Refuge in Doolin
I left Kilronan at 5pm on Sunday evening with mixed feelings and a pack that surely weighed the equivalent of several small children – or one grown man – or a pack filled with Inishmore rocks – or just something really really heavy. Heavy enough that I did wonder as the ferry began to roll rather violently from side to side despite the seemingly calm waters if it was actually due to my extraordinarily weighty luggage putting the boat off balance and whether I should move into the centre of the boat? But we – my luggage and I – made it to Rossaveal harbour without sinking the ferry and its full load of passengers, and after a small struggle between myself and said rogue pack, also made onto the bus. And so it was I found myself once again in Galway city. As I walked back into the main street towards Barnacles hostel, I could feel the stares of the people on the back of my pack…’What an enormous pack’ I could see them thinking, and hear little gasps of amazement. ‘What on earth has she got in that thing?’ they whispered behind hands. Shoes people, its all shoes and handbags. No – Aran sweaters and my Inishmore rock collection.
I spent all of Sunday through Tuesday doing not a hell of alot – sleeping, watching tv, destressing and recooperating.
On Tuesday as planned, I caught the 10.30 bus to Doolin (after once again going through the Eternal Struggle of the Reluctant Pack – AND aswell as my pack I had also to contend with my overfilled daypack, shoulderbag, guitarcase-turned-library and jacket-turned-saddlebags. It felt like gravity had been altered and it was a struggle not to just let myself be flattened into the ground). I was purposely trying to not get my hopes up as I travelled towards a place where I have felt the most content during my Irish travels so far, not wanting to be disappointed on arrival and find goodtimes had in Doolin were more due to the people I spent time with rather than Doolin itself. But as the bus came round a bend in the road, out of the gloom I could see the sun was shining on Doolin. The pastel coloured houses dotted the green landscape (still greener than peas) the Atlantic ocean spread out blue beyond in the distance and I was not disappointed.
My arrival here in Doolin feels like the exact opposite experience of arriving on Inishmore, where the weather was bitter and the hostel much bigger and rather cold. Here, (though its raining now) the sun managed to shine for my arrival (especially for me) despite stormy surrounding skies and huge swells down at the pier. At the hostel there’s an amazingly homely and friendly atmosphere, especially at night when the fire is lit and the living area is full. Oh and there’s free tea! Who could ask for anything more….
Tags: Into the Wild Wild West
Em
How did Kurt Cobain know fish have no feelings?
How did that come up? Weird, just had a conversation about that last night….
Kurt knows everything.
Plus as my co-conspirator pointed out, fish are alien. Its not like eating a cow that has lungs and arms and legs and a nose. Fish dont have noses so its all okay.
Do you think its cool that I can read your mind despite being on a different continent?
Oohh, tricky!!! Can you try me??
Maybe I should try and use my senses and guess what you are thinking…
I think it is part of your duty as sensory nards for you to do the sensing…so hit us with your best shot, fire away….
Found out yesterday that there is a word for people who are vegetarians but eat fish, starts with P and ends in ..tarian but don’t remember it. Why have you P…tarians never told me about this word? and what was the word?? Nardz…I’m waiting to hear what the others are thinking??
the word is pescatarian
http://www.wordspy.com/words/pescetarian.asp
Lyn?? Youre alive! Thanks for gracing us with your extensive vocabulary!
Hope all is well with you….
Sensory Nardz’s senses are not exactly up to stratch, but…
my senses are guessing that you are all reading this blog at this very moment in time.
Am I right??
yes. i’m alive. ang gave me your website address… i hope it wasn’t supposed to be secret from me.
anyway. i found out it can also be spelled piscetarian or something. i guess the ‘pesc/pisc’ bit comes from pisces or something…
such a source of useless knowledge.
Woah Nards spot on with the senses! Your repitoire is growig, not only can you lead others to safety through weed infested waters, but inter-contientally read minds too…ooo….
Weed infested waters? Do tell…
Lyn, its no secret! Im sure I emailed you the address way back when. Anyway you are most welcome round here anytime and its nice to hear from you.
Pretty impressive huh… Should start a show. Call it “5.30 with Sensory Nardz”. N.B – My name is not Imaginative Nardz, hence the crappy show title name.
Hee Hee Nardz, thats just like “5:30 with Jude”, Nardz wants to be just like Jude Dobson when she grows up 🙂