Wicklow Gap and Kilkenny: Day 11 – Ireland 2014

19 April 2014. Also knows as “The Day Things Started To Go Awry”.

Our itinerary for the day was going to take us on a scenic drive through the Wicklow Gap on our way to Kilkenny. However, our day was going to be a rough one. The first sign that things were about to go south was that Billy woke up feeling under the weather. The night had been much colder than anticipated by the forecast, and we shivered through it, snatching bits of sleep here and there. We broke camp fairly quickly and jumped into the warmth of our car, ready to spark out on the next leg of the adventure.

The second sign that things were headed south was the fact that we couldn’t find the next leg of our adventure. We were in search of a place called the Vale of Clara. A forest of old oak trees, the vale also has walking trails and we were hoping to spend the morning walking through the wood. It might as well have been located in the realm of the fairies because after a few hours of driving through the area we thought it to be, we came up with nothing. At least we had a beautiful drive!

The Wicklow Gap

At least the Wicklow Gap is hard to miss! After an incredible drive, we parked at a little pull-off and got out to explore. We walked among the ruins of houses from years gone by and ventured out to look at a lake that wasn’t too far off. The 18-mile pilgrimage path known as St. Kevin’s Way snakes through the hills and valleys from Hollywood to Glendalough, should you fancy a longer journey on foot. There are also tons of cyclists on the road, so keep a sharp eye when driving through.

Wondering Wicklow Gap

Pushing Forward

By the time we got to our campsite outside of Kilkenny, Billy was feeling pretty terrible. I set up the tent while he napped in the car, and I again thanked our past selves for buying a tent that was so brilliant to set up easily with just one person. (You can check out our tent here!) With camp ready for the night, we walked into Kilkenny for some dinner. Again, things did not go to plan. We found one restaurant that looked pretty good, so we walked in. We were looked up and down when greeted but didn’t think anything of it. As the waiter led us to our table, we understood. We were WAY underdressed and practically everyone in the place stared at us as the waiter seated us in a corner in the back. We took one look at the menu and doubly understood. The place was pricey.

The next debate was a short one. Bite the bullet of the price and have dinner, or suffer everyone’s stares as we walked back out of the restaurant. We ordered.

Billy hardly touched his food at all on account of his feeling so poorly. He looked it too. We were getting constant stares from nearby tables as he sat with his head on the table while I tried to eat as much as possible to not waste the meal. Even with my good effort, there was still quite a bit of food left. I hate not taking leftovers, but when you’re sleeping in a tent, leftovers aren’t really an option. We paid, got drinks to go, and took our underdressed walk of shame with heads held high.

Goodnight…or at least good luck…

We were fortunate to be staying at a campground with indoor showers and endless hot water. So that’s how we spent the next hour or so. We’d been in Ireland for a week and a half but were still adjusting to the cold weather. Coming from the heat of a Texas spring, we were struggling. It didn’t help that Billy was now running a fever and feeling like the walking dead. After living in the shower for a while, we climbed into the tent before the sun was down, hoping for a good night’s sleep.

NOPE.

Billy woke up a few hours later, got in the car, and cranked the heat on full blast until he couldn’t stand it. He did this every hour or so, meaning he was sleeping poorly. This also meant that I was sleeping poorly since the car was right next to the tent. And I’m sure everyone else there slept just as well, seeing as it was a fairly small campground. From the looks we got the next morning as we packed it in, I’m glad we were only staying one night. I’m not sure we’d have had a warm welcome for a second night!
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy