Day: |
031 |
Date: |
Sunday, 24 April 2016 |
Start: |
Anascaul |
Finish: |
Dingle |
Daily
Kilometres: |
23 |
Total
Kilometres: |
878 |
Weather: |
Mostly cool, overcast and hazy, with some
drizzle and some sun |
Accommodation: |
Alpine House B&B |
Nutrition: |
Breakfast: Full Irish Breakfast
Lunch: Snickers Bar and Kit Kat Dinner: Fresh cod and
chips, ice-cream |
Aches: |
None really |
Highlight: |
Finishing early enough to watch most of the
Dublin vs Kerry Gaelic Football Division One Final from Croke Park.
It is similar to Australian Rules football (in fact there are hybrid
internationals between Australia and Ireland) so was easy enough to
follow. I was barracking for Kerry, but Dublin got away in the
end for a convincing win. |
Lowlight: |
None really. |
Pictures: |
Here |
GPS Track: |
Here |
Journal: |
The location of available accommodation on
the Dingle Way means, that apart from the last day to Tralee, the
daily distances are around 25km or less, which is relatively easy
with my current fitness.
Consequently, I left Anascaul for
the 23km to Dingle at 9:00am anticipating a short day. If
there was a laundromat open in Dingle (Google says there is a
laundromat, but not whether it is open on Sundays) I had thoughts of
doing a load of washing.
The downside of today's walk was
that it was mostly along roads, though they were back roads and had
little traffic. It was cool, overcast and quite hazy and it
was hard to work out whether it was going to start raining, or clear
up. In the end, it did a bit of both, but all in all it was a
good day for walking.
The first section eventually ended up
at a little beach backed by huge round boulders and overlooked by
the ruins of Minard Castle which apparently was destroyed by
Cromwell's forces, along with its garrison, in 1641.
There
followed a backroads climb over a hill and descent to the village of
Lispole on the main road. I stopped shortly after for my only
break for the day, before the last section which included some
cross-country and old farm paths through sheep and dairying country.
It was pleasant walking through very green paddocks bordered by old
stone walls that covered the lower slopes of heath-covered mountains
to the north and the sea to the south.
I arrived in the very
touristy Dingle soon after 2:00pm and detoured through town past
where the laundromat was supposed to be and found it closed.
No big deal.....I'm not getting close enough to anybody for them to
notice the smell, and every couple of days I wash out my hiking gear
under the shower and dry it on the room heaters overnight.
The B&B owner was happy to let me into my room when I arrived at
2:30pm and handed me a Census Form to fill out later. Tonight
is the five-yearly Irish Census, and I am to be counted! After
a shower, I walked into the town and had a look around the harbour,
in which a few very hardy looking Atlantic fishing boats and a tug
were moored. There were quite a few people out walking, nearly
all looking like tourists (including me), and the waterfront was
lined with competing eating establishments.
I replenished my
supplies at a supermarket, including food for the next few days
since there is no food available at the hostel where I am staying
tomorrow night, and returned to my room to watch the Gaelic Football
final on TV. Later, I ventured back into town and bought some
fresh cod and chips from a waterfront cafe, which was delicious. |
|
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)
|