Manatee County is blessed with a collection of nature preserves, several fairly close by. We returned to Robinson Preserve twice in the past two weeks with my visiting sisters and brothers-in-law. It’s a great place for a winding walk up, down, and around several bodies of water. Each time we were rewarded with bird sightings, particularly a large group of white pelicans. With binoculars in hand, our guests were also able to spot the occasional songbird, along with here and there a little blue heron.
Art Show
This past weekend was our local art show. Residents were invited to register to display their creative work. The range of pieces from more than twenty individuals included paintings, jewelry, photography, quilts and needlepoint, ceramics, baskets, and even fused glass art. Not surprisingly, there were many bird photographs, both of local tropical birds and songbirds. For the record, the Chief Penguin and I each had several of our photos on display too. It was a most enjoyable afternoon event showcasing local talent.
We’d been told many of our neighbors had already discovered this newish Bradenton restaurant, but we just had our first meal with friends. It was a weeknight, but still very much a happening place! Mean Dean’s has a large space with bar seating and lots of booths. Fortunately, we had a reservation and were seated right away.
The menu is extensive with everything from spinach dip and fried calamari to soups, salads, and tacos to a variety of meat and seafood entrees. Think comfort food. Among the four of us, we sampled the shrimp and grits, lobster lasagna, fish and chips, and the short rib over a Thai peanut sauce. The lasagna and the short rib were probably the standouts.
Shrimp and grits
Portions are generous, and everything was tasty! The noise level is boisterous so don’t expect a romantic interlude. We will return, perhaps after the snowbirds depart.
WHAT I’M READING
Jane Harper’s latest mystery, Exiles, is off to a promising start and is a welcome change of pace from my last long book. Set in Australia, it again features Aaron Falk, a financial detective. I’ve read all of Harper’s previous books and am a big fan of hers.
Our itinerary stated that we would explore the Wild Atlantic Way including along the Dingle Peninsula and then out to Slea Head on one of the points. If we thought that the interior roads we’d been on were narrow, the Slea Head road was known to be even narrower and not very accommodating of more than one car side by side, let along a car and a tour bus.
Common sense being the better part of valor and both of us wanting to experience this dramatic landscape, the Chief Penguin investigated whether we could get a driver for this day trip on the spur of the moment. Lo and behold, the very efficient hotel staff receptionist made a call and one of their favorite drivers was free right then! Hastily scooping up jackets and cameras, we quickly met Paudie Murphy in the lobby. This adventure would take about five hours.
WHO
Paudie Murphy is a big man in spirit and adventure. In his early 60’s, he spent more than 30 years as a policeman and after retiring from the force, took up offering private tours. Based in Killarney, he has been doing this for the past 10 years. He was professional, knowledgeable (pointed out local landmarks as we left Killarney: castle, bishop’s residence, boys’ school, e.g.), calm, and a skilled driver. A world traveler himself, he brought a wider perspective to the sights we would see than we might have anticipated. We couldn’t have asked for a more seasoned guide and would gladly choose him again. He does business as Wild Atlantic Tours and his web site is: www.wildatlantictours.ie. Contact info is: wildatlantictours@gmail.com.
THE SCENERY
The reason to drive the Dingle Peninsula and Slea Head is the scenery. It is a mix of beaches, farmlands arranged patchwork style on the gentle hills, islands, stone ruins, and jagged outcroppings of rock. Leaving Killarney, you travel north to the town of Castlemaine and then head west along the lower side of the Dingle Peninsula, this stretch called the Wild Atlantic Way. Our first stop was Inch Beach, a pretty stretch of tawny sand where we watched a man walking and training his horse along the waterline.
Patchwork of green fields
Continuing the drive, we went on to Dingle, the largest little burg in the area, where we had ham and cheese toasties for a quick lunch at Paudie’s Cafe in the Dingle Hotel. Driver Paudie (no connection to cafe owner) recommended this cafe. The bread was excellent, the ham and cheese tasty, the lettuce with the cole slaw perfectly fresh, and the service as speedy as we’d hoped. Like other Irish towns, many of the building facades are painted in strong colors. You cannot miss the cranberry red of the hotel.
