On to Dingle, County Kerry

XI BLOG Toto Travels 
21 May - Saturday

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Breakfast at Lakeside,with our great hostess, Joan.  We joined the Kennedys for a bit and said goodbye.  We packed, glad we had a car as we had acquired gifts, souvenirs, and extra clothes. Setting off for Shannon to get Mike's bag which was indeed at Aer Lingus, we backtracked to take the ferry across the Shannon River from Killimer in County Shannon to Tarbert in County Kerry.   
A rainy morning and a bit blustery, we were following a lorry when suddenly all came to a halt. As we crept forward, there were cattle in the road, in the wet mess, in the rain. And a farmer and his wife, shouting, waving, slapping cow fannies,  trying desperately to herd the cattle off the road. It was just plain funny (if you weren't the farmer or the wife). After much mooing, yelling, grunting, shoving of bovine bodies, and mud splatters they were by us, leaving us laughing out loud at the spectacle, definitely entertainment for us.
To a small ferry, across the Shannon, and on our way to Dingle via Listowel, Tralee, and several small villages. We diverted toward Dingle via Connor Pass. The weather was worsening, now raining steadily and even hard at times.  Beautiful bits of coastline visible through the misty skies.  Remembering Healy Pass on the Beara Peninsula on a cold, but much nicer day, I asked Mike if Connor Pass was a good idea. Of course, he said no problem. And he was more or less correct, we were one of the few eejits trying to traverse the pass in driving rain with little visibility. 
We climbed out of lush green to mountain country in worsening weather and reducing visibility. Sheep were along the road and the waterfalls were everywhere thanks to the deluge. The pea soup we were peering through was not quite as bad as the morning we awoke to fog on the Big Island of Hawaii, opened our extra- cost room with a view and could not even see the foot path out of our window. I had to laugh then and now.  Then we passed four soaked, bedraggled  sheep and lambs, huddled against a stone barrier fence on the side of the road, looking pathetically through the driving rain at us. It was an "Awwww, poor babies." moment and at the same time it was funny.
As we came down the pass, the mists lifted a bit and we could see some of the loughs in the valleys in the distance. Still a beautiful drive, but only a fraction of the vista promised on post cards.
We parked and ate a late lunch of fish n chips at Harrington's Family Restaurant.  Very good fish n chips, with the traditional accompaniment of Guinness. Then a little browsing in the shops and help at the TI with train schedules.  Back to a BnB called Harbour Nights on the Harbour (imagine that) to check into our harbour view room. Good thing I called from the road, we got the last "view" room and the people that came in with us got the last room.  
There were now short periods of no rain.  Mike took a nap and I took a walk. 

We had seen a place that had a live music session at half 8 instead of the half 9 or half 10 we had seen other places. Mike was never up that "late," but half 8 was doable. We went to John Bennys Pub and had dinner, a pint 'o Guinness and waited for the music. I decided it was a good night for Irish Coffe - cold and rainy - and it tasted great. However through the night, the fried food, Guinness, and Irish Whiskey caught up with me, ugh. But enough about that.
The music was grand trad Irish by accordion and guitar. A female vocalist also performed, Pauline Scanlon, who we were told is becoming a big name in Ireland. She was great, but we liked the trad music. The accordion player, John Benny Moriarity,  owns the pub and is liked much locally as a musician. 
Back to BnB in the pelting rain and strong wind to bed. The wind howled and blew all night, shaking the place at times.  The waves rose to the pavement in a place next door, but we had a seawall.  The TI Lady called it a gale, I would agree heartily.