Sugarloaf and Tea

This afternoon, Elizabeth, Molly and I headed over to the DCU sports complex to watch our first American Football game in Ireland. Two of our friends play for the DCU club team and we thought it would be fun to see what a game was like. It was a lot of fun to watch, and definitely brought back memories from home as this has always been a big part of my high school/college experience.

I was able to walk through the park on the way back to DCU, and these beautiful flowers caught my eye! Little signs like this lead me to believe spring is on its way!


After the game, I met my friend Déarbhla and we adventured to Sugarloaf. No, sugarloaf is not a giant dessert, but in fact a part of the Wicklow mountains and a very beautiful one at that. She picked me up at DCU and took me for a scenic drive on the way to Sugarloaf. Here is the mountain (or hill rather) in all its glory!

We parked the car by a GAA pitch and couldn't help but laugh at the complete random location for such a field.
The path started out as a concrete path, soon turned into a dirt one, and before we knew it we were climbing up the hill on our own, completely free of guidance. It was an incredible workout as we tested each rock and soon laughed as we realized how far from the path we had strayed.

The views from the top were gorgeous. The green patch in the middle of this picture below is the GAA pitch I spoke of earlier.

Our little Christmas tree on the way up the mountain. Charlie Brown must have made an appearance in Ireland.
We made it pretty high before we decided to take a break in the "heather." The brush covers the hill and Déarbhla explained that it turns a beautiful purple in the spring. I may have to come back for a look!
From the top, not only could you see the countryside but also Dublin city center and parts of the coastal towns. It was quite the view and was great to have a professional explain the surroundings.

We made it up and over to the hill! Here is a view from the other side.

She was trying to be a leprechaun of course.
This picture pretty much sums up the hike. We chatted away until we were too out of breath to talk, and after a quick break to rest our legs, we were back to climbing and laughing and enjoying the scenery. It took us about an hour on the way up because we were climbing up some rocky areas, but the trip down was quite easy and before we knew it we were back in the car.

After the hike, we agreed on tea and stopped at Avoca, a very crafty store which sells fun, artistic gifts for the home. We each had tea and I enjoyed a multiberry scone as we sat outside in the sun and relaxed. I had such a great time talking to her and find it fascinating how much we have in common. The time flew by too quickly and it was soon time to enter reality and head home.

She was so kind as to take me through another scenic journey home, and throughout the drive I think it hit me how much I have grown to love this country. The beautiful countryside has become familiar but still takes my breath away. As we turned the corner to see a girl riding horseback down the main road and Déarbhla's comment of "only in Ireland," I realized how much I am going to miss it. Not ready to say goodbye yet, but I still have plenty of time to soak up the Irish goodness and intend to do just that.