Our Week in Tucson: Ending 2018 and Starting 2019

We have been coming to Tucson around this time for about 20 years. Usually we can count on the weather being sunny and considerably warmer, at least after the sun rises above the trees, than back home. A cloudy colder day comes along now and then but is the exception to the wonderful sunny rule. For me having the sunshine is the real boon and the warmer weather while enjoyable is secondary to a modest degree. Our experiences have probably lulled us into thinking, “it is always this way,” and so it was a bit of a shock to discover that as the week has progressed we have been stuck in the midst of a mostly cloudy cold snap. I am not suggesting that we are unhappy. We have, some more than others, groused about how cold it is and the lack of sunshine but we are still getting out and still enjoying ourselves. We just have to accept that the desert has weather foibles too. Perhaps those quirks of weather give us a chance to see the region in a different light (OK, that is literally true too) and as long as we can look at the world in that way we can enjoy and even learn while here.

Saturday, December 29, 2018

We had quite a time getting to Tucson. Our flights were late and when we got to the car rental place Advantage had nothing to rent us. Why do they have a reservation system if they don’t have a car for you to rent? Saturday morning was almost as bad. We took a Lyft to a couple different places before heading back to the airport rental place to find a car. I bet we drove 50 miles just to end up back where we started. At least it was sunny for the drive.

We got to the hotel in Tucson by early afternoon. That left us with a little time before sunset. We decided to visit a place we knew well but to explore a different part of it. The Pink Hills, especially on the desert floor, is a maze of trails. This time we decided to stroll the paved path that leads to the Mica View picnic area (my name for it) and then wander a bit more. The sun was shining but it was nippy. At least we thought it nippy with a modest breeze blowing as we walked. It was a pleasant enjoyable quick stroll. The desert was remarkably alive with birds chirping or making other sounds. We saw two jack rabbits as well. I could see enjoying a nice grilled meal at the picnic area (reachable by dirt road too).

Monday, December 31, 2018

Brittlebush is blooming. We have hiked this area many times and I am pretty sure this is the first time we have seen these bushes in bloom. They seem most abundant in the slopes between the desert floor and Golden Gate Pass. --December 31 2018 at 09:43. Tucson, AZ, United States

Mom and Dad have a room that gets sunshine throughout the day. My room does not. But when we woke up Monday morning it would not matter because the sun was not visible through the clouds. We walked to the restaurant for breakfast and felt the real bite in the air. It was definitely not much above freezing. With that chill in mind we dawdled a bit before driving out to Golden Gate Mountain and the Golden Gate Pass-Ironwood Trail Loop. When we began our hiking up towards the pass the sun was out, brittlebush were a stunning yellow, and it seemed like it would be a lovely day. I doubt we had gone a mile before the clouds had completely dominated the sky and the fitful breeze had picked up enough to bite a bit.

It is still a good hike though. You climb for 0.5km to the pass and then spend the next 1.5km descending through the scrub and cactus to the desert floor. We have never seen the brittlebushes in bloom before (or if we have it was in so low a number as to not be memorable). We worked our way down to the desert. Voices drifted to us of people who were probably exploring the David Yetman trail. It was actually surprisingly busy.

Usually we do the loop in a clockwise fashion but this time we decided to try counter clockwise. Sometimes when you walk a trail the opposite way it feels a lot different. That wasn’t really true this time. Perhaps the chilly overcast overwhelmed the differences we would have otherwise seen. The temperature crept up but it probably never got warmer than 52F towards the end of the hike. It never would really get sunny.

We explored the Ironwood Trail south of the main road and though I am glad we did that it really wasn’t that interesting an extra 2 or so miles of hiking. But it did keep us out longer which was good. Our little mistake along the way added some additional distance but we figured out what we did wrong and I think did a fine job getting back on track with little fuss and bother.

Mom and Dad. I believe the prominent mountain is Golden Gate Mountain. We explored a bit farther afield going south along Ironwood Trail towards California Flats before looping around to the Golden Gate Trail via Prospector Trail where I took this photo. --December 31 2018 at 12:58. Tucson, AZ, United States

All tolled we hiked about 8 miles over the 5 hours we were out. We did not pause too much as it was chilly out. Still a good first real hiking day even though the weather was gray and generally colder than we would have preferred.

