The Joys of Slow Travel

I discovered the joys of slow travel mostly by necessity.

Several life changes – becoming empty-nesters, my cutting back on work days, and my husband becoming a self-employed web developer who could work from anywhere – enabled us to act on our desire to make travel a bigger part of our lives.  We chose Italy, a country we had never visited, for our first trip in this new life stage.

Choosing the country was easy; deciding how many cities to visit was not. I wanted to see as much as possible, and my husband, who needs to be accessible each day in case a client has a problem, worried that if we were in a city only a few days and he had a major issue to resolve, he might miss the whole experience. He wanted to visit two cities and I wanted to visit four, so we compromised and visited three.

That was one of the best compromises I ever made. We learned there was so much to experience in each location that the longer we were there, the longer we wanted to be there. When we quit rushing from one “must-see” spot to the next, we discovered how delightful it was to wander little side streets, observe what was going on around us, explore obscure places, talk with the locals and get more in tune with the culture.

That first trip to Italy almost ten years ago started our love affair with slow travel. The Art of Slow Travel defines slow travel as “a mindset that rejects traditional ideas of tourism and encourages you to soak in your environments and keep yourself open to new experiences.”

Having the time to be open to new experiences is key to our enjoyment of slow travel.  Some of our favorite experiences occurred while wandering side streets with no agenda. One time we noticed a flyer for an Irish dance and music performance on the door of a small pub in Galway. We decided to check it out and found ourselves in an upstairs room with about a dozen Irish people enjoying traditional music and dance performed by incredibly talented teenagers.

What I love most about slow travel is experiencing the culture, connecting with locals, feeling like I am living in another country, escaping the crush of tourists and discovering off-the-beaten-track experiences.

Transitioning to slow travel is easy. It starts with a desire to experience rather than observe a local culture and then adjusting how and where you spend your time. A number of websites-Smarter Travel, Slow Travel, and Slow Movement-offer great advice and resources for slow travel.

Over the years we have discovered some slow-travel guiding principles that work well for us.

  1. Stay in apartments booked through Airbnb, VRBO or one of the other home-sharing sites where we are more likely to live like locals. Landlords are often the first locals we meet and great resources for local events and information.
  2. Keep most of our time unscheduled. We balance scheduled visits to attractions with open time to wander and observe.
  3. People watch. We love to sit on a park bench or at an out-door café and observe life going on around us.
  4. Spend extended time in each location, much more time than guidebooks recommend.
  5. Seek opportunities to visit with locals and ask them for recommendations-where they like to eat, what they like to do, where are the hidden gems.
  6. Eat like a local. Food is such an important part of the culture. We go to markets and eat at restaurants frequented by locals. A menu without an English translation is a good indicator the restaurant is for locals. If we have trouble ordering, there is usually someone at the restaurant who can help us.
  7. Take a chance on local experiences that we know nothing about. Some of the time we are underwhelmed, but most of the time we are delighted. And all the time, we enjoy having an experience with the locals. One time we followed a huge group of people walking in the opposite direction from us and ended up watching a thrilling Gaelic football match between Dublin and Kildare with 80,000 boisterous fans.

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  8. Learn at least a little of the local language and use it. This one can be hard when I am unsure about correct pronunciation. However, most of the time, the locals appreciate my efforts even when I feel like I am murdering the language.
  9. Download one of the many apps that help navigate a new city. We especially like City Walks whose maps and guided walks help us find new places to explore.

Two years ago, we returned to Florence, one of our original three Italian cities, for five weeks. Our goal was to live in Florence, not just visit it.  After living in Paris for a month the previous year, we were pretty sure that five weeks would not feel too long.  We took cooking classes, hiked rural areas outside the city, took day trips to neighboring villages, visited with locals and made return visits to our favorite restaurants.  By the time we left, locals were calling us by name in the piazza and stopping us on the street to go for a coffee.

We know that staying longer in one location limits the number of places we can experience, and we have many places on our “want-to-experience” list. But after almost ten years of enjoying slow travel, we realize that the joys of really experiencing a new place outweigh the allure of visiting more new places.

