Sunny Saturday Morning Walk On Corrin Hill

 Sunny Saturday Morning Walk On Corrin Hill

(pics 01.05.2021. Corrin Hill is between Rathcormac and Fermoy, just off the R639 to your left. Once you pass the large Cork Marts complex, watch out for signs for the golf club and Coillte. Free to enter and there is a carpark)

Fermoy and The Galtee Mountains

Beautiful morning on May 1st

Heading up towards the top

Sun hitting ivy leaves

Cork Marts Complex

Golfing next door

Furze, trees, clouds

Fermoy

Furze, trees, Fermoy, Galtees

The cross (and cairn) at top, mountains in distance

A line of clouds over a fertile landscape

Galtees

Furze, tree, fields, hills, and clouds

A butterfly (think it's a Red Admiral?) on the furze

Time for a coffee!

A Walk In The Gearagh. April 2021

 The Gearagh 

The Gearagh is a submerged glacial woodland and nature reserve on the R584. As you come from the city on the N22 and are getting close to Macroom, turn left on to the R584. A few minutes later, you'll arrive at your destination, on the left. There is a (small enough) carpark. The area was flooded in the 1950s as part of a hydroelectric scheme that included the Inniscarra dam. That ancient forest, along with farms and houses, was flooded. You'll see tree stumps in the extensive waters. It is an easy walk, a straight line through with a few paths to the sides that will take you deeper in to this fascinating place. Fascinating yes but every now and then you remember you are walking where families had their lives changed for progress, just as has happened, and still happens around the world; Egypt's Aswan dam (built in stages in the 60s and 70s) resulted in thousands of families being resettled is a major example. Pics taken 29th April 2021.

Stumps in the waters

Easy to walk

The R584 runs between the stump-filled waters and cows grazing on the sloping field.

Always a robin!

What's keeping you? He queries.

Be careful. The depth of the water can vary a lot

Summer's coming

On the lookout for a tasty lunch

Big sky. View to the west from the bridge (below)

Blarney Castle Gardens Keep On Blooming 28.04.2021

Blarney Castle Gardens Keep On Blooming

28.04.2021 

After the daffodils and tulips, wild garlic and bluebells are taking over. Don't know
 the taller blue flowers in the background. (Camassia is the name, spotted it on the castle's
own feed)

Those taller blue flowers again. Camassia is the name, spotted it on the castle's
own feed!

Bluebells

Wild Garlic

Wild Garlic

Red Cedar

Red Cedar

Red Cedar - huge trunks

Cherry blossom

Young horse

Cedar

Cedar, opposite side of the one above

Sculpture

Sitka Spruce

Vietnamese Farmers Hut, with living quarters
and racks for drying cardamom. 

Vietnamese Farmers Hut

Telling how forest is being destroyed by cardamom farmers

Tree fern garden

Taste of the Week. Izz Café's Medjool Stuffed Coated Dates

Taste of the Week 

Medjool Stuffed Coated Dates

The Izz Cafe's bowl of three jumbo sized Medjool dates, stuffed with almonds and coated with chocolate and coconut or pistachio, is our Taste of the Week. 

Medjool dates are widely acknowledged as the best of dates. Here, enhanced by the additions of the Izz Cafe, they are even better.

I got mine via NeighbourFood where the café has a large selection of it sweet and savoury offerings available. Well worth checking out!

Find out more about the Izz Café here.

* By the way, if you do get your hands on some "plain" Medjool dates, they make a terrific match with blue cheese, especially Wicklow Blue; both are available via Neighbourfood, the dates from Olives West Cork, the cheese from On The Pig's Back.

FOOD TRAILER DRIVES THE APPETITE AT TULFARRIS HOTEL AND GOLF RESORT

 FOOD TRAILER DRIVES THE APPETITE AT  TULFARRIS HOTEL AND GOLF RESORT

 

A silver vintage Airstream food trailer is driving appetites at Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort on the shores of the Blessington Lakes. Due to Covid-19 restrictions the Wicklow hotel has not been able to open its restaurants and bars but has come up with a sleek dining solution in the form of a 1970’s, aircraft grade, ‘Tulfarris Silverstream Food Trailer’.

 

The vintage truck will be on site daily from 2-9.00pm and will serve hungry golfers, walkers, and day trippers.  The ‘grab and go’ menu options include dishes such as the Tulfarris famous chicken wings, gourmet beef burgers, the O’Neil’s famous pork and leek hot dog and the super spicy Vietnamese ‘Banh Mi’ Baguette. The menu also includes rustic ‘skin on fries’, squid and haddock goujons, pizza slices and vegetarian and vegan delights and hearty salads.

 

So, if you are out for a walk and are exploring the grounds or teeing off at the Championship Golf Course fill up and fuel up at the Tulfarris Food Truck. Alternatively swing by ‘The Food Hatch’, located at the entrance of the resort which serves artisan coffees, herbal teas and sweet treats all day.

To see the full, sizzling summer menu check out www.tulfarris.com/dining