Things are getting pretty damn exciting around here. Dragged the hiking boots out; they are still caked with England's mud and sheep dung. That makes them so much more attractive to me than brand new, sparkling clean boots. These boots look like they know what they're doing, like they can find their way through the bogs and over the moors...and, in fact, they can. They've already walked from Britain's west coast to its other coast.
I thought it was time to break them in again. Turns out, it's more like breaking in my feet again. Two years of wearing flip flops most of the time has made my feet rather ornery about being confined into any sort of enclosed shoe. They began to get disagreeable when I put on the first pair of socks, but then I added a second sock to each foot and they got downright ugly. After cramming them into the heavy, stiff hiking boots and doing six miles of blacktop, they fought back. With blisters.
I let them have their way. I pulled off the boots and the socks, found a spot in the shade and called Doug for a ride home. I'll have to use baby steps if I'm going to win this battle. I have from now until early June to make my feet see reason and adjust to life inside a boot; at least for a few weeks. Once Ireland is behind us, they can go back to living in flip flops. Until the next adventure. (I'm thinking France or Scotland...)
Back to the exciting stuff -
I've booked all of our accommodations for the Dingle Way. In addition to a safe, dry place to lie our heads each night, I've also arranged for our bags to be transferred from place to place. We'll carry one backpack (or shall I say I will carry a backpack) with our rain gear, first aid stuff, extra socks, toilet paper, water and food. I admit, there's always a wine bottle opener in there, too. You never know when you might need one.
Everything else will be left behind for the proprietors to pack up and drop off at our next night's stop. Isn't that wonderful? That means we can bring crap we don't really need because we won't have to carry it on our backs all day.
I tried booking our train tickets from Dublin to Tralee (where the Dingle Way begins), but the online ticket system doesn't allow bookings more than two months in advance. Hopefully, I don't forget to do that come spring or we'll be forced to rent a car and drive. I've heard this is expensive and, quite frankly, not very appealing to me. I do, however, love the idea of climbing aboard a train and watching the countryside change from bustling city to quiet farm country to seaside splendor. We shared the train to St. Bee's (where England's Coast to Coast begins) with some chickens. That was different. Maybe we'll share our Irish train with a cow. That would be a fine thing.
Stay tuned as we ramp up for our next adventure!
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Flights are booked!
Finally, some solid plans being laid for this Irish Adventure! Our flights from Miami to Dublin have been booked and we leave the Sunshine State on Monday, June 9, just two days after my daughter finishes her freshman year of high school. (For the record: I spent my freshman summer helping my Dad bale hay, going to marching band practice, marching in small town parades and trying to make out with older guys at the carnival. She has no idea how lucky she is....) We arrive in Dublin on Tuesday and will tear it up for a day and a half before hopping a train to Tralee in Dingle.
Dublin; you have been warned.
I've booked our first few nights' accommodations and like our experience in England, we'll need to carry a load of cash to pay our way. Few places accept credit cards. In fact, they'll accept the credit card info to hold the room, but final/complete payment must be made in cash. Great! Who doesn't want to walk across a county carrying a shit ton of cash?! And now that I'm blogging that, every criminal in the world will lay in wait behind the very first shrub of our walk, just waiting to jump out and rob us blind. Be warned bad guys; we'll be packing. I'll leave you to decipher exactly what that means.
Aside from that little snag, thing seem to be moving along smartly. I'm looking into taking a side trip from Dunquin to the Blasket Islands, but I've learned that Mother Nature has something to say about that. If seas are rough and the weather is poorly, we'll stay on the peninsula and find something else to do. I think the idea of holing up in a pub by a roaring fire while the wind blusters and blows outside sounds damn near perfect. Luckily for me, my traveling companion is a lover of pubs. She doesn't like beer (I know, right?) but loves pubs. Did I luck out or what?
