Leg 24, another 34k that included the Lough Navar scenic loop and the long trudge back to Belleek. Unlike yesterday today started and remained a bright sunlit day, very pleasing for me but confusing the life out of trees anxious to drop leaves and young geese who could be seen congregating on the many loughs noisily debating the credibility of their parent’s panicky advice to “Fly south children, fly south before this land’s dreadful November winter ravages you”. The photo is of my shadow walking up on of Navar’s steep slopes, The slope and the low sun makes it look like I have huge long legs – there have been times over the past few weeks I wish I actually did have these legs.
The Lough Navar loop is mostly splendid though some parts of the park have that devastated moonscape appearance that is the 3 year legacy of tree harvesting. The park is designed mostly for car tourism with well made roads around the site and various one-way traffic configurations. I am a walker so probably have that usual slight disdain for car tourism but even give that the one car load of visitors who joined me at the Magoo cliff vantage site struck me as a bunch trying hard but not really succeeding in feeling the awe of the vista laid out below them – maybe the getting there is part of what makes such sights gratifying and arriving effortlessly by car robs them of the experience they hoped would come just from being there. Mind you some parts of the park have that devastated moonscape appearance that is the 3 year legacy of tree harvesting.
I wanted to get back home for Fern’s birthday this evening so made an early start. This involved me securing the services of a local taxi to ferry me to the Navar car-park, my plan being to walk back to my own car in Beleek and head straight home. The woman at the Centra store told me her fella was a taxi driver and would meet me outside at 8am. In the morning there he was right on time, friendly and talkative he introduced himself as “Marraghh!”. I am, of course, spelling it phonetically – I have no option, I didn’t understand a single whole sentence he uttered for the whole 10 mile journey, and he uttered plenty. Luckily he seemed to require only the most basic feedback from me to fuel his flow of what I am sure were alternately wise, humorous, informative, interesting and occasionally saucy anecdotes.
He did on occasion pause and look to me for comment or for confirmation of his latest opinion. I have an efficient strategy when this sort of thing happens i.e. I purse my mouth, raise my eyebrows, nod my head, and on occasion where emphasis seems to be required I can make a slight sucking/tutting sound or alternately exhale with a small puffing noise and shake my head. Over the years I have discovered that for most people this reaction works as a universal confirmation of what has just been said i.e. its equally effective as expressing disbelief, indignation, conspiratorial agreement, horror, or enthusiastic affirmation.
It seemed to work with Marraghh, because he slowed down and deliberately pointed out a local wind farm and winked at me? When he dropped me off he waved off any attempt I made to give him a tip, grinned and said “Bye. Hagge an unerful dy an t’ill, Brennan!”. I thanked him, give him a cheesy ‘thumbs up’ said “OK.” and just hoped that I hadn’t just agreed to either meet him for a drink, plant an explosive device in a wind turbine, or marry his sister.
It is a long drive home for my day off and a small domestic challenge means that I will have to return home again in a couple of days time (to accommodate the incredibly inefficient people at Alternative Heal Ltd.). But Donegal and Tyrone are calling me.
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