Up and Down and Up Again

Friday and Saturday, June 7 & 8th
Inis Oirr then Kilfarboy, Ireland (just south of the Cliffs of Moher)

Fri windy, Sat sunny and gorgeous

We spent the day on Inis Oirr (Inisheer) going to the Arts Center to see the exhibit of native clothing...lots of wool, jackets, shawls, pants and skirts. They wore the same clothes every day with little or no washing. Sounds like hikers and touring bikers:) Makes total sense to me!

I also saw a flyer on the wall for a play that had come through last month title "Bag Lady" by Frank McGuinness...now they're writing plays about me! "You see them in the city. You see them in the town. Old ladies in crumpled clothes. Carrying their lives around. All with a story. This is her story..." It's done it's circuit. Wish I could see it.



It's a small island with these narrow roads leading down the stone wall-lined lanes going this way and that. So we went this way and that, checking out the cows and horses, stone buildings and fishing supplies.




All the shops were closed because with the ferries not running, no tourists were about. So we went back to the campground ladies room where I gear was stored and fixed up some lunch. I'm kind used to eating in bathrooms now. They're warm and dry. What more do ya need?

Then we met up with Pat as he was walking back from the store (he doesn't have a car) and shared with him what we'd heard down on the pier that the ferries wouldn't be running again until the morning. They had already invited us to stay another night if that turned out to be the case, so we walked back to his cottage with him. Pat's a musician and plays in the local pubs during the summer. Quite funny and talented. Google "Pat Quinn is playing 2" on YouTube to hear his funny song about Angelina Jolie. He writes all his own stuff. We've got his CD, too.

Fuat is interested in the local boats called currachs made of canvas and tar. Pat sent him next door to the local boatmaker to check them out. Found out the local lads were going to be training for a boat race down on the lake later that evening...so of course, down we went.



Pat's quite the cook and fed us both nights, bless his soul! Thurs it was spaghetti and garlic bread and last night roast chicken with potatoes, peas, and carrots. Thank you Pat for such delicious meals!!

Mary spends most her days tending her 2 grandchildren while her daughter works the cafe. Along with that she's starting a quilting business, trying to make some money from a hobby she loves. I'm sure she'll succeed!

So off to the boat training at the lake, then to the pub to hear Pat play. Ran into Shelbi and Cory...Shelbi's an intern from WIsonsin working at the daughter's cafe. We got to know her a bit the rainy afternoon we spent there. Such fun in a small town 'cause you keep running into the same folks. Cory we met at the Arts Center, also an intern.

Today started with an early rise to make the ferry by a little after 8. Even though the water was fairly calm at first it managed to get quite choppy near the far shore and didn't I find myself hanging my head over the side while the boat docked and the bikes were unloaded. Fuat tried to find me a barf bag, but either they didn't understand or there were none to be had. I was green. A sailor I'm not!

So down the coast we headed to the Cliffs of Moher. Man, these hills are steep. My little legs were getting quite a work out. Easier to bike across the Rockies then down the coast of Ireland...go figure! The Cliffs of Moher are too much of touris attraction. Tour buses everywhere. I like the architecture of the visitors center. It was built into the hill so that it had minimal visual impact on the site. Quite innovative! But I've seen cliffs before and needed to get away from the people. Fuat agreed, so off we pedaled.

Tonight we're camped just outside an old cemetary, there are even graves inside the ruins of the church...they're packed cheek to jowl in there.

And tonight's dinner was tossed salad and snow peas over rice in a soy sauce rue. Ya, we eat good! Fuat's a good cook and we like the same kind of food so that works well. We're good traveling mates. It's easy between us.



Ok, enough for tonight.

Goodnight one and all,

BagLady

P.s. Update on the sun rash. From my research it appears to be a drug interaction with the ibuprofen, so I stopped taking it. Got more blisters today: thighs, chest, and hands. They itch slightly but are quite tender. I tried to see if sunscreen today would help and I think it reduced the amount of blisters. Still a bit of a problem since being out of the sun nor wearing long pants are going to work. Suffer on and hope they don't mar my skin too much.