Exploring the unlikely intersections of walking, photography and making
One more day to lose ourselves in this oh-so walkable city. Our last day in Dublin. In Ireland. Tomorrow it’s back to Winnipeg. But we won’t be leaving Ireland behind. During our trip, we have been in contact with Sheena, an Irish women living in Naas, a small community just outside of Dublin. We didn’t know... Continue Reading →
Our journey through Ireland has come full circle. We left Dublin on foot, the start of our Irish coast-to-coast walk, making our way over 24 days to Portmagee on the west coast. From there our clockwise journey took us, by bus, to Galway, the Aran Islands, Belfast and Northern Ireland and, now, back to Dublin.... Continue Reading →
It is hard to miss the strong connections between Ireland and Canada. We have heard so many stories over the past weeks, so many stories of emigration to our frigid shores. That includes our friend in Canada, born and bred in Northern Ireland and now living just across the Assiniboine River from us in Winnipeg.... Continue Reading →
From the comfort of our bus seats, we glide quietly down the highway on our way from Dublin to Belfast. We are barely aware of the boundary we are crossing - only a modest chime emitted by my iPhone and a text message that I have entered the United Kingdom and roaming charges may apply.... Continue Reading →
Three sheets of karst limestone defiantly protrude from the North Atlantic, just an hour’s boat ride off the west coast of Ireland. The sea is calm today as we approach Inishmore, the most-visited of these island outposts, collectively known as the Aran Islands. Today, tourists well outnumber the local population that traditionally relies on farming... Continue Reading →
Our long walk is done. Time for a casual exploration of Ireland’s cities and sites before heading back to Canada. We start with Galway, a half-day by taxi and bus up the west coast from Portmagee, the end point of our cross-Ireland walk. It’s a modest-sized town but chock full of young university students and... Continue Reading →
It is a day of endings. The day we leave the Kerry Way. The final day of our walk across Ireland. The day our path drops into the sea. From Cahersiveen, the Kerry Way heads south, continuing its circular path back to Killarney. If it is anything like our last three days on the trail,... Continue Reading →
It’s Day 23 on the trail. Our second last day. A day tinged with anticipation, to be sure. But also regret that it will soon end. The trail out of Glenbeigh takes us on a circuitous route, up a wooded slope before looping back along the neck of a promontory with views looking over town,... Continue Reading →
It is hard to leave the restful isolation of Black Valley. It will be a long, tough day. 36 kilometres. Three mountain passes. A day that most guidebooks recommend be completed in two. Yet the source we are basing our entire walk on, The Irish Coast to Coast Walk by Paddy Dillon, suggests it can... Continue Reading →
The Kerry Way is the last formal trail we will follow on our walk across Ireland. It starts innocently enough in Killarney’s city centre, across the street from the Tourist Information Office. An appropriate location given the crush of largely North American visitors we encountered last night. Today, our route starts with an urbane exit... Continue Reading →