Morning views over Great Blasket Island, Dingle Peninsula.
When David Lean picks a location that turns a rather slight story into an academy-award winning 12-million-dollar movie, you know the scenery must be something!
And it is.
Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula really does scenery on an epic scale. Tiny villages are nestled amongst green fields and hills and are bounded by great cliffs on a tumultuous coastline on one side, and wild, windy heath- and mist-covered mountains on the other.
The seventh day of our trek along The Kerry Way saw us walking through the heart of “Ryan’s Daughter” territory.
Our guide notes promised us an easy day, so we lingered over pancakes, blueberries, and coffee before lacing our boots and girding our loins for another day’s walk through the wet countryside.
Our route took us up to the peak of Cruach Mhárthain, giving us great views of the magnificent coastline.
View to the Blaskets Even on a blue-sky day, the clouds are grey with potential rain.
View Southwest from Cruach Mhárthain As we reach the first apex of the mountain, we have views of Dunmore Head and Great Blasket.
Sybil Point and the Three Sisters From Cruach Mhárthain we were looking over the same landscape we had viewed from Clogher Head two days prior.
Ryan’s Daisies In less than half an hour, we found ourselves on the remains of the streets of “Kirrary”, Lean’s purpose-built town.
Stone Ruins The houses built on top of Cruach Mhárthain were dismantled when the movie was finished, and little remains of the manufactured town. The event of filming, however, is indelibly etched in local memory.
As we make our way across the spine of Cruach Mhárthain, the views extend over the Sybil Peninsula.
Against the odds, we lost the path and ended up picking our way cautiously across the flank of Cruach Mhárthain, trying to maintain footing in rough, boggy heather and gorse bush.
Houses dot the green landscape north of Cruach Mhárthain – looking so close!
We were very glad to work our way off the mountain, scrambling over stone fences and crawling through barbed wire, finally emerging in Ballyferriter, and then finding the beach around Smerwick Harbour.
The Beach Expanses of sand stretch along Smerwick Harbour.
A wide view back out over Smerwick Harbour.
Sweaters and Ugg Boots: Irish Beach attire?
View over Smerwick Harbour to Ballydavid Head.
Impossibly Green
Nothing is Perfect! Just back from the beach, we come across a tyre graveyard.
As we round the bend, the sandy foreshore diminishes in favour of rock and peat outcrops.
We soon lose the sandy stretches entirely and come out on seaweed flats.
Room with a View
A Walk on the Beach The clouds lower over the hills of Ballydavid.
Recent rains had filled the creeks, so we appreciated the bridges – even if they meant a detour.
Friends on the Bridge We can’t be far now! Two old friends chat on a bridge in Murreagh as we trudge towards our lodgings.
Grass Cutting Our lodgings at An Dooneen, Boherboy, is down a long country lane.
So much for a short day!
After our scramble on the mountain, I had hiking boots full of water, a bottom full of gorse prickles, and a new respect for Irish sheep. I limped into our lodgings too tired to go out for dinner.
But, as we feasted on wine and old cheese, I thought it well worth it.
[…] lost the trail on a bog-covered mountain the day before, and doses of anti-inflammatory drugs overnight had not met the challenge of ageing knees and hip […]ReplyCancel
Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) Not being much of a Twitcher, I don’t get many good bird portraits. So, I was really excited to be this close to a frogmouth!
Where can you go when you have overseas visitors and a new camera lens that needs trying out?
What could be better than a native Australian animal sanctuary!
Luckily for us, we have one right in our neighbourhood. The quaintly named “Potoroo Palace” is set off the Princes Highway, not far from Pambula and Merimbula on the New South Wales (NSW) South Coast. We drive past regularly, but had never quite managed to stop.
Just two weeks before our visit, the sanctuary made the news when it was in the path of one of many raging bush fires around the state. Staff and volunteers were given twenty minutes notice to leave, and they collected as many animals as they could in the time they had. Fortunately, the premises and animals were ultimately saved, but you can see the burned bush literally at the gates. Saving the property took some effort, but as two local NSW Rural Fire Service volunteers were quoted as saying: “If we let Potoroo Palace burn our children will never forgive us.”
