Sept 29/23 Friday (second post)

 The post before this one I erroneously dated Sept 29, should have been Sept 28.  That’s what happens when you get behind.

So today we left for our last hike at 11am from Cloghane, walking towards Brandon.  The distance is approximately 8km, a short one.  The day is perfect hiking weather.  We start off on tarmac with the ocean to the right of us, Brandon Bay. The tide was way out. The guide book told us to stay on the road but we met a local who said oh go down to the beach, you will love it, it’s a grand day to relax down there.  We didn’t have a long distance to go so decided to take her advice.  On arrival at the beach we realized to go walking we would have to quite likely get our feet wet.  There is a reason all the Irish we see down by the water are wearing gum boots! We ask the First Lady and her dog to come if we can take “that” road up to the main road. She says no, you have to go back up “this” road.  Not the answer we wanted!   We wait till another local comes by (quite a few out with dogs) and ask if we can go up “here” to the road rather than backtracking the path she says, oh yes just straight up and when you get to a “t” turn right.  After a bit of a grassy path we were back on the tarmac.  We followed this until we saw a yellow sign with the hiker arrow which pointed us back toward the beach.   We were next confused as the signs were telling us to go through a locked  farm gate. Instead we continued on the road, came to another sign which said hikers could pass, just lock the gate, which we did.  We were now walking through a field full of sheep! Now normally on this trip when we come upon fields of sheep and we are on the opposite side of the fence, they scurry away if we get too close.  These sheep paid us no bother whatsoever.  They were fenced only on one side, the other “side” was the ocean.  We were soon out of the grass and on the sand again. It was a beautiful day, perfect walking temperature and we could see the town of Brandon in the distance.  

We walked along the beach, tide was out until we came to a narrow bridge that spanned a small river running into the ocean.  We crossed and we’re on the road approaching the town.  Soon we arrived at the pubs/restaurants we had been told were good and we sat at an outside table for coffees and ate our packed lunches……our last and favourite so far, chicken salad.   We asked the waiter if there would be music later on?  He said yes at about half nine; put don’t tell anybody, it’s a private party and they are paying for the  band.   As we were in many small towns/villages and it was the end of the season with fewer hikers the businesses were closing for the season and not paying musicians.  Of course in places like Dublin and Dingle this wasn’t the case.  So we went with the “flow” back up the road to find our guest house for the night, planning to come back later for a bite and some music. 

Our guest house is definitely a five star!  Unfortunately Joanie is not feeling well as she has now succumbed to the cold and elects to stay in and rest! After showering and getting into clean warm clothes 3 of us head back to Murphy’s Pub.  It is very busy…..basically packed and we wait to be seated. We order an appy to share, which was quite nice, and 3 bowls of seafood chowder……and share a dessert. 

We decide not to wait for the band and start for our guest house.  The landlady had given us reflective vests to wear over our coats for the walk home as the road is narrow and there are no street lights.  Joanie is feeling slightly better. 

We then do a little packing for our early departure tomorrow…..pickup at 8 for the drive to Kerry airport. We fly to London for 3 days of culture. Our hiking adventure for this year has ended. 

September 28/23

 We were at Cuas in the morning and were picked up and left at Ballyferriter where we were left the day before .  We walked along the beach to Balleydavid, weather was nice but the the rain started, HEAVY.  We popped into a pub which was open, but not for food.  We ordered hot drinks and took out our own packed lunches.  There were two other groups of hikers there also, shelter from the rain.  We finally left as the rain had let up a little. Our walk took us along the cliffs. The path was grassy and fairly wet. It is also only about 6 feet from the drop to the sea.  There are no guard rails.  This is why it is not recommended if the wind is at a high level.  Whereas yesterday the level of danger was orange (red being the highest) today there was no colour assigned to the day.  The grassy path (3km) was quite soggy and we were all experiencing wet feet!  The rest of the walk to Caus was on tarmac and pathways.  We were going back and forth to Caus as we decided it would be a better walk than going up the mountain.  It’s a bit confusing with all the back and forth so we get all the walking in! 

