Italy; What's up with That?

Italy. Huh. I certainly didn't know what to expect before I visited Italy. And I was certainly surprised. Negativity isn't really my thing, but honesty is. And to be perfectly honest, Italy was about as appealing as a root canal. Seriously Italy. The first thing that struck me, and stayed with me throughout my time there, was the unending amount of garbage everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Cigarette butts, trash, and graffiti were plastered over every street corner, every empty wall, and in damn near every town. It's hard to see the character in something when one has to look at it through a wall of dilapidated everything. I'm mean come on. Have a little pride. Now as I traveled north into the champagne region it did improve somewhat. And I'll have to say I had some amazing experiences in Italy. I especially liked Cinque Terre for its beauty ( minus the throng of tourists) Pompeii was a once-in-a-lifetime and deeply moving experience, and hiking Mount Vesuvius gave me some mad bragging rights. So it wasn't all bad. Unfortunately, all my memories will have to be salvaged through a still frame of garbage. So if you're going to Italy for its charm prepare yourself for what you'll actually find; take your visions and then surround it with the unappealing junk which lies beneath, in front, and around every corner. My advice would be to rent a car and head way out into the countryside. Maybe all the beauty I saw from afar really is out there somewhere. But I sure never found most of it. Arrivederci. And good luck.

Hiking Strandhill, County Sligo, Ireland

Traveling across Ireland is one of my all-time favorite things to do. This is my 4th time visiting Ireland in 8 years. It was great to visit my favorite towns on this journey, but it was also really cool to explore some areas I've never been to. After having done some research, knowing I had spent little if any time in NW Ireland, and having a friend from up there in County Donegal, I decided to hop a train and head for a little town outside of Sligo called Strandhill. I just love to visit small towns and, to be honest, it doesn't get much smaller than Strandhill. A great little beach/surfing village, it boasts two pubs, a burger shop, an ice cream stand, lots of places to rent a board, and some fantastic hikes.

Knocknarea; Maeve Trail; I started my hiking there with a climb from sea level to the top (1100 feet of elevation) of a small mountain that sits behind the village known as Knocknarea. If you start at the beach you walk through town for about 1.5 km before you start the hike through a farmer's field, up through a pine forest, up over 500 wooden stairs, and across the top of the mountain to the cairn at the top. The views are absolutely stunning! If you have a car you can also take the less traveled trail (Knocknarea; Rathcarrick) to the top on the back side of the mountain. This is more of a regular hiking trail without the steps. No matter which trail you take, try to head out on a clear day early in the morning if you want any solitude as this is a very popular hike. There are also two hikes from the boardwalk. One heads south the other north.

Culleenamore takes you south and east through Shelley Valley which is the most incredible sand dunes. Then once you get through the dunes it takes you out along the inlet back around to the beach and back to town. The sand dunes are crisscrossed with trails that will give you a nice view of the sea and the bay to the east. There are some rocks one has to cross along the beach on the way back to town but it's not too bad and super pretty. The wonderful thing is that most of the tourists will walk a bit, either along the rocks or through the dunes, but few make it to the bay to the east and even fewer make it to the inlet to the south. I recommend walking through the dunes first, then once you reach the bay hang a right and walk around the point to the inlet then back to town along the beach. Check the tides and try to reach the sea at low tide as it'll make it easier as the beach will be exposed instead of clambering over the rocks you can walk the edge of the water. I just loved this walk once I broke away from the other folks out walking that day. So much beauty, so much solitude.

Killaspugbrone: This walk, which takes you to the north along the Atlantic is also a really great hike. You'll go out along the ocean, out to a little point past the end of the airport runway to an old church and graveyard built right along the sea. You can then make your way back the way you came or continue on to the main road and back to town. If you're feeling extra froggy you could actually combine this walk with Knocknarea as you'll come out on the main road right at the entrance to the frontside trail to the summit. I loved all of these walks so much. There's just something special about where the mountains meet the sea. There's something special about this little town with seemingly so little to offer. But, its gift is giving one the ability to connect with the earth in all its boundless wonders. Take some time, take in the fresh, sea air, and enjoy a breathtaking hike along the shores of the Atlantic in the far-reaching Northwestern part of the Emerald Isle. You certainly won't forget it if you do.

Atop Knocknarea

http://gostrandhill.com/explore/hikes-walks/