Hotel in Dingle, home of Paudie’s Cafe
As we made our way onto the narrow Slea Head route, our driver knew just where to stop to get the best photos. The Chief Penguin made good use of his big camera with its strong telephoto lens. Even I broke out my “real camera” as I refer to my SONY, and used it as well as my iPhone. A cove at Ventry Beach was the scene of one set of photos, including several the driver took of us.
Ventry Beach & Harbour
Up the road from Ventry Beach cove
As we continued around the head, it became more rural and the coastline more dramatic. Drivers are encouraged, but not required, to drive the route clockwise so that most everyone is headed in the same direction. This minimizes the number of times you have to pass someone mirror to mirror or back up to let another car or tour bus come by.
View on Slea Head route
Clouds, mist and green expanses
Having made the loop around Slea Head and coming back south to Dingle, Paudie then took us north along the Conor Pass. This road runs basically parallel to the Wild Atlantic Way, but is, by far, the narrowest and the most winding road of the day. Up and down hills and mountain and around until we reached the outskirts of Tralee.
Blennerville Windmill, Tralee
Here we stopped to gaze upon the Blennerville Windmill. It is the largest windmill in Ireland at about 60 feet tall, is a working windmill of five stories, and today grinds wheat. Built in 1800, it was restored in the 1980’s after a long period of disuse. Tralee was also a port of embarkation for people leaving Ireland during the great famine.
From Tralee, it was a relatively easy drive south on Route N22 back to Killarney where we arrived at 4:30 p.m. We did dinner on the town at Quinlan’s Mad Monk restaurant. The Quinlan family are known for their exceedingly fresh seafood and fish. We shared a starter of lightly fried calamari with chili jam and a small green salad. The Chief Penguin enjoyed his proper scampi (breaded and fried little shrimp) with chips and salad.
Salmon fillet on potatoes with carrot purée
My panfried fillet of salmon was heavenly, some of the best I’ve ever had. Moist and delectable. It came with their version of Lyonnaise potatoes with asparagus spears on top and a ring of carrot purée (an unusual touch) around it. This was a memorable meal.
After dinner we strolled across the street to a carnival with a choice of rides. Revisiting younger days, the CP tried out the bumper cars.
Killarney is a tourist town in County Kerry. Our “straight shot” drive on N22 from Cork wasn’t quite as straight or simple as our instructions made it sound. Like much of what we’ve traversed in Ireland, there were many roundabouts, sometimes one every 500 or 600 meters with female Google announcing which exit from it you should take, “take the 3rd exit toward Blakedene and R481.” Getting on the proper spur requires careful listening, counting, and then remembering to always bear left. While I sometimes sat on my hands or folded them tightly, I was very glad I was not the driver! Even roads near cities and towns become narrower. Then the roadside signs read, “Traffic Calming 400M ,” which translated means: slow down and proceed with caution.
The Chief Penguin did an admirable job! And we arrived in Killarney around 10:45, in time for some hot tea and homemade scones in our hotel’s comfortable lobby. The Killarney Royal is a sister property to our previous hotel in Cork and to the Great Southern Killarney just down the street. It was built in 1900 and has been modernized. The hotel staff welcomed us warmly. Lisa, in particular, got us sorted on where to park the car once we unloaded and even made sure we were in the correct lot.
JAUNTING CAR ADVENTURE
We spent part of the afternoon on a jaunting car ride in the Killarney National Park. Jaunting cars are horse-drawn covered wagons with bench seats on both sides. Lauren was the driver of our jaunting car. It was a very pleasant experience as the horse went clip clopping along the main road midst car traffic, then turning off onto a paved path in the park. Looking about 15, Lauren is a local man born and bred in Killarney who’s been driving for two years. Unlike the other Irish men we’ve met, he was laconic not loquacious.
Jaunting cars awaiting passengers
Our driver viewed from the passenger seat
Killarney National Park was the first national park in Ireland and created in 1932 when Muckross House was donated to the Irish people. Today the park covers some 25,000 acres and includes several lakes, woodland, and the only red deer herd in the country. In 1981, the park was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It’s a main attraction for visitors who come to hike or bike its many paths.
Jaunting through the park, there were views of Lough Lake, and both grassy meadow areas and heavily wooded lanes. The first stop was at Muckross House, a large Tudor mansion built in 1843 for the Herbert family. Over the years, it belonged to a series of owners, the last of whom presented it to the country. It has extensive gardens, a cafe, and a gift shop. It wasn’t a long stop, so we mostly wandered the grounds admiring the flowering plants and paying a visit to the shop.
