Living here in Cullenstown

 

Anyone got the Billy Joel melody now swirling in their mind?  No, well, he didn't start the fire you know. How about now? All wistful and random today, perhaps a bit over tired, but the melodies of Clannad evoking chilled reflections after plenty of energy used in the daylight hours.

Started with a run for some early morning fresh air, establish a simple loop and locate the nearest beach, all whilst the rest of the crew were dreaming their little dreams.

Glorious sunshine mean an al fresco breakfast and more of those delicious scones from yesterday given the full attention they deserved.  Chance to catch up on social media, and read some more of the psychology of time travel, a dimension to this whole travel lark that will not feature.

Chrissi and I then did a few miles trek on the Cullenstown shoreline, couldn't quite get my head around the coastal path (have added to our links) as I think it cuts inland so we simply walked amongst the shells, rocks and seaweed for as long as we could.  Some very beautiful and remote coastline, very few tourists but unspoilt coastline being lapped at by the Irish Sea I believe.  Suddenly had a flashback to a mini series called The Beachcombers at this point, does anyone remember that? Seem to remember the lead actor was a cross between Bobby Ball and Matthew Cames Dad. (only a couple may get the second reference)  We also had a little concern about snakes in the long grass when we did take the odd look inland, until I remembered later in the day there are no snakes in Ireland.  Also a house made of shells, am starting to think faerie tales are real out here.

Carys had taken some time to do some work whilst we did our first exploration, and we took some time on return to the cottage for her to finish off what she was doing, whilst we enjoyed some nice coffee, a tidy little coffee maker as part of the set up, so not missing our asks of Bryn after one of his long shifts at Costa.

The afternoon we had determined to visit Kilmore Quay, a busy little fishing village that had come recommended and we could see in the distance from our morning walk.  Took a little drive through the narrow country lanes, but good parking and all very compact to have a look around.

Quite taken by a memorial 'garden' to the many thousands of Irish lost at sea over the years and took some time to take all that in.  We then cast our own views and thoughts to the horizon, firstly picking out the 2 Saltee Islands that sit off the coast in this part of the world. An ecologists treasure chest I am led to believe, but would have taken a level of organisation that perhaps wasn't included in this trip to book onone of the 4 hour trips that are availalbe to land on these little private havens.

Instead we took in the marina and did our own circular walk of the town, a thatchers dream, the cottages out here, and I'm not talking cider.

We determined to eat late afternoon today, everyone a little tired, and actually quite looking forward to a Summers evening with a cider or 2 and a good book in the tranquility of Cullentsown.  A recomnmendation by both our hosts and the Lonley Planet was Mary Barrys seafood restaurant

The surrounds were most pleasant and the service great, as befitted the pricing in the menu. The food was also of really good quality, I had a Malaysian Satay Chicken Starter which was all very tender and peanuty. Main course had to be sea food but with an eastern taint, prawn and monkfish yellow curry - the monkfish very meaty, the prawns very light, an excellent combination.  The cost however, in my opinion, a little more than perhaps it should have been, but hey, I am a bit of a tight old bugger.

And with a couple of very busy days ahead it was time to just take an early evening pause in the running from place to place with clear blue skies, a great view, and the sound of countryside silence to chill out to.  Although am thinking maybe a bit of Clannad to add to the mellow feel, lets return to Billy Joel to end.

- Carys -

A nice lie in to give us a bit rest this morning, followed by jam toast which, as boring as it sounds, I usually don't have at home so added to the feeling of 'newness' about being on holiday. Though a bit disappointing I decided it best to stay home and get on with some Physcis which I truly an not a fan of, instead of explore the nearby beach that is visible from our cottage. I am hoping to go another day as I now feel left out despite it being on my own terms. Anyway, I was somewhat productive so felt some relief, and seemed to learn quite a bit in preparation for my exam on Wednesday. 

Got ready to head out then, and drove to the harbour, which I thought was really beautiful. I thought the air held a pungent whiff of fish, but maybe that catches my senses off guard as a vegetarian. That's probably quite a dramatic way to describe it. Anyway, once I'd gotten used to the scent, I could better appreicate the refreshing feel of salty sea air. It feels like a lifetime since I'd been to a beach so I very much enjoyed the experience, and made the most of it. We took a stroll along the front, visited a memorial site shaped like a boat, and observed the marina where many varyingly shaped, sized and coloured boats were docked.

