Weather: ☁️🌧️☁️🌧️☁️
Picnic: 🌯🌯 (2 out of 5, nothing special)
Traction on track: 👟👟👟👟(4 out of 5 for really walkable, because the track and road were good)
Exceptional thing: first day on trail with dry shoes (apart from the rain)
Campsite: ⛺⛺ (2 out of 5, sheltered, and in the forest. Not flat…)
Name of followed trail: Blackwater way
Special thanks to: Eileen, who gave us water and invited these 3 strangers for tea! A trail angel without knowing it!
We start on a dry point of the day and follow the road for a while. Apparently the Blackwater way changed its course, because the signs are missing for the first few kilometers. Luckily, we get back on track!
The weather keeps going from rain to just cloudy, and sometimes a state of what I started to call ‘Irish dry’; mist like rain, but not quite rain.
We walk mainly roads today, but the countryside is pretty here. We pas a ruin of a few castles, and st. Michails church along our way. We see the terrain slowly changing into more green grassland and forested hills. We also see spring showing through, with some small flowers and blossom along the way! We are making good progress today, so we keep walking a little further than planned, so we have less left for tomorrow!
We are in need of water for the night but there is no farm in sight. We decide to walk the road in ieder to find one. We are lucky. Just before our planned entrance of the forest, we see a farm where a car just stopped! We ask the lady for water and she invites us in. She’s really helpful, and offers us a cup of tea. We can’t refuse that of course! After some tea and cookies we leave Eileen with a big thank you! She is taking care of us like a mom, and asked if we all have our hats. Rein can’t find his, and after a search through bag and house, Eileen offers him one of hers. How kind of her!
Smiling about this kindness we find in random people, were on our way again. Unfortunately the forest has been forested, so most camping options are a ruin of tree trunks and ploughed ground.
We find a spot that needs some adjustments, but after clearing the area from a few big rocks it is a doable campsite. We make dinner and drink a whiskey while we say cheers to Eileen and her hat! May everyone find this sort of kindness in their lives!