To be honest, I woke up slightly depressed. The goodbyes at the Wicked Wolf had left me a little sad and not ready to say leave. But I was determined to make the most of the day. Stacy, Laura, & Jen had finals. Stevie was studying and Claire & Grace were going on a tour. I tried to join them but the tour was full. Desperate to enjoy the countryside one last time, I decided to head back to Howth. My last time there was pure magic and I figured a day by the seashore would be a good last memory of Ireland. I headed out on the 46A to the city center, exchanged my bus refunds for 7.50 euro, bought a sandwich, rice cakes, and a candy bar from Dunnes and headed to Connolly Station to catch the DART.
I bought my tickets, found the platform and waited for about 20 minutes for it to come. I munched on rice cakes, and ended up dropping a piece, which become food for the pigeons. Who literally battled for it, up and down the tracks, it was surprisingly entertaining. The DART only took about 20 minutes, and I just listened to my IPod and stared out the window.
I arrived in Howth, and set out towards the harbor. We had heard that seals were known to frequent the harbor and last time we were in Howth, it was too cold to venture to see them. I approached the dock and found a group of people standing by the edge. I walked over and saw 4 or 5 seals just swimming around. Some kids were throwing fish in and feeding the seals and they dove and splashed for them. I felt like a little kid at the zoo and couldn't take my eyes off this old seal who just looked at me and smiled, that is if seals can smile. I could've probably sat there all day and watched them, but I decided to keep walking. I walked along the docks and then climbed down the shore. I sat for a bit and listened to the waves crashing against the rocks. I picked some seashells and headed up the hill towards the hiking trail. Everything was a greener shade of green and the yellow flowers exploded upon the mountain.
I hiked to the top of the little mound and stood and enjoyed the views of ocean all around me. It began to sprinkle, so I pulled out my umbrella. I had prepared for the elements, four months in Ireland will teach you that. I strolled around the peninsula enjoying the scenery and listening to my ipod play. The sun came back out and I hiked down to the edge of the cliff. I sat and watched the birds flying, the waves crashing, and the sun shining. I laid in the grass and looked at the sky and thought of the last four months. The rain came again, and I just put up my umbrella and let it fall down beside me. Maybe that's the metaphor that best explains the four months. You can't stop the rain, you can only man up and go outside or sit inside and hide from it. And fittingly, the songs played on my IPOD reflected the moment perfectly. I always believe in song lyrics as signs, perfectly placed to make you see something that perhaps you can't see yourself. Shattered by O.A.R. played and my whole Ireland experience came full circle. And then A Beautiful Day by U2. Irish men who know what they are talking about. I think that Ireland has made me a U2 fan.
It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away.
I kept moving, and stopped to get my sandwich out of my backpack and eat it while I walked. The rain continued to fall, then the sun came out. I came to the crossroads of the path, and decided to take the long way home. I was in no rush to leave the sea. The path that followed was one of the best hikes I've ever been on. Not a person in sight, wandering, but without getting lost. The hike was along a rock wall, that reminded me of P.S. I Love You. The sea was at my left, the countryside at my right. Then through this forest area, up and down rock steps, emerging in the sunlight.
I found another piece of grass on the edge to sit down and enjoy my dessert. The cliffs were alive with the crashing of waves, and there were a few fishing boats in the distance. The sun was warm, and it was completely silent except for the melodies of my playlist.
I found a path down the cliff to the shore, so I climbed down and found a couple and their dog playing catch. It began to pour so I took out my umbrella again and continued to explore. The rocks had this redish hue to them and I found a box that from far away looked like some kind of treasure box. For some reason, I thought of the Goonies.
The rain subsided and I hiked back up to the trail and passed some fisherman with their poles. There were little gates everywhere, and it was just picture perfect. Another rain shower. At this point, I had to pee real bad. I had to for about the previous 3 hours, and the seashore and the rain were not helping. So I found this cove and reunited with nature. I laughed at myself and the situation, and continued going.
Up and down more rock steps, and along a rock wall. Which upon closure inspection was actually thousands and thousands of seashells. The trail led me down to the beach where I dropped my backpack and umbrella and wandered, picking up rocks & blue seashells.
The sky behind me was a perfect blue and I swear I saw a heart in the clouds. I was searching for a rainbow, my favorite Irish miracle. No dice. The trail led me away from the seashore, up the hill, across and road and through the yellow flowers.
I continued walking along the marked path and found myself at the Howth County Golf Course. Signs told me I had to walk through the golf course to get to the other side. I love golf courses, it's peaceful, and this one had amazing views. I may have been so caught up in the moment, thinking of the Florida friends, that I missed the small rocks that I was supposed to follow. Needless to say, I wandered through the golf course, obviously out of place, until a nice woman with a group of gentlemen golfers, called me over and asked if I was lost. She explained that many people miss the trail, and that she'd lead me to it, so I wouldn't get clocked in the head with a golf ball. My green sweatshirt probably didn't help, since I pretty much blended in with the greens. I bid her farewell and thanked her, and continued on.
Through a forest, breeding grounds for shamrocks. Success. Picked a few, and headed on. The trail led me down through some residential areas and finally to the main street across from the DART. There was one waiting so I boarded. 6 hours of hiking and who knows how many kilometers, it had been an infinitely good day.
My good day was sidetracked by an incident on the DART that shut down the line. We were told to get off at the Howth Junction and find a Dublin Bus. I followed the crowd, waiting for a while for a bus, and made it into the city center. My 20 minute DART ride turned into a 2 hour ride into the city. I caught the 10 and headed home.
And then, like the perfect ending to a perfect day, a beautiful rainbow filled the sky and remained there until I made it home. It was so bright, and so beautiful. I know the scientific explanation, but there is just something so majestic about rainbows.
I got home and went upstairs to spend time with the girls for a while. They were all studying so I just enjoyed their company and uploaded some pictures. Then it was time to rest up for the last day in Dublin.
Sunset outside of my apartment building
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