Encarna in Ireland 2nd Jan

The breakfast buffet in The Clarion is a wonderous thing to behold, in fact it’s about four breakfasts in one and I had to have a little siesta after the feast. Encarna also did herself proud and it was two slightly chubbier contented temporary canvas covered structure dwellers pulled out of Cork. First stop was a visit to the Dalys near Mallow. Michael is now in charge of the big farm. It’s a very special place because it’s where we spent a lot of our childhood and this big working farm is a credit to the Daly family. It’s lambing time and Michael showed us around the pens with the new-born lambs as well as the expectant mothers. Encarna demonstrated her particular gift with animals, something new to me and she made friends with lambs, cows and a big piggie (not me), in fact, anything that was covered in shite or had its afterbirth hanging out of it’s arse. We headed off to Dingle via Killarney. Killarney was the first major tourist attraction in Ireland when the English gentry would come to ‘take the waters and admire its wonderful perspective’. The place is a hole, though the lakes are very picturesque. The problem is that nothing important is signposted so you can’t find the road to the alleged lakes, you can however, find your way to any one of the thousands of Bed and Breakfasts called ‘Lakeview’. To Dingle with a pleasant drive along the peninsula with views of The Magilacuddy reeks across the bay. An essential stop is ‘The South Pole Inn’ in Aunnascaul. Dan Breen opened this place after spending a career in the British Navy and going on Antarctic expeditions with Earnest Shackleton. Mr. Breen isn’t around any more but the bar lives on and is doing very nicely thank you. Encarna made friends with the dog or the other way ‘round. We had been recommended a good guesthouse in Dingle and we were booked in. When we presented ourselves we were told that we would be taken to another B&B as the heating wasn’t working. So we ended up in ‘Bay Watch’ which is very near the pier and slap up against ‘Murphy’s Pub’, which can’t be bad. The room left something to be desired considering it was costing 75€ a night. Encarna and I are good friends but that does not stretch to sharing a large single bed. However intimately I would like to acquaint myself of her charms, Encarna is in a steady relationship and I snore for Ireland.