Emu(Dromaius novaehollandiae) The three emus at the park wander freely; I’ve lost food to birds like these before, so I am cautious.
Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa) You can’t have an animal park without a duck pond!
Eastern Swamphen(Porphyrio porphyrio) I love watching colourful swamphens as they waddle across grass, or wade through shallow waters.
Half a Valentine The Black Swan(Cygnus atratus) gives the duck pond a real Australian flavour.
Previously a run-down zoo, the property now operates as a private, not-for-profit organisation focusing on education, community involvement, and conservation. Many of the animals are “recovered” after being injured, and some were born in captivity. We were pleasantly surprised by the well-ordered grounds and the mix of free-roaming and penned animals.
Poroporo Flower(Solanum laciniatum) Native trees, like this Kangaroo Apple (Poroporo) provide shade…
Kangaroo Apples(Solanum laciniatum) … and fruit for wandering birds and animals.
Lizard Watch your step! Small creatures may be hiding.
Laughing Kookaburra(Dacelo novaeguineae) Even in the walk-through aviary, these large kingfishers proved difficult to photograph.
Agile Wallaby (Macropus agilis) It always surprises me how powerful these animals are. The fencing is to protect trees from predation.
Long Nosed Potoroo(Potorous tridactylus) We finally meet the tiny, eponymous, potoroo – with its long nose and dainty toes.
Eastern Grey Kangaroo(Macropus giganteus) “Giganteus” is right! Eastern Greys can reach heights of 5-6 ft (1.5-1.8 m), and this one wasn’t short.
Sulphur Crested Cocatoo(Cacatua galerita) This chatty old bird was born in captivity…
Female King Parrot(Alisterus scapularis) … while this King Parrot is only visiting.
Australian King Parrot(Alisterus scapularis) The male King Parrot is much more colourful than his mate.
Rainbow Lorikeet(Trichoglossus haematodus) These are the cheeky wanderers who eat all the apples from our tree.
Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) Djingo, one of the male dingos, surveys his domain.
Grey-headed Flying-fox(Pteropus poliocephalus) The world must look very different to these giant megabats!
Dove Symbols of love and peace, doves seem an appropriate bird for St Valentine’s Day.
Tawny Frogmouth(Podargus strigoides) The Frogmouths, on the other hand, with their watchful eyes and huge mouths, look quite ferocious.
Olive python(Liasis olivaceus) The olive python wound her way around her keeper’s legs…
Olive python(Liasis olivaceus) … and came almost too close for my lens!
Olive Python “Olive the Python” reminds us that we have just entered the Year of the Snake.
Fantastic – didn’t know this place existed but will surely visit when next down that way, if not for these amazing places many injured creatures would die, these are necessary in some cases for the survival of the species.
I love the tawny’s they are gorgeous…oh and would love a dingo pup… and the king parrots. hmmm I see a problem forming 🙂ReplyCancel
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The Cornstore We had coffee and took refuge from the pounding rains.
I guess that rainy weather is pretty common in Wales.
One clue is the council workers: as we walked from Pembroke Dock to Pembroke, splashing through puddles that wet us up to the knees, huddling under raincoats that whipped in the wind, and clinging to umbrellas that turned inside out and failed to keep the rain off our faces, we watched one man on a ride-on mower cutting the grass on the verge of the road, while another was using a whipper-snipper along the edges.
I couldn’t believe they were out working in such weather – unless, of course, they had no expectation that it would ever improve!
I suppose they had a schedule to keep, rain or no rain, and – as we had only one day before sailing to Ireland – so did we.
Although the walk from our lodgings to the Mill Pond, over which Pembroke Castle sits, took less than an hour, we were wet through and happy to find the charming Quayside Café at The Cornstore. Dripping, we drank steaming coffee before trying to time our dash across the river.
Pembroke Castle A wet view across the River Cleddau from the Cornstore Cafe.