So it is will a big smile that I share our tentative itinerary:
June 9: Depart Miami's heat and humidity
June 10: Arrive in Dublin's fair city of pubs and culture
June 11: Train to Tralee
June 12: Tralee to Camp, 11 miles
June 13: Camp to Anascaul (this night is spent above a pub; our favorite way to camp), 10.5 miles
June 14: Anascaul to Dingle, 13.6 miles
June 15: Dingle to Dunquin (two nights in a pub; even better), 12.5 miles
June 16: Blasket Islands or bust
June 17: Dunquin to Ballydavid, 7 miles
June 18: Ballydavid to Ballycurrane/Feohanagh (yet another pub night), 7 miles
June 19: Ballycurrane to Cloghane, 13.6 miles
June 20: Cloghane to Castlegregory, 18 miles (this will be a really hard day)
June 21: Castlegregory back to Tralee, 16.7 miles
June 22: Train to Westport to visit Lavelle's Bar, Doug joins us
June 23: Hike cemeteries and trails around Westport by day, pubs and music by night
June 23: Train to Castlebar, search for more Lavelle's
June 24: Train to Dublin
June 25: I fly home; Lauren goes on to England and Switzerland w/Doug
As you can see, when we've completed walking the Dingle Peninsula, Doug will meet us in Westport. We'll visit Lavelle's Bar, where local legend/storyteller Mic Lavelle made his name and see how many other kinfolk we can find. After a day or so, we'll train up to Castlebar to search for more Lavelle's. I don't know what's pulling me there, but its haunted my dreams for awhile now, so that's where we must go.
On the 25th, I fly home to get back to work at the Academy while Doug and Lauren head off on their own adventure to England and Switzerland.
Stay tuned as the details become more sorted. This is going to be one for the books...
Dublin; you have been warned.
I've booked our first few nights' accommodations and like our experience in England, we'll need to carry a load of cash to pay our way. Few places accept credit cards. In fact, they'll accept the credit card info to hold the room, but final/complete payment must be made in cash. Great! Who doesn't want to walk across a county carrying a shit ton of cash?! And now that I'm blogging that, every criminal in the world will lay in wait behind the very first shrub of our walk, just waiting to jump out and rob us blind. Be warned bad guys; we'll be packing. I'll leave you to decipher exactly what that means.
Aside from that little snag, thing seem to be moving along smartly. I'm looking into taking a side trip from Dunquin to the Blasket Islands, but I've learned that Mother Nature has something to say about that. If seas are rough and the weather is poorly, we'll stay on the peninsula and find something else to do. I think the idea of holing up in a pub by a roaring fire while the wind blusters and blows outside sounds damn near perfect. Luckily for me, my traveling companion is a lover of pubs. She doesn't like beer (I know, right?) but loves pubs. Did I luck out or what?
So it is will a big smile that I share our tentative itinerary:
June 9: Depart Miami's heat and humidity
June 10: Arrive in Dublin's fair city of pubs and culture
June 11: Train to Tralee
June 12: Tralee to Camp, 11 miles
June 13: Camp to Anascaul (this night is spent above a pub; our favorite way to camp), 10.5 miles
June 14: Anascaul to Dingle, 13.6 miles
June 15: Dingle to Dunquin (two nights in a pub; even better), 12.5 miles
June 16: Blasket Islands or bust
June 17: Dunquin to Ballydavid, 7 miles
June 18: Ballydavid to Ballycurrane/Feohanagh (yet another pub night), 7 miles
June 19: Ballycurrane to Cloghane, 13.6 miles
June 20: Cloghane to Castlegregory, 18 miles (this will be a really hard day)
June 21: Castlegregory back to Tralee, 16.7 miles
June 22: Train to Westport to visit Lavelle's Bar, Doug joins us
June 23: Hike cemeteries and trails around Westport by day, pubs and music by night
June 23: Train to Castlebar, search for more Lavelle's
June 24: Train to Dublin
June 25: I fly home; Lauren goes on to England and Switzerland w/Doug
As you can see, when we've completed walking the Dingle Peninsula, Doug will meet us in Westport. We'll visit Lavelle's Bar, where local legend/storyteller Mic Lavelle made his name and see how many other kinfolk we can find. After a day or so, we'll train up to Castlebar to search for more Lavelle's. I don't know what's pulling me there, but its haunted my dreams for awhile now, so that's where we must go.
On the 25th, I fly home to get back to work at the Academy while Doug and Lauren head off on their own adventure to England and Switzerland.
