on the road less travelled in Ireland and france

After 10 days of exploring Ireland, Fran and Conal were ready for a down day: Grab a cup of tea, a good book and listen to the sound of rain on the roof.

STATS FOR COBH IN OCTOBER: 7am: Eight Degrees, feels like  four. Forecast: Rain and Gale Force 8 winds. Dawn: 7.26am. Sunrise: 8am. Length of day: 10.35 hours.

By Conal Healy

October 17, 2023, Cobh, County Cork: After 10 days on the road, Fran and I were ready for a break. With a storm raging outside, we decided to call a Lay Day.

A Lay Day is a surfing term. During a surfing competition, if the quality of surfable waves drops (but are likely to reform later) the organisers will postpone the contest for a day (or two). This will allow the surfers to rest, recuperate, and relax.

The tastefully presented, recently-renovated stone-wall cottage where we were staying had been a dairy in a previous life.

What do you do on a Lay Day in Cobh? Read, drink cups of tea, repack the suitcases, recharge all the phones/cameras, listen to the rain falling on the window. See the branches of the trees outside swaying in the gale, and wonder if it is time for another cup of tea.

The downtime allowed us to process a holiday that was rapidly becoming a bit of a blur. It was a chance for us to take stock and appreciate what we had seen so far during our stay in Ireland.

The break also gave us a chance to decide what we do next.

The Irish Met service were warning people in our part of Ireland to remain indoor and stay off the road until the worst of the Storm Babette had passed. How long was that? Two, maybe four days.

Travelling to West Cork, even on a fine, sunny day, can be a challenge – the road network can be a challenge. The scenery in this part of Ireland has variously been called “remote” and “violent”.

We had plans to drive the magnificent Bearna Peninsula, drop in Bantry, walk to Sheep’s Head and visit Dunboy Castle.  

If you throw in heavy rain, storm force winds … well, it isn’t going make for pleasant driving, and the gob-smacking scenery and the other sights will be hidden for most of the time.

 Do we go west? Or cut our losses and head back to Dublin.

Or shall we have another cup of tea … Oh, and are there any chocolate biscuits left?