08 July 2012

Day seven

Today is a rest day for me in Killarney. Tomorrow I will start the Ring of Kerry, which will bring me back here in three days, where I'll catch a train to Tralee (skipping the Dingle peninsula to save time) and from there cycle into County Clare.

Slept in, then went to Mass at local cathedral at noon. The building is of course beautiful, but, as an ex-Catholic, Mass always makes me feel a little strange. Nostalgic, a bit sad, out of place. It also reminds me of Franciscan University and I get a little lonely, remembering my friends and professors and all there, many of whom I won't get to see again.

So today I'm a bit lonely and still headachey. I'm going to take a nap, eat something, wander around a bit, eat again. Get ready to start the Ring of Kerry tomorrow.

I need to stop eating so much gluten free processed food because I don't think my body can handle it in these quantities. Like, I had a whole GF cake for breakfast with my tea today. Legally GF stuff here has to be less than 20 ppm (parts per millon) gluten, but if you eat a lot of it you can build up traces in your system until you have a reaction. I don't want that to happen...! More rice and fish for me then. And eggs and bacon and canned beans and peas and peanut butter and trail mix... Daddy told me I should be eating up to 5000 calories a day while on the road, so I don't feel guilty about anything. Doing my best to eat when hungry and keep plenty of snacks to hand--apples, bananas, avocados, trail mix, skittles. (for those of you unfamiliar with my dietary restrictions, I cannot have milk products, soy, or the gluten found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats. I have autoimmune reactions to these things that can last days to weeks and come with a whole host of unpleasant symptoms.)

Mama and Daddy called me last night, which was nice. We talked for an hour or two. I needed that I think. I do miss them a lot. For my whole topsy-turvy life (Dublin is my 21st physical address, remember) it was my mama, daddy, and sister who were constants, y'know? When all the other people and places kept changing.

...I've had the chorus of a song that I made up stuck in my head all day. It doesn't even have like proper words yet, so it's like an annoying person sitting in my head humming the same thing over and over...

I left one of my favourite earrings in the Old Convent hostel, so today I bought a cool new one off a street vendor. Wandered in and out of shops. Found a café named after me (pictured above). Walked a bit along the road, but am trying to take it easy on my knees, so I didn't walk thru the national park here. Instead I shared a ride in a horse-drawn cart (got to sit in front since I wasn't with the group in the back) thru the forest, past the breathtaking lake and islands, to Ross castle and around nearby. The horse's name was Rosie, and she's half Clydesdale. Fellow driving the cart was sweet too. Thick Kerry accent; wore a cowboy hat.

Killarney is full of tourists, but rightfully so. It's nestled in some amazing scenery. Smells Irish.

Misty, overcast day. Hope it doesn't mean rain tomorrow. But no matter what, I'm sure Kerry will live up to its stunning reputation.

Pax.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous09 July, 2012

    The "Jam" cafe, awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like it that you included the horse's name, Rosie. :)

    What does it mean to "smell Irish?"

    ReplyDelete