The breakfast part of our bed and breakfast required a trip up the road to the Wicklow Heather Restaurant. I have to say it was the best coffee I had had in a long time (and the next day I ordered a bowl of muesli that was perfect). The full Irish breakfast was definitely prudent on this day, as we planned a trail walk at the Wicklow National Park in Glendalough and would need our energy. We returned to the B&B to get appropriately dressed (which really consisted of changing out of my tennis shoes into a good pair of hiking shoes and grabbing a backpack with water and trail mix), then headed back the way we came.
Our hostess had recommended a part of the National Park that was a little farther away, but once we found the first entrance with the Visitor's Center, we swung in...and spent several minutes circling the lot for a parking space. The place was packed; this was obviously a major tourist attraction. And why not? It's gorgeous.
Ultimately, we parked next door in the parking lot of the Glendalough Hotel, which a lot of other visitors did, as well.
I had thought to go into the Visitor's Center to purchase a map, but something about the building deterred me. Most of it was blocked off, both staff members were already pretty busy, and I didn't see maps on display to purchase, so we returned outside to checkout the trailhead map.
We chose the Upper Lake walk, a two-hour "moderate" hike. Well, it went mostly up, so it didn't really meet our idea of moderate. And because we didn't dress for the uncommon Irish climate of seventy degrees (I really didn't expect to wear shorts, so they didn't make it into the suitcase), we were huffing and sweaty early on. But, the views really were worth it, even if we were grumpy at the end.
Feeling a little grungy and beat, but happy to have seen such beauty, we returned to the B&B to cool off, refresh, and not much later, it was dinner time.
We had made reservations at the Wicklow Heather, because it is known for its good eats. We dressed a little nicer than our normal attire of t-shirts, tattered jeans, and tennis shoes. I ordered trout, and got the whole dang fish, sans the head, scales and all. That was a little disconcerting (I really do not fine dine), but it was tasty just the same. Not as good as dessert, but really, when ever is the main course as good as the sweets?
Satisfied and full, we went back to the B&B to rest up for our return to Dublin the next day.
The time came to leave Navan. We filled up on breakfast, carefully reviewed driving directions to our next destination, and set out mid-morning. I think it was about this time I let music be played in the car; until now I thought that silence would be the best way to navigate the roads (not that it was ever silent with my sister's running commentary on my driving skills). Well, the addition of music (from my own mix tapes) actually served to calm me. I kind of wish I had figured that out sooner.
Wicklow was next on our to-do list. We both really looked forward to Wicklow because our B&B was supposed to be grand, with rooms that opened to the outside, like our own little flat, and was attached to a really nice restaurant. There were also the Wicklow Mountains and cliff walks which, thinking we were closer to the coast, I thought meant sea cliffs. I was wrong, but it was still something to behold.
The 90 minute drive seemed to go by remarkably fast. We had to stop for petrol, especially since those mountain roads just suck it up, and I was glad I only had to fill up the tank once during our vacation as it cost a pretty penny, even with my small Accent.
Sure, the roads got narrower and curvier, and my grip on the wheel got tighter, but the sight of the mountains just made me happy. We passed numerous overlooks and I got so frustrated with myself for not stopping, so when my sister murmured something about how cool a sight was we were passing, I wrenched the wheel over and crossed a lane of traffic to park on the side of the road, which understandably freaked her out. But still...
And really...
This was the place to be for the views, absolutely. And remarkably, we found the restaurant attached to the B&B with little trouble.
However, they checked us in, then sent us back to our car to follow a server one mile down the road to our B&B, which was unexpected. Walking these mountain roads, while likely very common, as is cycling, didn't sit well with my sister and I, which meant we would be driving every where. Of course, we should have been over the driving issue by now...
The B&B, Trooperstown, is a beautiful house and brand spanking new. The lawn was still being landscaped, and there was still some finishing touches to be had inside. We had issues with the keys, both to the house and to our room (which was upstairs and did not have its own entrance, after all), and felt foolish for all the number of times we asked our hostess (who rushed back and forth between the two B&Bs that fall under the restaurant ownership, called the Wicklow Heather), to help us. I think we might have gotten the hang of it by the fifth or sixth time.
