Monday – Weather close to perfect again. Lots of sunshine. Rains predicted to arrive on Wednesday.
The usual walks in the AM. I walked mostly around the harbor area and enjoyed a hot chocolate at My Boy Blue.
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Late morning we drove to Anascual, small town just a 20-minute drive east of Dingle. It is most noted as the home of Antarctic explorer Tom Crean. We have read several books about him. After retiring from exploring he returned to his birthplace in Anascual and opened a pub, the South Pole Inn. The pub is filled with interesting memorabilia of his journeys. I’ve written about it in past year blog posts. It’s gone downhill under the present owners, so we skipped a return visit.
Anascual is also the home of Jerome O’Connor, a noted sculptor who emigrated to Springfield, Massachusetts. There is a Jerome O’Connor Trust that has a collection of his works on display upstairs at the South Pole Inn.
This trip our goal was a visit to Anascual Lake located in the hills a couple of miles down a narrow side road. We were last there back in 2000. We parked and did a short hike from the lake.
Back in 1976 a French teenager tried to climb the highest peak near the Lake. A local recorded the following on the website for the lake (link in last paragraph). “Not to labour the ‘safety’ message too much, but when I was a kid I saw a French guy being rescued by Mountain Rescue after he scaled the mountain to the left of the lake and got stuck between the two peaks. This guy had no climbing gear, he was wearing runners and put himself at great risk by underestimating just how steep the climb was.” He was more than at great risk. He died. There is a memorial stone.
On the way back to the main road we stopped at the local Anascual cemetery to view the grave of Tom Crean. Interestingly, there are lots of Kennedys buried here – Kennedy is a common local name in the Dingle area.
Then it was home to Dingle for sandwiches and a nap. After a quiet afternoon at home, we had cocktails outside on our warmest day yet. I barbecued burgers for dinner – delicious West Kerry beef from Kennedy’s Butcher Shop. And off to bed.
Oh, You guys are really lucking out with the weather and certainly making the most of it with the hikes. Beautiful sunshine makes for beautiful pictures. The scenery is spectacular. Do you think the sheep outnumber the humans on the road to Anascual?
Making the most of the weather I see. Your hikes are great. We just had another snow storm and lost half the maple tree out front. Over winter, so ready for summer. Take care……Cindy
Wow those roads are SKINNY!!! And with sheep and lambs, Oh MY!!
Had a bad fall 4/26. In the hospital and had surgery last week. They fused 3 vertebrae in my neck. Now in rehab. Lino has details when you get home.