Belleek Pottery, Bangor, Spiddal.

Sensational breakfast including potato cake with the Irish b/f and apricots with yoghurt and cinnamon. Farm stay real quality but also friendly. Set in large picturesque valley. We discussed the pending end of farming subsidies. It's a worry for them and they wonder if they'll be able to keep milking without subsidies.
Visited Belleek Pottery and did the interesting tour.
Longish journey so stopped for lunch at Bangor. Extremely cold and windy but reconstituted veg. soup and tea helped. Drove through peat areas - high altitude so very bleak. Rivers gorgeous - salmon fishing area.
Arrived in Spiddal to even more severe weather. A main reason for staying here is that it's close to the ferry terminal, for crossing to the Aran Islands. The Aran Islands are famous for their knitted sweaters. The main industry for the Aran Islands was always fishing. Sheep were kept for food and wool. The heavy, cable knit sweaters were knitted for the fishermen and each had a personal pattern. It is said that, in the unfortunate occurrence of a shipwreck, a fisherman could be identified by his sweater.
Geraldine is a friendly and helpful host. She offered to book the ferry for us for the next morning. The weather was so bad and the seas so high that it was doubtful the ferry would be running. If it was to run, chances are it will be very rough. The ferry runs from Rosaveel. We drove there just to have a look.
We decided not to go - a real disappointment as there were some things on our list of things to do or see. After Dublin and the Titanic Exhibition, this was number three.
Dinner at Tigh Giblin - fish stir fry as we are in a fishing area.Read more