Sorry Dad, but last week was not one for school. I treated myself to some hiking boots, and I was ready for some new adventures. We were taking day trips left and right, and we left Thursday afternoon for an overnighter in Killarney to see as much of the National Park as we could in two days. Killarney lies just west of Cork and is home to the Ring of Kerry, tourist magnet. I didn’t want to do a whole tour of the ring, I just wanted to hike around and see what we could find. And that’s exactly what we did. There were treasures around every corner.
We stayed the night at a hostel in an all girl’s room. It was well kept and nicer than any dorm I have every lived in. They fed us free breakfast and coffee in the morning and free dinner at night. We went out for a drink to explore the town and stumbled upon a small local bar with just a few people sitting quietly, chatting with the bartender. We were exhausted, so we decided this was our speed. We hung out there for a bit, and had two beers while we reflected and planned. We met a Canadian who had just done the Ring of Kerry, a wonderful woman who had come to visit her wife (the chef), and the bartender who doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he’s probably making fun of you. It ended up being a grand ol’ time for two lost American girls in a tiny Irish town. The next day we snuck out early to hit the trails as early as possible. I turned off my phone first thing in the morning, which was the best decision I could have made. I actually spent the day in the forest, not staring at the forest through a screen. I felt free. First stop was Ross Castle. It was only 2km in, and a hike in Killarney is like your friendly neighborhood parkway. No hills, no rocks, just nice calm paths. We reached Ross Castle by about 9, and the morning fog had started to lift. We could see the mountains across the water and the small islands facing the castle. Everything was so crisp and fresh. We sat on a warped wooden benched and watched the water for about 15 minutes in total silence. It was beautiful. 2 swans were swimming just on the shore near us. I had never seen a swan in real life until then. My friend Megan simply turned to me and said, “you know they mate for life?” My heart was so warm in that moment. I actually spent the day in the forest, not staring at the forest through a screen. I felt free. We made our way next to the Muckross Abbey. This was my favorite part. It was a bit of a haul because we had to hike out of the park and then back in, but it was so worth it. On the way we found the perfect spot for lunch with a gorgeous view of the mountains. Trees were bent and twisted all around us like royal archways and rocks were formed like benches on the water. It was a thing of pure beauty. It was the stuff of fairytales. The abbey came about 7km in. You know that feeling when you walk into an old place and you don’t see the history, you can feel it? It is like the lives there never left, and you share their breath, their steps, their home. There was a 600 year old tree standing in the middle of the abbey. Swirling its way through the stone and out the ceiling, arms reaching wide out over the graveyard beneath it. Bedrooms and Sacristy’s and Choir rooms and Fireplaces, you could see all of them, walk through all of them. There is a difference between seeing a place, photographing it, and experiencing it. Being with it, feeling it. This Abbey welcomed the latter. We came across the Muckross House a few miles down but we didn’t stop for a tour. By this point in the day it was blue sky and gorgeous weather. This hasn’t happened in weeks in Ireland, so we intended to make the most of it. Stay outside, and hike as far as possible. Our mecca as the Torc Waterfall at the base of the closest mountain. On the way we passed strange marshlands with grassy waters reminiscent of Tolkien. We passed cows and sheep and views of snow-capped mountains. We passed lakes and rivers and stone bridges. I think that’s what I love so much about this terrain, you always get a bit of everything. The waterfall was unmatched for anything I had ever seen in my life. Loud, Roaring, Marvelous, Fierce; she was sublime. Both Megan and I threw off our packs upon arrival and climbed as close as we could to the water without getting swept away. In that moment I remembered how important it is to feel small. And how if anything is more powerful than man, its Mother Earth. Megan, an environmentalist, turned to me and said, “It’s when I see things like this that I don’t understand how people can just not care.” We walked back to the train station, stopped for pizza and for warmth in a small church nearby. We tallied up our mileage for the day at nearly 25mi. Our legs were stiff and heads in the clouds, but I don’t think our hearts had ever been so at peace. Its where we belong. With our roots. I’d walk for days in that forest. I’d never leave. Thank you for all your majesty, Killarney. Until Next Time… Megstakes:
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