Dingle

We finally found the 'real' Ireland. Joined some friends for a holiday weekend on the Dingle Peninsula and have not been so delighted since I arrived on the Emerald Isle. The Dingle Peninsula is the Westernmost part of Ireland, and is the Westernmost point in Europe. It's just due North of the famous Ring of Kerry, and in my opinion, a far more authentic destination. We arrived late on a Friday night, and had been given instructions to go to a pub just opposite Foxy John's (another pub). So, the town of Dingle is not huge, but we could not find a Foxy John's pub. The only thing we could find was Foxy John's hardware store. At the end of the day, it turns out that most of the pubs in Dingle are hardware/miscellaneous stores by day and pubs by night. There's only space in most of them for 30 or so people, and the store counters turn into Guinness taps in the eveningtime. And in Dingle, there are always old men, tweed caps and singing - in such a thick brogue that it might be Gaelic. Fantastic. The next day, we hiked up to the top of Mt. Brandon in the rain, hail and wind (good test for the rain gear). And on our last day, we toured the peninsula by way of the Slea Head Drive (their own 'Ring'). Bonus... Dingle actually has real beaches. And Murphy's Ice Cream (so good that I need to give it its own post).......... More Dingle Photos here

Foggy hiking on Dingle's Mt. Brandon