SNEEM TO KENMARE, an 18 mile day that turned into a 22 miler

Left Sneem this morning at 8.30 and headed out on trail, within the first hour, we passed the Brushwood Studios, so we went in and had a great chat to Etienne, they are a family of South Africans who immigrated in the 80s and are all artists. Was a fun time as we chatted about our old home country.
From here we got back on trail and worked our way to BLACKWATER BRIDGE. This is a little vilage on a river where apparently many hikers catch a taxi in to KENMARE. Not a bad idea as we later discovered.

Two hours later, after leaving Blackwater bridge, we arrived at the shore of the KENMARE river which we traversed along for a few miles. This was a stunning walk with the Beara Penninsular on the opposite side.

tremendously wide river, we thought at first we had reached the ocean again

This made for a good place along the river, to eat the lunch we had packed, then moved on towards the finish of the day.

Well, the guide book turned out to be a consistent as a soup sandwich, there was no making sense of it as the author had missed a part if the walk today, a big part ( which as luck would have it, was a friggin  big hill).

We climbed over Gortamullin Mountain and finally found where the guide book picked the trail back up, then another climb, with a long descent through wet, deep, bog, Caroline was cussing and swearing like a sailor each time her walking stick sank into the mud almost up to her wrists, then the bog wouldn't let go of her walking stick, yes then it became personal for her. I guess after 70 years on this planet you pick up a phrase or two.

 Old abandoned church on the way today

I learn each time I walk, thats what happens, but this time I realized that a hard day isn't always about distance or climbs, more often it's all about " time" on your feet. Today was a 22 miler, unexpected but not a surprise. The killer was the 9.5 hours it took us, and the girls took it like champs. Coming down into KENMARE, I could here the girls rewriting Dr Seus to occupy their minds, making up Odes to the stiles and the bogs........ I would, but I can't repeat them in public.
Hot whiskey at the first pub we reached, as it had drizzled rain half the day and we were cold. Made the hostel, showered, went for dinner, celebrated Carolines grandfather with a whiskey straight, and got to bed by 9pm.
 Tomorrow is the last leg, I'm kinda sad.

This guy didn't care, he was all about chilling with his friend who,s name was " cow", but in the meantime, its upward dog time