Hook's Head Lighthouse

I was up with the sun around 5:45 AM.  It was going to be a day for driving around and finding adventure.  Around two and a half hours south of Dublin is Hook's Head, a beautiful point off the coast in County Wexford, and I thought that would be a great place to start. 

 

That early in the morning the roads were relatively clear, so I sailed along the motorway at the equivalent of around 75 MPH, which was the speed limit, mind you.  120 km/hr to be exact.   My little POS car could barely stand it.  Man did I miss my Challenger...I pictured her sleeping soundly in the garage, covered and quiet, just waiting for me to come home and rev her up. 

I watched as the sun broke through a deep blue sky filled with grey and white puffed up clouds.  They looked like huge mounds of meringue piled high and waiting for someone to take that first sweet bite.  It was a gorgeous Irish day, only a few showers expected here and there.  My luck with weather continued.   As the rays of light filtered through, the green, farm-dotted countryside was a breathtaking sight. 

Fields of hay were dotted across the scene, some harvested and filled with huge hay rolls.  Some farms had scores of dairy cows.  Others had beautiful horses.  Some green fields were occupied with sheep, grazing among the hillsides.  It was natural magnificence in every sense. 
Since I was driving through farmland, every so often there would be large tractors in the road, and they would very kindly wave me by when the street was free of oncoming traffic.  Slow-moving drivers would always move over should I wish to go at a speedy pace, and when I passed I waved a thank you, as was customary.  Everyone in Ireland waves thank yous on the road, and it's such a wonderful break from the ridiculous road-rage on California highways.   Here, even if you cut someone off, which I've had the misfortune of doing accidentally, they come up and look at you as if to say "why are you being rude on the road?" and if you simply wave apologetically, they will accept the apology and wave a "forgiven" back.  People are so much more empathetic here, and I think it is due, in large part, to the fact that Irish people are humble by nature.  In my experience, they don't see themselves as the center of the universe, and so they don't treat people as if they are.  Very refreshing. 

On the way up the coast I saw ruins of crumbling stone houses, hundreds of years old, and next door would be a brand new home.  It perfectly represented the way in which the past fades and gives way to the future.  There is no stopping change. 

At one point I came upon an abandoned house in the middle of a field just off the road, and I simply had to take a picture.  It looked like it was straight out of The Chainsaw Massacre.  I was actually so nervous getting out of the car that I stayed on the road with the car between myself and the house, keys in the the ignition, just in case I needed to make a quick getaway.  iphone zoom was just fine, there was no WAY I was going off the road.  Yes, I'm a total scaredy-cat, but this is not a surprise to anyone who knows me well.  As I was taking the picture (here on the left), my overactive imagination started to kick in and I swore I could see the curtains inside the house moving.  In my mind, they were suddenly pulled back to reveal a dark figure I couldn't make out, then I would blink and the house would be still and silent, as it was.  It's all in my head, and while an overactive imagination can be a wonderful creative tool, it can also scare the shite out of you, as the Irish would say.  As I pulled back onto the road and quickly drove away I imagined a mummy inside the house coming down the pitch black stairway, approaching the door slowly as I left to open it and watch me go.  I have a horrible fear of mummies, so of course that's what I pictured would be in the house.  Tangent- if any of you have a recurring nightmare, you know how horrible it is.  In mine, I'm trapped in a tomb being chased by a mummy...that's why I sleep with a nightlight. :)

BACK to the journey!  Once I arrived at Hook's Head, I saw the wonderful, working lighthouse.  I walked around, took a ton of pictures, and then meandered along the coast.  This was a slightly less sheltered part of Ireland, and it was the first time I had seen real waves since being here.  Dublin is like a bay and the water is always calm.  Seeing the waves crash up against the rocks was wonderful, and I got right up against the surf and wandered around the tide pools.  One of my favorite childhood memories is going to Monterey and Big Sur with the family, wandering around tide pools together and pointing out all the cool creatures inside. 

Once I had my fill of the waves, I went back up to the lighthouse gift shop, poked around a bit, and was on my way in search of other adventures.  If nothing else, driving around and taking in the surreal cloudy sky was enough.  With the huge clouds adding perspective, the sky seemed to go on endlessly, and as I watched the formations, I imagined being able to fly into the heavens, playing in the fluffy playground I could see overhead.