The Way to Feohanagh
Woke up to another perfect day for walking, with overcast skies and a temperature in the high 50s. Breakfast, once again, was solid: cold cereal, fruit, and an omelet with salmon. I was on the trail just a few minutes after 9:00 a.m. Today was an easy day. The only real hills were at the beginning of the walk, and then it settled into mostly roadways for the remainder.
It seems on every hilltop there is some assembly of stones. Whether they were once castles, watchtowers, or simply ancient homes is sometimes difficult to figure out. But they bring a certain gravity and presence to the region.
The proprietor of last night's lodging, a gentleman named Rick, was a little less than enthusiastic about the concept of the Dingle Way. He acknowledges that it passes some incredible scenery, but he doesn't care for the fact that it spends so long on roadways. Only some of it travels along the actual, historic Dingle Way. Unfortunately, in Rick’s opinion, much of the trail was routed (when created 25 years ago) as a function of commerce to pass by artist studios and tourist attractions in the area. As I did today's walk, I could see his point. Probably 80 percent of it was on roadways again.
When the path did leave a paved surface it was generally to take the traveler down toward a secluded cove or beach. It was all very scenic. Some of the coves and landings looked perilous even in good weather. It is a severely rocky coastline with many sheer cliffs, and it’s both inspiring and intimidating to walk within a foot of the edge of some of the precipices. The views are incredible, but you need to pay attention in certain places to remain safe.
One of the highlights today was catching a cattleman training his dog. He shouted commands in Gaelic and the young dog moved the calves around with incredible finesse.
I spent some time walking and then having a late lunch today with a German gentleman and his son. Christian and Kilian chose the Dingle because they wanted to see the coastline. So much of the interior of the country would be too similar to what they left behind in Germany.
When we left the cliffs I went left and advanced further down the trail. Unfortunately for the two Germans, they turned right and have an additional three miles to cover tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow is supposed to be the most physically challenging day as the trail climbs Mount Brandon, one of the tallest mountains in the country. For most of the day, the peak was obscured by cloud cover. The Dingle doesn't actually crest the mountain—In the terminology of the guidebook, it crosses at the shoulder. But it will be about three non-stop miles of incline to cross.
Another interesting thing about the walk tomorrow is that it will not be on a paved surface, because there is no road that crosses the mountain. In order to reach tomorrow's destination in a car you have to go back all the way to Dingle to catch the highway north, and then circle back west.
Rick prepared me a nice snack of tea and cookies at the bed and breakfast as we swapped many stories about New York City. It turns out he worked there for several years starting back in 1987. I had to ask the obvious question about whether he had a work visa. His answer was not surprising. What did surprise me is that one of his jobs was at a restaurant in an area called Stuyvesant Town, where I spent the first four years of my life.
I've settled into a very comfortable peace of mind and let my thoughts wander as I make my way down the trail. Today I occupied my time recalling songs from high school musicals and old beer commercials. It's funny the things that you can remember when you have the opportunity to dig down deep with no distractions.
More than half of the trip is already behind me. There's just a mountain between me and where I need to be, and then a few more days of walking. It has been a very enjoyable experience and the weather, except for the one day, has been perfect. Food has been a challenge and generally when I get a late lunch I purchase a sandwich to take to the room with me, because dinner is not available at most of the lodgings.
My room in the bed and breakfast in the small village of Feohanagh has a great view of the mountain. I'm looking forward to the climb tomorrow and the satisfaction of putting it behind me. The weather is supposed to be in the mid-60s. It should be a great day.
