A favolosa day cycling through Valle d Istria.
Our first full day at our Masseria was exactly that, very full!
The trulli were everywhere and the scenery was stunning. It was such a fun day. I love experiencing the countryside from the saddle of bicycle.
The itinerary for this trip was influenced by the homes we were able to reserve through the home exchange program called Third Home. It is our first time trying the home exchange concept and it has taken us on quite an adventure. We arrived to the Bridinsi airport yesterday evening and our friends, Dorothy and Steve who had arrived earlier in the day, were there to pick us up. We then drove to the beautiful town of Lecce. It was an adventure finding the parking garage and then our accommodations for the night but what is the point of traveling if not for the adventure! We all loved Lecce. It has a beautiful baroque old city center. I know we are tourists, but it sure was nice to visit a city in Italy that was not overrun with throngs of tourists.
The Dimora San Giuseppe was a small boutique hotel located adjacent to a vibrant pedestrian street lined with restaurants and taverns. We grabbed a light bite to eat and celebrated being together again with spritz’s and wine. Then it was off to bed after a long day of travel.
It was an array of small plates we enjoyed together.
It was a misty, blustery morning but Ed and I decided to head out to do the hike to the Sheep’s Head lighthouse anyway; because if not now, when, right?
We had another busy day starting with a visit to the Jamison Distillery in Midleton. It reminded us of Buffalo Trace with its historic building and thoughtful presentation.
As we left the town of Midleton we stopped by the Kindred Spirit Monument dedicated to the Choctaw Tribe for their kindness towards the people of Midleton during the Potato Famine. Take a minute to read the words on the placard. They moved my soul.
Next we visited the seaside village of Kinsale.
On our way back to Baltimore we stopped to visit The Drombeg Stone Circle. It was an incredible site positioned on a knoll above the sea and adjacent to the ruins of a Bronze Age community.
As we headed back to The Boathouse, our home for the week, we drove through the little town square of Baltimore. It was alive with locals enjoying a drink on the delightfully sunny afternoon.
Yesterday we drove clockwise around the Ring of Berea. There were stunning vistas of the sea around every bend and the sheep were everywhere.
We arrived at our little cottage by the sea. “The Boathouse “ is our first home reserved through the home exchange program known as “Third Home”. It is a sweet little cottage with a view of the sea.
Best of all was our reunion with the Shriver’s. dear friends of over 40 years.
We had a very full first day. First we explored Sherkin Island, a short ferry ride from the Baltimore harbor. We intended to rent bikes and ride the rural roads but there was not a bike rental to be found. Instead did a three mile hike along one of the designated routes. It felt like we had the island to ourselves.
We decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and head to Mizen Head with David and Carole. It is the most southwesterly point of Ireland. It was fantastic.
We left the lovely Sheedys B&B in Doolin after an amazing breakfast to drive to our home for a week in Baltimore. It was a blustery day with driving rain. Google Maps decided to play tricks on us and added an hour to our drive. There is something to be said for an old fashioned paper map!
Yesterday was a leisurely day making our way from Galway to the seaside village of Doolin. We drove up through the Burren, 70% of Ireland’s biodiversity is found here in the Burren. I did not take pictures but instead took in the pastoral beauty of this wide open area. I would like to plan a more immersive experience here on our next visit to Ireland. History runs deep here and we only scratched the surface.
Next, we made our way to the Cliffs of Moher. It is a well known destination with the infrastructure to handle the throngs of visitors. It, along with the Burren has been designated a UNESCO Geo Park . It was one of those days that I was thankful to have a little girth to my body. The wind was howling, I mean blow you over type gusts.
Next up was Doolin, a little seaside village known for its Trad music culture. McDermott’s Pub was our destination for the evening. The food was delicious( I had the pan seared salmon on creamed leeks and Ed had Cottage Pie). The music was terrific, but the highlight of the night was experiencing an Irish hen party. These young women were respectful, joyful, and proud of their heritage. They sang Irish folk song, danced jigs, and celebrated the music with the musicians.
Our accommodation for the night was Sheedys B&B. To call it a B&B was an understatement. The bed was one I would like to recreate at home and the breakfast rivaled a 5* restaurant.
On Friday we took the ferry over to the island of Inishmore . We spent the afternoon with Thomas Faherty on his pony trap, exploring the central and western end of the island. It was a lovely way to experience the rural beauty of the island.
We enjoyed dinner at Keogh’s Pub.
A footnote: It was a windy day and the seas were rolling. As Ed said, “they were handing out puke bags like candy on the ferry” . Seriously, be prepared with whatever it takes to avoid getting sea sick.
Staying Salty On The Road 