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

It is a nippy morning but fortunately there is virtually no breeze. We are exploring the Pink Hills and it is wet. You can see the snow coating the mountains in the distance. Water drips off the folliage. The sandy ground is moist and puddles dot the land. Is it any wonder that Mom and Dad are bundled up? --January 01 2019 at 09:49. Tucson, AZ, United States

Clouds, perhaps even heavier than the day before, and cold greeted us as we walked to breakfast. It was also clear that it had rained during the night. Rained down here in Tucson on the desert floor but snowed at higher elevations. That was clear as we looked at the mountains rising beyond the Pink Hills. We were going to take a longer loop hike that would encompass the Wild Horse Tanks and Garwood Dam. Last February we inadvertantly did this version of the loop and liked it because we thought the return leg on the desert floor had been shorter. Bundled up in almost all our layers (maybe all for Mom and Dad) we struck out just after 09:30 to see what the desert would show us this day.

Right away we noticed a difference in the trail from what we usually found in the past: they were wet. The sandy trails were sodden enough to create plenty of mud. I could imagine parts of the trail with sucking mud strong enough to pull a shoe off or slippery enough to cause one to take special care with each step forward. What a differnce from the somewhat rockier paths of yesterday.

Even with all the moisture on the trails and dripping off the plants we would brush past plus the occassional puddle to walk around we did not find any water running in the washes or pouring off rocks. It was just a cold overcast morning with a few walkers wandering the Pink Hills.

The overcast is refusing to lift and I doubt the temperature is all that much above freezing. --January 01 2019 at 10:53. Tucson, AZ, United States

Sanguaros are the grandest of cactus and this one nicely frames the mountains dotted with their snowy coats. The overcast is easing and you can see the sun glinting on those southern slopes but it will be several hours before we bask in the sun. --January 01 2019 at 11:41. Tucson, AZ, United States

We had thought it was greener in the Tucson Mountains yesterday and that impression strengthened today as we worked our way around and up towards the Wild Horse Tanks. No brilliant yellow Brittlebush here but plenty of other plants including, of course, Saguaro Cactus and Prickly Pear though few Cholla.

By the time we reached the pools which were to my eye not as big as I was expecting them to be we could tell the overcast was easing off but the sun would not really shine down until after our lunch break at the pools. As we walked down towards Garwood Dam the sun broke out properly and the clouds were, mostly, chased from the sky. The temperature may have broke the 50 degree mark and with the sun beaming down it feels warmer still. Our last 6km were hiked in lovely sunshine.

The sun did not really break through and the overcast clear until after we left the Wild Horse tanks. We have left Garwood dam behind and are heading back to the car. It was surprisingly long walk from the dam: about 6km; total walk was 13.5km. --January 01 2019 at 13:56. Tucson, AZ, United States

But it was 6km from the pools back to the car and that was more than we had thought it would be. It is easy hiking as you either are descending gently on good paths or on the desert floor which has the occassional dip but it basically flat. We encountered a few more people coming out for an afternoon walk as we wound our way back to the car. It was longer than we thought it would be which makes it feel longer still but we enjoyed the 5.5 hours we were out.

The loop we did involves the Shantz, Vanover, Bajada vista, Wild Horse, Garwood, Pink Hills, and Shantz trails to form a loop that is about 13.5km long and has 140 meters ascent and descent most of which is in the climb to and from the pools over a km or so.

Wednesday, January2, 2019

The cold snap is still upon us. It is, I think, the coldest morning yet: about 33F at 08”00. The overcast is heavier than it has been previous mornings. Cold and gloomy. At least the air is still. We will go to Catalina State Park to do a short hike in the morning and then decide what to do in the afternoon.

The Canyon Loop Trail is an easy 2.2 mile (or so) loop that has about 140 feet of elevation gain and loss that come in a few brief hill climbs that sometimes use stairs. In the past we have continued on to the Romero Pools which is an out and back hike that is a bit more strenuous and includes a , as I recall, lengthy descent to the pools. On a nice day it is a fine hike. Today is not exactly nice. Heavy overcast and a temperature not much above freezing. Many people are out wearing puffy jackets to fend off the cold.

It seems to be getting colder before it is meant to get warmer. We are in Catalina State Park this morning and the temperature is just a degree or two above freezing. Here, on the Canyon Loop trail, it is dry instead of wet. Still very green though. --January 02 2019 at 10:19. Tucson, AZ, United States




Snow coated mountains rise in the distance and I am bundled up pretty much as much as I can be. --January 02 2019 at 11:08. Tucson, AZ, United States

The hike along the loop is made more interesting as you cross a stream 3 times on the return (if going counter-clockwise). The water seemed to be flowing rather briskly but it vanishes into the sand and rocks of the desert somewhere not far past the third stream crossing. No one got their feet wet which given how cold the air temperature and water temperature both were is certainly a very good thing. If the air temperature rose above the mid-upper 30s I would be surprised. After all the sun was nowhere to be seen and the snow-line was probably only about 100 meters above us.

