Hangin' in Kerry

I'm in my rental house at Castlegregory, on the northern side of the Dingle Peninsula. No internet at the house so I'm at the Seven Hogs, sipping Guinness and eating delicious fish 'n chips whilst using their internet tonight. This area has some of the best beaches in Ireland...long, vast strands that are hugely wide when the tide is out. The weather was sketchy last weekend but made for some fine storm pictures.

From my house you go a couple miles north, and you're at the beach. Go four miles in the other direction, and you're in the midst of the mountains, with gorgeous lochs all round. The country looks and feels like it's about ten thousand feet up in the Sierra or Colorado Rockies...there are patches of forest giving to tundra-like scenes, it's cool and windy...but I'm less than a thousand feet above sea level here! By the way, blow up this pic and check out the stone wall going up the mountain a little to the right of the trees. Some serious work was done to build that!

Near the town of Dingle there are many historic sites from ancient Ireland. Some of the settlers circa 6th-8th centuries AD lived in beehive huts like this one. Looks rugged but they apparently kept the wind and rain out pretty well. And lasted a long time.

Dingle is a small town...only about 2000 people... but it's a major tourist hub. This is a typical street...it's a great place just to walk about and explore. It's only medium lively right now but in summer I guess it's packed. Nicer this way... you can easily get a parking place.

On the peninsula west of Dingle is Gallarus Oratory, an ancient church built circa 11th century. From what I've read, it hasn't been restored...it's remained intact for about a millennium! Couldn't get a shot with no people around as I arrived along with two tour buses.