Bluestack Way-Day 3 (Ireland; 2 of 2) | Return to Donegal Town - Day 10

I spent most of the afternoon diagnosing my pain and finding ways to remedy it. More on that in a bit. Around 730 pm I take a gingerly walk into Donegal town center. Donegal Town has a unique diamond-shaped center that functions as an elongated roundabout. Across from the Abby Hotel, in the town center (picture right), stands a massive obelisk commemorating the Four Masters of The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland. The Annals detail the reigns, deaths, genealogies, etc. of the high-kings of Ireland, the provincial kings, chiefs, and heads of distinguished families, men of science, historians, poets, etc., with dates given as accurately as the Masters can give them. The Annals date from prehistory to 1616 A.D. 

I make my way to Quay West, a local restaurant across from Donegal Bay. I arrive just in time to watch the rain started as I am seated. One of the pleasures of dining alone is I can usually get a table, though it is oft in a corner. No matter, tonight I'm hungry. I order the lightly smoke haddock cooked perfectly over a leek, potato, and bacon cream sauce, with a side of vegetables. I sure do like baked carrots and Irish potatoes. Tonight's dinner is divine.

Near as I can tell, I have Peas Anserine Bursitis (PAB). It is a condition whereby the small bursa sac that lies between the ligaments that attach to your shin bone becomes inflamed. This happens when you overuse the ligaments. This can happen when you over-stride and walk too upright (the equivalent of leaning backward) while walking downhill. The condition can be exacerbated if you have tight hamstrings since those tendons attach to the shinbone at that location. There's good and bad news too. Good, I can rehab the condition with stretching, hamstrings, quads, and glutes. I was so focused on stretching my calves and hip flexors, I forgot about my hamstrings. Doh! I can also take Vitamin-I (i.e., Ibuprofen) to help with inflammation. The bad, it is a slow injury to heal. I'll take it day by day here. For now, I can mitigate it by shortening my stride and leaning forward during downhills. 

The next morning I head into town to find a quiet, rainy Sunday. It's 9 am, and I'm looking to grab breakfast and Ibuprofen. The latter is a feat that is proving to be more difficult than I thought it would be. Ibuprofen is not sold over the counter here in Ireland, and most pharmacies are closed on Sundays. 

I stop in at Furey's Diner for breakfast. It reminds me of an Irish American place. The upholstery is red leather-like you would find in many American diners from the 50s. The food is wonderful. I order the waffles. The waffles are Belgium style, but much denser, not light and fluffy like in the United States. They remind me of a sweet cake batter. They are quite lovely and taste fantastic with the heavy syrup and fresh fruit.

After breakfast, I head out in search of some relief, ibuprofen. Suddenly, I come across this car, parked next to the curb in front of a coffee shop. I burst out laughing! Oh, the irony of this photo. Not only are the letters funny, but they also appear on the back of an American-made car! American car manufacturers are not known for being leaders in fuel efficiency. I still crack up every time I think of this photo. It's these tiny perfect moments that make life fun!

I return to my Airbnb, load up, and catch the bus to Newtownstewart (Neuton-stewart), UK.