Day 133: Blind walk

Day 133: Saturday, August 18th 2018: Garranes to Adrigole 24 km / Total 2742 km, 19°C, misty

The closest pub from Garranes closes probably at 4 am, as that was around that time the girl in the bed under mine came back. She only started to snore at 6 am. It didn't really matter as I wanted to wake up early and get ready for the meditation at 9 am. I never tried it and was interested. 

Everybody sat in a room, with windows from floor to roof, normally looking at the sea. But on that day, the weather was completely foggy, so we just looked at the clouds. Yes, I said looked because meditation can be practised with open eyes. During five minutes, you keep your eyes opened but not starring at something in particular and you try to focus on the present moment. Thoughts come obviously but you welcome them and let them go. You can focus on your breath to help you focus on the present. 

It wasn't so hard at the beginning. Maybe because on the road I have plenty of time to think of many things, so there my mind could stop thinking and just be in the moment (I had that word, like a mantra, in my mind: "here"). The hardest was to not fall asleep (which tends to happen to me when I'm not doing anything). Between every five minutes of meditation, you can relax and listen to the teacher's advice. It was really interesting, and I thought I could try to practice it on the road from time to time. When I'm not in my daydreaming sessions!

Then I packed my bag, bought a slice of their delicious coconut-berry flan and went back on the road. In total misty weather. I think it was one of the less visible parts of my day. I even had to remove my glasses where there was too much water to see something. At least, one positive point: cars weren't driving very fast. And of course, I walked on the Ring of Beara and not on the Beara Way because, with that weather, I sure would lose the path and get lost in the mountain.

I made a stop in Castletownbere to get lunch. A real meal which was no soup nor sandwich nor Irish Breakfast: pasta! In a restaurant very noisy with many kids (two weeks left before the end of the holidays). 

The afternoon was the same as the morning. Four hours of a walk along the road in the same foggy weather. I guess there was the sea somewhere on the right side and probably some mountains on the left side. But if you ask me what to see between Castletownbere and Adrigole I can just tell you about the road. And with such weather, there was not very good daylight, in fact, it was quite dark. Quite sad.

In Adrigole, the hostel was also a campsite. I could have been camping, which would cost me less, but as the night was rainy and windy, I didn't regret my choice. Especially when I have a dorm room just for me. No one snoring. It would have been perfect if, like many bunk beds in the Irish hostel, there was more space between the top bed and the bed under, which would avoid me knocking my head!