At the gift shop next to the ticket office, we purchased an oversized umbrella with a Welsh dragon on it, hoping that it would protect us from the elements. We then entered the barbican before climbing up tower steps to walk along the wall and look out over the city.
Walkway over the battlements.
A view over wet Pembroke streets.
The rains make sure that the surrounds are very green!
Through the Window…
Pembroke Castle has been extensively developed and restored over the ages. Historians believe the site has been occupied for 12,000 years; examples of tools used by cave dwellers during the Palaeolithic Period have been found in the Wogan – or cavern – deep in the rock under the castle. Late Bronze Age tools and Roman coins have been found nearby. It is thought that the first fort was built on the promontory during the Iron Age.
Then, the early Norman invaders installed themselves in West Wales, and Roger de Montgomery established his headquarters in a wooden castle at Pembroke from 1093. The buildings, in various forms, survived a number of reigns, becoming “the birthplace of the Tudor dynasty” when Henry VII (father of Henry VIII, grandfather of Elizabeth I) was born in a tower there in 1457. The castle changed hands and allegiances a number of times, being partially dismantled after its role in an ill-fated rebellion in 1648, before falling into ruins.
From the 1880’s until present, the castle has been extensively restored – some say to such an extent that it has become almost sterile. Although it is open to the public, it remains in private hands.
Contrasts The Red Dragon, symbol of victory over the Saxons, was adopted by Henry VII: he wanted to demonstrate his claim to descent from the earliest British Kings. Today it provides an interesting contrast against the power lines on the hill in the background.
Steeped in damp and dark, the various rooms have posters detailing castle history.
Dinner in the Gatehouse A tableau depicting a feast at the table of William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke (c. 1225–1296).
Window Deeply inset stone windows (c. 1300s) afford protection, but let in little light.
Doorway Looking out over the slippery, wet ramparts between towers.
Castle Tower To balance the Welsh dragon, a Union Jack flies high against a wet grey sky.
The Outer Curtain Wall Doubled in thickness during the Civil War of 1642-45, these wet walls lead up to the Henry VII Tower.
Monkton Tower Constructed in the mid 13th Century.
Archways Looking through the remains of the restored Medieval Chancery (a medieval writing office).
Weeds and Moss Green weeds and yellow fungus cling to the medieval stonework.
Halls Entries to the Northern Hall and the Norman Hall: dating back to Richard Strongbow (c. 1150-70).
Northern Hall There is little respite from the rain in the roofless rooms…
William Marshal’s Great Tower The wet lawns inside the castle walls are quiet: there are not many visitors today.
The castle isn’t really up to tours in the wet, so it was no surprise that there weren’t many other visitors. Slippery steps prevented us from making the descent into the wogan watergate. Winds on the ramparts tore our newly-bought umbrella to shreds.
But, we learned a lot about political scandal, conflict and the Tudor family ~ all things I might have learned at school, but had long since forgotten…
History is much more fun in a castle – even in the rain.
Morning on the Beach. Ang Thong, Koh Samui, 15 June 2009.
We are having property management problems yet again.
Our little holiday cottage, which sits perched on a quiet beach in Koh Samui, Thailand, has been orphaned once more. The situation is not as serious as it was 18 months ago, but it is still distressing to try to deal with agents and cleaners and bills when we are a couple of oceans and continents away. We keep thinking we should off-load our tiny white elephant.
After all, Koh Samui is far from perfect!
It sits in the Bay of Thailand, where the beaches collect all the flotsam that passing freighters and fishing boats can offer. Over the years, the hillsides have been overdeveloped with condos and resorts, exacerbating preexisting problems with regular flooding. Chrome and glass shopping complexes have gone up everywhere, with apparent disregard for the lack of infrastructure around them. The financial proceeds from the various development projects go directly to the mainland, and it seems as if none of it comes back to improve island roads, water, or electricity. There is a brand new, expanded International Airport – but once you are out of the car park, your life and that of your vehicle are in the hands of the fates. The roads are narrow, congested, in disrepair, and often under water. Getting from the airport to anywhere else can take an eternity.
