Tag Archives: lighthouse

Day 18 – To Loop or Not to Loop

One thing was clear, I wanted off this campground asap. All sympathy to non-neurotypical folks, but maybe running a hospitality business is not the right calling for yous. I don’t care if I can eat of the toilet seat if all your quirks and utter inflexibility make the stay annoying at every step. “Can we charge the car?” “No, we don’t do this, electricity is too expensive”. “Can I pay for it?” “No, we generally don’t allow it …” -.-

the western tip of Loop Head

The big question was to head straight for Limerick City or take the 2hrs to go west first to do the loop head to the tip of the loop head peninsula (creative naming, I know). The weather forecast looked like the former, but when we hit the road at 9am, the look at the sky made us fancy our chances. It was the right choice, for sure. Lone single track roads with wild and exciting vistas all the way. A quick stop at the lighthouse at the westernmost point was all we needed. For once, we opted against the tour to go up and moved on. In we came on the southern route to come out again along the northern cliff-side road. Such spectacular views greeted us all along that last stretch that we really had to wonder why we were almost alone here, while fighting for bad vistas with busloads of day-trippers yesterday. This was preferable to us any day of the week!

Medival bridge, likely version 3

After this great morning, it was about a 1.5 hr dive to Limerick. As we could not charge the car yesterday and won’t be able to tonight (or so we though) I headed for a 15 minute top up on a fast charger before going to town to park conveniently at a 22kw AC charger in downtown. The kids slept through the drive and woke back up with enough drowsiness to excuse this slight delay of lunch. Including another short hunt for a free AC charger it took us until 1.15pm to get to the designated lunch place. There was a short queue to get seated when we arrived at the Hook & Ladder as it was still very busy.

up there we must go – for views and fun points

It turned out it was well worth the wait with excellent food all around. Even the kids were great and did not make a scene due to the delayed lunch. Service was nothing short of exemplary, even though the house was packed. A very welcomed change to our last lunch experience. We ended up staying to transition seamlessly into tea time as well.

After that success, Number 3 got his wish as well. Of the few options to go for, we decided the King John’s Castle was our best pick. It was a bit on the pricy side, but that was made up for by an excellent exhibition part. More interactive than Galway City museum, both kids were occupied long enough for me to dive into the meat of the history part. Win-win, I’d say.

After that, all there was left was a slightly late trip to the camp for the night, delayed even further by the fact that I had not realised that it was actually “in” the gated forest park it was named after. So with a final 15 minute detour, we got there, set up and were pretty much ready to collapse after a quick muesli dinner for the kids. No internet or cell phone reception anyway … 😀  

The spectacular northern road back
The southern road towards the Head
too tempting, sorry 😀
Of cause the kids wanted to do the monkey stuff as well …
Part air genasi, the Agent
the western tip of Loop Head
every windmill gets enthusiatically announced by Number 3
The skies are clearing for us once again
If you are wondering, these are wild atlantic way sight markers
So cool, much closer and this feels earned
the last one, I promise
as I said, excellent service – not a word of complaint from the kids either
I want this, more of this
Medival bridge, likely version 3
I’ll let this speak for itself
Number 3 has seen enough museums already that he can draw comparissions
the simple things in life
Kings castle, lost 2 sieges. Still there, though.
that one was a bid dodgy
discussing the finer points of medival armor
exploring the inside
up there we must go – for views and fun points
the views are good
one of seven churches in sight
well deserved – number 3 chickened out. He knows …
Almost out of place, with what little woodlands we have seen so far
cool pitches, right in the tick of it

Day 5 – East

 

the island off the east cape

the island off the east cape

This is as far east as we will go on this trip. If and when we finally reach Frankfurt, we will almost be equal distance away from this place on earth regardless of looking west or east. It also happens to be as far as one can go on the North Island of New Zealand.

As for our day itself: It was a blast. I cannot understand why this region is not more popular and so much undersold. We had a glorious sunny and only mildly chilly day. The landscape reminds me of an enchanting mix of Scotland and the Bretagne. Steep cliffs, hills and paddocks, and then always coming back to the sea.

Tolaga Bay pier

The view back down the pier

Even though we had a late start, we walked down the pier at Tolaga Bay before lunch. We both enjoyed how the powerful surf was crashing against the steep limestone cliff on the one side and the brave lone surfer in it on the other.

Brief side note: Might have met the dumbest sheep yet. It took off from the road full tilt into a fence and got stuck in said fence rather comically.

Lunch alone on the beach at Tokomaru Bay. With Gisborne-grown ripe avocado on toast and local oranges for dessert. Sooooo good.

The absolute highlight though was the ride out to the East Cape lighthouse: Horses with their fowling and the cows with their calves, the surf always right there and the sun in the back down a beautiful gravel road. Later on, the ride back into the sunset was pure magic.

I am further pleased to report that I carried my GPS all the 135m / gazillion steps up to the lighthouse for proof and bragging rights …