Rain was still falling in the early hours of this morning but I was glad that it had stopped by the time I was packing up. The weather today was generally good with some sunny intervals but also rain showers.
A little morning sun improves the scenery and one's sense of wellbeing. I tried to photograph the reflection of light off the wet telegraph wires that looked like curved lines of light beside the straight road. Sadly, photos do not always reproduce the beauty of what my eyes see.
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| Morning walk along the road, the low sun reflecting light off the wet telegraph wires. |
A few kilometres from my camping spot the road dropped into a valley joining the main Belleek to Pettigo road. I stopped by a petrol station for a coffee and banana, not knowing if anything would be open in the village of Pettigo, being Easter Monday and a bank holiday. However I was very pleased to find the Riverbank café open so I enjoyed a second coffee and a scone, and also the use of their toilets (wild camping makes one really appreciate such facilities). Little things but they served to make a pleasant day. Today's route continued to wander in and out of the Republic. I dug out my Euros to pay for my coffee.
The quiet roads used by the Ulster Way initially followed a valley by green fields, periodic houses, a church and an old National School with claimed links to famous individuals. Then the Ulster Way turned out of the valley into the hills, including one called "Rotten Mountain", not that there seemed anything rotten about it. Drumskinny stone circle, seemed pretty small to me compared with others of my acquaintance. In addition to the ring of upright slabs, there was a short line of stones and a flat topped cairn. Some of the stones were marked "MOF". I was unsure whether this was graffiti defacing the monument or the mark of the Ministry of Finance who were originally responsible for protecting the site (or possibly both).
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| Drumskinney stone circle and line of stones. |
At one point the route went through a farmyard. Although my GPS track indicated that this was the right way (there were no waymarks on this section) I was a bit uncertain. However as I passed the farmhouse, a lady and child waved from their glass enclosed front porch, I waved back, no-one chased me, so I suppose it was correct.
A little later I entered Braden Forest where I met my first person out for a hike today. The man said "hello" and we exchanged pleasantries. Near villages I had seen dog walkers and joggers but few people out for a day's hiking and none with a rucksack for a longer trek. Maybe the time of year or the weather, or maybe the Ulster Way needs a bit more publicity, or facilities. Finding a campsite was not easy, everything was wet, mossy and soggy, and/or too uneven with old tree stumps covered in moss and tussocks of grass or reeds. Eventually I found a place beside a babbling brook, with a flattish area of only slightly damp grass, at the edge of the forest with an open area with wind turbines nearby. I was careful when pitching my tent to avoid damaging a nearby bunch of primroses. While waiting for my tent to dry, the farmer who had sheep in the wind farm area stopped by. His four collies ran up to greet me, jumping up to get petted. He said he had not seen many (any?) people camping here but thought it a good spot.
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| Evening view from where I made camp. |
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