Buncrana, Ireland: Heavy Cloud, high winds, 15

Rambling!

Today we were invited to walk with the Ramblers, a rare honour for these Canucks. This all came about with WestJet having cancelled our flight just before we left home and this provided and extra day and led to our lovely invite to join Joe and Geraldine's walking group. The group walk year round every two weeks and each person takes a turn selecting and organizing a walk. Today the walk was actually a climb up Mount Errigal "to an elevation of 751 metres which is rated hard with rough ground and steep sections". This from the official walking route guide. We all gathered in town, about 20 walkers today. We reduced the cars and then started the 45 minute drive to the national park.

Our car procession with Errigal on the right shrouded in thick cloud.

We began the walk walking on soft peat! So cool!! A first for this walker and what a nice spongy surface to coast across in the early going. Apparently we were very lucky as everyone told me that the recent dry weather has given us relief from sinking into it. Even with that we still sank into it from time to time.

This was a group walk meaning that we stopped regularly to make sure everyone was caught up and ok. A real range of walking skills in the group. 

Great views as we climbed towards the clouds. 

Did I say that this mountain is the 7th highest in Ireland and the highest in this part of the country?

Annemarie walked a bit better yesterday, but that was on the flat. Today she decided to come along, but early on realized that this would be more than her leg could handle. So she very wisely turned around and headed back down. I was really impressed with such a mature decision, though I'd probably have continued as I'm not quite so bright:). The decision point.

Looking ahead at the lower scree slopes, it proved to be a very good decision.

We soon found ourselves in the clouds.

We had some great conversations on the way up.

So now I have to take a break and finish this after dinner. We are off to the pub and there will be food, beers and music!!

Back from dinner and the pub. Lovely evening. The last few photos then I have to pack and get a few hours sleep as we will catch the early morning bus to Dublin where we will spend the day.

We walked a narrow ridge to the top with the wind just a howling! It was hard to tell if it was a 50' drop or a 300' cliff!

After the summit we backed down just a little way and had lunch, tea and a birthday cake and bubbly for one of the group. I carried one of the bottles up and it was a first for me! The cake was amazing as well. 

Then we started down through the clouds and the wind. Pretty brisk! Again I wondered what was below on either side of me. I'd only been told that we'd cross a very narrow ridge higher up. Love it:(

But then we broke through and found that the weather had deteriorated since we climbed up some hours earlier. 

But we just managed to beat the rain.

Once down it was off to have tea and biscuits, the end to a very nice day. Wonderful to walk in a new place and to meet so many nice folks who welcomed us with great friendliness. A good memory. 

The only wildlife on the mountain:)

We are close to heading for the door...and home!

Buncrana, Ireland: Sun & wind, 22

Walking The Inch!

Yes, that's correct. We walked the Inch, as in the Inch Wildlife Sanctuary. A lovely flat walk around a bird sanctuary that kept us busy for quite a while. 

It was a lovely walk on a rare sunny day in these parts. They keep you well under control and make it was difficult to get lost. 

A nice view out to an ancient castle across the salt marshes. 

It was a very quiet walk, and everyone we saw was extremely polit with their hellos and such. It is Ireland:)

From the reserve we drove up the hill to a 9thC round fort with an amazing view in all directions!

We walk over there in the hills tomorrow...weather permitting!

From there we drove into Derry where so much of the troubles took place. Lots of murals to capture the moments.

Feelings run deep, and I find myself wondering how long this will persist. Many years I'm afraid. Best to put into the past as soon as possible, but I appreciate that feelings still run deep, and experiences here were life changing.

But the real fun began when we found the first pub which was hosting the FA Cup Final in London between Manu and Chelsea. 

We had a beer...

.
and watched as Chelsea scored on a penalty and then parked the bus for the rest of the game. At half time we moved on to a new pub where traditional music filled the air and the pub was a classic! 

We set with some young fellows and shared some banter about the game. Felt right at home!

A great day out seeing some of this beautiful land. A good climb planned tomorrow, but the weather forecasts is a concern! Will wait to see!

Malta - Ireland

Maltese Impressions.

