and one for Wicklow…
Hello Deirdre,
I’ve been meaning to get on and write and tell you how much I enjoyed the Wicklow Way!! Finally coming out of my jetlag fog now!
It really was a lovely holiday for me. I loved the whole thing. The local people and the other hikers all very friendly. I was pretty with the weather…one gorgeous sunny day when I was at Glenmalure lodge, (what a cute, friendlyplace and beautiful valley!) Two days with clouds but no rain and only a day and a half of rainy weather.
Only place I got mixed up with the hiking was coming out of Glendalough/laraugh. Missed the signpost and ended up with a frustrating couple hours circling around on the farm roads, meeting all the local sheep (who were no help at all when I ask for directions). Of course that was the day it was raining hard, and I had gone on a run around the upper lake at Glendalough in the morning (which was absolutely AMAZING by the way),so when I finally found the trail again it was already mid afternoon and I had a rather hurried trip to Roundwood, and a rainy 6:00pm slog down the roads into town. But, all part of the adventure, and it makes a good story. It worked out in the end. All the Inns and B&B’s were FANTASTIC! Comfy beds, friendly people, great food. The food at Kyle Farmhouse was fabulous and we had such a good time talking to her husband who told us about the area and introduced us to his heifers. Great food and beds at Madelines in Tinahely, I loved Glendalough Valley, and enjoyed the young women who ran the B&B there. Hated to leave there. Coolakay was fun and very nice. Saw some new arrival lambs in the morning. I really hated to leave the trail and could have kept walking for several more weeks! 🙂
I met a pair of sisters from Holland at Kyle Farm and we hiked together three of the days during the week, so that was actually a nice addition to my adventure. On the last day, I hiked beyond my turnoff to Coolakay, to hike with them up the trail closer to Inneskerry, ( which was a nice addition, because it was a very lovely section of trail, and different from anything that had come before) then I backtracked along the country roads to get back to Coolakay.
I would highly recommend your tours to anyone and will find time soon to go on tripadvisor and leave some nice reviews for the Inns and B and B’s. I am already plotting to get back to Ireland and hike some more of your tours…. I loved it! Thank you! You were very friendly and helpful and everything ran smoothly with transportation, luggage transfers and reservations. In a word, it was lovely. I hope to be back soon!!