Our first stream crossing (going counter clockwise) on the Canyon Loop Trail in Catalina State Park. This was the widest crossing. --January 02 2019 at 11:03. Tucson, AZ, United States

We visited Biosphere 2 over a decade ago. It could have been closer to 15 years. We are pretty sure it was between the time Columbia University was managing it and University of Arizona took over managing and, in time, ownership of the place. Back then it definitely had an air of being unused. Biosphere 2 is probably still best known for the time 8 people were sealed inside to live for 2 years (and later 6 months) in a fully sealed environment. The goal was to see how they would survive with an eye towards future space exploration. I am sure a great deal was learned. After those experiments ended research began on other things. The Biosphere 2 building is no longer sealed but it remains a place where controlled experiments on biomes can be done to learn how changes can affect ecosystems. Columbia did studies on how much carbon plants can absorb. Studies about how ocean waters are affected by increases in carbon have been done. Techniques to grow food more efficiently have been examined. No doubt a lot more has been done. Today it seems much more active and I hope that is not only because the tours that are provided are far more involved than they once were but also because serious research is being done. It is a place worth visiting. The added bonus of snow covering the ground to make things a little different was a nice touch too.

I think the snow line was at about 1,000 meters elevation. The Biosphere II campus is at about 1,190 meters and as you can see there is plenty of snow here. --January 02 2019 at 13:02. Oracle, AZ, United States

Thursday, January 3, 2019

At long last we awoke to clear blue skies. The temperature was still probably not all that much above freezing at 08:00 but the sun was shining and we were able to believe we would finally have a proper Arizona day. By the time we reached the trailhead of the David Yetman/Golden Gate Pass Trail around 09:35 I suspect the air temperature was just shy of 40F: a heat wave was on its way (OK, the cold snap was abating). We have hiked the David Yetman Trail from the Camino Oeste end to somewhere near Starr Pass I think. We have not come at it from this end before. It is an out-and-back hike so we would go as far as we felt and then return.

Crossing through the Golden Gate Pass. Heading easterly down towards what I suppose is Tucson Estates (there is a trail with that name down there). It is a glorious morning. --January 03 2019 at 10:04. Tucson, AZ, United States

The trail is a mixture of some loose stone and dirt. The footing is good and though you have a climb to the pass and then descent on the far side the grade is not bad at all. It was a lovely day to be outside. I think the birds we frequently heard must have agreed as they sounded more numerous than they had earlier in the week.

Heading back. We went about 5km in (and had a 1km boo-boo) where we had lunch before turning around. At this point I suppose we are at most 1km from the lunch spot on our way back. With the sun shining down it feels quite a bit warmer than I expect the air temperature actually is. --January 03 2019 at 12:35. Tucson, AZ, United States

My turn to pose in the same spot as Mom and Dad from the previous photo. --January 03 2019 at 12:36. Tucson, AZ, United States

This may not be the most visually stunning hike you can do but it isn’t bad. Given the number of trails winding about the area if you have a mind to explore you will find plenty to do in this area. I think we enjoyed the day even though Mom impaled her hand on a cholla cactus with somewhat painful results. Cholla can be nasty.

While we only hiked about 11km (228m ascent and descent) we enjoyed our 4.5 hours of time outside. It might not sound like much but it was a good day.

Cholla cactus are nasty. Just touch one and you will take a chunk with you. The spines hurt going in and hurt coming out as they have barbs. It is a shame that the cactus looks so cute. Mom had this little accident about an hour before we finished the hike. --January 03 2019 at 13:23. Tucson, AZ, United States

Friday, January 4, 2019

Two days in a row I have awakened to clear blue skies. The predicted high today is 66F and that is just the air temperature. The sun will make us feel much warmer as it blazes down through a cloudless sky. Since this is our last day we will do our typical last hike: Douglas Spring Trailhead to Bridal Wreath Falls and back via Three Tanks, Carillo and Garwood Trails.

With the sun toasting the desert in warmth we left the nearly full trailhead parking lot at 09:10. I am sure the temperature was already well into the 40s and it was definitely going to be a lovely classic Arizona winter day. We finally got one (OK, yesterday was pretty fine too). The trail starts out pretty level so it is easy going. Things seemed to be greener and more abundant than usual. The trail was damp and , in places, muddy so clearly plenty of water has fallen lately.