So, why would you bother?
Breakfast with a View From our balcony, we watch the morning ferry coming into Na Thon Pier, 13 June 2009.
A quick look at a couple of old photos (above and below) might give you a clue. Once you are out of the main resort towns and off the patchy main road that circumnavigates the island, everything is quiet and down to earth. Local people farm the land and fish in the sea. Going through some old albums and the remaining pictures from our last trip cheered me up, and reminded me why we persist in trying to hang on to our island escape.
Low Tide It can be very quiet on our beach! 13 Jun 2009.
The Cliff Each visit to Samui, we drive around the island to enjoy lunch with a superb view, 22 August 2011.
Palms on the Waterfront 13 June 2009.
Derelict Spirit House 20 April 2012 (iPhone)
Iguana All sorts of lizards and geckos hang around our cottage, 19 April 2012.
The last time we were on Koh Samui, the island was playing host to an international Triathlon. During the cycling leg, under a searing sun, we watched as the competitors breezed up our hill from their start at Nathon, many smiling for the camera.
Triathelete, still smiling under the midday sun, 22 April 12.
White-hot, but still smiling, 22 April 2012.
Cycling up long, hot hills was well beyond my energy levels! Although we did pass several delightful days sailing around Koh Phangan and spent one afternoon zip-lining through the jungle canopy, most of our time was occupied in more everyday pursuits like browsing the evening markets. One afternoon, I met with a friend for a walk through her neighbourhood, where we could have been light-years from the modern world.
Buffalo Travel a short distance away from the main road, and you are in true Thai countryside, 24 April 2012.
Bananas Fresh from the tree to the table, 24 April 2012.
Pigs One yard houses pig pens; we assume these animals are slated for the local market, 24 April 2012.
Helping Mum Off a small street in Mae Nam, a young boy helps mum with the cooking.
Old Man with a Story In the shade of a shelter, an elder tells his stories, 24 April 2012.
Sharing My walking companion shares a photo she has made of the older Thai.
Every neighbourhood has a temple…
… and every temple has several Buddhas.
“When I Die” A long row of stupas guards the ashes of neighbours past, 24 April 2012.
Temple Cats This temple houses countless sick and homeless cats and kittens, 24 April 2012.
Chinese Dragons Not far away, a Chinese Temple stands in ornate contrast to its Thai counterpart, Mae Nam.
Offerings Basket of gold trinkets in the Chinese Buddhist temple, Mae Nam, 24 April 2012.
As we walked past the same Chinese temple that I had photographed after dark a few nights before, I reflected on one of Samui’s true simple pleasures: relatively inexpensive, fabulous fresh food, served up al fresco, and accompanied by glorious sunset skies.
Temple Sunset Night skies over the Chinese Temple, Mae Nam,19 April 2012.
Sunset View from our outdoor dinner table, Ang Thong, Koh Samui, 18 April 2012 (iPhone4S).
Night Fishing People on the beach, collecting small animals, Ang Thong,18 April 2012.
View from Dr Frogs Night view over Bo Phut from the hill in Chaweng Noi, 22 August 2011.
Blue Velvet Quiet seas and an inky sky make for calm dining, Maret, Koh Samui, 14 June 2009.
It is these simple pleasures that keep us coming back. We still have hopes of retiring there one day…
IF we ever slow down and IF we can keep the place managed in the mean time.
Nice series of shots, Ursula. Although I tend to agree with your assessment of the current situation there. I was always a regular visitor to the Island, and spent months at a time there, my brother has lived on Samui for over 20 years. But my last visit was around 4 years ago and I doubt very much if I will return. My brother is planning to move his business to another location, maybe even onto the mainland, as he is not enjoying the Island life anymore (the last power cut with days without electricity being the final straw) 🙁ReplyCancel
rand carter -January 31, 2013 - 7:38 pm
Thanks for the nice photos Ursula. I met my wife on Koh Samui 8 years ago. We still enjoy the island, but are dismayed with the excessive 5 star hotel constructions.
