So, here we are day 5, but before we go forward, I need to take us back, back to last night and a couple of conversations, both of which were on licensed premises !
The first in the local pub, I'm chatting to a local farmer, and telling him of my travels, and that Tory Island is going to be on the agenda in the next few days, conversation flows like this :-
Him - You will need to take your sea sickness tablets if your going on the Tory Ferry.
Me - No I will be fine
Him - No, seriously, you will need to take em !
Me - I've done a fair bit of sailin, pretty confident I won't need any.
Him - I don't care how much f*&kin sailing you done, if you on that ferry you will need em !
Me - I've taken a 1940's Italian wooden sailing boat across the Bay of Biscay in a force 9 cyclonic storm and I didn't need any on that.
Him - Aghhhh, well maybe you won't, but I'd still take em !
I finished havin the craic with him, and then headed back to my hotel for a nightcap, chatting to the bar manager, she was already aware of my adventure as we had spoken the night before, told her Horn Head was first point of call for Day 5, she replied "Oh My, that's my favourite place, it's just stunning, but don't forget the one way system, there's no signs to tell you it's a one way system though, but you need to make sure you go the right way, as it's single track and pretty much no passing points ! "....... ME - "ok so which is the right way ?" ...... She replies "Left"
We fast forward to this morning, I arrive at the drive up to Horn Head, and sure enough there is a fork in the road, with 2 single track roads going off, I suppose left is logical, but there is absolutely no indication of a one way system, and boy having driven it, it would cause a huge problem if you met something coming the other way.....
Here's some pics
The photographs go know where to doing this place justice, I have to say it's my favourite discovery point so far, what you can't see or feel from the pictures is how high up you are and the weather, it looks idyllic but the wind if so fierce that you can hardly open the car door, standing on top of the hill, the wind rattles around your ears so strongly that you can't even hear yourself think. It's a magical place
The next point from there is Magheraroaty Pier
Doesn't it look idyllic ? and it's from here that the Tory Island Ferry departs, given the calm beautiful sea, I decide I will head there today, rather than leave it for tomorrow as was in the original plan. I pay my 25 Euro return and we head out to sea. As we leave the shelter of the bay you begin to understand what the chap in the pub was talking about last night, the SeaState is really rough, in fact I think it's the worst I've been in since Biscay, there are people falling left right and centre, only 10 of us on this little ferry (other than the crew) and most of them are now hanging their heads over the side or cramming into the bathroom. I'm pleased to say I was OK, but it was one hell of a crossing (it's 11KM and takes about 50 mins) . I ask the skipper when I get off, what was the SeaState, he says 7-8 (the scale is 0-9 where 0 is wonderful and 9 is phenomenal, waves over 14 meters high).
So i get to Tory and decide to have a walk round before heading to either the bar or the hotel for lunch (I'm pretty hungry as I decided to have fruit this morning rather than the usual Irish Fry up).....
Option 1
Option 2
As I say, there are a couple of options, but before I eat, let's take a few arty pics, there are even sheep running down the high street.
I decide to go with option 1, and walk the 4 minutes it suggest on the board, and after about 8 minutes I arrive to find it's closed down !
Option 2 it is then, I walk back past where I had started and further down the road, to find option 2 is closed also, despite serving fresh food daily, it now only does so at weekends.
So the only place on the Island that is open is the post office, which also doubles as the local shop, so I'm disappointed that I won't get a nice cooked lunch which I was so looking forward too, but it might be a pre-pack sandwich or a Ginsters steak slice..... I get to the shop, walk in my usual chirpy self "Hello, how are you today" I'm not sure what the response was but it sounded like a grunt at best ! I look round the shop, which is about the size of the average rabbit hutch, and the only food offering I can find is a bag of McCoys crinkle cut crisps, and not salt n vinegar, just cheese n onion....so that was lunch. There was 1 pack of Rowntrees Fruit Pastels in the confectionary shelf, but I couldn't bring myself to have them, thinking there must be some poor child stuck on this island in more need than me for sweets right now.
I leave the shop, and reflect on the fact I still have 3 hours till the ferry returns, I've taken all the pics I want to take, there is noting to do here, and no where to go. I decide the best way to burn the 3 hours is to try and find some more creative angles to take some pictures so I start walking, about 5 minutes in, Ireland does it's worst to me, and almost from know where the most torrential rain hits Tory Island... within 30 seconds I am soaked through and this rain is not for stopping, I start running down the street trying to find some shelter....there is nothing, not even a bus stop, its 3 minutes into the storm now and the rain has got through my coat, rugby top, and into my T-Shirt, I'm like a drowned rat, and the temperature has plummeted.... another few minutes of running around pass, and I spy the church....the church door is always open....not on this Island it's not, but then out of the corner of my eye, I spot the public loo ! I dash over and it's open, in I go to shelter..... I'm shivering now, and not in a happy place at all....The rain continues without let up and I spend the next hour n a half in the Tory Island public loo !
4PM arrives and almost as quick as the rain arrived it departs and the sun is shinning again. I still have an hour till my ferry and decide to return to the shop, sorry kids, I'm having them fruit pastels, this is about survival now, I'm still cold, still wet and I'm feeling faint from hunger...
I devour the sweets is seconds and am now just counting down the minutes till I get off this god forsaken island, when 2 American tourists come to join me, they have been over the other side of the island looking at the lighthouse, and been stuck there during the storm, they look wetter than me......only half an hour to go I say, "JEEZ" say the Americans, we talk for a few moment about the weather, Ireland and Trump, and then I turn and in the words of my great friend Keith, I say "is that a squall coming in ?"
Just look at the left of the post at the almost tornado looking circle of wind n rain
Sure enough, within minutes, rain is pelting us sideways with tremendous force, the Americans (already soaked from earlier) look around for what to do.....don't worry, follow me.......
It's 4.45 on a Wednesday afternoon, I'm on a pretty much deserted island, with no provision for food & beverage, I'm cold and wet and now I'm sharing a public loo with 2 soaking wet American tourists for company.......on that note....... Here's to tomorrow !