The Scilly Walk, Kinsale

From Summercove to Kinsale, we take the Scilly Walk, along the very edge of the sea. There's a steep but short hill first, then you go through an old revolving style, tread carefully down a sometimes slippery slope and emerge to a woodland track, bordered with lush vegetation on one side and the sea on the other. The students always remark on the proliferation of palm trees and sometimes draw comparisons with the South of France. At that stage I think all the fresh air is having a slightly euphoric effect on them but they are always adamant that this place is diferent from other parts of Ireland and who am I to argue?

This fairytale yellow cottage is about halfway between Summercove and Kinsale and everybody always stops to take photographs. In summer the hollyhocks grow almost to the roof. I often wonder about the family who live here and if they object to people taking photographs but I've never seen any of them. Occasionally an old fat laborador dog comes out and rolls over for people to rub his tummy. I reckon he thinks they owe him.