Rings Around Ireland
After leaving Dublin I took the bus to Kilkenny. Kilkenny is a small town that is very inviting to all who visit. A cute little village that has a wonderful park with nature trails around the castle. The town has many pubs, a very old catherdral and a newer one that are both great to walk through. The organ alone at St. Mary's is worth the walk through. As it happened, on the first day I wandered the streets there was a farmers' market with loads of fresh veggies and other various yummies. If you find yourself in Kilkenny you must visit the Kyteler's Inn. This in is named after a 14th-century witch that once lived in the building. At this inn you can listen to traditional Irish music and watch traditional Irish dance (think Lord of the Dance but much smaller).

While in Kilkenny I met Anna and Alex, two Canadian ladies exploring the Emerald Isle by rental car. As it happened, they were going in a similar direction as me and I hitched a ride with them for the next 2 days. I was in awe of Anna's bravery of driving on the other side of the road on some very narrow road ways. By riding with them I got to see a few places I would not have had a chance to see sans car. From Kilkenny we made our scenic way to Cork with a few stops at the Rock of Cashel and Cashir Castle. Cashir Castle was a great castle to stop at and explore. You can enter most of the entry ways and climb the stairs to the tops of towers and into the depths. We stayed for a night in Cork and watched the opening ceremony to the Olympics (5 rings). The following day we made our way to Killarney via Blarney Castle and Kinsale.

Blarney Castle, the home of the world reknown Blarney Stone. Since I had been to the stone before, I bypassed the line for that and explored the grounds. There are many things that I was not even aware were there on our previous visit (perhaps they weren't not sure). The paths lead through various gardens, the house, and the Rock Close. The trails through the Rock Close were the highlight for me. This area was beautiful and included walks through yew trees and limstone formations. Ancient Druid Rings could be found and if I was not mistaken, I even saw a fairy ring in the Fairy Glade.

Kinsale is a marvelous little bay town that should not be missed, The shop lined streets that lead to the bay are wonderful. We used our heritage passes (pass used for heritage sites) to tour the Charles Fort. This fort is start shaped and has great views of the ocean and the town. While in Kinsale we also toured Desmond Castle, which is also known as the "French Prison."

The following day my new found friends were heading to drive the Ring of Kerry and the next day the Ring of Dingle. As I had been on both of the rings in the past, I opted to explore the Killarney area on my own. I wandered through the Killarney National Park to the Ross Castle on my first day and then enjoyed a circular walk to the lake shore through a golf course. I will put on my "hiking" list for the future the Kerry Walk, which is a 9 (or so) day walking "Ring of Kerry" tour.

Kilkenny Photos Here
Rock of Cashel & Cashir Castle Photos Here
Blarney Castle Photos Here
Kinsale Photos Here

Ring Around My Head
It's hard to believe that week one has completed. The first few stops/days I was a bit stressed about being "spontaneous" and not sure exactly what that means or what to expect. Being the ultimate planner, it was very stressful at first to not have a detailed itinerary; however, this has allowed me to take advantage of opportunities that I would not have had. I know I am not into the full swing of it yet, but I feel I am getting into a "routine," if you can call it that, that is comfortable for me. I do not stress on the detailed things/arrangements and once I decide what I am going to do next, I make the arrangements (sleeping) for that next stop.

Ring From the Past
Sitting in the backseat of the rental car, enjoying the fantastic views, I gazed at the beautiful blue sky, much like the clear blue one would see in the Kansas sky, and it made me think of a kind comment my ex once made to me about the color of my eyes being like the Dakota skies. I recall that being the most romantic thing he ever said to me and I wondered what could have moved him to say such a thing to me at that time. It was at that time in our relationship that we had came to a "T" intersection and one of us went one way and the other in the opposite direction. As our paths diverted further and further away, it was evident that the roads we took would not meet up again.

Though I miss our friendship and the comfort we had in most of our relationship, I do not regret taking the course I did and I don't believe he would have liked the route I have taken. The few times we both tried to take the others path was not comfoortable to either of us. The walk together for 14 years was good and the companionship offered along that path is greatly appreciated. Like all the fellow travellers I meet on my trails I wish the best of journies to him and take the next step along my path.

On Sunday afternoon I left my mother's house and my sister and partner took me to the Orlando airport to see me off on my journey. I arrived in Dublin around 8:00 a.m. and sorted myself in the airport before I headed off to find the bus that would take me to town. Since I would not be meeting my host for the next 2 nights until 7:00 p.m. I had the entire day for sight seeing. I got a lay of the city and enjoyed the hop-on hop-off bus checking out the sights that were open (all national museums and such are closed on Mondays and bank holidays) and decided to hit a bunch of those locations on the next day.

Dublin is steep in history and the National Archeology Museum has a lot of useful information regarding such. The greatest find for me was the Chester Beatty Library. If you find yourself going to Dublin and have longed to see the Book of Kells, skip it and head to the Chester Beatty Library instead. At Trinity University, the library is impressive with the tall alcoved shelves filled with books; however, the small exhibit and 4 pages that you actually get to see from 2 of the 4 Book of Kells that are on display at anyone time is a bit of a let down. You will not see the famous Book of Kells at the Chester Beatty, but what you do see is well worth the price of admission (free) and actually worth the price of admission that was needed to see the Book of Kells. Chester travelled around the world and collected many ancient manuscripts that are more impressively illuminated (colored/painted/etc.) than the Book of Kells. The permanent collection comes from all around the world and is very well presented. I would put this as a must go for anyone that decides to visit Dublin.