As we began our first climb we noticed something totally new to us: snow. We have encountered snow at far higher elevations on previous trips but that happened in places like Madera Canyon. We have never seen snow in the Pink Hills especially at elevations around3,100 feet above sea level. The patches were never that big but they were clinging on in shady spots. It is always special when something new appears to remind you that the world is an ever changing place.

Perhaps there were patches a bit lower in elevation than this little one here. They are surviving in shady spots that surely must get sunshine later in the day. --January 04 2019 at 09:58. Vail, AZ, United States

A patch of snow is useful for cleaning mud off your shoes. While the patches are refusing to melt surely they cannot survive much longer. The sun will melt them in this generally rather dry environment. As you can see it is warming up. We are all, like Mom, in shirt sleeves and shorts. --January 04 2019 at 10:17. Vail, AZ, United States

I always forget how many waterbar/steps Douglas Springs Trail has. You have two big climbs plus the other ascents here and there. It is a nice grade but the steps take it out of you. But eventually you reach the Bridal Wreath Falls sidetrail and your goal is certainly within earshot soon thereafter. This time we walked along the somewhat muddy trail past bigger patches of snow before reaching the rocky area of the falls. Soon we had them to ourselves and we paused briefly to enjoy them.

We have never seen ice and snow at the waterfall. Photo by Mom. --January 04 2019 at 11:23. Vail, AZ, United States

Bridal Wreath Falls will probably never be a torrent. But it is always nice to see. This time we found snow and icy patches at the base of the waterfall. --January 04 2019 at 11:24. Vail, AZ, United States

I would not be surprised if the air temeprature was already 60F when I took this photo. It feels quite a bit warmer with the sun blazing down (later Dad’s thermometer was reading nearly 80F). On one stretch of the Bridal Wreath Trail snow was on both sides of the shady trail. --January 04 2019 at 11:39. Vail, AZ, United States

We like lengthening the loop by taking Three Tanks Trail to Wild Horse, Carrillo and Garwood trails. It adds about a mile but we think makes the descent more managable. This time I noticed as I fell behind Mom and Dad that grasses seemed to be overgrowing the trail in places. I don’t think we have ever seen foliage so dense.

Hiking along Three Tanks Trail. You start out gently descending before it steepens. It can be rocky in spots but is, we think, an easier descent than Douglas Spring Trail. Besides, it lets you lengthen the loop and stay out longer. Plenty of grasses were growing and at times overgrowing the trail. --January 04 2019 at 13:05. Tucson, AZ, United States

We had some nice long breaks for lunch and snacks along the way. By this time it was definitely hot. The air temperature was in the mid-upper 60s but the blazing sun made it feel a lot warmer than that (Dad’s thermometer read nearly 80F). During one break we had several people including a horseback ride couple pass us by. Some seemed to have virtually no gear or even water with them. Are we over-packing or are they under-prepared?

This was a nice way to end our hiking days here in Tucson. The numerous trails in the Pink Hills area probably could give you ample opportunities for exploration all on their own. We certainly have enjoyed them.

All tolled we hiked about 11.7km. We ascended and descended about 340m. We took a lot of breaks today but we had to spend some time getting our tickets on Southwest: call it 70 minutes. We were walking for a bit over 4.5 hours.

Our Last Day In Florence, Italy

I thought I had shared this final day but I did not. Blame the travel days and life for the failure to share this final day of our trip to Italy. —KRK

Our last day in Florence and we did a lot. From walking to the Academia Gallery to visits of a couple open-air markets and a concert. We crossed the Arno during the day and night. I will write more later.

Duomo in the morningWe had time before we needed to be at the Academia Gallery to see Michealangelo’s David (copies are placed all over the city). The square where the Duomo is at this modestly early hour is surprisingly empty. --October 14, 2018 at 9:13 AM. Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Michelangelo’s David has hundreds, if not thousands, of people visit daily. While he is an exquisitely wrought male (his left foot does seem swollen) I don’t think I can say I was profoundly moved. There is quite a bit more in the gallery and people will find ample art to appreciate.

A view from the Arno River of the Uffizi Gallery. The river never seemed to have any boats on it. It was also, every time we passed over it, pretty much dead calm. --October 14, 2018 at 12:12 PM. Florence, Tuscany, Italy


Ws inclduing this small flea market in the square that is home to this cute church (Church of the Spirit I think). We ended up having lunch here: hot dogs and a burger of sorts. We have had better. --October 14, 2018 at 12:44 PM. Florence, Tuscany, Italy

We passed through the craft market again and found on Borgo Santo Spirito, a small piazza with a pretty church, an open-air flea market where we had lunch.

