23/04/08

It has now been 10 days since we left the UK and today I had my first
shower - bliss! I'm not knocking baby wipes or washing from a basin
or solar shower bag, but there is something about hot water, free
flowing out of a wall that is just perfect.

Our Servas host was at work today, so we took a day trip to the Rock
of Cashel. Along the way we drove through Tipperary. We just had to
stop for a photo beside the sign "Welcome to Tipperary - you've come a
long way." "Don't rubbish Tipp" was also an amusing sign.

Cashel, a little market town is dwarfed by the spectacular St
Patrick's Abbey that sits high on a rocky outcrop. We took an
interesting tour of the abbey courtesy of Irish Heritage.
About 1230 we found an information board for part of the Tipperary
Way. It showed a walking route along the river to Golden. From the map
scale I (Daniel) estimated the distance to be about 6 km. We'd stop in
Golden for a late lunch, turn around and come back again.
A little bit of bush-wacking and 2 hours 45mins later we arrived in
Golden ( 10km not 6!). We were hungry, thirsty and covered in mud up
to my (Marea's) knees and with only €12, we didn't have enough for
food and beer! We abandoned the return trip along the river, opting
for the more direct 6km walk along the busy main road, Pat, was a
sight for sore eyes, and feet, 4.5 hours after we had left.