Thursday, October 06, 2011
Hook Head Lighthouse, Ireland
We wound our way through the streets of Waterford to find the laundrette that was recommended to us. It was time to get some clean clothes. Four people in a VW Passat--you definitely want clean clothes. The laundrette charged by the pound but it was worth it. We only had room for a small carry-on sized piece of luggage each. Four of them fit snugly in the trunk along with our small backpacks for travel.
After leaving the laundry for pickup at the end of the day, we turned the car toward our first destination of the day, Hook Head Lighthouse. At Passage East just a bit outside of Waterford, we took a ferry across the River Suir to Ballyhack on drove on to the lighthouse that sits out at the point Hook Head Peninsula. It was built back in the 13th century by the Earl of Penbrook to help his ships navigate into Waterford Harbor.
We climbed the 115 steps to the top for a view of the seaside. The lighthouse has been fully automated since 1996 and is one of the oldest operational lighthouses in the world.
As an interesting side note, Cromwell is said to have coined the phrase "by Hook or by Crooke" when he said he would take Waterford. Hook refers to the Peninsula and Crooke to a small town further in toward Waterford.
We took time for a morning tea break. It's hard to pass up the smell of fresh scones. As I walked out of the cafe, I went through a small art center that holds classes for children during the summer. The artist/teacher also holds watercolor classes for adults. We struck up a conversation and compared notes about teaching art. Who's easier to teach? We both agreed. Kids!
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