In July, Kelsey needed some peace at home and sent me where fox and rabbit say 'Goodnight', also known as the Kerry mountains. After a beautiful train journey across the country, I arrived in Killarney, an exceptionally busy town known for the nearby lakes. The train journey was interesting in itself, as many passengers were from the west, returning home after a Friday night out in Dublin. Some drank on the train and sang. They were very cheerful and friendly, and sang well. The nicest incident of anti-social behaviour I have ever encountered.
But I digress: just outside Killarney are Na Cruacha Dubha, or Macgillycuddy's Reeks - yes, that's what they are called - a ring of mountains standing high and looking out to the Atlantic (I know, mountains often stand high. What makes the Reeks special is that they are surrounded by plains. Discover Ireland must have done this for effect.) Anyway, the Reeks include Carrauntoohil, Ireland's highest mountain, as high as the majestic Snowdon in Wales. I walked up there the following day, and it was a splendid walk. On the way home, I got two lifts, which saved me the last 14km of the walk on the roads, lucky.
The rest of my time was divided between the City of Cork with its
southern charm, good music and exquisite stout, and Dublin, with its
eastern charm, good music and exquisite stout. And old friends (old as
in from former times: many of them don't even qualify for senior
discount at bingo halls) and hunting grounds (figuratively speaking),
always such a pleasure to visit.
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| Ascent. Spikey thing is Carrauntoohil. |
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| Self-portrait with fog. |
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| Caher ridge. |
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| Descent. Inch peninsula in the background. |
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| Dining at University College Cork. |
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| Dublin Bay from Dalkey - I never tire of it. |
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| The weather was kind to the swimmers at Sandycove. First time I saw it from the Joyce Tower. |