We arrived back at Caus where we ordered Guinness and met a couple who were from Timmons ontario. Our driver picked us up after our drink and took us to Cloghane where we had dinner.  This old hotel was our least favourite. The hotel/inn called O’Connors had been in the family for 150 years and it looked like it.  It was a nice drive there, we had to drive back to Dingle as it was the only way to get around the mountain.  We were sopping wet and none of these pubs seem to like turning on the radiators (we need to dry our clothes) or the fireplace., and likewise in our rooms. 

There was a rugby match on tv (Samoa vs Japan) Japan won. We chatted to a group of four who were traveling by car , they were from Sardia……we told them about baby Guinness and they were interested enough to try it for themselves.  We will make sure we enjoy them again before we leave Ireland. (baby Guinness is a small glass of Kahula with a topping of baileys.  It has to be poured just right so that the baileys sits on top…..looking like a miniature Guinness…..and delicious! 

It was time for bed as tomorrow we walk out from Cloghane. Our last day of walking and the weather shall be fine. 

Sept 27/ wednesday.

 Today our walk was cancelled due to storm Agnes….the first “named” storm of the season..our area of Ireland would be hit particularly badly, as would the UK.  The Washington post featured it.  When we woke the wind was bashing the hotel, and rain going sideways! 

We packed up our bags and went downstairs for breakfast.  After breakfast Sandy and Joanie ventured out 1/2 a block to the museum.  It was closed. 

A driver would pick up our bags and us at 3pm and take us to our next stop. To kill time we played a few games, solitaire, Farkle, and a game called Golf ( which has nothing to do with golf)

At noon we had a very good soup at our hotel (Ostan Ceann Sibeal) .  Another impossible to pronounce Irish name. 

A very jolly Irish man came to collect us.  He was difficult to understand as well, but we got the gist of it. We should have been hiking some cliffs today.  Due to the weather, it wouldn’t be safe. So instead of a 5 hour hike we had less than an hour in a taxi! 

Tonight we are Cuas in the guest house An BothAr.  It is a small guest house with a pub and they serve food……not every night, but they were tonight. Joanie chose the best meal….crab legs!  The rest of us chose med rare roast beef……yep it was nowhere near rare and tough to chew. 😓.   We enjoy our own company and there were not many in the place.  We eventually retired upstairs to a lounge, made tea and played a few rounds of Golf!  Look it up on line it is a fun game all you need is a deck of cards.  

I think all four of us had a FaceTime conversation with family back home.

Not sure what tomorrow will bring…..it will depend on the weather! 

Tuesday Sept 26/23 leaving Dunquinn.

 The forecast today was promising. There would be little to no rain and just a small amount of elevation.  Rain and elevation being the worst nightmare of a hiker. 

We had a nice breakfast, lots of coffee, orange juice, yogurt, fruit, salmon lox, and a cooked breakfast of our choice.  We packed up our bags and brought them downstairs ready for pickup.  We set out at 9:45. Our first stop, not too far down the road was at the ferry pier.  The ferries themselves were not running, weather was not conducive and more importantly they were now closed for the season.  It was a fairly steep climb down to the ocean level, and the wind was starting to blow. 

We continued on, following our yellow hiking signs and it started to sprinkle.  We arrived at the Blasket Centre and the heavens opened! The Blaskets are a group of islands just off the west coast of Ireland., A large island and a number of smaller uninhabited ones.  They became populated in the 16th century, entirely by Irish people, and the last inhabitants left in 1953. The population at it’s largest was less than 200. The government wanted the people to leave as emergency services, were virtually impossible particularly in the winter months.  Life was hard but the people enjoyed dancing and visiting with each other.  Many of the young people were leaving the island for America so the old folks who were left were finding it increasing difficult to cope with the harder work. 

The Blasket Center is preserving the story of early Irish life on a nearly uninhabited island. There were many story tellers on the island who have written books about their life there. There are a couple of films and photos of the residents, along with stories of their way of life.

We spent close to two hours there, and when the rain ended we started out again.  Our walk took us along similar paths to previous days .  We stopped into a pottery shop where Sandy bought us some yummy Irish chocolate they also had for sale.  Later in the day we stopped at a little artist gallery, where we enjoyed the art, but no purchases were made.  Soon we were at the ocean again, for the  2nd time today…on..our earlier stop we st3 our lunch on the sand.  Sandy and Joanie  decided  to take off their shoes and wade in the water. Cold but invigorating!  We had about 1 1/2 km left to our hotel CeannSibeal.  There are so many Irish names we cannot pronounce! 

