Dallying in Dingle

Lazy black and white cows reclined on the eerily emerald grass under the afternoon sun as our coach headed back to Adare. The breed, related to Holsteins, is called Friesian and is valued for its low butterfat content milk. In adjoining fields grazed short-legged, ecru-colored sheep. In this area of county Limerick, the fields spread and roll in gentle rises and low dips, separated by shrubs, trees and stone dikes. In one field gone brown with harvesting, enormous flocks of black birds scavenged for leftover grain, as industrious as ants.

Along a different stretch of highway, we passed a peat bog where we could see the tools used to cut the peat into brick-shaped pieces that were then carefully stacked on the side of the field to dry, like low towers of organic building blocks.

The scenery in this part of the country calls to mind the 1970 film, Ryan’s Daughter, because it was filmed here.

 Our excursion to the picturesque (or Sheila is jokingly wont to say: picture skew) town of Dingle earlier in the day had included a stroll along streets bordered by rainbow colored shops, many of them decorated with three-dimensional figures. 

I dropped in at a pharmacy for more ibuprofen tables to keep my knee happy, and then we did that thing that women do in foreign places – we went to a grocery store. The tempting displays of fresh fruits and vegetables, and the variety of breads were hard to resist, the clerks were unfailingly pleasant, and the whole atmosphere was conducive to purchasing food, not to mention, wanting to cook. I think Anne was looking for oranges, you know, for the R&D. Near the check out, we found a stand of children’s books, where I caved to temptation, purchasing a picture book about Fungie, the Dingle Dolphin, who has frequented the Dingle Bay since 1983.  


 

Yes, I love sensational spelling.

I'm not a fan of this meat but the arrangement makes it look enticing.

Tapas food in a Dingle grocery store!

Which word means 'eggs'?

And this on a day when we decided to skip lunch.

A quick stop in a small gelato shop called Murphy’s reminded us that we were in the Gaeltacht, an area where the Irish language, or Gaelic, is widely spoken. Murphy’s advertising tended toward the cheeky, as evidenced by the t-shirt graphic in the photo. The translation, as Anne was told, is “Kiss my cone,” a variation on a similar phrase that you will have to figure out for yourselves.  

Figure it out.

A sense of Irish humor.

 Right away, we found a music shop with a delightful owner who helped us chose a set of CDs with the best selection of Irish Trad, or traditional, music. A large Celtic harp dominated the store’s collection of musical instruments.

The proprietress was as charming as the storefront.

I'd love it but it won't fit in my luggage, nor in my trip budget.

Returning to the Dunraven Arms for another tasty dinner, I called it a day and took my aching knee to an early bed, while the hale and hearty betook themselves to a local pub to lift a glass and listen to some music.