So, it feels like an age, but I'm back, back on the Wild Atlantic Way, what a contrast in weather, gone is the old faithful bright yellow coat, out are the shorts & sunnies !
I arrived yesterday morning circa 10am following my brief hop with Aerlingus from Birmingham, I take the "short walk" to the long stay car park, track down the car, what do I find....
Agggghhhh flat tyre ! I had had to top that tyre up on the way to Cork airport a few weeks ago, so feeling pretty confident now that I have a puncture !
So, it's off to the boot, try to work out what to do, I wish cars had a spare wheel like in the old days ! There's some gooo, to put in the tyre and a compressor to blow it up !
I decide I need to visit a tyre centre, but it's Sunday morning......after some Googling, a few phone calls, I find one the other side of Cork, so we limp off nervously across Irelands second city.
Dessie seemed pleased to see me, within minutes the tyre was off, puncture located....."It's right on the tyre wall, can't be repaired I'm afraid, it's gona need a new tyre !" now normally the first question in your mind when faced with this is "Jeeez, what this going to cost ?"....but I had a far more worrying question....."Have you got one"..... I've not seen another car the same model as mine since I left Dublin and to compound matters it's a Sunday....I have visions of me spending the next 3 days stuck in a B&B on the outskirts of Cork waiting for a tyre to be shipped in, but my luck was in (if you can look at it that way)...."yeh, we've got one"....Dessie quickly liberated my bank account of 228 Euro's and within minutes the guys were on the case !
As I watched, it occurred to me that my car was in a pretty grubby looking state, mud, dust, and heavens knows what all over it, so given there was a car wash next door, I decided to treat the car to a proper wash before I set off......
Got to love this....only in Ireland can you have a price list which contains no prices !
Then it's off back to join the Wild Atlantic Way....
It's a good hour n a half drive from Cork to where I re-join the way, but that flies by, soon I'm back on little roads, with great view, roof down, life is good !
I have to say, this sign wins the award for the "Most pointless No Overtaking sign"....given it's a single track road !!
It's not long before I'm opposite Dursey Island, which is the destination for Irelands only cable car.... I watch for a few minutes whilst I ponder taking the trip, I soon conclude that given it's fragile looking construction, incredibly slow speed of operation, combined with my mixed success with visiting deserted Irish Islands, I'm going to give this one a miss !
I overnight in Castletownbere, which is the location of a certain "Macarthy's Bar" A number of people have asked was there something that inspired me to do this trip, if I look back I would have to say reading the book Macarthy's Bar was probably the initial seed of an idea.....It's a great book, this pub is the front cover of the book, if you haven't read it I would highly recommend !
Today has been a good long drive, with many many incredible scenic roads driven......I will leave you with a few images, the weather is making me very thirsty, so James is now off for a pint !
