I loved these little towns in Ireland. What excitement it would bring driving around a corner and finding a burst of color amidst the grays and green! The landscape, so rural for such an old country, offered dotted houses over vast areas. These colorful little towns were like finding a cluster of sea glass in a shore of sand.
How inviting they were!
Being an artist and Mike a photographer, it was impossible to keep us away. Like a giant magnet pulling us in, these colorful little towns never failed to put a smile on our faces. This particular one, Portmagee, was on the tip of the Ring of Kerry. We went to see and walk up to the top of Valentia Island. Portmagee was just one of the many wonderful little surprises we found on our journey.
Valentia was across the water and a bridge connected it to the mainland. It was quite an uphill walk to reach the top, but I must say even for an out of shape woman like myself, it was well worth the effort. We walked a fenced-in narrow dirt road? I hesitate to say "road" because other than having two ruts in it, it resembled nothing like the roads I'm accustomed to. There beyond the fence lived cows and sheep, so watching our step was a necessity. The cows didn't seem particularly happy we were on their territory. The sheep on the other hand couldn't have cared any less.
Atop Valentia the sight was magnificent! One could see so far and the landscape carved in and out of the ocean. Other small islands could be seen but the most fantastic view aside from the old tower ruins which stood guard at the pinnacle, was the cliffs just beyond Portmagee. There they rose in an embrace, arms holding back the great Atlantic, protecting the colorful little village. It was as though the rocks themselves felt compassion for the town. Protecting this precious little gem even when it meant holding back the furry an angry ocean can bring. But on this day, all was calm. The ocean and cliffs were at peace. There in the calm of approaching dusk, they coexisted in their vast differences without protest.
It makes me think. Couldn't we learn from nature?
Je me demande qui a des origines irlandaise! Tu es tombée amoureuse de ce pays comme tu es amoureuse de ton irlandais de mari!
ReplyDeleteJ'aime la description que tu fais de ces paysages. Tu les décris aussi bien que tu les peins... gourmande tu es, car tu t'es bien nourrie de perles de couleurs de ce merveilleux écrin qu'est l'irlande.