Live! From Dublin!

I know what you are all wondering--did she make it over those rocks to the b&B?

Here's what happened: We went hiking. At the end of the hike (and I would have to consult my journal to tell you which hike it was that day, but suffice it to say it was ten milles, extremely rugged, a little humbling, and very, very gorgeous, because they all were) our guide picked us up and drove us and our luggage to the b&b.

So we did not have to navigate the rocks with our bags.

However, dinner was back at the Glendalough Hotel. You get there by a shortcut, out the back door, which faced a little river, over the rocks, and then about 20 minutes down a winding gravel road. It was as pretty a walk as we had, following that river. The gorse wass in full bloom, and its color was so intense that even at night it reflected brightly in the water. The river was in a deep valley, and on our side of the road wass dense pine forest that grew on a mountainside so steep it looked perpendicular. On the opposite side of the river, small farmhouses clinging to the rocky side, sheep grazing on patches of grass, annd lambs baaa-ing as we walked.

We sat by the window in the restaurant, which was built riight over the river, like a bridge, and as we sipped our Guinnesses we watched it start to rain.

"This will be tricky," I said, thinking of the walk home, and had more Guinness.

It was only misting (what the two English girls we had hiked with a day before called "soft") as we walked back up the road an hour later, and dark but not pitch dark. The sheep were still grazing, the lambs still bleating, the gorse still blazing gold.

We passed the anciient round tower of Glendalough, the corner housee with the mullioned windows all lit up cozily, and headed back along the stream. Wwhen we got to the rocks, I froze for a minute, looking at their slick wet surface and the burbling dark river.

Why the hell don't they put in a goddamn bridge? I muttered, and stepped out onto the stones.

The first two steps were fine. But the third step--you guessed it--splash! Just one foot, and my pride.

Pictures, but not of that moment, upon our return. For now, we are in Dublin and i am postinng to you on a very rickety keyboard, so I apologize for typos. We are headin to Kilmainhaim Gaol today, and to the Aabbey Theater tomorrow. Stay tuned.