Thursday off to Bantry for the final leg.  We stopped in Cobh where there was a HUGE cruise ship that deposited a million tourists. The Americans do stand out.. and not in a good way. Fred and I separated because of our differing ideas on how to experience new places. I met an interesting guy while looking at the cruise ship. He seemed a bit vagabondish, but turned out not to be. He’s 60 and married. Needs surgery for varicose veins — really bad — in one leg, but the wait here is FIVE YEARS. The downside to a national healthcare program is apparently the long wait times. Anyway, he said he had a brother who went to America and died there. He was 24 and had gone off to have a career in computers in the Ozarks (of all places). The family bought him a car. He was ready to start work the next day, but drove on the left side of the road and met a truck head on and was killed. 

In Cobh.

We LOVE our AirBNB here — about ten minutes from the busy little town of Bantry. It's the cleanest most cheerful place… On these driving days, we tend to chill a bit once we arrive, and our host was gracious enough to let us get in early. Dinner was at a pub in Bantry. Fred had black pudding SALAD which he was delighted with. Another huge cruise ship was in the bay, but seemingly just gathering the passengers and setting sail. WHEW!  The tv in the bar was turned on and the bartender was changing the channels to find something interesting. There’s LOTS of sports to watch here. Hurling is the main sport in Cork, but there’s also Irish football and rugby. But he settled on DARTS… a DART tournament from 2021!  Fred and I were kind of confused and made a tiny wise crack when the girl next to us at the bar said, Oh, this was a great tournament. The 2022 tournament starts up soon. I’m on this pub’s team...and she pointed out the score keeper sheet on the wall. So who knew? We have seen NOBODY playing darts in Ireland!  

Our Bantry place, photo courtesy of the AirBNB listing. 
See the listing here: https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/32299123?source_impression_id=p3_1657549067_DKPbk%2BCmVqiow7yv

Friday. We were facing four days of NO PLANS, unlike the previous two weeks. We took a long ill-fated walk. Ill-fated in that we thought it was one hour, over the mountain, where we would reward ourselves with lunch. There was much debate about whether it was one hour (as I had read) or 1 1/2 hours (as Fred had read). After 3.6 miles, we reached the top of the mountain, only to find more land as far as the eye could see. Our destination was supposed to be right on the water. As we decided to cut our losses and turn back, a guy and two kids in a pick-up truck drove round the bend. He said our mistake was not uncommon. We simply took a wrong turn. Back at the house, I worked all afternoon after which we drove to a pub in Ahakista —nearby town — that Fred had read about. GREAT spot on the water. Awesome inside environment, too. Then on to Arundel’s on the Pier for dinner, but they were packed. On to O’Sullivans’s in Dullus, but they had stopped serving five minutes prior. These town sare “nearby” but just the most harrowing driving. Exhausting. Finally found a spot at a bar in Bantry. Nice waiter from Croatia. 

This is what the driving's like:  https://youtu.be/40FgtJmZ0aI

Saturday — Big long driving day down the Beara Peninsula. Stopped at lovely towns along the way — coffee to go in Castletownbere, lunch in Allihies on the tip of the peninsula where there were copper mines years ago. When they ran out of copper, this town of 2000 became a town of 200 when all the people left for Fall River. Then off to Michigan, and finally settling in Butte, Montana, which even today has a huge Irish population. The bartender had such a mild Irish accent that we asked him about it. He said basically he tries to make sure he can be understood because of his job as a bartender with a lot of foreigners. He said, My boss—nobody can understand him! 

The café where I got my coffee.

A defunct mine.

After miles and miles of a winding one-lane mountain road — what felt like being on a roller coaster and made Fred car sick— we stopped at Arundel’s again to make a reservation in person because I cannot figure out the phone. Nothing again this night, but we’re on for tomorrow night. While I was inside trying to get someone’s attention, a super handsome striking and charismatic guy walked in, exchanged some niceties with the clientele, and went back outside to hang at the wall by the water with some other people. He was a cross between Burt Bacharach and Robert Redford. Tall, tan, white haired, Ray Bans, very white straight teeth. I was convinced he was famous, but I guess I’ll never know. Once home and showered, we left again to go back to O'Sullivan’s, the place we tried to eat last night at but were there too late.  Lovely setting in their outside beer garden, with a band across the street playing Americana stuff… America, The Band, Eagles, John Fogerty. When they played the Bee Gees song “Massachusetts” there was much cheering, so I think there were some Bay Staters in the house. On the way to O'Sullivans, we saw that same guy in the same spot on the top of the mountain in the pick-up truck. This time his kid was driving. Looks like he was teaching him to drive (at the age of maybe 12). We rolled down our windows as we passed, and at the same time we said, “Figured we’d/you'd take the car this time!”    

This is the bar across the street. They posted this to their FB from that night. https://www.facebook.com/longboatbar/videos/pcb.10160294105759042/712322449836579

Fred's very good-looking tuna melt.

SUNDAY  A lazy morning — intentionally lazy, as we needed it.  When our AirBNB host learned we’re going to Arundel’s tonight, she told us that Graham Norton was married this weekend (he lives in Ahakista) and is having parties at Arundel’s all weekend, and that Elton John was there last night!  That was NOT the handsome guy I saw, but now it seems he may very well have been a Hollywood type !I can’t wait to see if anyone’s there tonight! She said to go early. It is the most beautiful setting. I did a couple of hours of work this am, and Fred drew in our yard, after which we left to spend a few hours in downtown Bantry — he, sketching, I, blogging. I had lots of tea at busy little spot called Box of Frogs. A few hours in, the crowd thinned and I ordered a protein shake and asked them if they heard Elton John’s in town. They acted all interested, but later, when I was leaving, the guy said, So if you see Lady Gaga tonight, put in a good word about Box of Frogs!  I said, WHAT? He said, Apparently she was to be Elton John’s guest at the wedding! I said, You knew more than I did all along! And he said, Ah but I don’t believe a word of it…

My wonderful hosts at Box of Frogs.

Lovely dinner at Arundel’s tonight but no stars, as they were all at Graham Norton’s place next door/across the street. You could see the tents, bonfires, hear the thump of bass. Very fun but so frustrating to be so close, and yet so far… 

A café with a conscience, Box of Frogs. 

Arundel's by the Pier

My seafood chowder. 

Pretty specials board.

The bar at Arundel's

Coveside seating at Arundel's.

Arundel's is the the white building on the right.
The white area on the far left are the tents at Graham Norton's house.

Closest I could get to the party....

We brought our drinks down the pier to get that view of the party.

MONDAY  Last day. Work for me — oddly picking up, just in time! — and also doing household stuff like a dishwasher run, 40-minute HIIT workout (second one in 21 days…), Fred’s drawing and I dropped off recycling, filled the tank, bought farewell gin & tonics in a  can for tonight. Now in a café where I overheard that Cher and Adele were in attendance this weekend also!

If nothing eventful happens tomorrow on the way to the airport (God willing!) this will be my final post! 

So, until next trip—thank you for reading.