The Labraventures of Carbón, Spanish (ex-) foster dog extraordinaire

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Hola todos! Today is a very boring day for a Spanish gentleman dog. It is raining, raining, raining here in Ireland and neither foster lady nor my delicate self want to go out in the wet. Way, way, way too much wet from above, sabes? If I am really honest, amigos, I don't mind too much. There is a big sofa with all my special blankets, pillow and my bunny. There is also a big fire and a window for watching the sea. Life is pretty good, even if I did not get ball time today.

Foster lady has been making plans for our next travels but also - por fin! - editing some of my best modelling work. Here we go back in time again por la ultima vez, for the last time...to France!

Do you remember that great trail we were on with all the big rocks? We walked and walked and walked and finally we came to a little town with a very astounding beach. There was a tiny lighthouse and a gargoyle and a box on stilts. Who knows why? I do not. But it was fun to sniff and that's all that matters to me.

A very tiny lighthouse...


A mysterious house with a gargoyle watching out. This scared me a little, even though I am a very brave gentleman!


Here I am posing with the box-on-stilts. Foster lady had to shoot fast because this was a no dog beach. As I personally do not care if it is a no dog beach, after this photo I had zoomies all around the beach and some local people yelled at me. Pfft! Sometimes rules are muy estupido, no?


Scenery, scenery, scenery. Sigh. Que lastima that there isn't even a bit of my tail included.


Here I am thinking very deep thoughts about dinner. I am posing on the emergency ramp for the coast guard. In the summer this is the way they launch boats very fast to save people in the water. Don't worry, it is closed in October, so I wasn't in the way or anything dangerous like that.


Oh si, si! We finally found a dog-friendly beach and I played and played and played!


That night was the last one in our big farmhouse with the nice man who brought me bread every morning. Here's my car at the house after a long day of foster lady driving me where I wanted to go.


And here's me in my very own garden where I could chase the ball and hunt for apples and pears in the magical grass.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

No puedo creer, I can't believe it, but finally we are on our last day in France! I must warn you, amigos, it was not very interesting for this Spanish gentleman dog. Architecture, architecture and more architecture. I think I may have to make that word my enemy, as I have done with the word 'rain'. I say 'enemy' now because of my friend Curly in Ireland. He has lots of enemies and he taught me to watch out for them. I have lots of things to say about Curly but because foster lady is SO SLOW with the photos, I have to wait, don't I?

I know, my life is very challenging with all this waiting. But do you know what, I am still a very happy gentleman dog. My tail just keeps wagging, no matter what happens. I am just that kind of hombre: happy and guapo. So let's get on with the last day in Brittany!

First we went to see a big architecture thing that reminded me a lot of my home in Spain. Of course I didn't see them when I was still in the shelter, but once foster lady broke my Bodeguero best friend Paul and me out, we saw lots of things like this. Foster lady sure does like her architecture.










Then we went to the seaside. The water was way far away, but there were these paths to walk on. I really liked the smells and foster lady got excited for taking my photo on the raised paths. She got TOO excited, because instead of watching where she was stepping, she fell off the path and into the rocks. I thought it was funny at first and ran over to look down at her, but she was a strange color and had red stuff all over her hands. After that she was kind of slow and we stayed on the beach. She said, "Oh Carbon, I think I'd better stick to photos of architecture. I'm too old for these action shots!"

Before the fall...


After the fall...


Then por fin we went to a place called Roscoff where foster lady said we were going to get on a boat to sleep. On a boat to sleep! What a funny idea! Roscoff was a little port on the sea with lots of good smells. I really liked it, but I was also un poco tired and ready for my dinner and a sleep. Vale, I didn't care about the sleep, just the dinner...






Bring on the boat...I am ready! Hasta luego with more adventures to come!

 

[kateincornwall]

The photos are really great , I particularly like the one of Carbon with his front legs crossed !! We`ve had many a lovely lunch in the glass fronted restaurant in the square at Roscoff ! Happy prolonged adventures to you both xxx

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Hola todos! Foster lady put a whole story about our ferry ride from France to Ireland here: Taking your dog on an overnight ferry in a pet-friendly cabin: Brittany Ferries France to Ireland

Claro que si, she left out the best parts of how very brave I was in standing a the big railing, how Bunny did not get seasick (unlike foster lady) and how I rather amazingly held my wee for a full 15 hours. Do you see, I really AM a Spanish gentleman!

Still, I do not know if sailing is for me or for Bunny. We both like our comfy car much better. Here I am giving grumpy face. I was not in the mood for my usual guapo modelling.