Church Santa Monaca. The Church of Santa Monaca is no longer a church. It makes a great place for small audience concerts. The opera songs we listened to sung a soprano and metzosoprano either solo or as duets with piano accompaniment (all songs) was a treat. Even though opera is not my thing I can appreciate the artistry and the acoustics of the church were superb. --October 14, 2018 at 8:55 PM. Florence, Tuscany, Italy


The River Arno during the day and at night. It never seemed to be a busy river but it is a pretty one. At least the small stretch we saw. --October 15, 2018. Florence, Tuscany, Italy

The day ended with a selection of opera arias by two talented singers. It was held in the re-purposed former church of Santa Monaca and was a fine capstone to our time in Florence.
#travel

Great Lakes Hikes 2018 Gathering

During the weekend before the 1999 firearms deer season would commence a group of people, all members of the old yahoo Groups GreatLakesHikes group, would arrive at the Birch Grove Schoolhouse for the first annual GLH Gathering. It is now 2018 and last weekend we held the 20th annual GLH/North Country Trail Gathering. While some people have gone (including sadly one death of fondly remembered Dick Bolton) others have joined the gathering. Just three people, myself, Paul, and Julie, have been able to attend all 20. This year’s event was just as enjoyable as previous ones have been. Good food and drink, enjoyable hiking, interesting weather, and always good company helped make this gathering just as good as the previous ones have been.
Below you will find a handful of photos that give a sense of the event. You will also find the audio podcast I pulled together to document the event.

Having two people working a bow saw makes the job of cutting go much more quickly. When you have two bow saws to use on trees, of which we had several, where two cuts were necessary was quite helpful too. --November 9, 2018 at 11:59 AM. Bitely, MI, United States


I believe the creek Andy, Nancy, John, and Steve are corssing is Cole Creek. We are not too far from the start of the hike at M-20. Some people will do a shorter hike of somewhat over 3 miles stopping at 3 Mile Road. The rest of us (including me) will go a bit more than 8 miles to 6 Mile Road. --November 10, 2018 at 11:07 AM. White Cloud, MI, United States


We found this horse and it improved Elwira’s and my moods. By this time we had learned that Steve was fine and waiting for us at 5 Mile Road with Jim, Linus and Eugene. Earlier Steve had bushwhacked around El and me and we did not know it. We were worried and spent time trying to track him down. --November 10, 2018 at 1:54 PM. White Cloud, MI, United States


Just beyond 5 Mile Road. Steve took this photo of me. --November 10, 2018 at 2:50 PM. White Cloud, MI, United States


Happy birthday Julie and Debi. --November 10, 2018 at 7:16 PM. , ,


Tent city at the Schoolhouse. You can see my tent, Andy and Elwira’s tent, the Haan home, and John’s tiny shelter. --November 11, 2018 at 10:48 AM. White Cloud, MI, United States


Loda Lake. Those of us left after breakfast and Schoolhouse cleanup are doing a 3 mile hike around Loda Lake. --November 11, 2018 at 12:37 PM. White Cloud, MI, United States


Steve has found an emergency shelter. No emgency presented itself during our break so when we left he got up and left with us. --November 11, 2018 at 1:47 PM. White Cloud, MI, United States

#travel

Check out this episode

Several Days in Dublin, Ireland

Our trip to Ireland was back in June but I never posted this entry about our days in Dublin. Here it is.

Times for photos are Eastern Daylight Saving Time.

We spent several days in bite-sized chunks in Dublin. Since the time spent in Dublin was broken up by our various hiking weeks I am not going to try and be specific about what we did any given day. Instead I will just focus on our overall experience in and around Dublin.

Initially we were staying in a hotel that turned ou to be quite a bit farther outside of central Dublin than we had first thought. The Talaght which is several kilometers outside of the center. While the tram was very efficient it still took a good 40 minutes to ride into town and that just chanaged the whole feling of things. On subsequent stays we stayed in a hotel smack dab in the middle of town not far from places like St. Stephen’s Green and the tourist districts around Grafton Street but also near quieter neighborhood streets. Once you are in the center of things it is an easy city to walk around in. We did just that most days.

Their are all sorts of tour groups milling about from walking tours of substantial size to motorized tours using buses, ducks, and maybe even horse drawn carriages. We just walked. Stores of all types abound in the areas around Grafton and you can find some really nice places like the x where I would eventually buy a lovely afghan and scarf. The Temple Bar area is reportedly the place to be for nighttime live music in pubs but we never expereinced that. Just too late and Mom and Dad certainly had no real interest and I didn’t want to try going it solo (and it was late). That whole area when we wandered through was always full of people - so crowded.

