Thursday 24 June Glengarriff

An easy day today. We were supposed to go to Beara Island and I have been trying to contact the ferry people all day yesterday but they are not answering their phones and I cannot leave a message. Also everybody I spoke to regarding visiting Beara Island asked why were we going there! I think it is a bit barren and mainly for serious walkers and water sport enthusiasts. I wish I had done a bit more preperation before coming out here but just ran out of time.
Instead we are going to go to Garinish Island and Glengarriff.
We leave the hotel at 09:30 for the 25 minute drive around the bay to Glengarriff and our boat to Garinish. Barry, the young man I dealt with, is there ready for us and we are soon on our way. The short crossing is interesting for all of the seals you see basking in the sun and swimming in the sea as well as seeing Maureen O'Hara's house set high in the hills.
The island itself is actually a garden with many different types of exotic plants and trees. There is the Italian Garden, Walled Garden, Woodland Walks, fantastic viewpoints and a Martello Tower.
I am not the world's greatest garden lover but thoroughly enjoyed walking around here on what is another hot day.
At the entrance there is a small cafe with the lovliest looking homemade cakes but I am strong and refuse to eat one even though I am hungry!
Barry and His boat pick us up at 12:15 and we are soon back on the mainland. I drive them the five minutes into Glengarriff where we shall stop for a couple of hours for lunch.
Glengarriff is a pretty little town that is very clean and tidy and full of colourful buildings, about 90% of which are pubs!
I decide to sit in the sun and have a tea and sandwich. The cafe is run by a plump re haired elderly lady who looks a bit harassed having to serve the ten people in the place!
She takes my order of tea and a tuna sandwich and I ask if there are any onions in the sandwich (I hate raw onions). Not at all she says but you may have to wait a while as I'm rushed off my feet! No problem for me, I have a couple of hours to sit in the sun!
As I'm sitting there the lady comes over and asks if I mind the tuna being mixed with mayonaise and could she put lettuce in the sandwich. No problem.
I only wait about ten minutes when my lunch is brought out.
Because I had to wait (!) my tea has been upgraded to a large mug!
What a lovely lady, I almost want to give her a cuddle as she gives me my lunch.
I go inside to pay my €5.50 bill with a €20 note. My new friend doesn't have any change and after scrabbling about in the tip jar and till decides to give me my €20 note back - "Pay me when you are next coming through" she says
I try to protest but she will have none of it. Wonderful and I think typical of her.
I go over the road and buy a paper so I can get some change and return with my lunch money. She is nowhere to be found and after waiting a couple of minutes go behind the counter and leave the money by her till.
I walk away with a smile and a nice feeling inside.
We are back in Bantry by 15:00 leaving the rest of this gorgeous day free.
Dinner is not until 20:00 again tonight so I decide to go out again and eat a bit earlier.
I had a nice chat with the general manager about the meal times and the changing of rooms and he was very open and honest about it all and although I didn't agree with everything he said I now understand why the meals times are so rigid. At the end of the day he is trying to keep everybody happy.
I have a couple of pints in my local The Anchor!!
I then go into a nice looking restaurant called the Brick Oven for my dinner. There are more people than last night but the meal was very average and I didn't really enjoy it that much.
Am back in my room by nine to watch the end of the Holland Cameroon game. How exciting is that!