Stumping the Driver

 We went to Dungloe on the bus today. Joe was our driver (sometimes Michael is driving). I finally remembered to ask him about something I've been wondering about for a month or two. I got my answer in a way we found rather amusing.

A while back, Bill found a book somewhere online called Memories of Dungloe, written by a guy named Patrick Campbell. His family owned Campbell's Hotel and that's where he lived growing up. I read it recently and enjoyed it, but I wondered where Campbell's Hotel had been--it's not there now. Shortly after I read it, we were on the bus and Michael was driving, so I asked him if he knew where the old Campbell's Hotel used to be. He had no idea. I decided to ask Joe next time I saw him--he has shared plenty of stories of his own about how life used to be in this area. Of course, I promptly forgot to ask him next time we were on the bus and many times after that--until today.

We got on the bus got our groceries tucked out of the way and settled in. I asked if he knew where the hotel used to be and explained how I'd heard of the place. He was puzzled. He'd never heard of Campbell's Hotel. He was thinking out loud for a bit and then he said, 'I have no idea, but I'll find out for ya. You stumped me with this one, but you leave it with me. I'll get it sorted.' I said thank you and that would be great. I expected he might tell me next time we see him.

Technically we were on the town run at that point and we had a few minutes until it turned into the bus that comes out our way, so before I knew it, Joe was on the phone. He was speaking in Irish, but I heard him mention Campbell's Hotel. After the call ended, he said he'd called his sister who knows more than him because she's older. She knew where it was and he showed us as we drove by. Turns out it was on the corner a few doors away from our old apartment. It's now a pub called The Bridge Inn. They might rent upstairs rooms through AirBnB, but I don't know. Over a century ago, before the hotel or the Bridge Inn, there used to be a different building there. All that's left of that are the original steps.

So now I know, and so does Joe, thanks to his sister! 😀 Better than google!

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Wonderful World Wednesday

lichen

dungloe river

dungloe river

river trail with dungloe lake on the left

growing

bursting open

dungloe river in the sun

very pink

Enjoy this day, wash your hands, and stay safe! Thank you for doing your part to keep others safe.

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Venturing Forth

We went out for our walk this morning, staying well within the 2 kilometre limit. There have been more problems over the weekend, particularly in one of the towns where we used to live, because it's right near the border with Northern Ireland and day-trippers from there will not abide by the regulations here. They're not supposed to be here at all. There is apparently a loophole in the legislation which allows the gardaí to enforce the 2 kilometre rules (as they do when it is someone from elsewhere in the republic trying to have a day in the country) that prevents them from enforcing the rules if the people are from Northern Ireland. I suspect this loophole will be closed relatively soon, because there is genuine and understandable anger, as well as concern regarding the upcoming bank holiday weekend. These are small communities and people are sacrificing a lot in order to protect themselves and one another. As just one example, today  when we went out, we wondered why there were so many people lined up along Main Street while keeping their distance from one another. Then we realised that someone had probably died. Because only a few close family are now able to attend funerals, which goes against the usual way of doing things, Irish people have adapted. In the past, we have seen processions moving through the town, consisting of people on foot, some of them carrying the coffin, bringing the deceased through town from the wake location to the church or graveyard. The hearse would drive along, but it was empty. Now that this is no longer possible, people come out to line the sidewalks to pay their respects, because they can do this is a safe way and it must still bring comfort to those who are grieving. This is just one way in which people are making sacrifices in service to the public good. So when people decide they are going to flaunt these rules so they can have a day of fun away from their homes, possibly endangering local residents, it's easy to see why the locals would be upset. The situation is made worse because the UK (of which Northern Ireland is a part) was very slow to act and they are still more lax than we are in the republic.

In any case, we decided to walk the river trail, including a loop which we had not previously explored. When we've been on the trail in the past, we were on our way somewhere, so just stayed on the main trail, which made a nice change from walking on the footpath (sidewalk) along the road. This time, we were just out for a walk, so when we got to a fork in the trail, we took a left and discovered what is my favourite walking route here so far.

