Hijacked by Ireland

Kylemore Lough

Innocents abroad  --  this painting came at the expense of some very unhappy people. 

     We had driven out from Oughterard last November to visit Kylemore Abbey, deep in Connemara.  After an hour or so at the Abbey, we set out headed East on Rt. 59 towards Lennane, and quickly came to short queue of cars waiting at a red temporary traffic light.  Road work ahead.  Of course in Ireland the roads are so narrow that any construction means single lane traffic and the flow of traffic is controlled by traffic lights at each end of the construction zone.  It was a Sunday and no work was being done but the system is automated -- they have some device which counts the cars that have entered the zone and communicates that to the traffic light at the other end.  After the same number of cars emerge at the other end, the light turns green allowing cars to move in the opposite direction.  

     Fortunately the light turned green just as we pulled up behind the car in front of us and we were able to drive on, soon finding us beside the gorgeous Kylemore Lough. I was entranced by the twisted, leafless trees on the near shore and the green/orange mountain directly across the water.  As is my habit I pulled well off the road, jumped out of the car and began photographing the scene, walking up and down the way to look for better views.  After I had my fill, we headed off again down the road.  Luckily there were no cars behind us so I was able to drive slowly and soak up the beauty. After a mile or two I came around a bend and to my horror saw a long line of cars facing me, all queued up behind a traffic light, wondering why in hell the light hadn't turned green by now!  I passed them, eyes straight ahead, not glancing to see the expressions on the faces of the drivers.  Thank God I would never see any of them again.  But I did get a pretty nice painting out of it.