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Even though I’ve spent the majority of my summer in West Clare’s misty, cool weather, I have still somehow managed to get a pretty good tan. When the sun periodically breaks through the clouds it is dazzling and hot and, considering the large amount of time we’ve spent outdoors these past five weeks, I suppose it’s not surprising that we managed a bit of a suntan. Well, today I realized just how much sun I’ve been exposed to during my stay in Kilkee!
A very angry one-armed crab
Eoin and I spent most of this afternoon observing and gathering a variety of marine life at the Pollock Holes. During the hours we were at the pools, we found the usual assortment of small, orange starfish; periwinkle; a few Sand Goby; three Sea Hares (a type of sea slug), which shot out purple dye when we disturbed them; and two little Hermit Crabs that would not stop fighting until we finally threw one back into a tide pool! A highlight of our excursion today came when a much more seasoned tide pool fisherman was kind enough to give Eoin a one-armed Velvet Swimming Crab to carry around in his bucket for a while! Mr. Seasoned-Fisherman also gave us a thrill when he called us over to see an enormous Spiny Starfish that he and his children managed to catch! Much larger than the orange, Common Starfish that we usually find in abundance, this rarer creature was about a foot in diameter and felt, well – spiny, to the touch!
The jellyfish culprit
All this excitement at the Pollock Holes made the time fly by and before we knew it the tide was beginning to come in and the pools were quickly disappearing around us. We gathered Eoin’s bucket and net and began to make our way back to the shore, with me looking forward to a cup of tea at Diamond Rocks Cafe. However, trouble came in the form of a jellyfish. Not the usual pale lavender Common Jellyfish we have been practically ignoring at this point, this was the larger, Compass Jellyfish with its brown stripes and frilly stingers at the bottom. Eoin managed to see it, catch it in his net and transfer it to his bucket before I was even aware that he was not following me out of the pools. After being called back to witness this treasured catch, and of course, taking the obligatory photograph, I urged him to make a run for the shore before we could no longer do it while staying dry at the same time!
Unfortunately, by this time we, along with a few other people, were standing on a rock island surrounded by water! Luckily, it wasn’t deep enough yet to force us to swim, but we did have to walk through calf-high water to the rocks that led out of the quickly disappearing pools. For Eoin in his Crocs, this was not a problem. However, I was wearing the same leather Keds and sport socks that I have lived in since we arrived in Ireland, the only pair of proper shoes with me. Sure, I could have taken off my shoes and waded through barefoot… however, after witnessing the array of sea creatures we had gathered throughout the day – nothing was going to persuade me to walk barefoot on the rocks through that water! So I risked my Keds and walked through the water in my shoes and socks – not a happy camper. After this, I skipped tea and went straight home to dry my soggy shoes and socks. Not only was I unhappy that my leather shoes were soaked through, but it disturbed me to think how it could have been much worse, with us having to swim to safety – all for the capture of one more exotic sea creature!
Now, with my soaked leather Ked’s stuffed with newspaper and drying out, I am wearing a pair of flip-flops, which I lived in back in Chicago, but haven’t touched since we arrived in Ireland with the weather and the terrain making shoes and sport socks de rigueur. So, after slipping into my unused flip-flops, I was very surprised to look down and see brown legs followed by white ankles and feet! My Kilkee tan!
The Kilkee version of a Farmer's Tan
Yesterday was a sad day for Eoin and me because my daughter, Kate, headed back to Chicago after spending a week with us in Kilkee.
The actress hams it up at the fireside.
Kate’s enthusiasm and the delight she takes in her surroundings – from admiring the grandeur of the cliffs to the tiniest details, like the cup her tea is served in – makes her a kindred spirit and we have great fun together! We laughed our way through The Burren in search of The Burren Perfumery; scared ourselves investigating a holy well at the side of a dark, country road; walked along cliffs and admired the ever-changing views of the sea; took countless drives around Loop Head on bright Irish summer evenings; marvelled at dolphins and ruins; and explored the Pollock Holes – cringing at sea creatures, which Eoin handled with ease.
