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Exploring Ireland Further

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It has been wonderful exploring Northern Ireland over the past couple days. As I sit here, I am getting ready to return to Dublin for one more evening before I head back to the states. After hiking all day, I returned to Paddy’s Palace Hostel to cook a simple dinner and have a quiet evening. I finally managed to write some post cards and book a bed for my final night in Dublin tomorrow.

I hiked around 6mi. today, getting from the city center all the way up and around Belfast Castle. The views back to Belfast were spectacular. For once, it didn’t rain at all today! It was incredibly muddy on the trails, so I didn’t make it up to the Fort on the bluff overlooking the city. Though I did find the first of several caves in the park.

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I am amazed by the subtle differences between Irish and American culture. The Irish are much more polite. People are helpful and will go out of their way to make sure you are all set. They are also incredible literalists. A ham salad sandwich has ham, and salad, on it.

I have yet to figure out the £, which is legal tender in Northern Ireland. There are about 8 coins…I keep confusing 1 pound and 20p, which are about the same size! The € was fine. It will be nice to get back to the US though, since I will stop loosing money with every transaction!

My plan for tomorrow is to get to my hostel, then go souvenir shopping, and maybe do a couple tours. Oh, and try to hear some more music. A busy day to be sure. I have had a pretty relaxed touring schedule since I have been on my own, but planning takes a lot of work. Until later…

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Buck Mountain & Lake George Village

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One of the perks of my teaching schedule this semester is that I have Fridays off. With warm temperatures and reasonably sunny skies, I set off to hike Buck Mountain on the south-eastern shores of Lake George. The hike was gorgeous. There was a moment when I was hiking through the forest and I noticed all the dead fall leaves gently drifting to the ground. It was a leaf blizzard! I made it to the summit of this 2,000 footer fairly quickly…it probably took about 1.5 hours, but I must admit I really wasn’t watching the time. The visibility wasn’t great, as the clouds were low. We are scheduled for rain all weekend, so the break today was brief. After a hearty snack of water, granola, and a fresh apple, I headed back down.

I did head into Lake George Village briefly. I stopped at Caffé Vero for an excellent Macchiato! The barista and I had to have that lame conversation that Starbucks has forced on all discerning coffee connoisseurs: yes I know what a Macchiato is, of course they make a REAL macchiato, yes, Starbuck’s is awful. It was a delicious cap to an excellent hike. Afterwards, I walked up Canada (main) Street. Lake George has a strange blend of kitschy shops and medium range restaurants. It reminded me a little of Old Orchard Beach in Maine. Bar Harbor certainly feels more upscale than Lake George. However, it also had a really rustic feel too, like some people other than tourists live there. However, it was 4pm on a Friday and a good number of shops were closed for the season. Needless to say I left pretty quickly.

Lastly, I stopped at Scotty’s Diner, one of the best truck stop diners I have ever been to, and a fond memory from my college days. I had the friend chicken, potatoes w/gravy, carrots, and NE clam chowder. It is now 11:54 and I think I am finally digested…all in all, and excellent day!