Dingle first came to my attention on a flight to London. I was flying Ryanair and as most of you know, Ryanair doesn't offer many complimentary services. Thus, when I spotted a magazine in the pocket of the seat in front of me, I quickly grabbed it and began reading, embracing the only free item on the aircraft.
There was a story by a journalist who traveled to the Dingle Peninsula. It highlighted a lot of attractions in the area, including the famous Fungie the Dolphin, the popular surfing spots, as well as the town itself. What really stuck with me is that National Geographic sighted the Dingle Peninsula as "the most beautiful place on earth." I had to go.
On Good Friday, Lauren and I boarded a 6:30am bus for Dublin and subsequently a 7:30 bus for Limerick. With stops in Limerick and Tralee we didn't arrive in Dingle until after 3:00pm.
Upon arrival, we wandered the quaint harbor town shopping and chatting about what we wanted to do the following day. Although Fungie was on both of our lists, ultimately we chose the peninsula over the friendly dolphin. The locals were extremely helpful in all of our queries about bikes and which trail to take ( we couldn't express enough that we were beginner cyclists...)
It was a quiet night in the Hideout Hostel and Dingle alike, as the sale of alcohol is not permitted on Good Friday in Ireland. We went to a movie, ate lots of chocolate and popcorn ( Minstrels...you need to try them) and had an early night.
We awoke early the next morning so that we could get a head start on the peninsula. Confession time: i have not ridden a bicycle in 2 years ( the last time being a quick loop around Lake Calhoun in Uptown two summers ago). But just as the saying goes... I held it together and wasn't too embarrassing all things considered.
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| Interior of the Hostel |
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| "The Hideout Hostel" Best hostel I've stayed in thus far |
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| Cyclists. Luckily we stopped for lunch right before they whizzed by |
Although we did the middle loop ( avoiding the steep mountain pass) we cycled approximately 40 kilometers. It took us about 5 and a half hours including a stop for lunch. Admittedly, there were bumps along the way including 1. problems being in the correct gear for uphills/downhills 2. My chain fell off but Irish man fixed it in less than a minute 3. A procession of 100+ cyclists in a semi-pro race that was unbeknownst to us, taking place behind us and 4. lots and lots of walking our bikes up steep hills.
During the trip, Lauren said something that made me really proud. She said that biking the Dingle Peninsula was the one of the most memorable things that she's done in Ireland so far and would be something that she would specifically remember from her semester abroad. I have to agree that there was something empowering about the two of us biking the entire peninsula on nothing more than a whim. We didn't do any planning save for the hostel and the bus, so the excursion was pretty spontaneous. Although I was less than enthused the morning before about any amount of strenuous activity, I'm glad that my sense of adventure won out against my slothfulness. It truly was an adventure and something that I never will forget.
So, a sincere thank you to Ryanair for inadvertently sending me on my way to one of the most incredible cities in Ireland. And thank you Lauren (and Colin) for suggesting we bike the peninsula. It was the most beautiful kilometers one could ask for.
Before I get ahead of myself and start writing about the Ring of Kerry, here are more pictures from Dingle. Namely, Dingle Bay:
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