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| Click on the image to see our track in Google Maps |
Another "after work" location, which, if I recall correctly, must have been one of the very first walks I undertook after moving to county Donegal. As such, I don't think I can escape having some fondness for the place, even if it's a bit too flat for my regular taste: The unmitigated views of Sheephaven Bay definitely make up for the lack of challenge...
But we're in a bit of a hurry this evening: there are showers on the horizon and, after having had a quick look at the rainfall radar map from met.ie, we know they are coming for us. We therefore aim at completing this walk, before we end up in the middle of the upcoming downpour.
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| Some menacing clouds on the horizon |
As already mentioned, this is not the most challenging of walks, and, for the most part, we'll just follow the relatively flat path. Yet that path is also a great vantage point. It is therefore not to long before we witness our snowcapped pal Muckish, engulfed by sleet and what looks like more snow, from afar:
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| Wouldn't want to be on top of Muckish right now... Or would I? |
As a matter of fact, stealing yet another look at a snow covered of Muckish, due to a winter that seems to have overextend ed its welcome, is one of the reasons we came here this evening. Still, with rain making more strides towards us, we cut our contemplation short and are soon at the lough shore:
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| Lough Nambraddan |
As per our habit, we'll extend this walk to loop around the lake... under the judgemental gaze of the sheep we disturb.
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| An old turf trench |
But this lake, and its western hill, are no major challenge (even though part of the initial path is actually flooded by an overspill from the lake) and it isn't long before we make our way back onto the track.
Alas, as we pass the northern shore of the lough again, rain finally catches up with us, sooner than expected, turning into a mix of sleet and snow at times. The end result is that, even with protective gear, we are a bit more drenched than we'd have liked by the time we are back at the car. Still, this leaves us with an opportunity to witness the gorgeous spectacle of an evening spring sun, chasing away the rain, over Sheephaven Bay. Even if we end up catching a cold, I guess this short trip was worth it then.
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| An evening sun making quick mince of the spring showers |
Still, as we have completed our walk, our journey doesn't end here. With the showers heading west, and followed by a bright sun in tow, we are treated to a magnificent rainbow display as we drive home.
And I am talking Irish rainbow here: the kind that is so close that you feel like you can almost touch it, with a fully complete arch, and flanked with double artefacts. None of that weak excuse for a rainbow that you seem to get elsewhere...
In fact, after having spent more than a quarter century living in continental Europe, I don't think I gained a true comprehension of the nature of rainbows until moved to this country. What's more, Ireland is the only place where I actually managed to catch a moon rainbows (which of course are perfectly logical when you think about it: if the sun does produce rainbows, so too will a bright full moon), which are something else altogether. One of these latter occurrences actually happened while driving down to Derry, after visiting the Giant's Causeway, and was a splendid way to crown an otherwise grand day out with some friends. All this to say that, if you do like rainbows, then Ireland has to be your place because its reputation as the land of rainbows couldn't be more well deserved....
Suggested Sound Track
I do have some vague plans to get back to Amanda Marshall at some stage, when/if I go over the various names I envisioned for this blog (because I could literally write volumes about picking, or not picking, a name). So we might as well get started with a very straightforward song of hers, that seems to be most fitting for today.
Besides, who doesn't ever feel like saying: "I have given, I have given, and got none"?
Additional pictures
