Let's see what's in Bray!

Well, it's Sunday, a typically a Boring Day. Yesterday was fantastic - Aditya and I went to Belfast with Elizabeth, who gave us a Cliff's Notes view of the city. We had a great time and really enjoyed learning about the area. It rained for most of the day, which was unfortunate, but we managed to take a Black Cab Tour to learn about the Troubles, spent some time in Ulster Museum, (a catch-all museum of art, history, and science, all in one) and bonded over tea in various cafes. All in all, a wonderful trip to Belfast.

Today, however, I woke up with nothing to do. Elizabeth is still in Belfast, Kalli is sick, Aditya is being studious, and Holly is with her family. What's a girl to do?

Inspired by an NYT columnist who sought to get lost in Ireland, I pulled out a map of the DART train stops and decided to take myself to Bray. A coastal town south of City Centre, I had absolutely no idea what was there, but why not check it out anyway? It certainly beats sitting in my dorm room, which has the warmth of a refrigerator and offers little more than laundry and sleep for entertainment. So - TO BRAY!

Bray, I must begin, is breathtaking. It's about a 30-minute trainride south of Blackrock, and after riding through a short tunnel, the train pulls into open air above the coast of the Irish Sea, and the Wicklow Mountains are trailing down the righthand side. It's a truly gorgeous entrance to the city.

After arriving, I headed straight for the main street (by this time, I've been to enough coastal Irish towns to know that it's homes, homes, homes, main street, local tourist attraction, more homes). Most of the shops were closed for Sunday, however, which was quite disappointing. I wandered into some residential neighborhoods and allowed myself to gape at the views of the moutains behind these homes (and to become thoroughly jealous that these people woke up to this sight every morning) before deciding to head for the coast.

Bray comes alive on the coast. The rest of the town wasn't empty - in fact, there was a good number of people out and about considering the small number of shops and cafes that were actually open. But the coast was crowded and busy, despite the cool temperature and whipping wind.

As I oriented myself to the seascape, I tried to figure out what to do with my time. Gelatto? It was kind of cold. Aquarium? I've sworn off aquariums after watching "The Cove," and the 12 euro price tag wasn't worth compromising my morals. Thus, gellato in the cold won. I picked out a flavor called "biscotinni" which was a delicious mesh of vanilla, chocolate, coffee, and what I can only assume were bits of biscotti. It was positively delightful, but my hands (and insides) were frozen solid by the time I was finished. I hurried to the trash can to dispose of the cup and in the process caught site of a cross on the top of a mountain in the distance.

Perhaps I should explain my geography. The Irish Sea was to the east and the Wicklow Mountains were running east to west, south of where I was located. The view was stunning.

As I tried to warm up from the ice cream, I noticed on the top of the mountain closest to the sea a large cross, almost imperceptible in the above photograph. I looked at the cross, thought to myself, "Well, I need to warm myself up somehow . . ." and set out to find a way to get to the top.

It turns out there is a path which will take you all the way up there - and I use the word "path" lightly. It started out just fine - a paved way with some stairs takes you up about the first 1/4 of the moutain, which was just dandy for boat shoes and kahkis. Soon it turned to just a dirt path, then a mud path, and then suddenly I found myself working through tree roots and stones, completely unprepared.

It wasn't an impossible path by any means; it wasn't even that difficult for those around me in the proper shoes. A few slips on rocks, however, and I began to realize a legitimate risk for twisting my ankle. I decided I wanted to make it back to the dorm in one piece. Eventually the muddy path dead-ended to a wall of rocks to climb, and my stubbornnes gave way to practicality and I turned around.

As I carefully turned around, I came upon one of the most breathtaking views I've had in Ireland yet. To my right was sea as far as the eye could see; to my left was a chain of mountains as far as the eye could see. It was a phenomenal view and if there had been more than a 2-foot wide clearing to stand in, I would have plopped down and sat there all day, just staring. I felt as if I was looking over all of eastern Ireland.

I safely climbed down the mountain and found my way back to the DART. Needless to say, I am now determined to make it to the top of the mountain. I want to see the view from the tippy top, and I want to find out why the heck that cross is up there! If tomorrow is at all sunny, I'm heading back with the proper footwear and a buddy to finish that mountain. Can't wait to see what's up there!