So far the Irish haven’t been winning awards for poetic naming. Today’s example was an incredibly picturesque pass through the mountains, full of flowers, streams and lakes, which leads to the town of Dunloe. The Irish name for it? The Gap of Dunloe. Nearby, one of the country’s dozens of “Upper Lakes” reinforces the Irish penchant for the prosaic. While the Gap is technically a public road, it’s a tiny, narrow road filled with cyclists, hikers, and “jaunting cars”, aka horse drawn carriages, so driving is discouraged. We hiked a few miles of it, but may return early tomorrow to traverse the rest in our vehicle if the weather is good and before the crowds make driving a hazard. I enjoyed the scenery along the route, while Audrey continued to talk to the sheep, and also made friends with a few horses along the way.
The afternoon took us on a short boat trip across Loch Lein, followed by an encounter with the friendliest deer in the world; this tiny sika deer was hanging out next to the trail and was more like a cat than a deer, waiting for passerby to rub its neck or scratch its shoulder. Had I been wagering on whether Audrey would get to pet a sheep or a deer first on this trip, I would have lost that wager.