Stay tuned as the details become more sorted. This is going to be one for the books...
Monday, December 23, 2013
Time For Real Planning
I plan to use a portion of our Christmas break to start making real plans for our summer adventure in Ireland. There's so much to do!
Lauren's last day of school is Friday, June 6th, so I think we'll fly out the following Monday. That'll put us in Dublin on the 10th. I think it would be wise to plan to spend the night and then hop a train the following morning to Tralee, which is where we'll begin our walk. It's about a three hour trip. So, assuming that works out, we'll begin walking the peninsula on the 12th.
Although it's only a little over a hundred miles, I'm planning to take ten days to complete it. I'd like to take time to smell the roses and by that I really mean enjoy the pubs. With the exception of two or three days, there were no pubs at which to stop along the way during our Walk Across England, which was a good thing because many of those days were in excess of twelve miles. A pub would have seriously screwed up our timing and we'd have ended up sleeping in an abandoned barn or in a field of tall grass. Neither would have been pleasant.
In Ireland, however, our daily mileage will be less, which will afford us time to soak up the local atmosphere and enjoy the people. I want to take a side trip to the Blasket Islands while we're in Dingle, too. They look like a prime place for ghost hunting.
When we arrive back in Tralee at the end of ten days, we'll hop a train to Castlebar (County Mayo) to search for some Lavells. I've heard they're known as "wankers", which isn't a huge surprise. Most of the Lavells I know fit that category quite well. I hope to find some of my Dad's people and connect with his past. It's something he always wanted to do but never had the opportunity to make it happen. Lauren and I will do it in his honor.
After a few days in Castlebar, we'll take another train back to Dublin for one last pint before flying back to our island in the sun.
Doesn't that sound like a great adventure?!? Stay tuned as we make preparations!
(By the way, my training is underway...I clocked 8 miles yesterday!)
Lauren's last day of school is Friday, June 6th, so I think we'll fly out the following Monday. That'll put us in Dublin on the 10th. I think it would be wise to plan to spend the night and then hop a train the following morning to Tralee, which is where we'll begin our walk. It's about a three hour trip. So, assuming that works out, we'll begin walking the peninsula on the 12th.
Although it's only a little over a hundred miles, I'm planning to take ten days to complete it. I'd like to take time to smell the roses and by that I really mean enjoy the pubs. With the exception of two or three days, there were no pubs at which to stop along the way during our Walk Across England, which was a good thing because many of those days were in excess of twelve miles. A pub would have seriously screwed up our timing and we'd have ended up sleeping in an abandoned barn or in a field of tall grass. Neither would have been pleasant.
In Ireland, however, our daily mileage will be less, which will afford us time to soak up the local atmosphere and enjoy the people. I want to take a side trip to the Blasket Islands while we're in Dingle, too. They look like a prime place for ghost hunting.
When we arrive back in Tralee at the end of ten days, we'll hop a train to Castlebar (County Mayo) to search for some Lavells. I've heard they're known as "wankers", which isn't a huge surprise. Most of the Lavells I know fit that category quite well. I hope to find some of my Dad's people and connect with his past. It's something he always wanted to do but never had the opportunity to make it happen. Lauren and I will do it in his honor.
After a few days in Castlebar, we'll take another train back to Dublin for one last pint before flying back to our island in the sun.
Doesn't that sound like a great adventure?!? Stay tuned as we make preparations!
(By the way, my training is underway...I clocked 8 miles yesterday!)
Monday, November 11, 2013
Cows!
I love cows. They're usually friendly and fairly gentle and once they get to know you, they'll happily follow you around like the family dog.
Lauren and I saw cows every few days when we walked across England last year. We also ran into some nasty bulls and some Momma cows who were protecting newly born calves. Everything I said about cows does not apply to Momma's with calves. Those bitches are mean, and rightly so.
Ireland has Galloway cows and let me tell you what; they are beauties! I can't wait to see our first ones because I'll throw my arms around their necks and hug them. They remind me of Pandas and, from what little I know, they are quite gentle.
Get ready Ireland...I'm getting my cow on.
Lauren and I saw cows every few days when we walked across England last year. We also ran into some nasty bulls and some Momma cows who were protecting newly born calves. Everything I said about cows does not apply to Momma's with calves. Those bitches are mean, and rightly so.
