We have arrived in Clonakilty

Wow it was truly an adventure today.  I managed to get us from Dublin to Clonakilty and I don't think I did any damage to the car, maybe a few brush scratches.  These roads are wild!  Narrow and twisting like a deranged python.  They invite aggressive shifting, slowing as you approach a corner then accelerating powerfully as you pull out of the corner.  A corner that wasn't blind was the exception.  I probably angered a few locals because I didn't throw caution to the wind.  On most sections the speed limit is the equivalent of 60 mph.  Roads and curves like these at home would be posted at no more than 40 and down to 15 on some of the curves.  I have to do all the driving here because, honestly we really couldn't afford renting the car and adding another driver would be even more expensive.  I survived the day and have become fairly comfortable with driving on the left but not completely so.  It is anything but natural yet.  The British car club folks at home would love these roads.  Well even though we arrived unscathed, I am quite mentally exhausted from being on edge for every moment of the drive.  I do not know how long it took.  We didn't keep track of our leaving time.  We left some time in the morning and arrived in Clon sometime in late afternoon. I believe we had the Garmin set to avoid tolls and we did just that.  It did guide us through Dublin although and that proved to be a true baptism in managing the left hand driving thing. 
Most of the day was cool and beautiful.  Clouds  moved briskly over head, shutting and opening the curtains on the sun.  Brisk breezes from the ocean energized this activity and we got a little peek at the sea in the distance at one point.  It is on our agenda to make our way down to the oceanside.  Clon is an incredibly picturesque town, it's got a touristy side but not tasteless as many American tourist traps seem to be.  It is a lived in town, the streets are filled with shops that cater to providing one's daily needs.  As John and I strolled through a number of streets we did not see a single souvenir shop.  There are posters up advertising the CIGF in most shops.  I'm sure if Richard hasn't seen them yet he will be pleased to see that his name is placed in a prominent position.  Somehow I have to manage to acquire at least one of these posters.  Richard is doing two workshops and a performance.  Ironically and conveniently his performance will be based at our hotel, The Emmet Hotel.  There is another workshop I want to attend on accompanying Irish music sessions.  We will be skipping the paid concerts, too expensive at 20 euros each person, each show.  Neither of the featured performers are within my taste so this isn't much of a sacrifice.  We stopped for a small dinner of soup at the Phoenix Bar.   John Spilane is scheduled to perform at the Phoenix on Sunday and I would love to see him.  He is a guitarist, duh, and a vocalist. I asked one of the locals if it gets pretty busy during this annual festival.  One of the gents said "Yes it gets mental !"  Packed to the gills.  He said he's been considering putting a stick on the end of a cereal box, then adding some strings and participating in Saturday's attempt at breaking the world record of the most guitarists playing the same song at one time.  He said he wouldn't play a real guitar because the poor guitar would need therapy after he got a hold of it. Last year there were 800+ participants.  This is going to happen in the town square which is directly across the street from our hotel and overlooked by our room.  When I tried to play guitar today my playing felt mediocre at best.  I think I may be tired because even with jet lag, my playing was better yesterday.  I immediately thought of how difficult it must be for a performer like Richard to jump into a show after spending a whole day traveling and getting from point A to B and then dealing with the pressure of putting on an excellent show.  Epic fail on my part.  Make a note: teenage girls of every nationality seem to have one thing in common.  They are boisterously loud bunch.  Currently the square is literally filled with teenagers, if this continues late into the night, we will not be getting much sleep.  Where did all these kids come from?  Do they have school in the morning?  It seems as though they have suddenly materialized.  Well I'm wrapping this up to get in some more practice.