Day 46: Knocknacarra to a bit past Spiddal (10.1 miles) and Day 47: The Sky Road, Clifden (7.8 miles)

Tim and I stayed in a B&B on Monday night. I got up before 6 am and left Tim in bed and I walked off westwards toward Spiddal. I foolishly thought that being on the road at 06:15 would mean that I would miss all the traffic. How wrong was I? From the moment I hit the road the traffic built solidly - mostly with HGVs and saloon cars in a terrible hurry.  Thankfully the entire route had a footpath. The whole way - no joke. I didn't have to walk on the actual road once. I didn't give a shit about the trucks and the tractors and the endless stream of speeding cars because I was on a path. It was joyful. I was safe. Well I felt safe and that's half the battle.

To my left as I walked was Galway Bay with the stony limestone hills of The Burren in Co. Clare waving at me (not literally - that would be crazy!) across the water. This area, as it's within commuter distance of Galway and has such incredible views, has a lot of large posh houses overlooking the sea. However despite this there is still evidence of farming.

Not far down the road was a welcome sign to show me that I'd crossed over into the area of Co. Galway known as Connemara. This is one of my favourite parts of the world. It has incredible beaches, stunning unspoilt scenery and is largely Irish-speaking.

As the morning wore on I noticed that double-decker buses full of teenagers started passing me by. As the secondary schools have been closed for the summer since the end of May I realised that this was bus-loads of children at Irish college where they come for three or four weeks to do activities and meet other children in an immersive Irish-speaking environment. As I walked on I saw music schools, sports clubs and water activities servicing the Irish college kids. I never went to Irish college because of the cost but as a teen in the 80s I couldn't think of anything more dull than being forced to speak Irish for four straight weeks. Looking at all those kids, off to their various clubs, I couldn't help but feel that I might have missed out on a great experience. It seems that I have only grown to appreciate the Irish language when it disappeared form my life.

As I neared Spiddal the sun started to come out and the sea started to get bluer. I stopped at a garage there and got a coffee and sat looking out into the Bay as I drank.

I texted Tim who was eating the breakfast that I missed and told him that I would walk on through Spiddal and keep going until he caught up with me. I had walked on a couple of miles when he got to me - making the total for the walk 10.1 miles. All before 09:30am

I didn't see many blooms on this walk but I thought this one was pretty. It's always nice to have a bit of summer colour don't you think?

Tim and I drove on to Clifden and spent the night in a beautiful campsite with a strong eco-ethos. We walked on a beautiful beach in glorious sunlight. The wind was strong and the water was very cold but it was still heavenly.

We passed a comfortable night in Minty. It's a bit cosy for two but we managed.

The next morning I had a lie in. I didn't start till after 9am. I was walking the famous Sky Road into Clifden. Apparently half the tourists in Ireland decided that they were going to drive it too. The first part of the road that I walked on (which, given the number of cars coming on the opposite direction, was the last part for most of the drivers) was narrow and winding. Most of the road had stone walls on both sides and so nowhere for me to step off the road which was full of blind bends.

Because the views were so pretty all the cars were driving at about 20 mph and the drivers were leaning over into the passenger side of their cars looking at the view and not the road. I was constantly jumping in off the road and pinning myself against stone walls to avoid the oblivious drivers. By the time I got to the tip of the peninsula I was in a foul mood.

Even the pretty flowers  couldn't cheer me out of it. There was much swearing loudly.

It's a pity I got so grumpy really because I didn't appreciate how much beauty I was surrounded by.

And then I turned the corner. I had the choice of going the high road (Sky Road) or the Lower Road. I chose the higher road and I experienced an immediate change in mood. For a start the traffic seemed to half. Then the stone retaining walls disappeared which meant that I could easily get myself off the road when a car did come. And then there were the views!

There was even a castle ruin to see. Castle builders really knew how to pick their spots, didn't they?

Tim had texted me that he was at the Boat Club Café on the Beach Road which just so happened to be right next to one of the RNLI Lifeboat Stations so I walked down a tiny twisting little road to get down to the water's edge.

The Station itself wasn't manned but was flying the RNLI flag high! I had a lovely lunch at the Boat Club. It was delicious. No really. It was YUMMY.

After lunch we drove along the Beach Road into Clifden. I knew there was another station house on the Quay so I called in to have a chat. 

I was made very welcome by the station mechanic, whose name, I'm embarrassed to admit has completely fallen out of my brain. (Dammit Jane - write stuff down!). I was given a gorgeous photo of the station's three boats out on the water which I will get framed when I get home. I don't have the facility to scan it in on the road so I'm sorry I can't share it here just now. It was a lovely visit and I'd like to thank Clifton Lifeboat Station for their hospitality and for the brilliant picture too! 

I'm so happy to be raising funds for the RNLI! If you'd like to support the work of the RNLI you can donate on -

www.justgiving.com/Jane-Volker

Total mileage: 591.6 miles

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