Day 15: From Tahilla to Kenmare

Date	Aug 28, 2022 (Sunday)
Today's Distance:	16 miles / 26 km
Route and Stats	Route Video
Total Ireland:	125 miles.
Total All Caminos:	1745 miles
Lodging:	Druid Cottage @ $ 70
Total Lodging:	$ 975
Total Buses / Trains:	$ 245
Food:	$ 20
Total Food:	$ 344

Meaningful Moment

This is my third time hiking in Ireland and it's amazing how alone I am on the trails.

I rarely, and I mean rarely see other hikers. Today I saw a couple of hikers but they were headed in the opposite direction of me. But we stopped to chat for a minute.

I'm not speaking of the "Did you have a nice walk", "Nice weather out", "Did you sleep good?" kind of conversations with people.

I'm talking about being with people with whom you can share things because it's appropriate to do so.

This is the biggest difference between hiking in Ireland and in Switzerland, versus my experiences on the Camino de Santiago where it was easy for others to talk with me and for me to talk with others about matters of substance.

I realize how much I need to be super comfortable in their own skin to do this day after day with very little meaningful human contact.

Thought of the Day

Once again as I'm walking through the tree-lined paths of the southern leg of the Kerry Way, I recognize how visually distinctive this side is from the northern leg.

The southern side is like walking through Mendon Ponds Park on one of the trails. It's just visually much more appealing and peaceful and calm then the north side of the Iveragh peninsula.

On the northern side, it seemed like pasture after pasture with no vegetation along the sides of the trail. I remember very little enveloping woodlands.

I think the difference between the first half and the second half of this hiking experience is that the north side of the peninsula seemed windswept while the south side of the peninsula has lots and lots of vegetation.

***

Because the Camino de Santiago is designed as a religious route for pilgrims, it passes through lots of small towns so that the Pilgrims could visit the local church. Usually next to the local church, is a bar where you can get something to eat or drink.

The Kerry way is much more of a nature trail so a person can go all day on the trail and never see a place to get something to eat or drink.

I miss my coffee stops while I'm hiking.

***

Unbelievable! I'm sitting here in Kenmare and I am making my plans to wrap up this Camino.

Here are my options for tomorrow:

1. Complete the entire stage from Kenmare to Killarney, about 12 miles plus or minus. Half of this repeats the start of day one. Many people skip the final stage.

2. Walk from Kenmare to Galway's Bridge, where the Kerry Way splits towards Black Valley or Kenmare. About 6 miles of hiking. Then I won't repeat anything that I walked on day one.

3. Just take a bus from Kenmare to Killarney first thing in the morning. Many do this because half of the last stage is repeat trail.

Checked the bus schedules from Killarney to Shannon. Lots of options from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. so this means there's no reason for me to overnight in Killarney tomorrow.

However I choose to complete my walk on the Kerry Way, by the time I make it to Killarney, I'll get on a bus and go straight to Shannon.

That will be the point in time, when it sinks in that I've completed a 120 mi Ireland through hike.

And if I never see a freaking mountain for 6 months, I'll be a happy man.

On the Road / Notable memories

Hard to believe but after 110 mi a person becomes almost numb to all the beauty around them.

I've seen so much already. Green lush lands, forests, pasture trails, mountains, bays and coves, the ocean ... It's just so much to take in so often.

***

While resting on a bridge wall, a German couple came by to take some pictures. I tried a little bit of German and completely blew it. All this study and practice and I couldn't get a simple sentence out due to nerves.

***

In Kenmare, relaxing.

Having a latte at a street side cafe, on a nice Sunday evening, watching all the tourists and locals strolling by.

After 15 days in Ireland, I walk into a bar to get something to eat and they have live music (fiddle and flute). Life is good.

And so is the vegetable soup and ham& tomato sandwich.

Side note: I have drunk a lot of Coca-Cola in this country.

	Celtic churches are so much simpler than Iberian churches

	A good portion of today's hiking was through wooded trails.



	These one lane roads are very pretty, but absolutely tricky to walk on if you're not paying attention. Cars appear out of nowhere.
	Text
	Bridge break. Shoes and socks off. Jam tart and milk. :-)

	Walking alongside Kenmare Bay




	Sunday night in Kenmare for coffee and dinner. Most of the weekend tourists have picked up and gone already.
	Check out the Gaelic writing.
	The war against the British for independence is freshly relevant to the Irish.