We had some places we planned to visit. One of them was the Irish Museum of Modern Art. This is definitely worth a visit if you have any interst in art. We didn’t check out the exhibiitions that cost but the free-to-anyone exhibitions were good enough. At this late date I can’t now tell you what really intriguied us but it was time well spent in an inteeresting old building. A nice snack at the museum cafe topped off that visit.

Some tours do cost money. We booked a tour of the Guinness brewery (well not anymore I think) and while they provide a staggering amount of information some of which I might even remember I am not sure I can really reccommend spending the 20 euros per person for this glitzy experience. I am not even sure it was the best pint of Guinness I have ever had and you would think it ought to be. Their is a lot of history to absorb and plenty of company lauditory information to see as well as general information too. But even for a true stout beer snob I am not sure it is worth the money and time. The views from the top floor of the St. James Gate (think that is right) brewery though are pretty good.

After taking a student-led tour of the campus at Trinity College we had a chance to see athe Booknof Kels. It is kept in a dom room in the library whose main hall is pictured here. Sadly it is hard to really see the book in its case. Just be satisfied learningvthe history. That’s good enough.

A much better deal is the student-lead tour of Trinity College. We had wandered through this centuries-old college campus in the heart of DUblin earlier in the trrip just to get a sense of the place. We even saw teams of, I assume, students playing cricket. The tour we took was lead by a second-year student, dressed in old-style student robes (no longer required) and she had a wealth of knowledge to share. The college has all sorts of traditions that I can see add a lot to the experiences of the students as well as staff who live and study there. You might end up forgetting everything you hear but it is still a tour worth taking. Our visit to glimpse the Book of kels was a bit disapointing. It was crowded and the lighting is so dim that seeing the page they have chosen to share that day was really not possible. However, if you can deal with the light and crowds their is a lot of information to read. We weren’t. Take the student-lead tour but if you do not see the Book of Kels you aren’t really going to feel like you missed something.

More wandering thorugh the town center including exploring places Like St. Stephen’s Green which is a very nice busy park and some smaller parks likeIveagh are worth your time too. Besides on the way back from Iveagh we found an absolutely lovely long skinny tea and coffee shop that serves great apple and chocolate desertss. I wish I could remember its name.

Walking out to the Poolbeg Liggthouse in Dublin Bay. You have to walk just over a mile into the bay on a great seawall tyat juts out from the shore. We actually started at Sandymount which adds a anput 3km of shoreline strolling to the walk.

We did two “classic” walks in the Dublin area as well. The walk out to the Poolbeg lighthouse which sits about 1.8km out in Dublin Bay was a bit of a let down. You walk along a road, and sometimes beach, if you do like us and start at the Sandymount DART station. You can get closer via buses that drop off by a little nature preserve. For us it was a just-under 6km walk one way to the lighthouse. Not hard but also not terribly enthralling. The breezy walk along the top of the granite blocks that comprise the easily 10-meter wide seawall which rises several meters above the sea is an experience in its own right. Waves crash against one side and the other seems far calmer. Huge boats ferrying people and goods move slowly by as the 63-foot high lighthouse gets nearer and nearer. It is a completely automated lighthouse now but for 3 centuries that was not the ase. They burned peet and turf before using oil and candles to create the light to warn ships of hazzards. On a clear sunny though breezy afternoon it isnt a bad walk and plenty of people do it. But somehow I think we were all expecting a bit more though I can’t quite tell you what that more we were expecting was. If you need to kill some time though you can do far worse than this flat not-quite-beach walk.

We left the cliff-hugging trail behind and strolled through fenced off fields. We are just anout to enter the proper outskirts of the village of Greystones.

