Going to Skibereen.

We looked at the map for a while trying to find a route down to Skibereen that would not take us back through Cork. No more Big cities for us for a while. We were going into the country.

We went through Tower and stopped at a gas station to verify our directions. They were very helpful. They gave us two different sets of directions in two different directions.

Off we went to find the N71. We found the N22. When we did find the N71 we did a high five.

A traffic circle with no sign for the N71 had us a little confused but we made the right choice. The next traffic circle was really big, the largest one we had seen since beginning our trip and there were signs but they were real bad. They put the sign just down the road that you wanted to take. Back to a single lane highway after that and then it was a double lane for about one minute. Maureen says ‘It’s a reward for getting through that crap hole! Then a double but slow lane again for about one minute.

On the side of the road is a Tourists calming sign, gee, I wonder what the heck they are talking about. They make you crazy on the roads and then tell you where you can become calm again? Another circle and we go straight ahead.

We are getting used to the circles and looking for signs in odd places. We start singing Skinabarinkadinkadinka Skinnabarinkadoo.

At 1:05 we pass Innisshannon but the clock in the car says its 1:25? Innishshannon is a very pretty village where you can picnic down by the river just outside of town.

In Bandon their clock says it is 1:31 and our car clock says it is 1:36? Bandon is a bigger town with a lovely older section.

At 1:44 our time, there was rain and a sign that said Blackspot. Does that mean there was an accident there?

At 1:49 we went through Ballinscarth, which has a purple tavern. We admire the cows in the fields after Ballinscarth and pass the Lisselan Golf Club.

Just outside of Clonakilty there were big trees and a big truck. The traffic circle here was actually very nice with good signs. There was a smallish tide flats and inlet. The road was very zig-zag through town and when a Y in the road came up with no sign we took the road more traveled and it all worked out well.

Lissavaird is in a valley and has the Pike Bar that is yellow. Quite pretty and the sun came out almost.

Roscaberry is in a big valley with a big bridge on a big bay. Nice town with swans.

After Roscaberry came another encounter with Irish cows and ‘such fresh country air’.

Connamaugh had harness racing on Sunday at 230 but we couldn’t go, as we would not be there.

Next was Leap Inlet with pretty trees and forests and hills and a very bumpy road.

We got to Skibereen at about 2 in the afternoon. It is also very pretty with old streets and new and it was bigger than we thought it would be. We looked for signs to Castletownshend and found them right away. That can mean that either the signs were good or we are getting used to looking all over the place for any sign. I believe it was the former. From Skibereen the roads to Castletownshend become narrower if that is possible and it was starting to rain. We saw a bicycle sign and at one point Maureen tried to use her right hand to change gears as she wanted to slow down but she figured it out pretty quick.