Our European Adventure: A Dingle Merry Christmas

Christmas Day brought much better weather so instead of staying in and relaxing we set out to explore the Dingle Peninsula. Of course as is often the case with us, getting to a destination is often as entertaining as the destination itself, and driving to Dingle on Christmas Day was no different. Thanks in large part to the fact that our arrival in Dublin was delayed until 9:30 PM on Christmas Eve due to rough seas we weren’t able to fill the car up with petrol on our way to the cottage as all the stations were closed for the evening. So we started out our journey to Dingle the next day with 77 miles to empty and a 300+ mile round trip ahead of us on Christmas Day.

Now most people we know have asked what it’s like driving in the UK and typically my response refers to driving on the opposite side of the road. However, I should also stress that finding a place to fill up your vehicle can be surprisingly difficult. In the US it feels as if there is a gas station every few blocks in the cities and at every exit off the Interstates. In the UK, and most of the rest of Europe for that matter, gas stations are far more sparsely located, and even though we’ve lived here for nearly three years I’m still not used to strategically planning fuel stops for the sole purpose of not running out during the journey. So after nearly fifty miles of driving and no sign of petrol station in sight I was beginning to get a little uneasy about our chances of making it back to the cottage, much less finding our way around the Dingle Peninsula.

We eventually reached the town of Mitchell which consisted of two stop lights, a large commercial dairy and even more importantly two petrol stations. I drove past the first one we came to as it appeared to be closed and didn’t have a pay at the pump option so I pulled into the second station a hundred yards further down. A strong sense of foreboding struck me as I peered through the windshield at a darkened station, again no pay at the pump. While try to push aside my feelings of despair and extreme disappointment Amanda looked across the street towards the first station we passed and noticed a vehicle parked in the corner that wasn’t visible from the road as we drove by. With renewed hope we motored back the way we came and I quickly hopped out of the car and made my way to the door of the station. As I approached I could see someone inside and when I took hold of the handle and gave it a tug it pulled open, granting me access and a welling hope that all was not lost.

As I crossed the threshold it was apparent that the father-daughter team standing at the register were intent on this being a day of re-organization as displays were oddly located throughout the shop and merchandise was haphazardly spread across the counters. Not two steps into my approach the daughter looked up and in a lyrical tone informed me that they were closed for Christmas. Undeterred I continued my approach to the counter stating that all I need was to fill up so that I could make it to my destination. The father, sensing my plight, gave a sigh and told me in a much thicker accent that if I was willing to pay by credit card he would turn one of the pumps on for me. Absolutely, I proclaimed and hurried out the door to fill the car before the opportunity was lost. On returning to the shop to pay I thanked the pair profusely and attempted to answer their inquisitive nature but the father’s accent was so strong I had difficulty following along. I believe he was asking me if there was anything else I needed and if the amount of gas I had purchased would be enough to get me where I wanted to go so I thanked him again, wished them both a Merry Christmas and tried to express my gratitude as much as possible without going all French in the situation. I just didn’t get the sense that this grizzled Irishman would have appreciate a couple of pecks on his cheek, much less the cheeks of his daughter. C’est la vie I suppose.As I re-entered the car and began pulling out of the station I relayed the entire tail to Amanda along with our brief discussion of the weather Ireland had seen for the last week and she just shook her head wondering how so much could happen in the span of a five minute fill up.

Thankfully the rest of our drive to Dingle was uneventful and we quickly settled in to enjoying the beautiful Irish countryside.

The Dingle Peninsula represents the western most point of Western Europe, so in a sense we spent Christmas day as close to home as physically possible whilst still being in Europe. We still missed all of our family and friends but looking out across the Atlantic Ocean we knew we would see them all again soon.

The town of Dingle is quaint and while not quite picturesque still has a distinctively Irish charm to it. This could partly owe to the fact that all the road signs in the surrounding area are in Irish Gaelic.

As is often the case, our visit to Dingle was due in large part due to the recommendation of one Rick Steve’s and the self guided driving tour he provides in his Ireland guide book, which did not disappoint. Of the many things we learned while Amanda took the wheel for the driving tour was that two rather famous movies were set in Dingle (‘Ryan’s Daughter’ and ‘Far and Away’) thanks in large part to its rugged and austere landscape. We also learned that I am rather rubbish when it comes to directing a driving tour as we always seemed to be either one or two stops ahead of my narration of the self guided tour. Unfortunately this means that for most of the photos I have absolutely no clue whether or not the picture matches the description I was reading at the time. So instead of trying to work my way back through the driving tour and attributing the photos to their supposed descriptions I’ll simply let you enjoy images of the amazing scenery sans likely incorrect descriptions. Hope you enjoy and rest easy in the knowledge that Amanda took tour guide duties away from me for the rest of the trip.