Kate's "eww" face
We oohed and ahhed over beautiful scenery, baby animals in fields, Irish pottery and handcrafts, cozy, quaint tea shops and even the perfect shade of blue paint that trimmed the windows of a stone cottage!
During our long journey through The Burren in search of the Perfumery, I joked that the three of us were “Thelma and Louise – and Bart Simpson”!
…well Louise, Bart and I had a great time exploring West Clare and sharing the cottage with you and hope you come back again and again! Slán abhaile a Kate!
"Louise" and "Bart" having tea at the quaintest tea shop in The Burren.
Waves and and a seaweed whip - what more does a boy need?
Here is a boy who, even after a winter of taking private swimming lessons to prepare for his summer in Kilkee, still didn’t like to get his face wet, let alone put his head under water!
Now he spends hours in the sea playing in the waves and riding them with his boogie board; looking for, and even picking up, marine life at the Pollock Holes; using seaweed as a toy; exploring the rocky ridge called Tucker; observing the changing tides, crashing waves, rock formations and wildlife around the cliffs; and in general enjoying a life near the sea. Now I am even hearing enthusiastic talk about his plans to surf one day… a prospect I am not as enthusiastic about!
Much of the new Eoin, I credit to his time spent this summer at Nevsail Watersports Summer Camp . Thanks to Nevsail, Eoin is now willing to spend hours in the wild and cold Atlantic Ocean, both at the camp and on his own, afterwards. In the camp, he has had the opportunity to try his hand at such watersports as kayaking, canoeing, boogie boarding, snorkeling and more – and has even spent some time building a raft! The enthusiastic young instructors at the camp have been great about encouraging this shy, hesitant boy to try activities that he would never have attempted otherwise and their kindness and sensitivity have made him feel welcome and comfortable in the camp.
Eoin’s daily explorations around the bay of Kilkee and his experience within the camp, have made him, not only more confident and comfortable with the sea, but more confident in his own skin. This makes every minute I’ve spent squeezing him into, and prying him out of, his wetsuit – and then properly cleaning it after each use – well worth the effort!
The Pantry, O'Curry Street, Kilkee, County Clare
The full Irish breakfast… sausage, rashers, black and white pudding, eggs, a grilled tomato, often beans (but that’s really more English than Irish), a pot of tea and either toast or brown bread served with butter and marmalade. This is what is always offered in the B & B’s, hotels and every restaurant I’ve ever been in that is open in the morning. When in Ireland this is what Declan cannot get enough of, even though he rarely has more than tea and toast for breakfast in the States. The full Irish is as much a part of the Irish experience as the scenery and the pubs!
Well, not for this vegetarian. I don’t eat meat so there goes most of the meal. That pretty much leaves the eggs, tomato, beans, toast and tea… and considering I really don’t like eggs unless they are in the form of an omelette… that leaves tomato, beans, toast and tea. Does this sound appetizing? No!
So while I’ve been in Kilkee I have invented my own “full Irish”, with the help of a delightful little self-serve restaurant called The Pantry. Just a short walk from the hut on Kilkee Beach where I drop Eoin off each morning for his Water Sports Camp, The Pantry is a top-notch restaurant that offers everything from the traditional Full Irish, to a range of gourmet entrées that would destroy any stereotype of Irish cookery. In addition, the baked goods are homemade, fresh and delicious and even the orange juice is fresh squeezed in the morning! Although the scones, several varieties served with cream and their own delicious homemade raspberry jam, are heavenly… I have done my best to limit my scone intake! However, thanks to The Pantry providing me with an assortment of fresh ingredients… fruits, berries, yogurt, granola, homemade muesli, honey and cinnamon… I have been able to create my own personal “full Irish” in a bowl. Add the traditional tea and toast… along with a good book, of course, and breakfast in Kilkee has become a delicious, healthy and enjoyable event each morning!
