Holidays

Grandad January 25th, 2010

It’s that time of year to start contemplating a spot of a holiday.

For the last two years, we toddled over the water to France.  The plan is not to go again this year.  There are a couple of reasons for this – we feel like a change, and there was that rather nasty letter we got from the Gendarmerie telling us that we’re not welcome any more.  How the hell was I supposed to know that you need a special permit to hunt tourists in France?

We thought we would spend a couple of weeks on home soil for a change.  It is quite a while since we had a holiday here, so we felt that a change is as good as a rest.

I don’t know why, but we both fancy a trip to the Bantry area.  We used to holiday a lot there and have stayed in most parts of West Cork.  We even spent part of our honeymoon in Crookhaven, in the first week of February.  If you can tolerate West Cork in the first week in February, you can tolerate anything.

I have lovely memories from the past.  There was the day we drove from Kenmare to Glengariff and stopped to watch the Betelgeuse burn.  There was the holiday we spent in Castletown and watched the planes take part in the Air India disaster.  Happy days.

So I am now on the lookout for somewhere to stay.  Maybe one of my readers can help?

We are very flexible in our requirements.  Our basic needs are very simple.

  • Must be not too far from Bantry.
  • Must accept dogs.
  • Must allow smoking.
  • Must be within walking distance of a pub that allows smoking.
  • Must be quiet.
  • Must be close to shops and amenities.
  • Must be reasonably priced.
  • Not interested in a pool, but broadband would be nice.

There.  I told you we were flexible.

Let the offers roll in……..

26 Responses to “Holidays”

  1. Cap'n Con UNITED KINGDOMon 25 Jan 2010 at 2:42 pm

    I’d recommend Cape Clear or any of the islands around Roaringwater Bay Grandad and its easy to get a ferry back and forth to ‘Ireland’ as the islanders say. Skibb is not too far away from Baltimore although I don’t know about the smoking facilities.

    Sherkin Island is a lovely place IMHO but its hard to tell what different people would like. But if you are into West Cork and are an easygoing sort of lad there’s good evenings in the pubs down that way…

  2. Cap'n Con UNITED KINGDOMon 25 Jan 2010 at 3:01 pm

    Oh- bring a heavy geansai and a Herself for carrying the bags.

  3. robert IRELANDon 25 Jan 2010 at 3:16 pm

    Ah. Memories, spent all my summer holidays down in Crookhaven for about 10 years. Of course being relatively poor we stayed in the sand dunes of Barley Cove for free. Some great memories of that place.

    If you are around the East Cork area give me a shout. I can pitch a tent out in the garden for ye.
    robert´s last brainfart .. Server Administrator in Training

  4. Grandad IRELANDon 25 Jan 2010 at 3:47 pm

    Cap’n – The idea of an island holiday appeals.  There is one slight snag though.  For various reasons, I can see us traveling around a lot [we want to see a lot of places] so an island would be a tad restricting.  I went to Clear Island once.  Lovely spot.  And of course I’ll be bringing Herself to carry the bags.  That’s what she’s for.

    Robert – I have great memories of trying to get our old Ford Prefect out of the sand in Barley Cove back in the ’50s.  That was when I started learning my vast store of cuss words.  Herself doesn’t like tents.  Do you have a coal shed?

  5. paulo1 CANADAon 25 Jan 2010 at 3:50 pm

    Is it just me or do two disasters that took the lives of almost four hundred men women and children fall somewhat short of what could reasonably be remembered as “happy days”?

  6. tt UNITED STATESon 25 Jan 2010 at 3:53 pm

    Craggy Island ?

  7. robert IRELANDon 25 Jan 2010 at 3:54 pm

    We have a shed in which we keep the coal amonst other things. The central heating boiler is in there too so it would be nice and warm.
    robert´s last brainfart .. Server Administrator in Training

  8. Grandad IRELANDon 25 Jan 2010 at 3:59 pm

    Paulo1 – For God’s sake – the holidays were happy days, not the disasters.  What do you take me for?

    TT – Islands are out, as I said above.  I don’t think there’s a bridge to Craggy Island?

    Robert – It sounds just like home from home.  She’ll be delighted.  Sharon and I will have a double if you have one?

  9. robert IRELANDon 25 Jan 2010 at 4:04 pm

    It can be arranged..
    robert´s last brainfart .. Server Administrator in Training

  10. tt UNITED STATESon 25 Jan 2010 at 7:28 pm

    Maybe you should vacation in the city of Bantry, North Dakota. With a population of 19 you could wipe out a whole city.