Sitting in the Airport on Malta. I'm starting this knowing that we will shortly be heading for our Ryan Air flight to Dublin and then a bus ride up to Derry to meet Paul's parents. Something we've been looking forward to for some time. At this point we are waiting for our gate to be announced and when it is, the stampede will begin as it does for these cheap flights. However, no fear. We have our seats selected and paid extra for the privilege as well as the ability to carry our luggae on. Our gate is posted and I have to run!

Ok. Through passport control because we have just left the Schengen Zone which Ireland and the UK are not part of and waiting at our gate. This was important as far as our fall walk goes because the less time I spend in the Zone the more time I'll have there in the Fall. All very confusing for many, but I've taken the time to understand so that I don't get a huge fine or blacklisted after the Camino For Alzheimer's Awareness. They are very strict about this and my efforts for an extension from the Spanish Consulate at home have been frustrating at best.

We decided to save €18 and take the bus to the airport using our passes one more time. We chose the longer bus ride, but we had time and it took us along back country roads that were quite beautiful and well away from the heavy traffic that is often Malta. In fact, I thought it was the best bus ride so far! No standing only crowds and we were able to sit together. Bonus! 

We have found beverages at the duty free to bring along for our hosts and I have chocolate digestive cookies to take on our budget flight to munch on while we watch a movie I downloaded from Netflix. After all, it's a 4 hour flight. We stopped at my favourite little cafe for sandwiches and have just had those here. So now called to our flight and all set to board. 

Ok, on board. We have had a very nice visit in Malta, in spite of Annemarie's setback. She is slowly recovering today and I noticed that as we walked to the bus that I was able to get out of impulse power for the first time when walking together since the injury. So that's an improvement! I have to report though that Annemarie is bruising up beautifully with an impressive array of colours:) From the back of her knee until her buttish area is a very multi coloured experience. Her elbow is now back into the correct shape with the swelling having passed and now we just need the scabs to heal. 

We travelled up and down and back and forth on this Island(s) and have a pretty good sense of thing. We visited a number of places that I haven't blogged about. Not that I didn't want to blog, but on this portion of the travel I didn't want to write every day. I'll be doing that in the fall. I thought I'd put in a few photos from those adventures and then move on to Ireland. By the way, this plane is full of Irish folks! Kind of fun if you ask me:) This is the sunset from our bus window on our way NW to Derry.

One of the places I didn't blog about earlier was Marsaxlokk and Marascala. Small resort towns, particularly the former with bus loads passing through. Very scenic and the blue water made it all the more appealing. Fish boats and small restaurants along the water front. Those sorts of places. As a matter of fact, we watched the last half of a stage of the Giro while enjoying those very things in Marascala. 

Then there was Rabat and Mdina where we spent the last two nights. Mdina dates back the Arab times and Rabat was its suburb, which is what the name translate to. A tourist town during the day and almost devoid of tourists at night. So perfect to wander around in the evenings and early morning before the buses arrive. We did both and enjoyed it very much. 

We had two excellent meals. The first night I stopped to chat with an elderly gent who was reclined on a bench. He jumped up, shook hands and told me to plan to eat just down the road at "the club" where we could expect excellent food and cheap wine. He gave us good advice! We sat beside the full sized pool table and watched the locals sit and visit through the evening. 

The building was constructed by the Maltese Royal family in the 1800's and there is a ball room and a secret garden well away from the street. 

Last night we ate in an Italian restaurant which we had almost to ourselves, hosted by a very nice fellow from Bologna. Erin visited there in 2009? and told me that it was well worth a visit, so it's on my list. Any way, the pasta was made from scratch as it is in Sicilia, and we enjoyed a lovely meal. He even opened a bottle of Trebbiano white wine and gave us a caraf. A few photos.

We've kicked our around our experiences here and I think that we're we to come again we'd plan to stay in two locations and bus out for day trips. It takes a long time to travel very short distances and the time could be better served with a few modifications. The walking here is quite good and we'd both like to have experienced more of it. 

This photo is for Caitlin, as I think your place would look like this if you lived here. Can you see the two birds?

These are the catacombs and underground city that was later built for the population to live in during WWII when there were literally thousands of bombing runs made agains Malta by the Axis powers. In before the tour groups and all alone. Very cool experience!





Just in to Dublin and having enjoyed our supper at the airport and our first Irish beer, we await our bus to Derry! Will publish some photos to support the above tomorrow as we will likely get into bed after 1am...whose idea was that?!