 We couldn't continue though without a quick stop in 'Lick'd' the ice cream parlour acrosd the road, where mum and I endulged in a Mr Whippy each - our first this year, so we were very excited.

 We went for a loop around the village, which was lovely - with thatched roofs and small pastel doors. They were the type of houses I'd love to live in one day, expecially the ones that overlooked the sea. 

We encountered a few dogs, who we questioned whether they had owners for a little while, but after they continued to just walk around freely, with no one following them, we decided they were locals to the beach, on their evening stroll.  Although it was too early for dinner, we'd skipped lunch (except for the Mr Whippy), we visited the Mary Barry pub for food. I avoided the counbtless options of fish meals, and chose for my starter, breaded brie, which was just amazing as expected, and for my main, vegetable curry and chips. The chips were especially great because they were exacly like fish and chip shop chips, with salt and vinegar and all. I decided against dessert but wasn't too upset as I was very full from my lovely meal. 

After we'd appreciated all we could in the village, we came back to the house and spent the evening in quite a relaxing way. A bit more revision, some snacks, and now off to bed for  before an early start tomorrow. 

Never mind the bollocks

 

Pomposity, Pageantry and Privilege 3 very good reasons to get away this weekend.  But travel isn't generally about running from stuff in our case, but being attracted to new experience. But it would be fair to say one of the key attractions was finding the nearest location that allows an escape from the billy bunting, and some quiet contemplation in the adopted land of Jack Charlton. 

So up we got, leaving Bryn to man the fort, advising him if he really did feel the need to party then to be the only royalist in the family and join the street celebrations on Friday. Right onto the important stuff...

First pit stop was at my parents house which nicely broke up the journey to Fishguard.  A lovely little suntrap in their back garden for breakfast set a nice holiday tone.

Was then onto the port, with a quick stop at Halfords as our limited planning meant we did not have the required UK bumper sticker, which notably, on arrival in Ireland, noone else appeared to have attached anyway.  So nothing to worry about there, the garda didn't look too interested. Infact no passport checks either side either as it turned out.

Made it to the port with a few minutes to spare, my cavalier approach to this trip noted by Chrissi, but not to our detriment today.  It looks like most of the problems were ports on the continental side, and perhaps airports a bit Russian roulette at this moment.

Great to get onto the ferry and settle down to a bit of reading, although I was quite taken by a video poker machine, but kept that in check as there will plenty of time for all that on another trip in the not too distant future.  Quick glance in the duty free and some good bargains for us to snaffle on return, perhaps the first personal benefit I've seen of Brexit in the entire time since it was voted for.

On disembarking it was a quick switch of the sat nav to Irish mode, no change of accent although I'm having fun finding my own Irish voice.  Around 40 minutes winding our way through a bit of rural countryside, through Duncormick to a small little hamlet near the coast called Cullenstown.

Our very modern but picturesque abode introduced by the AirBnb owners David and Mary, made us feel very welcome, home made scones the jam and clotted cream on a very nice cake.

We of course needed to find a bit of additional wholesome food and atmospher for our first night here, and drove around 7k (am thinking metric is the future now) to a little place called Wellingtonbridge which had a few shops and an interesting sounding restaurant Tir na nog.

Later discovered this actually the name for the 'Land of Youth' a Celtic Otherworld that appealed to the geeky Dungeons and Dragons teenager that still lurks within. Couldn't get into Stranger Things though, so perhaps it is fading.

The more immediate food served up was what caught my eye, and the opportunity to have the first Guinness of the trip.  Main course of Bacon and Cabbage was so much more than that, a mountain of potato and several other root vegetables lovingly ladeled in cheese.  Absolutely stuffed, but still found room for a bit of trifle, 1980s style and perhaps my only nod to the nonsense back home.

As the sun began to set we drove back to our lodgings, following a windy estuary that seemed to be overlooked by all manner of ruined castles.  Perhaps that Otherworld was beckoning, but not for long,we were enjoying a wine and some quiet contemplation back in our Courtyard accommodation.

