15.05.2018 Along the coast! Where is the sun? :(

After completely exhausted, I treated myself to a good night's sleep. Relaxed, I headed towards Waterford. First, a piece of highway that had overtaking on the right side, which was completely confusing for me.

Unfortunately, there was no sun to greet me, only thick clouds. But they shouldn't dampen my mood. Strengthened by my Irish breakfast in the town of Dungarvan, which wasn't that great by the way (why do the Irish eat such hearty food in the early morning?!?!), I decided to explore every small coastal road. And it quickly paid off, as I was rewarded with beautiful views once again! Do you see the photo with the ship? I stepped into nettles there, and then my foot itched for half an hour. The man standing next to me was looking at me with a silly grin, and only afterwards did I realize what I had gotten myself into. The journey continued to stretch all the way to Waterford. At some point, the car started signaling that it needed fuel. Oops, there are no gas stations on my coastal road, only cows and sheep. Should I keep driving or head towards the nearest town? I continue driving. And actually, I manage to reach the next gas station with a remaining distance of 4 km. Going up and down the hills and constantly braking because of the curves, one must not underestimate the consumption. Fortunately, I'm driving a diesel, haha.

In Waterford, for once, I got out of the car and went shopping. I needed a new backpack for tomorrow's planned hike.

Waterford seemed to be a really great city with lots of young people. It seemed to be only half as stressful as Cork. Nevertheless, I wanted to continue to Kilkenny to visit the essential sights there today. On the way there, I stopped at Jerpoint Abbey - an old ruin from... well, you can google it. Anyway, luckily I only had to pay 3 euros (student price, haha)... those 3 euros were worth it. Upon arriving in Kilkenny, I inspected one cathedral and church after another until I ended up in a super cool rustic Texas pub when I got hungry. There, I treated myself to a Caesar salad (yes, again!) and a cider. In the end, I only paid 12.95 euros... hard to believe!

Next stop was Carlow. Everything seemed deserted, with a large part of the shops closed. I asked a woman where the central point of the city was, and she told me that there wasn't really one. I quickly felt exhausted again, and since I want to start my trip to the Wicklow Mountains tomorrow well-rested and energized, I just went to my AirBNB to stay with dear Eleanor. The older lady has decorated her small cottage like a castle. I find it wonderful that she started renting out her rooms to welcome international and national guests at her age. Eleanor herself says that she is never alone because of this and has learned a lot about herself.

Ultimately, today was characterized by exploring tourist attractions and small towns, as well as experiencing some highlights along the coast. The drives are always spectacular, no matter which direction.

However, I hope for nice weather tomorrow so that I can fully enjoy my journey into nature.

Insights:

Roundabouts are the alternative to traffic light intersections here (every hundred meters!!) and the concept works very well with consideration.