May 29th, Kinvara to Oughterand

It is a gorgeous day! The first we have had and it even looks to be warm. Once again I am driving on the left and I realize that the first out of the mornings, I need to remind myself of that. The standard transmission has become rather intuitive again, thank goodness.

 

Again, I am leaving after the guys but before I do, I need to take a picture for Scott. He has visited the vet here as he tries to do at different locations and wanted a picture of the vet's place.

 

First stop was Dunguaire Castle. I had been here in 2008 and decided not to spend the €6 to see the inside again. But it is really neat. Built in 1520 by descendants of Guaire, king of Connaught, it was then owned by the Martyns of Galway from the 17C to the 20th, then by Oliver St. John Gogarty and finally by Gristobel Lady Ampthill in 1954. Each of the 4 stories is restored showing what it would have been like for one of the 4 owners. The first is really raw, the second with a medieval banquet and the top as Lady Ampthill left it in the late 20C.

 

So the start of the day is a drive thru what I can only think of as Irish suburbia and country. Groups of houses tightly together, then scattered about. Some are new, some old. Some look deceptively new. Saw some thatched roofs. Yesterday I saw a man piling stones for a wall but he wasn't using any kind of mortar. Today I realize that the walls are just piled stones, then the dirt and seeds blow into the cracks and become so much of what looks like brush along the road. 


 

Stopped at Oranmore Castle. It isn't open but I got some pictures. It doesn't open for a month and it's a shame because according to the notice in front, it looks like it has furnishings and they give tours.

So I am back on the road and facing navigating through Galway. And this is when the fun started! I cannot drive in this country without getting a flat! The roads are so much narrower along with the problem of being on the left side… So I got too close to a curb and sliced the side.  So was the start of 2 adventures that I would have preferred not to have had. First I go to get the spare which means emptying the luggage and getting the tire but whoever had put the thing together had the strength of an ox and it took me forever to loosen the screw. Pull it apart. Now all this time, I am trying to call the company but keep getting a message that I am dialing it wrong! And one of the lug nuts is different. So I get the car up on the jack (thank goodness for manuals) start to loosen the lug nuts when a kid walks by and manages to call the rental company for me! They tell me where to take the car for a new tire (no charge!!! Insurance worked for once!) and where to find the funky lug nut piece.  So I am most of the way through getting the lug nut off when a kind guy stopped and helped me the rest of the way. He also told me how to get to the Advance Pit Stop to get the tire changed.

So now I get to experience a car repair place. I have to say, they are so nice. It is the first time I have ever had a service manager check to make sure the ladies was okay before showing me to it. I will say that impressed me. And then offered myself and another woman waiting tea. They are also going to put everything back together in the trunk, yea!

So I am off again, trying to catch up. I try to follow the directions they have but there is just no way to try to find the turns and navigate the Galway traffic, particularly on such a gorgeous day. Everyone wants to be in the beach and that is where I am driving. There are even people in bathing suits while I am quite comfortable in my long sleeved tee shirt!

I realize that I have gone too far when I am out on the coast road and find a town I went through beyond the turning point. Turn around, pick a turn and travel through some really nice countryside. I hope I have picked the right road and am heading towards Oughterand but I am not getting a good feeling. My sense of direction says no. Sure enough, the neighborhood is getting more and more suburban and I get the feeling I am headed back into Galway!

I am! So I have had enough fun and games for one day, it is time to hop on the national road (N59) and just get to Oughterand. Kind of feel like I am giving up but I figure I am well behind the guys at this point.

I arrived in Oughterand and decide to get some gas and ask directions to the lodging. There is a sign on one of the pumps saying no credit, so I only put in 20 euro....well, that doesn't mean no credit cards but not to ask to pay later! It has been a long time since we saw such things in the states.

Our lodging is a bit beyond town but it is beautiful. And the creek/waterfall that runs beside it is incredible.  

 

We went to a very nice family pub for dinner then drove the route that the guys hadn't had a chance to ride. Unfortunately, Mike insisted on driving which scared the he** out of me. He was trying to stay left but it was one of those 1 lane 2 way roads and he was driving way too left. I  I am the one looking at how close we are to that ditch! Fortunately, we stopped a couple of times so I could get some great pictures. The drive went out to the peninsula and was definitely worth taking.