 

[Xena Dog Princess]

That sundial on the church is bleak, "fear the end" I've never seen one like that before. Sorry, Carbon, but as much as I love photos with you in them I also love all the architecture and scenery! There are such interesting things along the coast. I forgot to ask - that house that was squished between two rocks, was it occupied? It must be partially underwater in bad storms.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

That sundial on the church is bleak, "fear the end"

Yep, that's why it caught my eye. Another translation might be 'fear the last" as in the last minute. Either way, none too cheery!

I forgot to ask - that house that was squished between two rocks, was it occupied? It must be partially underwater in bad storms.

Definitely occupied. If you look closely, there are two cars parked right out front. You're right though, I wouldn't want to be in it in a storm.

 

[Xena Dog Princess]

Yep, that's why it caught my eye. Another translation might be 'fear the last" as in the last minute. Either way, none too cheery!

Open to whichever depressing interpretation you want! End of times? Check. Death? Check. BLEAK!

Definitely occupied. If you look closely, there are two cars parked right out front.

No way, how did I not notice cars! What a weird (and risky) place to live.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Hola todos! I know, three times in one day. Just look what can be accomplished by sitting inside all day. I did not have new adventures but I caught up on some of my old ones. We had rain ALL day today. This afternoon foster lady and I tried just to take a walk in front of our house, but after five minutes we both returned for the comfy sofa.

It was what my new friend Rose calls a 'duvet day'. It is not all bad, mis amigos. I could get used to this duvet day. It is much better to duvet than to get wet from above!

Speaking of my new friends Rose and Curly, it is finally time for me to tell you about Ireland. Aye, aye, aye - can you believe we are on a week delay around here?

Here are some photos of my very first day in Ireland, right off that ferry. We drove to the town where Rose and Curly live and then went to the best beach and hillside ever. I was a little too loco for Curly at first as he is an older Australian gentleman, but we soon became best friends.

Here's me being un poco too loco for my new friend:

Here's a new friend we met: Poppy. Poppy is a chihuahua/Jack Russell cross, the same as my friend Bella in Germany. She is also the dog sitting baby of my new human friend, Cian, even though we just met her with her humans here by co-incidence. Foster lady says that Kinsale is a small world.



Curly and I are checking out the fort. Curly is on the lookout for enemies and I am on the lookout for food. Did anyone happen to drop a pretzel here?







Curly is just a good a model as I am, no?




Rose leads the way down to the beach


Whacha doin' there Curly? (Sabes, I am picking up his Australian accent, dontcha think? )


Single zoomies!


Double zoomies!!!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

And then the very next day I got to go to another beach with foster lady's friend Cian. He is my big amigo now too because he threw the ball over and over and over and over for me. I LOVE Cian!

 

[Xena Dog Princess]

Oh I love seeing his zoomies in action! He was SO HAPPY on that beach! And I'm glad that he and Curly ended up becoming buds. A Spanish gentleman and an Aussie cobber becoming mates in Ireland - it's perfect.

How did Carbon feel about the horse on the beach? I can't remember whether you've encountered horses in the wild with him?

 

[Jacqui-S]

Brilliant photos!

 

[Lab_adore]

Awesome pictures and tales @Emily_Babbelhund

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

How did Carbon feel about the horse on the beach?

Carbon couldn't care less about anything else if he's got a ball.

But he's very laid back about horses as he saw them daily in Spain. Plus getting butt-sniffed by a dozen donkeys at the farm animal refuge in Austria makes seeing a mere horse seem rather tame.

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

We said goodbye to our house on the hill overlooking the Skelligs this morning and headed towards Dingle. For once I was happy to be driving because it was rain, rain and more rain. I stopped about halfway in a little village petrol station/grocery store and found out what people in small villages do for entertainment on rainy weekends: they hang out in petrol station/grocery stores. That place was packed and I was the only one getting petrol!

I aimed for Dingle town first due to both the rain and that fact that I have my shopping ritual that must be respected. I HATE shopping. Hate. It. Yet after so many years of going to Dingle, I do like shopping there when it comes to my favorite couple of shops.

First up was my favorite jeweller, John Weldon. I have a thing for Celtic knot silver earrings and most of the stuff in shops in kind of tourist tat (sorry). I started out visiting John Weldon about 12 years ago and his stuff is just the best. John is also the one always manning the fort, so it's the kind of shop that you feel that time stands still. No matter whether it's 2007 or 2018, same guy, same shop, same greeting. Today he even corrected me as I thought it had been three years since my last visit but he was right when he said it was two. Somehow he also remembers what I've bought already and steers me straight to the new stuff.

And of course he's dog-friendly. He was very kind to Brogan and today suitably adoring of Carbon.

