Radharc Rian - Scenic Route

That's what it says on the sign in the middle of Moville, a small town that sits on the banks of the River Foyle - or the estuary, to be more precise, known as Lough Foyle.  We got the ferry back from there (just down the road a mile or two) across to Northern Ireland - more of that in a future post but let's just say it was a choppy sailing which belied the fact that it was the warmest and sunniest day of the year so far. 

I know I've said this umpteen times before so excuse the repetition (and my indulgence) but it always makes me smile that the ferry is going more or less due South...to Northern Ireland, while Inishowen is part of Donegal, which is in Ireland, sometimes known as "The South". So this part of The South is actually north of...Northern Ireland/"The North".  I hope that's cleared up any confusion you might have had about the geography and jurisdiction of Ireland!

The Inis Eoghain '100' - about one hundred miles of twisty country roads around the Inishowen Peninsula and probably one of the most spectacular 100 miles you could ever drive.  It's a well-kept secret, though, so don't spread it around (I feel safe enough letting the secret out on this place, for some reason ;) Inis is Gaelic for Island and Eoghain, well, that's a name (Owen would be the Anglicised version).  Eoghain was the son of Eóghan mac Néill, one of the High Kings of Ireland.  While I'd like to say I'm a direct descendant of a High King I have no evidence for that.  Pity - it would make for an impressive opening line.

The shot above shows part of the town square in Moville.  Pan F-50 on a sunny day is probably not the right combination if you want delicate tones of grey - almost everything has gone to soot and snow.  I think it might be a good film for the more normal overcast weather we get in this neck of the woods but as I said before, more testing is required.  

Moville is one busy wee town.  My wife had discovered a Charity Shop that was having a one Euro sale so while she went mad in there I dandered about and wondered why it was that the place was so busy - there ain't really that much in Moville apart from a few pubs, hotels and small shops.  But as far as Inishowen goes that means it's probably one of the bigger towns.  At one point a bus stopped more or less in the middle of the road to pick up passengers and that caused even more chaos, as the traffic backed up while the travellers embarked.  No-one seemed to mind too much, though - there's a feeling that things are a wee bit more relaxed in this part of the world.  No bad thing, I say.