Kinsale:Cove by Cove

                         

We were in the (apparently) famous "Bulman Bar & Restaurant" owned by the O'Sullivans.
We had seen the bright orange colored restaurant earlier in the day when we were hiking along the shore and through the old James Fort. We looked across the water and spied the Bulman and its distinctive orange color and said..."we'll eat there for dinner."
Later in the day we made it.
We had a brew. We had Fish & Chips. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the view.
As I was paying the bill, I stood by the bar and saw a picture on the wall, among many pictures. This one had a vague resemblance to maybe a Beatle or a Monty Python or someone of the 1970's era. The long-haired fellow in the photo was standing in front of the Bulman.
I'm always up for knowing the local history so I asked the barman who was totaling my bill...
"Who's the guy standing in front of the Bulman in that photo?"
"Look around you" he said..."there are hundreds of photos on the walls....I have no idea who any of them are...I just fix the food."
Having struck out on "insights into local history"...I signed my receipt and proceeded to walk back to Kinsale on the path along the coastline.

                          

The freeways of Ireland are as fine as any that I have seen. When it comes to country roads...they pass through areas that can only be described as "bucolic". And I had to wonder what I would do on one of those many bucolic backroads that we have traversed....should we be confronted with an emergency vehicle as we are driving along.

                        

The other day we were winding around on a country road when suddenly I saw in my rear-view mirror a fire truck with lights flashing...right behind me. There really is no where to go but forward until there is sufficient room to pull over and allow the fire truck past. 

       

I sped up....the fire engine hopefully knew I was trying to accomodate his mission and finally there was a turn off into which I skidded to a stop allowing the fire engineer to speed past. It would rather be like a fire truck trying to pass you in the lane between the church and cemetery there at Dublin Community Church....except that you are both going 60 mph.


Looking for a career change? So was this guy....who had a rather complex and complete cappuccino machine mounted in the read of this VW van. He told us that he used to be in construction and wear a hard had and do all that. But, it was getting him down. Now he is a barista at the Kinsale open market...which is a thriving place.

          

I assume he travels around to other areas. Not sure. We noted that he was barefoot as he served us there in the town square. He kindly asked where we were from. We told we were from Ohio. He kindly said that he had never heard of it. We sipped our cappuccino's and moved on. 

           

Guidebooks and the Chamber of Commerce would have us believe that Kinsale on the SE Irish coast is the most popular holiday destination in the country and that it is the center of everything gourmet. 

                   

We see no reason to doubt any of those claims. It has charm. It has stunning coastlines. It has countless charming pubs and restaurants...even if the workers are totally oblivious to its history. Shops. Village markets. Barefoot baristas.

           

Kinsale has it all

                 

We wandered the downtown market, which was busy even on a Tuesday. Earlier in the morning we took a long walk along the shore and cliffs of one of the countless inlets comprising "greater Kinsale."

                      

There are two old military forts. James Fort and Charles Fort. Both from around the 1600's. They guarded the town from, either the French or the Irish themselves or whoever were the military enemies of the day.

                         

One can only imagine what a lonely and isolated military outpost this must have been in 1625 for some young British military "recruit."

                          

The forts were kept in excellent condition...except for when times a peace broke out and then they were apparently abandoned only to be re-occupied in times of trouble. The military in Charles Fort, above.....were doing OK back in the mid-1600's when it occurred to them that the fort which occupied an imposing outcropping of land protecting the harbor....but it was on lower ground than the hills behind it. Their enemies noted that strategic error before the British did.

                       
                 The legendary and fabled "Bulman Restaurant" of Kinsale.

                           

Note the many photos of people and places on the walls....of which nobody has any idea who are in all those pictures..

                               

On my travels...I am always fantasizing about some out of the way place filled with character that I might escape to and which no one would ever find me. Kinsale is hardly a backwater...it's the hub of Ireland's tourist industry. 



But for this Ohio boy...Kinsale fits the bill for my planned escape....and though everyone in Ireland has heard of Kinsale...apparently nobody in Kinsale has heard of Ohio...least of all the barefoot baristas. And I rather like that.

Peace,   Bob











Comments

  1. tandersoSeptember 6, 2018 at 9:14 AM

    Love the blog and pictures! Bucolic, just like Long Bottom, Ohio!

    ReplyDelete

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