Carys -

Started off the day feeling relatively tired; an early start to get ready for our venture. Once we were all packed up we headed off West, with a stop in to see Nan and Bamps for some breakfast and chat. Had a nice catch up, and then we were on our way. 

We travelled the furthest West I've ever been, having never gone past Pembrey before, and arrived in Fishguard. It wasn't a long wait before we were able to board the ferry, and we headed up onto the deck to observe the boat set sail.  

That was an interesting experience,  with a nice breeze and a nice view also. The jorueny was longer than I'd anticipated so we settled into the cafe after failing to find absolutely anywhere with a plug other than the charging stations you need to pay for, and ones above boilers etc. I had some disjointed lunch, having left most of my snacks in the car, and then went for a wander, and with relief found a plug on the floor in some random part of the boat. I sat here for a while so I could charge my latop. Time went quicker then, and it was time to exit the ferry. 

We drove for a little while before arriving in Duncormick, where we found our accommodation without much difficulty - I was grateful for once we didn't get horribly lost. We met our hosts and had a nosy around. It's a lovely cottage, so picturesque and nicely decorated, and extremely clean which makes it feel so homely. As you can see from the pictures it's just right for the stay we wanted. 

We got settled in for a short while, and then headed out, 10 minutes down the road in search for food. We parked up and popped into a little supermarket, which surprisingly might be the highlight of my day. It was so lovely - had a very European feel, with a gorgeous bakery and nice atosphere. Maybe an odd thing to think,  but i very much liked it in there. 

We ate our dinner in the Tir Na Nog Pub, where I had my first taste of Irish food - (spring rolls for started) and leek and potato soup with rye bread. I thought it was delicious, but couldn't deny dessert, despite being full, of course, so chose apple and rhubarb crumble with custard. 

We took some lovely pictures on our way home, with a nice sunset for a backdrop, and are now relaxing back at the cottage, enjoying it's cosy ambience. Also, I was wrong about the supermarket being the highlight of my day, as I got to have a nice cwtch with Tootsie the cat who lives in the surrounding area and apparently likes to enter people's homes casually. 

We're all going on many Summer Holidays

With the music of Stiff Pilchard resonating in my ear, time to get on the metaphorical Top Deck Bus and hit the road a bit this Summer. Covid means we have a bit of catching up to do, and my 50th birthday has meant a desire to tick off a few travel favourites, both old and new.  So the plan of action for the next couple of months is:

 - A long weekend to the Emerald Isle for a bit of coastal exploration around the South East

-  A few days on the Island of Sardinia for beaches, history and fine dining

- A hectic time in Las Vegas to ensure my 50th birthday does not see me fading away just yet

- A family sojourn to the South of France to climb the slopes of Mont Ventoux

Want to tick of a few firsts (and hopefully not too many lasts) on our travels, and as ever, keen to get advice and thoughts as we hop from place to place.  So as we look to our first trip this Thursday, I've got time in Kilkenny, time in Wexford and some coastal walking/running around Duncormick on the agenda. Sampling a bit of fresh seafood and a bit of the locally brewed goodness also in my thinking, but beyond that, any 'must sees' as we walk and drive around for 2-3 days in that South East corner. Taking my car over for this one, air con now fixed, although I might be perhaps overly ambitious that we are going for any Summer Weather.

Carys here, I'll be doing my bit for 3/4 of the escapades mentioned above, and am feeling quite rusty after a few years away from travelling (and blogging), but hoping my contributions will get better with time, as we - fingers crossed - have plenty of exploring opportunities this year.

In terms of this weekend's trip, although excited to observe some nice scenery, visit somewhere new, and of course be doing a new tourist parkrun, I'll be packing my books so I can revise along the way, and whenever I get a spare minute. Perhaps blogging will provide me with some inspiration, and at least some practise, for my second English GCSE exam. Maybe the change of scene from my desk in my bedroom will provide me with a surge of motivations and my productivity will be off the scale - let us hope. Either way, as long as I'm getting some work done, and also enjoying being away for a few days, that's enough for me.