12 Lúnasa, 2007--part 2--ón Daingean go Baile an Fhéirtéaraigh,

Okay, so off i went , not sure how long it would take but ready with my bottles of water and my snacks from the Super Valu grocery store. i figures it would be a moderately difficult ride, given that this part of Ireland is rather hilly, and i hadn't really done any exercising since Boston Logan airport, but i was ready to take my time and enjoy the scenery.

i took the Slea Head Drive to the second turning past the rotary west of Dingle, which was a longer way through but i figured by the map that it looked less hilly. i didn't want to kill myself, you see. This took me off the main road and dropped me off in Ventry, after about 3 or 4 KM. i REALLY liked being on a bicycle in Ireland--it felt good to have my mobility and to be "on the ground" so to speak. really a part of the landscape--not just watching it whizz by in a car. i really appreciated the differences in the landscape as well--the different birds and plants, the feel of the air, the roll of the hills. very fun. anyway, i arrived in Ventry, but i didn't stay long except to have a look at the beach. on that grey, cool, rainy day it wasn't much to see. i hung out a while though, because after all, i don't get to hang out at the ocean much. eventually i headed off to find another back road to take me "home".

i took the first right turning out of Ventry. this would take me directly toward Ballyferriter. more precisely it would dump me back on the Slea Head Drive at its north loop, very close to Tigh Bhric. nice. and through a gap in the hills that wouldn't test my heart health too strenuously, i figured. i hadn't gone too far when i was heading up a pretty steady but shallow incline, and as i looked up to get my bearings i saw my first castle. well the first castle on this trip anyway. Caisleán Rath Sheanáinn. Rathanane Castle. a really beautiful ruin, destroyed by Cromwell. to get to it i had to pay 2 Euro to a woman who owned the field through which you had to walk to get there. i left my bike at her place and walked up, dodging cow and sheep patties on the way.

the castle is situated in the middle of a 2-walled circular earthen enclosure which predates the castle by 1000 years or so. it would have been the location of a farmer and his family and the location of their dwellings, probably stone huts, and their livestock. mostly it was to protect the farmers livestock fro cattle raids that were common at the time. (300 - 1000 AD) it was a really beautiful and fascinating site, anyway.

i took quite a few pictures of that particular site, some of my favorites from the entire trip.

after that i continued home. it really wasn't as far as i thought it would be. i made it well before dark, decided to grab some supper in Ballyferriter. At the pub there i had nothing special to eat, but i did see a lad who had one eye. the other eye was gone and he just had the empty socket there--kinda cool, kinda creepy! he didn't seem to care and i wasn't going to stare, so i forgot about him shortly.

i guess i walked home after that, had a pint at Tigh Bhric maybe and watched a bit of Irish television, talked to Steph on the phone and looked forward to starting the course next day.