Okay, I just had a lovely, mellifluous description of our two favorite walks edited and ready to post - then Mr. Computer decided to crash on me and lost it all (not that I'm not grateful for said Mr. Computer, but...). Such flights of poetic fancy (accompanied by amazing vocabulary, of course!) are few and far between these days, so instead you'll be getting the Cliffs Notes version.
To recap - our neighborhood and the University of Limerick itself aren't exact
ly standouts of aesthetic beauty, or even provincial charm, but once you get to the river that cuts through UL, it's a different story. The paths along the riverbanks are the stuff of myth and legend - lush green corners, mossy dells, friendly (or not) trees with an excess of personality, surprising twists like huge patches of wild blackberries (yum!) and castle ruins... it's all magic and fascination with us! I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
We loved the ruins especially - ruins are so common here, even remarkable medieval strongholds like this one, that most aren't even on the map. They didn't even bother putting up a plaque or sign for the ones on our walks, so we don't know who built them or exactly how old they are. They're just these ruined towers in the woods - we kept waiting for Rumpelstiltskin or the local witch to appear and return the spots to their former glory.
Note to the Wise: Chestnuts roasting on an open fire sound poetic and conjure some of the most charming holiday imagery, which prompted us to gather the shiny, pleasing horse chestnuts, take them home, and roast them. Ours turned out rather bitter - edible with butter and salt, but we're really glad we don't have to survive on them! Gathering them was like a treasure hunt, and I love fingering the beautiful, glossy nuts. Just don't try to eat them.
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