Another beautiful day in sunny Ireland, possibly the first time I've had the roof off two days in a row !
So today, I just needed to fill in the gap between Clifton and Killary Harbour which will mean I'm half way round. The next discovery point I get to will be on the bottom section of the fold out map, rather than the top....
First point today is Sky Road Viewpoint, no prize for guessing what this road involves !
Although when you get up there the view makes it all worth the sweaty palms !
Next stop is the view over to Omey Island, I'm parked up, just pondering if I should take the walk over to the island whilst the tide is out, when I see a car driving across from the Island towards me, then bizarrely he pulls into the car park, parks opposite me, pretty much gets straight out... "That's a grand looking motor you've got there, just told kids thats gona be my next car when they eventually leave home, mind they are only 5 and 7...."..... I ask if it's OK to take the car over, and if it's worth it.... "you will be sound, no problem driving over, it's well worth making the effort. There used to be a fella lived over there, he was a stunt man, did Crocodile Dundee, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Live and Let Die he was the only resident, died last year.....you can watch his funeral on You Tube if you like ! "
The concept of watching someone funeral on You Tube is not something I've ever thought of doing before, had to confess I never thought people would upload such a thing, but when I got back this afternoon, I had to have a look....Now I can't find anything on You Tube, but I have found the Irish Times coverage of the event, sure enough there is a video, it's only 2 minutes, actually worth watching https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/omey-island-s-last-resident-crosses-strand-at-low-tide-one-final-time-1.2968365 ....
So, back to the car park, I'm pondering the drive.....In my, well over 20 year, insurance career I've had to pay many a claim for "fools" who have taken their cars onto beaches, then had them wash away, couple that with my new found fear of finding myself stranded on an Island with no pub, the concept was not looking strong, but I decided stuff it lets go....
I did not hang around long.....but have to say, glad I went over, the hidden beach on the other side of the island is stunning
Back to the mainland, I deviate slightly from the Wild Atlantic Way at this point as I want to see Kylmore Abbey for myself
I love this building, it almost doesn't look real, looks like a hand drawn image that's been added to a landscape photo, but let me tell you it's real, and it's stunning !
So, that just leaves me to get to Island View, before I then join up with the WAW, where I left it at Killary Harbour.
A few hundred yards before I get to the end I spot another coffee shop that's got one of the greatest views in the world, so I pop in for a celebratory Latte & Flapjack ! The prize for best Flapjack of the trip most certainly goes to the interestingly named "Misunderstood Heron"
So, I'm off to celebrate completing half the WAW with a few pints, but before I go, let me leave the ladies with some words of wisdom I was inspired to dream up after reading this today ......."If you ever end up living in a castle, don't go out to sea on a boat with a cannon, and point it at your home......just in case it does accidentally go off"