Ireland has Galloway cows and let me tell you what; they are beauties! I can't wait to see our first ones because I'll throw my arms around their necks and hug them. They remind me of Pandas and, from what little I know, they are quite gentle.
Get ready Ireland...I'm getting my cow on.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
The Blasket Islands
I'm a sucker for islands. Always have been, probably always will.
I grew up in western NY and, as a kid, the only islands I knew about where the Thousand Islands. One summer, my parents took my brothers and I on a boat trip through the St. Lawrence Seaway. I was maybe five or six, but I'll never forget it.
Boldt Castle stole my heart and my imagination. I daydreamed about living there when I grew up.
Apparently, I haven't grown up yet, but I am living on an island. Unfortunately, it does not include a castle, but I plan to add that to my husband's to-do list. He's retired and has plenty of time to build us a castle.
I'm still in love with the whole idea of an island...it's magical to me.
Guess what? Ireland is an island.
Guess what else? Off the coast, are the Blasket Islands, which as luck would have it, are also islands. I bet you couldn't guess that from their clever name.
These particular islands are unfortunately no longer inhabited (at least by the living), but they are stunningly beautiful. Lauren and I will add a day to our walk so that we can ferry out to the islands to explore.
Ghost hunting anyone?
I grew up in western NY and, as a kid, the only islands I knew about where the Thousand Islands. One summer, my parents took my brothers and I on a boat trip through the St. Lawrence Seaway. I was maybe five or six, but I'll never forget it.
Boldt Castle stole my heart and my imagination. I daydreamed about living there when I grew up.
Apparently, I haven't grown up yet, but I am living on an island. Unfortunately, it does not include a castle, but I plan to add that to my husband's to-do list. He's retired and has plenty of time to build us a castle.
I'm still in love with the whole idea of an island...it's magical to me.
Guess what? Ireland is an island.
Guess what else? Off the coast, are the Blasket Islands, which as luck would have it, are also islands. I bet you couldn't guess that from their clever name.
These particular islands are unfortunately no longer inhabited (at least by the living), but they are stunningly beautiful. Lauren and I will add a day to our walk so that we can ferry out to the islands to explore.
Ghost hunting anyone?
Monday, November 4, 2013
Kickstart Me, Baby!
From one project to the next, that's how I like to do things. In preparation for Lauren and my next Grand Adventure around Ireland's Dingle Peninsula, we are running a Kickstarter project!!
I heard a few of you in the back mumble, "What the hell is she talking about?" Well, let me clarify things.
Kickstarter is an online, creative way to raise funds for all types of projects. Everything from books to video games to music and art are brought to life through the financial support of people around the world. Since its launch in 2009,4.7 million people have raised over $760 million dollars for all sorts of artistic projects.
How does it work? People like us come up with an idea. They describe it and establish a funding goal with a deadline. People can decide to pledge any amount of money, from $1 to every cent they own, in return for rewards. No money changes hands unless the funding goal is reached. It's a risk, but worthy projects often exceed their funding goal.
Lauren and I have decided to launch a Kickstarter project for our Irish Adventure through the Dingleberry Forest (The Dingle Way). Our goal is raise $3,500 in thirty days. Ultimately, we will produce a hard cover book that chronicles our journey, full of color photos of the landscape, it's people and the cuisine. The money we raise will be used to upgrade our camera equipment, publish and print the book and fund a small portion of the costs of travel. The bulk of the funds will be used for production costs.
We're working to create rewards that will make people want to back this project. Some of them include (for a pledge of $10) a postcard mailed from somewhere along the way, collectible souvenirs ($15) an 11x14 glossy photo of a either a castle or a seaside view made from a photo taken during our walk ($30) and so on. We've tried to offer something for every budget, from $10 to a well over one hundred for those of you who can afford to support "the arts".
The bottom line is that we want to produce a beautiful compilation of photos to accompany the story of our first foray into my homeland. We hope to build a successful Kickstarter project so we can share our adventure with you.
I heard a few of you in the back mumble, "What the hell is she talking about?" Well, let me clarify things.
