the town. We took temporary shelter in a beautiful church before finishing off the tour near the bus. Before heading to our dinner with tunes, we stop off at the bed and breakfasts which will be our home for the next two days.
Bus and Walking Time
5
0 hours
5 hours
2-4
0 miles
8 miles
Birthday Cigar
What made our initial tour memorable was not the rain; nor was it the fun story about the tunnel that women would use to get from the monastery to the church. It was sharing a cigar with my dad and trailing far behind the group. Every year on my dad's birthday, he and I have made it a tradition to share a cigar. While we did not have luck finding one in Ennis for his actual birthday, the luck of Dingle graced us with a variety to choose from for a belated celebration. While every moment of Rick Steves' tour is carefully planned and well worth it, sometimes the most special moments are the ones you make with your family, separate from the group.
Here was the beautiful bed and breakfast that my family and I were assigned to stay in-- Clonmara. There were two different buildings, another one to the right of where ours was. The latter (Milltown) had two beautiful Irish Wolfhounds who jump at the chance to come inside and be petted. The flowers planted in front of each house were beautiful and unique, adding to the already beautiful scenery of a rising tide. The hostess was a very sweet woman who cooked breakfast for the house each morning. I would recommend the mouth watering scones with berries and whipped butter, and a lemon water to wash it down. You could go more complex and order a full, traditional breakfast meal; or keep it simple with cereal and milk. Outside of the dining room and under the staircase you can find a log book for guests to sign, letting everyone leave their mark on Dingle. Look for my name if you ever go (Jessica McGrath). The rooms also come equipped with a coffee and tea bar, and fresh towels each night to keep the wet rain outside of the room.