  11. Grandad IRELANDon 25 Jan 2010 at 8:03 pm

    City?  That is the weirdest place I have ever seen.  It’s a large field laid out with a grid of country lanes in the middle of nowhere!  I wish you lot would stop confusing things by robbing our place names……

  12. Mick on 25 Jan 2010 at 9:19 pm

    6 miles from Bantry here GD – you realise you’ll be a tourist in our patch, and we’re not as soft as ye wicklow fellas! ;-)

    Will keep ear to ground, and if ye’re ‘crossin the border’ in August don’t forget the Ballydehob Summer Festival – well worth a blog post :-)

    Hotel? Cottage? Tent? Hole in the ground?

    PS: put tractor wheels on motor beforehand!

    Oh, and if you’re on FB – check out http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/photo.php?pid=622401&id=1578436655 (to get in the mood).
    Mick´s last brainfart .. The Emigrant Irish – A Vote

  13. tt UNITED STATESon 25 Jan 2010 at 9:23 pm

    You could twin it with your place.

  14. Kate UNITED KINGDOMon 25 Jan 2010 at 9:37 pm

    See I only really know Wicklow and I have the most beautiful photos that my Dad took!!!! So… I can’t really help…. I’m off to Singapore in March and from what I can see smoking is banned there!!!!
    Kate´s last brainfart .. Electric Shocks!!!

  15. paulo1 CANADAon 25 Jan 2010 at 9:55 pm

    It wasn’t me who put those sentences together.

  16. Becky UNITED KINGDOMon 25 Jan 2010 at 10:29 pm

    oh for fucks sake paulo

  17. TheChrisD IRELANDon 25 Jan 2010 at 11:14 pm

    I think Will Knott’s place ticks most of those boxes, maybe you should see if you can stay in his house for your holiday :D

  18. paulo1 CANADAon 26 Jan 2010 at 12:46 am

    Yes, Becky?
    I know Granddad is a fine old curmudgeon who wouldn’t hurt a fly that didn’t have it coming to him but I think he slipped a gear when he composed that paragraph. Could you just go back and read it again?

  19. Grandad IRELANDon 26 Jan 2010 at 1:01 am

    Mick – Thanks for the Facebook link ["this content is currently unavailable" What??].  A cottage will be fine.  I have no objections to hotels, but I don’t want Herself to feel spoilt.  As for Wicklow lads being soft?  Hahahahahahaha!!!

    TT – Too flat.

    Kate – Are you going to tell me all about Wicklow?  I’m not sure how I’m going to break this to you but………….. !

    TheChrisD – Will Will not mind having to live in his back garden?  Maybe knott?

    Paulo – For fuck’s sake!!  Stop being so pedantic.
     

  20. Mick on 26 Jan 2010 at 1:07 am

    Hmmm…

    http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=ballydehob&init=quick#/photo.php?pid=622401&id=1578436655

    ??
    Mick´s last brainfart .. The Emigrant Irish – A Vote

  21. paulo1 CANADAon 26 Jan 2010 at 1:12 am

    As I suggested to Becky, re-read the effing paragraph. Objecting to linking two horrific disasters with the phrase ‘ happy days’ is anything but pedantic, a word, incidentally, that you don’t seem to understand. Or is that observation also too pedantic for you?

  22. Mick on 26 Jan 2010 at 1:15 am

    ‘Happy days’ in the context written actually means the opposite. Falls into the category of irony.
    Mick´s last brainfart .. The Emigrant Irish – A Vote

  23. Grandad IRELANDon 26 Jan 2010 at 1:16 am

    Mick – Why do you keep sending me a link to a page that says “this content is currently unavailable”?

    Paulo – I was using the word ‘pedantic’ there in the sense of insisting on taking the precise literal meaning.  I think it’s a reasonable use of the word?

  24. Grandad IRELANDon 26 Jan 2010 at 1:18 am

    Mick – Thank you.  *sigh*

  25. Mick on 26 Jan 2010 at 1:20 am

    Just to annoy the hell out of ya!
    :-)
    Mick´s last brainfart .. The Emigrant Irish – A Vote

  26. paulo1 CANADAon 26 Jan 2010 at 2:06 am

    Still don’t get it but I give up.

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