Front of Muckross House
Formal garden at Muckross House
Back in the jaunting car, we continued on our park loop and were able to get out and walk around the ruins of an old abbey. The Muckross Friary was founded in 1448 by a branch of Franciscan monks and had a violent history. The abbey was damaged and reconstructed many times until being done in by Cromwell in 1652. Today, it’s in remarkably good condition. I found it immensely attractive and appealing.
Muckross Friary in Kilkenny National Park
I loved the arches inside arches in the abbey interior
BACK IN TOWN
With cafes, bars, and restaurants galore, it’s easy to see that Killarney attracts lots of visitors. In our travels, we’ve seen many Americans, many playing catch-up after the pandemic lockdowns. The town was bustling in the late afternoon, and as is my wont, I was able to browse a bit in the local Eason bookstore.
Downtown Killarney
For dinner, we decided to dine at our hotel and ate in the more casual dining room. Having had no real lunch, we noted the generous portions and quickly assuaged our hunger. Our waiter was a delightful older man with a great sense of humor. A good end to another fun day in Ireland.
My younger sister and her husband spent much of this past week with us. Visiting from North Carolina, they were happy to trade bone-chilling temperatures for sunshine, warmth, and even time at the swimming pool. We focused several of our outings on Bradenton and the surrounding area.
A and P hadn’t been at The Bishop for several years. The Mosaic Backyard Universe was a new addition. Although this area with its tree house, science hut, and rocket ship is geared toward young children, it’s a fun area for adults to explore as well. We sampled some of the short videos in the rocket, tried out several different types of blocks and building materials and climbed to the treehouse overlook.
Spending time viewing the manatees was an essential for this visit. Three manatees are currently in residence being rehabilitated before being released to the wild. These funny looking blimpy mammals are soothing to watch as they float gently around their pool, periodically surfacing for air and lettuce leaves.
We also wandered upstairs to browse in a fascinating exhibit about early days in Florida, the contributions of the Seminole Indians, and the role of the Bradenton River in Bradenton commerce and settlement. The museum currently has an outdoor exhibit of robotic dinosaurs, Dinoventure, which is bound to appeal to kids and even some adults. The dino exhibit is an extra charge and will remain until mid-March. If you haven’t visited this museum in a while or ever, it’s worth going—with or without children!
I confess that the Chief Penguin and I had never been on the Bradenton Riverwalk even though it’s been open for some years. Its boardwalk is accessible across the street from The Bishop and winds along the Manatee River for more than a mile. We walked from the museum almost to the end. Along the way there is a fishing pier, splash pad, skate park, spot for beach volleyball, and some whimsical concrete chaises on a small sandy beach. Before lunch there were few people out, but when we walked back afterwards, the walk was much busier. It was a different experience with lots to see.
EATING
For lunch, we made our first visit to Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille conveniently located set back from the river. The restaurant is covered outside seating with heaters for cold days. There’s a wide variety of soups, salads, burgers, and more substantial entrees on the menu. Two of us tucked into the half sandwich of the day (tuna melt) with either a cup of mushroom soup or a salad (Caesar for me). The others tried the fish tacos, artichokes Esther-Style, and fried green tomatoes. Our server was a friendly young man, and it was the perfect meal for the occasion. Wine and beer are available and there is live music on certain days. At the other end of the Riverwalk, also with outside seating, is the Pier 22 restaurant.
On a lovely sunny morning, we made our way to Perico Preserve. Those of us who live in Manatee County are fortunate to be able to choose from among 12 nature preserves, all with trails for walking and some biking. Perico Preserve was created from farmland and has been transformed to include wetlands and scrub along with blinds for better bird watching overlooking the bay. It’s not far from Robinson Preserve and one of the trails we didn’t take connects to it.
Unlike other local preserves, Perico does not allow any dogs, and bicycles are limited to just certain parts of the trail. It’s a very quiet spot, only a few other people were around, and we enjoyed being in nature here. For my sister and brother-in-law, active birders, it was a chance to see a variety of songbirds as well as ibises, egrets, and blue herons.
