Traveller sidelined by injury

Yesterday, I made the short trek from my house into the town of Westport.  This is a 15 minute drive and somehow the driving seems easier already.  Parking, especially parallel, is a bit of a challenge but I managed.  The trip to Westport was part necessity and part tourism.  I needed to get my GNIB card, which I did from a very nice immigration officer named Linus.  I almost convinced him to hire me because he obviously needs an administrator but he said by the time they did all the paperwork to hire me, my year in Ireland would be up.  I then took a trip to the social welfare office for my PPS number (another job/tax related thing).  However, I was told that I needed a job before I could apply for my number which is actually the opposite of what it says on the website and what I was told in Dublin.  After double checking and finding that they are wrong and I am right (how was I to know?) I think I'll go back again on Monday but perhaps to a different office since there is another one about 15 minutes down the road.  Maybe they'll be more in touch with what the requirements actually are.  :) 

The tourist part involved cruising around the town which is actually quite cute.  Westport has won the "tidy town" award in Ireland 3 times, a fact that they are very proud of as it's in every guide book and pamphlet I saw, and it is indeed a tidy town.  The streets are layed out in a wheel like pattern with the clock tower serving as the hub.  I spent some time venturing in and out of shops, trying to stay out of the rain.  Yes, it was raining!  Finally, after 6 days in Ireland, it actually rained.  I know, I know, there will probably be a day when I'll wish for it to stop, but for now, I'm still excited when it rains.  After touring the main town, I decided to take a walk that was recommended by the tourist office.  It was an old railway line that is now a walking path which leads to the entrance to Westport House.   I explain more about Westport House in my Westport photo album but basically it's a huge Irish manor house that sits all by itself on these beautiful grounds.  It's neighboured by a pirate themed amusement park and campground for families.  You, like me, might be wondering, how do those 2 things fit together?  Well, the house is built on the ruins of a castle owned by one of Ireland's most famous pirate queens, Grace O'Malley.  Thus, the amusement park.  Obviously, Ireland is not immune to commercializing something to make some extra cash.  All in all, it was a bit of an eerie experience because there was no one around, no cars in the car park, no ticket takers at the gate and no one to stop me from entering the section which said "Only ticket holders and wristband wearers past this point".  So of course, I went in for free.  :)  I wondered if it was closed but I could hear kids yelling on the rides and the gate was open so I don't think so.  Since I was an "illegal" patron, I didn't stay long and kept an eye out for guards with tazer guns running toward me. 

Now, even though I have a car, I had parked it first thing and did all of my sightseeing and errands on foot.  (I find this easier)  However, midway through the day, I started to feel pretty bad pain in the ankle and shin of my right foot which continued to get worse until I was limping around town.  I could plead ignorance and say this was a sudden onset pain that took me by surprise but the truth is I've been feeling it mildly since Dublin but ignoring it because...there's just so much to see and who wants to nurse an injured ankle?  Well, now I'm nursing an ankle because I woke up this morning after an uncomfortable sleep and couldn't really walk.  What's wrong?  I think it might have something to do with 8-10 hour days of walking on concrete in flip flops, not the most ideal travel footwear, so I've learned.  I haven't worn them since Dublin, but I think the damage was done and long days of walking, even in good shoes, haven't helped.  So, I sidelined myself for the day and spent a leisurely day reading, job and car insurance hunting online and administering anti-inflammatories.  Hopefully, I'm back up and running tomorrow or the next day.