We have found that Koh Chang has not, as yet, suffered the fates of Phuket or Samui. We will consider living there when we move back to Thailand.
Samui certainly has its challenges; that last power cut was something!! Still, Thailand has many beautiful places – you just have to look harder these days.
After the Bath A Burmese woman and her child pause on a muddy riverbank so they can have their picture taken.
I’ve said it before: the hospitality, friendliness – and general willingness to be be followed around and photographed – of people in small communities off-the-beaten-track, amazes me.
Coming into Mandalay Green fields and the muddy Ayeyarwady River below.
The sun was barely up as we descended over the Mandalay region last September, landing at that beautiful, modern facility in the middle of nowhere: the brand new Mandalay International Airport in Tada-U. Finished in 2000 at a cost of US$150 million, the airport is thirty-five kilometres south of Mandalay, and so necessitated the building of new roads to the city. Wikipedia suggests the whole enterprise was designed to turn the country into an Asian hub for tourism and business. Other sources have whispered that the building of the airport was intended to advantage a powerful general whose lands are located in the area.
Of course, as soon as you are off the modern “expressway”, you are plunged back into villages where water is pumped and carried by hand and electricity is a foreign concept. What a contrast!
Into the Village Sometimes the “visitors” out-number the locals!
We were ten photo-tour participants, under the able leadership of Karl Grobl and local guide MM. In a village as small as this one outside Amarapura in the Mandalay region, we were at risk of swamping the local population. In spite of this, villagers stopped to smile, or simply ignored us and went about their daily business.
Water Carrier
A Smiling Welcome
Bath Time
Women Bathing
Baling
Still Life: Boats
Ferry Man
Portrait of a Burmese Family As I was taking a picture of a proud dad and mum with their daughter, grandma snuck into the shot.
Old Woman on the Riverbank
A local man takes a break.
Portrait: Cow I love these Asian cows with their gentle floppy ears.
At the Village Pump
Precious Water
Tomorrow’s Dinner?
Through the Window It’s already white-hot outside, but little light enters inside to the breakfast table.
The Kitchen Not a great photo, but an illustration of life’s challenges – imagine making dinner here every night!
A Boy and his Chillies
Just a Boy
Honking Road Traffic
Village Elder
Man at the Gate
“Say Good Bye to the Visitors”
Before long, we were back in our air-conditioned bus and driving north, and the villagers could go back to their work: pumping and carrying water, plowing the fields behind a bullock, tending the chickens and geese, rowing the boats on the river –
What a contrast; multi million dollar airports with multi million dollar infrastructure but the locals are struggling. I hope that the new Burmese openness leads to better living standards for all.ReplyCancel
Gabe …Life upside down, we really do get things wrong sometimes, The beautiful smiles on the faces of these people is so enchanting.ReplyCancel
michael carter -February 15, 2013 - 11:08 am
Ursula, thanks for posting this. It gives a feeling of being there, although I’ve never been to Mandalay. I was in Yangon 2 weeks ago. What a long way Myanmar has to come.
And I love the slideshow at the top. The pic of the Eiffel tower and the people bathing in the river, silhouetted with the reflection on the water – stick in my mind 😉ReplyCancel
Hi Michael,
I’m glad you liked the post. Isn’t Myanmar wonderful? I thoroughly enjoyed my two weeks there, More posts to come: watch this space! 😉
Sorry we didn’t catch up – maybe next time you are in Aus.:-)ReplyCancel
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
The Year of Snake is often seen as difficult, and 
But, we learned a lot about political scandal, conflict and the Tudor family ~ all things I might have learned at school, but had long since forgotten…
Before long, we were back in our air-conditioned bus and driving north, and the villagers could go back to their work: pumping and carrying water, plowing the fields behind a bullock, tending the chickens and geese, rowing the boats on the river –
[…] lost the trail on a bog-covered mountain the day before, and doses of anti-inflammatory drugs overnight had not met the challenge of ageing knees and hip […]