Wednesday morning Park and I began our journey south. After a long bus ride through Dublin on the upper deck of the double-decker buses that service the British Isles, we arrived at Marlay Park in southern Dublin, otherwise known as the beginning of the Wicklow Way. There, we began a three-day hike through the Wicklow Mountains, following the trail and markers (the friendly guy, as Park called him) about fifty miles through the mountains. The first part of the journey was exciting, albeit nerve-wracking, as the thought of having to navigate and climb through the mountains loomed ahead off me. But we were in good spirits and excited for our adventure; Frodo and Sam heading off on our own journey.
The mountains were absolutely gorgeous. That first day was up and down, traversing the highs of the mountains and lows of the valleys, along trails and roads. We adopted a rhythm, hiking thirty minutes and then taking a five minute break. That morning, we had gone by a grocery store and purchased snacks and water to sustain us along the trail. As we traversed the national park, we went from areas of complete isolation to little valley-towns to farming communities nestled on the sides of the mountains. We were blown away by the beauty of God's creation and were jubilant to be taking a break from the typical-touristy attractions and hustle of the big cities. We arrived at the Knockree Hostel late that afternoon, a small accommodation located just off the pathway. Unfortunately, we had planned on finding dinner and restocking our snacks there, but the hostel was alone in the woods with no restaurants or groceries nearby. But Sam would never let Frodo starve, and I was not going to let Park go without dinner. We improvised, befriending some of the other guests, who let us have some of their home-made pizza. With dinner taken care of, we enjoyed a good night's sleep before our second day. To remedy our snack situation, we ate a large breakfast and made extra jam sandwiches, which we packed for the trail before setting out for the day. The second day's hike was our favorite, with some of the most gorgeous views as we traversed the very summit of the Wicklow Mountains. The wind was ridiculous. Park and I were literally being blown sideways by the intensity of it, which made every step a struggle against the forces of nature. The views were worth it, and honestly, the experience was heightened by the conditions, and we enjoyed every moment of it.
Once again, we ended the day at our hotel, this time in the small town of Knockree. There, we were able to grab dinner and restock, saving us the effort of having to improvise again. Our third day was the final stretch of our hike, and we ended in the beautiful Glendalough Valley, which we explored until the bus arrived that would undo our three days hard work by returning us to Dublin in a mere two and a half hours. But we enjoyed the views of the lake and the early Christian monastic sites nestled in the safety of the valley. And returning to Dublin had its perks too. We stayed in a REAL hotel, courtesy of Madyson, which was the most comfortable we had been in a while.
We spent the rest of the weekend in Dublin. Saturday, we explored the city and the major sites, meeting up with Madyson and Ryan and Kevin. Sunday was St. Patrick's Day, and where better to celebrate than Dublin, Ireland? We enjoyed the parade and festivities before heading to the airport to return to Bonn. After a full week away, it was nice to return 'home', and I was looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again.