 

Farewell, Ireland

For my last day in Ireland, Paul, Bob and I played Spanish Point Golf Club, a little nine-hole course on the Atlantic coast in County Clare. It is quite informal- pay your green fee and play the nine holes as many times as you like.

Paul and Debbie

We played twice.  Although we couldn’t always see the green for our hole, we could see lots of other golfers on this cozy little course, and by the second time around we recognized a number of other groups.

My golf buddies, Paul and Bob

It was a hilly course, fun to walk, and just like all the other Irish courses I have played-had lots of rough to hide your errant shots.

Paul and Bob looking for lost golf balls

It was the windiest round of golf I have ever played, with gusts reaching forty mph-so windy that Paul was sporting a new “do” by the end  of our round.

We ended the day in typical Irish fashion with a pint and trad music.

Three trips to Ireland now, and I find this enchanting country more magical each time I visit. Wild Atlantic Way, a new web site and app that charts a route and highlights along nine coastal counties, was a great resource. I loved seeing the road signs that alerted us that we were on the Wild Atlantic Way; I knew it would be beautiful.

Dear, Ireland, I will return.

Ennis Solo

Paul picked up our friend Bob at the airport today, and they golfed at Ballybunion, so I got a solo day in delightful Ennis. Everything I wanted to see and do was walking distance from our B&B.

First stop-the Clare Museum, a wonderful little museum that documents the history of County Clare from the earliest days to the present.

I explored the little streets in the town center. One shop had a wall of fascinators, the little headpieces often seen in the United Kingdom.

I found two shops I had read about. Craft Works sells local products, hand made within thirty miles of Ennis.

Seoidin sells handmade jewelry that is designed in Ireland.

I ate lunch at the Souper Cafe and had a wonderful roasted vegetable soup that was so creamy without having any cream. My waiter told me it took them a long time to get the right consistency.

My final stop was the Ennis Friary. Established in the 13th century as a Franciscan friary. it is pretty much a ruin today.  After learning about the history of the powerful O’Brien family in County Clare, I was not surprised to learn that they had established the friary.

The guys got back early evening.

Bob having his first pint in Ireland

The Burren

After getting settled in to the Glonomra B&B in Ennis, our home for the next three days, we headed to The Burren, a rocky, unique area in County Clare, to explore and hike.

The limestone rocks and stark landscape were quite a change from the lush green forests of Killarney.

In spite of the rocky landscape, flowers and soft moss grew everywhere in this interesting area that supports arctic, Mediterranean and alpine plants side-by-side.

We enjoyed the challenge of hiking on the rocky terrain.

It drizzled for part of our hike, but I was prepared with my hooded, water-proof jacket.

A visit to the Burren Perfumery was the highlight of my day. Paul was convinced no one used the tiny, winding road we took to get there, and we were both relieved to find the little perfumery.

Path leading to the Burren Perfumery

Burren Perfumery Shop

Located in a remote area of the Burren, it is a working factory, making all of its products on site. Walking through their lovely herb garden was a total delight.

We ended our day with a lovely dinner and traditional Irish music at the Poet’s Bar.

 

Killarney-A Walk in the Park

Killarney National Park is so beautiful that we spent most of today and yesterday hiking its lovely and diverse routes. The first day we hiked two of the routes recommended by our concierge for a total of ten miles. The first site we saw was this lovely little cottage that looked like something out of a storybook.

At first the park seemed crowded, but I soon discovered that if you hiked a few miles out, you had wonderful options. Around every turn we were treated to beautiful views of hills and lakes.

Our first hike took us around Middle Lake, past the The Old Weir Bridge and the Meeting of the Waters where the lakes of Killarney National Park converge.

It was fun to leave the main hiking route and explore the little side paths.

On our second hike we took the yellow circular route past the Toric Waterfall and many very steep steps.

The oldest national park in Ireland, Killarney National Park was created when Muckross Estates was donated to the country in 1932.  We started our second day at the park with a guided tour of the Muckross House and its lovely gardens. Our guide was entertaining and informative. We learned that the phrases “saving face” and “mind your own beeswax” came from the 19th century when women used beeswax on their faces to maintain a pale, flawless look. The heat from the fireplaces could cause their faces to melt, so they had little screens to keep the heat from their faces.

