Day: |
087 |
Date: |
Sunday, 19 June 2016 |
Start: |
Skerries |
Finish: |
Dublin |
Daily
Kilometres: |
30 |
Total
Kilometres: |
2439 |
Weather: |
Raining most of the day, varying from very
light drizzle to steady rain. |
Accommodation: |
Charles Stewart Guesthouse B&B |
Nutrition: |
Breakfast: Cereal, scrambled eggs &
smoked salmon, toast & jam Lunch: Tuna, sweetcorn & tomato
baguette Dinner: Pizza, ice-cream |
Aches: |
None to speak of |
Highlight: |
Having the company of Ciaran, a friend and
fellow runner from Terrigal Trotters, all morning as we passed
through the area where he grew up. |
Lowlight: |
Wet weather and busy roads |
Pictures: |
Here |
GPS Track: |
Here |
Journal: |
My running friend from Australia, Ciaran,
met me at my B&B in Skerries and we set out towards Dublin just
before 9am. Ciaran had grown up in the area north of Dublin,
so was very familiar with my route for the day.
It started
out dry and overcast, but before long it started spitting with rain
and proceeded to rain, with varying intensities, for most of the
day. The road and roadside grass verge got wetter and wetter,
and there was a lot of noisy traffic. As he dodged puddles and
cars, and often walked in the wet grass verge to give me the better
ground, I'm sure Ciaran was questioning his sanity in volunteering
to join me.
Nevertheless, we chatted as we walked and the
17km to the town of Swords passed quickly. Along the way we
saw some historic round towers and lots of green fields, but as we
got closer to Swords there were more houses and businesses and the
roads were busier, though generally with somewhere we could safely
walk.
Around 12:30pm we reached Swords, passing the historic
castle on our way into the centre of town, and I parted company with
Ciaran who was going to catch a bus to the nearby town where he was
staying. It was raining steadily, and I started looking out
for somewhere I could take a break out of the rain. A
kilometre or two after Swords I found a service station with a deli
and ordered a fresh baguette, which I ate sitting on a bar stool
looking out the window at the wet and busy road. Leaving the
dry deli to resume walking in the rain and freshening headwind
didn't have much appeal, but I knew this would be my last leg of the
trip, and that helped me get out of the door.
From there my
route took me through industrial areas and past Dublin Airport
before I entered a residential area. Despite the weather,
there were plenty of people out and about and that proved a
distraction from my tired feet and wet clothes. Around 3:30pm
I passed by the B&B I had started my journey from three months ago,
and ten minutes later checked into my Dublin B&B.
It was a
little anti-climactic, since I just wanted to have a shower and
change into some dry clothes rather than reflect on my journey.
I guess, if anything, I felt mellow.
The weather, scenery and
hospitality I have enjoyed for the past three months have exceeded
my expectations, and my expectations for the latter two were high.
But, there was too much road-walking. If I were to do it
again, I would walk all of the quality trails, but catch a bus in
between, which would be very doable. I also think a bike
(well-geared) trip around Ireland would be a great vacation.
I am booked on a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead tomorrow morning and
then a train back to London where I will stay with friends for 10
days before flying home to Australia, arriving on Election Day.
Having survived the physical rigours of the last three months,
more or less intact, I'm now contemplating a bigger adventure for
next year, the Pacific Crest Trail
in the USA. It's been on my 'bucket list' for many years, and
I think I need to do it sooner rather than later, given my ageing
body. |
|
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)
|