Kickstarter is an online, creative way to raise funds for all types of projects. Everything from books to video games to music and art are brought to life through the financial support of people around the world. Since its launch in 2009,4.7 million people have raised over $760 million dollars for all sorts of artistic projects.
How does it work? People like us come up with an idea. They describe it and establish a funding goal with a deadline. People can decide to pledge any amount of money, from $1 to every cent they own, in return for rewards. No money changes hands unless the funding goal is reached. It's a risk, but worthy projects often exceed their funding goal.
Lauren and I have decided to launch a Kickstarter project for our Irish Adventure through the Dingleberry Forest (The Dingle Way). Our goal is raise $3,500 in thirty days. Ultimately, we will produce a hard cover book that chronicles our journey, full of color photos of the landscape, it's people and the cuisine. The money we raise will be used to upgrade our camera equipment, publish and print the book and fund a small portion of the costs of travel. The bulk of the funds will be used for production costs.
We're working to create rewards that will make people want to back this project. Some of them include (for a pledge of $10) a postcard mailed from somewhere along the way, collectible souvenirs ($15) an 11x14 glossy photo of a either a castle or a seaside view made from a photo taken during our walk ($30) and so on. We've tried to offer something for every budget, from $10 to a well over one hundred for those of you who can afford to support "the arts".
The bottom line is that we want to produce a beautiful compilation of photos to accompany the story of our first foray into my homeland. We hope to build a successful Kickstarter project so we can share our adventure with you.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
The Dingle In Ten...and then?
Now that my second book has been released, I've spent some time planning this summer's walking adventure around the Dingle Peninsula. Okay, so it's not going to be a coast to coast wallapalooza, but it's going to be very cool nonetheless.
At just shy of one hundred miles, we'll stretch it out over nine or ten days. We begin and end in Tralee, making a circuit of the Dingleberry Forest, I mean the peninsula. Based on everything I've read, we'll walk all sorts of terrain from mountain ridges to beaches to tarmac to boreens. What's even more promising than the landscape is the number of pubs along the way! It's mind boggling; I can't count that high.
But then what? Only eight days of walking won't satisfy the itch in my hiking boots, so I'm trying to figure out a way to zip up to County Mayo to poke around the birthplace of my Dad's father. I've discovered that "Lavell" is a very common name in those parts, much like "White" or "Smith" in the States. I'd like to take Lauren there to reconnect with our history and drink some pints in a place my Dad always wanted to go, but never could afford.
All this planning is making me thirsty...where's me flask?
For those keeping track, here's the game plan:
Tralee to Camp 12 miles
Camp to Anascoul 10.5 miles
Anascoul to Dingle 13.5 miles
Dingle to Dunquin 13.5 miles
Dunquin to Ballydavid 8 miles
Ballydavid to Ballycurane 7 miles
Ballycurane to Cloghane 14 miles
Cloghane to Castlegregory 13.5 miles
Castlegregory to Tralee 14 miles
At just shy of one hundred miles, we'll stretch it out over nine or ten days. We begin and end in Tralee, making a circuit of the Dingleberry Forest, I mean the peninsula. Based on everything I've read, we'll walk all sorts of terrain from mountain ridges to beaches to tarmac to boreens. What's even more promising than the landscape is the number of pubs along the way! It's mind boggling; I can't count that high.
But then what? Only eight days of walking won't satisfy the itch in my hiking boots, so I'm trying to figure out a way to zip up to County Mayo to poke around the birthplace of my Dad's father. I've discovered that "Lavell" is a very common name in those parts, much like "White" or "Smith" in the States. I'd like to take Lauren there to reconnect with our history and drink some pints in a place my Dad always wanted to go, but never could afford.
All this planning is making me thirsty...where's me flask?
For those keeping track, here's the game plan:
Tralee to Camp 12 miles
Camp to Anascoul 10.5 miles
Anascoul to Dingle 13.5 miles
Dingle to Dunquin 13.5 miles
Dunquin to Ballydavid 8 miles
Ballydavid to Ballycurane 7 miles
Ballycurane to Cloghane 14 miles
Cloghane to Castlegregory 13.5 miles
Castlegregory to Tralee 14 miles
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