From there we hiked to the Muckross Abbey. Founded in 1448 as a Franciscan friary, today most of the roof is gone, but the walls still stand and the cemetery has relatively recent burials.

Our final hike was to Ross Castle. a 15th century tower House. We were a bit surprised to see so many people when we got to the castle and then discovered that tour buses and cars could drive to the castle on a different route.

Leaving the castle to hike back we were once again in the beautiful park forest.

We ended our last night in Killarney with a lovely three-course meal at our hotel. Our concierge/wine steward/owner recommended a new wine we had never tried and it went great with Paul’s chicken and my salmon. It was a perfect ending to a perfect three days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darling Dingle

Yesterday we said farewell to our wonderful Pearse Lodge B&B hosts, Mary and Kieron and began our six-hour drive to Dingle. From their perfect cup of coffee and the best-ever butter to the spot-on recommendations and wonderful conversations, they made our stay in Sligo extra special.

Chilly, drizzly weather greeted us as we drove into Dingle, but our Towerview B&B hosts, Helen and Aiden, welcomed us to their cozy B&B with its beautiful views.

Dingle, the largest town on the Dingle Peninsula in SW Ireland is a charming coastal town of brightly colored little shops and pubs. We ate a wonderful dinner of fish caught locally that morning and ice cream made in Dingle from Kerry cows, “rarer than pandas.”

We spent the next morning exploring more of delightful Dingle and then took the Slea Head Drive around the perimeter of the Dingle Peninsula. Stunning views of hills, pastures and seas enchanted us. The road is so narrow that most people drive clockwise.  The few times we encountered a counterclockwise traveler on a narrow spot, one of us had to pull over.

Our B&B host, Aiden, gave us great advice about which sites to see along the drive.  Our first stop was the Beehive Huts. These little stone huts were inhabited from ancient times to about 1200 AD. Made without mortar, these amazing structures are designed with stones set downward and outward to shed water.

Next stop was The Blasket Centre, a beautiful modern building that told the story of the Blasket Islands. Because the islands were so isolated, inhabitants retained their culture, including speaking Irish.  Scholars who wanted to learn about the native traditions and language visited the island and encouraged the islanders to write their life stories.

Life on the islands, which are 5 km from the coast, was harsh, and in 1953 the last inhabitants left Great Blasket Island.

The Gallarus Oratory was the final stop on our Slea Head Drive.  Built by early Christians about 1300 years ago, it’s original purpose is unclear.  Stone church, funerary chapel and shelter for pilgrims have all been proposed as possible uses.

The building has a small door on the west side and a round window on the east. Luckily, we walked inside as the sun was shining through the window.

We drove about an hour to Killarney and checked in to the Loch Lein Country House Hotel, our home for the next three nights.

Last Day in Sligo

Our last day in Sligo wasn’t in Sligo. After breakfast we headed two hours west to play a new golf course Paul was inspired to try.  Thanks to a recommendation from our fabulous B&B hostess, Mary, we made a side trip on the way to see Downpatrick  Head, an amazing rock outcropping just off the coast in the Atlantic Ocean.

Downpatrick Head gets its name from St. Patrick who founded a church here. People still gather at this sacred site on the last Sunday in July to hear mass.

We saw a few people walking toward the cliff with what looked like huge fishing rods and couldn’t imagine how any one could fish from such a high cliff.

On our way out we talked with three men unloading fishing gear from their car who told us they were on their way to fish for mackerel off the cliff. I wanted to stay and see how they did it, but we had a tee time scheduled.

Carne Golf Links in Belmullet is in a remote area of Ireland that is a “Gaeltacht” area which means that the Irish language is still spoken on a daily basis. We figured out this sign meant “Carne Golf Course.”

The golf course setting along the Atlantic Ocean was beautiful. It was hard to concentrate on golf when amazing views were all around me.  I will especially remember the sound of the waves as I hit my ball,

the wildflowers on the hills,

and the 16th hole.

