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Ireland: A Big Move Back to Our Roots

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

Sue and I have journeyed to Ireland to help our son Andrew and daughter-in-law Charlotte settle into their new home in Dublin.

We are excited by their adventurous spirit, but sad that they will be so far away. Andrew is bringing our family back to its roots. His grandmother was raised here and her Johnston family members were longtime farmers in the Waterford area. So, Andrew, his brothers, and I are Irish citizens, but can’t prove it since birth certificates have been elusive.

Andrew and Charlotte led us on a driving tour southwest of Dublin through Glendalough National Park, which reminded by us of the Scottish Highlands without the tall mountains. Like Scotland, Ireland is home to roughly 5 million people, but boasts a milder climate. Thanks to a U.K.-Ireland agreement, my British citizenship allows me to live here, but I doubt that is in our future.

Our visit also presents us with a look at a country brimming with distance trails. Hmm, which will be first?

The Cotswold Way: To the Hilltops We Go

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

Five days on England’s Cotswold Way and the trail has taken us to every hilltop in sight and some we didn’t see until we emerged from dark forests. Planners largely kept the path above the quaint villages we had expected would be daily features.

The tradeoff? Fantastic views, crowds of day hikers, fierce winds, very little road walking, and steep climbs as we walk through hilly parks and golf courses. Loose, well-behaved dogs everywhere. Sheep, cattle, and horses. And surprisingly few people thru-hiking the Cotswold Way.

Look closely and you’ll see a golf course below us in the top photo. One day we sat on a cement block next to a curious building (an emergency shelter for sheep?) for a picnic.

The weather has turned cool and blustery. A couple of showers brought out the rain gear today and Tuesday looks quite wet; four days to the finish line in Bath!