Saturday, January 9, 2010

We have had a very busy few days here in County Cork.  We were staying at the home of our new best friend, Sheila, in Ahakista, on Sheep's Head Peninsula, until today.  **Keep this house in mind for future house swaps or guest cottage vacations.**  For the next two weeks, for sure, Kevin and I will be resting and relaxing not far from here, on Sheep's Head Peninsula, at Carbery Guest Cottage (photos of Carbery to follow, much farther down the page).

This is a one hundred year old stone house Sheila has remodeled and is enlarging by adding on an extension.

The view from the front of the house out to Dunmanus Bay.

Kevin blackened the stove wearing two pairs of socks - lot of good they were.

The cold froze the water pipes again.  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Kevin and I successfully recreated the recipe and made our own loaf of rye bread.

A quick, scenic, twenty minute drive takes us to Bantry.

Kevin and I had shepherd's pie at Cotter's Floury Hands.  We were the only Cotters in the place.  Turns out, Dr. Cotter owns the building and leases to Floury Hands. 

The weather is still very cold, but the sunshine is very warming.  This is the town square, with view of Bantry Bay.

Found this in the supermarket:

We didn't buy it though, we bought the tea cake (below), baked in West Cork, took it home and heated it in the oven for our brunch.  I moved the icing from the top of the loaf and spread it on the slices, along with butter.  Did not need the orange marmalade (coarse cut).

Five minutes from Bantry, off the main road, more icy roads . . . .   

Kevin and I headed towards Sheep's Head Peninsula, deciding to make the drive out to the lighthouse.  It was spectacular, as you can see . . . . . . .

"Fastnet Mussels" farming the bay, below:

Back from lighthouse on point, through Ahakista and towards Durrus, up to Carbery Cottage . . . .

The guest house is to the right of the main house.  Brilliant!

The view out our front room.  Those are two shaggy ponies with their long winter coats.

We can see the bay from our bedroom on the back of the cottage.  Lovely!

Kevin and I will be here for awhile, until the roads heading north are more passable and Dublin airport is less treacherous from which to travel.

I cannot stress enough the severity of the cold weather for the past three weeks (with another week of the same predicted).  The evening and morning news reports are dire.  Sheep are buried under snow (up to 20') on the mountains, grit for the roads is being rationed, water pipes are freezing, the military is busy helping as much as can with people in rural areas who have run out of food and medicine and cannot travel, etc.  It's been 47 years since the cold has been this bad, for so long.

Thankfully, Kevin and I are warm and toasty where we are, and the road to town is clear.  Aloha hui hou.

****Just looked out the window and saw flurries of snow falling from the sky, oh my!****