 

Sligo, Day 4

After another wonderful breakfast, we traveled about 45 minutes to Enniscrone Golf Club to play another course Paul read about in A Course Called Ireland.

A links course with a lot of elevation changes located on the Atlantic Ocean, it had holes that were both beautiful and extremely challenging. The blind holes and thick rough are so challenging that the pro-shop recommended we take a caddy so we wouldn’t spend lots of time looking for lost balls. We passed on the caddy but got a course guide that was very helpful.

I focused more on not losing any golf balls than on getting a great score, and I did pretty well until hole #12. At the end of the round I had only lost one ball, and my score was OK, all things considered.

It was a great golf day-challenging and scenic.

There was an interesting sign in the ladies’ locker room. Paul said he did not notice a comparable sign in the men’s locker room.

We ate dinner in the clubhouse, and I finally got my fish and chips.  The little green glob in the dish is mushy peas, a pretty common fish and chips accompaniment.

Sligo, Day 3

After a couple of days of jerky starts, Paul “mastered” driving a shift stick on the opposite side of the road. I knew it wouldn’t take him long.

Before our trip, I consulted a great hiking website, Sligo Walks, and planned to use it for our hiking routes.. But once we arrived in Sligo, the expert advice of our B&B hosts was all we needed to choose and navigate great hikes. Today they directed us to Section 7 of the Sligo Way, a beautiful 80km hike. Our hike began in an enchantingly beautiful forest.

It wasn’t long before we got our first view of beautiful Lough Gill.

A major part of the hike was over a board walk through peat bogs. Dried peat, called turf, is still used in some Irish homes for heating.

Two women we met on the trail told us about an unmarked path that led to the shore of Lough Gill. The heartier of the two had even been swimming in the lake earlier. Although I was warm enough to take off my jacket, I couldn’t imaging swimming in the lake. Thanks to their tip, we found the path.

From the shore we could see the beautiful Innisfree island, made famous by Irish poet William Butler Yeats in “The Lake Isle of Innisfree.”

Part of our hike included using an interesting wooden structure to climb over a fence.

 

We ate a wonderful dinner at Coach Lane, highly recommended by our B&B hosts. I had a seafood platter of salmon, shrimp, crab, cod and halibut, all locally caught and grilled in a tasty lemon champagne sauce.  Paul tried the steak we had heard so much about.

After dinner we went to hear traditional Irish music at Shoot the Crows, an Irish pub recommended by both Tom Coyne and our B&B hosts.

Arriving right before the music started at ten, we felt lucky to get a seat because by eleven, it was hard to find a place to stand. A small table in the front is reserved for the musicians.

The musicians sat around a table facing each other, not the audience.  More musicians joined the group later, and when we left around midnight, six musicians were playing together.

 

 

Sligo, Day 2

I started my day in breakfast heaven. Mary, our B&B hostess, is a foodie who has mastered the perfect cup of coffee, makes amazing homemade yogurt, and just all-around serves the most delicious breakfast. As a person who starts her day with a green smoothie and doesn’t really like most traditional breakfast foods, I was delighted.

Paul loved his full Irish breakfast.

We expected our first stop at the megalithic cemetery at Carrowmore, the largest of its type in Ireland and one of the oldest in Europe, to be a brief look at some cairns (stone burial monuments), and were pleasantly surprised to join a tour of the site.  Martin, our impressively knowledgeable  guide, gave us a fascinating history of this neolithic burial site that is about 6000 years old. As we were leaving we met the author of a recently published book who discovered how the tombs had been oriented to allow the sun to enter at strategic times.

We then traveled a few miles to Knocknarea, a large hill topped with the largest cairn in Ireland  for our first Sligo hike.

The view from the top of Knocknarea, situated between the bays of Sligo and Ballysadare was stunning, and we could see why the area has inspired poets for centuries..

We ended our beautiful day with golf at Rosses Point, a course Tom Coyne raved about in A Course Called Ireland. It was easy to spot the locals on the course; they wore far fewer layers than we did.

Established in 1894, Rosses Point is a links course which means it is situated on an area of coastal sand dunes on undulating surfaces unsuited for farming. The views were amazing.