A far better walk is the journey between Bray and Graystones. I think you actually have a couple of options of walking routes for this walk. The option we id not take would have had us walking over the tops of the cliffs of Bray Head. Instead we followed a tarmac road that climbed up the head to a hardpack gravel path that would take us around the head a few dozen (if that) meters below the tops as well as somewhat above the railway line that hugs the edge of the cliffs and is used by both DART and Irish Rail. That railway was built by English engineer named Brunell I believe. He is acknowledged as one of the great builders of the 19th century but this line was someting of a challenge as it is on ground that has since eroded quite a bit forcing re-design and moving the line inland. The proper place to have put the line would have been more inland anyway but the owner of the land, Lord Meath (sp) idd not want his land bi-sected. He gave the railway the land to build on for free but it still became a very expensive line to build. The views of the Irish Sea though are wonderful. The walk along the narrow path, just wide enough for two people to squeeze by each other, is easy. Give yourself a couple hours to easily walk between the two towns. It is about 8km in length. If you are lucky as you pop out after the gentle descent into meadowlands outside of Greystones you will encounter an ice cream truck. He probably does a big business in that spot on warmer sunny days selling soft icecream cones, cups, and water. We enjoyed our cones. Too bad the walk into Greystones itself is not pretty. A large construction project is underway building, I think, new homes on the seafront. The people with homes arelady there are going to loose their views. It is ugly and noisy. Once you get past it though the village itself seems quite nice. We had lunch in a pleassant little place before walking down to the beach. The sand was warm but the water was cold. Definitely not something I would choose to swim in. But I can say I dipped my feet in the sea.

Mom and Dad on a beach not far from Greystones village. The bluff behind themis what we just descended from on easily walked trail.

The beach at Greystones. The ocean is chilly but we saw some hardy souls in the water - though not far in. It is a windy afternoon on the beach so we left quickly.

Bonassola and Cinque Terre Day 6- Walk 5 Campiglia to Porto Venere (AVG)

Yesterday we went to bed and the waves were still crashing with a bit more force than the placid surf had presented on other days. This morning you would never have known anything had been going on: the sky was blue, the water crystal clear and calm. Our final day of walking in the general area of the Cinque Terre villages looked like it would be a lovely day to walk and take a boat ride back.

The easier group would take a far shorter and less challenging walk from Campiglia to Port Venere. The group tackling the harder option would have to first ascend paths from Riomaggiore to Campiglia and then follow the more difficult paths (avoiding a mountain road walk) that would take them to Port Venere too. We took the easier option. After taking a train to La Spezia the 10 of us doing the easier walk piled into taxis that drove up to the hilltop village of Campiglia. As we had ample time it made perfect sense to settle down for a mid-morning coffee break. After all, we had been en route for an hour or so even if it was by train and car. We finished our cakes and coffees and hoisted our packs at 10:20.

You leave the hilltop village by paved roads and forested paths that wander through the forests on the clifftops. It is easy walking. Now and then a view opens up and we were able to look out and down into the harbor where La Spezia resides.

After about 3km our widening forest roads and paths would take us to some type of installation. Maybe it has something to do with the navy. At this point our easy walk lead us onto a mountain road which we would follow, gently descending, for several kilometers. The sun beat down upon us, the high was 83F, as we walked along the dusty mountain road. At one point we had a good view of Campiglia to our west sitting up high above us. 

It isn’t the most exciting road to walk down and we were probably lucky in our choice of lunch spot in a shaded curve that while out of the sun certainly had nothing to offer in the way of fine views. 

In time our road intersected the Alte Via Golfo (High Gulf Way - the people tackling the harder walk would come down along that mountain trail). 

We passed a small quarry and kept heading down. We still had some climbing to do. Leaving our mountain dirt road for a shady road that gently climbed and then following a short modestly steep trail we gained 40 meters in short order before picking up another road. By now we were within 1.5 miles of Porto Venere. We left the road for a descending mountain trail that steepened as we went. LIke so many trail in this region this one used steps to change elevation. We soon found ourselves sitting at a refuggio where you could buy a carafe of whine for 2 euros: many people did. Not long before reaching the refuggio we had passed a sign suggesting it would take 45 minutes to reach Port Venere from that point. If you see signs with place names and what looks like a distance remember that in mainland Europe a decimal number like that is in fact a time. It turns out that the 45 minutes is likely about right for an average. We plunged away from the refiuggio rapidly descending rough steps, sometimes very narrow , towards the sea. I think I got down in about an hour; Mom 45 minutes. 

We still had well over an hour before our boat ride would commence. Ample time to enjoy a gelato and then stroll around the resort-like port. It was nice to just relax while waiting to board the boat. This may not have been the most exciting walk we have done but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

The boat ride back was a fine way to end the day. It might be best to think of the boat as a water taxi. It stops at all the Cinque Terre villages (not sure if it goes beyond Monterosso) and seems to have its home port at Porto Venere. However, it is definitely not a tour boat as the only announcements you are going to hear are very brief ones saying the boat is landing and leaving a village.

We rounded the point of Porto Venere with its fortress sitting on the bluff guarding the entrance to the harbor. The boat motored smoothly northwest along the coast. Small clutches of buildings dotted the mountainous coastline. Campiglia came into view. Other tiny settlements were passed. Somewhere up there, as many of these hamlets definitely do not have access to the sea, there must be roads. 