After settling into our rooms we went out for a Guinness! Surprise! And at 7:30 we were downstairs  in our hotel for a delicious dinner! Finishing up by sharing two deserts, one of which was the classic sticky toffee pudding. Jan and I (muriel) elected to retire while the other two went to the bar across the street for a nightcap…..baby Guinness (delish) and a special gin drink! 

Sept 25/23 Dunquinn

 Today we had breakfast at 9:00 and were picked up at 10 am by our favourite driver, Ozzie.  He had delivered us for the beginning of our 2 day stay at the Dunquinn guest house.  He was taking us back to where we had finished walking yesterday which was on the sandy beach.  So todays walk we continue further along the beach.  It was a beautiful fresh morning with a strong wind blowing us all about. There were a few people about, walking dogs and swimming in the waves. 

We were to have good weather and lots of elevation today. The first part was on the road and we came upon the Fairy Fort where there was an imprint of an ancient structure that could be seen in the grass.  For the cost of admission we were given a small bowl of “food” to hand feed the goats, sheep, donkeys and a couple of llamas.  We were advised not to feed the pigs……who were gynormous! Back on the road we soon we’re following yellow markers which took us onto paths with high hedges with lots of flowering fuschia. The path was  ascending and a bit muddy given the torrential rain of the last couple of days. The path is narrow, so we walk one behind the other. Up up up and the sun was warm. We were walking towards Slea Head and had a view of the Blasket  islands far below us.  There were lots of sheep, ewes and rams and also goats who would run away when we came close.  While we were enjoying the views we had to keep our eye on the ground which was full of sheep dodo. . The hills are also quite rocky so foot placement was important! All the while the wind was gusty,,  we all agreed it was exhilarating.

Usually when we have been hiking on this trip we have not seen many other hikers.  Today we met a few, some appeared to be out for a walk with their dog.  We met a couple from Trail BC, who were walking with a couple of ladies from San Francisco.  Funnily they were also at the same guesthouse as us.

There are many stiles to climb over , some are made of wood, others are newer metal ones.  The fields are separated by stone walls, walls that have been standing for more than a 100 years. We have a guide book with good instructions….and there are signposts with the little yellow hiking man on them with an arrow pointing the way.

I think what best describes todays hike is elevation. We seemed to be going over mountains! We stopped to eat our packed lunches, sitting on big flat rocks., stripping of jackets and changing socks as the day warmed up.  We finally started a descent towards the water. Slea Head is a spectacular area that people come from all over the world to see.  The sea crashes into the towering cliffs. 

We arrived back at Dunquinn and hit the shower. We walked down the road to Kruegers Pub for dinner. The pub is the furthest west in all of Europe.  The pub was practically empty .  We ordered Guinness and all had fish and chips for dinner, and had a few games of Farkle before walking back to our guesthouse. Tomorrow we will leave at around 10 am .

Leaving the Dingle behind. Sunday sept 24/23

 We left our guesthouse at 9:40 in light rain and wind.  Today there would be quite a bit of walking on tarmac, temperature was about 14^ which is quite pleasant for walking.  The roads are quite narrow and the cars drive fast.  We walk single file and as close as possible to the grassy edge or hedges, yelling car if we hear one behind us or approaching. It seems to work as we are all still living! 

