Day 44: Doonbeg to Spanish point (10.7 miles and Day 45: Near Cross to Kilkee via The Coast Road (12.8 miles)

Apologies to all for falling behind again in the blogging. It's been a hectic week in some respects and very chilled out in others. I spent most of it in Clare with a short detour to Limerick on Sunday. It's been lovely to spend time with family in a place where I spent most of my childhood summers. Honestly I didn't want to leave. I toyed around with just staying for the rest of the summer and walking in loops around the 5-mile! Of course that's not what I'm here to do though.

The first of the two walks I'm going to write about took place on the 8th July. I was up early and got underway by 06:10. It was one of those filler-inner walks that was just dull. The roads were long and fairly straight and far enough in from the coast that your only views were fields and cows - which are fine once in a while or as colour along an otherwise interesting walk - but when it's mostly roads/field/cows the boredom factor goes into overdrive. I parked Minty next to the church in Doonbeg and set off. The river running alongside the castle ruins seemed to promise some interest as I left but it was a trap!

Because it was just road. Lots of road. Fields.

Some cows. And more road. The occasional carbuncle.

And finally some sea!!

About two miles from the end of the walk was Quilty, a quiet little seaside town. I sat and ate some chocolate and took a few pictures. By now the road was really quite busy and I was starting to feel nervous. There were now lots of trucks, tractors and the occasional bus travelling and, because the roads were so very boringly straight, all the traffic was going really fast. As I sat on the wall by the sea in Quilty I thought seriously about calling it quits right there but then the traffic went quiet again so I set out. After all it was only a couple more miles.

Of fast-moving, terrifying, huge vehicular, traffic.

I was a nervous wreck by the time I reached the turn off for Spanish Point. It took ten minutes just to negotiate the junction and get myself to a place of safety from the relentless bloody non-stoppiness of it all. There was a hotel on the corner so I stopped there and waited for my ride. I'd like to thank my sister-in-law very much for coming to get me at the end of my walks, so often while I was staying in Kilkee and also for putting me up and feeding me. I really do appreciate all your help and support! I was so glad to be off that road and on my way back to Kilkee.

The following morning (Saturday) I woke up to the sound of torrential rain. I could not be bothered to get up and I went back to sleep. By the time I did wake up I lost the will to walk, so I decided to watch the Wimbledon Women's Final instead. I wasted the day as far as walking was concerned but I must say the final was a cracker!

I was back on the road again on Monday morning before 8am. I was dropped off at a crossroads a considerable way into the Loop Head Peninsula, past the tiny village of Cross. Off I walked in the direction of the Atlantic coast. The other way was the Shannon Estuary and for at least half the walk I could see the Shannon but not the Atlantic.

There was a hill between me and the sea and I had carefully planned my route to go around the hill rather than over it. I shouldn't have bothered because as I walked down a narrow boreen between two fields with clear hedgerow boundaries I came upon something that totally pissed me off. A farmer had run an electric fence cable ACROSS THE ROAD to stop people form using it! Seriously! And as I didn't really want to check it by touching it I decided to go back the way I'd come and take the road over the hill after all. You have no idea how much I resent having to walk back over the same road again. I won't lie to you - I was quite cross.

 

The hill was a actually not bad at all. But that's beside the point.

Then one of the nicest roads I've ever walked on came into view. It was the complete antithesis of the road to Spanish Point. No traffic, endless sea views and if there were fields I don't remember them.

My feet were complaining a lot by the time I got back to the house. I had a lot to do because I had to pack up Minty again, have a shower and drive up to Galway where I was due to pick my husband up form the train station. I wanted to leave early.  I was going to get up there and book into a B&B before picking him up. So obviously I fell asleep. When I woke up and had my shower and packed and went for a coffee with my friend Deirdre and got Minty packed up I left exactly just enough time to get myself to Galway to meet the train.

Seriously. I don't know what happens to time around me.

Anyway. I got there on time and now I have my lovely husband with me for a week and we're in Co. Galway and it's really lovely here.

I'm so happy.

I have done another two walks since he arrived so very soon another two-for-one blog will be written.

Honest!


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

Total mileage: 574 miles