Today was an absolutely stunning day. I started out pretty peppy, and I knew it would be at least a 15.6-mile hike. At about mile 5, I was really tired. Not a good sign. I plodded along until lunch, when I stopped to eat the tuna sandwich that my B&B had packed for me. That was just what I needed to get my second wind. I was good to go. At about mile 11, I ate a Snickers bar, and it was Katy bar the door. Whoohoo - I am coming in hot.
These stunning days take a lot of hard work and upward climb. I didn’t think the long incline would ever end.
Absolutely breathtaking scenery.
Start them young on those long hikes!
Minard's Castle, perched on a rocky hill overlooking Minard Bay, was built by the Fitzgeralds (the Knights of Kerry) and was the largest fortress on the Dingle Peninsula before Cromwellian forces partially blew it up in 1650. The ruins sit on private property and are closed to the public because of their dangerous condition. It is famously featured in the 1970 film Ryan's Daughter.
Dingle is the main embarkation port for the pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James at Compostela in Spain. Also known as "The Way".
St John’s Well is a dry-stone-built well with a small cross-inscribed stone standing at the rear, while a stone marked with a cross scratched by pilgrims lies toward the front of the well. Pilgrims flock to the well on 29 August, circling and saying the rosary. A rope fence surrounded the area where pilgrims can bring something to attach to it or, as many did, tie a piece of greenery and say a special prayer. My prayer was for Mary P and many of my other friends.
The higher I climbed, the more beautiful it was.
Here is an unusual sight in such a natural area: a children’s bouncy house and slide. I could see it from miles away. Sadly, it was behind a fence, or I might have given it a go.
A fast-flowing stream created about a mile of deep, sticky mud a little further along. Once again, my boots were wet and now really mucky.
All day, the mountains on the other side were covered in clouds and mist. I saw lots of sheep, but this one firmly declared herself queen of the rock.
I am like the horse to the barn. I have about four more miles to go, and all I had to do was get to the top of this long incline to see Dingle.
I had a fabulous dinner in a restaurant, not a pub. The Land to Sea has a Michelin Star and the food lived up to it.
Believe it or not, they had an early-bird special, but it wasn't priced like a diner. I chose the two-selection prix fixe. My salad was a Dingle Goat Cheese and Heritage Tomato salad with Basil pesto, Balsamic Reduction, and Pine nuts. What a fabulous combination of textures and flavors. It had whipped goat cheese, real tomatoes straight from the garden, dressed with olive oil and balsamic, plus a touch of something really sweet to balance the flavors. Lastly, it had toasted pine nuts.
My entree was perfectly cooked Dingle Hake with asparagus, sautéed fresh samphire, and a Champagne sauce. I had to look up samphire. It is a sea vegetable, and it tasted like really skinny green beans. The best part of the dish was the cooked cabbage under the hake. I totally enjoyed every bite of this unusual combination of flavors.
I finally have a day off. I need to do some laundry and get myself organized. Plus, I have a strenuous-with-an-exclamation-point trek coming up in a couple of days. Good to rest my tired body.
Good night and God Bless!
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