Day: |
085 |
Date: |
Friday, 17 June 2016 |
Start: |
Dundalk |
Finish: |
Dunleer |
Daily
Kilometres: |
21 |
Total
Kilometres: |
2370 |
Weather: |
Mild and overcast all day |
Accommodation: |
St Jude's B&B |
Nutrition: |
Breakfast: Full Irish Breakfast
Lunch: Egg & tomato baguette Dinner: Cheesburger &
chips, apple pie |
Aches: |
None |
Highlight: |
I stopped at a small service
station/convenience store in Castle Bellingham to treat myself to a
fresh baguette from their deli for lunch. I was behind a
couple of tradesmen in the deli queue, and one of them said 'Walking
around Ireland are you?', and I replied that actually, I was.
Before long, the six or seven staff and customers in the deli were
all engaged in animated and interested discussion about my trip, my
tan, and the weather. |
Lowlight: |
None |
Pictures: |
Here |
GPS Track: |
Here |
Journal: |
I went to bed very tired last night, and
despite lots of internet research, had still failed to book my last
few nights accommodation to Dublin. After a good night's
sleep, and a hearty breakfast, I spent some more time on the web and
phone and got it all satisfactorily sorted out. I could spare
the extra post-breakfast time, because I only had to walk 21km
today.
Breakfast had been interesting, in a sad way, since it
quickly became apparent that the other residents at breakfast, a
woman on her own and a family of three, were being housed in the B&B
by social services. The woman was quite talkative, though with
a speech impediment that made understanding difficult (added to a
thick Irish accent), and told me she had to move to a different B&B
every three days while waiting for more permanent accommodation, and
that her dinner last night was two cans of soft drink and a tin of
camp pie!
I started walking at 10:30am and passed several
colleges and commercial areas before reaching the edge of Dundalk
and the flat rural countryside. My route for the day was going
to follow the R132, a busy regional road, but to my relief it either
had a footpath/sidewalk or a wide road margin most of the way so I
didn't have to constantly worry about traffic. But it was
noisy.
Around 1pm, I reached the village of Castle
Bellingham, and noticing a convenience store with some picnic
benches outside, bought myself a freshly prepared baguette for
lunch. Shortly after, with only 8km to go and plenty of time
in hand, I spied a village barber shop and enquired what it would
cost to get a haircut and beard trim. Ten Euros seemed a good
deal and I emerged thirty minutes later looking much more civilised,
at least from the neck up.
After the very flat morning walk I
enjoyed some undulating countryside with occasional views during the
afternoon. The land is mostly devoted to crops, as opposed to
the cattle and sheep I have seen in most other areas, and many of
the fields were large.
I reached the village of Dunleer soon
after 3:30pm, checked in to my B&B, and enjoyed the rest of the
afternoon catching up on some chores with one eye on a Euro 2016
game on the TV. Later I bought take-out for dinner again, not
that sorry that it will be one of the last for this trip, and began
preparing mentally for a long day tomorrow. |
|
ADVENTURE LIST
Round Ireland
(2016)
Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)
Via Alpina
(2012)
Australian Alps Walking
Track (2011)
Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)
Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)
Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)
Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)
Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)
Three Peaks Race
(2004)
Appalachian Trail
(1986)
Alpine Track
(1983)
|