Wexford is lovely. It is located near Bannow Bay in the southeast of Ireland, about 2 hours away from Dublin (2 hours and forty minutes by bus). The weather here is about the same as Mid-October weather in DC, 57 degrees, windy, with the occasional showers. However, it stays sunny from the time I wake up in the morning (about 7:30) till about 8:30 at night. A walk here is invigorating no matter what time of day it occurs because of the clear skies and cool breeze.
My days are pretty loosely scheduled. I wake up, either have breakfast or walk the dog, Chica (female German Shepard) who I mentioned before. Then I usually work in the polytunnel, which is short of a rudely constructed green house made of wood and plastic. It tends to be warmer in the tunnel, which means the animals usually are curled up in the corner at some point during the morning. It also means that tomatoes, chilis, sunflowers, cucumbers, flowers, and lettuce can be grown in the cool Ireland fall. Yesterday, I spent a couple of hours watering the plants in the tunnel and gathering tomatoes. I really love tomatoes and was glad that I was able to eat some of them this afternoon for lunch. Then I replanted some lettuce, giving them more room to grow. Today, I was only required to water the tunnel, which means that I had the afternoon free to explore. After lunch, I headed out on a bike towards Hook Head light house on the very tip of the peninsula where I am staying. Unfortunately, the threat of rain turned me back before I reached my destination. I do have to say though that the drivers in Ireland are much nicer to bike riders than drivers in the United States. I think most drivers passing me waved, even though most of the time I wasn't quite sure what side of the road I should be biking on.
Tintern Abbey, a Abbey for monks built in 1200 AD, is located a walks length away from the house. The beautiful structure is well maintained for tourists and locals alike, and the grounds are covered in hiking trails. There is a beautiful old church ruin and graveyard set back from the main bridge to Tintern, which I suspect will become a favorite place of mine in the next couple of weeks. There is also a walled garden, Colclough (don't ask me how you pronounce that for I have no idea), which is currently closed for renovations. On our walk today, Chica and I walked there and back in about an hour.
Walking Chica is different from walking any dog near DC. In fact, I have yet to see a leash in Ireland. I simply walk to Chica, tell her we are going on a walk, and head off the property. She runs ahead to were the driveway meets the road, and waits (not so patiently) for me to catch up. Then when I catch up with her, she runs again. The only time I surpass her on this walk is when she stops to investigate the smells around us. When we disagree on the direction that the walk should take, I give a short whistle, and she deigns to humor me. Though it sounds as if Chica is a young dog, she only gives the appearence of this in the morning. By the evening, Chica moves a bit slower and tires easily.
The cat, on the other hand, barely acknowledges me, except for when I open the door to the warm house and he wants in.
I thought that when Oberlin went back into session that I would miss it. I find that I cannot even conceive of going back, and besides my friends, the only thing I miss is dedicated thinking which I get from having a conversation with anyone on my travels. Kate, my host, is a talkative woman who has firm beliefs on organized religion and American politics. Most of the people who I have met in the UK and Ireland are Obama fans (and not so fond of Bush).
I need to get up early in the morning to replant some more lettuce, so I will leave you now. Good night!
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