Leinster, Ireland

Long sleep after our exhausting day � too much for both of us. In our apartment of rooms, I got up before Bon and went into the living/dining room to write some post cards, Stella, our hostess, had already set the table and brought in the breakfast.

As we were not able to stay (Stella was fully booked), after some debate we decided upon a day hike without the packs and to take a bus to Dublin at 4:30 p.m. We talked to Stella about B&Bs in Dublin and where to hike, but she did not have too much information.

We decided to climb Djouce Mountain which looked distant but possible. We reviewed the paths on two maps for a critical juncture where a poorly marked woods road joins the Wicklow. With this clarified, we left our backpacks, and we started off carrying only a light knapsack and some water. It was sunny but cold and we both wore several layers.

From the B&B we turned right past O�Connor�s grocery, bearing left at the Y off the main road. Unfortunately, this road was more traveled than those we had walked the previous day so we had to watch the traffic. The town quickly gave way to farms and pastures and the road gradually rose giving us a view. At the Sallygap intersection, we continued straight looking for the woods road and anticipating it a little early. Bon found it � a narrow country lane bordered by hedgerows which became a park road running gradually uphill. As we reached the forest, we turned to look over a wide expanse of parceled fields. There were two reservoirs in view and in the far distance we could see St. George's Channel, the ocean between Ireland and Wales.

We climbed steadily for a long stretch through spruce woods with mossy forest floor. We found the link trail and a stile led us to the Wicklow on a short downhill leg.

As we joined the Wicklow, the vista to the north opened and we saw the mountains for miles with Loch Tay below to the south. We could see where we had traveled last few days. The loch was beautiful with a sandy beach at the north end. A mansion of the Guinness family was nestled in trees on a green stretch of lawn above the beach. Bon and I sat here and took in the view as several people passed. (Up to this point on the entire trip we had seen only one person hiking; here, closer to Dublin, many were day hiking.)

We decided we had enough time to tackle Djouce which required going over one hill and up a substantial climb. As we had seen on Mullacor, the trail was now two railroad ties covered with fine mesh chicken wire, so the going was fairly easy. Without this, however, it would not have been an easy walk as the terrain was boggy for long stretches. I began to tire a little on the uphill. Bon pushed ahead.

The Wicklow turned right before Djouce but we continued on up Djouce now without the railroad ties, but on a rocky trail with good footing. This last leg took about 25 minutes of uphill climbing. Then it leveled out and we reached the stone and cement cairn at the top. After posing for a picture we relaxed in a sunny and wind-protected spot at a rock nearby, eating a small picnic while admiring the view. I wondered whether we could see the other side of the channel and noticed one spot that looked like land. I asked some other people nearby and one of the men pointed to another location as well where he said a ferry ran between Ireland and Wales.

Surprisingly, there was very little wind and we stayed enjoying the view from Dublin and Bray to the north and on down the coast. We left about 1:30 p.m. Although it had taken us about three hours to climb, I thought we could make better time on the way down as it was mostly down hill.

Rejuvenated, I led the way down retracing our steps. We passed but could see no evidence of a site where there had been an aircraft accident in 1946 in a heavy fog. As the plane crashed at a lucky angle in the bog, 46 French Female Guides and the crew all survived!

We went on past Loch Tay where the colors had changed completely with the sun�s low angle and increasing clouds. The loch appeared black. We saw some ponies which Bon patted at a pasture gate. Beyond at the farm lane the chaffinches were singing in the rowan trees.

We were a little tired by the time (4:00 p.m.) we reached our B&B after about 12 miles of hiking. We talked with Stella's husband who wore only a short sleeve shirt as he worked in the garden � we would have frozen. He told us of his hike up Djouce when he was 12 in Wellingtons and snow and how unbearably cold and slippery it had been. After thanking him, we headed down to the bus stop just down the road for a cold wait on a stone wall.

The first bus to Dublin was full. A capable bus driver put us on the second so we could have a seat half way, arranging a rendezvous further up the route. Then we had to stand until a young man left and the young girl he was sitting with (reading: To Kill a Mockingbird) gave up her seat to sit on the bus steps.

We arrived in Dublin on the west side of Stephens Green and walked the south side of the green to Leeson Street. A woman on the street I asked about B&Bs went out of her way to be helpful. (Everyone in Ireland is friendly and helpful.) We did not see one B&B, but tried a couple of hotels � one's rate was � 250! We were directed back to the street just south of where we had arrived, finding the Hotel Albany had one last room (apparently there was an Australian Ireland football game � Aussy rules � which was drawing people to the city). The room, on the fourth floor, was comfortable but chilly and we took it (� 130 with breakfast). We relaxed and I wrote on the bed comfortably under a blanket.

For dinner, we tried a small restaurant nearby which did not have a table available. The hostess suggested we have a drink at a pub down the street. It was a lovely pub with an attractive and able bartender. There was an old fellow there with a protruding bottom lip who spilled a beer as he took it from the bar. He appeared to know everyone. I asked the young fellow next to me what Irish Whiskey was. After first introducing himself and his wife, he said it was a shot in a Guinness! Everyone drinks Guinness in Ireland and I am told it is much better than the exported version. After one drink, we headed up to the restaurant.

It was a damp chilly cold as we went back towards the hotel, which had all sorts of construction going on in the street in front of it. We settled into our room, warmed now by a temporary heater to watch all-Ireland hurling championship.

This was the match that prompted the owner of the castle we had climbed to fly the Kilkenny flag at the border of Tipperary. It was a rough game � the bat is swung in close quarters and the players are without padding or gloves. We both dozed a little but awoke for the final minutes with Kilkenny three points or one goal down. Unfortunately, Tipperary put a one pointer in over the crossbars and iced the game.

We went to sleep only to be awakened between three and four. Apparently, our street was the disco street and the bars all closed at this time on Sunday morning. The party continued in the streets with girls singing (I remember "Hotel California") and a lot of shouting and rowdy fun.

We awoke late - 8:30 a.m. and went down to the nicest continental breakfast we had seen with lots of fruit (we had seen almost no fruit or salads in the typical meal). We packed up. It was a rainy and cold morning and we decided to go to the airport where we could get some shopping done.

Laden again, we walked up the street in a good rain and waited for the bus (the same place we'd been dropped off on the bus from Glendalough). The bus was supposed to run every 15 minutes but we waited with a couple from Indiana and a few others for over half an hour. We luckily got the last two seats at the very back of the bus. There were three outgoing women from Britain on a weekend holiday who asked what our next trip would be. We said we were uncertain and we asked about England. They recommended the south, mentioning Pennine Way and the Cornish Path, and the coastal area in Cornwall.

We got to the airport and checked in early so as not to have to carry our packs then shopped for the kids and onto the plane. It was much easier to leave in the driving rain.

A good trip back and a taxi home to find Phoebe and Minster glad to see us. Patrick and Laura arrived with supper and homemade bread. Emily joined us and we had a lovely evening with dinner and conversation in front of the fire.