Janet's Full Irish
Horse and rider on Kilkee Beach in the evening. Photo by Eoin.
Well, we had a bit of a scare, which also turned out to be an embarrassing experience. It all started with a horse galloping on the beach one evening. Eoin and I had just parked on the strand along the beach, on our way to Maud’s Ice Cream Shop for an after dinner treat. As we got out of the car we saw a beautiful horse being ridden back and forth along the shoreline of Kilkee Beach. Of course, we had to stop and behold such a wonderful sight! I took the camera out of my purse and handed it to Eoin and he ran down to the beach to snap a few photos. Finally, the horse and rider left the beach and Eoin and I headed for Maud’s where he chose a strawberry ice cream cone topped with tiny marshmallows and I, a small scoop of the house concoction that consists of vanilla ice cream, caramel and Nutella. Ice cream in hand, we decided to take the long route back to the car and walked down the main street – stopping to laugh at a couple dozen birds maneuvering for their night-time resting spots at the top of the AIB (bank) building, and then continued on back to the strand and up to the car.
It was getting pretty cold and I was in a bit of a hurry to get into the car and head home but was not happy when I spotted the car with what appeared to be a ticket under the windshield wiper. Annoyed and wondering what obscure traffic law I had violated I reached for my keys to unlock the door so we could get out of the spot. That is when I realized my keys were not in my purse pocket where I always keep them! It was late evening and all my keys, those to the cottage as well as the car keys were nowhere to be found in my purse. Panic set in immediately!
The first thing I had to do was go to the only shop we had stopped in, Maude’s. Tired 8-year-old in tow, we made our way to Maude’s in hope that this situation would quickly be resolved. However, after rushing into the shop asking about my keys the owner of the shop and the girl working there shook their heads saying they hadn’t seen any keys. Feeling sheer panic I fretted about how I was going to get keys from the car rental company at 9:30 pm in a town in the far west of Clare, and how I would manage to get into the cottage once I made it back there. The ice cream shop owner looked up the phone number for the Garda for me and then went outside to ask the few people gathered at the front of the shop eating their ice cream. These people came inside to talk to me and assure me everything would be alright. A young man there told me he had served me earlier in the day at the Diamond Rocks Cafe and said he would keep an eye out for my keys. A middle-aged couple offered to bring me back to their house to get the Golden Pages so we could look up the number to the car rental company and for a locksmith if needed. As I left with them the ice cream shop owner took my phone number so he could contact me if he heard anything and also asked that I let him know if I found the keys.
On the way to the couple’s home, which was just a few doors down the street, the man suggested we go back to check the car one more time before making any calls, so we headed down a small lane that brought us back to my car. Just as I had said, the doors were locked and the keys were nowhere in sight. Finally, the man walked to the front of the car and saw the ticket under my front windshield wiper. However, when he said, “This looks like a note”… I suddenly realized that in my panic I had failed to consider that the “ticket” on my car may have been a note! Sure enough, there in the man’s hand was an envelope with a note stating, “Your keys are at O’Mara’s Pub.” That is when the embarrassment set in… I had involved all these nice people in my little drama and it all could have been avoided if I had just stopped to take a look at the paper on my windshield! When I said this to the man holding the note he replied, “You just panicked a bit, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” I thanked him for his help and headed to O’Mara’s where a sweet elderly couple told me they had found my keys sitting on the wall along the beach – right where I had stopped to watch that beautiful horse galloping… right where I set my purse – and apparently my keys – down to get the camera for Eoin. In my usual way, I felt the need to explain the ordeal to the couple who found my keys and told them how I had involved so many people in the search simply because I hadn’t looked at the note on my car. They were very nice of course and the lady smiled and remarked that she remembered passing me earlier on the footpath and that we said “hi” to each other. Next I went back to the ice cream shop, as I had promised to do if I found the keys. Again, I thanked the shop owner for his help and when I mentioned how embarrassed I was for involving so many people, he said, “Sure isn’t that what a community is for?”
