Donegal

The above picture is of Mount Muckish in Donegal. Unfortunately it was the last one that my camera took before deciding it would no longer be functional. The camera itself has sentimental attachment because I bought it in the Sony tower in Tokyo when I was in Japan in 2002. It had just been released and it cost me Y50,000 (about £250). So you can see why it's concerning. There's no way I can afford a new one but there's no reason it should have stopped working in the first place as it's only 3 years old and in great condition. I'll have to leave it into a shop and it'll probably cost me an arm and a leg. Still, Lou and I are hoping to tour the south this summer and I will definitely need it then.

So after examing my camera for the duration of the journey, we arrived in Dunfanaghy. The weather was typically mixed and we unpacked the car, lit a fire and ate lunch as the rain decided to come down in true Donegal fashion. After several hours the rain cleared and we got a chance to walk on the beach. We were all alone save for a man walking his dog on the other side of the beach and a few kids playing with a kite behind the huge sand dunes. The feeling being on that beach is overwhelming to my senses. It's a feeling of isolation surrounded in immense beauty that's conflicting but satisfying.

We sat in front of the fire and enjoyed a few glasses of vino and watched Constantine. It's a Keanu Reeves film based on a DC comic about a supernatural detective whose investigation leads him to the world of demons and angels. It's pretty blasé and not surprisingly Keanu couldn't act himself out of a paper bag. I would give this film 1 halo out of 5.

After a nice lie-in on Saturday, I looked out the window. Rain. Typical. I remade the fire and tidied up. Coffee and a biggety B and I was feeling much better. The rain had stopped and it looked to be clearing up. We made breakfast and left the house. We drove to Falcarragh and just got on the beach when the rain came upon us like rapists in the night. God-dammit. Would we ever get a break. We ran back to the car and sat there steaming up the windows until the rain eased off. Our cursing session must have paid dividends because the clouds cleared into a bright and cheerful afternoon and we set off through Gortahork to Bloody Foreland. We then drove in the opposite direction to Ards Forest Park. We have never been here before and there are plenty of walks. We took the yellow route and it led us around twisty paths onto a beautiful sandy beach. It is definitely a place to come back to for a day out with a picnic and some swimming. We got back early afternoon and after a lunch we rested for a while and then went for a long walk on the beach. Fantastic.

That evening we watched The Machinist starring Christian Bale. The producers of the film claim that he dropped from about 180 pounds in weight down to about 120 pounds in weight to make this film. They also claim that Bale actually wanted to drop down to 100 pounds, but that they would not let him go below 120 out of fear that his health could be in too much danger if he did. His diet consisted of one can of tuna and an apple per day. His 63 pound weight loss is said to be a record for any actor for a movie role. It certainly shows. He is a very gaunt figure indeed and at times very hard to look at. He plays a character who hasn't slept in a year and strange things begin to happen (duh) that makes him question his own sanity. It starts well but slips into 2nd gear about 30 minutes in and doesn't really recover. Bale obviously spent a lot of effort on his character and he plays it very well but is let down by script problems. Nevertheless I wouldn't mind watching this film again to see if it improves with a second view.
I would give it 3.5 sleepless nights out of 5.

On Sunday we cleaned up our filth and after a strong coffee we packed everything up and went for a final drive along the coastal route. The weather was excellent and the view over the cliffs into the Atlantic Ocean were breath-taking. The beaches looked idyllic in the distance like a hazy dream of a long forgotten summer holiday and it was a pity we couldn't linger. I wish I could have taken photographs of the scenery but I know I will be back in the summer and I will certainly have a working camera to soak up the views.