Eventually Riomaggiore came into view. Many describe the villages of Cinque Terre as picturesque. I did not find that to be true while walking in the villages. They do look much prettier as they come into view from the boat. It also became clear why boats like ours cannot dock in anything other than pretty calm waters. We just sort of nose into a quayside, drop a gangplank, and passengers are disembarked and then embarked onto the boat. In remarkably short order we visited Riomaggiore, Monarola, Corniglia, and finally Vernazza where the entire HF group (the hard walking group had joined us) left the boat. I am not sure why we did not go all the way to the last village of Monterosso. Vernazza does seem to have more charm but it would have been nice to see all the villages from the sea and the timing as far as train to Bonassola goes doesn’t matter. We had nearly an hour to while away before catching our train at 18:30to Bonassola. 

This was a long day as we had left the hotel a bit before 08:30 and did not return to it until about 19:00. A lot of travel time, a fair bit of waiting, and plenty of enjoyable walking or other sightseeing along the way.

Stats: The walk today was just over 8.9km long. We ascended 150 meters and descended 500 meters. Those ascent and descent numbers are considerably lower than we had been expecting. The overall length of the walk was shorter than expected too but by not as much. We took 48 minutes off from walking but were moving for 3 hours 47 minutes. Under direct sun shine, mostly when walking the mountain road for about 3.5km, the temperature rose to about 83F. It was easily 10 degrees cooler in the shade.














Photos
   1    In the distance you can kind of see La Spezia. 
   2    Looking to the west and up towards Campiglia. 
   3    You start to get a sense of how large La Spezia is. Much bigger than we thought.
   4    The numbers you see on this sign are not distances but time. “AVG” refers to the name of the route: Alte Via Golfo (High Gulf Way). 
   5    We have about a mile to go and about 650 feet to descend. We are heading to what you see (more or less). Lots of it irregular steps to trudge down. 
   6    The fortress at the headland of Porto Venere.
   7    Little clusters of buildings, usually including a church, pop up all along the coastline. Most do not have access to the sea but we had a tough time spotting roads.
   8    The collage shows the 4 Cinque Terre village we passed on our boat trip

Bonassola and Cinque Terre Day 5 - La Spezia, Vernazza, and Monterosso

(Yes, I am skipping day 4 for now. I will get to it in the next message).

Today was to be our fourth walking day. However, apparently when heavy weather threatens, the Cinque Terre National Park closes the coastal paths (wish I could find the website with that information). I am not sure we ever had heavy rains but the potential was certainly present and no doubt heavy weather is about if you just look at the pounding surf in the Cinque Terre villages like Vernazza and Monterosso (photos 2  and 3).

Instead of doing any walking most everyone , including us, went to La Spezia. The is a major town with a population of about 100,000 people. We found a contemporary art museum, a major fresh foods market, and what I hope will rate as the worst lunch of the entire trip.  There are many other museums like a naval history museum but we did not check them out.  After leaving La Spezia, we spent our afternoon checking out Vernazza and Monterosso before returning to Bonassola. Vernazza , like the other villages, may be small but it does not feel like it as two and three story buildings (maybe some are a bit taller) snuggle against each other running up and down the narrow streets that climb into the gorge the village sits in. I think the harbor is the prettiest we have seen with the protected pool (photo 1) and open cove (photo 2) making a great scene especially given the quality of the still wave-tossed seas. 

We did not find the old town of Monterosso but did find a place for a nice coffee and a view of the pounding surf along Monterosso’s very long but narrow (far narrower than the beach at Levanto) beach.  The headland you see in photo 3 is where we came from on our first walk. It is where old ruins of monasteries sit and a path full of irregular steps that on our first daybtook me just over a half hour to descend (Mom did it in about 20 minutes).

One last thought about today. I went down to the Bonassola beach around 17:30 to see how it compared today to the other beaches and previous days. The surf was certainly up. The water was not quite as green as it seemed in Vernazza and maybe the waves were breaking just a little less grandly on the outcrops of rocks. But as I walked back after taking photo  4 I did learn something else about the water here: it is still reasonably warm. In fact, I feel confident in saying the water, which some kids were splashing about in, was warmer here today than it felt yesterday under bright, much warmer, skies and calm surf at Levanto. After all, at Levanto I deliberately stepped into the sea while here it caught me by surprise and I did not flinch from cold just from the sudden fact of being a bit wet (got my shorts good