Ode to the Park
Saturday, May 10th, 2008
Today, I found myself in Killarney to do some bits and pieces for the shop. This last week has been such a whirlwind with the book coming out and lots of other things going on with the business (including a visit by a Japenese TV crew). So I took the opportunity to sneak off for a walk in the National Park.
Each time I go, it is balm to the soul. There is so much peace and beauty in the place, that even when it’s packed with tourists it’s a haven.
Today, however, there weren’t many people about, especially for a dry Saturday. The mood was gentle and lazy. Boatmen chatted or read the paper. Jarveys snoozed on their jaunting cars as their horses grazed away.
The lake rippled, the leaves rustled, and the ducks and swans paddled around aimlessly, even when a dog jumped in beside them to cool down. He emerged quite happy and shook himself. The ducks paid no attention.
A couple of Italian tourists walked ahead of me on the path, then stopped to kiss. I kept on walking. Soon I was alone except for the spectacular abundance of nature.
After an endless winter, spring is finally here on over-drive. The trees are sprouting leaves in record time, and the meadows have blanketed themselves with flowers in the past two weeks.
The scent of them is overwhelming, and as I walked I thought about the week-long trip I booked to Barcelona. It suddenly seemed to be a bit of a mistake.
Who needs Spain with weather like this? Although I’ll be happy enough with the buzz of the city, with the museums, sights, and tapas, perhaps a better vacation would be to simply grab my hiking boots and keep going in the park.
I’ve always wanted to walk the Kerry Way, stopping at bed and breakfasts each night. I have never done it, instead just dipping in and out from time to time. The mountains, however, looked so inviting today and the paths so soft that it was hard to turn away.
Sometime quite soon I’m going to do it. I’ll head to Killarney to take an hour walk and not come home for several days.
Technorati tags: Killarney, Kerry, national park, Ireland
Since Christophe’s son is sadly a bit too young to help out, we’re looking for a production assistant for the summer, with the possibility of the position becoming permanent. So, if you want a summer in Dingle making ice cream, you can send a CV to:
This might interest some of the bakers out there - for our 
I’m feeling very tired, and very happy! Last night we launched the 
Thanks so much to all our friends who came along (some old, some new), thanks to Mary and 
Well, folks, the 
It’s quite exciting to finally have it in our hands and I’m happy enough with the quality of the printing and presentation, and everyone who came along seemed quite happy as well. Michael Healy-Rae (above), the mayor of Kerry, was on hand to wish us well (and eat an ice cream).
