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Skelleggin' Ireland

house

irish cottage magic

I lived alone for two weeks in a house an hour outside of Bantry, on a road called Boulteenach.

A woman named Barney Patterson owned it, lived there part of the year, and leased it otherwise. I guess August wasn't a hopping season, I got a deal.

Two bedrooms on the top floor, a kitchen, dining space and living room on the first floor. Fortunately there was a fireplace, I burnt a lot of peat bricks, between that and the persistant moisture, the luxuriant earthy smell hung clung.

bedview There wasn't much luxury, frills, or appliances. The hot water went out nearly every day, but fortunately the hot water heater was in the master bedroom...

I enjoyed the lack of modern convenient distraction. There was always the view, and I read a lot of books.

Besides my donkey neighbors, I saw almost a small furry mammal a day - more often than I saw humans.

view I had the most amazing view out my front door. It was a three minute walk to the shore. When my peat ran out, I would take my backpack and hunt driftwood on a dryer day. Wandering the rock beaches in the everdamp morning chill, I never saw another person.

ireland | trip | life

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