After telling this long story to Anton on the phone later that night, he laughed and said, “Mom, it’s good to know you’re the same person in Ireland as you are here!” Well, that might be so, but I prefer to blame it on the horse.
Mates
Safe home Declan!
It was a sad day for us today because Declan left for Chicago and we miss him already! Here are a few photos of Eoin with his best mate in Kilkee…
Checking out a little cliffside cave
Declan & Eoin practicing with their new hurleys and sliotar
Declan and Eoin sitting in "the big nest"
“Mom, sea life is the best thing in the whole world!” … Eoin enthusiastically declared, after a day spent exploring the Pollock Holes in Kilkee!
Declan & Eoin exploring the Pollock Holes together
A swimming starfish
Duggerna Reef is a natural wonder that is located at the southern end of the semi-circle that forms Kilkee Beach. At the inner edge of the reef along the shoreline are the Pollock Holes, which are natural rock pools, that form when the tide is low. Along with three large pools that offer great fun for swimmers, there are many tiny pools scattered about… all teaming with marine life!
Seaweed in a pool I call "Mom's Hair"
The Pollock Holes attract both adults and children alike, many swimming in the large pools and others just wandering about with an eye out for starfish, shellfish, jellyfish and all sorts of assorted seaweed, plant life and living creatures caught in the pools for the day. Many children come equipped with plastic buckets and nets in order to capture sea creatures for a closer look before returning them to the pools. Then it all disappears in the late afternoon with the incoming tide – only to reappear again the next morning!
Local girls holding a live starfish. Their dad said, "Put my redhead in the photo, the Americans will love it!"
Jellyfish are very difficult to photograph!
On our first day in Kilkee we found ourselves so enthralled with the Pollock Holes, that we spent nearly six hours exploring them – only to stop once or twice to refresh ourselves with a break for tea. Eoin was delighted and excited! Now, like most of the other children at the pools, he is equipped with his own net and bucket and is quite sure that the earth’s greatest treasures come from the sea!
Nature's still life
My morning mocha in Kilkee... when iced is not on the menu it's best to have it hot!
While I’m in Kilkee, this is my coffee shop – the patio of the Diamond Rocks Cafe, overlooking the Pollock Holes and the sea, with a great view of the northern part of the bay of Kilkee Beach. I don’t often take a photo of my morning mocha, but this seemed a moment worth capturing! That mocha was the beginning of a day of discovery that had me saying, “Thank you”, silently in my head many times.
Mocha finished, I decided to make the most of the morning and get a bit of exercise by walking along the path called the Cliff Walk, which runs south of the bay along the rocky Atlantic coastline.
The Cliff Walk path
The path passes the Cafe and is visible in the distance going up a sharp incline to the tallest point of the cliffs. Determined to make it up to the top, I set off with exercise on my mind! However, the breathtaking beauty of my surroundings soon pushed away all thoughts of exercise. Quite suddenly, I had an overwhelming sense of wonder at the realization that we had somehow, unwittingly, chosen a humble cottage that is situated so close to such grandeur. Was this just dumb luck, or was it providence? Although we were well aware that our cottage is next to a quaint town with a lovely beach and we knew many of the wonderful sights of West Clare, such as the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher were just a short drive away, we were completely unaware of the treasures that lie in our own “backyard”! 
I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude as I walked along the curving pathway that brought me past one panoramic view after another of magnificent rocky cliffs and reefs with Atlantic waves crashing far below. And as I breathlessly made it up the last steep trek to the top of the highest cliff, I looked back at the path I had just walked upon and out to the wide expanse of the sea before me, with tears in my eyes and goosebumps on my arms, knowing that all this was now, in some small way, mine.
Next shore... America...
Blogging from the Bog 