To Carrigrohane and back--Lee Road, Irish Countryside

A day without classes is a day to explore. With no destination but 'the countryside' in mind, a friend and I walked westward along the River Lee. Cork disappeared little by little and we were soon among grazing cows, stalks of corn, and quaint farm houses. The road was long and flat--we could see a few kilometers ahead of us and the whizzing cars that traveled along this route blew our hair into our faces. The only worry was that along this vast stretch of road ahead of us, we could not see a bridge to cross to the other side and return to the city. We did not want to back track, so we continued forward until finally around a bend, Alas! a Bridge! Unlike the walk to Carrigrohane (the town where the bridge was located) which accommodated pedestrians and bicyclists with a sidewalk, our return trip was a little more dangerous as we had to walk in the street. As cars passed, we pressed ourselves along the stone walls that fenced in the farms, hoping that the drivers might slow down. The scenery on the north side of the river was very different from the south. We now walked through dense forest--our feet crunching the leaves that have already started to fall. When we finally reached the city, our legs and feet ached. I later mapped our route and found that we had traveled 15 kilometers! 

A narrow bridge--our saving grace