Balleyconneely

Windswept white beaches, rocks that seem to have been scattered by a giant’s hand, half submerged bog land and lakes that are not really lakes but rather giant puddles from weeks of rain; the peninsula of Balleyconneely in Connemara is rough and mesmerising in a dazzling way. Regardless of the storm that battered the Irish west coast over the past weekend we hiked the interlinked beaches and withstood the rain and wind while exploring the area by bike. Well, regarding the latter I should say “I”, as the others opted for a warm fish chowder in the local pub while I pulled one of the sturdy mountain bikes out of the shed. While the wind pushed me forward I took turns left and right, often ending up in dead-end tracks that led to nothing but the sea. The road would just end in a crumbling conclusion of concrete and tarmac, with weed-grown rocks rising up from the bog all around, while the cold salty sea of the Atlantic Ocean nibbled hungrily at whatever piece of Irish main land it could get its hands on.

The “others” was a rather dynamic concept this weekend, as my company varied in size from one to seven different people, coming and going at various stages. The house we were staying at belongs to Padraig’s brother, but as he spends most of his time in the States, Padraig enjoys the privilege of a fully equipped holiday home at his disposal whenever it is not rented out. The main eye-catcher of the quarters is a huge window overlooking the bay; triple-glazed and moving ominously when the wind is gathering its full force against it. The curious sensation of seeing your mirror image move in the dark night while the wind is howling outside make you wonder how the glass has always withstood such forces of nature. Well, let’s say one gets used to the feeling.

Huge soft beds, clean freshly laundered sheets, and the absence of an alarm clock bar the scents of fried bacon drifting underneath the bed room door make for a relaxed start of all three days spent at the cottage, while the Lonely Planet’s overview of “all countries in the world” combined with said astonishing view make for the perfect in-house occupation. In addition to the energising outdoor activities, the lovely food we have been enjoying, and the excellent company, I could not have wished for better!

Whereas it was just Padraig and myself on Thursday night, we were joined by Eoin and Germot, along with John, the following evening. They all had their own curious stories of how to reach their final destination of the day, but all in all it was the five of us enjoying Padraig’s pasta. While my nationality wasn’t the only feature that distinguished me from my companions we nevertheless had an enjoyable evening and plenty of wine to guarantee a good night’s sleep. The number of eaters nearly doubled the following evening with Louise and Andrew joining in, as well as Melanie, a French couch-surfing neighbour with whom I got along great from the start. It seems I have another address to come back to! The contrast with Dublin, or any city for that matter, couldn’t be bigger, and I reckon I will be back wandering Balleyconneely’s beaches this summer, inhaling the healthy sea air, day-dreaming about a life on the roads with nothing but a backpack for belongings.