Wake up early at 05:30 with a wonderful view out of my
window and a long time until breakfast at 08:00! I end up working for an hour
before enjoying another excellent breakfast.
Was going for the cereal and yoghurt this morning but
swerved that in favour of bacon and eggs! And black pudding, white pudding and
a few beanies! Bit of toast as well set me up for the day!
I am not driving today as I need to have one day off the
tachograph so have hired in a local company to take us to Bantry today.
Local isn’t quite true as I find out the coach has come
from Killarney, two hours away! I booked it through the agency I booked the
hotels with and didn’t question their choice but find it hard to believe there
are no nearer coach companies! Cork is closer than Killarney!
The coach, O’Callaghan’s, arrives at 08:15 with us due to
depart at 09:00.
After my breakfast I introduce myself to the driver:
“Hi Jamie” I say
“Jamie” he replies.
At 09:00 we all board his coach and just before we leave
I ask his name again as I’m going to introduce him.
“Jamie” he replies! I thought earlier he had just
repeated my name back to me! What a prat!
I won’t forget his name now!!
So we set off for Bantry on another warm sunny day and an
hour later arrive at Bantry House and Gardens. I only have 18 passengers but it
is cheaper to buy 20 tickets at the group rate of €7 than 18 at the normal rate
of €11. The minimum for a group is 20!
It is all a bit haphazard as the girl in the ticket booth
is French and doesn’t speak a lot of English and it was hard to get enough maps
of the state for everyone, she only wanted to give me four! I end up taking a
batch of them promising to bring back what we don’t need. Jamie says ask the
group to hand them back on the way out!
Bantry House is in a lovely location especially when the
sun is shining but it is in need of a little bit of TLC. The stone steps about
the place are uneven and cracked and potentially dangerous. I didn’t go into
the house as I’d visited it last year.
The gardens are magnificent, full of colour with a lovely
aroma all about.
I need to make a couple of phone calls and what better
way to do that than over a cup of tea, so off I go in search of the tea room.
Located at the side of the house the delightful tea rooms
are in what looks like either the old kitchen or maybe the servants quarters
where they would have prepared the food in days gone by. I love character and
these tea rooms have it and even the seats outside on a patio is all rather
Victorian and regal.
After my tea I go for a walk up the stairway to heaven!
In the middle of the garden is four sets of steps rising high above the house
with 107 to the top. Makes you puff a bit but the view today is worth it with
the garden and house having the blue sea as a backdrop.
You can see an Irish warship in the bay and Jamie tells
me that it is a third of the Irish Navy! The ships mainly patrol fishing waters
and I believe today schoolchildren are being taken out to see the ship.
I stroll back via a woodland park to see the young French
lady as I forgot to get a receipt from her. She can’t help me because the till
is not working! I have to walk back to the house and ask at the main entrance.
The lady there can’t help me but calls somebody who can and after about ten
minutes I walk back to the bus with my receipt.
We depart here at midday and make the two minute drive
Bantry town where we shall have the best part of an hour and a half for lunch.
I do a bit of shopping before enjoying a bowl of soup and
then a sit in the sun to read all about Jose going back to Chelsea. How good is
that news.
We leave here at 13:30 and I sit in the saloon for the
return journey and must admit it is not the most comfortable ride I have ever
had. The coach seems to roll about and I don’t like it. It may be a nearly new
coach (Dutch VDL Hispanic with a DAF engine and leather seats) but I still
prefer my 11 year old Setra and I think the passengers do as well.
We are back at the hotel at 14:30 and say goodbye to
Jamie as he begins his two hour journey back to Killarney.
At 15:00 we are going on a gentle walk with somebody from
the hotel leading the way.
We all meet outside in the sun as Mary introduces herself
as our guide. We have a choice of tours – a longer walk but flatter around the
bay to a beach opposite the hotel or a shorter walk into the village but all
uphill to start with. The gentle beach wins!
Our walk is relaxing and a makes a nice break from the
bus, especially todays! Mary is quite a shy girl who works in the leisure
centre at the hotel but is a local girl and is very happy and keen to answer
any questions. Sometimes the most simple of walks can be the most interesting
and satisfying. I thoroughly enjoy the stroll as we walk along the water’s edge
to the beach far opposite the hotel. There is nothing dramatic or spectacular
but is very pretty and the scenery is lovely and as I’ve said before totally
relaxing.
Back at the hotel we enjoy tea/coffee and very large
chocolate chip biscuits! This really is a super hotel.
I enjoy a couple of pints of the black stuff before an
excellent dinner and then have an early night.
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