Day 140: Southern point, end of West Coast

Day 140 - Saturday, August 25th 2018: Dunkelly to Barleycove 22 km / Total 2883 km, 14°C, sunny

Do I ever talk about the wind? It can be a good thing or a bad one. It's not only a matter of walking against it (in my face) or being pushed by it (in my back), it's also a matter of night and morning. Windy night means noise and cold temperature, so it's pretty bad. But in the morning, it means a dry tent and no midges, which is pretty good. 

Unfortunately, that night was not loud or cold, so ...

I really started to wonder until where will I have to deal with those bloody vampire bugs? I know you can find them until September, I just hope not on the south coast! 

Apart from that, it was a lovely morning. Very sunny, with a wonderful view above Dunmanus Bay, with Mizen Head, Sheep's Head and Beara peninsula. I really wonder why the Wild Atlantic Way doesn't go through this little coastal road because the setting is beautiful. I really enjoyed this peaceful road. Will the road still be like that on the south coast? These last two weeks have been really great, thanks to the landscape, the people I met, the peacefulness of the area, and I don't really want it to be over.

On the road, I said hello to a woman jogging (in Ireland you say "hello" or its local variation like "hey ya" or "how are you" when you meet someone walking or cycling on the road) and when she on her way back home, she saw me again and said, "still no one has given you a lift". I just answered, "oh no, I don't need it". 

After a few bends, the road got down to Barleycove, a beautiful cove, with its sandy beach and blue water. Absolutely wonderful. I stopped at the restaurant of the hotel to get some food. Same menu as usual. When I was living with my grandma, I used to have potatoes every day (for lunch and as well for dinner). She wouldn't make a meal without potatoes, a thing that I found sometimes quite boring (she had to face the Second World War, which could be an explanation). Apparently, here in Ireland, potatoes seem to be as important (probably due to the Great Famine): chips with almost every meal. I really start to wonder if my grandmother could have some Irish ancestors ...

Finally, in the middle of the afternoon, I reached Mizen Head signal station. As I was taking a picture of a line on the road with the inscription "finish/start" (does it means finish south coast, start west coast ?) a man came to ask me where I've been walking from. I replied, "today or in general ?" And as he said "in general" I answered "from Dublin" and explained my trip. He asked if I was joking. Of course not. And he got back to his car quite shocked. 

I dropped my bag at the ticket office and went to cross the bridge to reach the most southern point of Ireland (mainland). I was at Malin Head, the most northern point on the 22nd of April. It took me four months to get down here and walk the whole west coast with its so many peninsulas and bays. Probably 2/3 of my trip on that coast. At least at the south point, the weather was definitely much better than at the east (heavy rains and wind), north (very windy) and west (heavy rains and wind) point. Four cardinal points checked.

As I left Mizen Head, the clouds were coming and followed me. Instead of walking around Barleycove, I crossed the hotel area and got down to the beach, took the floating bridge on the little river and got to the other side of the cove. After another bend around a hill, I reached my campsite. Parking for caravans said my guidebook. After building my tent, I went to the shop and found some pears in syrup for my dessert. The price I was asked for was incredibly low. In fact, everything was half price, because as the summer holidays were over the shop was going to close, and they had to sell everything. 

Now that's what I'll be afraid of: campsites will close soon!