The Road of Kerry, Ireland

Some time ago I took an unforgettable walk with my best friend, that walk took us both a lot further. Here I describe my experience, because I love to travel by foot. Perhaps I encourage you to take the plunge too.

The beautiful weather in Ireland

Beautiful weather in Ireland! You can certainly get lucky on the oft-filmed and photographed west coast, especially in the summer. The azure blue color of the sea and the white lonely bays certainly do not give the impression that you are stepping into the land of the Celts. When I'm hiking, the weather doesn't really matter to me. The many different colors of green will refresh your mood. The meadows contrast beautifully with the gray clouds with a dash of blue here and there. If you want to look away from the clouds while lying in the grass, the speed of this white cotton wool will amaze you. No day is the same in Ireland. There is a good chance of golden sun rays, which light up the landscape. If you are fit and don't mind walking, go for a walk in nature for a few days. You get better from that than from two weeks at the beach. The nicest and most boring places in the world become incredibly special in the eyes of the hiker, who can slowly absorb all the details.

The rocky environment with the azure seaThe rocky environment with the azure sea

The rest

Thinking of Holland, I walked through Ireland and could appreciate the plain of our homeland more. While the gently rolling hills and vistas from the cliffs made me yearn for more. Emerald green hills, aquamarine blue sea, gray rocks and steppe-like valleys. The ugliest stretch of the Kerry Way was a man-made bare pine forest, but the temporary darkness in this no-man's-land made the impression of the ensuing view all the more crushing. No beauty without ugliness, no light without darkness. Go for a walk with a good friend and you get to know each other. All facets of the landscape make your body and soul realize that you are both flesh and blood. I did this trip with my best friend when she had just got married and I just couldn't find what I was looking for. We walked the reverse route of this national trail, which is recommended if you don't want to run into too many people. We knew that, we only met ourselves and each other. After a first overnight stay in cozy Killarney we went on an adventure. Absent as I was, I forgot the hiking map that morning and we had to walk 8 kilometers back. After a few hours of irritation in the drizzle, the skies and our moods cleared when we arrived at the Ladies View. High-class ladies had also admired this view in Killarney National Park. After a short stop at Muckross House, our kilometer long journey continued through a beautiful deserted valley and a muddy climb took us to the colorful town of Kenmare. My friend had progressed so fast that first day that she threw herself on her bed in the bed and breakfast, exhausted. The tension of 'where does the road lead?' was more exhausting for her than for me. The stress I was addicted to in everyday life now took on a more pleasant form. She missed her husband and I was temporarily released from the search for love. That evening we celebrated this first victory over ourselves with a delicious meal in a tiny restaurant. Neidin is the Irish name of Kenmare and means 'little nest'. Nestled between mountains, lakes, rivers and a rocky coast. Next time I want to stay in Druid Cottage, named after the first inhabitants of this land. The Stone Circle from the Bronze Age still bears witness to this.

The colorful houses of KenmareThe colorful houses of Kenmare

Ireland changes you

The next day we walked along the coast to Sneem. It was hot, we didn't have enough water with us and we got lost. The reward was great when we decided to end the day without too much annoyance with a great meal and then go to sleep. After a good night's sleep we had breakfast with eggs, toast and original porridge (porridge), which I then became addicted to. We were allowed to sniff that beautiful country again for another day. My girlfriend gradually lost her urge to control. Sometimes I even envied her lavish commentary on the cute lambs and the enchantment of the environment. Because I was already looking forward to the return trip. The drugs of all that beauty were not allowed to wear off.

The beautiful green area of ​​Kerry WayThe beautiful green area of ​​Kerry Way

to philosophize

The last stretch to Caherdaniel was beautiful, what a view in the evening sun! And a room overlooking the sea. The Scariff Inn is actually a motel. Still, we couldn't have wished for a better location. There on the road, where many visited the Kerry Ring by car or coach, we were trot and satisfied that we were allowed to enjoy so many minutes of the day in silence or shouting loudly. When you walk, time takes on a whole different dimension. It seems that everything in your body and mind becomes much more intense, slower, lighter and weightier. Also, we could now philosophize unabashedly, while at home we couldn't chat in space without shame. "What would we have been like if we lived in such and such a time." Topics of conversation passed during the journey and were only thoughts, amusing each other like shreds. Fortunately our biggest critics had stayed at home.

Walking tour dedicated to Warchild

Because no one there believed that we could walk up to 30 kilometers a day together, we dedicated the trip to Warchild. The sponsors provided even more motivation and encouragement. Such a walking stick behind the door would not have been necessary in retrospect, but it did give an extra dimension. Laughing at life and love, we walked to Waterville, where we could rest in the sun with a large pint after finishing a High Tea. Our villa (bed & breakfast) was a bit disappointing on that water, but the breakfast with blueberry pancakes ensured that we could handle the return trip. On the bus back to Limerick, we sang to each other: “There were two ladies from Holland, who went out for a walk in Ireland… one became a kol, the other a troll…”