June 16- A flatter day! Yay!

Sign in Ballydavid

   Today we started out from Dunquin where we had a separate little apartment, so our food was delivered to our rooms. The breakfast was welcome as it had homegrown garden vegetables with the eggs and we have felt a bit vegetable deprived since we left Tralee.

Arrival in Ballydavid, but that sign is in Irish and means 
Town of Strangers

     The day started up with a steep climb in a moorland and then we went down steeply. Again, it started out a little chilly and overcast. It was also a bit windy.

   

We had a good deal of lovely beach walking today, which was great after yesterday when I was not sure that I'd be able to carry on. When we got to the first beach, Smerwich (Viking for "butter" and "harbor),

we took a nice long picnic rest as we knew we'd arrive earlier than any other day due to the flat terrain. I never thought I'd say, "I am so glad that we are walking ONLY 11 miles." 

     After a bit more walking, there was another little beach, Wine Strand.

     It really was a lovely and relaxed walk.

    We met up with the family from Montana en route, as well as the women from New Mexico. It is nice to happen upon people as they are resting, or eating, or overtake us.

    We are in the village of Ballydavid (Town of Strangers). 

    We were too early to get into our bed and breakfast, "Imeall Na Mara", so we went to Tigh pub for a pot of tea. The restaurant was rather unorganized and discombobulated and the tea was a bit expensive at 7 Euros, but...never mind. It gave us a nice place to sit and rest rather than sitting outside the bed and breakfast.

      Caroline and Paul, a couple from Ascot, joined us at the pub and we walked to the B and B, which now had a post-it - "Be back in 30 minutes" with no indication of when the 30 minutes started. But, we passed the half hour in good conversation and then Phil, the landlady, came back with 2 other guests who she had to pick up somewhere.

Our B and B - gorgeous

     We are in a lovely huge room with a huge bathroom - all handicapped accessible which Phil told us they had to install to get their license when they converted their house from a house with a shop and post office attached into a B and B. She said it cost thousands in extras. She was the post office mistress for over 30 years.

     After a shower, we walked back to the pub and we each had fish soup. We ordered dessert which never came. When I paid, I specified not to be charged for the dessert, but we are pretty sure that we were as it came to 38 Euros with just the soups and 1 Guinness. There was no itemization. Oh well. 

    Then - back to our room where we watched some game shows.

A beautiful tiny moth

    We made a decision for me to go with the luggage tomorrow. A car which will drop Jecca and the couple from Ascot off at the base of Mount Brandon which is labeled as a "strenuous" and long 16-mile day. I just am not up to it. The ascents and descents would be just too steep for me. Plus, I need a rest and have a few blisters and bruised toes. I feel badly having Jecca do it alone, but she really wants to do it and looked forward to this particular day as the views should be spectacular. She was willing to sacrifice the day for me and I didn't want that. I am perfectly happy to go with the car and wander the beach area and small village of Cloghane. She's afraid I will be bored, but - I have a book and am rarely bored. I will be a bit nervous with her hiking alone, but there are quite a few people on the trail and she feels very comfortable about it.

Louis Mulcahy pottery

Standing stones with old symbols, but fenced from public