On my final day in Dublin I walked to Howth, a bay town outside of Dublin, from my host's house. It was about 5km and there were nature trails that I got to walk around on and got to see Dublin across the bay. The cliff walk was a bit precarious but worth the beautiful scenery.

Dublin and Howth Photos Here

My first few days found me out of sorts. I know the first day I suffered from jetlag but after following my travel rule (go to bed no earlier than 9:00 p.m. local time) my body quickly adjusted. My host graciously helped me with the bus system and in general people were helpful when asked. It has been a bit frustrating that streets are not marked well and I am glad that I got the hop-on hop-off bus tour to get orientated though most sights are within walking distance of each other. I also did a bit of unloading and left a bit of my belongings at my host's home and plan to pick them up on my way back through Dublin. Some of the items are stock (didn't want to throw it away and have to buy new if I already had it) and other items I do not need at the moment. I will have to contemplate what I do and do not need and may send a box home ahead.

While in Dublin I never really felt that I got the chance to slow down, it was go go go and only after I left the city did I take stock and decide to take it a bit easier. There is no rush, I have time to relax and enjoy, I don't have to see and do everything and if I want I can do nothing at all.

Next stop Kilkenny.

On Sunday I went hiking in the Jonathan Dickinson State Park near Jupiter, FL with my dearest friend, Ron (he really is not driving with his eyes closed - it is my great photography skills that can catch most people while blinking). The park is located at an old army base, Camp Murphy, established during the civil war for training of the wigwag flagmen and later used to train in communications and eventually even developing the first radar during the second World War. The park is beautiful and full of scrub pine, palmettos, turkey oaks and cypress pines, along with many other plants I cannot recall the names of. This little gem of a park is worth a gander as there are trails to walk, campsites, cabins, canoe rentals and if you have a mountain bike or horse, trails for those as well. The "big" thing in the park is Hobe Mountain, this "mountain" is an ancient sand dune that is the 2nd highest mountain in the state, an entire 86 feet above sea level. If this does not impress you, then the additional 27 feet up the observatory will! From the observatory tower you can see for miles in each direction, including the Atlantic ocean (of course it is on Highway 1, so you are not far from the Atlantic, but still it is a great view).

Ron and I decide to take a walk in the park on the sand trails to enjoy the nature around us. I marvel at the beauty that is on each side of our path and take pictures of flora and fauna as my friend concentrates on the sand beneath his bare feet.  I steal glances over at his bare feet more than once and envy him. I wish I too was brave enough to remove my shoes and feel the earth under my feet. But I am too scared to walk the 5 or so miles we will be walking without covering on my soles.

Walking along the trail, he asks, "what lesson does this path teach you?" I think for a few moments and I wish I could say that some profound knowledge came forth, unfortunately I do not. My lesson is something along the lines of "though the path may be easy, there are still ups and downs along the way.." I then ask my friend what lesson the path teaches him. He tells me that his lesson has been accumulating over a long period of time  and he has not yet reached the point of full understanding. He proceeds to delve into his thoughts about the earth and life.

Our discussion progresses and I take less pictures and start to observe the nature of my friend. Here is a man that I have known for 10 or so years. He quietly walks along the trail in his bare feet, his hands behind his back. Again, I admire him and his barefeet, I begin to have small regrets at not taking off my shoes, but continue to walk with my soles covered and observe.

Each in our own way walk the same trail yet as we complete our hike I realize the juxtapositions of our soles and souls. Mine: covered, protected, inside, at odds. His: open, unprotected, free, at peace. Again, I find myself wishing I could be brave and just take off my shoes, if only for a few moments. I am not as brave as I wish I were. I am not as brave as everyone thinks I am. Self-doubt enters my mind. I wonder how Ron's feet are feeling and ask him. He replies that they are doing fine except for his heel where he stepped on something a while back (near the first of the trail). I think about my protected feet, feeling nothing under them but the tension of the sand and vow to bare my sole and soul to feel more beneath them both.

Thank you Ron for the lesson along the path and for teaching me over the past 10 years what true bravery is all about. Namaste.

Jonathan Dickinson State Park Photos Here

The following is the results of hiking along the trail:

There was a frog on a log in the middle of the bog surrounded by fog,
When along came a dog chasing down a hog followed by a smog.
As I write this blog, I find it short of "og" dialog,
So will happily sip my eggnog and close this monologue.

More "og" verses are welcome!

The annual hike is here and this year we have added a video component. The first 3 days we will be day hiking and the last 5 will be backpacking.

The questions you may be asking yourself now might be:

1. The title says 10 days but 3+5=8, what happened to the other 2 days? Those are zero days and we use them to travel to and from our destination. These days are important in that they give us time to review our routes and other various planning and on the return it lets us acclimate back into society.

2. What is the difference between day hiking and backpacking? About 30 or so pounds on your back, daily shower, hotel comforts and fresh food (as opposed to rehydrated food stuffs).

3. Why would anyone want to backpack? We hope our little video blog will answer that for you. Between all our silliness enjoy snipits of nature we bring to you.

Day 1 (Warning: Conservatives may find elements of this video offensive)
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7 (fellow trail courtesy edit for NoFace)
Day 8

Will update as we can!