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We set out from Dublin on friday on the Wicklow Way and hiked to about 14 miles to Enniskerry. We had the path almost to ourselves once we left the city. The views of Dublin, the bay and the Irish Sea were amazing. It rained for about 10 minutes everyhour. This gave us just enought time to decide that we should put on rain gear, and get it on before the rain stopped. Everyone we meet keeps telling us how beautiful it was the previous week. Between the down pours it was great. This is the Ireland I envisioned. We had breakfast with a very nice Belgian couple. They we're from the north and their primary language was Dutch.
The next day (saturday) we walked from Enniskerry to Roundwood, around 13 miles. The inclines were steeper and more frequent. In our guide book, there was a warning that one part on this leg of the hike was exposed to the elements. The wind along one stretch nearly knocked us over, and made us lose blanace a few times. We all got caught in a short hail storm too. Janie and I took shelter on the path against the wind and hail against an old stone fence and a small outcrop.
That night, we decided to catch a bus to our last stop on the Way, Glendalough. It was only about three miles, but our feet and the rest of our bodies had had enough hiking for awhile. The next morning we had breakfast with an older couple from the Netherlands, also Dutch speaking. Glendalough was a nice little community. It had monastic ruins from the 12th century that were easily accessible, but plauged with other tourists. That night at our hostel, I (John) watch the first "X-Men" movie in the lobby with a large Dutch speaking family. At this point, I think learning Dutch would not be a bad idea. I got into a conversation about the degrading quality of movie sequels.
Today, we took a bus to Cork. It looks a lot like Dublin, but a little brighter. That may just be the sunlight present here. Tomorrow we're taking a day trip to Blarney and the Blarney Castle.
PICTURES TOMORROW!
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PJ
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The first “X-men” was terrific and the Dutch seem to know what they are talking about. I'm glad to hear that you guys are enjoying your time braving the elements.