Armed with my earring purchase, I headed down the street to the collective craft shop. It's always a hoot because the artists take turns as voluntary shop attendants. I've gotten lots of interesting stuff there, but my favourite are the wooden carvings. I bought my first 'Dingle Musicians' (based on the Bremen musicians but with Irish farm animals) in 2010 but bought a second version of the Bremen musicians a couple years ago. The artist keeps getting better and changing up the design - I'm a sucker for anything with a dog in it.

Well today I hit pay dirt because the attending artist in the shop was the wood carver! And he's Italian! We had a great old chat - what an interesting person. And guess what? He does custom pieces of his Bremen musicians (or anything else you want) using photos of your own animals. Mmmmm....Christmas anyone?

Here's his website - and custom pieces with your own dog (or chicken) are no additional cost:

Handmade solid Hardwood Jigsaw Bremen Town Musicians

And yes, I had to get a third version of the Bremen Musicians today. Hey, it was different again, ok? AND one can never have too many wooden animals, right?

Finally it was down to the wool shop for a hand knit hat. The lady there isn't as fun to talk to - she's a bit of a curmudgeon actually - but it's the best wool shop I've seen. And frankly I needed a hat - it was a cold and blustery day!

After that it was the very exotic Dingle Lidl and then the drive down to my lodging out on the end of the peninsula. I drove by some of my favourite beaches but the winds were way too high to even get close to a beach. The waves were spectacular, though, and if there's a better coastal view than Dingle's Slea Head Drive, I'd like to see it. As it continued to pelt down rain, Carbon wasn't too broken up about staying in the car while I kept stopping and running out to take photos. He is VERY committed to his "wet from above bad" philosophy.

Want to see the drive?

We made to our lodging for the night: a modern farmhouse with a little annex on the side. The host invited Carbon and me for tea and we had a long chat. Well, the host and I had a chat, Carbon mainly tried to sneak the cat's food when he thought I wasn't looking. I even tried the tea so now I can say I've had a 'proper cuppa' made by a professional. Granted I still don't LIKE tea, but as a cultural enrichment experiment it was excellent.

Tomorrow it's a beach tour - weather permitting - and then a drive back for our last couple of nights with Rose and Curly. Then it's Wales - and Cornwall - here we come!

 

[Lisa]

Oh gosh I’m really loving this part of your trip! I love me some silver Celtic-style jewellery myself

Those wooden Bremen musicians are great, too. The video isn’t working properly for me but I’ll try it on YouTube.

Can’t wait to see Wales with you...my mum was born in Mumbles (near Cardiff) and I’ve had many happy times in beautiful Wales.

 

[Lisa]

P.S You don’t like tea??????


Ok I still love you but......

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

The video isn’t working properly for me but I’ll try it on YouTube.

It's not one I made, I just did a YouTube search for a decent view of Slea Head to give you an idea. For someone who used to produce videos for a living, I'm woefully bad at making them myself. Need some better equipment - or maybe just the patience to sit down and learn the simple editing software that's already on my Mac.

Can’t wait to see Wales with you...my mum was born in Mumbles (near Cardiff) and I’ve had many happy times in beautiful Wales.

Sadly this time around it will just be a day's drive through from Fishguard (the ferry landing) to Beanwood farm over the Severn Bridge. I'm hoping to see a little though, even if it is just through the car window and a couple select stops to stretch our legs.

If anyone has any short but happy sightseeing ideas for the drive, bring them on.

P.S You don’t like tea??????

Nope. I can force it down out of politeness, but I don't like the taste and it always makes me feel woozy. I won't touch coffee, even to be polite. I can't stand the smell. With the exception of drinks that don't taste of alcohol (like cider or a margarita), I don't like alcohol either. Can you imagine how well I go over in wine-crazy France or Italy and beer-crazy Germany? I'm socially challenged anyway and add in my 'I just like water, thanks' stance and it doesn't help matters!

Yes, I'm a weirdo.

 

[Boogie]

Us English find it very hard not to offer tea! After our weekend together I was just about managing it

I also hate hate shopping but a bit of handcrafted silver is different, I’ve just bought a silver Spencer

 

[HAH]

Glorious photos and write up agin Emily, thank you I loved seeing that corner of Ireland with you - we’ve only seen Dublin and are keen to explore further afield with Kipper so you’ve given some great inspiration
May your onward journey be swift and hitch-free, how exciting that your next stop is @Beanwood towers!!

 

[Rosie]

a day's drive through from Fishguard (the ferry landing) to Beanwood farm over the Severn Bridge

Are you calling in for a dose of Pongo? Hope so!!!