Before our walk and even before breakfast, I  had a surprise, though. We heard a knock on the door downstairs, so Bill went down and found the postman, who delivered a parcel. He was not expecting it to arrive so soon. Unbeknownst to me, when my camera conked out last week, Bill went clicking around and found one to buy. Knowing that I prefer not to buy new, he found a refurbished one and bought that. Yay! I'm thrilled to be able to snap pics again and to know that this gadget was fixed up and stayed out of a landfill. He plugged it in so it would be ready for me to test out on our walk. Here are the results.

from the bridge as we approached the trailhead

gorse is in full bloom and is all over the place

growth

 When we went left at the fork, we discovered a whole new loop that brought us to the lake. We'd walked to the lake just before the lockdown started, but we went a different way and were on the other side.

the bee flew into the flower just as I was pressing the button to take the pic

trees against the sky 

I'm happy that I can snap my pics again. Bill, who is the real photographer in this family, will sometimes ask me what I have something set at. I always say, 'I don't know--whatever it was when it came out of the box or, if you played with it, whatever you left it set at.' I don't want to mess around with the gadget, I just want to, well, point and shoot. 😄

I'm also happy that we walked the new-to-us loop. It's a beautiful walk, and just one of our options for taking exercise, being outside, enjoying our lovely surroundings, and still abiding by the 2 kilometre rule. As I was walking with my favourite person, soaking in the scenery and feeling joy, I was reminded of how much I have to be grateful for.

Stay safe and well!

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Along the Shore the Wind Did Howl

After breakfast, we headed out for a walk. Around the corner and to the shore we went, with a brisk and biting wind blowing at us. It was glorious. I was in a short-sleeved shirt and felt slightly chilly, but that's how I like it. I am happiest when it's in the 40s (F), so I'll take as many chilly days and sharp winds as I can get, especially at this time of year!

I realised that we hadn't walked to the pier, in spite of the fact that it's quite nearby, since the first time we came to town to look at our apartment. That was a few days before Christmas, so it's been a few months. I wanted to head in that direction, so into the wind we went.

There are some flowers in planters now--even finding cracks to grow through. The plant growing out of the side is sheltered from the wind blowing off the Atlantic.

The pier was built in 1923, but was destroyed by storms in the 1990s and had to be rebuilt.

This seating area by the slipway seems like it would be a lovely spot to sit with coffee or tea and a book or some stitching to just relax and hang out for a while. And the benches are far enough apart that people could enjoy the surroundings and also adhere to social distance guidelines.

A bit further on, the pier comes to an end.

We turned around and started back for the shore walk. I noticed the view of the back of town and the dark sky overhead.

Back over the pedestrian bridge we went. I love the sound of the river flowing towards the sea.

The tide was low.

There is a line of critter prints on the footpath.

Near the end, there was another planter with some splashes of colour.

Still, bare branches look lovely silhouetted against the sky.

In the wildflower garden, the daffodils are starting to bloom.

And on the other side, some leaves are starting to form.

I hope that, in spite of the ongoing crisis, you are finding ways to care for yourself. Stay safe!

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Loop to the Lake and Back

It seems as though the panic buying has subsided here. That's good. They're asking people to try to get the grocery shopping done at times when the shops are not so crowded, so we went to Aldi yesterday morning to pick up a few basics. We wanted to make sure we could avoid the stores until later next week. Just as well, because when we walked by the Aldi car park today, it was packed.

Last night, Bill looked out the window and saw that there was a beautiful sunset over the water, so we went out and around the corner for a short walk along the shore path. The sound of the river rushing over the rocks to meet the sea added to the peace, beauty, and joy of the moment.

This morning, we decided to do a looped walk to a nearby lake and back. We went to the lake via one road, walked along the lake for a while, then turned around and walked back to the main road into town and came back that way. When we first came to Dungloe, I watched out of the bus window and was thrilled to see that the footpaths (sidewalks) run all the way from town to the lake on both roads. The road by the lake also has a footpath for a time, but even when it runs out, there is not a lot of traffic on that road, so it's safe to walk there. As we were walking in town, we saw a few people talking to one another, but not as many as we usually see. Those that were having conversations were standing apart--not 2 metres, but farther than they usually do.

Anyway, I snapped a few pictures of things that caught my eye as we were walking, so if you feel like coming along on our walk, scroll on! 😃

walking up chapel road

a front garden--now that's privacy!

at the lake

the pier at the lake--we walked along the road until just beyond the house you see in the distance

islands in the lake

daffodils--these grow in profusion alongside many roads and sometimes the verge is just a mass of yellow

shadows on the hills

another view

back on the road into town--someone's front garden (yard)

play on words

looking back

It was a lovely 3-mile loop.  It was nice to get out and explore our new surroundings a bit more. The scenery was beautiful. Thanks for walking along, in a socially distant virtual sort of way!

And yes, when we came home, we washed our hands well!

I hope you're finding things to smile about, even in this crazy time.

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