The ring of Kerry.

We’d missed the ring of Kerry and the Skellig ring on our way north so we corrected that on our way back south as well as including a boat trip to see the Skellig islands. The maps I’m including are interactive so you can zoom in for more detail if you want to.

At the moment we’re visiting places faster than I can keep up with on the blog. I really need to work out how my iPad works so that I can get WiFi wherever I am. At present I’m just sat in the Atlantic bar in Kenmare Co. Kerry after having eaten one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a long time. Noreen, the waitress, is lovely and even found out what the orange flower was called for us. it’s Monbretia or Crocosmia.  If you do visit Kenmare get here early or you’ll never find a parking space.

Banna beach is, for obvious reasons, very popular, but because of its size never felt crowded. I had plenty of space to play jumping in the waves and a campervan is the ideal vehicle for getting dried and changed afterwards, saves all that hiding under a towel trying not to show your bum off.

The Rose of Tralee festival was on for two days while we were there, so we found a little harbour along the coast in Castlegregory near Lough Gill and after a good meal and a couple of drinks in a local pub we ended up sharing our campsite with a couple of Irish motorhomes. It was then just a short drive to get back into Tralee the next morning for the festival.

We left the Dingle peninsula the day after and drove onto the ring of Kerry. At random I drove down a little lane and we found ourselves at Rossbeigh Strand, we explored a little track leading from from the main beach car park and discovered a little gem of a place which we didn’t have to share with anybody at all until the morning dog walkers appeared, bliss.

Onto the ring of Kerry proper and we’d been warned that this particular tourist route was very crowded during the summer months, and they weren’t wrong.

Jan popped in here for a word with Paul but he wasn’t there, we only had one drink each because the place was crammed with dogs.

Thanks for the joke Dave, (I’ve used it quite a bit so far).

We’ve been struggling a bit with the weather so far and we’ve had plenty of rain but it’s the low cloud which is really being a nuisance. We had a couple of 1st gear hill climbs driving away from Portmagee and Valentia Island. Skippy struggled manfully up the steep inclines and  around the mountain passes. At several points we were going so slowly that I popped out and walked alongside taking pictures.

and an hour later and another mountain pass….

I’ll call this one done for now but I’d just like to warn any future travellers along these Irish mountain roads. When you see this sign they mean it.

and when they use this one…

They really really mean it. This next sign is more for the pedestrians and basically tells them to run away quickly because cars are falling from the sky.

Thanks for reading.