Pure Ireland

Today marks the one month mark until returning home to the USA. Time flies when you are having fun, and now we are all in the mode to make the best out of our last month here. None of us have class on Fridays so it became apparent that we'd need some type of adventure for the glorious spring day that we woke up to. So I did a little Googling and found an adventure for us. Wicklow Mountains Part 2. Blessington Lake. Seen in PS I Love You. Number 65 bus. Check. I invited my comrades for my adventure, promising nothing but some scenery. I told Stacy that this was a "path less traveled" type of adventure. She liked my style. We rendezvoused at 12:15 and headed to take the 10 into the city to catch the 65 to Wicklow. We got to the city with enough time for Jen to get some chinese take out and we enjoyed the bright sunshine as we waited for the bus. The bus ride took a bit, which I warned my compadres about, but it was cool to see another part of town. The ride ended up taking about an hour and a half, and we neared our destination on the outskirts of the little town of Blessington. We literally got off the bus at this random gas station. I mean nothing but a gas station. Hello Now & Then. We decided the sunshine & warmth made popsicles and ice cream a necessity.

After buying some from the gas station and asking the attendant where we should go, we headed down the road. Not ideal for walking. Narrow roads, speed limit 100 km/h (62 mph). We found the quickest path off the road, towards the lake. A little off roading, and we soon found ourselves at a grassy cliff on the shores of the lake. The sunshine, the lake, blue skies. Perfect.

We set up camp, more like we took off our jackets and sweatshirts, took off our shoes and socks and laid in the grass listening to my ipod play Molly Malone and Galway Girl.

Jen passed around her bottle of wine she had brought. Rough week for Miss Matchett. We enjoyed the sunshine for a while until we were getting too hot and sweaty. I'm not sure if you find moments more perfect than laying in the grass, in the sunshine, singing along to Irish music.

We decided to keep walking and find somewhere we could get in the water. I had tried to climb down from where we were, but we decided that even if I got down, I would be unable to get back up. The grass was very dense and dry, like tumbleweed. We found a path that led us to a place where we could climb down to the beach part. We put our feet in the water, which was pretty much ice cold. We took advantage of the cold water to chill the rest of the Oyster Bay.

My feet were numb after a few minutes. But that did not stop our little Canadian friend from deciding that the Wicklow National Forest and Blessington Lake would be the perfect place to return to her Canadian nudist ways and go skinny dipping. So she did. And then Claire joined her, while Curry and I sat on the shore in the sunshine laughing at them. It was a perfect little beach and I think we could have sat there all day, skipping rocks, and laughing at Curry's failed attempts. The sun was bright, a fisherman was in the distance casting, and a sailboat on the opposite side of the shore.

We decided to head to the nearest Texaco. We had high hopes of hot dogs and more wine. We figured we could create a little bonfire on the beach. Although fires of any kind were prohibited in the national park, but then again so was swimming. We headed back towards the road, singing country songs about Texaco Stations. I ofcourse pulled it up on my ipod and we sang along to Walk Away Joe. We tredged through a field and found the road. Texaco Station, nowhere near. We walked along the road in the direction of Blessington.

It was not that enjoyable, since we felt like we were going to get run over. We found a car park with some boats lined up on the lake near it, so we thought it was a place we could rent a boat and get out on the lake (PS I Love You boat scene was shot here according to IMDB). But it was more of a boat graveyard, and there was no one to be found.

Hm.. at least we found a path that we could walk on that wasn't on the N81. We also found a sign that told us their may have been scum in the water that cause irritation and vomiting/diarrhea. Good thing we didn't drink it. Hopefully Claire & Jen don't end up with a sweet skin rash. We ended up walking through the forest as I busted out Walking In Memphis.

In the forest,we stumbled upon a patch of shamrocks. We searched for four leaf ones with no luck. We sang Dixie Chicks and Big Green Tractor and ate cookies and picked shamrocks.

We continued walking, we had since passed the point of no return. We passed a field full of cows. And then sheep. Smelled like Champaign when the southwinds blow. We heard the little sheep "baa"-ing. Surreal.

We came to a road, and we walked along it until it met up to the N81. About 12 times during the afternoon I felt like we were in Now & Then, when they go on their bike ride. We even busted into song a few times.... "Knock three times on the ceiling if you want me...Twice on the pipe if the answer is no". We walked along the road singing "Cowgirls Don't Cry". We passed a golfcourse and a guy golfing shouted to us. Both Curry and I thought it was a old woman until we saw him. We passed another wanderer on the road, who looked sort of like a young Albert Einstein. Randomness. Another field full of baby sheep, including the rare black sheep.

We got back on the N81 and walked along the nonexistant shoulder. It was less than ideal especially when it came to the curvy parts were we had to balance alongside the guard rail. Lucky for us, the number 65 came upon us and we flagged it down. The bus driver let us board and we headed back to Dublin after a very wonderful afternoon in Wicklow.

When we got dropped off on the Eden Quay, we headed straight for the Chinese Buffet. We loaded up on Sweet & Sour chicken and rice, and fruit, and a soft serve banana split. Stevie joined us and we recapped our day and talked about the volcanic eruption that was keeping Jen from going to Scotland and preventing Stevie's friend from coming to visit. After loading up on buffet, we headed home.

The inspiration for the day. Pure Michigan.

A little sign that say so much. About our need to fill our lungs with fresh air. To stretch, to laugh, to simply get out and play.

Gone Rock Skipping, Gone Hiking, Gone Wandering.

What a perfect day.

A perfect day.