Nora Roberts's Travelogue of Ireland:
Kenmare—August 26, 2004
We had clouds, rain, sunshine--all within ten minutes--so we know we're in Ireland. Since we're in the honcho suite here, we have a little private gated entrance for our car. It feels a little In Death like. After a late, lazy start we took ourselves off to Kenmare. We're stunned by the traffic at first as we enter the town--Tidy Town award winner--then see they've got a street fair going on. Find ourselves a parking place on the roadside and walk back. It's mostly food booth, gorgeous food. Breads and cheese, vats of olives, piles of fish and eels. I've never actually seen a pile of eels before. They're a little bit scary, and fascinating. Pretty stacks of handmade soaps, displays of pottery.
I hit a few shops--poor BW--and do a decent chunk of Christmas shopping. There's a silver smith, and I see him working in the back of his shop. Beautiful work, and while I try on three rings, all are too big. But it makes me think about the work itself, and what it would be like to have that talent. Might be an interesting line of work for one of my characters one day.
Just on the edge of town, by the river, is a lovely little stone dance. We walk there, but it's raining and BW forgot to put the memory stick in the camera. We'll go back. I like the feel of the place, the little sizzle in the air as I walk through the stones.
Back to the hotel for a little bite to eat, then a walk along the river. It's such a gorgeous spot, and even though it's a hotel, the path is quiet, feels very private as we stroll and climb our way beside the water with masses of hydrangeas--some in a deep, deep rose--rhodos tall as trees, trees themselves that look prehistoric like Tolkien's Ents.
This, I think, will be a good spot to visit when we bring the whole family over. All of Ireland is kid-friendly, but this hotel has a children's playground, lots of room to run around. And with the spa, pool, horses, tennis courses, and so on, everyone would have something to do.
When we get back to the room, BW stretches out on one of the sofas with the Olympics. He dozes off for a minute while I'm puttering around. Then he reads a bit while I stretch out on the other sofa to watch TV. Next I know it's an hour later. I think we're still adjusting to the travel and the time change.
We're thought to go into town, had checked out some pubs for music. But we eat here, and dinner takes two hours. LOL. Service is very leisurely. The food's good, and there's a table of Americans nearly. I like to try to place the accents. One man I thought Texas. Until I heard the rest of them. Then I think Georgia. Georgia it was, as it turns out, but I'm not convinced the first guy wasn't a transplant from Texsas.
I've got a headache coming on. Irritating. We're too tired to head into a pub, and that's just as well as the headache sneaks toward migraine territory. It's drugs and bed for me.
Slept well once I got there, and slept long again. It's another pretty morning, mix of clouds and sun. BW will have his breakfast, then we're off on a route he picked. Heading south rather than around the Ring of Kerry today. We're never been in that part of the country before, down around Bantry Bay.
We think we'll eat in Kenmare tonight, get some pub grub and some music.
Nora
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