Day 29: Dunmoran Strand to (almost) Easky: (7.9 miles) and The Easky Coast Road Loop: (3.7 miles)

The Met Office warned today that there would be severe thunderstorms after lunch.  It had been a hot airless kind of night so I could well believe it but it was quite cold when I woke up. I couldn't find my hat anywhere so I was glad that the sun was nowhere to be seen. What to wear? What to wear? The temperature was still low and there was the promise of rain so I plumped for the yellow cycle jacket. 

The coast of West Sligo is difficult to access. The Wild Atlantic Way runs along westwards parallel too the N56 towards Easky before turning on to the R297 and running south to Enniscrone and Ballina. To get to the sea you have to take small roads that run perpendicular to The Way and none of these roads connect up. The R297 itself is fairly dull with little to see so today I decided to break my walk into two sections.

I drove to Dunmoran Strand, parked up Minty and went for a walk across the beach, around the headland to another beach and emerged at Aughris Head right next to The Beach Bar - a traditional white-washed thatched cottage with oodles of personality and bank holiday crowds despite the fact that it wasn't yet midday.

I stayed for a latte but I have to admit that crowds aren't my scene so I went on around the bar and headed for Easky. The sun had, by now, come out and was shining with a vengeance on my unadorned head. I can't stand wearing hats but I have to admit that not wearing a sunhat it definitely worse. The boring bits of this section were offset by the occasional river and

this fella who was probably responsible for the hundreds of calves occupying the fields about.

The bridges were covered in these beautiful and delicate purple flowers. Even when there was no sea to see there was plenty of beauty to be found.

I had fully intended to walk the whole way to Easky but it was fast approaching 3pm and I thought that I was unlikely to finish before 5.  There was a craft shop that I wanted to visit north of Sligo itself and I knew if I didn't go today I'd be too far away and would probably not bother. So as I reached the point where my quiet little road turned on to the R297 a few miles from Easky, I decided that I would stop there and hitch back to Minty. I'd go off to the craft shop for a quick visit, then later when I was finished I'd drive to Easky itself, park up and do a loop walk along the coast road. It was a spur-of-the-minute decision and I'm not sure why I thought of it but I stuck my thumb out and waited.

There really wasn't a lot of traffic on the road.

After about 10 minutes a car finally passed by and thankfully stopped for me.

"I'm trying to get back to Dunmoran Strand. Are you going that way?"

"I have no idea where that is but I'm out on a drive so I'm happy to take you where you want to go."

"It's about 8 miles back that way."

"That's grand. You show me where to go."

My lift-giver was Deirdre from Boyle, Co, Roscommon (hometown of Chris O'Dowd) who decided to go for a drive around Sligo today because she'd never been and she was at a loose end. We talked about my walk and about our children and passed a very pleasant 20 minutes or so before I was dropped right next to Minty.  How great was that? Thank you Deirdre! She left me and headed off to find The Beach Bar and have a cold diet coke looking over the beach.  What a lovely way to spend the day,

I got back into Minty and headed off to the little craft shop. As I turned back onto the N56 eastwards the sky turned pitch black and enormous raindrops started to fall and explode on my windscreen, It wasn't long before this turned into a deluge. I was very glad that I'd decided to take a break from the walk at that point!!!

When I was finished I headed back to Easky and was secretly very glad that the relentless sun of earlier in the day was replaced by a steel grey sky and cooler winds,

 The coastal walk away from Easky was very beautiful and was, no doubt, the highlight of the day.  I just wish it had been longer. I love the flowers that litter the coarse grass at the edge of the land.

The rocks and dried up seaweed also have their own particular kind of beauty too.

I was sad when I had to turn away from the sea again. Annoyingly the sun came out again and the heat beat down on me again. I passed this house along the way. I thought it was beautiful and found myself wondering how it could have been left to fall into such disrepair. The sign at the entrance to the property warned people to stay away or be met with the wrath of the bull that lived there. Perhaps it had taken a dislike to the house ...

It didn't take too long to find myself back at the castle near the pier in Easky.  It had been a easy day today and my impulse to visit a shop had saved me from getting soaked so I think I could call it a good day.

Not quite sure how tomorrow will look.  The weather isn't meant to be great and the road to Enniscrone isn't on the coast so I might have to think about how I'll manage it.

Total mileage: 396.8 miles

Raising money for the RNLI on www.justgiving.com/Jane-Volker