Day 2 - Wicklow Way to Oldbridge

This was the day I questioned my sanity about making this trek.  This was most certainly one of the most strenuous hikes I can recall and likely made more difficult by the fact that my entire body hurt from the previous day's mountain trek.  It involved a 1500+ ft elevation change (several times) with inclines of about 60 degrees.  No mountain bikers today.  So my legs were sore & shaky and the trek already felt perilous due to high winds and steepness of the terrain.  I think I was very fortunate that it did not rain as that would have been terrifying if the rocks had been slippery.  I kept thinking that the trail would start heading down, but then it continued to climb.  Finally, when it started to become comparatively flatter, there was a raised wooden foot path which continued for a couple of kilometers and which felt particularly hazardous in the high winds.  Unlike some other hikes I have done, there really was no turning back once it was started.  However, I also have to say that I saw several 70+ year old men just sailing along without much trouble (these are the famous "hill walkers" of Irish & British nationalities.).  By the time I got down off the mountain, it was getting late and I still had an additional 7+ kilometers to my B&B and I just couldn't do it.  So I called "Seamus" (the perfect Irish name) who picked me up and took me into the nearby town so I could get some food (which appears a challenge on this Wicklow Way Walk) and then the pub owner drove me back to the B&B.  Nice service.  I wish I had not been near psychotic with exhaustion as the room was beautiful with a king size bed and embroidered duvet cover.  They also had what they called a "steam heat room" which is where the house pipes run and it is a hot room for drying clothing.  So I was able to do some wash, slept wonderfully, and awoke to a vegetarian Irish breakfast of porridge with cream with a side of muesli and fruit.  So I was still sore, but in the process of recovery.  As a side note, the woman who ran the B&B said that many times guests have turned up with injuries from this walk, particularly due to the high winds.