newsheaven

I can't figure out how we'll make it to dinner. I told my spouse, Taylor, as we carefully made our way up a rugged slope, facing away from the North Atlantic. We had covered 13 miles of what would be a 43-mile, three-day journey across the Dingle Peninsula, which juts out as Ireland’s farthest west point. That morning, we departed from the melodious coastal town of Dingle and embarked on a hike towards Dunquin, a minuscule village overlooking the Blasket Islands archipelago. Shortly after having lunch, we strayed from the trail to investigate the remains of a 7th-century monastery and found ourselves somewhat disoriented as we tried to find our way back. We found ourselves delayed as we reached the top of the peninsula’s slope. From our vantage point over the hilltop, we could barely make out Mount Brandon, a sacred destination standing at 3,000 feet tall, which used to mark the boundary of the explored territories. Bene...