We trudged along with the sight of an occasional field if there was a farm gate entrance, otherwise the hedges were too high for us to see over.  There is quite a lot of wild fuchsias growing too.  Well, the wind was picking up and so was the rain.  Our guiding company who organized our tour has given us maps and printed directions for each day we hike. The instructions are quite detailed, for instance they tell us things like “ if you come to a part in the path with a blue rope across it, just duck under it” .  So you can believe it would be , should be, next to impossible to get lost.  Well, it is not and was not.  As I said the weather was worsening.  We turned from tarmac to a muddy upward path.  The water was running down the path in rivelets, rivelets of mud, we were also suspicious of the colour of the mud as it looked like the cows had been there at some time. We had gone possibly 4 km uphill when we decided that we had gone wrong somewhere, so back down the slippery path we went. …….flashback to earlier in the day while still on the tarmac, a fellow in a pickup truck stopped to tell us……don’t go down that road, stay up “there” on that one, it’s much faster to where you are going! But we were following our instructions! So yes, we made our way back to that road and carried on. By this time we were getting quite soaked, some of us more than others! We stayed on the road until we came in sight of the ocean and found the hiking signpost. We crossed the road to a path that led down to the beach.  There were cement steps that contained to a little while then we were making our way on the grassy rocky cliff edge for about 100 yds to the Sandy beach.  We walked in the sand for about 1 km to the pub, Paidi O’Shea’s, which was our pickup point of the day. 

We went inside the pub and ordered bowls of seafood chowder and Guinness, of course.  By this time we were all completely soaking wet and shivering! We took off as much of our clothing that was decent to remove.  After a little while the fireplace was lit and we stood around it trying to dry the clothes on our bodies.  I (Muriel) had a harder time, was probably wetter than the others due to my limited rain gear, Sandy decided I should make use of her silver emergency blanket. It did help a lot!  After our soup and Guinness we ordered Irish coffees to further advance the warming process. 

We then phoned our guide host and said we were ready for pickup. Places to stay on the hiking trail are not always conveniently located exactly the amount of km apart for hikers so they are transported to their accommodation for the night and then returned to the day before finish point to start again.  This usually involves a short taxi ride.  Our guest house today is in Vestry, there is one pub, so that is where we will have dinner.   

After switching  to dry clothes and stuffing our wet shoes with newspapers and then relaxing in our rooms we left to walk to the pub down the road for 7pm.  The rugby game was about to start between Wales and Australia……wales were the victors. We shared pizza and played a few games of Farkle…..and Guinness and wine. We walked back to our guesthouse on a very dark road, no street lights in the countryside, just a lighted cell ph to show us the way. 

It was a day we will ever forget, it’s very rare for us pilgrims to err on the path. Tomorrow is another day and the outlook is for better weather. 

Last day in Dingle Sept 24/23

 This morning we went downstairs for breakfast. As per usual we had ordered off the menu the night before. As well as our order there were freshly baked scones and homemade jam, fresh orange juice and delicious coffee. After breakfast Joanie and Sandy booked a tour of a nearby gin facility.  Jan and myself declined and had a leisurely time at the guesthouse. The house is called the Coastline and it is right across the street from the Atlantic ocean.. …….looking out we could see whitecaps and a pretty ferocious wind, along with it rain! 

Our hiking package includes a packed lunch each day, it always seems to be the same…..a ham and cheese sandwich, a bottle of water and a granola bar of some variety.  When Joanie and Sandy returned (after sampling several different gins, we prepared to head into town.  We thought we’d look into a few shops before finding a pub.  We heard there were some that might have music during the day.  

The shops were mainly of the tourist variety, well made Irish linens, sweaters, key chains, coasters, scarves as well as lots of books. Books for children, books for birders, books of Irish literary note. 

We went to O’Flaherty’s Pub for our first Guinness and played a game of farkle.  We popped into another pub and ran into our Dublin friends Michael and Jackie.  The tv’s were on in all the pubs for rugby World Cup.  Ireland was playing South Africa at 8pm…..this would definitely be interrupting the music scene.

We soon found ourselves at the Dingle again and two musicians were playing, a fiddle and a guitar.  It was now dinner time.  Our waiter was the famous dancer from the night before.  He says he doesn’t dance on Saturday as it’s his day off…..spent working in his fathers pub…..the Dingle.  There doesn’t appear to be much else to do except go to the pubs! The next one called An Droighead Beag……don’t ask how to pronounce it!  We watched the rugby game here…..Ireland won.  We stayed here till 11:15.  A new drink, for us, a baby Guinness…..served in a shot glass is a pour of kahalua with baileys.   Quite tasty. 

We walked home to our guesthouse….the last guests in for the night. Back to hiking in the morning. We hope to leave early as the weather will deteriorate as the day goes on.