Today we drove through the countryside of Ireland to the town of Dingle and farther then around a hook of the coast. With no embellishment, this landscape was the most beautiful I have ever seen. Before reaching Dingle, the hills slanted down around both our sides, different shades of green with hedgerows between them as partitions, sheep in flocks, each with varying lines or spots of paint in their wool to mark them off for their farmer’s purposes. Despite earlier forecasts of torrential rain, the sun shined down over the peaks of the hills. Streams ran turbulently and clear through gullies siding the road. We passed through Dingle, a town lined with enticing shops and artwork along its sidewalks, and then we took the roads after it, careens and sometimes switchbacks through the high hills. Our coach driver, Tom, parked on the shoulder and verified with an old woman that we could still pay her two euro to explore the ancient rock forts on her property, which has been passed down through the generations to her. Alongside us during this and after when we piled back into the coach: the ocean to our left, from the cliff sides just a giant gorgeous swell of rolling jade waves. It was a fantastic day.
k j Hall