Everything Ends/ Time to return to HAWAII

5 July 2017

Cork, Ireland to Kaneohe Hawaii, via Heathrow...
Statistics:  8 floors (I am such a wimp), or 19236 Caroline steps OR 7.8 miles walking in Cork and airports PLUS. 7,612 airline miles
NO Bogs, No Stiles

Aloha all,

It's been a tough day.  I said goodbye to my Irish hiking pals.  I miss them.  BUT then some things don't change

The first time I traveled with Pat Holmes aka Zulu in 1997, we had a police escort out of a country-- Luxembourg it was.... No different today.... there was the police escort ..... Pat and Kerri departing Cork ....and police motor cycles etc.  Some things just never change....

So after Pat and Kerry graciously departed....... I took a walking tour of Cork, specifically to see St. Finbarre Cathedral.  JUST wonderful and not just an ABC... another bloody church. The stained glass windows were created in Ireland, the mosaics on the chancery floor by an Italian from Udine, Italy,  the pulpit had fabulous carvings and the renovated organ had 4,000 pipes.

 Views of the Cathedral from the Lee River

 Gargoyles 

 More gargoyles

 The pulpit with the four evangelists - Matthew, Marie, Luke and John -- carved i stone.  Under the lecture is the Evil devil flying away from God's true words.

 Not the best photos of really nice stained glass windows

 The mosaics on the floor represent the gospel according to Matthew and the section about fishers of men.  These mosaics are glorious.

 Below... some of the 4,000 pipes for the organ

And then before I knew it, it was time to go to the Cork airport and check in to begin the journey home.  One last craft Beer from these islands in the ATlantic before I board my plane to my islands in the Pacific.

Below... some of the MANY nights of Fish and Chips and Mushy peas.... MMMMM

good

Practicing Upward dog... a daily MUST

 Feet in the air.. upward dog

 The Gang of Four finishing part 1- the Dingle Trail

 The Gang of Four on part one.

 The Gang of Four that started the adventure (above)

The piglets that we are... for the food, the beer and the hot whiskies that we earned...

Lucky me to have such wonderful friends in my universe.   An amazing trip with many new stories to tell.  

On On to more adventures and fun with Pat and Kerri and Brian.

Mahalo to all three of you for helping me climb a few mountains!

Aloha and A hui hou (see you again).

Caroline

Hiking in Ireland: Day 9 - the last day on the Kerry Way

Aloha All,

There once were mates who went for a long Irish hike

Now this hike worked their muscles  all right.

But the whisky was fine

The beer most sublime

And the mates have stories to tell all night.

Wow!  250 miles completed!  The Dingle Way and the Kerry Way.  And I am still alive and kicking and having an Irish IPA as I type!

Today:  3 July 2017
Kenmar back to Killarney (where we started)
Statistics:  65 stories climes OR 16 miles ( we cheated an took a haunting cart ride for 2 miles) Or 33,177 Caroline steps.
NO STILES!!!

Rather sad as the walking adventure is completed.  250 miles.  But I am also glad as my feet need the rest and I am really tired of the same hiking clothes and washing things out at night!  PLUS -- I miss my Hawaiian home.

Trail marker sending us back to our start.

 Lovely church in Kenmar as we left town

 The way out of two was TWO MILES directly up hill!!! 

 Somewhere in the fog is where we are going

 Going up the path

 We met a farmer on the way up hill- he was changing out his fence posts.  Fun to stop and chat for a breather.

 Soft rocks for our lunch

 Below:  Finally have a man eating out of my hand.

Kerri has a man eating out of her hand!

And then we were on our way into the valley.

And then there was the sign to send us back to Killarney

And our return to the Killarney National Park.

Pat marking the turn.

By a lovely waterfall on the moors.... we are closing in on the end of the walk.

Kerri -- the red nose-- sign of too much beer!

and then at the Torc Waterfall and the end of the journey.

And then the fun way to end the journey.... a jaunting cart ride through the last 3 miles in the park. 

Great fun and quite the adventure. Really proud of walking 250 miles and I am still standing.   Time for the traditional hot whisky and one last game of cribbage!

Aloha all and Happy 4th of July.

Hiking in Ireland: Day 8 on the Kerry Way

Aloha All,

Day 8:  Sneem to Kenmare
Statistics:  89 Stories climbed OR 22 miles OR 51,900 Caroline steps
30 stiles

It was a LONG day and to keep our spirits alive, Kerri and I tried to be Dr. Seuss and make light of things learned while walking yesterday.

with apologies to Dr. Suess....

Bogs are deep

Bogs will seep

Bogs aren't neat

Bogs eat your feet.

Stiles can be green, 

Stiles can be slippery and mean

Stiles can't be seen

There always hiding in the green

BUT... the day started in Sneem with sunshine and a nice path that took us by an art gallery, woodcarver studio.  We stopped and met the owner and had a lovely chat and tour of the gallery.  Kerri, who is an excellent kayaker, really enjoyed seeing his kayaks and his hand shaped paddles.

We had a nice walk all morning long, nothing too steep, nice paths, and we could see the water.  Hydrangeas and wild roses are everywhere.  AND HOLLY trees.  One of our paths today was lined with holly trees and oak Our path took us down to the water and Blackwater Bridge.  Nice to see the water, which was the Kenmare River!  

Wild Irish Roses

Hydrangeas all along the way

 Above--- a bit of company on the path!

 Looking down to the water

 Our hills as we went down to the water

 Our returned Peace Corps Volunteers reusable grocery bag came in very handy!  It was such a long day, we sent our packs on to the next town.  Smart move as carrying 20 pounds for 22 miles UP and down and UP again would have killed me!

the path to the water

Above- photos of the coastline along the Kenmar river.  Reminded me of Central California

And then the fun began at the 12 mile mark as we started to climb up and up and more up. Seeing  a golf course was a fun diversion!

 We went up for 1200 feet and the photo below was finally coming into the town of Kenmar!

 The stiles that are always around the next bend... these never end!

And we started our "Odes to Bogs" and "Odes to Styles" to help me get up over the 1200 foot boggy climb at 19 miles!!!

We walked 9.5 hours yesterday!  Thank goodness the rain came just as we arrived in Kenmar, Ireland.  

Tullamore Dew and a huge plate of pasta tasted great last night.